Thank you Rebecca for the interview! Check it out below.

Interview

What is your inspiration for THIS GILDED ABYSS?

Bioshock, definitely!! I’m a huge gamer, and have been since I found Pokemon on the Gameboy Color back in 1996. When Bioshock was released, I was glued to the story and world building, but was actually too scared to play it. I hid behind a pillow while my dad played it through, and since then Rapture has had a permanent residence in my brain. My inspiration for Kess and Nix came from the TV show Arcane, though; I absolutely loved Caitlyn and Vi’s dynamic, and how they connect despite their different social standings. Other inspiration came from THE GREAT GATSBY, the Titanic, and The Last of Us (another video game I was too scared to play, so I just watched on YouTube instead. LOL). 

What was your inspiration for the Tomes and Tea series?

Legends & Lattes, all the way!! I read it during a VERY low time in my life (lost my house in a potential job move that didn’t pan out, spent a year with all my stuff in storage, living with my parents while I saved to afford another place to rent, etc etc), and the quiet comfort of Viv and Tandri swallowed me whole. More than that, I had enough background in traditional publishing to know cozy fantasy was about to be huge. I’m lucky I write fast, haha. 

Did your process change when writing your cozy fantasy and fantasy horror books?

A little bit? Cozy fantasy is more slice-of-life, which means I’m free to take the characters on tangents just because they’re fun. With a fantasy horror book, every single interaction needed to have purpose down the line—and GILDED ABYSS was trickier because I had very specific things to reveal at specific times. Kess knows a lot, but Nix doesn’t, and balancing that without tipping into the hated “miscommunication” trope was… hard. So, while my overall writing process doesn’t change genre to genre, my plotting certainly does!

How did you choose which character to focus the story on?

The Tomes and Tea series bounces between both MCs—and I will never, EVER do that again. It makes editing incredibly hard, because if there’s a scene that would be best with Kianthe, I also have to add a chapter with Reyna to maintain the back-and-forth balance. I love those women, but next time, I’ll focus on one MC, not two.

With GILDED ABYSS, it had to be Nix. Kessandra knows too much, and it wouldn’t be rewarding for the reader if they got into her head early on. All the wonderful twists that sucked so many readers in would have been explained immediately if we’d followed Kessandra instead. Nix is more relatable, I think, and reflects the mindset of the reader, so it was natural to pick her as my focus!

What is your approach to world and character building?

Oooh. Great question. I think I try to identify overall vibes of a book first. With GILDED ABYSS, I knew I wanted a Titanic-like world, but that edged into the art deco, flamboyant style of Great Gatsby. From there, it was a matter of identifying the technology of the time and adding a fantasy twist to really immerse readers. For Tomes and Tea, I’m actually less pleased with the base world building; it was my “for fun” book, and it shows. But I’ve been able to expand the world in pleasing ways as the sequels progress, which makes me feel a bit better. 

As for characters, I tend to place them inside their plot, keep their specific traits in mind, and let them grow naturally within the narrative. I love looking for inspiration in my own relationships, and the world at large. Humans are so interesting and intricate—even studying basic psychology opens up so many doors to how a character might react! It’s so fun to explore as I write. 

What do you love about writing cozy fantasies? What about fantasy horror?

With cozy fantasies, I love balancing more dramatic moments with those points of quiet comfort. A couple fights—and then they realize they still love each other, make up, and have a cup of tea by the fire. It’s a real luxury to explore these subtler moments and have actual readers dying for more; all my career, we were told to “up the stakes,” which means the only time I got to practice slice-of-life was in fanfiction. Cozy really does feel like an indulgence to me!

Meanwhile, fantasy horror is a new one. THIS GILDED ABYSS was actually my first horror novel, but I adore hopping genres, and think it makes me a more well-rounded author to experiment with new writing styles. As someone who’s terrified of haunted houses and is a wimp about jumpscares, horror was really a different beast for me. But I had so much fun leaning into that dark side of my brain, and just twisting something psychologically terrifying for my characters. 

How would you describe THIS GILDED ABYSS in five words?

To quote Dani Michaels on Twitter, it’s “Bioshock meets Gideon the Ninth”, which felt VERY fitting. 😛 

How would you describe the Tomes and Tea series in five words?

Hmm. Badass lesbians pursue cottagecore dreams.

Did you have a favorite moment to write?

Anything with whump—physical hurt, followed by comfort. That’s my jam. It’s not super prevalent in the Tomes and Tea series, just because it’s hard to injure someone and really lean into the cozy vibes after that, but I got to really lean into the second-half of THIS GILDED ABYSS and just beat the shit out of those characters. Book 2 is going to be a ride. 

What was your favorite book growing up?

I absolutely adored Tamora Pierce’s books (surprise, surprise). Alanna was amazing, but surprisingly, Kel (Protector of the Small series) was my favorite protagonist. I loved how her time on the Japanese-like islands influenced her personality as she enrolled in school, and her connection with animals made me instantly love her. 

Do you have a favorite genre to read?

I… don’t read much these days, which is incredibly sad. I’m a very slow reader because I spent so many years training my brain to analyze good fiction—so now I can’t turn that writing side of my mind off. When I find a book that hooks me, it usually has stellar characters, a fast-paced writing structure, and witty dialogue. GIDEON THE NINTH was my last true obsession, mostly because I think HARROW THE NINTH is one of the greatest works of fiction in our generation. But, yeah. I’m writing so much that my idea of relaxing isn’t reading, these days. I’m more into video games, sadly.