THE SOURCE OF STORMS (The Stormbound Series Book 1)
Winner of the 2026 IndieReader Discovery Awards in Fantasy, Fiction
What’s the book’s first line?
“The sea danced under the wild forces of an ocean brewed-storm.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
It’s a dark, epic, romantic fantasy about a selkie woman who is demonized for her innate magic by a sinister High Priestess and must find allyship in a monster hunter and his eclectic group of warriors.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
A place and a feeling, more than anything, I think. I was born and raise in a remote coastal fishing town in Alaska, and I’ve romanticized it terribly in my mind. I’ve also had a long and deep love for myth, folklore, and fantasy for my entire life. I’m particularly enamored with the story of the selkie. When I realized I wanted to write a book, all I could think of was an image of a young woman standing on a rocky, wild shore, staring into a storm raging on the sea, and I could feel her longing and her heartbreak. So my nostalgia and love for my home and its wilderness, combined with a love of myth, grew into The Source of Storms.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If you’ve ever felt like you don’t belong, like you’re too different and it has cost you too much, then you will love the big dose of fantasy style feminine rage coupled with the kind of love that rebuilds self-worth.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Physically, her black eyes and her wild hair. Personality-wise, her bravery, her resilience, and her undying love and compassion, despite everything the world has thrown at her. She reminds me of Cirilla, from the Witcher, and of my own sisters, Olivia and Amanda.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I believe it was late 2022, possibly early 2023. I had started writing The Source of Storms with no clue what I was doing, no idea where it would lead. But I had recently read Braiding Sweetgrass, and the little nagging voice that had kept bugging me to write books had started screaming. My then fiance, now husband, was relentless in his encouragement. He read my early chapters and was adamant that I was good enough, that I could make this work. So I decided to go for it.
Is this the first book that you’ve written?
It is! This is my debut, my very first attempt at cobbling together a book.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m a wildlife biologist. I hold a bachelor’s and master’s degree in biology and I work in consulting currently, although I’ve had a lot of different roles across my career.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
It varies. These days I spend a lot more time marketing (or trying to) than on my writing, which is a strange and twisted sort of joke. Nobody tells you that being a writer also means being a marketer, but here we are. The Source of Storms took me about 18 months to write, and in the depths of it, I was writing for hours every day. I wrote book two in the series in about 6 months, and I think I was writing for 4+ hours a day at the time. Now, I feel like I’m lucky if I can make myself focus on book three for an hour at a time.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is the sense of control and ownership. I know my work is entirely my own, for better or for worse, and I take a lot of pride in that. The worst part is that it comes with a lot of self doubt. As of now, I have no agent, and am entirely self-published. Which means I don’t really have anybody else in the industry working with me and cheering me on.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Trust yourself. Trust your vision, trust your ability to execute it, and do not stop until you do. There will be so much self doubt, and many, many tears. But don’t let them stop you.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would. Partially because I’m just so curious and I want to know what it’s like. I’ve only seen that world from the outside and I would love to experience it from the inside. And partially because I’m a bit overwhelmed with marketing and selling. I just don’t feel like I have the time to balance all the different pieces of it to the extent that I would like to be able to. I would love to have a few people in my corner that believe in me and would help me bring my books to the world.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
Delusion. Insanity. Past wounds I’ve somehow chosen to heal through writing. I actually don’t know. I’ve been a writer my whole life, and I don’t really understand the drive to put my work out to the world. I could just as easily keep it on my laptop and never show anyone. It’s incredibly vulnerable and challenging and I don’t really know why I do it, other than that I must. And I have another twin desire to be the best at it. Thus, the delusion.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Oof this is a tough one! I’m going to break from my genre and say Sharon Blackie. I love the way she weaves together myth, a reverence for the land, and femininity. She is truly a genius and her work has helped so many women around the world, including myself.