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Behind the Writing of Academy Arcanist
Tell us about the background for the story, what inspired it or why you wanted to write this story.
Pokemon inspired me, and my love of academy novels fueled the writing passion! I love any sort “magical familiar” tale, so I wanted to make a whole series based around finding the perfect magical companion. In my universe, your magical powers are determined by the mystical creature you bond with! So unicorn arcanists will have a different magic set than griffin arcanists, for example, and I love that unique and fun aspect.
Tell us about a theme within your work and why you wanted to highlighted in this book.
The theme of the novel is determination and tenacity count for a whole more than you know. Constantly, the main character, Gray, and his twin brother, Sorin, have their determination tested. Those who stick it through win in the end! (The enemy, too, but I don’t want to spoil that).
Which scene, character or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?
The main character, Gray, is LESS sarcastic than I had originally written him. I love a good sarcastic quip, but at some point, it was just too much. He was quipping all the time like he was a character in a Marvel movie. And while those movies are fun, real people aren’t like that all the time. I had to reevaluate!
Indie Author: Yes
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Publication Date: 08/23/22
Sub-Genres:
Young Adult
Sword & Sorcery
Coming of Age
Page Count: 446 Pages
Synopsis:
Hopes. Dreams. And literal nightmares out to kill a young boy.
Gray Lexly, son of a candlemaker, wants to escape his life of old-world technologies and study at the prestigious Astra Academy, a school for arcanists—those who can wield magic. But Gray has a major problem. Every night, as he sleeps, he’s visited by monsters. When they injure Gray in his dreams, he wakes with the same wounds in real life…
On the night Gray might finally die in his nightmares, he is saved by the kind and mysterious Professor Helmith, a powerful arcanist. She offers to protect Gray and invites him to attend Astra Academy.
Before that can happen, Gray must bond with a mystical creature to become an arcanist himself. Will he bond with a unicorn? A pegasus? A kitsune? Whatever he bonds with will determine his magical abilities, so he must choose wisely.
And when trouble finds Professor Helmith, Gray must become powerful enough to help her and fend off the terrible nightmares, before it’s too late…
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