Q1. For readers who are just discovering you, how would you describe the worlds and stories you write?

I don’t write safe stories. If someone wants sunshine, butterflies, and two perfectly stable people who communicate like adults? They’re in the wrong place.

My worlds are built on blood-soaked history, bad decisions with good intentions, and characters who feel too much and love even harder. I like kingdoms on the brink, magic with a cost, and romance that walks the razor’s edge between desire and destruction. If it doesn’t punch you in the chest, drag you through the fire, and make you question your own morals at least once? I’m not interested in writing it.

At the heart of everything I create is this: flawed people trying to survive impossible circumstances, clinging to hope, vengeance, obsession, or each other…sometimes all at once. My stories aren’t pretty. They’re haunting. They’re seductive. And they linger.

If you’re into that? Welcome to Eldoria. Grab a torch. Don’t trust the shadows.

Q2. Under Moonlit Ashes blends forbidden love, war-torn kingdoms, and dark romantic tension. What sparked the idea for Seraphina, Kael, and this dangerously beautiful world? 

It began with a single question : What happens when the person destined to destroy you is also the one your heart refuses to release?

Seraphina came to me first. An heiress raised in a kingdom built on rot and secrets, a woman who’s been taught her entire life to obey, endure, and sacrifice. I didn’t want a meek heroine. I wanted a storm waiting for the right spark. And Kael…he became that spark. The kind of man forged in blood and fire, a king who was never meant to survive his own past, let alone fall for the enemy he’s suppose to crush.

The world itself rose from that tension. Two kingdoms caught in a cycle of violence, ancient magic twisting in the dark, the lines between duty and desire blurring until they snap. I wanted the setting to feel as dangerous as the love story. Lush, brutal, and intoxicating. A place where passion can save you or devour you whole.

Under Moonlit Ashes was born in the intersection…where broken people still dare to crave something more, even if it burns everything around them to get it.

Q3. Seraphina stands at the crossroads of duty, destiny, and desire. What do you love most about her character arc?

What I love most about Seraphina’s arc is that she never gets the luxury of an easy choice. Not once. Everything she does costs her something. She’s a woman forged by pressure, expectation, and the weight of an entire kingdom demanding she become someone she never asked to be. And then love enters the chat and shatters every rule she was raised to obey.

Her story isn’t about choosing between light and dark. It’s about realizing she is both. She’s the crown and the chaos. The executioner and the girl who still wants to be held. The weapon and the wound. Watching her walk straight into the fire, knowing damn well it’ll scar her and choosing desire anyway...thats the heartbeat of her arc. She stops trying to be who the world tells her to be and becomes who she was always meant to be: A storm. A force. A woman who terrifies fate itself.

Seraphina’s journey is the kind that doesn’t leave readers untouched. She drags you down into the ash with her, dares you to look at the parts of yourself you’d rather bury, and then rises anyway. Bloody, flawed, and unforgettable.

Q4. Kael of Morvath is a fierce, haunted enemy king and a fan-favorite morally grey love interest. What was the most compelling part of writing him?

Kael was very memorable to write because he’s the kind of man who doesn’t get to be soft, but craves it anyway. He’s a war-born king with blood on his hands, nightmares in his chest, and a throne built on the bones of people who wanted him dead. Everything about his existence demands brutality…and yet he still aches for something gentle. That contrast is where the magic lives.

Hes dangerous, yes…unhinged when pushed…but beneath all that steel is a man starved for connection, for devotion, for someone who sees the fractured pieces and doesn’t flinch. Writing him meant walking the knife-edge between rage and vulnerability. Letting him be monstrous without losing the pieces of him that are beautifully, painfully human.

And honestly? Watching him unravel for one woman…a woman he should kill, not crave…was the best part. Kael loves like a battlefield: scorched earth, no surviviors, and honestly legendary.

Q5. The chemistry between Seraphina and Kael is intense, forbidden, and world-altering. What makes their dynamic so powerful?

Seraphina and Kael work because they shouldn’t. They’re the match that never should have been lit, and that’s exactly why it burns the hottest. Everything about their dynamic is built on collision: two opposing kingdoms, two clashing destinies, two people who were trained their entire lives to hate each other…and yet, the moment their paths cross, something in both of them shifts.

They’re equals in all the ways that matter. Equally stubborn, equally scarred, equally starving for something real in a world that keeps stripping them down. And when two people who’ve only every known duty finally taste desire? It’s explosive. They don’t just want each other, they unravel each other. She sees the man buried under the crown he never asked for, and he sees the fire behind the mask she’s been forced to wear since birth.

Their love isn’t soft. It’s sharp. It comes with blood on the blade. Every touch is a risk. Every confession is a betrayal. Every moment they choose each other, the world around them fractures a little more.

That’s the power of it.

Not just that they fall for each other…but that they’re willing to burn the world they inherited to build the one they crave.

Q6. Under Moonlit Ashes explores themes of loyalty, sacrifice, identity, and rewriting fate. Which theme resonated most with you while writing?

For me, the theme of rewriting fate is the one that cuts the deepest, and honestly, you can’t talk about that in Under Moonlit Ashes without bringing up the character Elysandra.

Seraphina believes she’s fighting for to change her own destiny, but the truth is far more twisted: her entire life has been nudged, shaped, and manipulated by a 900-year-old witch who shapes events within the realm as they should be, not as the characters want. Elysandra has quietly weaving fate for centuries, pushing kingdoms, bloodlines, and people like chess pieces.

Seraphina?

She becomes the first person in centuries to push back…or so she thinks.

That tug-of-war between who you’re told to be, who you’re shaped to be, and who you choose to become…thats the heartbeat of the book. Watching Seraphina wrestle with the weight of fate while unknowingly stepping into a story Elysandra wrote long before she was born…that’s the part that stuck with me the most.

Q7. Your worldbuilding in Eldoria and Morvath feels rich, atmospheric, and deeply layered. What inspired the lore of these kingdoms?

Eldoria and Morvath were born from two very different bones. Once steeped in ancient magic, the other forged in iron, blood, and old-world brutality. Eldoria has always been my “Beautiful Nightmare” kingdom: elegant on the surface, rotting underneath, shaped by secrets, prophecy, and the kind of magic that never lets you walk away unchanged.

Morvath, though…that one’s carved straight from the echoes of Norse culture. It’s people, it’s harsh landscape, its warrior-code mentality…that’s the place where honor means everything and survival demands teeth. It’s colder, harder, more unflinching. And Kael’s entire kingdom reflects that.

Blending those two worlds…one mystical, one brutal; lets the story breathe on multiple levels. You get beauty with danger. Softness and steel. Light and shadow. And somewhere in the middle of all that, Seraphina and Kael collide, rewriting not just their own lives but the very foundations of these kingdoms.

Q8. This story carries a strong undercurrent of darkness and hope. How do you balance romantasy’s softer moments with its brutal, high-stakes elements?

That balance comes naturally because darkness and softness aren’t opposites, they define each other. Under Moonlit Ashes was never meant to be the sunshine and sparkles kind of romantasy. Eldoria and Morvath are brutal worlds, and everyone in them is shaped by blood, betrayal, and the weight of impossible choices. But inside all that ruin, there are stolen moments where Seraphina and Kael actually breathe…moments where the armor cracks, where desire feels like both sanctuary and weapon.

Those quieter, intimate scenes hit harder because of the violence surrounding them. You need the claw marks to appreciate the tenderness. You need the fear of loss to feel the depth of connection. I don’t write “soft” to cushion the darkness, I write it to sharpen it. And in return, the darkness forces the romance to be raw, honest, and earned.

Q9. Readers can find your book in Walmart, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and more, a huge milestone. How does it feel to bring your story to shelves across the country?

It doesn’t feel real half the time. Under Moonlit Ashes is available at almost every major retailer website, indie shops, not just in the U.S. It’s available worldwide. That alone blows my mind.

I also found out that it was picked up by the Evergreen Indiana Library Consortium, meaning Under Moonlit Ashes is now sitting in public libraries where anyone can walk in, pull it off the shelf, and disappear into Eldoria for awhile. That is the kind of thing I would have never dreamed of.

Seeing the reach this story has, knowing it’s accessible to readers across states, across countries, and even through libraries…it hits deep. It tells me this world and the characters I have built mattered to someone other than me. And that is everything.

Q10. You have a launch party starting on 11/19 and upcoming 2026 event announcements. What can readers expect from you during this exciting release season?

The launch party was incredible. We had a hell of a good time celebrating Under Moonlit Ashes finally stepping into the world. I was joined by my assistant Marissa Bartley and my editor C.A. Tiner, and together we dropped some major announcements for whats coming in 2026.

Right now, I’m currently writing two books at the same time, the duet/continuation of Under Moonlit Ashes, and a brand-new standalone that finally gives Elysandra the spotlight she deserves. Both stories are darker, sharper, and more emotionally charged than anything i’ve written before

And yes - 2026 is shaping up to be busy. We’re putting together a full “Ink & Ashes” tour for Under Moonlit Ashes, hitting multiple states for signings, meet-ups, and events. The biggest stop on the horizon is Romance Atlanta 2026 in Columbus, GA June 26th-27th, where I’ll be signing, talking craft, and meeting readers face-to-face.

It’s going to be a wild year…and I’m ready for it.

Q11. What’s one thing you hope readers take away when they turn the final page of Under Moonlit Ashes?

Live your damn life by your rules, not the expectations someone else tries to chain you to. Seraphina’s entire journey is a reminder of that duty, tradition, and the opinions of others will bury you alive if you let them. She stepped off the path carved for her and forged her own, even if it cost her everything.

The second thing is simple, but its the one that hits the hardest.

Life is too damn short. Tomorrow isn’t promised to any of us. So feel everything fully. Love like the world might end before the sun comes up. Don’t hold your heart hostage out of fear. Don’t wait for “someday”.

Seraphina and Kael’s story is brutal, beautiful proof that moments matter more than guarantees. Love like there may not be a tomorrow, because for some…there won’t be.

If readers walk away with that…then I did my job.

 

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Fun & Personal Questions

Q12. What’s one thing readers would be surprised to learn about you?

Most people are shocked when they find out I’m a blue-collar structural and pipe welder by trade. I’ve spent years in coal mines, plants, and quarries covered in dirt, sweat, and burn marks long before I ever touched a keyboard. And still currently work in the industry. Writing wasn’t the lifelong dream…it was the unexpected calling.

Q13. If Under Moonlit Ashes had a theme song, what would it be?

Wicked Game - Cover by Violet Orlandi

Q14. Which character was the most fun to write, and which one tested you the most?

Nibbles was hands-down the most fun to write. He’s chaos wrapped in fur; unhinged, unpredictable, and the perfect dose of dark comedy in a world constantly on the edge of ruin. Any scene he walks into becomes a disaster in the best possible way, and I loved giving readers those “what the hell just happened?” moments.

Elysandra, on the other hand…she tested every ounce of me. She’s a thousand layers deep, morally black, heartbreakingly tragic, and powerful in ways that bend the story around her. Writing her meant digging into grief, madness, manipulation, centuries of trauma, and that razor-thin line between villain and savior. She demands perfection, and she makes the whole world of Eldoria orbit her, whether it wants to or not.

Nibbles gave me freedom

Elysandra forced me to evolve

Both changed the book in their own ways.

Q15. If you could spend one day in either Eldoria or Morvath, which would you choose and why?

Eldoria. Every damn time.

Morvath is brutal, cold, and carved from iron and grief. Kael can keep that crown on his own ice-covered mountain. But Eldoria? That’s where the heart of the world beats. That’s where the magic breathes in the trees, where the shadows whisper old secrets, and where destiny likes to play games with anyone bold enough to walk its paths.

It’s dangerous, sure. Nothing in Eldoria comes without a price. But it’s alive in a way no other place is. The forest watches you. Elysandra judges you, fate nudges you toward trouble you probably deserve…and honestly? That’s exactly where I’d want to spend a day.

Eldoria is the place that would look back at me and say “Alrighty then, let’s see what you’re really made of.”

Q16. If Seraphina could give readers one brutally honest piece of advice, what would it be?

Seraphina - “Stop living your life like you’re apologizing for breathing. If you want something…take it. If you want someone…grab them by the damn collar and tell them. Quit wasting time hoping the world hands you permission. It won’t. So burn your fear, trust your instincts, and for the gods’ sake…don’t let anyone chain you to a fate you didn’t choose.”

Q17. What’s the weirdest or most unexpected place inspiration has ever hit you? 

I find a lot of inspiration in everyday life and at work honestly.

Q18. If Kael had a dating profile, what would his bio absolutely say?

Kael of Morvath - King. Warrior. Problem you don’t survive easily.

“I don’t do casual. I don’t do innocent. I do devotion, loyalty, and the kind of obsession that ruins kingdoms.”

• 6’5”, Battle carved, carries more scars than patience.

• Drinks like a God, fights like a demon.

• Will burn your enemies alive, then kiss you like you’re the only soft thing left in the world

• Not here for games, unless they involve you on your knees.

• Looking for one woman who can handle the weight of the crown, a sword, and my attention

Swipe right if you want to change your fate.

Swipe left if you fear the dark.

Q19. Which of your characters has “main character energy” in real life, and who is just there for the vibes?

Elysandra is the walking embodiment of main character energy.

She strolls into a room and the atmoshpere changes like she personally rewrote the script five minutes before ariving. She knows she’s the backbone of the entire damn realm, she carries centuries of trauma like jewelry, and she still manages to steal every scene she’s in without even trying. She doesn’t just have main character energy…she is the plot.

And on the opposite end?

Nibbles.

Pure vibes. Chaos Gremlin. Agent of mayhem. Comic relief with a side of accidental wisdom. He’s not here to move the story; he’s here to set something on fire, scream about snacks, insult an ancient creature, and leave you wondering why the hell you love him so much.

Elysandra drives destiny

Nibbles drives the entertainment

Perfect balance.

Q20. If you could steal one magical ability from your world, which one are you taking immediately?

Elysandra’s powers…no question

 

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Rapid-Fire Round

Q21. Sunrise or moonlight?

Moonlight

Q22. Villains or morally grey heroes?

Morally Grey Heroes

Q23. Enemies-to-lovers or forbidden romance?

Forbidden Romance

Q24. Swords or magic?

Magic

Q25. Writing playlist or silence?

Writing playlist

Q26. Hardcover, paperback, or audiobook?

paperback

Q27. One word that describes Under Moonlit Ashes?

Devastating