DELOS: The Moon’s Eye follows twin siblings and their friend who embark on a quest and face a deadly quest to locate the missing Lil of Lurker. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

My inspiration is always the story itself. I love discovering how the main characters will get from point A to point B—all the way to point Z. I love going on the adventure with them. I chose non-identical twins (a black girl in Cynthia Summers and a white boy in Kaden Krossway) because it gave both the set up and the story itself a dynamic introduction while, at the same time, tying the main characters together by the enormously powerful bond of blood, of family. Next, I chose to begin the story on Earth because I wanted the readers to closely associate with Cynthia and Kaden, who in turn take the readers on the adventure in Narnia-like fashion. Though, whereas the characters in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe pass into their new world through a wardrobe, the characters in the DELOS series find their doorway through an oak tree.

How did you handle balancing the power and use of magic in the story?

Being new to the magikal world, Cynthia and Kaden are still learning about their own powers (called magikas). But thanks to their surprise fourth companion during the Quest of Six Waters (a person who knows all about magikas as well as the larger magikal world), they are also becoming more comfortable and confident while using their powers. But their powers are always extensions of themselves, secondary to their personalities; who they are at their cores will always be more important than what they can do magikally.

What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?

I find it easiest to write for Alec. His personality most closely matches mine. I always find it most difficult to write for a newly introduced character. Because while I know the role they play in the story, discovering their personality is often tricky. It can take three quarters of the book before I have a clear grasp of it. This is part of the reason why rewrites are so crucial to my process. I will rewrite and rewrite until I get everything right.

Can you give your fans a hint about what will the next book in that series will be about and when will it be published?

The Epilogue of The Moon’s Eye sets up a thrilling next installment in the DELOS series, with two hitherto unknown groups being at the forefront: the Breeders and the Splicers. Without giving too much away, I’ll just say our three main characters (Cynthia, Kaden and Alec) will be forcibly divided and, for the first time ever, discover what it’s like when they can’t rely on one another anymore to overcome their obstacles.

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