What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
There are a few influences over a lifetime that inspired the content of the book. From childhood, I’ve had an intuition that something more exists beyond mundane reality. A few very strange experiences in my life seemed to back it up. At the same time, I’ve been intrigued by the way ancients portrayed angels in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, not at all like we think of them now. They were alien, dangerous, and corruptible. I’m also fascinated by Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest continuously practiced religions, and the Gnostics, a diverse collection of religious and philosophical movements that arose and flourished in the Greco-Roman world. There are two more influences: my love of film noir and Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files books. Mix those bits together, and you get Guardian in Exile: The God Eater’s Hellion.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?
Hm, that’s a funny question. Asariel (aka Kenrick Orson Fellian): “Heart of Courage” by Two Steps From Hell. Asael (aka Danny Elder): “KoKo” by Charlie Parker, Miles Davis version. Alessia Vanetti: “Dangerous Woman” by Rosenfeld.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Yes. Urban fantasy.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Out of the Shadows: Revealing the Truth About Non-Human Intelligent Life by Jay Stratton. Merlin and the Discovery of Avalon in the New World by Graham Phillips. The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur by Lev Grossman. Grim Folk Tale by James J. Butcher. The Paradox Hotel: A Novel by Rob Hart. Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Borderline (Arcadia Project, The) by Mishell Baker. And so many more.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
How can I do this without spoilers? The one leading up to the climax. 😉
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I have this “dance” I have to do before I can get to it. Check email, check the weather, check the news, feed the cats, and just about anything else I can find to distract myself from writing. The funny thing is, once I start writing, the mundane world is swept away. I join my characters in a great adventure where they consistently surprise me with their choices. Before I know it, hours have magically passed, and I really need to pee.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Don’t be afraid to reject someone’s disbelief in you.
~ U.S. fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
Don’t forget to write a review. It’s the best thing you can do to help an author if you liked the book.