Imogen and the Silent Depths is a whimsical and haunting fantasy where a carousel horse awakens in a cursed seaside carnival and must embrace her identity to break an ancient sea witch’s spell. What inspired you to make a carousel horse your protagonist?

I wanted to write an original character for the lead. I know most people might prefer a unicorn as a main character. However, there seemed so many unicorn stories defining every moment and characteristic of what a unicorn must be, how it would behave, I felt I needed more wiggle room. I needed a lead that could explore old topics and morals in a new way.

Omenthia is a chilling villain. Was she drawn from folklore or a personal creation?

I honestly read a great deal of folk lore. As far as villains, I was partial to The Baba Yaga, Mommy Fortuna and the Morrigan as a youngster. However, I created the Sea Witch from my own imagination. I normally only write bullies, ergo I felt Omenthia had to become more terrifying in each chapter in order to keep the reader rooting for Imogen.

The story balances whimsy with darkness. How do you approach tone when writing for younger readers?

Although the story is aimed at older readers, I believe it can also appeal to a younger audience. I never  talk down to anyone, especially children. They live in the same world we do. They are much more sophisticated than we tend to imagine. So the story has a universal appeal.

What message or feeling do you hope readers carry with them after finishing Imogen and the Silent Depths?

The point of the book is for the reader to explore their own ideas and opinions about each philosophical question posed in the book. I wrote this book hoping these topics would come up in conversations that the readers might have. The only way for us to stretch our understanding is through the experiences of one another. Or more simply, if you’ve done something you regret, it’s never too late to grow. If you learned from it, turn from it.

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