The Reentrant follows the experiences of a dying biochemist who is the first to try a technology that will upload her consciousness to the digital realm. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

From the very first word, the heart of this story was the bond between mother and child, so it made sense to start there. Then it was about peeling away all the various conflicting layers that make us the complex creatures that we are, about venturing beyond humanity, about the ultimate sacrifice. Aurelia has everything taken from her; her body, her soul, her sanity. But as long as her motherhood is intact, she doesn’t lose herself.

The science inserted in the fiction, I felt, was well-balanced. How did you manage to keep it grounded while still providing the fantastic edge science fiction stories usually provide?

That’s really encouraging to hear. It was definitely a fine line to tread, to only reveal the tip of the iceberg. Behind the scenes, there’s everything from orbital physics to astrobiology to Lorenz transformations, but that’s just to build a realistic world. A story is how the characters interact with that world, and I had to remind myself of that constantly. That being said, there are plenty of nuggets in there that are deserving of a deep dive if they happen to spark your interest.

Do you have a favorite scene in your story? One that was particularly enjoyable to write?

I had a lot of fun constructing the planet Oclaris. I wanted to create an intellectual puzzle for the characters in order to showcase their strengths and weaknesses. It’s a savage place, entirely alien, and not a landscape I’ve seen in either cinema or literature. I find a lot of science fiction has Earth-like biomes on other worlds. But where’s the fun in that? So I opted for something new. The real challenge was figuring out the mechanics and making it plausible. I could talk for days about the quirks of that world!

What is the next book you are working, on and when will it be available?

I have a few projects on the go in various genres, but my next release will be a historical novel called, My Blade is Me. It’s set in 12th-century Persia, centered around the Nizari Isma’ili sect, a fascinating chapter in Middle Eastern history. A bit of a curve ball from what preceded it, I guess. But you’ve got to go where the wind takes you! It will be available early next year.

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