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Casie grew up in a small, rural town in North Dakota where she passed the long winters devouring books of all genres and playing video games with her big brother. After a school project required creating her first story to share, she fell in love with how fiction is capable of touching the hearts and minds of others. Her passion for writing only grew stronger over the years, and she published her debut novel, The Drift, in March of 2021.
The author still lives in North Dakota with her amazingly patient husband, incredible daughter, and a very silly miniature dachshund. When not reading or writing, chances are, she’s either spending time with family, baking, or boxing.
As you know from reading your review, I love The Drift! How is this possibly your debut novel? It’s outstanding! Did you dabble in writing before this or was this your first attempt?
Thank you so much. Yes, I definitely dabbled in writing previously. I’ve been telling tales since I was very young, my first being an assignment for school that got me addicted to the craft. Like many others, I got my feet wet in the world of fanfiction, learning how to paint the settings, master the way a character should sound, and how to properly pace a story. The problem, as readers can learn more about in my guest post, was that I had always been paralyzed by fear until I began drafting The Drift. This was a story I had to tell. Period.
What was your inspiration for this story and its characters?
The story was originally inspired by an episode of the t.v. show Charmed. In season six of the original show, there was an episode featuring three characters from a dystopian future with very complicated relationships that never got touched on again or fully explained. Their situation, their dynamic, plagued me for years, and how these three met and reached that point was my starting point for Tristan, Samara, and Wyatt.
I’m always curious about the writing process, especially when dealing with lengthy books with many moving parts in terms of characters, storylines, world-building, etc. How did you keep yourself organized? Are you an outliner or do you have other methods?
I should be an outliner, but sadly, I’m not. While I know the major pulse points before I begin, the rest is all character-driven. A minor thing they say or do ends up sparking something, and I end up going a direction I may not have anticipated. I’m often just along for the ride, so to speak. As for organization, having notes and files would be the smart thing to do, but alas, no. I am meticulous about double checking other chapters for how I described something or how someone speaks. Eventually, it sticks in my head, so I don’t have to keep looking back so much, but it’s probably not the most efficient method. Others should not follow my example in that department.
One of my absolute favorite characters is Kip Garcia Rivera! Was he a character from day one? What was it like writing for him?
Kip was actually one of the first original characters I ever created back in my fanfiction days. He’s come a long way since then, becoming a lot more fleshed out and complex, but he always feels a bit like coming home. I’m most comfortable writing him. I know exactly what he’d say or do in any situation without having to think about it, and his scenes flow far easier than anyone else’s. He’s my comfort character.
What is your favorite scene in the book?
Oh gosh. I have a few. The top one, I think, has to be when Tristan and Samara finally exchange ‘I love yous’. I got choked up writing that scene, and it still gets me when I re-read it now. I’ve gotten a lot of strong feedback from readers about how emotional it was for them, and touching people’s hearts is why I love writing, so that makes the moment more special too.
As I mentioned in my review, The Drift showed up multiple times in my Twitter and Instagram feeds. I think this is at least in part due to the way you have embraced social media to market the series. What have you learned about running your own marketing campaign and how do you find time to do it?
The key for me was embracing the community. Writers are such a tight-knit group, and by and large, we want to see each other succeed. If you can make those friendships and connections, be supportive and kind to others, that has a way of coming back around. There are days where it does feel very time consuming to market, but I’ve learned it doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy. Just a snippet here and there to get the word out helps. A short video to let people learn about the characters. A post that gives insight into where my head as an author is. Anything to just connect with people. Often it only takes five minutes or less. I can prep something as I have my coffee in the morning or during a work break or right before bed, then it doesn’t feel like too much to handle.
I’d say readers are in for another emotional rollercoaster. The Symbiosis has a darker tone because the stakes, both for the relationships and world, are higher. That said, there are still plenty of sweet moments and humor, and love is very much the main theme. Love of friends. Love of family. Love of a partner. It demonstrates how love has both the power to redeem … and destroy.
Who are your top three favorite authors, and how have they influenced your writing?
1. Dean Koontz – I love how while writing truly dark and terrifying tales, there is always hope and there is always love, and that’s why I make sure those beacons of light are in my books too.
2. Robert Ludlum – I consider him a master of political intrigue and action, and his books inspired those aspects of my own.
3. Anne McCaffrey – She was the first author I read as a young girl who had a female protagonist that was every bit the male’s equal. She was just as clever, brave, and strong, and even after they were happily together, she didn’t lose that edge. They stayed true partners, and I plan to make sure the same is true of my female protagonists.
What advice do you have for other indie authors?
I think we tend to be extra hard on ourselves because we’re literally doing it all on our own, so I’d say to give yourself some grace. Be patient and kind to yourself, and the stories will come. The readers will come.
What is the one question I didn’t ask that you wish I had?
The thing I’m most proud of about my writing. It’s actually the world building. This tends to surprise people, since a lot of readers have commented on how much they love the world in The Drift, but world building is not my strong suit. I’m a character person, so I have to actively force myself to think about history and technology and what a place looks like. Science is not my forte either, so I always spend a huge amount of time looking up the latest theories and technology trends, so the fact I’ve gotten a lot of reader praise for my world building and the science is a source of pride for me. I love that I’ve even fooled Google into thinking I’m far smarter than I am because I get recommendations for articles from MIT on quantum mechanics and the nature of consciousness now.
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