Author Interview: Rebecca Ryals Russell

Please welcome Rebecca Ryals Russell to the blog today! She is the author of The Seraphym Wars series.

TFE: Do you have a favorite character in Odessa?

Rebecca: I have at least 3. The first is a new guy, Conall, who ‘popped’ into the story during its last revision. He’s a huge black-skinned warrior with long dark red hair who wears only a loin-cloth. He tells Myrna he’s there to protect her because he was told to be there and there’s nothing she can do about it. I’m thinking he’s going to be the one she chooses in the end. (She has at least 3 guys fawning over her).

My second favorite is Griffen. He’s a cute gamer from Earth (the only other Earthling) with this intelligent smart-ass attitude. I think I like him because he reminds me of my own teenaged son who is about the same age. Griffen has depths as yet unexplored.

Lastly, I’m enjoying the storyline involving Bartholomew. He’s a Pistrologist (Scientist studying sea monsters for shipping companies). He’s gorgeous and sexy and Myrna is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. But he might be just the flame—he could be a demon trying to distract her from fulfilling the prophecy. Or he might just be this gorgeous guy who’s fallen for her. Who knows?

TFE: Why did you choose dragons as the “bad guys”?

Rebecca: I’ve loved dragons for many years—have a large collection. I even incorporated them into my fifth-grade classroom décor. We became known as the dragon class. I never really considered them ‘bad’ until I reread Revelations, in the Bible. During the coup, Satan, who was an honored angel, became like a dragon and God kept him that way. That’s why images of Satan today have dragon-like qualities. I took that a step further and made them actual dragons, all of the angels who fought with Satan against God as well as Satan. I don’t use the Biblical names in the series, however, because I don’t want it to have a Christian identity. It’s just a story loosely based on Revelations as a starting point.

TFE: What message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Rebecca: I actually do have a message I hope readers get. All of the visions Myrna is forced to witness, as well as the awful things the Vigorios see during their trip across the world of Dracwald, were actual news stories taken from the newspaper over the course of the last couple of years. EVERYTHING. I couldn’t make up worse evil than what man does to each other daily. I’m hoping readers will remember hearing about or reading about some of these things and start noticing the evil occurring around us all the time—and it’s speeding up.

TFE: What are you currently reading?

Rebecca: I recently discovered Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instrument series. I’m on City of Ashes now and LOVE IT. Wow! That woman has a way with language.

TFE: How do you spend time when you’re not writing?

Rebecca: My actual writing time is limited because I am a mother of four who need rides to school and college and such, so my days are chopped up by school hours. I also run a Vacation Rental business from the log house on my property, so that requires time for advertising, cleaning, maintenance and such. So actual writing time comes in spurts or late at night after all are in bed, but I usually end up sleeping on my computer, exhausted as well.

TFE: Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself or your new series?

Rebecca: The series is available for Young Adults as Serpahym Wars, and for Middle Graders as Stardust Warriors. It is essentially the same story with age appropriate differences. Watch for Zarena, the first of the Stardust Warriors Series to come out in July. The next Seraphym Wars book, Guardian, comes out in September. The entire schedule, excerpts for each book and details about all of my works in progress (a bunch of them) can be seen at my main website. http://rryalsrussell.com

TFE: Thanks for stopping by, Rebecca!

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