Beneath the Scarlet Frost follows a princess living in a magical kingdom who has to grow up quickly and come to terms with reality when wielders of wicked magic invade their lands. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The world of this story, Alse Hanya, was actually one I created back in 2011 when I was fourteen years old. I had wanted to write a book about warring magical clans at the time but never got too far into it. In 2014, I started a book about a war of magic vs non-magic, inspired by the Grimm story, “Sweetheart Roland.” I wrote and re-wrote the first ten chapters countless times, but it was never “right.” Then, in 2019, I read a book by Helen Rappaport, The Race to Save the Romanovs, and as the family had always interested me, the more I learned the more I was inspired by those real historical events. I ended up combining the world-building from my fourteen-year-old self, the characters I’d started in the retelling, and the influences of WWI and the Imperial family of Russia at the time. That, and I knew without a doubt that I wanted to write a heroine who showed different strengths than we normally see in modern books. I wanted to show how the quiet, dutiful, compassionate character that usually hangs back could be the strong protagonist, and how those strengths have such an impact.

A lot of time was spent crafting the character traits in this novel. What was the most important factor for you to get right in your characters?

The most important factor for me was making sure the characters all interacted authentically. I wanted the sibling dynamics to really feel like siblings, each with their differing personalities but unquestionable love for one another. I also wanted to show a different kind of “strength” to each character. No matter which character you look at in this novel, main, secondary, or minor, each one has a certain underlying strength to them, traditional or less commonly seen. Of course, they all have flaws and weaknesses too, as is human nature, but the personal impact and emotional depth through the characters were extremely important to me. Additionally, I modeled the Zdraevit family with some character traits from the real Romanov family, and I did a lot of research to get to know the family as much as possible, including reading their personal journals. I definitely wanted to hide those little easter egg details in there.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?

As I mentioned above, the world came from a story I wanted to write about warring clans when I was fourteen. I wrote lore and histories etc., and created a rough magic system surrounding thirteen “types” of magic, for which their country was named. When I started the retelling in 2014, the world setting was very flat, it was also set against more of a 1940s London backdrop. It wasn’t until I decided to use the Romanovs as inspiration that the pieces clicked together, and I knew I wanted there to be nods to real-world countries and histories woven throughout the narrative, which of course then influenced the setting at large. Eisa for example, started out as a land of endless winter but then was dialed back to a climate and environment more realistically akin to Russia.

What will the next book in that series be about, and when will it be published?

Following the significant event that takes place at the end of Beneath the Scarlet Frost, book two, Within Forsaken Shadows, will focus on exploring more of the world and coming to terms with grief, duty, fear, and moving forward. It is a story of survival and healing, growing war, courtly politics, and culture shocks, and it is a story of new beginnings and understanding. Some of the naivete displayed in book one, won’t really fly in the sequel. The world the characters are entering into is dangerous and often very unforgiving, with little room for innocence or stagnance. Within Forsaken Shadows is set to release on February 18th, 2025.

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Shadows scream, whispers torment, and wishes curse.

The empire of Eisa once stood as a symbol of hope for purging the wicked magic that had plagued its lands. But, when Wielders are spotted within those borders, the sanctity that once acted as an unshakable foundation crumbles beneath Sorrel Zdraevit’s feet.

With the resurgence of Wielders on Eisan soil, protests are increasing in the streets, citizens are suffering, and everywhere she turns tragedy fractures the facade of peace that had sheltered her.

As the second eldest princess in Eisa’s imperial family, when war is brought to the kingdom’s door, Sorrel is forced to step into a new role, leading her deeper and deeper into the world she fears most. Desperate to protect her country against dark and twisted magic, and heal those around her, she must decide what it is she stands for when the world as she knows is rendered senseless.

Unsure of whom to condemn, and whom to put her faith in, Sorrel is faced with tainted realities that threaten to destroy everything she’s ever held dear. All that matters is keeping her kingdom and family safe against the monsters infiltrating her country. Secrets and lies drag her into the depths of her worst nightmare, where fighting through the calamities is the only way she will have any hope of making it out alive- If she can hold on to her own will to live.