How much research, if any, did you have to do for this book?
Life, observations, and wondering are my best research for the kinds of books I write. I think writers wonder a lot, work things out in their mind with a lot of “what ifs” and “if only” thrown in. Then of course, prayer, prayer, and prayer. When you are a Christian every aspect of your life is Christ's, so I don't do anything without prayer first. Throughout the process I am a really private person, which seems odd when being a writer, but it is true nonetheless. I have to thrash things out with God when He wants me to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable is not a comfortable place to be, I feel way too exposed. But I know that living the life God requires me to live means living true, even when writing fantasy.


How did you choose the names for your characters?
All kinds of ways. Some just come to me, some we make up from a mix of letters and words. Sometimes it is the same as naming a child, you look through baby books and check out meanings. Stargazing plays a role in it as well, as I love to study the stars and gaze up into the sky. Looking up makes me feel a part of the infinite creation of God. My daughters help me a lot with that, as well as designing creatures and making up new ones. Every person and name is important, no matter how small the character appears to be.


What new doors has your writing opened up for you? Were there any opportunities that you had never considered before?
I do much more on the internet now than I would have without writing. Book signings have introduced us to many different people and other authors as well. We started Creature Companion Enterprises and then the Facebook page for it. We created Christian Rebels News on Facebook as well. I imagine God has much more in the future as well.


Do you ever become bored with what you are writing? If you do, how do you get past that point?
No, I never get bored with anything in anyway. I sometimes want to be bored because then I know I would have everything I need to do done, and I can just do nothing. I don't know what that feels like, and I doubt I ever will. In writing if I can't get past a point, I go backwards and deal with what I do know until the answer comes to me. Sometimes a book just has to be set aside for another that needs to be done and then taken up again. By the time it is taken up again it is different than it would have been. So I think God holds off certain projects I have been trying to get done because I am not ready to write them yet, or something else needs to be done first.