Hello beautiful people! Today I had the pleasure of chatting with the lovely Angie Thompson. Angie, thank you for joining me!
Hi! Thanks so much for having me!
Angie has some pretty exciting news! The Chronic Warriors Chronicles is a new series featuring a cast of amazing characters, all with, well, chronic illnesses. But there’s way more to the story than that. Angie, why don’t you explain a little about this amazing-sounding series?
So, yes, my main characters all have chronic illnesses, but there’s definitely more to them than that. In their quest for a normal life, they’ve all come under the care of a doctor experimenting with some…unconventional treatments. And as a result of that, they all experience temporary bouts of superpowers—all related to their individual conditions.
Wow, how neat! So, I have to ask. What inspired this story? I can’t say as I’ve ever heard anything like it!
Ha! Neither had I! I can’t really take a lot of credit for the premise—it basically dropped into my lap one morning, either in a dream or some kind of half-dream as I was waking up. In fact, it was so far out of my normal range that I was pretty sure I was nuts to even consider actually writing it. It took putting some cautious feelers out to trusted friends and family—who all encouraged me to go for it instead of taking me to have my head examined—for me to believe that it was really something I should try to pursue.
Well, I for one am so glad you did! Um, pursue it, I mean. I think all authors are a little crazy sometimes, but I think it’s a good crazy. 😉
Ha! Yes, I’m used to the normal levels of writer crazy, but this premise was a step up for me. 😂
Hey, sometimes it’s those crazy ideas that get us the motivation we need! So, your main character, Brady. Do you have any particular inspiration for him?
Hmm…that’s a good question. And I guess I’m not entirely sure. It’s actually kind of rare that I can point to a character and say they were inspired by any one specific person. Brady is…Brady, as he presents himself in my mind, I guess. Although, some of his traits I can see being like me—and the rest I guess I’ve picked up from who knows where…
Haha! So he’s his own person. I have to say, he’s an amazing character, by the way. As are your other characters! Which leads me into what might be somewhat of a hard question… Sorry? 😂 Which character in this series A) do you relate to the most, B) adore the most, and C) have the hardest time writing?
Ohhh boy. We’re going to get into this? Well, let me first say that I love all of them in their own way! Relate to the most…probably Brady. He’s not exactly like me, but not as glaringly different as most of the rest of them are. Adore the most…you know, that’s a little different from the stock “which is your favorite?” So for that one, I think I’m going to have to say Rachelle. She’s so sweet and thoughtful and caring, and basically everything I aspire to be. And have the hardest time writing…hmm, is this limited to main characters? Because I’m definitely still feeling my way with a couple of them. But if not, then I would have to say Grace. She basically took my concept of what her role was and turned it on its head, so it’s been very interesting getting to know her. (She’s also much quieter than I expected—which doesn’t exactly lend itself to being easy to write.) 😛
Ooh, nice choices! Rachelle is definitely so super sweet. Ha! Okay, no, I’m not going to put a limit on main characters, because I know from firsthand experience how single answer questions just don’t work when it comes to them. 🤣 Besides Grace (who sounds like a doll besides her unwillingness to cooperate), who else do you have a hard time writing, or just feel like they completely disregard orders?
It hasn’t really come to outright rebellion yet with these characters, as opposed to some others I could name… I think it’s just that I haven’t had much time to settle in with some of them yet, so it’s taking a while for me to really feel them out and get comfortable in their voices. Dash was surprisingly hard to write at first, but I think I’m over the worst with him—in more than one way! As we speak, Harper is (also surprisingly) giving me a bit of trouble, but I fully expect her to cooperate more once I spend a bit more time with her. I certainly look forward to writing both of them in the future!
Well, I’m thankful all-out war hasn’t been declared yet, but I don’t know… I hope they stay manageable long enough for you to write these books! Speaking of books, one thing I’ve found in many of your works is your attention to detail. Your characters are always so well thought out. Do you have a certain character (or several 😉) whose backstories were particularly fun, or surprising for you?
(Do I mention that you were there for most of the backstory brainstorming process?) 🤣 Well…in this case, I don’t know that any of their backstories are particularly fun. They’ve all gone through a lot to get them to this place. Some of them definitely ended up a lot deeper and more heartbreaking than I expected at first—Dash and Rachelle in particular. Although I will say that figuring out Brady’s history—particularly with his sister—really helped his story come into focus in my mind. (Not really a spoiler—you get most of that in the prologue. 😁)
(Hehe, yes, I had the absolute funnest time with you during that!) Yeah, Dash… Okay y’all, I don’t care if you love him or hate him after you read the book, Dash is claimed. By me. Just… putting that out there. (But I highly doubt any of you will actually hate him.)
They don’t even know who he is yet. 😆
*Blinks* Okay, fine, you’re right, true. But I still love him. 😇 So, this is a bit more of a random question, but do you have a specific place you go, or a drink you make yourself when going to write, or are you the type of person that can get words in anywhere?
Well…I would say I don’t exactly fit either one. I try to be the one who can write anywhere, but it always takes me a little while to actually settle back into the story, so as much as I think I can write in a new or distracting environment…I really can’t. But I don’t really have any special things I do to get ready—unless reading over previously written parts of my story counts. Because that is totally prep and not at all distraction. *nods wisely* As far as where I do my writing—well, I suffer from various chronic illnesses myself, so most of it is done in bed. Or at my desk at work on my lunch break. Just wherever I happen to be, I guess…as long as there’s not too much distraction!
*nods with you* Oh, no. That’s not at all distraction. I do that myself as well. Anything to get my head in the right space. But I can relate with you some, as distraction at times drives me insane (more so than usual?...). I find music helps, but even then, if there’s too much going on around me, I just can’t. Well, I have to say, this is one series I am so looking forward to reading through. *Thinks* It is a series, right? What are your plans in that regard?
It’s supposed to be! I’m still working on the first episode, so I don’t want to count my chickens too far in advance, but…I think everyone including me would be disappointed if I stopped after this one. The episodes will be shorter—somewhere along the lines of a novelette or novella, but I have plenty of story ideas to keep me busy for quite a while… *shuts lips to avoid massive spoilers for future plots*
Yay! That is always spectacular news–when an author wants to keep writing as much as the readers want more. Definitely be on the lookout for this amazing new series! Oh, by the way, where can we find this?
Good question! I’m releasing it in serial format, a chapter a week, at https://chronicwarriorchronicles.substack.com/. You can sign up to have new chapters delivered directly to your inbox, or just check in as you feel like it. Eventually I plan to put completed episodes up on the usual ebook stores, but the serial is totally free for everyone! I hope you enjoy!
Awesome! I can’t wait to get this entire amazing series! Angie, thank you so much for joining me here today! And I wish you all the best with your writing. 🤎
Thank you so much for having me! And for all the encouragement you’ve given me in getting this series off the ground. I know you know this, but it means a lot to a writer to have readers cheering them on! ❤️
Okay, this was so much fun for me! Angie is one of my all-time favorite authors and as you could tell, I couldn't even keep from fangirling in a professional interview. Yeah, it is what it is. But I am definitely following this series, and you should too! And make sure to check out Angie's website, where you can find more of her books and lots of fun bookish extras!
So, are super-hero books your jam, or did I just get you interested in a brand-new concept? Let's chat down below about books! 'Cause, you know, books and chatting. What better combination is there?
Catch ya on the flip side!
_Mac