Dragon Soul Press had the opportunity to interview Caroline Crews, an author featured in DSP’s Fire & Ash, The Devil You Know, Beyond the Veil, and Quantum Rising.
- Introduce yourself.
Hi, my name is Caroline Crews. I am a self-publishing author who, in June 2025, will be publishing my debut novel, a NA Dark Fantasy titled A Bond of Blood and Lavender. I love all things fantasy, dress-up events, and games. By day, I work in the medical field, and at night, I’m a writer of mostly fantasy and neurodivergent characters, like myself, who end up partaking in lots of games and/or adventures. I live with my wonderful mother in Texas in a fantasy-decorated home. Harry Potter is my living room theme. I have floating candles and flying keys. It’s pretty fun! - Do you have a favorite story or poem you’ve written? What’s it about?
My favorite story I wrote is called Take My Hand, an adult speculative fiction. It is being considered for an anthology, so I can’t tell you much about it. But this piece came from deep within my soul. It was an emotional piece about grief that touches a lot of people, and it’s an aspect many don’t consider unless they’ve experieced it. But even then, the people who have experienced this type of grief usually don’t want to talk about it. So, I wrote about it to help me and others. - How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
A Bond of Blood and Lavender. My debut novel published in June 2025.
Fate of The Summer Games. This book has been written but is waiting for edits, covers, and artwork. It should be published sometime in 2026. This might be a series. Undecided at the moment.
An adult sci-fi piece. To be written and published someday. - What is your writing process like?
A story idea pops into my head, and I just start typing.
I try not to dawdle long on the first page or the first three chapters. I’ve always been bad at them. People, editors, and betas say my stories are great once they get into the third chapter. Then, they can’t put it down and are fully captivated. But I try too hard on the first page and first three chapters, so I make a rough draft of them—planning to come back later—and keep writing.
Once I get to the fourth chapter, I start writing slower. I’ll be more intentional about my word choices, my grammar, my descriptions, and my immersion. Then I just keep going being very specific until the end. Then, I reread the story, correcting the basic things along the way. Then, I fix the first three to the best of my ability. I’ll spend days on this task.
After the first three chapters are perfected, I reread it again, trying to either delete things since I usually have a high word count or add more immersion and fix any random issues like having coffee in one section of the scene and then the next second it’s gone, or blue eyes then black. After that, I reread once more to reduce. Then I read it one last time to make sure I still like it, and everything is good. Once I’ve done that, it goes to betas and developmental editors.
As soon as it comes back to me, I start the process all over again. This time I put even more work and effort into the first page and three chapters. - What prompted you to begin writing?
This connects with where I draw my inspiration. So I’ve written the answer all together under that question. I hope that is okay. - Where do you draw inspiration from?
Well my first book is written because of my mom. It’s a long story, so you don’t have to share it. But ….
Throughout my life, my mom has always urged me to dream, and she read my sisters and me books since the first moment I can remember. Her always telling us stories drew me to them and sparked my creativity.
At six, I started writing mini books like Dr. Seuss and drew the characters too. Then, when being carpooled to and from school, I always shared a made-up story during the drive. At eleven, I stopped, and my mom kept fighting for me to bring it back. She went so far as to make it the only way I could get ungrounded when I was 14. At the time, I rejected the first writing idea she gave me and wrote half a book on her second topic. For 13 years, I ended up carrying around that unfinished novel, hoping to one day figure out what to do with the antagonist.
In December of 2021, inside a wonderful hostel in London, a guy approached me and asked me what I wanted in life. For the first time, I told someone I wanted to be an author. I don’t know what encouraged me to say it, maybe seeing so many actors, theaters, and dreamers inside the beautiful city. But I told him my hidden truth, the secret I’ve always been scared to pursue. He looked me dead in the eyes and said it’ll happen; I believe in you. When he walked away, I pulled out my laptop, and instead of finishing the book I carried around with me, I went back to my mom’s first idea, which inspired the last third of my debut novel. I wrote 8,000 words that night. By the end of the week, I had written the entire novel. By the end of the month, I had also finished the other book.
After that month, it was impossible for me to stop writing. I’ve written ever since, and a lot of stories too. My inspiration now sometimes draws from myself. My characters usually portray some aspect of my personality or hope I dream of. Like in my debut novel, it shows others that we can forge our own path. I did this. For my YA Fantasy, the MC is selfish. That was me two years ago when I wrote that book. I’ve done everything since then to change, to be better, and put others first. I also write to see what I want in books: more games—especially romantic ones, neurodivergent characters, more therapy, more hope, and more people fighting to change their story. - Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
I have a lot of favorite authors. It is hard to pick one. But I love Rick Riordan.
My favorite book … again, so tough. It depends on my moods and days. But I’d have to say Hunger Games and or The Selection. - What is one goal you have for your writing future?
To never give up, to keep fighting for that one story that will someday make it into a movie. 🙂 - What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
Two things:- To make ordinary things into an adventure and or a fun game. Learn to have fun in every aspect of life. Even if married for twenty years, you can still give your partner a basic, free scavenger hunt to find you. 🙂
- Always have hope and never give up on yourself.
- Where can readers learn more about you?
Twitter: https://x.com/carolinecrews25
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/carolinecrews
Website: https://www.caroline-crews.com/
Dragon Soul Press 