Battle Beyond the Veil follows a museum curator who discovers she can see a hidden war between angels and demons, only to realize she is the key to stopping it. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of an unseen war between light and darkness. In today’s romantasy landscape, demons are often portrayed as seductive or sympathetic, and I wanted to explore the opposite — a world where angels and demons are ancient, powerful, and terrifyingly real. That contrast sparked the entire setup: a woman who doesn’t believe in any of it suddenly discovering she’s at the center of a millennia‑old conflict.

Zahra is tied to prophecy, but she resists being defined by it. How did you navigate that tension?

I love stories where destiny and free will collide. Zahra is bound to a prophecy, but she’s also a woman who refuses to be told who she is. Writing her meant letting both truths exist at once — the weight of fate and the fire of her own will. The tension between those forces is what ultimately shapes her arc.

The book draws from Christian frameworks but prioritizes story over doctrine. How did you strike that balance? I had to keep reminding myself that no one likes to be preached to when reading fiction.

I had to keep reminding myself that readers don’t pick up a fantasy novel to be preached at. My goal was to let the story lead while still honoring the spiritual framework that inspires me. I wanted to invite readers to consider the possibility of a spiritual realm — not by telling them what to believe, but by letting them experience it through the characters, the stakes, and the world. Story always came first, and the themes naturally wove themselves in.

What other layers of the angel/demon hierarchy are you excited to explore?

Kyden’s world is governed by rules, ranks, and ancient tensions that the reader barely glimpses in book one. I’m excited to explore higher angelic orders, the Fallen who operate in the shadows, and the factions within both sides that don’t always agree. Those layers will reveal just how complicated this war really is.

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