Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Rachel: In dark times, fantasy can offer a vision of the future that challenges the present. This week, C. R. Collins is here to tell us about her Tales of Ardonna series!

C.R.: Tales of Ardonna is an epic, eco-centric, hopepunk fantasy series. Each work in the collection (save for the trilogy) has a standalone main plot. Most can be read in any order and serve as an entrance to the world, though those set later in the timeline will have spoilers for earlier events.

Rachel: What inspired you to write this book?

C.R.: My first book, Woodspell, was started many years ago, shortly before extracting myself from my first marriage. It has a main character escaping from domestic violence. My original purpose was to give others in that situation a fantasy hero to identify with and root for, but the story (and world) grew into so much more from there. There are now 10 books (with 2 more in progress) with a variety of main characters and situations.

Rachel: Speaking of characters you can identify with, who is your favourite fictional character someone else wrote? And why?

C.R.: Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. As a young girl, I found her courage and perseverance inspiring. You didn’t get a lot of heroic female tales back in those days. Most fantasies had male protagonists with women in supporting roles, if they showed up at all.

Rachel: Who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it? And who ended up reading it?

C.R.: I assumed they’d be primarily women, as I write first-person POV with female protagonists, but I’ve gotten good feedback from men. Nowadays, I say that anyone who values nature, wildlife, found families, free spirits, acting with heart, and questioning the status quo might enjoy these books.

Rachel: Sounds like our readership for sure! Where can the Night Beats community can find you and find your work?

All my books, with more info, sales links, and maps, can be found on my website, crcollins.org.

Anyone interested in learning more about me and my work is welcome to follow me on Mastodon.

I also have a Bluesky account, but I’m not as active there.