What are your five favorite books, and why?
David Weber's Honor Harrington series. I don't think better space opera exists anywhere. The strong characters, well-developed universe, deep political intrigue, and glorious space battles are one of my biggest inspirations.
Scott Pilgrim vs The World is fantastic. It's a 'little guy in extraordinary circumstances' story that is just fun to read.
Terry Brooks' Landover series is one of the best fantasy realms I've ever had the chance to live in. His characters are humorous and quirky, even during extraordinary circumstances. I learned how to combine drama and humor into 'normal' characters from these.
The Fables graphic novels by Bill Willingham is wonderful. I love contemporary takes on old fairy tales. Fables does it right.
Finally, Hitchhiker's Guide, because Douglas Adams. What more needs to be said?
What's the story behind your latest book?
I've been writing short stories for a while, but never had an idea for a full-length novel, let alone a series. The Ugly Dirt Box Universe came to be through three words that came out of a conversation with my brother: elves on spaceships. It had never been done, and I suddenly had to do it. Once I started thinking about it, Rylae Westiel popped into my head and started telling me her story. It would have been a disservice to her to fail at writing it down properly.
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