Taquoma follows a volcanologist on a perilous mission to prevent a catastrophic eruption in Yellowstone, racing against time to save humanity. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration for the setup of Taquoma is my fascination with volcanoes and the hazardous job of volcanologists. When Mount St. Helens exploded I was in awe of the sheer power of Mother Earth. While watching a documentary on volcanoes a terrifying thought crossed my mind: what if every major volcano on Earth starting with Yellowstone erupted at once? What would that look like? I set out to explore this intriguing idea. I also explored the idea of how the government might counter Yellowstone by fracking and pumping cold water into the caldera to cool it. I developed a complex plan to engineer that idea, then during my research, I coincidently stumbled across an actual plan by NASA to do almost exactly what I envisioned. It was a wonderful find and helped me fill in the blanks of my original plan.

Yara Del Rey is a woman with strength. What do you think makes her a valuable and worthy heroine?

Yara’s inner strength derives from her unconditional love of her daughter, Kalani, and the parents who raised her. She’s traditional and loyal and seeks to do what is right even though she fails miserably at times. What makes her most valuable is her fiery nature and determination to speak the truth, no matter the cost to her personally or professionally. She is the voice of reason in the story that the NASA scientists choose to ignore. She treats people with respect and respects the Earth, holding those values dear to her heart.

How did you balance the action scenes with the story elements and still keep a fast pace in the story?

Mainly by integrating character development and plot progression directly into the action sequences. I used the intensity of the moment to reveal key details about the characters and advance the narrative while keeping the writing focused on descriptions to maintain momentum. I set out to make every action scene a critical turning point in the story and ramp up the tension.

What is the next book that you are working on and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I am currently working on my first book series called, THE TIMEPIECE SERIES. The first three books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble Nook and I am currently writing the fourth book. Book One, THE TIMEPIECE LEGACY, was recently reviewed by Literary Titan and it earned a Silver Book Award. Book Two is titled THE TIMEPIECE PARADOX, and Book Three is titled THE TEMPUS GLASS. Book Four will be out in early 2025 titled THE TIME TRINITY. You can find all my books and links to purchase on my website AuthorKevinMiller.com.

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