The Shards of the Conduit follows a man in command of an elite strike team who is forced to improvise his way through a nightmare of a mission.

Malek is skilled but flawed, often on the edge of making the wrong call. How did you approach building a protagonist who is both competent and unstable?  

I hate to say it, but from personal experience, and knowing people in my life who held such a dichotomy as well. It’s a skill in itself to remain composed, professional, and competent whether you are a field operative or a mom of 3 juggling small humans at home. The truth is, many of us have these internal struggles. Malek obviously has many, and much darker struggles, but he’s learned over the years that the safest option for him often to keep his head on straight and avoid making mistakes. Struggling in silence is, as I said, unfortunately a survival mechanism while folks depend on you.

Military structure and culture feel very grounded. Did you draw from specific historical or contemporary influences when building the Alliance?

I did, I drew from some modern examples as SotC is very near-future feeling. I learned a lot of friends who served, as well as my own research in how to establish structure and common themes for language.

Can you give us a glimpse inside Book 2 of the Eiden Ascendant series? Where will it take readers? 

Without revealing spoilers, Malek and Nikita face new challenges as the consequences of their actions bear down on them. Readers will experience tension, desperation, and grief, while also celebrating new alliances and an epic, jaw-dropping climax. Many of the unanswered questions from Book 1 are resolved, even as new ones emerge, setting the stage for the final installment and a satisfying conclusion to the series.

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