Welcome to our interview for this month! We are with this talented author, CeeMTaylor, who penned the story, Wicked Waters.

Dark Fantasy Team: What was your overall experience while writing this story?

CeeMTaylor: It's been more of a marathon than a sprint. I wrote the first version of Wicked Waters years ago, rewrote it in 2018, and am about to rewrite it again towards the end of this year. Hopefully this time, the rewrite will stick!

DF: What inspired you to write in Dark Fantasy?

C: Fantasy has been my favorite genre since childhood; I read a book called The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams when I was ten and haven't looked back since. When I sat down to write a novel of my own, it felt natural to gravitate towards the Fantasy genre. Why Dark? I'm not sure. I guess I find narratives that reflect the grey morality and brutality of our world more interesting (just, y'know, with the added bonus of sea monsters).

DF: How would you describe your main protagonist(s) in one word and why?

C: Inquisitive. Arden is one of the smartest protagonists I've ever written, and I think part of what makes his worldview so unique is his fearless curiosity. He's always looking for answers and is willing to reevaluate his beliefs when those answers aren't what he expects.

DF: Is there going to be any further series of this book? If yes, give a little teaser about it.

C: Wicked Waters is the first book in the Oceana Series. The second book, Ruthless Rivers, is already complete on Wattpad. Book three, Frozen Fathoms, is currently posting. As for a teaser, well... If you thought sea monsters were scary, it gets wayyyyy better.

DF: Who is your favourite author in Dark Fantasy and how did they inspire you?

C: I recently read Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse and absolutely loved it. Roanhorse built an incredibly rich world with multiple POVs and fascinating lore, history, and magic. I write a lot of political fantasy, and while Black Sun has political elements, it also deals with the intersection between religion and government in a way that has inspired me to write in that sphere in the future.

DF: What other genres interests you other than Dark Fantasy? How would you compare them with Dark Fantasy?

C: I like all genres of Fantasy and SciFi, enjoy Historical Romance, and dabble in Paranormal and some subgenres of Horror. They're all different -- tropes, themes, construction, expectation, word count, etc. differ widely between them -- but I think at their heart, they tell very relevant, human stories, and the human element is what draws me into any book.

DF: Tell us about your journey throughout writing this story. What inspired you to finish it?

C: Writing is a coping mechanism for me. I go through cycles where my mental health really suffers, and every time that's the case, creative pursuits help ground me and let me find my way back to a better place. The first draft of Wicked Waters was a lifeline for me during a particularly difficult struggle with depression, so I suppose I felt like I owed it to the story and the characters to get them to their resolution. I've since had the tremendous fortune to share the story with readers on Wattpad and elsewhere who've shown it a lot of love. While I'll always write for myself first and foremost, it's the readers who get me to sit down at my desk and write when I otherwise wouldn't want to. If I owed it to the characters to finish the first book, I owe it to the readers to finish the series.

DF: Let's assume you are a half breed of Werewolf and Vampire. When a fight break in between the two clans, who would you fight for and why?

C: Werewolves, probably? Dogs over bats, every time.

DF: What are the goals you'd like to accomplish in the future whether at Wattpad or in general?

C: I hope to rewrite and self-publish the series within the next few years -- watch this space!

Thank you so much, CeeMTaylor, for being with us and agreeing to our interview. Check out their work, Wicked Waters, to support our author!

- The Dark Fantasy Team