Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.

Sisters of Sword & Song is about two sisters—Evadne, a scribe, and Halcyon, an esteemed warrior in the Bronze Legion. When Halcyon unexpectedly returns home one night, now a criminal and on the run from her Commander, Evadne knows her sister is in trouble. And Evadne, who has always felt underestimated and overlooked, decides to take half of Halcyon’s punishment. But as both sisters serve the sentence, secrets begin to come to light, and Evadne learns that her sister was involved in a dangerous mission. And what Halcyon began, Evadne must now complete, even as she faces a sinister magic that threatens to unravel her world.

Ah, this is so hard to answer! I truly love them all, but I think I have quite a soft spot for Evadne. :) There are moments in her personal journey that resonate the most with me.

I had two different story ideas. One idea was about a mage and a scribe. The other was an idea for a sister story, where one sister commits a crime and the other rises to help carry her punishment. Both story ideas were intriguing to me, but every time I attempted to write them separately, they fizzled out. It wasn’t until I brought the two together that I found a spark and the story caught fire.

I love the song “Rejoice and Lament” by Josh Garrels. I love how this song unfolds like poetry, and there’s an illusion to Icarus. These lyrics, in particular, are some of my favorite: “I said Father the feathers of my wax wings / Fall away by the rising of the sun / And I have descended when I was undone / And I will ascend when your Spirit comes.”

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

I honestly would love to see up and coming actors portray my characters. Every now and then, I might come across an actor or actress who I feel like would be amazing in bringing my characters to life, but most of the time I don’t cast them. 

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

A glass of wine on the Greek coast!

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG?

I would love to recommend my other two books, which are part of a duology and are available to read now: The Queen’s Rising and The Queen’s Resistance. Readers can expect another adventure, strong ties of sisterhood, vast worldbuilding, a hint of magic and a slow burning romance in these books.

I also would love to recommend The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip, which reads like a myth unfolding and is one of my favorite novels. 

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Reaching the end! I write by the seat of my pants, which means I write linearly and discover so much of the plot as I go. It can feel a bit like driving at night and only being able to see what the headlights reveal. And it can be difficult to keep going, especially when another shiny story idea emerges, or the magic of the current idea begins to dim. But whenever I reach that final scene and type the last words…I always feel such an intense moment of relief and accomplishment, even if I know the draft is a mess and will require intense revisions.

What’s next for you?

I have more projects in the works! They haven’t been announced yet (although I believe it will be imminent), so I’ll be sharing more details about these projects very soon on my social media. Thank you so much for having me for an interview!