The Matrix Opal follows a beastmaster who has escaped brutal imprisonment, whose talents make her a target, leaving her to struggle to find a place among the tribes of her world. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I have a great heart for Bybiis, gifted and isolated. People in groups fear what they don’t understand. Rather than getting to know her abilities, some are trying to silence her. After her rescue, Bybiis seeks a mentor to grow her talents, but the books on magic are destroyed, and the few remaining gifted people are in hiding.

Many readers may be trying out new ideas without guidance, the impetus for innovation. We need courage and perseverance. Bybiis feels isolated and misunderstood, unable to forge an identity that works in public. I feel that readers will relate to her struggles, trying to match their strengths and fresh ideas with a place in the community where they are valued.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?​

You ask good questions. Characters return to specific locations in the story. I feel we learn by traveling, mostly about ourselves in comparison to other cultures. On Dolvia, the tribes easily mix, and tolerance is needed for odd customs. The groups are not militant until an outside force causes enough harm that the duchies band together and form a militia in defense.

For protection the gifted clutch are gathered at Greensboro beach, nominally charged with dredging the area for construction of a port. I liked the setting of a rocky beach below basalt cliffs. I spent days staring at images of basalt formations in Australia and Ireland.

The primary characters are diverse women from various tribes. My mission was to fill up the scenes with action and confrontation, with stuff happening in the background too. In each scene, the plot advances for two or more characters. I have lots of characters in my head.

This book has some amazing creatures. What was your favorite character to create and write for?​

The sigpywa are fun, aren’t they? Overgrown centipedes with horns on each side of the many plates. They are as big as a bus and accept riders on their backs. Residents of one city paint them and add streamers on the horns, much like elephants are painted for parades in India. And sigpywa love water, always trying to go for a swim in the pond.

When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?​

Book 2 of The Duchy Wars is titled THE HEART SCARAB and may come out before the year-end holidays in 2025. We’ll see.

Young characters are growing into adult roles, such as Kore who is an unloved girl who inherits the treasure of Rularim and must accept some formal duties as a result. The voice of Stuben also emerges as one to follow when he confronts his tribal leader Rufus el Arrivi. Stuben’s voice is strong in all the remaining sequences.

There’s a teaser for you. LOL
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