Crimson Light is a sprawling science fantasy that moves, bridging Earth and Arvalast, blending dystopian themes, spiritual warfare, and fantastical adventure. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My writing is heavily influenced by books like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, both of which I loved growing up. Although subtle, Tolkien had a spiritual warfare component in his books, partially hidden behind otherworldly creatures like the Nazgul and Sauron. Characters including Gandalf and the elves acted much like angelic beings, working to help humankind against the forces of darkness. I was also influenced by authors like Ted Dekker, who created multi-world stories with a light-versus-darkness undertone, such as in The Circle Trilogy. From a dystopian standpoint, it’s in part due to working in tech and speculating on where things could go on the extreme end if AI ever got out of control. 

Were there particular books, myths, or life experiences that influenced the creation of this saga?

Biblical stories about good and evil have heavily influenced my writing and worldview. And within this worldview, one complex question I’ve always wrestled with is how pain and evil can exist in a world governed by a purely good God. Elements of this question and trials of faith permeate The Song of Immaru, as the characters wrestle with navigating a universe governed in part by both light and darkness, and with how entities on both sides perceive their own motivations within this interplay.

Maddie’s grief over Gras adds considerable emotional depth to the story. Why was it important to explore loss so thoroughly?

The Song of Immaru has a lot of philosophical underpinnings, as well as a ton of crazy stuff happening with AI, UFOs, multi-worlds, and magical phials of light. But none of that is very meaningful without tangible real-world character struggles to anchor the story. Maddie, a key character in the book, has lost her husband and must now assume his leadership role in their Forest Fugitive community. She’s also trying to be a mother to her young daughter. As many people nowadays feel all too well, trying to juggle so much and basically hold the world on your shoulders is no easy task. So I wanted to explore that in greater depth. 

Can we look forward to more installments in The Song of Immaru series soon? Where will it take readers? 

Absolutely! I plan to write one more book after Crimson Light to complete the first arc of The Song of Immaru. The story will expand from there with another three-book arc, then conclude with one larger book that will pull everything together and dive even deeper into the philosophical questions permeating the series, all while staying fast-paced and exciting. 

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