Telling myself stories has always been a source of comfort. I first imagined Tristan/River's story at age 11, so it was natural that as I moved from storytelling to writing, that Blue River Chronicles would be the first book I attempted.

Language has always been a challenge for me, and I know my writing can always improve, so I was genuinely surprised when The Rising won a competition and was published. With the beginning of Tristan’s story out in the world, I felt inspired to keep going. In between drafts, I took a break to work on Deep World, a story and characters I hadn’t given much thought to beyond a NaNoWriMo challenge. Writing without a fully planned plot was a new experience for me—a more spontaneous, on-a-whim style. Yet, I quickly