Aerie is a continuation of the Dragon Guild saga, where Gabri and her dragon Makani seek peace in a mountaintop refuge, only to be swept into a cross-realm rescue mission that tests the bonds of love, loyalty, and identity. What were some new ideas you wanted to explore in book two?

Thank you for your interest in Arie and in me.

At the end of SANCTUM, Gabri was a 16-year-old who had lost all her enhanced abilities when she’d been abducted. Her family on Terra was doing all they could to find her and bring her home. She had bonded with her dragon, Makani, and her Aracai, Ting.

After chapter 1 of AERIE, Gabri’s story continues at age 18. While people flee to Sanctum in droves to escape the evil ruler of Umbra, Gabri and Elio join with other dragons and riders to protect their home and everyone on the planet. This book explores Gabri’s relationships with Elio, who is in love with her, and with Donny, the one she was sure she would build a life with. Donny is still searching for her. New challenges, far more complex than before, test her and the ones she loves. Will Gabri survive and overcome them? Who will she choose to be her life partner?

Gabri’s emotional journey is so raw and personal. Was there a specific experience or inspiration that shaped her arc in Aerie?

Personally, I grew up as an Army brat, moving from one environment to another, sometimes with little warning. Leaving friends behind, or seeing them leave, broke my heart. Changing schools was daunting, especially when we moved during the school year, which often happened. More so, moving from one country to another, from a familiar culture and language to one completely different, left me feeling temporarily powerless. Personal growth occurred as I learned to overcome every obstacle (such as learning another language) and as my broken heart mended after each move. In many ways, I identify with Gabri.

As for Gabri’s character arc, two experiences come to mind. One happens when Gabri is captured by Ozul and discovers he is not the one who abducted her from Terra. She encounters Katzir, the being behind her abduction and the one controlling the planet. She shows great courage, despite being separated from her bondmates and Elio. Before she can reunite with Makani and Elio, Ozul wipes her memory.

The second occurs as she slowly recovers her memories. Donny re-enters her life, and she must make a decision. Elio or Donny? Aerie or Terra?

The dragons feel uniquely alive and soulful. How did you develop Makani’s personality and her bond with Gabri?

Although intertwined with Gabri’s thoughts and emotions through their bond, Makani is very much herself, a being with reason and opinions all her own. She’s highly intelligent, strongly emotive, and, in some ways, a bit clingy. She loves to play during flight but can be serious and intuitive when necessary. Her relationship with Gabri developed as I wrote. It became organic, and I knew how she would interact in any given circumstance. Makani is the dragon I wish I had.

Time shifts and interdimensional travel play a big role. How did you keep the pacing balanced between high action and emotional depth?

It wasn’t easy. As I wrote, I used a spreadsheet, with Terran time in one column and the corresponding Aerie time in another. The spreadsheet kept me sane. After the first draft, I separated the chapters into Terra and Aerie, then wove them together in a way that made sense according to the parallel timelines. The pacing balance seemed natural to me. The story needed to breathe. Picture the high action as an inhale and emotional depth as the exhale. One wouldn’t work without the other. As life ebbs and flows through our seasons, a story should do the same.

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