The Broken Coil follows a grizzled wanderer dragged into rescuing a mysterious girl, confronting ghosts of his past, and surviving a world of desert peril, pilgrim legends, and a broadsword with a mind of its own. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration came from two sources: the mythology of the American West and the tradition of the great films depicting that very mythology, particularly the hero (the cowboy) roaming the land, interacting with characters, righting wrongs, and finally, moving on to the next location.

Chloe’s eerie humor and calm presence are striking. How did her character evolve during your writing process?

Ha! Chloe was so much fun to write. She started off as sweet, innocent, and so frustratingly impetuous. By the end of the story, she had revealed her talent for dance and mysticism, integral to the plot. She took a step toward adulthood while keeping her girlish charm.

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

Themes that drove the story are sacrifice, faith, corruption, family, and above all, bravery. Always bravery.

The world is rich with religions, legends, and threats. Which part of the worldbuilding came first, and which was the hardest to weave together?

Most often, I start with a character idea and develop the world from there. Character takes priority over worldbuilding. Mother Endelyn and the deity named ‘The Noman’ were created first, followed by their backstory. When designing lore, logic, and simplicity are two essential elements. Funny thing about logic and simplicity; they are hard to “weave together!” Once certain threads become too complicated and entangled, they are tossed aside.

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