Leia Stone loves academy stories and fallen angels, so that's a part of the inspiration behind the "Fallen Academy."
What was your inspiration behind the "Fallen Academy" series?
I really love academy stories, fallen angels, and coming of age stories. I just kind of set out to make this strong female lead with a best friend who she would do anything for, and a love interest who adored her, and it was so fun to write! Seeing Los Angeles in a war torn state with archangels and demons walking around just sounded like a really fun world to write in.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
Everyone wants to see themselves in the book they are reading. (At least I do!) So I try to write diversity in my books in a way that includes everyone. My husband is from India, and so it's been fun over the last 14 years of our marriage to learn about Indian culture and sneak that into my books for our children to one day read.
Tell us a little more about your books and why you decided to publish with Bloom.
I have always had a vivid imagination. I truly cannot imagine ever stopping writing. I've written over 65 novels in the past 10 years, and my partnership with Bloom is truly that, a partnership. Teaming up with someone who believes in your stories and wants to see you succeed is the best feeling. I write stories with strong female leads, irresistible love interests, and magical quests that may or may not put the main character in peril.
What can fans expect from your book?
A massive cliffhanger and crush on the MC? Kidding. Sort of. I get told all the time that my books are bingworthy and can't be put down because they are fast-paced. I credit my ADHD with that.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
I'm actually taking a writing sabbatical haha (after I just said I truly could never stop writing). I'm going to take two months off from writing to focus on marketing this amazing series ("Fallen Academy") and hang out more with my family and my dogs and chickens. The older I get, I realize life really does go by fast, as cliché as that sounds. I want to slow down and enjoy this current crazy tween phase with my twin children, even if I barely survive it.
