The Dream follows a girl with the unique ability to communicate with animals who has a dream sending her and her brother on a dangerous quest. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Great question. Breakfield and Burkey wanted to create a fantasy for young people, hoping it would increase their interest in reading. We added games at the end of the print version to reinforce the learning aspects of reading. For a portion of the story, we used the foundation of a First-Place award we earned for our One Act play.

Your characters are wonderfully emotive and relatable. Were you able to use anything from your own life to inform their character development?

We are delighted you enjoyed our characters. We invite anyone reading this story to share their favorite character and why. Rox was particularly taken with the dragon. Yes, we pulled from our youth when imagination drove playtime. Memories of interactions with our siblings helped frame the relationship between Destiny and Valerian. Characteristics of our respective children are also woven into the relationship. The strong bonds of siblings will withstand any obstacles.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

One aspect we felt was important is following your dreams to help make them a reality. Another is helping others without thinking of what it might give you. Too often, young people today ignore a problem or situation where their involvement could make a positive difference. We hope the young readers will discover other positive elements from The Dream.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

The Dream is a stand-alone story, and we do not currently envision it as part of a series. However, we have some ideas for other stories targeting this age group that we are keeping on hold for now. Our next project will be aimed at the young adult audience, with the final installment of our Enigma Heirs Trilogy, titled Enigma Jewels, set to be released in the spring of 2025.

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