Coven of Andromeda follows a young woman whose grandmother has passed away, leaving her with more than just memories, but her family’s magical legacy, propelling her on a journey of self-discovery that leads her to another world entirely. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

A cross between the stories Practical Magic & Harry Potter. The original title for the novel was The Witch Hats and was much simpler than the story I finally wrote. It evolved around a central family and their place within a coven. The hat that a witch wore in life accumulated their knowledge, and after death, the hat was then passed onto an heir. When the heir to the hat finally placed it onto their head, the knowledge of all previous wearers would be transferred to the new witch. Although there is much similarity to the first outline that I plotted out, the new version, which I kept and used, involved a more detailed account of the history of the coven and its roots on the distant planet Eldoria and the people there.

The reader notices right away that the story starts on Eldoria in the first chapter, followed by chapter two being on earth with a mother and her two daughters returning to the town of Ballad after years away due to a death in the family. The book bounces from past to future until about halfway through the book, as aspects of Eldoria are revealed to the reader and who the main characters actually are.

Two strong-willed young people, both grappling with their own journeys of self-discovery, find their lives unexpectedly intertwined in your story. What inspired the connection between Bree and Sameril?

I’m not sure if it is inspiration, but I felt that telling the reader of the ancient past and bringing everything into the present day was a must to make the story understandable. Sameril was in love with Briella on planet Eldoria. The planet was under siege, forcing young witches and necromancers to escape. Without giving the story away, Sam was tasked with protecting the coven of witches for hundreds of years (without aging or aging slowly), sometimes nearby and sometimes from a distance. Bree is the reincarnation of Briella on Earth in the present day, but has no idea who Briella was or of her reincarnation. My intention was to show that love spans time, space, and location.

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

Definitely coming-of-age and destiny or fate of the character(s). Breaking out of who you think you are and becoming what you need to be. This, along with fate, causes you to be thrust into a situation where you don’t want to be, but must be in order to resolve the current situation. This is the untamed, magical abilities of Bree Tanner coming to terms with her heritage and her future.

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?

Oh, great question! To be honest, this was going to be a novel that stood on its own. I never had any intention of writing a second book. That said, everyone I know personally and others who have contacted me or in their reviews of the book at various locations have asked if there will be a follow-up book with possibly more story involving some of the side characters.

OK. Without sticking my head through a noose, I will say that I have already been brainstorming, pre-plotting, and fleshing out some ideas. Things are always subject to change, and I would hate to say too much about what I think will happen, but if things stay the way I have them started right now, it would certainly involve more story with characters within Sam’s library, along with the Fae. I wouldn’t want to say much more than that right now and be accused later for not following through. Also, I have three other stories I want to write as well. Will I write the follow-up soon? I have a tendency to write two books at once, writing one novel’s first two or three chapters and then working on the plot of another book, and then going back to where I left off. This bouncing back-and-forth gives my brain time to decompress from too much focus on one by fiddling with another. I am always thinking of the next two or three books that I want to write and extremely fidgety over which one will be first. As of this writing, I will probably start on book 5 in my Rangers of the Realm sci-fi series as well as this one.

People are free to leave me messages on my website as to their own thoughts on my books or ideas of what they would like to read. All are welcome.

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