Reborn Interview!!!

I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book and truly enjoyed the read. It was a fun ride in a great fantasy world. I now get a chance to ask the author a few questions about the book and her process in writing it. 


BAX - Where did the original idea for the story come from?

CR - Back in the early 2000s, I created a character for a Harry Potter online roleplaying game who had the gift of prophecy. Her birth story and how she obtained her gift is what spring-boarded the idea for Yssa. Although the characters’ stories and personalities diverged from each other, I wouldn’t have Yssa’s beginning without roleplaying.

BAX - It is no secret I am a huge Potter fan. That's really cool you could pull from that after all those years. What was it like trying to work with the visions Yssa had throughout the book?

CR -   The first draft and the revised draft didn’t have very many visions except the most important ones. During edits, I found places to add more prophecies. The hardest part about the visions was trying to show how Yssa gains control over them—more visions in the beginning and less as the story goes on—as well as deciding how to showcase the premonitions. I eventually wanted an immediacy to the visions, so that’s why I have them in present tense and italics to set them apart from the past tense story.

BAX - Well it turned out and made for a great tool in telling the story. I really enjoyed Yssa's character, what brought her to life? 

CR - The Harry Potter character I created may have brought her origin story to the forefront, but the revision draft brought Yssa to live. I had her story down, but she felt a little flat in the first draft, which I wrote in third person. When I changed her story to first person narrative, it was like she came to life, since I was more focused on her than what was happening as I was in the first draft.

BAX - Revisions have a way of doing that. I guess that is why the best authors are all great at revising. What would you say was the most challenging aspect of writing this book?

CR - The most challenging aspect of this book was the editing. Although I’d edited shorter works, a novel is so much different. I had to add things, change things, keep so much straight. It was definitely challenging.

BAX - It is truly a lot of work. What would you say was your favorite?

CR - I love world-building. Each draft, each edit, I learned more about Yssa’s world. It never ceased to surprise me.

BAX - I'm right there with you on that. I can get lost in it. How long do you plan on continuing with these characters? 

CR - Yssa’s story/timeline will continue through three more stories: a novella titled Remarked written from Liam’s point of view; book two Reforged, which is the continuation of Yssa’s story; and book three Redestined, which is the conclusion to her story.

BAX - It is good to know I won't have to say goodbye anytime soon. Before we go. There are so many dynamic themes in the book. If you could sum it up for a reader who was interested, what would you say?

CR - Hard question. *laughs* I would say it is a coming of age story questioning free will and Fate and pushing the boundaries of life and death.

BAX - Well that was a great answer. If anyone is interested to learn more of Cherie or of Reborn, I have some info below.

To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.

On the day of Yssa’s death and rebirth, the god Apenth chose her as the Phoenix Prophetess.

Sea serpents and gods endanger the young prophetess’s journey and sour the omens. Yssa is cursed instead of blessed, and her duties at the Temple of Apenth prove it. She spends her days reading dusty scrolls, which does nothing to help her forget Tym, the boy back home. But the annoying yet gorgeous ferryman’s son Liam proves to be a distraction she can’t predict, even though he rarely leaves her alone for two sand grains.

Her boring temple life screeches to a halt when visions of her parents’ murders consume her. Yssa races across an ocean to stop the future. If she can’t change Fate, she’ll refuse to be the Phoenix Prophetess any longer. Fate, however, has other plans for her and the kingdom.

Yssa must either accept her destiny or fight to change Fate.

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Cherie Reich
Speculative Fiction Writer and Library Assistant

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