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Victim and Villain
Raven follows a deeply flawed woman whose love affair leads her down a road of dangerous secrets, obsession, and self-destruction. Where did the idea for this novella come from?
Raven is one of, if not the most, intense books I’ve ever written. Delilah was first introduced in EverGreen, the first book in the EverGreen Trilogy, years ago. At that point, she was kind of a classic mean girl character. But even then, I knew that she had a troubled background. Raven is a companion novella that gives the reader some insight as to what was happening to Delilah before the events of Fallen Snow, the last book in the trilogy. It sounds a bit cliché, but sometimes my characters play a part in writing their own stories. Delilah knew what her backstory was, and she led me down the path of writing Raven.
I always take a lot of inspiration from my personal life. Raven is no exception. Abuse and sexual violence are topics that are very close to my heart. Unlike in Fallen Snow, I wanted Raven to feature an imperfect victim that was also a villain. However, I wanted to make it clear to the reader that Delilah’s actions and the way she treated others do not justify or excuse what happened to her. As the saying goes, hurt people hurt people. Like I said, I’m not necessarily trying to make the reader feel sympathy for Delilah or make them view her as less evil. At the same time, I do want to reflect that victims of abuse and sexual violence aren’t always (or even usually) perfect, and that’s completely normal. We can acknowledge that what happens to Delilah in Raven is a tragedy without revoking her status as an antagonist in the EverGreen Trilogy.
Delilah is an incredibly well-crafted character. What was your inspiration for her traits and dialogue?
I am extremely proud of being able to create a character that is as complex as Delilah. The more I wrote and planned the storyline, the more fleshed out and fascinating her character became. As I said before, she started out as your typical high school bully that took things way too far. But as I kept writing, I continued to follow her journey and realized where that ultimately led her. In Raven, we see Delilah at the lowest points in her life. Throughout the story, she thinks that her choices are acts of self-preservation, but they’re actually the opposite. She’s typically a very calculated individual, but her obsession with Silas (which I will make clear is an obsession, not real love) completely throws her off. In Silas, she’s met her match in terms of ability to manipulate. The two of them being in a relationship was never going to work, no matter how hard they tried. In a relationship, there has to be concern and respect for the other person. Neither of them had that. Her traits are those I imagine a person diagnosed with an extreme case of psychopathy, or antisocial personality disorder, would exhibit. All of her dialogue stems from that. Similarly, Silas is a malignant narcissist. Neither of them should be in a relationship, and certainly not with each other.
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of writing a trilogy? What is the most rewarding?
The most challenging part of writing a trilogy is remembering little details. This can be something as simple as a character’s eye color, etc. The most rewarding is being able to watch them grow. I love seeing my characters transform into what is typically a better version of themselves. Obviously, that wasn’t the case for Silas or Delilah.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I recently completed my first adult romance, titled Crazy For You. It’s a clean billionaire romance with an antihero MMC (main male character) and a sweet female protagonist with a heart of gold. They are actually one of my favorite couples I’ve ever written. I’ve never encountered a clean billionaire romance before, so when the story came to me, I decided it was definitely worth writing. I’m currently contemplating a sequel focusing on some of the side characters from Crazy For You and getting an idea of what that might look like. It’s definitely something I see myself writing in the future, but no promises.
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Delilah Banks was never the type of girl to let herself be manipulated by a man. But when she becomes involved with a tempting stranger, Silas, everything changes. Between the events of Moonlit Skies and Fallen Snow, Delilah discovers that no one is above having their heart broken. After all, we are each the hero in our own story.
Raven
The book follows Delilah, a striking and deeply flawed woman whose tangled love affair with Silas drags her into a spiral of obsession, violence, and dangerous secrets. Set between Moonlit Skies and Fallen Snow from the EverGreen Trilogy, the novella shows events through the eyes of a character who is more often the villain than the victim. What makes the story gripping is the way it refuses to soften Delilah. She is not portrayed as misunderstood or redeemed but as fully aware of her own dark choices. Through pregnancy, manipulation, and power games, we see her fight to hold on to Silas while also grappling with her own sense of control, vulnerability, and twisted love.
Reading this book felt unsettling and fascinating at the same time. I found myself both repelled by Delilah and unable to look away from her story. The writing style is sharp and vivid. I could practically hear the click of her stilettos on the floor or feel the electric crackle of her faerie power humming under her skin. The tension in her relationship with Silas is raw, messy, and at times horrifying. I appreciated how the author leaned into that darkness rather than pulling back. It made the whole experience feel more honest, even when it was uncomfortable. At times, I caught myself feeling sympathy for Delilah, only to be reminded moments later of just how ruthless she could be. That push and pull kept me hooked.
What struck me most was how much the book made me reflect on the nature of love, control, and power. There were moments where the drama felt almost theatrical, yet the emotions behind it rang true. The writing doesn’t dress up Delilah’s cruelty with excuses, and that made her inner conflicts more powerful to watch. The pacing leaned on confrontation and spectacle, which left me craving a deeper look at the cracks in Delilah’s armor. But maybe that was the point. She doesn’t allow herself to be fully exposed, even to the reader.
Raven is an intense and dramatic read that doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of human desire and obsession. It’s not a comfortable book, and I don’t think it’s meant to be. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy morally complex characters, stories that blur the line between villain and protagonist, and tales that pulse with danger and passion.
Pages: 158 | ASIN : B0F4RR5L5M
Triumphs and Setbacks
The Path to Trust follows the leader of a secret werewolf community who has to find a way to keep his community safe when a brotherhood dedicated to hunting magical beings resurfaces and threatens everything. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
All of my books focus on overcoming challenges and show how family, love, and determination can lead to success.
In The Path to Trust, the story centers around Adam accepting his reality as a werewolf, overcoming trauma, and assuming leadership in his community, all within the context of an urban fantasy.
I aimed for the story to carry a meaningful message, inspiring people to question societal norms related to appearance and self-conception and to demonstrate that anyone, including werewolves, can be accepted and welcomed if they exist. (Or perhaps they do exist, and we just haven’t encountered one yet! 😊)
What were some ideas that were important for you to personify in your characters?
The protagonist personified my childhood ideal of a hero: strong but kind, handsome but unassuming. Despite having human imperfections, his strong moral compass always guided him.
I aimed for both the main character and his companions to be authentic, allowing their triumphs and setbacks to resonate with real-life experiences.
In fantasy novels, it’s easy to get carried away with the magical powers characters have. How did you balance the use of supernatural powers?
As an urban fantasy writer, I wanted the world to make sense, so the characters were not unrealistically powerful. I also imagined encountering one of these beings in the street and still being able to live side by side and be friends.
Most importantly, I wanted to convey the idea that being different or powerful doesn’t mean that people around are at risk, as long as there are strong morals involved.
As you can see, it’s not the conventional werewolf plot, but it goes deeper.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
My next book is a sequel to Adam’s life, and hopefully, his achievements can still inspire others to live better lives.
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In the secluded Irish island of Luach, a secret werewolf community thrives under Adam’s compassionate leadership. However, their peaceful existence is shattered when The Order, a long-dormant brotherhood dedicated to hunting magical beings, resurfaces and rips Adam’s life.
Faced with an unprecedented situation, Adam spirals out of control, fracturing his relationship with Kate. Despite her fears, Kate doesn’t give up on him and, with unwavering determination, fights for their love and the life they once had.
Adam has much work ahead of him. He must regain the community’s trust to wrest control of The Order and rebuild his relationship with Kate.
The Path to Trust is the second installment in the MacTire Legends series. This non-traditional young adult romance fantasy plot seamlessly blends suspense and cozy romance within the rich lore of werewolves, offering an exciting, heartfelt narrative that will put you on the edge of your seat, cheering for Adam at every turn.
LITERARY TITAN 