Afterwards, I couldn’t stop thinking about the main character, Diana, a half-demon. As for inspiration, I needed a break from a novel I’d been querying with no success, so to take my mind off things I blasted out a ten-thousand-word short story in two days. I can’t wait to share Heart Blade with everyone. I read a lot of YA and middle grade fiction in between huge tomes of epic fantasy, and I love snappy urban fantasy by authors such as Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, and Elliott James.Ĭongratulations on your debut novel, Heart Blade, from Woodbridge Press! What was the inspiration behind this book? Currently, some of my favorite authors (I have too many to list them all!) include Brandon Sanderson, Cinda Williams Chima, Rick Riordan, and Victoria Schwab. Tolkien was my gateway into ‘adult’ fantasy. I grew up on a lot of classic English authors such as C.S. I was hooked! I haven’t stopped writing since. It didn’t matter if it was good or bad it was a ‘real’ novel, with a beginning, middle, and end. I finished my first novel, a middle grade adventure story, two months later. Finally, when I turned forty, I picked up my dream, dusted it off, and told myself to stop messing around. But somehow it got sidelined for way too long. As for writing, when I was a teen I always told myself I was going to be a writer someday. I love your interviews, and I had so much fun answering your questions. Recently, Juliana and I discussed her evolution as a writer as well as what’s she’s learned so far from writing her Blade Hunt Chronicles series.Ī couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors? Her debut novel, Heart Blade, the first in a multi-book series, debuted last month from Woodbridge Press.

Juliana is a speculative fiction author based in Connecticut. Welcome back! Today, I’m thrilled to spotlight author Juliana Spink Mills.

Heart Blade by Juliana Spink Mills