Inspired by a Dream

Author Interview
Niah Bach Author Interview

Harbinger follows a princess whose prophetic nightmares lead her to make a forbidden connection with an imperial rook. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

It all started with a dream I had when I was 17. I knew that I didn’t have the writing experience or life experience to do the story justice, so I sat on the idea until I was 25. When I did sit down to write, I thought that, since this was inspired by a dream, having my MFC’s conflict start in dreams seemed appropriate. Sadly, her dreams were not as enjoyable as mine.

Were you able to relate to your characters while writing them?

I did! We have all had moments of fear that we have to overcome, and I personally believe all fear is a benchmark. Something to tell us what we need to overcome. Be it to improve a skill or recover from a trauma that we experienced, that is stopping us from moving forward. Keira doesn’t have the tools to combat her fears, but she has the determination to find them. I also resonated with the imperial family; they reminded me of how my own family rallies around each other when we are in need. Their love for one another is a mirror of the love I have for my family. Then there is Cyrus’s commitment to finding the truth, which made me determined that he would get his answers because I needed them too!

How did you come up with the idea for the antagonist in this story, and how did it change as you wrote?

In the beginning, I had several possible villain choices, but it wasn’t until I wrote the Club Deviant scene that V appeared. As I wrote him, I was appalled by how callous and depraved he was but had to admit he was the perfect villain. His evolution from cunning strategist to obsessed deviate is a direct response to how many blood bonds he has had. With each bond, his need to have sex grows, and his obsession with Keira becomes twisted, as do his goals.

Can you give us a glimpse inside Book 2 of this series? Where will it take readers?

Lines will be crossed. Revelations will blow up preconceived notions of facts. And my 4 little female moiohs (children) will be hard at work influencing everyone. A little more will be revealed about the enemies from the stars, and everything will be decided by a desperate gamble. There will be some answers, but not all. The real revelations happen in book 3 (yes, it’s written).

Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon

In Praetoria, the elite do not have any special talents. Then why is it the only imperial princess is having vision-like nightmares? These dreams foretell the destruction of her world and the death of her family, and every day they gain strength in their horror.

The return of a particular imperial rook changes the tone of her dreams, providing her with much needed relief. But this too is perplexing, for he is a rook and she an elite. The law strictly forbids a union between the two.

Yet four little female moiohs scheme to bring them together, providing the path to secure their future, a future threatened by traitors who would use the princess as a way to steal her father’s throne.

Posted on July 5, 2025, in Interviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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