Way of Spears Q&A

What is your new book about?
Way of Spears is a novel about discovering yourself. The main character, Rima, has grown up in the shadow of her mother’s success, and she dreams for nothing more than to fill her mother’s space in the spotlight. But when she goes on a dangerous journey to serve the Lord of her realm, she starts to discover who she really is and what is at her core.


What or who inspired it?
This novel was originally inspired by a dream. I saw a small band of people clawing their way to a windy mountain peak, and once there the leader lifted a gun and shot it into the sky. (There are no guns in my novel; there are bows and arrows.)


One of the settings was inspired by my trip to Havasu Falls in Arizona. I climbed down the face of a rocky waterfall, and the characters have to do this at one point as well.


What was the biggest challenge, writing it?
I took a few chapters to a workshop at my university, and it didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. My peers liked it, but my professor ripped it apart. I took a hiatus from the novel for a few months after that, and finally got the strength to stand back up and start working on it again.


What do you want to achieve with this book?
I want to see the sales of Way of Spears double the sales I made for High Born. I also want this to be the book that I push hard for, and learn a lot from along the way.


What do you hope for your book?
I hope people read it all the way through to the end. And more than anything, I hope they fall in love with my characters. That would be a glorious feeling for me.


Do you have a favorite character or one you really enjoyed writing?
Absolutely. Kuuna Mato is my favorite character to write.


What do you see as the major themes in your book?
Adventure. Self-Discovery.


Did the title come instantly, or did you labor over it?
It was pretty easy for me. I read a blog post about deciding on a title, and it came to me right away.

To whom have you dedicated the book and why?
The book is dedicated to Havasu Falls. I plotted the book while lying in a hammock beside a river there.


Who do you think will enjoy your book?
Audience is extremely important, and knowing my audience is imperative for me to sell the book. People that enjoy YA or New Adult novels with fantasy aspects will enjoy this.