For the unique writing asks: 1, 4 and 10 please ☺️
thank you for the ask! 💖
1. What themes would you like to write about that you feel don’t get explored very often?
I don’t think I explore female relationships enough in my works. I have one short story (The Skin I Knew You In) that focuses on female friendship, but it is also probably the story with the highest body count, so I think that aspect gets a little muddled in the concept. I think in general I don’t explore femininity as a main theme. I tend to explore masculinity a lot, but I want to give femininity a more prominent role in my works moving forward. I think I’ve avoided it because I struggle with my own femininity and don’t want to touch it with a thirty-foot pole.
4. In your works, is blood thicker than water or is the blood of the covenant thicker than the water of the womb? (Are familial ties or friendship ties more important?)
oooooooooohhh goooddnesss! It definitely depends on the character, but for the majority of my works, blood of the covenant is definitely thicker than the water of the womb. One of the main themes in The Wrath King is blood ties to people who are not biologically related to you. Most of the characters bond themselves to their best friends with magic, so they become stronger than family. Lineage isn’t EXTREMELY important in The Wrath King, but one of my main characters, Nola definitely is more tied to her family, in particular her sister, but that is wrapped up in several other complex things. She is also blood bonded to her sister as well as being literally related to her. They are sisters in all senses of the word. Their relationship is quite interesting because they have the sibling relationship on top of having the soulmate relationship.
But in generally, blood of the covenant takes priority over (almost) everything else.
10. What scene was the most fun to write for you and why?
Chapter Sixteen of The Wrath King. To be more specific it is a scene between Resli and Assany Coldwater. I’ll contextualize these characters really quick; Resli is the survivor of a Massacre at the beginning of the book and Assany is an Immortal Guardian who is over eight hundred years old and knows a lot about magic.
The scene begins like this -
The Coldwater House was nothing like Resli imagined it to be. It was situated on a quiet street surrounded by other residential houses. The color was faded, the exterior made of pocked brick and shaded by a tall tree that was bent around the fence.
Resli looked down at the invitation in her hand. It was made of thick paper, glossy and scrawled in an elegant cursive.
Priestess Resli,
If it pleases you, I would appreciate it if you joined me for morning tea at the Coldwater House tomorrow morning. After our conversation last night, I have dug up some information you might like to know.
Even if you do not want any of my help, I would not mind your company for an hour.
Sincerely yours, Assany Coldwater
This scene is relevant to a previous scene that involves the plot, but what I really enjoyed about writing it was the things I learned about Assany as I wrote it. Previously she was a bit flat. An icy character that had lived for so long that she was cynical, cold, static, and unfeeling. But in this scene I realized she could be so much more. She could be warm, wise, passionate, and a little bit naive too.
Plus she has a sweet tooth, which came as a surprise. (for some reason I thought she was an oatmeal lover, lol)
“Scone, tart, donut? My baker Marcy is the best in the business.” Assany gestured to the table of pastries, purposefully avoiding Resli’s question. She dropped it, leaning forward to snag a chocolate frosted donut dusted lightly with powdered sugar.
“Thank you,” Resli said, taking a bite of it. It was a gooey explosion of warmth and comfort. The powdered sugar had a zing of sweetness, the fried dough was light and airy, and the chocolate had a slight bite to it.
“Excellent choice. She uses the purest cocoa for her ganache, dark and bitter, but paired together with sugar and softness, makes it literal perfection. My personal favorite,” Assany said, but picked up a blueberry filled tart instead, even though three more donuts sat on the tray. “May I suggest a strong black tea with just a splash of cream to pair it with?”
Resli nodded, never wanting the sensation of this donut to leave her mouth. She’d never tasted anything quite like it before. Assany grabbed one of the many teapots and poured a dark russet tea into one of the fine porcelain cups painted with gray swirls. Resli gently wiped the corner of her mouth, feeling sticky residue gathered there. Assany set the cup down on her side of the table.
The softness and care that Assany shows to Resli in this scene was really surprising. She kind of takes Resli under her wig and we see a radically different view of her. We saw her before in Ainle’s POV, but he sees her as a threat, as someone who could kill his best friend. But Resli trusts the Guardians, she’s been spending a lot of time with them. And she’s essentially working for them, so her relationship and view of them is entirely different.
So I ended up realizing I adored Assany in ways I never realized before. Plus I think writing a coyly all knowing person who has worked to maintain her softness, even though the world is hard and cruel.
Plus, I got to use my stupid humor at the very end of the scene. And that is what I will leave you with ~
“What am I supposed to do with this?” Resli asked, staring dumbfounded down at the dagger in her hand. It was elegantly carved, runes scribed onto the blade to encourage strength and sureness of hand. They were standing in the upstairs second bedroom which had been converted into a weapon’s cave.
“Have you ever used a dagger before?” Assany asked. “You stick them with this end.” She poked the sharp end and Resli rolled her eye.
ask me anything (or from this ask game)