Long Leg: Book II centers around a Gifted burrowing owl who is tasked with delivering the earth elemental Okaraxta’s desperate message to the Guardian Spirit. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I drew inspiration from one of the stories in my first book, Stories, Legends, and Truths from the Blighted Earth. In that collection of stories, I knitted together the world of the Blighted Earth, covering everything from origin stories to the Blighted Earth’s ‘rules’ and operating concepts to character hierarchies, abilities, and roles. In ‘Last Bastian,’ I tell the story of a Praestean snowshoe hare who serves the Tree Spirit, Quoia; an Earth Elemental whose protectorate encompasses the giant redwood forests in the Sierra Nevada range. In addition to telling Bastian’s story, the purpose was also to educate readers on the Keeper animal’s role and responsibilities as well as the species’ history and lore. I loved writing that story and wanted to ensure one of the series’ main story arcs involved a Praestean as the main character. I wanted to pair this idea with the drama of an unlikely hero being pressed into unconventional service with the fate of the Natural Order on their shoulders. The setting of a second ‘Dust Bowl’ was a no-brainer. In real life, much of the region where Long Leg takes place has been suffering from extended drought and water mismanagement. Furious winds amplified and directed by Corrupted sentients easily turned an environment on the precipice into an ecological catastrophe. With Okaraxta inexorably connected to his meta-environment, he would suffer as the lands and all its life suffer.

Regarding how I arrived at a burrowing owl for Okaraxta’s Praestean, you are probably thinking: Why not a raptor or a wolf? The final choice was the product of both a Keeper ‘selection criteria’ and where the story was taking place. A Keeper must be a native species of the region encompassing the master elemental’s meta’en. Okaraxta presides over the prairies and high plains of the Midwest. Since the purpose of the Keeper animal is to return their elemental’s spirit essence to the Lifestream in the event of their death, they must be a faster species with excellent evasion skills. Finally, since much of the Long Leg story takes place underground, I also wanted an interesting ‘burrowing’ species, and a burrowing owl fit the part perfectly. In fact, the underground aspects of the story also drove the species types of Long Leg’s companions: Khúta, a prairie dog, and Augee, a mole.

How much of the ecological crisis depicted in the book was inspired by real-world environmental challenges?

Sadly, all of it. I have and continue to conduct a lot of research on the impacts of climate change, including the effects of human mismanagement and overconsumption of natural resources. Additionally, I have done quite a bit of research on underlying factors, such as human communities and agricultural practices which are unsustainable and lead to natural habitat loss. Examples include building large metropolitan populations in deserts or growing water-intensive crops in areas prone to extended droughts. The Guardian Spirit, Ithilbor Moonfist, and his struggles with the ravenous wildfires driven by Sentient Wind and Fire in the West illustrate how these real-world challenges are incorporated into the story. That region has been experiencing forest mismanagement and water overconsumption for decades. When you combine that with extended drought and more powerful storms induced by climate change, it is essentially a giant tinder waiting for a match. This is why wildfires are growing bigger, hotter, and more destructive each year while the resources to fight them are dwindling. When I add the Corrupted Formless of wind and fire into the volatile mix, the ecological catastrophe is as inevitable as it is unstoppable.

This level of understanding is an imperative for my writing, because environmental challenges and their impacts are far more than just a backdrop in a world where the Earth is a sentient being and all living things—all Her children—are connected.

Which aspect of the novel was the most difficult to write?

I would have to say the touchpoints on the series’ throughline story arcs were the toughest. These would include Eros and the Mothmen as their role continues to build toward the epic conclusion of the series. There are a ton of technical details that must be thought through and fleshed out when writing about a race of godlike, planet-consuming aliens who exist in the Dark Matter Realm. Also included among these check-ins is Arden, Parim, and STEM’s arc; all of whom are destined to play important roles in the books yet to come. The ‘Interlogue’ chapter, entitled “The Quakening,” was particularly emotional and difficult to write. It ended up being a reflective literary construct for me to process my feelings about the unconscionable things going on in the world: the needless conflicts leading to unnecessary suffering and loss of life; the growing incivility and division in our society; the spread of violent extremism and political violence; etc.

What can we look forward to seeing in the next installment of The Blighted Earth Series?

Oh, it’s going to be fun. The third installment of the series, entitled Fire Moon over the Blighted Earth, picks up where Long Leg left off with some unbelievable twists and turns adding to a suspenseful plot. Some great new protagonists and diabolical antagonists will be thrown into the mix with enduring characters. Readers will gain far more insight into the Corruption process and how nonhuman agents are created to fill the ranks of Chaos’s army. Additionally, there will be further development in the throughline arcs involving Arden, Parim, and STEM as well as those of Eros and the other Mothmen. I am also trying to enlist my twin brother, Vince, to assist with illustrating the novel. Teaming up to make it a family affair will add more visual depth and richness to the book that readers will certainly enjoy.

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