The Dreaming Lands

Who are you as an author?

Wow, beginning with a difficult question. I am the sum of my experiences. I want people to read my books, see themselves, and heal what society placed on them. I want to uplift people, and change hearts. I want to give as much laughter and love to people as I can in my short time on this flying rock. I want people to start realizing who they are, and what their desires are, because our time here is finite.

What books have you written?

The Dragons of Shadowhold

0: The Sylph Invasion (Coming Sept 15, 2027)

1. The Aetherfire Conflict (Sept 21st 2024)

2. The Dragon’s Heart (Sept 1st, 2025)

3. The Eldritch Reckoning (June 15th, 2026)

4. The Celestial Dragon (Feb 15th, 2027)

The Vampires of Los Angeles:

1. Infernal Hunger (Sept 15th, 2026)

2. Ebon Messiah (March 15th, 2026)

3. Doomsday Absolution (Dec 15th, 2027)

What inspires your stories?

My dolls, mostly. But there is so much out there that leads to my inspiration. Egyptian mythology, which heavily influence my Vampires stories. Writers from my youth like Anne Rice and William Martin (Poppy Z. Brite). My past, which was turbulent, and I examine my emotions. As an empath I try to put myself in the shoes of others, good or bad. The human condition is what we’ve manifested to experience in the short time while we’re here. I’m not a religious person, but spiritual elements are very important in my books. At the end of our lives, all we’re going to remember is the love, and that we wish we’d given and had more. That’s why I write.

Where did the idea for your current series come from?

Honestly, my first doll called a BJD. I saw someone who had one and I loved him, so I did research and got my own. When he arrived here people asked me who he was and his story was born.

What themes do you explore in your writing?

Everything. Anything. The human condition. Emotions. Vibrations.

Love, devotion, trauma, memory, divinity, identity, etc.

What is your writing process like?

I’m a “pantser”. I let my characters give me their wants and desires. And there are revisions, of course, but I let them tell me the story. People might think I’m crazy but often when I come up with storyline or names there is an eerie connection to the real world or how things braid together. I fully believe that I’m merely a conduit for their story. This has nothing to do with me, I’m just lucky enough to live it.

How do you build your characters?

I don’t. They are “born” in a myriad of ways. Like, if the story needs them. Or, sometimes they were there waiting for me. For example. Asema Torrez…I plucked his name from the air as I was writing because I needed a body, and he’s in my vampires story. Out of curiosity to know if his name has been used, I come to find that Asema is a shape-shifting, blood-drinking vampire from the folklore of Suriname and northern South America, known for shedding its human skin at night to travel as a glowing blue orb of light. I didn’t know this. I plucked it from the air, and this is why I say I feel blessed to tell their story.

Which character was the hardest to write?

Uriel T^T He likes to speak without using contractions and his life is very difficult. Unlike everyone else, he’s not easy to pin down how he would react because as a character he is very stoic and held back. He also has the biggest arc in my books. He is The Dragons of Shadowhold, but his arc spans further, once the Vampires of Los Angeles converge with him.

Which character is your favorite?

Uriel, obviously. He is my entire heart. I love who he is, and how he cares about people. But I also love how broken he is about not having family who loves him, because I can relate.

That said, I also love Demetrius. He’s domineering and would burn the world down for those he loves. He also has a strict moral code for a vampire prince with a broken heart.

Also Asema. I based him off my missing biker Uncle. And while that uncle was straight, Asema reminds me a lot of him. A biker with a heart of gold who’s loyal. You will get to know Asema better in Ebon Messiah.

I also lovelovelove Nnilith. He is a being that learns love from an asexual man. Just a beautiful journey.

How do you approach worldbuilding?

I take a bash at it lol

How does the magic or divine system work in your world?

The same thing. I take things I really like and go from there.

What languages appear in your books?

English mainly. That said, in Dragon 2, Lysander Urthaile has problems with language because he’s thrown into another realm.

In vampires, Demetrius and Elian speak another language, but I can’t say what, since it’s integral to who they are in the story and to each other.

How do you choose your chapter titles?

It’s all based on what the chapter is about, but I try not to give the chapter away in the title.

Do you listen to music while writing?

YES. I love music. I’m the type to cry if it’s fitting. One of my favorite songs for Vampires is I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos because Demetrius loves 50’s music and Elian sings it for him with his whole heart. Lucian loves music from the Victorian age, so while I write him, his favorite song is Gymnopédie No. 1. Music helps me get into their heads.

What tropes do you love writing?

I don’t have anything preferred. I see tropes go by and I want to understand and try them, like Enemies to Lovers. I didn’t understand how that would be anything. Then I did a lot of research on the mental and emotional reasoning behind something like that.

What tropes do you avoid?

None. The human experience is so rich that I want to be understood in every physical language. I have trouble pointing out my tropes though, I don’t know the list of them. I just write what my heart points me to and that’s it. If it fits a trope, so be it. Everything human has been done, but only I can write it my way.

How do you write emotional or intense scenes?

I write them. Then I go deeper. How would I feel during this moment? How would it manifest physically in my body? How would others react to it from the outside? Bodily cues are what write the scene, people rarely say what they’re thinking, even if they’re as honest as I am.

How do you handle romance in your books?

I cry lol Before my husband giving me everything and understanding me, I couldn’t have written it as well as Ido. It would have been surface. But because I know and understand unconditional love, I am so lucky to be doing what I am now, and because I have been forgotten, unloved, used, and more… I get many facets of where we’re at as mortals.

What can readers expect from your characters’ relationships?

Confusion, reaching, meeting with understanding. Care, love, and choosing that person. Fierce protection and understanding without living the reality. Which… in my opinion… is Empathy. Wish everyone could extend empathy.

What’s your favorite scene you’ve ever written?

Oh damn. This is a hard one! I love all my books, and different scenes hit with different moods. God…

Maybe Demetrius, when he realized people loved him for who he is, and not what he can give him.

Do your BJDs influence your characters?

100%. Sometimes I get dolls on a whim and they become an important part of the story. Like Eldric. I got his doll because I liked the face of the doll and now he’s the main antagonist in my Dragon’s books who’s become soso big. And he’s come a long way because of Morian. I really love them both as characters.

Do you create artbooks or visual guides for your worlds?

I didn’t. But since I have an amazing artist, and he has given me so much, I made an artbook for a local book fair and we’re both pretty stoked for it. His art reminds me of Yoshitaka Amano, so beautiful, and that’s why I hired him. His art has also inspired some of the scenes in my books.

How do you balance writing with daily life?

I used to be a body piercer for a job, but honestly my ADHD made that so hard when all I could think about was my stories and my worlds. I love them. I love editing them. It’s my greatest honor to be in my worlds, and I’m so lucky to live this life because my husband believes in me and my books.

What advice do you have for new writers?

The same as my brother, who writes for Marvel. WRITE THE BOOK. Edit it later.

Where can readers buy your books?

Amazon (Kindle, KU, and paperback.) All copies have art.

https://www.thedreaminglands.com/

(my website has all countries available laid out.)

The Aetherfire Conflict: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2HMXR3W

The Dragon’s Heart:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1069327115

The Eldritch Reckoning: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYK9KJFQ

How can readers stay updated?

My newsletter: The Fox Den