Tag: Author

Author Interview

Author interview with YA fantasy writer Debbie Manber Kupfer

Mandy Webster

Young Adult fantasy author Debbie Manber Kupfer says that bullying, racism, addiction, and diversity run through her series as recurring themes. “I’m fond of morally grey characters and redemption stories. I don’t believe the world is ever black and white,” she says.

When Miri receives a silver cat charm from her omama, Celia, she discovers a hidden magic that pulls her into a world of shifters, werewolves, and dark secrets. At P.A.W.S., a magic school for shapeshifters, Miri must learn to survive both her new powers and a deadly werewolf bent on her destruction. The P.A.W.S. Saga by Debbie Manber Kupfer is a thrilling journey of magic, friendship, and finding courage when everything feels lost.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I was bullied as a child, and reading Alice’s story about escape into a magical world over and over again helped me and cemented my journey into fantasy.

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Author Interview

From the Pacific Northwest to the Page: Meet Author Sara Elisabeth

Mandy Webster

Meet Sara Elisabeth, a romance author whose passion for storytelling began when she was just six years old. Inspired by literary legends like Ursula K. LeGuin and S. E. Hinton, her work carries the emotional depth and vivid imagination of the stories she grew up loving. With roots in both Washington State and British Columbia, Sara weaves romance, nostalgia, and personal truth into every page. In today’s interview, she shares what drives her creativity, how music and video games fuel her worldbuilding, and what readers can expect from her upcoming novel, Someone Like Me.

In Sara Elisabeth’s first novel, Someday Away, college freshman Quinn is caught between two very different guys—Lincoln Evans, the broody bad boy, and Trey Walker, the charming playboy. Despite their differences, Quinn can’t seem to escape the tangled web they weave together, and the chemistry between them intensifies in unexpected and sometimes heartbreaking ways. But when her cheating ex reappears, Quinn is forced to confront the past she’s been trying to outrun, threatening everything she’s built with Lincoln and Trey.

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Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: I was a huge reader as a kid, and I loved epic fantasy, so authors like Ursula K. LeGuin, Terry Brooks, and Raymond E. Feist were heavy influences when it came to my writing. I also loved reading The Outsiders. S.E. Hinton wrote that book when she was only fifteen, so I wanted to be just like her.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer C. Rae D’Arc

Mandy Webster

Author C. Rae D’Arc is a lifelong book lover who has worked in nearly every corner of the literary world, from writing and editing to retail and reviewing. A university graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in English, she blends her love of storytelling with a deep appreciation for analysis and history. Though she lives in the desert, she finds inspiration in forests, fantastical creatures, and the beauty of nature.

When Princess Emerald of Somnus pricks her finger on a poisoned spindle, she falls into a deep sleep—and dreams of modern England. Caught between two worlds, Emer must navigate smartphones, new friendships, and a budding romance, all while racing against time to awaken before the poison claims her heart. The first installment of the Dreaming Princesses series, Dreaming Beauty is a whimsical and heartfelt retelling perfect for fans of Enchanted and reimagined fairy tales.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I always wanted to be a writer. I remember reading Kevin Henkes’ books in kindergarten and learning he was the author and illustrator. Those became my dream jobs.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer Monica Shantel

Mandy Webster

From escaping into fantasy as a young girl to building entire worlds that explore redemption, survival, and love, Monica Shantel has always turned to storytelling as her lifeline. With her debut Beauty of a Crimson Soul, she invites readers into shadowy realms where broken characters discover their strength—and maybe even a happy ending. In this interview, Monica shares the inspirations behind her work, her creative rituals, and the challenges she’s overcome to carve out her space in indie publishing. Whether you’re here for the romance, the monsters, or the magic, you’ll find plenty to love in her fierce and heartfelt journey.

In Beauty of a Crimson Soul, Angel is a newly appointed guardian angel tasked with saving Ayden Dyer, a reckless and self-destructive 23-year-old whose soul teeters on the edge of damnation. As Angel fights to guide him toward redemption, unexpected feelings complicate her mission—and when fallen angels drag them both to Hell, the stakes become eternal. With Ayden’s soul slipping away, Angel must defy fate to save him before it’s too late.

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: The authors who i really loved to read when I was just starting to were Holly Black and Dan Greenburg. I was hugely into fantasy even at 7 years old. They shaped a ton of my love for fantasy in general, and it was later on that authors like Kelley Armstrong and Lauren Kate hooked me on the romance and darker side. But Neal Shusterman got me into the creepier and more horror side.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer Tyler Edwards

Mandy Webster

Fantasy author Tyler Edwards struggled to connect with kids his age when he was growing up. Feeling rejected and alone, he became depressed and suicidal. Edwards says, “I remember reading The Hobbit, and the strangest thing happened. I was lost in this otherworldly adventure that took my mind off the struggles I couldn’t overcome. Stories became an escape. A safe place I could retreat to when life was too much. I loved writing them, reading them, and listening to them, I couldn’t get enough. Since I was eight years old, I’ve been writing stories in notebooks, dreaming of worlds and characters in hopes to one day create stories that someone else might find an escape in during their time of need.”

In the first book of Tyler Edwards’ Outlands Saga, Jett Lasting struggles to find his place in a world where drawing attention to yourself can get you killed. To survive, he must avoid guards, beggar gangs, and an ever-growing tension that could drag the whole city into chaos. Imagine Jett’s chagrin when he unwittingly becomes entwined in a plot to overthrow the government in which his choices could lead to the freedom or the death of everyone he’s ever known or cared about.

Q: What’s a memory of a story or book that made you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I remember as a kid my mother would read stories with me every night. The Call of the Wild, The Hobbit, The Book of Three, James and the Giant Peach and getting lost in these adventures. As I got older, I wanted to create those stories, those worlds for people to get lost in.

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Author Interview

Author interview with multi-genre fiction writer Cathrine Swift

Mandy Webster

A multi-genre author and poet, Cathrine Swift says her earliest memory of falling in love with reading involved a book called Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede. The book features a young princess who runs away from marriage and castle life to live with dragons. Swift says, “My DNA was forever changed by it, and the rest of the series, The Enchanted Forest Chronicles. I saw (badass, femme) women (and gentle, loving men) doing badass things for the greater good, and my writing blueprint was created. Of course, I didn’t know or fully understand it at the time, but looking back now, the evidence is right there.”

The year is 1456: Queen Amelia has barely survived her first year of marriage to the wicked King Alaric. When she accepted his marriage proposal arranged by their fathers, she believed it her sole opportunity to fulfill her birthright as ruler of Dathoviel and protect her brother from the throne he feared. But she can no longer sit back and watch helplessly as her husband destroys her land and starves her people. She must find the strength to fight back.

~Let It Reign by Cathrine Swift

This cover of the novel Let it Reign by Cathrine Swift features a crown and lots of bling.

Q: What has been the most unexpected lesson you’ve learned about yourself through writing?
A: That your art isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. My books are written for a specific group of people. It’s a broad group, to be sure, but we as authors have a target audience, and it’s a marketing term for sure, but at the end of the day it’s just about finding our people. The ones who are going to be touched by the themes and circumstances of our books. And the rest, the people who don’t get it…well, that just means that particularly story wasn’t meant for them. But it is meant for someone. For a lot of someones. So don’t give up, your people will find you, and your art will impact their lives—for the better.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy writer A.K. Stuntz

Mandy Webster

Fantasy author A.K. Stuntz says she would love to live in the Rise of Witches world, in the time before the new king came into power. She loves the different animals, and of course there is magic! Let’s learn more about the author and this world she has created in her novels.

Janelle always knew she was different. With the power to wield not only fire and lightning, but all the elements, she is a witch with incredible potential and power. But Janelle’s abilities also make her a target, and she quickly learns there are those who will stop at nothing to harness her power for their own gain.

~Witch’s Choice: Rise of Witches, Book 1

Q: How do you nurture your creativity when life gets busy or overwhelming?
A: It can be so hard to focus on writing when life gets busy. It seems to be the one thing I always think I can skip for the day but thinking that way, I learned, leads to more than one missed day of writing. So, I started changing the way I think. I started looking at my writing like showing up for a job, and that helped me to stop pushing it to the side when things got busy. I also make small obtainable goals that help me stay on track and keep me focused.

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Author Interview

Author interview with fantasy and contemporary adult fiction writer, Abby Lattanzio

Mandy Webster

Hello, and welcome to this week’s featured author, Abby Lattanzio! Her work includes fantasy (The Elementals) and contemporary adult fiction (Remember Me Tomorrow).

Abby Lattanzio hails from central Illinois and has been writing since junior high, when she learned the stories in her head could become something more. She graduated from Northland College with a degree in writing and is a cellist in her local orchestra. She can often be found hiking, reading, watching New Girl, or crafting, and is owned by two cats who barely tolerate each other.

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Author Interview

Author interview with romantasy writer E.A.M. Trofimenkoff

Mandy Webster

Inspired by Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of her all-time favorite female pirates, E. A. M. Trofimenkoff is the author of the Dark Depths duology as well as their contemporary romance, You and I Collide.

In A Kiss of the Siren’s Song, two women disguised as men board a pirate ship: one set on revenge, the other escaping land and the bounty on her head. The two of them quickly find themselves in the middle of a voyage to find the world’s most dangerous weapon: the Kraken’s Fang.

Even worse, their evil captain has a far more nefarious plot in mind. Can the two unravel the sea of secrets, and save the world? Or will their budding feelings for each other result in their downfall?

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: I think The Hunger Games was the first book to make me truly fall in love with reading. So much so that I still remember exactly where I was when I read it for the first time, and every year when it snows, it reminds me of that trip, and I have to pick up the series and re-read it. To this date, I’ve read the original trilogy over thirty times, and it remains my favourite series of all time. Now that I am writing my own stories, I am inspired to write complex characters who aren’t always loveable, who go through their challenges and come back with scars to show for them, and it’s given me the courage to explore difficult narratives that involve impossible decisions and the consequences that accompany them.

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Author Interview

Author interview with dark fantasy writer Morgan Reilly

Mandy Webster

Morgan Reilly is the author of The Dark Library Series, a seven-book YA dark fantasy retelling of fairy tales.

In The Book of Water, the first book in The Dark Library series, mermaid Celine and human Owen form an unlikely alliance in the midst of a war between their peoples. But as they grow closer, they must navigate the treacherous waters of love and betrayal. In this dark fantasy retelling of The Little Mermaid, Celine and Owen will risk everything to seek their revenge-but their hearts may be the price they pay.

This story is described as, “The Little Mermaid + To Kill A Kingdom with Count of Monte Cristo vibes.”

Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: I love this question! I grew up loving mysteries and fantasies, essentially cutting my teeth on Nancy Drew and books about magic. I also adored the Baby Sitters Club (the Scholastic Book Fair was my favorite time of year). That’s when I started to write my own stories, centering around characters and the events that shaped them. I’ve loved character-driven stories ever since I could read, so those are the types of stories I love to tell.

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