Romance author Cassie Sanchez is chatting with me about her new romantic fantasy, Chasing the Darkness.
Bio:
Growing up, Cassie Sanchez always wanted superpowers and to be a warrior princess fighting alongside unlikely heroes. Suffice it to say, she lost herself in books, from fantasy to sci-fi to a suspenseful romance. Currently, Cassie lives in the southwest with her husband, Louie, while pestering her two adult men-children. She can usually be found drinking too much coffee while working in her office with her dogs, Gunner and Bullet, warming her feet. When she isn’t writing about magic and sword fights, she enjoys golf, spending time with friends, or partaking in a satisfying nap.
Welcome, Cassie. Please tell us about your current release.
Chasing the Darkness is book one in the Darkness Trilogy and has currently won nine awards, including second place for debut author with Feathered Quill. The book is a romantic fantasy that follows an assassin named Azrael, the Angel of Death, as he navigates a path of either revenge or redemption.
What inspired you to write this book?
My son challenged me to write as I loved reading, and after taking classes, I realized writing gave me purpose and lit a fire within me. I was working on a completely different story when the creativity bug smacked me in the head, and I wrote a scene about an assassin betrayed by his team and trapped in a dungeon. This became part of chapter four in Chasing the Darkness.
Excerpt from Chasing the Darkness:
Pain is inescapable. Suffering is a choice.
Azrael, the Angel of Death, knows pain. The deaths of his mother and sister, as well as his harsh experiences in the Watch Guard at age twelve, have brutally shaped him into the most feared assassin in all of Pandaren. Azrael’s role as a Hunter requires him to search for those with magic, called Spectrals, which he is happy to do. Hunting allows him to pursue his true goal—exacting revenge on the Fire Spectral who altered the course of his life.
Azrael’s obsession with revenge and power lead him to undergo an experimental procedure that gives him magic, but when this procedure has unexpected and dangerous side effects, he becomes a liability to the Hunters and the Watch Guard. Rescued by the people he has sworn to eliminate, Azrael finds himself questioning everything he once believed as years of secrets and lies are exposed. His very nature is challenged as he battles unfamiliar emotions and navigating relationships that contradict the heart of a killer.
Can the Angel of Death have a conscience? Can Azrael?
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m currently working on a spin-off story of one of the characters from the Darkness Trilogy. Prince Nicolaus Jazari, a Shade Walker, became a fan favorite in book two and three, so I thought it would be fun to write his story, plus there are water dragons in his land.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I first considered myself a writer when I discovered I had a passion for writing, however, I didn’t consider myself an author until the physical copy of Chasing the Darkness was in my hands.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I’m a retired stay-at-home mom, therefore my schedule is pretty flexible, but I wouldn’t say I write full-time. I do consider it my current profession, but with daily life and author events, and the occasional game of Pickleball, I’d say I’m more part-time.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I loathe writing the first draft, but I can sit for hours editing and rewriting. Maybe I should have been an editor, but my grammar is awful.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a marine biologist and work with dolphins. Alas, I never moved out of the desert.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
The entire Darkness Trilogy is available, and I’d love for you to check it out. Please stop by my website and sign up for my newsletter where you’ll receive two short stories plus a downloadable map of Pandaren.