What's the story behind your latest book?
I wanted to write a wild west sort of science fiction story with a queer protagonist. And then a second queer protagonist (Laris) was born. And then the mystery element came into play. In the end, Rising From the Sand just came together on its own, for the most part! I originally envisioned a slightly more convoluted plot involving aliens, but then I ended up removing that element of it, and I'm glad I did - writing the sequel is going much more smoothly because of it.
How are you similar to your main character, and how are you different?
Wynette and I share a similar sarcastic, cranky edge, and we both struggle with mild mental health issues. That's about it. Wynette is certainly more cantankerous and reckless than I am. I have to wonder if I'm a little more similar to Kirin at times - someone who's more deliberately a lone wolf, and usually quiet about it, instead of just being annoyed at the world. But I'm definitely not very flirty, either.
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