The Secret Rise follows a woman, her family, and allies as they face betrayal, curses, prophecy, and the unrelenting pressure of survival, all while a mysterious guiding presence known as the Lady shadows her path. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Our inspiration has been ongoing … often starting with a “What if …” as the two of us starting a writing session together. The original story that began in The Secret Journey (published in 2023 was the seeding. Did we know that Nichol would become a Lady Baron or have three children, and become the amazing archer and warrior? No. It all germinated as we worked forward.

How has character development for the main characters changed for you through the series?

Nichol’s kindness and caring for others were always there. Once she escaped the ruthlessness of her mother in book 1, The Secret Journey, all our “what ifs …” were all over the place. We always remained open for something else to drop in—but with the promise that her wisdom would be shared; the justice was important; and that protecting her family and friends would be upfront.

I felt that there were a lot of great twists and turns throughout the novel. Did you plan this before writing the novel, or did the twists develop organically while writing?

Great question. We know some of the twists and turns … but also know as we write, variables will drop in. Now, we are working on book 4 The Secret Awakening. We storyboarded the major conflicts we saw coming … a huge variable is that the kids become young adults and take the lead. We knew how we would end the series … and we are marching forward to it.

Can you tell us more about what’s in store for Nichol and the direction of The Secret Awakening?

Ahhh …A huge twist is coming for Lucette and Aiden. As well as the quest for knowledge that Athena seeks with words. Lucette is truly her mother Nichol in many ways … the other two … oh my!

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