Thank you so much A.K. for the interview. A.K. Mulford is a bestselling fantasy author who currently lives in New Zealand. She has written the Five Crowns of Okrith series and has an upcoming trilogy starting with River of Golden Bones.

Interview

What was your inspiration for the Five Crowns of Okrith series?

The Five Crowns of Okrith series actually started from a nightmare I had! When I woke up I thought: this has to be a book! And the world slowly grew from there. For me, the ideas for the relationships come first and the worldbuilding is created to hightlight the emotions and struggles of the characters.  I pulled a lot of inspiration from the different countries I’ve lived in and I knew I wanted to have five books that centered in each of the different courts in Okrith.

What was your process for writing The Evergreen Heir?

Since The Evergreen Heir is the fourth book in the series, I had a lot of time to brainstorm and think about where I wanted the story to go. Over the course of writing the other books, I’d leave myself notes and ideas for the future books so that when it came time to writing it, I already had a base outline and a lot of pillar scenes ready.

How did you choose which character to have as a focus of your story?

As I was writing Book 1, The High Mountain Court, I started falling in love with the side characters in Hale’s crew. I wanted them each to get a chance to be the main characters and  I already knew who I wanted them all to end up with so I started seeding that into the first book. 

How did your main character develop over the course of brainstorm to actually writing the novel?

Neelo started out as a small character in The High Mountain Court but was an early reader favorite whose presence grew over the series! From the beginning I knew I wanted them to be bookish and introverted. I started playing with the idea of this sort of personality being juxtaposed with the Southern Court where it’s all about partying and excess. I had fun exploring that fish out of water dynamic when it came time to write their story and I wanted to give them a chance to evolve into someone who felt more confident to take up space in the world but on their own terms.

What was your process for character and world building?

I started with the characters and then started building the physical world in my head, modeling each of the courts after different countries I’ve lived in. I like when a setting feels really tangible. Everything from the clothing people wear to the food they eat make sense for the climate and culture of the region. I knew I wanted there to be dynamics of power between different systems of magic and that is where I pulled the witch covens from.

How would you describe The Evergreen Heir five words?

Cathartic, hopeful, steamy, queer, and neurodivergent

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

My favorite scenes to write was whenever Neelo and Talhan have a lot of banter. They have such a quick back and forth between the two of them and I really enjoyed putting some of those relatable couple moments into their conversations.

What was your favourite book growing up?

I liked quite a wide range of books as a kid! Everything from The Hobbit to Animorphs to the Princess Diaries!

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

I love fantasy and romance separately but fantasy romance together is my absolute favorite to read!