In Entheóphage, children worldwide fall victim to a mysterious illness which reveals their compelling empathic connection to the coral reefs in the South Pacific. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

I’m a very Earth-minded person. It bothers me to see so many people ignoring the warning signs of environmental degradation and climate/habitat destruction. The idea for Entheóphage came to me when, in a moment of high frustration over these issues, I wondered what it would take to wake people up to the harm our actions are having on our world and the other beings who share it with us. It occurred to me in that moment that maybe, just maybe, if our children were being more immediately and directly affected or threatened by our actions, in ways no one could deny, that might finally wake us up to the consequences of our behavior.

The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?

While I love science and read many articles about discoveries, I am an average layperson, not a scientist. I was fortunate enough to find specialists in the fields relevant to my story, professionals who were willing to help me get the science correct. But I also knew that I needed to keep it easy to read for lay readers like me, and not bog them down with too much detail.

I utilized a number of beta readers who provided me with honest feedback on the readability. They were so helpful in keeping the science approachable!

Even so, it was a delicate balance, one I played with over multiple drafts before I got it right.

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

I wanted to look at reasons why people (like Isobel, in the story) would damage fragile ecosystems without a second thought. Not just greed. Real-life reasons. Hard reasons. Not everyone who contributes to environmental destruction is a bad guy; sometimes there are no easy answers. We just need better, more sustainable ways to accomplish our goals, and too few of us–especially those in the corporate world, who have the means to really make a difference–have made it a priority.

In addition, I tried to explore the theme of ignorance so many of us share. Even Luk, when his daughter gets sick in the story, doesn’t believe the things she’s saying. It took a lot to convince him – like Kyndra’s knowledge of the wildfires, when she could not have known about them any other way.

Evolution and the interconnectedness of nature were important to the theme of this book, as well as how humans (to a large degree) have considered themselves to be disconnected from that web. I tried to imagine how Gala/Earth might speak to us if she could – and found it flowed well to show her using natural processes, as in accelerated evolution, to enable the phages to communicate with us through these children.

Can readers look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?

I’m about to release book two in a science fantasy trilogy called The Founder’s Seed, a story about a shapeshifter whose uniqueness sets her apart and, at the same time, puts her in the perfect situation to save her people—even if she’s still learning how to wield her special abilities. Book one, Fallen, is available now in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Book two, Broken, is coming in November. Book three, Driven, is coming next summer.

I also have a dark ecofiction novelette entitled Deer in Headlights coming on State of Matter’s online webzine (https://stateofmatter.in) in November. I’m really proud of this story!

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