WattpadDarkFantasy brings to you another interview. We present to you druidrose, the author of Cut to the Bone.

Dark Fantasy Team: When did you start writing this story? How was your experience while writing it?

Druidrose: I first started writing CUT TO THE BONE in February 2018 because I was looking for something new and different to write with nothing else on the agenda at the time. Without any ideas or inspiration at the time, I had asked an acquaintance to make me a cover, of anything- genre, title, whatever they wanted- and I would try to create a story from there. I never expected it to be the experience it was, truthfully. I put more heart and planning into this story than I had with any other I'd ever written, and that in itself was such a different experience for me.

DF: Tell us a few things about your story and your journey on Wattpad. What do you love the most about them?

D: I've been on Wattpad since 2016 when a friend suggested I join to receive more, broader feedback for my stories. I ended up winning a Watty that same year and would never have been where I am as a writer today without that push. Since then I've become a Wattpad Star and a contributor for Paid Stories, and I continue to publish my drafts on Wattpad for my readers to enjoy.

CUT TO THE BONE is about Azima Rousseau, a demon hunter known as a Venandi who finds her life in jeopardy, only to be saved by the Demon Prince Malecoda. Instead of ending her fated existence as his sworn enemy, he decides to bind her into a pact that connects them to each other deeper than either expected. And while Azima tries to find a way to escape not only their bond but Hell itself, she comes to discover she and Malecoda have a shared enemy-- Azima's own people.

CUT TO THE BONE is actually darker than anything else I've written before, but it still has those mortally grey characters and the enemies-to-lovers tropes I adore so much. It's also the longest story I've written to date, and the one I've ever felt most confident about.

DF: What drew you to this genre? What things in this genre that appealed most to you?

D: I've always been a fantasy writer, but my writing was lighter and more romantic before. With CUT TO THE BONE I wanted it to get darker, and it doesn't get more dark than when you involve demons and Hell itself. I also think that gives me the excuse to push more boundaries, have things be more violent and yes, even more sexier. I also loved creating the world, using lore and mythology as inspiration to intertwine it into something new and unexpected.

DF: Is this the only genre you write in or do write in other genres too? If yes, tell us something about it.

D: [Though] I do write mainly in various subgenres of Fantasy, I have been starting to branch out a little more lately. I've been trying to focus more on contemporary mystery and thrillers on a couple of projects, which is a totally different mindset than [creating] worlds from the ground up like I could with writing fantasy.

DF: Tell us something about your protagonist(s).

D: Azima is loyal and headstrong, maybe to a fault. She's independent which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it also makes her stubborn and refusing help when she may need it the most. She has honor and will go to the mat for those she loves, even if it puts her own wellbeing on the line. And she takes a promise to heart- her word is her bond and she'll do everything she can to see it through.

DF: What was the biggest obstacle you had to face while writing this story?

D: The final battle scene. For some reason action/fight scenes are really hard to me to picture and explain so they always seem to be a struggle for me when I come to them. Of course, I also seem to have one in every story I write, so I have no one to blame for this but me.

DF: What are some books that influenced your writing and maybe you, yourself, as a writer?

D: When I was younger, I read a lot, and I think it was Melanie Rawn and her Dragon Prince series that really got me interested in not only reading fantasy, but wanting to write it, too. But my biggest inspiration as a writer today has got to be Sarah J. Maas, especially her A Court Of Thorns And Roses series, and most specifically its second book, A Court Of Mist And Fury. No book ever made me feel so much than that book did no only the first time I read it, but every other read thereafter. To be able to write in such a way as to draw readers in for such an emotional attachment-- that's what I strive for when I write my own works.

DF: If the world was attacked by unknown creatures, what would be your very first move to survive?

D: I would seek out the sharpest weapon-like object I could find and be prepared to defend my home and my family to the death.

DF: What do plan on achieving in the future, be it on Wattpad or in general?

D: I would love to continue to post my drafts and stories on Wattpad for as long as I can. Though I'm still a published author, Wattpad is where it all began for me and that's not something I'm ever going to forget. And I'm going to keep writing and keep trying to get most work published, whether it's through my own means, with an agent, or maybe, if I could be so lucky, through Wattpad Books. I'm just getting started and there's so much more I want to do!

The WattpadDarkFantasy team would like to thank druidrose for agreeing to the interview and providing us some more insight on their story, Cut to the Bone! Be sure to check it out and support the author!

- The Dark Fantasy Team