The Arkencrest Chronicles: Battle for Crossroads follows an eighteen-year-old young man carrying the weight of his parents’ mysterious deaths, who joins a caravan, setting him on a path to discover his destiny. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I grew up in a home without parents and I know many other kids do as well. I was lucky enough to have a grandmother to take me in, so I feel I connect with the main character, Bourdain, on a personal level. He is basically a fantasy version of past me. 

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities, breaking away from some traditional fantasy tropes and giving it a fresh feel. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?

I am a huge ttrpg player and Dungeon and Dragons fan. This original started as a custom setting for my roleplaying group to play our games in. I fell in love with the characters and the world so much that I felt it needed to become more. While writing it, I was running a ttrpg game set in the future and having that live feedback really help me lock in what happened and where I want the story to go, as well as help flesh out the characters. 

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

Hope when there is none.

Everyone can make a difference, even from humble beginnings.

Light vs Dark.

Even villains have a personality.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

I see this being a full series 3-7 books depending how it flows. I tend to write on the go and don’t plot out all the details, so I guess we all will have to see where the writing takes the story.

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