📚 A Bookish Chat with 'Chasing the Darkness' Author Cassie Sanchez @csanchez_author #AuthorInterview #BlogTour #Interview

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 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.

Her latest book is Chasing the Darkness.

You can visit her website at https://www.cassiesanchez.com/ or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

Welcome to The Writer's Life! How did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Two answers to this one. First, my younger son, Chase, challenged me to write a book since I loved reading so much. As a retired stay-at-home mom with kids going off to college, I questioned my identity and purpose in life. After attending a creative writing class, I fell in love with writing and ferociously started learning the craft. I finally had something that was all mine and got me out of bed in the morning.

How Chasing the Darkness came to be was thanks again to my kids, who were playing the video game, Overwatch. One of the characters, Reaper, grabbed my attention and the creative bug smacked me in the head. I sat down and wrote a scene with Reaper (Azrael in CTD) in a dungeon betrayed by his team. This is chapter four in Chasing the Darkness. From there, the story emerged.

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

Because of the romance tucked away inside this fantasy, and the fact that my main character is a sexy assassin, my ideal reader is women, eighteen and up. However, I’ve had quite a few men who have enjoyed the story since it is action-packed with plenty of fight scenes.

What part of the book was the most fun to write?

I love writing dialogue. This is my sweet spot. Also, I enjoy conjuring the fight scenes. My favorite part of the writing process is actually the rewrite/edit part. That’s where my creativity kicks into high gear.

How did you come up with the title?

Besides the fact that darkness lies in all of us, there is a scene in chapter four where my main character remembers watching the sunrise with his mother. She would tell him, “Here it comes: the light chasing away the darkness.”

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

I think something that might surprise people is the fact that my protagonist is a male, written by a female.

My son, Tyler, is a huge fantasy reader and when he was younger, we mostly stuck to the YA section. But most of the YA fantasy books were written by women with female MC’s. I thought it would be great to have YA fantasy books with a strong male protagonist for the young boys to read, so I set out to write one. Ironically, I just couldn’t make Azrael young enough to fit into the YA category as he’s 25. But, I had good intentions.

What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?

I learned so much from the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild. There is a monthly cost, but his classes, especially his live Manuscript Repair and Rewrite sessions, were invaluable. Read up, take webinars, practice, and just keep writing.

How do you use social media as an author?

Instagram and Facebook are my go-to’s. There is an amazing group on Instagram called Bookstagram that is full of readers and authors who support one another. Also, don’t just promote your book. It’s all about relationships.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

I’m currently working on the sequel to Chasing the Darkness. I would love to have it published in 2022 so my fans won’t have to wait too long as this is a trilogy.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

Chasing the Darkness is mostly to entertain readers but woven throughout the story is the idea of redemption and forgiveness. Something we all need.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?

I’m sure I’m not the first person to say this, but Stephen King. I’m actually not a huge fan of his books because I’m a big chicken. But I read Stephen King’s On Writing, a Memoir of the Craft, and developed a bit of a crush on the guy. I’d love to take him to coffee and just chat. Of course, I’d probably vomit because I’d be so nervous.

Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Thank you for your time and be sure to stop by my website to learn more about me and Chasing the Darkness. www.cassiesanchez.com

Title: CHASING THE DARKNESS
Author: Cassie Sanchez
Publisher: Morgan James Publishing
Pages: 275
Genre: Fantasy / Romantic Fantasy

BOOK BLURB

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 leads 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 navigates relationships that contradict the heart of a killer.

Can the Angel of Death have a conscience? Can Azrael?

Chasing the Darkness is an escape to a land of magic, sword fights, and love, with memorable characters who must face the darkness within and journey down a path of destruction or redemption.

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