The Knight’s Squire follows a twelve-year-old squire who dreams of becoming a legendary knight like his father and learns the meaning of courage, loyalty, and honor. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I thought a lot about what it is like to be growing up and deciding what you want to be. As kids, we often glamorize the professions we want to be in, and then the harsh reality of life hits us as we get older. I also had the idea from listening to a boy who loved Professional Wrestling and then found out that the matches are predetermined, and I thought of applying that idea to jousting in tournaments.

What influences helped shape the kingdom, cultures, politics, and traditions of the world?

Many of my ideas about the kingdom come from JRR Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings. One of the things I always wondered about while reading his works was: what if the elves leave Middle Earth for the West, and when they arrive at their promised land, it is already inhabited? I have a degree in History and have taught Government and Economics for over 30 years. One of the main forces of history is the movement of people. How do people adapt to their environment or modify it? I look at the Viking raids on the British Isles and the conflicts between the Church and the ideas of the Enlightenment for inspiration.

The novel repeatedly challenges romantic ideas about knights and warfare. What did you want younger characters to discover about the difference between tournament glory and actual battle?

I want them to see that being a knight is not all chivalry and proper etiquette. Medieval warfare was brutal and violent, especially for the common soldiers. Jousting tournaments had danger, but not at the level of actual battle, where it was kill or be killed. Also, the lesson Jory learns is that during tournaments, knights had freedom to come and go and make decisions for themselves. In battle, a knight is under the command of his lord and must follow his orders even if he might not agree with them.

Several revelations near the end dramatically change what readers understand about characters and loyalties. How do those discoveries set up the larger story?

In the next book, the readers will discover the motivations for one of the characters who switched their loyalty and get to follow his character arc. Also, we will find out what the costs of having power or reaching for power can be. Emily will have to make a choice between her magical abilities and her love for Theo. And Jory’s journey will become a little darker as he tries to survive in this world. He must decide if he can trust others again and if it is worth having friends.

Author Links: GoodReads | TikTok | Facebook | Website | Instagram | Amazon