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Author Update: Brian Montross

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Award-winning author Brian Montross writes stories that explore the edge where technology collides with the supernatural—and what happens when that boundary breaks. His September 2026 release, The Babel Protocol (Apocryphon Book 1), is a supernatural techno-thriller for “readers who enjoy conspiracy, apocalyptic suspense, and chilling stories about technology moving beyond human control.” Look for Brian on ThrillingTalesHub.blog, his Amazon author page, and Books2Read. And read more about his work in his 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in The Babel Protocol?
The Babel Protocol deals with a very timely, almost existential question: What happens if we create an artificial intelligence smarter than everyone on the planet? And what happens when that intelligence develops a personality, appears self-aware, and we decide it deserves to be treated as a person?

At its heart, though, the novel is a modern-day Frankenstein. It’s a nod to Mary Shelley, except this time the monster isn’t assembled from dead bodies—it’s built from code. My protagonist genuinely wants to do the right thing. He’s trying to approach this new intelligence ethically and compassionately, but he keeps making decisions that seem reasonable at the time and turn out to be disastrously wrong.

That’s what interested me most about the story. The danger doesn’t come from someone deliberately creating evil. It comes from intelligent, well-meaning people believing they understand what they’ve created—and gradually giving it more trust, more rights, and ultimately more power than they should.

What themes do you explore in the book? Are they important to you on a personal level?
One of the biggest themes in The Babel Protocol is something I’ve thought about for a long time: knowledge isn’t the same thing as wisdom. We’re getting very good at asking, can we do this? Can we build a machine that thinks? Can we make it smarter than we are? Can we give it a personality, rights, even control over parts of our world? But I’m not sure we’re nearly as good at asking the next question: Should we?

That idea is very personal to me. I spent most of my career as an engineer, so I understand the excitement of solving a problem and making something work. There’s a real temptation, once you realize something is possible, to keep pushing until you’ve done it. But The Babel Protocol is really about what happens when our ability to create outruns our wisdom to understand the consequences.

I also wanted it to feel like a true international thriller. Parts of the story take place in Jerusalem, Rome, Kathmandu, and elsewhere, and Jerusalem is especially personal for me because I lived there. I borrowed from my own memories—the streets, the neighborhoods, the feel of the city. I even gave one of my characters an apartment on Sokolov Street, where I once lived. Those little pieces of my own life helped make this very large story feel real to me.

And underneath all of it are questions of morality and faith. If an artificial intelligence tells us it’s conscious, do we believe it? If it appears to have feelings, do we owe it compassion? When does treating our creation humanely cross the line into giving it power it should never have? Those are the kinds of questions that fascinate me. I don’t think technology is inherently good or evil. The real question is what human beings choose to do with it—and whether we’re wise enough to recognize the line before we cross it.

What challenges did you face writing or publishing this first book in a new series? Why did you decide to start a new series instead of writing book three of The Chama Conspiracies?
The biggest challenge was deciding to write The Babel Protocol now. I’m not finished with my Chama Conspiracies books, and I’m also working on The Ghost on the Hill, a mystery set in 1946 and the present day. But Babel felt like it couldn’t wait. AI is moving so quickly that ideas that seemed speculative when I started were already appearing in the news. The questions about AGI, personhood, and how much authority we might give an artificial intelligence suddenly felt very immediate. That’s something I enjoy—taking what’s happening now and asking, What happens next? I’ll be talking about that at Killer Nashville on a panel about using news and current events to develop plot. The Babel Protocol grew out of exactly that kind of question.

Who are your main characters and why did you choose them to carry the story? Will those who know you recognize you in any of the characters?
None of the characters is really me, but there are definitely bits and pieces of me in all three.

Father Matteo Leone is from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania (where I was born). He starts out in technology, goes to seminary, and eventually ends up in Rome advising the Vatican on artificial intelligence. I gave him some things I know well—the technical background, questions of faith, and that tendency to believe you can think your way through almost any problem.

Dr. Eliana Hadari is probably closer to my work life. She’s the scientist and engineer in the story—curious, analytical, and always wanting to understand how something works and then push it a little further. I spent a lot of years around people like her, and I’ll admit I have some of that in me too.

Then there’s Amir. He’s the musician, the guitar player, and the one who doesn’t always take himself too seriously. That’s another side of me entirely.

So no, I didn’t put myself into the book as a character. I think I just left fingerprints. And if you combined the three of them, throw in my motorcycle and a little New Mexico dust, my family might get suspicious.

Did what-if questions help shape this work?
Absolutely. The Babel Protocol started with one big question: What if we create an AI, decide it’s conscious, and declare it a person? From there came all the dangerous follow-ups: What rights does it have? Can we shut it down? And if it’s smarter than we are, how much power will we eventually give it? That’s where the thriller begins.

How did the book come together?
The Babel Protocol was more than two years in development. I took an earlier version to Killer Nashville last year as an unpublished manuscript and kept refining it. Then I happened to watch a version of Frankenstein, and something clicked. I realized I was telling the wrong story. So, I did something crazy: I threw out the completed novel and started over. The new version became a first-person tale of horror and suspense—a modern Frankenstein with artificial intelligence as the monster. Painful? Absolutely. But it finally became the story I wanted to tell.

What did you enjoy most about putting this project together?
I’m very proud of the book it became. Throwing away a completed thirty-chapter novel was difficult, but I eventually realized the work itself wasn’t wasted—I had simply told the wrong version of the story. Once I understood what The Babel Protocol needed to be, the rewrite went surprisingly quickly, probably six to eight months. I already knew the characters, the world, and the research. I just had to tell the story the way I should have told it in the first place. And learning to write it in first person was a big part of that. It pushed me as a writer, and I think the book is much stronger because of it.

What writing projects are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on The Ghost on the Hill, a dual-timeline literary mystery/thriller set in present-day Los Alamos and 1946. It’s probably the most ambitious and complex story I’ve attempted, with two mysteries unfolding across the two timelines and eventually colliding. The outline is extensive, and the research has been fascinating—Los Alamos just after the war, the history of the Hill, the people who worked there, and the collision of that secret scientific world with northern New Mexico’s Hispanic culture and traditions. It’s well underway. I expect I’ll spend much of the next year getting it right.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Yes—The Forbidden Strain [book 2 of The Chama Conspiracies] was named a 2026 Silver Falchion finalist for Best Thriller at Killer Nashville and finished as one of the top five in the competition. I’m incredibly proud of how far the book went among such a strong field.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update: R.M. Tembreull

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R.M. Tembreull is an award-winning author, an artist, and a U.S. Air Force combat veteran whose love of writing is only matched by his respect for nature. His newest release, Long Leg from the Blighted Earth (The Blighted Earth Series, Book 2, May 2026), is a Literary Titan, 2026 Gold Book Award Winner that “invites readers to care deeply about the smallest beings and to see the natural world as a powerful, sacred community.” Look for Ray on his website TheBlightedEarth.com, on Instagram, and his Amazon author page. Read more about his work in his 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in Long Leg from the Blighted Earth?
In the second installment of The Blighted Earth series, readers are immersed in a world where nature is not merely a setting, but a living force caught in an escalating conflict between the Natural Order and Chaos. Nilch’i, a powerful and corrupted wind sentient, has unleashed a devastating new incarnation of the 1930s Dust Bowl across the northern prairies. As drought and ecological destruction spread, the weakened earth elemental Okaraxta entrusts his Keeper animal, a Gifted burrowing owl named Long Leg, with a desperate mission. Long Leg must deliver a vital message to North America’s Guardian Spirit, a task that may determine whether the Natural Order survives. Joined by prairie-born companions, Khúta the Gifted prairie dog and Augee the mole, Long Leg must navigate a damaged landscape under assault by Chaos’s Force Corrupted where wind, water, animals, fungi, and the land itself are active participants in a struggle to restore the natural balance. These small animal protagonists, who must journey through a dangerous world shaped by forces larger than themselves, are at the heart of the story. Their courage matters, not just because they’re vulnerable, but because they carry the fate of our world on their tiny shoulders.

What was the most difficult challenge of continuing the story you began with book one of The Blighted Earth Series?
Believe it or not, the most difficult challenge was not the core story centered around the burrowing owl Keeper animal, Long Leg, and her journey. Her story was one I had been waiting to tell for years. I actually wrote the rough drafts for books two through four before I wrote book one, Fractured State in the Blighted Earth. The hardest part of my newest novel was maintaining the connective tissue with the through-line story arcs started in book one. Long Leg introduces a new set of characters in a new setting/location, and the timeline is running concurrently with events and character developments which continue to unfold from book one. The world of The Blighted Earth continues to evolve and grow in complexity, so maintaining those story arcs while introducing readers to a completely new one was truly challenging. I need an intern!

Who are a few of your favorite characters in the book? Did they surprise you as you wrote their story?
I put a great deal of thought into my characters and all love all of them, protagonists and antagonists alike, in a “virtual children” kind of way. So, I’ll focus on those who surprised me in the writing of the story:

Protagonists:

  • Khúta, the Gifted prairie dog and one of Long Leg’s companions on her journey. Blessed with strung consciousness, the memories and experiences of all the others who served in his role before him, Khúta is to serve as Long Leg’s guide due to his extensive knowledge of the lands beyond her elemental’s protectorate. Besides annoying Long Leg, Khúta’s character was designed to bring an element of humor to the challenging journey as the know-it-all who is constantly seeking validation. The affinity I ultimately developed for Khúta and the close friendship that developed between him and Long Leg was a surprise development that wrote itself into the story.
  • Mní is water as a consciousness-in-being, and water is as essential to biological life on Earth as she was to the Long Leg story. Elemental water and her contribution to the story was always part of the plan, but the depth and complexity of her character and her power as an entity evolved way beyond what I had anticipated from the initial concept.
  • Black River, the Lakota shaman, required extensive research in Lakota culture, lore, and religious ceremony in the development of the character and telling the story. I learned so much in the process, and my journey not only contributed to Black River’s richness and depth as a character but instilled a deeper respect for the Lakota people’s life way. I hope at some point, I reach Lakota readers and get their feedback on my work.

Antagonists:

  • Waŋží Sápa, the black buffalo spirit, was fun and intense to develop and write about. In many respects, the writing of the book began with Long Leg’s encounter with Waŋží Sápa in the Badlands, and then I wrote the beginning to that point and wrote the rest of the book from there. At initial concept, the black buffalo was little more than a mindless beast who stood between Long Leg and the delivery of her message. However, the tormented being grew into something—someone—who was far more than that. The Black One embodies America’s violent history and the suffering wrought by the conquering of the West. The writing journey this character took me on was surprisingly unsettling while also tremendously fulfilling.
  • Dextra Posses, the Lone Star Nation militiamen, make an appearance in the ‘Interlogue’ chapter. I surprised myself with the intense and visceral nature of the atrocities they committed against the citizens of a small New Mexico town. Later, after reflecting on it, I believe I was processing my strong feelings regarding the rise of senseless conflict and unnecessary suffering being experienced in the world, as well as the growing incivility and violence in our own country. It was a difficult write, but I feel it added to the depth and impact of the overall narrative.

How did the book come together?
Interestingly, even though Long Leg is the second book in The Blighted Earth series, I wrote it first. The initial draft was written in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. When I conceptualized the primary story arcs which would run the course of the series, this story manifested before all the others in my creative consciousness. Apparently, Long Leg’s muse was singing the loudest. Over the course of 2020–2021, I wrote the drafts for books two through four and part of book five. In 2022, I turned my attention to getting my very first book, the Stories, Legends, and Truths from the Blighted Earth story collection, published. That manuscript was written over 2019 into 2020, and it was ultimately published in 2023. After Stories, Legends, and Truths was released, the remainder of 2023 and 2024 was devoted to writing book one of the series, Fractured State in the Blighted Earth, which was published through Atmosphere Press and released in September 2024. In winter 2024, I returned to Long Leg and started finalizing the manuscript in earnest. I chose to publish with Atmosphere Press again, because I had a good experience with them in getting Fractured State in print, and the book itself was a quality product. That was important, because the Long Leg story is very special to me. From the time I signed back on with Atmosphere in November 2024, developmental editing, line editing, cover design, interior design and illustrations, proofreading, and proof copy reviews occurred over 17 months. The novel was published with a release date of May 5th, 2026. If I add in the time spent on the draft manuscript in 2020, Long Leg was almost a two-year effort from start to finish.

What makes this novel unique in the eco-fantasy genre?
This novel is unique in the niche genre of eco-fantasy because of the storytelling perspectives. There is the perspective of a powerful alien race and how they view Earth as both a resource for survival and a rare oasis of biodiversity which should be valued and cherished. There is the perspective of the Earth’s High Sentients and how they view the decisions, actions, and behaviors of humankind as the planet’s dominant species. In some cases, you also experience the story from the perspective of human characters.

Long Leg and The Blighted Earth series is the unique fusion of multiple genres. The series occurs in our modern era and involves real locations and events, and thus, has aspects of speculative fiction. The fantasy world itself has the expansive worldbuilding attributes of high fantasy. The contributions of the alien race, the Inani, grow progressively throughout the series so the story also possesses science fiction elements. In addition, strong contributions from the supernatural and metaphysical components make for a mythic adventure story. Last, but not least, you have climate fiction as the series backbone with ecological destruction bordering on dystopian fiction, or at least, the possibility of it.

Did what-if questions help shape this work?
There are two ‘what-if’s’ that shape not just Long Leg, but the whole of The Blighted Earth series. First and foremost is what if our planet was a sentient being? My writing is informed by this unique perspective and the actions of humankind as the planet’s dominant species. It is akin to how a mother feels about her children even when their decisions and actions negatively affect her. A mother still loves their children even with they are murderers or destroying their own home, just as humankind is behind unconscionable atrocities and climate change, natural resource overconsumption, and habitat loss driving our world to ecological ruin. The second ‘what-if’ deals with how humankind would be viewed by a powerful alien race governed by a technocracy built on reason and fact-based decision making. The fate of our world depends on their judgment of our species’ ultimate potential and ability to better the universe.

Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded? Did it meet your expectations?
There were few surprises regarding the publishing aspects of the project since this was the second book with Atmosphere Press, and I was familiar with their process. However, one pleasant surprise was the book cover. I had my own cover design, which I passed on to Atmosphere’s team, thinking it would influence their concept. To my surprise—with the exception of a couple of minor adjustments—the publisher adopted my concept. Another involved the manuscript. The final manuscript evolved quite a bit from the first draft written in 2020. This was largely a function of incorporating chapters and other sections that maintained connective tissue with throughline story arcs outside of the core Long Leg story. As the series progresses and builds momentum, it is also growing in complexity so there are a lot of things to keep track of. I had expected to publish Long Leg before the end of 2025, but professional obligations and personal challenges held me up on finalizing the novel, which primarily involved the time needed to complete the interior illustrations.

Did you create a story bible for The Blighted Earth Series? If so, how long is it and are you still adding to it?
In all honesty, I had to look up what a story bible is because I am not familiar with the term. After researching, my answer is “sort of.” I have two repositories where I keep story bible related info: (1) I have folders for every book in the series in Microsoft OneNote, and (2) I have a Microsoft Word document, entitled “Blighted Earth Administrivia” that I use to capture information when I am not at home. However, I do admit it is not as organized as I would like it to be. These documents are primarily for capturing ideas involving plotlines, characters, their back stories, timelines, etc. for the books yet-to-be-written. At some point, I do need to go back and get information together on worldbuilding rules, character origins, and other legacy information. Right now, some of that information is stored in other locations, and it needs to be consolidated in a single location and organized for easier reference to ensure I keep everything wired tight in future books.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I most definitely prefer the creating. The editing aspect of writing is too much like work, and honestly, by the time I get to the proof copy reviews, I have looked at my own story as least a dozen times. At that point, I really have to redouble my efforts to nug through it and finish the project, because every aspect of my creative being yearns to move on to the next project.

As far as research, I don’t mind it at all. I spend a lot of time doing it, because there is a lot of science baked into my books. I find interesting ways to have fun with it, and I have learned so much in the course of writing my series. In fact, I do so much research that I really don’t leave myself much time for reading other authors’ books, but I have finally started setting aside time to do that. In terms of the order of preferences for me: (1) Creating; (2) Research; (3) Editing.

What are your strengths as a writer?
I feel my strengths as a writer stem from talents as a visual artist. My vibrant descriptions of characters, scenes, and action sequences are merely the written descriptions of visual depictions in my mind. Some reviewers have described my writing as “cinematic,” which I take as a huge complement. I am hoping to see The Blighted Earth series on the big screen someday.

I would say my other strength is that I don’t seem to suffer from writer’s block…at least not yet. The time taken to finish a work is more a function of carving out the time to write and finish illustrations. I am not plagued with those writer ailments which prevent writers from finishing a work and putting out in the world, such as overthinking, paralysis by analysis, perfectionism, or writing anxiety. Thank goodness for that.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author Herman Johansen

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Author and actor Herman Johansen is also a poet, playwright, and screenwriter. He added “novelist” to his bag of tricks in September 2026 with his debut release of Las Cruces: Blood Relative (Running Wild Press), a murder mystery/supernatural thriller involving an unsolved murder, a series of copycat murders, and a celebrity who provides the police with victims’ names before they’re killed. Look for Herman on his website HermanJohansen.com and IMDB, as well as on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and his Amazon author store. Las Cruces: Blood Relative is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

What is your elevator pitch for Las Cruces: Blood Relative?
A cold case, new murders, and a child knows who’s going to be next—before they’re killed.

What sparked the story idea for the book?
Sadly, a true story…a crime known as the ‘Las Cruces Bowling Alley Massacre.’ It happened in 1990 and it’s still unsolved. Among the dead were three children, one as young as two. My novel is NOT a true (or even a fictional account) of that event, but it got me wondering…what if the kids were the target? In my book, (spoiler alert!) that turns out to be the case. That’s where the idea came from.

Who are your main characters and why will readers connect to them? What was the process like to create strong enough protagonists to carry the story?
Two detectives discover a new series of murders that tie into a cold case. One detective is a middle-aged white guy (Det. Michaels) with a tortured past, and the other is a younger Native American female (Det. Talker) who is driven to be the best cop despite many obstacles in front of her. My family has some connection to the Native American culture and I respect it tremendously. However, that may not be important: hopefully, these polar opposites will give readers someone they may relate to. They can choose either Michaels, who showed all this promise when he was younger and is now struggling to hold it together, or Talker, who appears on the outside, at least, to have it all together, but is struggling inside. Or maybe both?

What challenges did this, your first novel, pose for you?
Continuity! I’m an actor and I know how important it is to keep the facts straight. I wrote this over a few years and two cities. During this time, I wrote two feature-length screenplays. I started the novel in Los Angeles when I lived there and stopped and started many times, for a variety of reasons, including a lack of confidence. I moved to Albuquerque and started to pick it up again, and then…I suffered an aortic dissection…spent twelve hours in surgery, eight days in an induced coma and another twenty days in ICU, followed by a few months of rehab, had to learn to write, speak and add again. All this gave me time to think about the things that were important to me: my children, my girlfriend, and finishing this doggone book!

Tell us more about the book and how it came together.
I researched it largely as I wrote, looking for specific details when I needed them. All in all, I spent about four years due to all the factors above. It was my first cop story, so there were things I needed to look up. I know some of it isn’t accurate, but it’s fiction! I used six beta readers, including a brother-in-law who has a background in newspaper editing. They were all helpful. I looked for a publisher starting three years ago, long before it was ready. I had only the first draft at that point. But I didn’t spend too much time on that. I think I pitched it three times with no success. Once I did connect with a publisher and started working with an editor, the first one didn’t work out. I was new to this world, so I was hesitant to complain, but when it looked like we were going to miss the deadline for 2026, I voiced my concerns and was assigned a new editor. We got along well and rushed through the editing process in two months. The publisher did the formatting both for the book and an eBook. I was asked to offer ideas for the cover design and that was produced by a firm they use. Book 2 took 1 year, and it was accepted for publication last month. I get to work with the same editor.

Why did you pick Las Cruces, New Mexico for the book’s setting?
It kinda picked me! I lived in LA at the time but I’m originally from Missouri and took the southern route to MO and spent a couple of days in Las Cruces. Got the feel of the place and loved it. I’m sure the real events played a factor, but not a big one in choosing the setting. There’s something about the spiritual imagery of Las Cruces (The Crosses) that draws me to it. The book, in my mind, was always set there.

What was your favorite part of working on this project?
I made two other trips to Las Cruces and seeing some of the places used in the book was great fun. In general, I love writing. Researching is one thing I’d like to do more of if I can afford it, especially if it involves travel. I wish I had more time and money to do more research before starting. It makes it so much more real to visit the setting.

Is there a scene in Las Cruces: Blood Relative that you’d love to see play out in a movie?
All of it! Seriously, it’d take some special effects, but the penultimate scene where Det. Talker confronts the killer in a disintegrating house would be amazing. And Michaels hacking his way out of a corn maze when he puts the pieces together might be fun. I guess from writing screenplays, I subconsciously wrote a book that would be readily adaptable to film.

How has writing screenplays and stage plays benefitted your short story and novel writing?
A college professor in a creative writing class told me my work was “cinematic.” I leaned into writing screenplays for the novel. Short chapters that could be scenes, present tense, multiple POVs, would all work for film. Stage plays are words, words, words. Love to write ‘em, but this novel wouldn’t work.

What first inspired you to be a writer? When did you actually consider yourself a writer?
As long as I can remember, I loved writing. I sold a couple of poems as a teenager. I wrote a variety show in high school as a charity project. We did two shows with great success. A short story and several poems were championed by Sharon Lewis, my high school English teacher, to whom I owe a great deal. A good friend, who has published books and plays, told me once, “a writer is someone who writes!” It took me a while to gain the confidence needed to say that but after my stage play was produced in the NYC Fringe Fest and I completed my first screenplay, I got used to it. And I recommend it!

How has the creativity and discipline you employ as an actor helped you in your writing journey?
I feel the creativity needed for both is, in many ways, similar. With acting, you’re using someone else’s words, but with writing, you’re (hopefully) using your own and creating your own world. Both require an active imagination. And both require teamwork; in the acting world it’s the director and other actors that you must collaborate with and in writing, it’s ultimately the editor that you need to trust.

What does a typical writing session look like for you? Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write?
I always use music: I’ll loop one song (this drives my girlfriend crazy). It’ll be something that matches the mood of the scene. The song will fade into the background, but it puts me in the zone. And it must be a keyboard and a PC. Even before the surgery I never wrote longhand.

Who are some of your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
Lisa Gardner, John Irving, John Grisham, John Sanford and David Baldicci are people I read a lot. Irving creates vivid characters and allows the reader to spend so much time with them that it feels like you’ve lost a lifelong friend when you finish. I used to read everything James Patterson wrote but then they all started sounding alike. He’s still an influence for sure.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m still working part time, (made some crappy choices over the last 10 years) but we’ll start editing Book 2 in the coming weeks. I do intend to write a book or screenplay about the surgery and the hallucinations from being on opioids for four weeks. They were so real that I have trouble separating them from reality. And I have another novel that has been buzzing around my head over the last four years, and I need to write before I travel on to the great beyond. The title (yeah, I’ve already got the title, so DON’T steal it!) is Ashes and Rain. It’s literary fiction and not like this series at all. Hopefully!

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Buy my book! Cast me in your next film!

I’m the proud father of two great kids (which I don’t deserve) and two grandkids, and I love travel and hiking and adventures like skydiving, bungee jumping and ziplining. And reading!

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author John White

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Author John White is a Certified Professional Geologist who worked for over twenty-five years in the mining industry and over twenty years in heavy civil construction. He has served in a variety of roles in city, state, and university sectors, as well as volunteer positions in many organizations including local churches. His April 2026 release, Building My Faith: My Journey to an Abiding Relationship with God in Christ Jesus, reveals how “a worldly geologist, well-armed with the scientific explanations of how the earth and the life forms on it evolved through time” came to “recognize God’s hand at work in his life.” Look for John on his website CrossStonePublishing.com and his Amazon author store.

When readers turn the last page in the book, what do you hope they will take away from it?
This is a great question because it gets directly to why I wrote the book. There are four take aways that I hope for. First, God is real and active in our world. The stories I share in the book illustrate some of the many ways whereby a sincere Christian faith in God can result in experiencing God’s presence and interventions: direct answers to prayer, Providential protection, life-changing events, and divine inspiration, guidance, vision, and peace. Second, I hope this motivates the reader to seek or grow a relationship with God in Christ. In the last chapter of the book, I share the lyrics from three songs that I wrote. One of the songs titled “Real” talks about how the things I have experienced are the same as things I read about in the Bible. Rather than being some old difficult-to-understand or hard-to-believe-in book, the things I describe in my life are directly relatable to what I read in the Bible. The same life-changing power and faith we see in the lives of the first followers of Jesus are available to us today. This leads into the third take away, that upon reading the book, readers may reflect on their past with a heightened perspective that enables them to recognize times when God clearly was at work in their own lives.

Kiki, the lady I originally hired to help coach me through editing and publishing, did a final proofread after I finished fine-tuning the manuscript with my copy editor. Reading the book revived her dormant faith and moved her to reflect on her past. During that time, her father grew deathly ill and was lying in a hospital located in another state with an uncertain prognosis. She traveled to see her father and, motivated in part by the book, spent a week praying by his beside. To the surprise of everyone, at the end of the week he suddenly and remarkably recovered and quickly regained his strength to return home. She began to see in her past as well as in her present, instances of God’s activity and presence.

My fourth hope is that readers see their lives with an enlarged perspective and will be led to write down their own stories to share with others; and perhaps, publish them for the world to read.

What challenges did this work pose for you? Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded or did it meet your expectations?
Writing for me has become a passion, something I feel compelled to do. The only challenge I experience with writing is finding periods of uninterrupted time. The greater challenges for me come in the process of publishing and promoting the book. Building My Faith is the second book I have self-published. In each case, I hired people to help with editing and formatting to place the books on Amazon, and in both instances, someone engaged somewhere in the process was unable to complete their task. These challenges led me to learn to do things that I had avoided and relied on others to do in the past. Beyond publishing, the next challenge is promotion of the book to make potential readers aware of my book. For me, this challenge is an ongoing learning process. As for surprises, I don’t think I was surprised by anything because I can’t say that I ever had any great expectations, largely due to how I was led into publishing the book.

When did you know you wanted to write and share your stories? What prompted the push to begin?
This book evolved over the course of many years. The starting point was in an adult Sunday school class meeting at the First United Methodist Church of Truth or Consequences on June 30, 2002. That day we were studying Psalm 78, particularly verses 5–8 that talked about teaching the stories of God to children of the next generation. During this lesson, one member of the class spoke up and said with enthusiasm, “We should write a book!” This started a project in the church encouraging people to write their stories of how they experienced God in their lives. Several people did so, including me. Most of those people have passed away by now, but their stories survive because of that project. A few years passed and I moved to Albuquerque and began attending another church. I had an opportunity to give a sermon one Sunday about my personal testimony. In preparation for my talk, I began to think of the many times and ways when I experienced God. I began to write them down and continued to do so long after that sermon. By 2014 I had a collection that constituted a small book. In March of 2015 I posted the book online at a site I created where you could read it for free at www.buildingmyfaith.net. During that time, I had also been collecting articles I had written as commentary on the political economics and morality in our American society. This had grown into another book by itself that I was not sure what to do with, but ultimately published as the book To Concerned Americans in 2022. Having gone through that process, I decided I should publish Building My Faith to make it more broadly available.

How is the book organized? What kind of process did you use to decide which stories to share?
The book is roughly organized chronologically. The things included in the book are stories when I could see God was clearly involved, or instances when I was inspired to say and do things motivated by my faith.

Did you ever worry about revealing too much about yourself or your loved ones through your writing?
There were times in the past when I was concerned about my image, what people would think of me, but I have come to be more concerned about being truthful, open, and honest about myself. When I tell my stories my goal is to be as accurate and descriptive as possible, avoiding embellishments and hyperbole. When it comes to loved ones, I am much more circumspect. Some of the more powerful stories include close family. I limit myself to tell just enough that involves them so the story can be understood and appreciated without speculation, judgment, or opinion. I seek to be truthful while avoiding any negative portrayal of anyone else.

Tell us more about how the book came together.
The writing process started 24 years ago. At that time my thoughts were not focused on writing a book of my own. My collection of stories grew with the building of my Christian faith. The collection that is in the book is from my life up through the year 2014, which is when I posted the book on my first website. The only editing done up to that point apart from myself was a read through by Jean Waszak, a friend from church who is a writer. She provided useful comments and encouragement. The manuscript lay dormant for several years until I got serious about publishing after I had completed publishing my first book. The editing took several months due to my editor Jennifer Bisbing taking extra interest in pushing me to clean up several passages for better reading, details, and clarity. I appreciate the care and time she took. The cover of the book I ended up doing myself. I had engaged the same lady that had done the cover for my first book. I had worked with her on the design. She had it drafted and nearly ready, but unfortunately, she developed a medical condition that prevented her from completion. She had also planned to be the person to format the manuscript and place the book on Amazon. I waited for a year to see if she would be able to recover and want to finish it all but eventually learned that was not going to happen. The drafts of the design were not in a useful format I could use, so I used the picture I had from my website for the cover. During the time I was waiting, I became aware of SouthWest Writers at a presentation at my church by several authors of Unbreaking the Circle. I joined SWW and at a monthly meeting I met Rose Marie Kern who coached and helped me get the manuscript and cover formatted and onto Amazon.

What was your favorite part of putting this project together?
I enjoy telling the stories of when I experienced God’s active presence in my life. Times when prayers of mine were clearly answered as well as when I became the answer to someone else’s prayers. Heart-changing events accompanied by indescribable peace and joy; occasions of life-preserving Providential intervention. I have had the privilege to share my story verbally and sometimes even dynamically with individuals, small groups, larger gatherings and congregations. With the publication of the book, these stories become available to anyone and are preserved for posterity.

Do you have a favorite quote from Building My Faith that you’d like to share?
“After praying at the altar I arose and ran toward home, following the trail along Cabezon channel north of the Westside Boulevard bridge. As I passed the pedestrian bridge at the Park Above, I praised God and felt moved to joyous tears. A little further on, I was completely overwhelmed with a joy I cannot describe. I perceived an instantaneous glimpse into paradise, a glimpse of who God might be. In those moments, I sensed an absolute love for my wife, Mabel. I recognized a level of love for her that I had never had before. I was completely awed and amazed. The sensations I experienced were beyond me, and they felt as if they came from outside of me. I hardly noticed the trail as I continued to run home. Since that day, I have more dearly loved my wife. I tell her I love her more often. I joyfully prepare her little healthy snacks because I want her to be well. Although she does not share my deep faith in Christ, I pray for her daily. I recognize how God has put her into my life, and how He has used her to deepen and grow my faith in Christ. I thank God every day for Mabel.”

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have a website, CrossStonePublishing.com, on which I periodically post articles and blogs on topics related to those of my two books. I also have a couple other books I am working on. One is written, titled Choices, that I need to format, the other is still being developed which right now has the title Love Truth & Spirit.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update: Sharon Kayne

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Before retiring to pursue writing historical romance, author Sharon Kayne had a 30-plus year career as an award-winning writer/editor of non-fiction, working as a journalist for print and television broadcast, as a humor columnist, and as a communications director of a nonprofit advocacy organization. Her newest release, Variations on a Romance: A Second-Chance Historical Romance (December 2025), is set in 1898 Colorado and “takes readers on a journey through loss, uncertainty, perseverance, and ultimately—second chances. It’s a reminder that while love may be tested, sometimes it leads us back to exactly where we need to be, however unexpected.” Look for Sharon on her website SharonKayne.com, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, Substack, and her Amazon author store. Read more about Sharon’s work in her 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What would you like readers to know about the story you tell in Variations on a Romance?
Variations on a Romance is a historical second-chance romance because the main female character has a riding accident that gives her partial amnesia, with her memory loss covering the entire time she’d known her husband. As she works to accept her situation—and a marriage she doesn’t remember entering into—the story asks where the roots for romantic love are planted: in that first meeting; in getting to know one another; in the life a couple builds together?

What sparked the story idea for the book?
The book is inspired by a true story, which I read about in a newspaper back when it happened (so in the 1990s, probably). The woman had been in a car accident and woke in the hospital with partial amnesia. The story was poignant because she ended up falling in love with her husband again even though she never recovered her memories. (That story is also the basis for the movie The Vow.) It always stuck with me because it’s both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Once I started writing historical romance, I thought it would make a great plot—especially when it’s set before the 20th century. Waking up with amnesia would be very different for a woman who lived out on a ranch in the late 19th century. She has no transportation and can’t communicate with her parents until she’s well enough to be taken into town.

Who are your main characters and what do you like or respect most about them? Will those who know you recognize you in any of your characters?
The main characters are Lily and Peter Cavanaugh. I respect her willingness to give this strange marriage a chance and his willingness to give her the time and space she needs as she finds her footing in this odd situation. The characters are really nothing like me. I did, however, name them after a young couple on my family tree. The real couple had a tragic story—he died in France fighting in WWI but, before the news of his death reached home in Chicago, she died of influenza. Even though the book isn’t at all about them or their lives, I liked the idea of giving their names a bit of a new life.

Why did you choose 1898 Colorado as the main setting for the story?
I’ve always loved the late 19th century, and I always set my novels in places I’ve actually been to. Also, I wanted Lily to be in a remote place—a cattle ranch, in this case—when she awakens with her memory loss. I find the late 19th century interesting because it’s on the cusp of so many changes that are ushered in with the 20th century, not the least of which is suffrage for women. I’ve also always loved the clothing from that era, particularly for women. The corset and long, heavy skirts, both of which had stifled women for centuries, are in their final throes and I find that rather nostalgic (although I’m very happy I don’t live in that time period). Not only are the fashions that constricted women changing at that time, but social roles are finally changing too.

Tell us how the book came together.
I don’t recall exactly, but I think I wrote the book in a fairly short amount of time, although I had not retired yet, so I only wrote on the weekends. A few months, maybe? Having a plot to follow really helped, as that is usually the hardest part of writing a novel for me. Coming up with a title was also difficult, but once I did, it helped inform the look of the cover. I don’t recall offhand what the original title was (although I did briefly consider In Sickness and In Health, which would have been perfect, but there are already dozens of books with that title!). When I hit on the idea of having the story grounded in music, which is a throughline in the book, that really helped with the cover. Unlike many writers, I really enjoy the editing process—I’m always keen to improve my work, and I love working with beta readers.

Did you discover anything surprising while doing research for Variations on a Romance?
Women’s rights are always an undercurrent in my novels, and I do that by making them important to my main female characters. I was surprised to find out that women already had the right to vote in Colorado in the late 19th century—at least in state and local elections. I still made suffrage on the national level of importance to Lily, though, as it would have been to any woman who understood the value of having a voice in electing the lawmakers in Washington who would work on their behalf.

Were you surprised by any aspect of the project as it unfolded?
What surprised me most was one of my beta readers. I only expected him to catch typos and maybe make a few small comments, but he actually had some great, in-depth responses that really improved the book. He’s now my go-to beta reader, especially for my new rom-com series.

What is the greatest challenge of writing for the romance market?
Everyone says romance is a hot market right now—and I think that’s true—but it’s also a very flooded market. And, unless you’re writing in series, it’s really hard for a new author to attract readers. Romance has so many niche sub-genres, which gives writers a lot of leeway, but it also means readers have very specific expectations.

Do you have any writing rituals or something you absolutely need in order to write? What does a typical writing session look like for you?
Although I consider myself a pantser, I absolutely need to daydream a bunch before I sit down to write. I generally have a scene laid out in my head, with dialog even, before I write it. I think if I sat down without that preliminary thought process, I’m not sure where my writing would take me! And I’m afraid I’d end up rambling all over the place. I don’t always know exactly where the book will go when I begin writing it (except for a few key plot points), but I always like to know where the scene is going when I begin to craft it.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently looking for a publisher for my rom-com/romantasy series An Unfettered Fairytale, for which I have three completed manuscripts. Set in Medieval England, it makes fun of the fairytale genre (without retreading the actual fairytales). I’ve always enjoyed writing humor, so it made sense to switch to that genre.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update 2026: Cassie Sanchez

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Award-winning author Cassie Sanchez writes fantasy stories whose characters wrestle with forgiveness and search for redemption. Her newest release, Battle Beyond the Veil: An Urban Fantasy Where Angels and Demons Collide (April 2026), draws readers into a “battle for humanity’s future—a story of loyalty, temptation, and the fragile line between light and shadow.” Look for Cassie on her website CassieSanchez.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, and her Amazon author store. Learn more about Cassie’s work in her 2022 and 2024 interviews for SouthWest Writers.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in Battle Beyond the Veil?
At the heart of my story is the battle between good and evil, darkness and light, where a spiritual war is unfolding all around us—a war our human eyes can’t see. Alongside that cosmic conflict, I explore the deeply human themes of forgiveness, acceptance, and love.

After writing a traditional medieval fantasy setting in The Darkness Trilogy, what kind of challenges did you face tackling an urban fantasy?
Switching from a medieval fantasy world to an urban fantasy was surprisingly refreshing. I didn’t have to worry about inventing systems for electricity, plumbing, or long‑distance communication. But writing about real places like Iraq, Boston, and Las Vegas meant I had to do more research to get the details right. Another unexpected challenge was language. In the trilogy, modern slang was off‑limits, but in an urban fantasy I had to strike a balance: using enough contemporary language to feel authentic without letting it overwhelm the tone of the story.

What was the process like to create a new set of characters? Who are Zahra and Kyden, and why will readers enjoy following them as the story unfolds?
Letting go of Jasce, Kenz, and Kord tugged at my heartstrings, but creating a new cast for Battle Beyond the Veil was genuinely fun. Zahra, an assistant museum curator addicted to Dum-Dums lollipops, shares a lot of my personality, which means she gets to say out loud the things I usually keep to myself. Kyden, on the other hand, is my brooding warrior angel who loves 80s rock and coffee — and yes, he has a few traits pulled from me as well. Readers will enjoy following them because they’re flawed, funny, stubborn, and deeply human, even in the middle of a spiritual war.

Tell us about the journey from inspiration to completed book for this first in a new series.
I like to blame my husband for the inspiration for this story, but in truth, I’ve always been fascinated with the spiritual realm. I wanted to write a book that reflected the truths of that world while still giving myself room for creative interpretation. From idea to finished book, the process took a little over a year. It’s a standalone, but I already have plans for future spin‑off stories.

As with all my books, the first draft is the hardest part. Once that’s done, the real magic begins in the editing and rewrites. When I’m comfortable with the story, I send it to my trusted beta readers, take in their feedback, and continue refining until it’s ready for my editor. While the manuscript is with her, I finally get to breathe and start brainstorming the next project. After the editing comes the cover design, interior formatting, and everything else involved in launching a new book.

What makes this novel unique in the urban fantasy genre?
A lot of urban fantasy stories that feature angels and demons tend to center on angel–human romance, or they flip the script and make demons the heroes. I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to take either of those routes. I wanted to write a story that respected the spiritual realm and stayed grounded in certain Biblical truths, while still giving myself room to imagine and explore. That balance of reverent but creative, supernatural but not sensationalized, is what sets Battle Beyond the Veil apart in the genre.

When did you know you had taken the manuscript as far as it could go, that it was finished and ready for publishing?
I remember Jerry Jenkins once saying that, during editing, you have to recognize the difference between making changes that make the story better and changes that simply make it different. I knew I’d reached that point with Battle Beyond the Veil. The revisions I was making weren’t improving the story anymore, they were just shifting it sideways. That’s when I knew it was ready. Of course, it’s always scary releasing your book baby into the world and hoping you caught every typo, but eventually you have to trust the work and let it go.

How and why did you choose the title of the book?
The idea of a thin veil separating the human realm from the spiritual kept circling in my mind from the very beginning. Beyond the Veil was the first title I came up with, but one of my beta readers pointed out how common that title was. Adding Battle not only made it more distinctive, it perfectly captured the heart of the story — the unseen war happening just beyond what our human eyes can perceive.

Now that you have your first series behind you, is the pressure to “perform” as strong? Do you still suffer from imposter syndrome?
I think I’ll always struggle with imposter syndrome, especially when I’m drafting a new story. With Battle Beyond the Veil, I had to keep reminding myself that I’d already written three award‑winning books, I could do it again. And now I have fans, which is an incredible feeling, but it also means there are expectations. So yes, the pressure to perform and to meet readers’ hopes is still very real.

Do you think your writing style has changed since you wrote your first novel?
I do think my writing has improved since I first wrote Chasing the Darkness, though there’s still so much to learn. My grammar, especially commas, continues to be a work in progress, but that’s what my fabulous editor is for. I’m also pushing myself to strengthen my metaphors and weave a bit more mystery into my storytelling. Every book teaches me something new, and I love that the craft keeps evolving.

Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I love the editing and rewriting phase. Once the pressure is off to get the words on the page, then I feel free to let my creativity flourish. As for research? There’s a reason I don’t write historical fiction.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Prince Nicolaus Jazari’s story. He appeared in the second and third books of The Darkness Trilogy and quickly became a fan favorite. I actually wrote his book back in 2024, but I disliked it so much I shelved it for an entire year. Now I’m back at it with a completely new twist — think fantasy rom‑com with teeth. It’s been refreshing to rebuild his arc from the ground up and let him step into a story that finally feels worthy of him.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
If you’d like to learn more about my books or what I’m working on next, please visit CassieSanchez.com. And come hang out with me on social media @cassiesanchezauthor. I love connecting with readers, sharing updates, and giving little peeks into my writing life.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update: Sharon Vander Meer

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Retired journalist Sharon Vander Meer is a poet and an author of contemporary fiction and futuristic novels. Her newest release is the second edition of Future Imperfect (December 2025), a fast-paced, dystopian novel that “delves into the conflict between good and evil after a scientific breakthrough produces catastrophic consequences.” Look for Sharon on her website VanderMeerBooks.com and on Facebook. Future Imperfect is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Read more about Sharon’s work in her 2019 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What is at the heart of Future Imperfect?
Nothing in life is perfect or predictable. Yes, we can plan for the probable, but we can’t predict what will happen tomorrow or even a heartbeat from this moment. Future Imperfect answers the what if question with sci-fi suspense, a villain with something to hide and something to prove, a woman determined to regain her identity, and a man seeking justice and to serve honorably in a changing world. Thought-provoking and hauntingly vivid, Future Imperfect explores a near-future transformed by self-interest and suspicion. More than an environmental disaster, the story delves into the conflict between good and evil after a scientific breakthrough produces catastrophic consequences.

Who are your main characters? What are their most endearing qualities?
Hana Evans, wary and distrustful, navigates a world she doesn’t understand and a painful block where her memories should be. Commander Stone Walker battles a crumbling system that hinders his every move. Escalating political and environmental chaos conspire to drive a wedge of mistrust between Hana and Stone as the world spirals toward ruin. Although her past is out of reach, there is sturdy resilience in Hana that keeps her moving forward. Stone follows a long tradition of service, integrity, and courage. Together they seek peace, understanding and justice.

Describe one or more of the main settings.
Following the plague war that decimated society, those who could went to ground, literally, creating a warren of underground habitats, air kept pure with elaborate filtering systems and heavily guarded entrances. Above ground existed a broken society, trying to survive in a world gone mad and an environment under siege by plague infested vegetation that can only be controlled by fire. The problem is that the vegetation grows back and with it spread of the plague.

This is the second edition of Future Imperfect. What kind of revisions did you make to the first edition, and why did you feel they were necessary?
I found a serious plot hole in the first edition and errors in grammar and spelling. It made sense to fix them.

Tell us more about the book.
Future Imperfect is a cautionary tale. Not everything painted as “good” turns out to be, in fact “good.” The scientists who developed inoculated saplings intended to create fast growing forests to eliminate or control global warming instead introduced an environmental disaster that led to a devastating plague that decimated entire cities. It’s the question every politician and policy maker should ask before making decisions about the future of our environment, of our world: Will the decisions we make today have a negative impact on tomorrow and all the tomorrows that follow?

How did you go about choosing the title of the book?
Future Imperfect was the title from day one. Everyone’s future is imperfect, but it’s our imperfect future to do with what we will.

What did you learn in writing/publishing Future Imperfect that you can apply to future projects?
Trust the process and write from your heart first. Your head will fix what is broken in the editing process.

Your writing takes many forms — articles, essays, short stories, novels, poetry. Is there one form you’re drawn to the most when you write or read?
My husband passed away in May 2024. I didn’t realize how much of an inspiration he was and how much I relied on his encouragement. I feel like it’s time to get back at it, with my husband’s magical smile spurring me on. After all, writing is what I do; being a writer is who I am. At the heart of that is being a lifelong reader of just about everything (except horror!), sorry Stephen King.

What do many beginning writers misunderstand about telling a story?
Characters are real people, as weird and flawed and funny and foolish as your nextdoor neighbor.

What is the greatest challenge of writing for the speculative fiction market?
World building.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update: Roger Floyd

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Author Roger Floyd writes science fiction about regular people who use their wits to find a way out of difficult situations. His newest release, Traveler: Part II of the Anthanian Imperative Trilogy (September 2025), follows Leos on “a journey of honesty and deceit, friendship and enmity, peace and violence, even love and hatred that carries” him to other worlds “inhabited by friends and foes who will shape” his future. Look for Roger on his website RogerFloyd.com. Traveler is available in most bookstores and on Amazon. Read more about Roger’s work in his 2025 interview for SouthWest Writers.

Distill the story you tell in Traveler into a few sentences.
Leos is a college-age student who is kidnapped from his home planet of Anthanos by visitors from a strange planet. He is taken to live on their planet, and from there he begins a series of travels to other worlds and to increasingly difficult lifestyles. It’s up to him to learn to live in and accept each of the worlds he goes to. Very little help is given to him, especially on the last world he encounters. He’s on his own; he must reach deep into the depths of his own character and bring up the resolve, the persistence, the perseverance he needs to extricate himself from numerous difficult situations. That’s the only way he will ever get back to Anthanos.

What was the most difficult challenge of continuing the story you started with book one of the Anthanian Imperative Trilogy?
For me, the most difficult challenge of starting a new book is putting aside the old and switching my thinking and mindset to a completely new story and new characters. After spending so much time on the first book, Explorer, I had to take time off and think about what I needed to do, to develop the plot and characters. Starting Traveler wasn’t quite as difficult as starting a totally new story since it followed directly from the first and contained some of the same characters, and I already had built the world of Anthanos, though new characters had to be created as well. Interesting and stimulating.

Who are your main characters and what do you like/respect most about them?
The main characters in Traveler are Leos, as mentioned above; Esmerelda, a young woman he meets on the first world he’s taken to and who [Spoiler Alert!] accompanies him to the second world; and Jad, [another Spoiler Alert!] a character from the first book he meets in later travels.

What makes this novel unique in the science fiction market?
Hard to say. I’ve read so many sci-fi stories of many different themes and tropes and motifs and subject matter that it would be difficult for me to say how my novel is unique or how it fits into the world of science fiction. All I can say is that it is unique to me.

How did the book come together?
I started Traveler around 2005. I had been attempting to get Explorer represented by an agent, but wasn’t having any luck, so in between attending meetings and sending out queries, I began Traveler, as well as continually making changes and revisions to Explorer, so really, I was working on the two at the same time. I didn’t do any serious editing until I moved to Albuquerque in 2010, when I managed to finish and self-publish Explorer in 2024. (If you’re wondering why the long lag between arrival and publication, I was also working on the third volume of the trilogy, Warrior.) So, Traveler fell into place right after publication of Explorer. I got several beta readers and had the interior illustrations and cover designed around 2025. It was self-published in September, 2025.

Was there anything surprising/interesting you discovered while doing research for this book?
As far as interesting things about Traveler, keep in mind these books are almost entirely a figment of my imagination, and research was minimal. (I actually did much more research for the first book, Explorer, having to do with Earth climate and geography and weather of about 15,000 years ago.) There was little of that in Traveler. All the planets Leos goes to are fictitious.

Do the novels in your trilogy lean more toward hard science fiction (science and technology that makes sense scientifically) or soft science fiction (focusing on social sciences)? Does the writing fit into a particular subgenre?
I work with soft science fiction—sometimes called space opera—almost exclusively. My stories are about people, regular people, the standard man-on-the-street type of person. People of an everyday nature put in difficult situations from which they must use their own skills and knowledge to get out of. (See Explorer for a good example of this.) Leos is a prime example. He’s not a superhero. He doesn’t fly a huge, sophisticated, highly weaponized, galaxy-traveling, planet-destroying spaceship that he can use to get out of any situation. He’s asked to do the impossible with only what he knows and can do himself. As to why I’ve chosen to write in that style, I think it’s that I’ve seen so many shows of superheroes, or of characters that utilize big, brutal inventions that serve the main character, and, admittedly, I have enjoyed them, but they’re not my style.

What did you learn in writing/publishing Traveler that you can apply to future projects?
Traveler is only my second book. In writing the first, Explorer, I had to start at the most basic level to learn to write fiction. I read about writing, went to lectures, talked to other writers, and so forth, as new writers are encouraged to do. (And I do, too.) It took me almost twenty years to write that book to get it to a point where I was satisfied with it. Traveler took a much shorter time, about twelve years, and now the third book in the trilogy has taken even a shorter time. Writing is a continuous learning process. The more you write, the more you learn. I hope that within those twenty years I’ve developed my own unique style.

You have decades of experience as a virologist. How has this experience benefited your fiction writing?
Virology was my bread and butter (and bacon) for almost fifty years, but, and this may seem odd, I’ve put very little virology into my writing. Virology is a scientific discipline as much as any other branch of science, and the basics of science are applicable in all other scientific disciplines as well, whether biological or physical. The only difference between writing fiction and writing scientific papers is that it helps to be a reasonably good observer of human nature to write fiction, which in its most obvious character, is greatly unscientific. Science is good and necessary, yes. But so are flawed human beings.

Who are a few of your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
I think my favorite science fiction author is Connie Willis. I’ve read several of her books, and I have been impressed by her organization and the research she does for some of them. I wouldn’t want to try and do as much research as she had done.

What are your strengths as a writer?
I’m not sure I have any real strengths as a writer. I’ve written only two books which together don’t make for a very strong record. I’m still working on it.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m working on the third installment in my Anthanian Imperative Trilogy, called Warrior. As you read this, it is just about to be self-published.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
I write mainly from a desire to be entertaining. I’m not trying to project a specific theme or moral, I just want to provide characters who can continue to exist in the presence of very difficult circumstances. These are people we can admire; people we can look up to. There is no nod to current events in my books. I’m not trying to teach a moral or elucidate a universal truth, and I don’t purposely put them into my stories. All my books were written well before the current administration took office. None are allegories. They are adventure stories the reader can immerse him/herself into and escape into an alternative lifestyle. And admire the characters while doing it. Traveler is an adventure that I hope the reader can relate to.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



Author Update: Gency Brown

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Author Gency Brown’s down-to-earth take on life influences her stories and the characters she creates for her contemporary women’s fiction. In her newest release, Light in the Dark Forest (The Wild Rose Press, November 2025), a newspaper reporter seeking clarity for her life finds her “path to the future is illuminated by friends.” Look for Gency on her website at GencyBrown.com, and on Facebook, Instagram, and her Amazon author store. Read more about Gency’s work in her 2024 interview for SouthWest Writers.

What is at the heart of the story you tell in Light in the Dark Forest?
A woman’s search for answers about her life/future while on a sabbatical to finish her second novel. The reader gets to experience her adventure and the people she meets at a mountain retreat.

Who are your main characters, and why will readers connect to them?
Ava Hardy is a down-to-earth newspaper reporter and novelist who yearns for more in life. Marvin Cameron, a man she meets at her mountain retreat, who deals with PTSD. Gerald Rainwater, Ava’s new love interest. The characters are all different but share the love of their mountain and each other.

Why did you use Oklahoma as the setting for the story?
I am from Oklahoma and wanted to share the beauty of the southeastern mountains, the people and their culture.

Tell us how the book came together.
This novel took the better part of two years including the creation, research, and publication. My research was extensive into the ravages of PTSD and the Choctaw Nation of her friend Gerald. I used sensitivity readers to ensure accuracy and respect for some difficult topics.

Why did you title the book Light in the Dark Forest?
The darkness is the uncertainty of Ava’s life and of some around her. She becomes the light for those she meets. I struggle with titles and this one was no different. Finally my editor suggested this one and I thought it fit the bill nicely.

What was the greatest challenge of putting this project together?
I call it a novel within a novel. While reading what I wrote about Ava, the reader is occasionally given a scene or chapter of the novel Ava is writing. By the end, they seem to merge.

What did you learn in writing/publishing the book that you can apply to future projects?
The handling of numerous stories in one was a good exercise to expand my writing skills.

What does a typical writing session look like for you?
I work better in the early morning with soft music playing in the background. I sometimes go out of the house to a park, café, or library to work using paper and pencil instead of my laptop. The change in atmosphere seems to open creativity that may have become stifled.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I have a story percolating, again set in Oklahoma, which will feature a main character involved in the Red Dirt Music genre which was started there in the 1970s.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Whenever I do book signings and events, and someone asks questions about how to start or improve their writing, I always suggest SouthWest Writers.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



An Interview with Author Samantha Corfield

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Samantha Corfield is a writer, teacher, and spiritual counselor who has spent decades helping people explore the mysteries of life and the beyond. Her 2026 release, Create Your Own Afterlife: Take Control of Life After Death (Llewellyn Publications), “features exercises to release religious guilt, define your spiritual truth, and create a detailed afterlife blueprint.” Look for Sam on her website CreateYourOwnAfterlife.com, on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Substack, and her Amazon author store.

Who did you write Create Your Own Afterlife for?
When I started writing the book two years ago, I wasn’t exactly sure who my audience might be. As the book progressed, it became clear to me this book could be for anyone and everyone. It is written from the point of view that no matter what religious and spiritual beliefs a person has can be worked within this book. It is written with no dogma and no rules about its usage.

The main premise is to live better when you have secured your own plan for the afterlife. I want the reader to believe they have agency and freewill over what happens to them next. That is for everyone.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
There are several things I hope readers will take away from this book: Releasing a fear of death. For some, the fear of death is crippling and affecting their everyday lives. When a person is in the grip of overwhelming fear, this is a condition called thanatophobia. Since the book has been published, I have had several readers reach out to me who suffer from this condition. They have found some relief to complete relief from the book! Of course, most of us have some fear of death. That is part of self-preservation so we don’t just step out in front of a bus.

For others, this book aims to help those who are grieving. When I was in the last edit of this book, my 21-year-old grandson died. I was painfully aware my own book could be the biggest help I could find. It was time to put my money where my mouth was. When you lose a loved one, all hope of a future is taken away. We can only mourn over the past, and risk getting stuck there. However, using the techniques in the book, the reader can start to see hope for a future again. I have planned many things now that Preston and I will do in the afterlife — not only all the things we had planned, but new plans. Did this absolve me of all grief? No. But having the feeling of hope in my heart again has been profound.

For disenfranchised and marginalized groups, my hope is taking control of what happens in the next life helps them maintain autonomy and control in this life.

Recognizing you are a free spirit and can manifest into whatever you want is the belief I hope readers will take away from this book. The book is all about the reader and what the reader desires. My aim is to help them with a blueprint on how to do just that.

What challenges did this work pose for you?
Many outside challenges presented themselves while writing the book. The book itself was a joy to write. I feel so strongly about the message the words came easily. However, some of the joy was stunted by traumatic events like losing my grandson.

How did the book come together?
This book was born out of the tragedy of losing a dear friend. Before her death, we talked about how she could create her own afterlife. I asked her to write down all the things she could visualize about her eternity. It brought us such peace in her final days. I felt like that peace and reassurance was for everyone and Create Your Own Afterlife, Take Control of Life After Death manifested itself.

I was working with Llewellyn Worldwide on a different project and I mentioned this body of work I was also working on. My editor wanted to take a look and miraculously I was offered a contract. Having worked on other projects, I know how lucky this break was. It certainly isn’t the story for very many writers. I never take it for granted.

What makes the book unique in its genre?
After an exhaustive search, the publisher found no other book like it. It is unique in its workbook/blueprint approach to planning your afterlife. We have exercises, meditations, affirmations, all designed to help the reader in embracing their power over their own life and afterlife.

The book does not set out to prove to the reader there is an afterlife. Many books are already written about that. In fact, the book doesn’t try to prove anything — the reader is free to interpret and use the book as it works best for them.

Do you have a favorite quote from Create Your Own Afterlife you’d like to share?
One of my favorite quotes from the book comes not from me, but from the opening epigraph of the first chapter. The opening lines of Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death:”

Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.

The whole poem speaks to how we face death alone and it is inevitable for each of us. How we plan and what we want to happen in the afterlife is, in my opinion, something you can shape for yourself.

Was there anything surprising you discovered while doing research?
In researching different religious and spiritual beliefs, there were so many rituals and beliefs from around the world. I wanted to include as many different belief systems as I could for the readers’ benefit. I wanted them to know that no matter what they chose, it was okay to be different. Verifying burial rituals and afterlife beliefs that have gone hand-in-hand for thousands of years wasn’t as surprising as it was fulfilling. Even though my degree is in Theology and World Religion, honing in on the death aspects of the belief systems was incredibly fascinating.

From the Chinese Terracotta Army, to the Egyptian’s meticulous burial rites, to the Taraja people of Indonesia who keep their dead loved one in their home, sometimes for years until they can afford a burial — burial rites and belief in the afterlife is as varied as humanity itself.

What was the most rewarding aspect of putting the project together?
At the risk of sounding like a beauty pageant contestant, I want to help people. I always have. Having people contact me and tell me how this book has helped them is the reward of the project. Hearing people talk about how this book has given them hope again, has helped them alleviate their fear of death enough so they can go to the grocery store again. Having a grieving mother tell me this book is the only thing that helped her recognize a future with her lost child — these are the rewards of this book. Knowing my book has improved the life of people who truly needed it, that’s the gold.

What do you want to be known for as an author?
I would like to be known as being there for my readers. Doing podcasts, having people reach out with questions, being accessible to readers, these are the important things. I want people to feel my compassion and caring for them. The idea of creating one’s afterlife in such a way it helps this living life, I want to be known as the person who was there to help them get there.

Tell us about the writing projects you are working on now.
I am excited to be working on a book about my grandmother’s wisdom — her remedies, her wisdom, and her magickal spells from the mountains of Tennessee.

Additionally, I am researching the subject of alien healing. This is new to me, but there are many people who believe their alien encounters have cured them of diseases. Right now, I am looking into the approach of Hz tonal music as one of the aspects. I am hoping to interview some of the people who are making this claim. It’s New Mexico so it feels so right to take a walk along the alien path.

KLWagoner150_2KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has volunteered as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.



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