Looking Back At Our Interview w/ Sarah A. Parker

Summary

Fantasy Fangirls – Looking Back At Our Interview w/ Sarah A. Parker
May 18, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special episode, Nicole and Lexi (sisters and hosts of Fantasy Fangirls) revisit and reshare their in-depth 2024 interview with Sarah A. Parker, bestselling author of "When the Moon Hatched." The episode is both a nostalgic look back at the interview and a deep-dive Q&A about Parker’s writing process, worldbuilding, lore, and what’s next in her fantasy universes. The conversation covers spoiler-free insights at first, then moves into spoiler territory for "When the Moon Hatched." Known for their lively sisterly banter, the hosts bring warmth, excitement, and sharp curiosity to explore Sarah’s creative mind and the intricacies of her worlds.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing Sarah A. Parker

[08:08–11:02]

• Background: Sarah is originally from New Zealand, now lives in Australia, comes from a big family, and is a mother of three.
• Journey to Writing: Started as a children’s clothing designer; shifted to writing after business struggles.
• Quote:

  "I said to my husband, you know, I’m going to start writing these stories that are in my head... give me until the kids are all at school and if I’m not sort of people aren’t interested in my stories by then, then I will tilt again." — Sarah A. Parker [09:02]

• Current Day: Living the dream as a full-time author.

2. Book Series Details & Writing Process

[11:02–15:43]

• Current Series:
  • Crystal Bloom Series: Ongoing; 3 books out, not yet complete.
  • Moonfall Series (When the Moon Hatched): Planned as a trilogy; Book 2 aimed for late 2026 release.
• Writing Process:
  • Writes initial drafts like a script, heavily dialogue-based.
  • Expands to full scenes and layers through several drafts.
  • Uses a “lump of clay” analogy for drafting/shaping manuscripts.
  • Quote:

    "First, I get down my dialogue...that is like the whole book in dialogue, basically...then I go through and I write that into a book." — Sarah A. Parker [12:58]

• Editing: Several rounds with alpha/beta readers and editors; very thorough.
• Uniqueness of Process: Highly structured; contrasts with "pantsers" (discovery writers).
  • Notable Banter: Nicole and Lexi relate, noting how their own episode prep is similarly rigid. [15:26]

3. Worldbuilding & Lore Design

[16:38–18:52]

• Worldbuilding Approach:
  • Spent a full month writing lore, characters, and world mechanics before starting.
  • Created a master document/lore bible, but rarely referenced after outlining.
  • Not a discovery writer; prefers high organization and planning.
• Quote:

  "I sat down and I spent a month just writing down my lore...big master document that I literally haven’t looked at since." — Sarah A. Parker [16:53]

• Tools: Mentions using a waterproof notepad in the shower to capture ideas.

4. The Glossary – Why and How

[25:55–28:27]

• Genesis of the Glossary:
  • Built it as she developed her lore; ended up more extensive than expected.
  • Considered trimming it down but decided against it.
• Reader Experience: Glossary upfront may feel intimidating; intended as reference, not prerequisite reading.
• Placement Differences: In some editions it’s at the back (alongside a crucial family tree — possible spoilers!).

5. Mechanics of the Moonfall World

[28:30–31:04]

• Time and Aging:
  • Time measured in “phases” (1 phase = 2.5 human years).
  • Fae reach adulthood at 18 phases; may live thousands of phases but are not immortal.
• World Realms (Burn, Fade, Shade):
  • Sarah would choose to live in the Shade for its moon blooms and ethereal architecture.
• Elemental Magic & Gods:
  • Would love to hear Rain (for melancholy music), but also adores Claude, who is "wild and unleashed".

6. Writing Inspirations & Approach (Spoilers after [31:04])

[31:33–34:14]

• Worldbuilding:
  • Inspired by “seeing” a non-spinning world with dragon-moons; built world brick by brick over 3 years.
• Letting Characters Lead:
  • Characters’ voices shape story direction post-planning; Khan’s voice, in particular, took on a life of its own.
• Quote:

  "With Khan, I had a very specific idea in mind of how his voice was going to be, and then...he was like, no, man." — Sarah A. Parker [33:09]

7. Crafting Characters & Dialogue

[34:14–36:23]

• Favorite Scene:
  • Rave’s trial/sentencing for its strong dialogue and character dynamic.
• Writing Style:
  • Balances poetic prose with Rave’s distinct, pared-back voice; initial over-floral attempts adjusted for character authenticity.
• Diary Entries:
  • Serve as a bridge between author’s voice and Rave’s, loaded with foreshadowing.

8. Foreshadowing & Reread Value

[37:28–40:41]

• Deliberate Structure: Book 1 builds understanding of Rave and Khan via parallel timelines and diary entries.
• Foreshadowing:
  • Diaries planned all at once, loaded with subtle clues.
  • Sarah loves stories that change on a second read:

  "I love going back and reading a story and it completely looking different." — Sarah A. Parker [39:57]

• Beta Reader Process: Betas kept in the dark to test if clues are balanced.

9. World Lore Deep Dive

Magic & Elements

[48:05–51:15]

• Elemental Magic:
  • Not just about hearing an element, but communicating fluently with it (like learning a language).
  • Rarity and utility of certain elements (Rain is rare; Cloud is versatile and militarily valued).
• Lineage:
  • Abilities more closely tied to bloodline than region.

Runes

[51:29–53:08]

• Complexity: Rune magic akin to advanced science; requires both aptitude and energy.
• Book of Void: Source of rune knowledge; most people only know basics.

Moons Falling & Timeline

[53:08–54:11]

• Moonfall History:
  • Three moons have fallen since the Aetherstone’s creation; more lore to come in Book 2.
  • Falling often signals significant world events.

Dragons

[54:25–58:07]

• Bonding:
  • Two pathways: raising from egg (strongest bond), or taming a grown dragon (harder, still possible).
  • “Dagamorc” is a deeper, rarer, riskier bond; details to come in Book 2.
  • Dragons are eternal unless killed or choose to die.

Aether Stone Inheritance

[58:21–59:39]

• Mechanics:
  • Stone needs to be physically transferred after death; must be worn by someone of the bloodline or it’s fatal.

10. Favorite Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Multitasking & Parenting

  "I don’t know how we actually survived, to be honest. But anyway, we’re here. We are live and kicking." — Sarah A. Parker [09:02]

• On Glossary Placement:

  "I didn’t want anyone to see the family tree before the end of the story..." — Sarah A. Parker [27:13]

• Banter about reading and annotating the glossary, and the value of having it as a reference:

  Nicole: "Bless you having a glossary." [26:36]

• On Rave’s Character

  "I just absolutely love her character. She’s so much fun." — Lexi [34:45]

• On Foreshadowing

  "I don’t think I could write a story without foreshadowing, to be honest. I love it." — Sarah A. Parker [39:57]

---

Notable Listener Questions (with Answers/Teases)

[60:07–68:47]

• Kazari and Kahless’ Story: Will be explored in books 2 and 3.
• Rave & Fallon’s Relationship: Explored more in book 2; described as "very sisterly".
• The Other: Present from Rave’s "reintroduction" to the world; exploration begins early in book 2.
  • Sarah, on the Discord fan theory that The Other is Slotra:

    "If things were sort of taken in and notice that it’s answered in the foreshadowing between the lines." [65:41]

• Scavenger King Motives: To be revealed in Book 2.
• Book 2 Timing: Picks up where Book 1 left off but contains significant time jumps (not years, but notable progression).

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Community Impact & Engagement

[47:30, 65:51]

• The book has inspired vibrant fan discussion and debate, especially about theories regarding “the Other” and world mechanics.
• Nicole and Lexi highlight their Discord’s popularity and how “When the Moon Hatched” has become a “feral book club” favorite.
• Example:

  "Everyone has gone feral for this book and there is a very popular theory..." — Nicole [65:51]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Sarah’s Introduction: [08:08]
• Moonfall Trilogy Details & Process: [11:25]
• Worldbuilding Approach: [16:38]
• Glossary Creation: [25:55]
• Time, Aging & Realms: [28:30]
• Inspirations, World and Character Building: [31:33]
• Favorite Scene/Dialogue: [34:14]
• Foreshadowing & Diary Entries: [37:28]
• Elemental Magic Mechanics: [48:05]
• Dragons & Bonding: [54:25]
• Aether Stone Lore: [58:21]
• Q&A on Characters and Theories: [60:07]
• Fan Theory & Foreshadowing: [65:41]

---

Memorable Quotes

• Sarah on her process:

  "I look at it like, kind of like...you're making things out of clay. You're throwing the lump of clay down...then I'm shaping it up...then I'll glaze it...and then I'm firing it." — [12:58]

• On Rave's voice:

  "I had her quite florally. And I had to go back and cut her right back because I realized that didn’t...meld with her voice." — [36:23]

• Nicole on re-read value:

  "The amount of subtle foreshadowing you did...how do you do that? That’s just really the blunt question I have." — [37:28]

• On dragons’ eternity:

  "They’re eternal...they can be killed obviously, but...it’s a curse more than anything, to be honest." — [58:07]

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Closing Thoughts & Community

• The episode brims with warmth and humor, as Nicole and Lexi’s sisterly rapport invites both fans and new listeners into the fold.
• Sarah A. Parker’s own candidness and passion for fantasy writing is palpable throughout.
• Anticipation for Book 2 is at a fever pitch—major reveals are promised but guarded!
• The show closes by encouraging listeners to join the community, attend upcoming live events, and—of course—reread "When the Moon Hatched" with new eyes.

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For fans and future readers: This interview is rich with worldbuilding insights, writing wisdom, and subtle teases—making it a must-listen (or must-read summary!) for anyone fascinated by Sarah A. Parker’s fantasy realms.

Transcript

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[Sarah A. Parker]

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[Lexi]

I've had a lot of headphones in my life, but now that I have the JBL Live headphones, I really and truly can't go back. How we listen matters just as much as what we're listening to. And I've gotta say JBL's unfiltered sound brings the story and soundscape to life exactly as the author imagined it.

[Nicole]

Whether you're listening to an audiobook or your favorite podcast like fantasy fangirls, JBL's bold sound and high res audio are perfect for fully immersing yourself in the story. And the JBL Live headphones come in a bold range of colors. So like for instance I have like a classic black Lexi's got this like seafoam green that looks so good you even got it matching your shirt right now so you can find the one that feels truest to your own original style.

[Lexi]

I just love that you're mentioning these colors Nicole, because it is so much fun for us to look at these headphones together and figure out which color represents represented us perfectly. These headphones, they show up in full color so you can show up as your full self. Own your Original sound with JBL. Find your [e-mail] let's be honest, if my routine takes longer than five minutes, I am struggling and I am behind. That is why Merit Beauty believes great makeup should be effortless. They're clean, thoughtfully curated essentials help you get a fresh polished look in minutes with products you can swipe on, blend with your fingers, and move on with your day.

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[Lexi]

So so Nicole and I travel quite a bit and bringing all of our makeup can take up a lot of precious space. And what I absolutely love about Merit is that they have these minimal sets, so it is so easy to bring the basics that make me feel and look beautiful with only the essentials. For instance, the Misty set is my new favorite.

[Nicole]

Right now, Merit Beauty is offering our listeners their signature makeup bag with your first order at Merit Beauty.com that's M E R I T Beauty.com to get your free signature makeup bag on your first order. Merit Beauty.com. Welcome, welcome welcome to the Fantasy Fangirls podcast where two sisters die deep into beloved Fantasy lore, character theme series and more.

[Lexi]

I'm Lexi, older sister and Fantasy Lore nerd.

[Nicole]

And I'm Nicole, younger sister and romantic at heart.

[Lexi]

And today we are thrilled to reshare an episode where we interview Sarah A. Parker. This is actually a conversation we recorded with Sarah back in summer 2024. Oh my goodness, that was two years ago right after we both devoured when the Moon Hatched for the first time.

[Nicole]

So this is going to be a fun time traveling back two years before we did our when the Moon Hatched deep dive.

[Lexi]

While we have a short section at the top of the interview where we talk no spoilers, please listen out for our big spoiler warning where we then dive into all of the things when the moon hatched.

[Nicole]

And bless Sarah, we did not hold back even then with asking questions about the other Kazari Kahless and all the things that had our minds spinning during our when the Moon Hatched coverage. But with that said, if you don't know how the book ends with little me flapping around, then please go finish the book scream and then we'll be here when you're done.

[Lexi]

Next, we at Fantasy Fangirls are adults who say adult things about adult books. In other words, friends, this podcast is

[Nicole]

rated R. If rave and con curse, then the three of us do too. So please be mindful of those little listening ears.

[Lexi]

Additionally, we are so excited to see you at Upcoming Live Events.

[Nicole]

We are so excited to partner with Tattered Cover and Book and gather for several upcoming release parties in Denver, Colorado. Today. Or I guess tonight, May 18, we are hosting our Ballad of Falling dragons release party. ACOTAR 6 midnight release party is on October 26th and ACOTAR 7 midnight release party is on January 11th, 2020 27. Tickets to all of those events are in the Show Notes.

[Lexi]

There's a few more general admission tickets for our live show tour as well, starting in Chicago on September 9, Charlotte, North Carolina on September 24 and New York City on September 27.

[Nicole]

Then of course we will be at the Dragon Gauntlet in Boyne City, Michigan September 11th through 12th.

[Lexi]

And we'll be going to Lancon in Edinbra, Scotland July 16th through 18th in 2027.

[Nicole]

Links to these events are in the Show Notes and on our website.

[Lexi]

Last thing before we jump into this when the Moon Hatched Interview with Sarah A. Parker if you love Fantasy Fangirls and want more events, more content, more community and so much more, please check out Fantasy Fan Club.

[Nicole]

We have six media network tiers you can join, three of which are Fantasy Fangirl specific. Number one, the Hive Mind which includes access to our Boppin Discord live Q&As from Lexi and I, a book club often featuring the authors themselves, community events, promo codes for live events, plus 20% off and access to exclusive merch, all for $6 a month. Or you can join the Spice Watchers which includes everything from the Hive Mind level plus early access to ad free episodes, our full episode outlines, yes, including the ballad ones coming up very soon and special voting privileges that is for $10 a month. And last but not least, we have our Feral Fans which includes everything from the previous two tiers plus plus behind the scenes content, a welcome gift, giveaways, private Discord channel, and your name shouted out on the podcast. That is for $25 a month.

[Lexi]

Join the party at fantasy fangirls.com fanclub. The link is also in the show notes. And really and truly friends, thank you so much for supporting us as we've turned this podcast into a dream come true. What an incredible two years it's been since we originally recorded this with Sarah and and we really hope that you enjoy this episode.

[Nicole]

And now welcome, welcome welcome Sarah A. Parker. Welcome, welcome welcome Sarah A. Parker to the Fantasy Fangirls Podcast. We're so happy to have you here.

[Lexi]

We are just so excited. We are both huge fans of when the Moon Hatched. Like top like really and truly, like, top five fantasy books. And that is saying something because we

[Nicole]

read a lot of.

[Lexi]

And so we're just so honored to have you on here today and to answer all of our questions.

[Sarah A. Parker]

It's an absolute honor to be here. Thank you for having me. Thank you for taking the time to interview me. And, yeah, I'm just. I'm excited for this. It's going to be so much fun. And, yeah, I can't wait.

[Lexi]

Can you please give our listeners a quick introduction about who you are, your books, you as an author, where you're from, all of that good stuff.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah, of course. So I'm originally from New Zealand. I moved over to Australia when I was about 19, but living in New Zealand, I grew up on a farm. You know, lots of open space around me. I grew up with my nana living sort of just, you know, a few steps away in, like, a little flat that we built for her on the farm. And so, yeah, really sort of, you know, very big family vibes, lots and lots of animals around and just all that sort of stuff. So, yeah, I moved over when I was 19, like I said, and met my husband. And then we had three kids. We had William when I was 22, and then Bella, 18. No, sorry, Indy, 18 months after that. Bella 18 months after that. So for a while we had three kids, three and under. And we got two.

[Lexi]

Two under. I got two under. Two. So it was 16 months apart. I'm feeling you so much when you say that.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Oh, yeah. Oh, man, Mayhem. Absolutely mayhem for a while there. And I'm like, I don't know how we actually surv live, to be honest. But anyway, we're here. We are live and kicking. Yeah. When Valley was about, when Belly was born and she was about sort of six months old, I was at the time sort of running my own little clothing business, kids clothing designs. And I kind of reached the point where, you know, my designs were getting sort of ripped off and sold on, you know, on, like, Alibaba and whatnot. And all my pictures and stuff were being taken. I was like, well, you know, I'm at that point where I either need to go big and get things manufactured overseas or, you know, and I had these stories that had always been in my head, and I was like, I said to my husband, you know, I'm going to start writing. Like, I had been writing prior to that, but I hadn't been spending, you know, the majority of my energy on it. I'm going to start writing these stories that are in my head and you know, give me until the kids are all at school and if I'm not sort of people aren't interested in my stories by then, then I will tilt again. So Belly is now seven and she's our youngest one. She's now seven. And here we are.

[Nicole]

So that's exciting.

[Sarah A. Parker]

We've got a big dog and I've got lots of plants and I just. I'm living my dream, so.

[Lexi]

Oh, that's just fantastic. Well, congratulations. And, and so while we're talking about all of that, I know that today we're going to be focusing on when the Moon hatched, but we'd love to hear about your other books. Is it a completed series, the Crystal Bloom series, or.

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, it's not. No. So books one, two and three are currently out. I actually was supposed to be working on book four when I wrote Moon, but they were. The Crystal Bloom series is very. I've got to dig very deep emotionally to write those stor. And so I, yeah, I needed a breath and that's where Moon came from. So I'm now working on book two in the Moonfall series and book four in Crystal Bloom in tandem. So not finished. There's still another. At least two books. I'm going to try and wrap it up in two more. Two more big ones. But yeah, we've still got all. My favorite stuff that I've been so looking forward to writing in that series is coming up in the next couple of books. So I'm just really excited.

[Lexi]

Wow, that's fantastic. This is the biggest question that we have been asked by all of our listeners, like, how many books are in the, you know, when the Moon Hatch series? When is book two coming out? And so we said, don't worry, it'll be one of the first questions that we ask Sarah. So here we are asking you how many books are planned for this series? Can you give us any details or hints about book two?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes. So there's going to be three books. I don't think it'll go over more than that. I've purposely sort of shaped the story so that I'm hopefully going to wrap it up in the three. I like the, you know, there's three different dragon breeds. There's, you know, there's three different areas of the world. I like that whole sort of, you know, and the story, it should wrap up in three. So, yeah, that's the plan. And I. In regards to release day, obviously I'm trad pub now with Moon, so I can't, you know, usually with the story, I finish it. I finish my final read through, I upload and it's up. It's a bit different now. Once I finish, it's, you know, it goes to my editors in Harper Voyager and Harper Avon, and then they will do their thing and then we will run, you know, our arcs and stuff like that. So currently, I should be finished writing what will be the second draft by October and of this year. And then I will be passing it onto them. And I believe we will be hitting publish in the SO uk. It'll be roundabout next September. October, I believe. Yeah. So well before then. But yeah, I'll be. By that stage, I'll be well into almost finished book three, probably. So.

[Nicole]

So you mentioned you write two drafts. Is that like second draft? Like you write a first draft and then you go back and write an entire second draft. I'm not a writer, so this is fascinating information to me.

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, so I. With my writing process, I actually. I do things a little bit funny. I first I get down on my dialogue and on my cues. And so that for me is not even a draft. That is just. That is like the whole book and dialogue, basically.

[Lexi]

And like a script. I want to almost say like a screenplay. Yeah, I've never heard of that done before.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah, well, it's just. It's how it comes to me. First, I'll be sitting in the shower and I'm just running through these conversations in my head. And that's the first thing that sort of, you know, that gets there for me. And then I, you know, and I visualize these scenes and I'm popping down cues in between the dial. So that's what I start with, basically. And then I go through and I write that into a book. And through that, you know, things will shift and change and sometimes conversations will change and stuff, but I allow myself to be quite free with that. And then I'll go through and I will flesh out that first draft. And so that's usually I'll go me going through every single chapter in depth and, you know, really making sure it's all giving the message that I'm wanting to give and hitting the points I want it to hit. And that usually adds an extra 30 or so thousand words to a draft. So that's. By the end of that, it's draft two. And then usually on my third draft, I'm going through and I'm trimming back and I'm making sure that things move fast and, you know, that I'm having overwritten certain things and stuff. So I've got a bit of a process. But yeah, it's all basically, I look at it like, I guess say, you know, you're making things out of clay. You know, you're throwing the lump of clay down on the wheel. And that for me is, you know, the dialogue and the cues. I've got that. Then I'm shaping it up and shaping it in something that's the end of the first draft. Then I might, I'll let it dry and then I'll might glue glaze it and then that's, you know, the next draft and then I'm firing it and you know, I look at it like, kind of like that, I guess.

[Nicole]

So when it comes time to like editing and stuff like that, because you've done so much in depth analysis is does that cut the editing time back typically?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Well, I'll give my editors as much time as they need. Usually it's about a month. With Moon, I, my first editor had it for, yeah, I think for about a month to six weeks. But she said that's two sweeps. So she's doing two sweeps on each chapter as she goes through. So I went over all those notes. They took me a couple of weeks and this is after it's already been through beta and alpha as well. But then went on to my second editor and she had it for about, I think two and a half weeks, three weeks. And so she did one whole sweep, gave it back to me. I went through the notes, took me a couple of days, then did a whole nother sweep and passed it back to me. So it was more finer tuned things.

[Nicole]

So.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah, and just like, you know, reading for making sure that the points that, you know, doing a second whole read through of the book from start to finish, like just making sure those things for me that I'd picked out for her to say keep an eye out for this, Keep an eye out for this and those sorts of things. So yeah, so it's. I guess it probably, I guess, I don't know. I mean, I've never sort of worked any other way, so I'm not sure if it does make it easier for them or not. I'd have to ask them.

[Nicole]

That's incredible. I love it.

[Lexi]

Yeah, whatever works best for you. Like, we all have our processes and I've tried like for instance, like for us with just getting our episodes prepared for our deep dives. We've tried to shift our. How we do it and it's like, nope, nope, nope, nope. I can't do it any other Way, like, this is the way I do it. So I can absolutely appreciate that there.

[Nicole]

Well, I have a quick question in regards to. You mentioned you have three books planned for the Moonfall series. Do you have any ideas of, like, prequels or novellas that you would want to write in this world, in this lore as well?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes, I do. Even as I was writing book one, I was saying to my better and Alfredas, yes, you might get that as well. But let's just wait and let's just get. Let me get the first three out and we'll see. But yes, there is absolutely opportunity there, but I'm not going to promise anything. There is definitely other stories in my head in the world that I would love to get down on paper and share with everybody.

[Lexi]

I love that. I love just how unique the world is. And I'm so excited to talk more about that in a few moments. Can you give us any possible hints about the title of book two?

[Sarah A. Parker]

I cannot.

[Lexi]

Okay. All right. Figured I'd at least ask

[Sarah A. Parker]

Trick with Stars.

[Lexi]

Yep, yep, that's fine. I'm sure that'll be happening a lot this episode.

[Nicole]

So as a fantasy, especially with the high fantasy that when the Moon Hatched is. Are there any tools or resources that you have to keep track of the world? Because this world is dense. It's so beautiful and so dense. How do you keep track of it as you're writing it?

[Sarah A. Parker]

So, yeah, okay. So I actually came up with the world itself three years ago. So I've been walking the streets for a very long time. I was walking the streets for much longer, like, well, before the actual story spoke to me. I did try and write a story in the world a couple of times, and both times it wasn't giving me what I, you know, it wasn't. It just wasn't there for me. So I went back and scrapped both those and started fresh. But once it did speak to me, I was like, oh, that's it. That's it. So with that world and one of the things I did do once the story did speak to me is I sat down and I spent a month just writing down my lore, writing down, you know, my characters, writing my naming everything, like, getting everything down into this big master document that I literally haven't looked at since, except to, like, check my names for things that I had that I'd put down. But that for me was like, I guess sketching out an outline and going, okay, that's what I've got to color inside of. I need to keep, you know, that's my outline. And so I guess that allowed me as well to know my characters better and to know, you know, their motives and all that sort of stuff and get into their heads easier without sort of. I'm not very good at shooting blind. I'm definitely not a pantser. I'm full on organized, you know, I don't thrive well in the chaos.

[Lexi]

You're in good company.

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, I'm so jealous of writers that can just pants and can like write this incredible story with all this, you know, I guess detail and, and whatnot. I just like sitting there like, I've got a friend who does it. Raven. She. Raven Kennedy, she's just like. I'm like, how? I honestly, I've got to. I'm full, like full organized. Yeah, it's. It just. I have tried the other way.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Hopeless. Hopeless. I will literally sit on one chapter for like a week and a half trying to like find my way through the trees and sits and I'm shocking. So then I have a shower set and I'll sit there and I'll plan it out and I'll see it in my head and I'll be like, oh, okay. And then I'll sit down, I'll write an hour.

[Lexi]

Right. Best ideas always come in showers.

[Nicole]

That is. So there's a little notepad, like it's a waterproof notepad that you can put in your shower and like write ideas down as they come to you. Because you step out of the shower and you instantly forget every single brilliant multi billionaire like idea that you just had.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I do it on this, like I literally I this waterproof. I think, I hope.

[Nicole]

Actually I think mine is. Mine is too now. Thank you for reminding me.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I'll sit there and I'll literally have it sitting outside the door and I reach out and I'll tap down my note and put it down. I'll close my eyes, keep back to thinking. So that's my thing.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

I just got the flow knit, breeze, fit and flare dress. It's a casual dress almost like a little athleisure wear and I got the beautiful green color that makes my eyes pop. It is so comfortable of of course it has pockets too and I am going to live in it this summer.

[Nicole]

Refresh your everyday with luxury. You'll actually use head to quince.com FFG for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. Yay Canadians. That's Q-U-I-N c e.com FFG for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quick prince.com FFG this podcast is brought to you by Squarespace. I remember long, long ago when we first started ffg. One of the best decisions we made was putting some real time and attention into our website. Websites are an essential part of any small business success. That's why we at Fantasy Fangirls are obsessed with Squarespace. I know I just made my author website with Squarespace and you know me

[Lexi]

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[Lexi]

Check out www.squarespace.com FFG to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FFG. I used to think that salon nails were the only way to have nice nails, but Olive and June fully changed that.

[Nicole]

I got Olive and June as a bridal shower present three years over three years ago. Whoa. Over three years ago. No, shush. But I've been using Olive and Dune since then. I love their nail polish remover. It actually works and it's acetone free. I love their colors. There's so many and there's different styles so there's like a gel manicure, there's a standard, there's a quick dry which I've definitely used when I'm like go go go go go go go. I love their pedi system most of all because for me, going to a salon and getting a pedicure is like a little bit of a slow to because my feet are so ticklish. So I get to control the pedicure and it also looks really, really good by the end of it.

[Lexi]

We are loving what's new at Olive and June. Want a longer wear salon feel? Go with the gel system or if you need something quicker, like Nicole's saying here they have that quick dry polish. Ultimately, no matter your vibe, no matter what you're needing, they've basically built a DIY path that fits your life.

[Nicole]

I look back to the before Olive and June times and I truly do not know how I did at home. Manicures and pedicures. Olive and June has made it feel so easy for me to feel confident about my nails and my favorite part, I get to save money.

[Lexi]

Yes, Olive and June has taught millions how to mani. Now it's your turn. Visit oliveandjune.com fantasyfangirls for 20 off your first system that's O L I V E A N D J-U-N-E.com F A N T A S Y F A N G I R L s for 20% off your first system

[Sarah A. Parker]

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[Nicole]

if you can say without spoilers. What was the part of the writing process specifically with Moon that you decided to add the glossary? Was it all the stuff that you spent the month doing at previously? Was that basically the glossary?

[Sarah A. Parker]

That's when I first started building it, yes. So, so I had already like a like 15 page glossary for that point strength before I'd even sat down to write the first chapter. So yeah, and obviously as I went through and you know, I'm adding bits and pieces and I'm I guess deepening certain areas, I'm adding more to that glossary. And I got to the end and I was like, this is a really big glossary. I said to myself, should I cut this back and make this sort of easier to color? And I was like, you know what? No.

[Nicole]

Bless you having a glossary.

[Lexi]

Like we love the glossary so much. So at first I will say I tried reading it like almost like using it like as a study guide beforehand. And I finally had to kind of throw my hands up and be like, okay, there is no way I'm going to memorize this before and like have it make any sense before I start the, before I start the book. So it's like, okay, like really focus and like understand how time works and whatnot. And then of course like just how the story naturally goes. It all makes sense even without the glossary. But then it's like, oh wait, like what was that one thing? What was that dragon type again? And then being able just to go back and it was so nice. So nice.

[Nicole]

It was a very specific chapter that I looked at the glossary for the first time because I was listening to it on audio and I just kind of like listened on with the story and then it cut to a very specific POV and I was like, what? Like hold on.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I think initially I published it at the start Right. So people would, you know, it's right there, it's in your face. I think a lot of people felt like it was. What's the word? Like you had to read it to be able to enjoy the story. Whereas I didn't sort of just pop it there and be like, you know, you read this or you're not going to understand it. I do kind of. I try to give a background for each thing as I'm going through. But I also know that that can get very. If you go too hard on that, it can bog you down as a reader. It feels like world building dumped on you. And so I put it at the front so it's there just in case people know it's there. I also didn't want to have it at the back initially because there is a family tree at the back and I did not want anyone to see the family tree before the end of the stories because in the UK Commonwealth version in the US I kept it at the front, the glossary. But in the UK Commonwealth versions they've popped it to the back and that is where the family tree is as well. So just if you're going back to look at the glossary, do not pay any attention to the family tree.

[Nicole]

Exit out, basically.

[Lexi]

So since time works differently in when the Moon Hatched, can you give us more insight into how like time and aging work? You know, understanding specifically that they are not immortal, but they do have longer lives than you know, our human equivalents. And of course, you know, one phase equals 1,000 cycles, which is. I did not do the exact math here, but it's approximately two and a half years. Do we as again humans here consider that as one year as far as aging works?

[Sarah A. Parker]

So 18 phases is essentially, you know, it's same as our 18 phases, you know, it is. You are now an adult and you know, if I would reach their prime between sort of, you know, 18 to 30 phases, that's, you know, that's that you're in your prime and from. But then, you know, obviously they're not immortal but they do have very long lifespans. So some have very long lifespans and obviously it depends as well on, you know, there's the dragon Bloodstone as well and there's all these different things that I can't yet talk about. But there are ways to prolong a lifespan as well. But yes, it's. They have much longer lifespans than us.

[Lexi]

So. So how old for a. I'll say normal Fae, how old would they be when they hit like elderly Elderly would be.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I mean, quite a lot. You know, it could be thousands of phases, so. Yes.

[Lexi]

Okay, cool.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah, so somebody here, they've been around for a while.

[Lexi]

Nice. All right, cool, cool. I love that. I just wanted to ask that question because I just love how time does work differently and it takes, like, just a moment to get used to, but then it's like, I love it so much. I just love it.

[Nicole]

All right, well, so speaking of this world, if you had to live in one of the three realms in the world, would you live in the burn, fade or shade? And why without spoilers?

[Sarah A. Parker]

For me, it would be the shade, and purely because I would really like to have a moon bloom.

[Nicole]

Okay.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Moon plumes can't go into the sun, you know, for long, so it would. That would be why I also. I love the architecture there as well. It's. I feel like it's very ethereal and I. Yeah, I mean, I'm just a sucker for that sort of architecture, so. Yeah.

[Lexi]

All right, so which God would you want to talk to, Slash? Which element would you want to wield? Is that the right way of saying it? Like, element to wield it?

[Nicole]

Okay, cool.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I do have an answer that I can't save because it would be spoilers. So I'm not going to say that. What I will instead say is I would love to hear rain because I love some melancholy music. But the I think in regards to who I think would be most interesting to hear would be Claude. She is just wild and unleashed and just. Yeah, I adore her.

[Nicole]

All right, friends, we are now moving into the second part of this interview where we are talking spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers for the entirety of when the Moon. Ha. So if you have not finished this book, this is our polite but very firm ask for you to leave this episode and come back when you have finished the book you mentioned a few years ago. It went from an idea to writing what were some of the biggest inspirations when it comes to both the world building and then simultaneously also to this story that you ended up going with. And it became like this incredible book before us.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Like I mentioned earlier, the world came to me first. I was literally in the bath and I could. And suddenly I could see this world that wasn't spinning. I could see these dragon moons, you know, in the sky. I can see some of them falling. So. So for me, that was the catalyst. That was, for me, the big bang in my head. And I knew that I needed to. I knew this was going to be a rich world, and that I needed to kneel to it, I guess, and give it the time and the love that it deserved. So it wasn't the sort of world where I could just pump out a book now. And, you know, the reason it isn't in so much depth, the world building is so dense, is because I took my time with it, you know. So again, it was literally pieced together, together brick by brick. So I would be wandering around, be, oh, and then I'll come against a. Like a plot hole or a reason why that can't work. And so I'll be, okay, well, I'll take a few steps back and I'd, you know, break down a few bricks and then I'll build it up again a different way. So this was three years of me doing that and just, you know, working out, I guess, my limitations in the world and building it. Like, I was literally building a world on a video game or something. So, yeah, I. The world. That's how the world sort of came to be. And obviously, I think because was I saw these dragons and the world works such a certain way, you know, with the sun at the top and the shade down the bottom. I had these very severe limitations to work around. And, you know, because of, you know, I was like, okay, well, then there's going to be people living here. People living here. But they would all be. They'll be different, you know, they'll. Different languages and, you know, so there's definitely. It leans towards certain areas. And I was just following those bunny rabbits, basically, you know, that are hopping through the world and going, okay, yep, all right now. Well, that doesn't work that way. And then going back.

[Lexi]

I love that so much. Yeah.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So, like, literally, it all came from me just wandering the straight and asking myself questions and going and hitting dead ends and going, nope, turning back around and starting again. And it was a very. A very slow process, but I love it. I love a good slow process. I feel like, you know, it's. If you can really tell when, you know, when I'm reading the story, I can really tell when, you know, when it's. When time's been taken. And then with the actual story itself, I really do like to let the characters speak to me. So, yes, I had an idea about how the characters were going to be, but it wasn't until I actually got into writing the story and they started speaking to me that I sort of realized fully what their personalities were. Like Khan, for instance, I had a very specific idea in mind of how his voice was going to be and then we got on page and he was like, no, man, I love that. I was learning. I was like, I was along for the ride just as much as. As my readers are when it comes to him, which was really fun. I just love writing that man. So.

[Nicole]

I love reading that man, so thank you. So you mentioned you write dialogue first. Was there a specific scene from when the moon hatched that you wrote that you're like. That was the most fun dialogue to write.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah. So there's the scene where Ra's getting sentenced and she. And I just. I loved writing that scene. I was like. I was in my stride when it was.

[Lexi]

When it was the trial, and she was like that. Oh, my gosh.

[Nicole]

I love.

[Lexi]

Like. I just absolutely love her character. She's so much fun. And it was really fun, like, with her, I'll say sassiness and then kind of, like, up against the writing, which was very poetic, and they somehow worked really well together. It was just, like, so much fun. And. But, yeah, like, during that scene, I was. I was like, oh, I think that was actually when I texted Nicole, being like, okay, I have a new favorite female character.

[Nicole]

I think it was when it was the. When you're looking in the mirror and fisting your microcock, I was like, I'm sold on the show. Yes, well.

[Lexi]

And then Khan even goes on to say, like, yep, that's when I knew that was my girl.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Okay, that's actually funny, something that you just said as well about the. About, you know, the sort of floral writing and with her, and that kind of works well. So I actually, when I first started writing here, I. In my. My Crystal Bloom series, it's quite florally, you know, or life's mindset. She's very florally in the way that she sees things. So, you know, that her writing here, specifically, it's quite. It's a slower pace because she kind of. Everything is very much, very in depth and, you know, and very, like, heavy. Heavy on the prose, I guess. And so when I came into Write Rave, like, I initially sort of, you know, when I was getting down her first sort of chapter and filling in the blanks and whatnot between the dialogue, I was like, oh, you know, I had her quite florally. And I. And I had to go back and cut her right back because I realized that didn't happen. Meld with her voice. And once I did that, I was off. So it's that first chapter. I kind of stumbled a little bit. I always stumble on first chapters and books. That's like, My curse, but no. Yeah. So I realized very quickly that she needed to be paired right back, as far back as I could take her without, you know, while still kneeling to the way I write. So, yeah, I love it.

[Lexi]

Well, and then also in the diary entries, it. I won't say it's, like, very florally because it does still feel very much like a diary entry, but she does still have that way of writing, too. Like, of course, like, it's your way of writing, but, like, she has that way of writing, too. And so it didn't feel, I'll say out of place by any means. It was almost like that was like. Like, her thought. Her inner monologue was a great bridge between your writing style and her dialogue. So I just absolutely loved that. And you, like, you know, as soon as the big scene happened where it was like, I was. Nicole and I were actually in a hotel room, and we were listening to it at the moment moments, and I just, like, started, like, literally wandering around. Like, I was like, she's already read this book, you know, once or twice already, and she's just having so much fun watching me, like, live react to all this. And so now I've gone back through and had so much fun rereading, you know, very specific moments, especially all the diary entries, where it's like, oh, my gosh. And just, like, now knowing that it was rave. Remember, everybody, we already said there are spoilers. And it's just. It creates such a new, fun perspective of reading that one of the things

[Nicole]

that Lexi and I love is when you read a book and you're taken on this beautiful journey, and then, like, this big thing happened, and you reread the book, and it's a different book. And that's exactly how this one feels. And the amount of, like, subtle foreshadowing you did from chapter one, even with Khan and Rav meeting for the first time, how. How do you do that? That's just really the blunt question I have.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Well, I mean, from the start of sitting down, I knew that I was gonna be running two different timelines, because book one really is about us understanding who Rae really is. It's about understanding, you know, like, her backstory and getting her to a point where we understand, you know, her, we understand Khan somewhat. And, you know, it's so that we've now got that kickboard to move forward with the rest of the plot, with the story and with them, you know, so for me to get everyone to that point by the end of book one, like, I needed to run These, you know, these two different timelines. And so. So I, of course, as I mentioned earlier, that I had spent a whole month getting everything down, getting all the backstories, everything down. So I had this whole entire. I think it was about four pages of just of bullet points of everything that Ellawyn had been through in that document. And so when I sat down to do the diary entries, I did them all at once. I spent about a week and a half just sitting down and writing. I was writing them in the shower, I was writing in the bath. I was writing them laying in bed, and I was just writing nonstop. Like, I was actually her writing those diary entries and crying most of the time. And so I. I just. I just let her speak through me, basically. And. But through that, of course, I knew what foreshadowing I needed to do. You know, those diary entries, they didn't change much from that first draft that I gave them. Obviously, I went through and tidy things up, made sure, you know, that she. She spoke in a way that was understandable, but not a lot changed. So me writing the actual story, I knew what I was planting, you know, I knew what I. I knew I had this other story in my head that I'm leaning towards, and obviously I do the dialogue first, so I had all that down already before. Because I do things in such stages, I've got plenty of chance, as I'm going through, to make sure I am foreshadowing as much as I possibly can, because I love it. I love foreshadowing. I love going back and reading a story and it completely looking different. For anyone who's read my Crystal Bloom series, it's the same with that series. Going back and reading from the start after each book, you know, it's things. Other things light up. So it's. It is, yeah. I don't think I could write a story without foreshadowing, to be honest. I love it.

[Nicole]

You're a master at it. I think we both say that with full confidence. Truly.

[Lexi]

I'm rereading it for the second time right now, and, oh, my gosh, it is like every other paragraph. And I say that in the best way possible. And I was just giving the whole description of Kant's tattoos and the dragons and how they're intertwined. It's just like, oh, my gosh, it is all right right here in front of you.

[Sarah A. Parker]

And.

[Lexi]

But, like, when you're reading at the first time, it's like. It's kind of like a. Oh, I wonder if that means something. But then you just kind of keep going on with the story because there's just so, so much of that. And now, like, reading back, it's like, oh, my. Like, oh, my gosh.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Lexi]

So thank you for, for, like, we just read it over and over again and it's like, I can never get enough of this book because it's so different every single time.

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, I'm so glad it's come across that way. And I was just gonna say as well, like, it is such a delicate balance because you don't want to give too much away and. And then ruin the story moving forward. Right. So it's like giving just enough that, you know, it's like, oh, maybe, but, you know, not. So it's so it is a bit of a. When I'm with my beta readers as well, like my alpha readers usually know what's going on and what to look out for. I try to keep my beta readers as much in the dark as possible because then I'm getting the organic responses and I'm, you know, I'm registering whether or not I've hit things right. Or I'm getting there, you know, the early reactions for things and then I can ask them, oh, you know, are you. Is there anything. Have you got any theories yet? And that sort of stuff. So that's my first sort of testing the waters on and whether or not I've, I guess, brewed it. Right.

[Lexi]

Well, stay tuned for some of our next questions.

[Nicole]

Yeah, seriously. Well, before we get into that was. I want to go back to the glossary real quick because speaking of foreshadowing, was writing the glossary, or I guess fine tuning. Glossary is a better word to put it. Were there like little Easter eggs in the glossary? Because we noticed that Kazari is never mentioned as Tyra's daughter. And that seemed very intentional.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Was intentional. I love it. Oh, my goodness. Yeah. Yeah. So there are. There are absolutely little. There's Easter eggs everywhere.

[Nicole]

This episode is brought to you by Hatch.

[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

Forbidden magic, a crumbling kingdom, a slow burn love triangle with a prince and his very guarded, very intriguing best friend. The kind of love triangle where you will absolutely pick a side and not be quiet about it.

[Nicole]

Love it. Book one of the three part series is now available for free wherever you stream with New chapters dropping every Tuesday. For books two and three, check out Hatch co Ophelia. We spend a lot of time thinking about our health, but there's one area of health that I think most people don't really consider until there's something really, really wrong. I'm talking about hormonal health.

[Lexi]

Here's the thing. Women's hormonal health is often an overlooked area in medicine and one of the most important. These markers affect way more than your cycle. They can shape your energy, mood, strength and how you feel every single day. Your estrogen, testosterone, fertility indicators, the proteins that control how much of your hormones are actually available to your body. Most women have never seen a full picture of any of it. That's why we use function 160 lab tests a year so you can see exactly where your hormones stand. Not wait until something feels seriously off to start asking questions. That's what actually taking care of yourself looks like.

[Nicole]

We have been using function for gosh over over a year now. I just got my second round of test results so it's like every year and I loved seeing how different they were because I've made a lot of changes based on my previous test results in the first time and it was so cool seeing like what's changed what's similar to our father. That was yes, been really cool seeing like what's hereditary and what for both Nicole and I, yes, that's been so fun. And I'll also say one of the big things that I've made made as a change was I did the food allergies test and that's how I learned gluten and dairy were things that don't mix well with me. And I feel better than I ever have before since cutting those out. Ah, we love function.

[Lexi]

We use function. And you should too. Check your health the way we do 160 plus lab tests a year for $365 plus the ability to dive deeper into your results with functions Trusted connections to platforms like ChatGPT and Claude join@function health.com fantasy fangirls or use gift code fantasy fangirls25 for a $25 credit toward your membership. You all we can feel it. Spring is here. As soon as things start to warm up, we are just so ready to be outside. And every year that shift makes me realize I need fresh new clothes in my wardrobe to match that energy. But refreshing everything for spring, that can get expensive fast. But this year, Fabletics has our backs.

[Nicole]

When we signed up as a new VIP with Fabletics, we both got 70 to 80% off everything. It made it so easy to grab a few new pieces of activewear sets, new lounge pieces all without overthinking it. The quality honestly surprised me. The leggings fit me like a glove. I love them. Fabletics pieces feel like that premium activewear you'd expect from higher end brands without the higher end price tag. Soft, breathable and actually built to last.

[Lexi]

Last when we were just recently in Seattle, I wore my red maroon athletic set for the very first time. You all the compliments that I got

[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Nicole]

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[Lexi]

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[Sarah A. Parker]

Everywhere.

[Lexi]

So can you tell us more about the element magic and you know, specifically how it works within society and even like, you know, which elements are more common? It seems like rain is the least common. At least that's the element that we hear the least about.

[Sarah A. Parker]

To be able to, it's not just as simple as hearing, you know, one of these elements. It's also being able to understand. It's like learning a full language, right? And understanding that language and being able to speak it in a way, in the same way as well. And you know, so there is so much, you know, to actually being able to wield effectively these elements. As we know, Rave is very, you know, very good with welding. Claude, she can, as we know, since we know this is spoiler ape that she can hear some of the others as well. But you know, she ignores them or you know, doesn't listen to them and cuts herself off from them. So which means that obviously she's not going, even though she can hear them, doesn't necessarily, she can't, you know, speak them with the eloquence needed and whatnot to be able to wield them in the same way, for instance, that Khan can wield Baldur. It's again, it's not just about hearing them, it's about being able to interact with them in, in, in a way that's understood both ways. So it's, it is very rare for there to be somebody who can hear rain, for instance, to be able to wield her with enough finesse to be able to, for instance, you know, shift a cloud and stuff like that. So, so there's different levels of being to able. Now a water, a blue bead, a very advanced blue bead is hard to come by in regards to the way that they interact with society. For instance, we'll look at the fade as our main channel in there. So for instance, the mines, there might be somebody who can interact with Claude who's keeping that area aerated so that everyone can breathe down there as they're working. There might be somebody who can wield fire, who's keeping. Who's making sure that all the torches are well lit. For instance. This is just nuts and bolts, right? There might be somebody who can interact with Baldur in a simple way that's ordering these holes to break open more and more. And then obviously then there's people who can't interact with the elements that are then going through and getting the bloodstone out and whatnot. The grunt workers, I guess. So there's all these different ways that they do interact with the world that we will explore more in book two. Folk who can interact with Claude, for instance, would be more likely to be used in higher class in the military. Because Claude, you know, if you can pull, if you can pull air away, you can also stop fire. So you know that's.

[Lexi]

It's a little bit more of like the, I don't want to say all encompassing, but it's a little bit more. Can work with all the other elements in a very unique way. While I'll say like fire is very, I don't want to say super straightforward, but it has its lane. While Claude like just kind of how she is, how her character is, is kind of everywhere and a little bit chaotic and can be

[Sarah A. Parker]

saying that as well though, like Claude for instance. So obviously we see Ray, we see her wielding her very well, but that's. So it's. To us it seems common and easy, but it's not.

[Lexi]

So then a follow up question to all of that is, does lineage or which region you're from play a role in how powerful you are or which elements you are able to wield?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Lineage, yes. Not necessarily region, but lineages.

[Lexi]

Awesome.

[Nicole]

Cool. So. So moving away from elements and into runes, can you give us some more insight on runes, how who can use them, how they work within this world. And I also do have a specific follow up question, but I'll let you go on these terms.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So for Aruni, the way I kind of pitch them in my head, it's very much like a say like a rocket scientist, right? With you know, like advanced algebra and you know, all that sort of really clever stuff. Anybody can talk, do math, right? But not everybody can do math to the point where you can build a rocket ship that's going to be able to navigate, you know, all of the things, different things that stop it from pushing up into the sky. So there are obviously those that have that. That things come to them easier. I guess in our world, people that, you know that that sort of stuff comes to them easier. So it's the same with a rooney. If you've got an affliction for it. If they're finding that they understand it, well, you know, it's these. It's like again, understanding a different language, but very complex. Very, very complex. And also being able to sketch these different runes as well. To each them, they. It takes energy. Just as with Calus, I guess, giving his empty space for the world to be built. It's the same with runes. You each one into existence, it takes something from you. So, yeah, I guess, you know, they're not everywhere. But most people would be able to if they, you know, if they put their mind to it, they would be able to do very, very basic stuff. But you know, in saying that as well, the Book of Void is. It's got, you know, that's where all this comes from. And there is a lot there that I can't go into, but there is a lot that most folk of the world don't know.

[Lexi]

Can you walk us through the timeline or in. I'll just say, can you give us any information about the moon's falling? We know that it was about 5 million stones after the world was created.

[Sarah A. Parker]

And.

[Lexi]

And just, you know, any hints as to why specific ones fall or just anything about the moons falling.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So there is very spoilery as well. You will find this in book two, but obviously, no, after the Aetherstone was, you know, planted, I guess, or created, there wasn't any more moonfalls until SLA fell. And so. And then there's been obviously two since then. So. And there's potentially more coming as well.

[Lexi]

So there have been two that have fallen. And. I'm sorry, that was probably in the book. I might miss that detail.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Three, since the Ever Stone was created. Since. Yeah, since Callous was minced up and plonked into that stone.

[Lexi]

Okay, and about how many years is that, that those three have fallen?

[Sarah A. Parker]

The last. Yes, it is. Yes, correct. In the last 23. Yeah.

[Lexi]

Okay, great. Thank you.

[Nicole]

Thank you. So, and this might be something you can't answer and you can. Can just say pass or Book two. Was there something of significance that caused their moon to fall that we have yet to learn?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes.

[Lexi]

So excited. Okay, let's talk about dragons, which, by the way, you can't really see the shirt that I'm wearing, but it does say I'm probably reading about dragons.

[Nicole]

I love that showing, but I had

[Lexi]

to wear my shirt, even if it's super casual. Can you explain a little bit more about how bonding with a Dragon works. And for instance, in one of the later chapters, there was a mention about how you can later bond or take ownership of another person's dragon. But then there was also, like, you know, of course you have to steal the egg and be there for its hatching, for there to have that chance of bonding. So can you give us a little bit of insight into how dragon bonds work?

[Sarah A. Parker]

So there are two different stages. The first stage is about gaining the dragon's trust and respect. Say, for instance, you are trying to tame a dragon that is not a hatchling. It's, you know, you haven't gotten the egg. You have haven't literally tended into hatching. Say you just went to one of the hatching grounds and you climbed upon, you know, you climbed upon a dragon's back and you somehow miraculously got there first because it's very hard to do, and then, you know, rode it until it trusted you or gained its trust some other way. It's that actually gaining the trust and respect of a dragon is very hard to do, but you can do it. You can do it. As, you know, Eloin did it with Slatra, so it's just harder. Whereas in saying that, though stealing an egg is also very difficult, hatching it yourself, being the first being that dragon sees, you know, you're instantly creating a bond with that hatchling. So it's, you know, it's. So long as you get that egg and it does hatch and you're able to actually hatch it, which is difficult because that requires certain, you know, care. You know, the chances you're going to bond with that dragon very quickly, then you've got to, you know, tend it into growing up and stuff like that. So it's a process. It's not something that happens over overnight. But again, to actually climb on top of a dragon's back, you are building that the dragon is for it to accept you and to stop trying to buck you off and stop trying to eat you and, you know, fly into a tree or something. You know, you are. That is a process. And then after that point, there is another level that. And you will learn more about this in book two. So quite early on in book two, actually. So I'm not going to go into it too in too much deep. But it is about the Dug A Mork. So, yeah, there is a whole nother level that is very rare to a dragon and its rider bonding. And, yeah, so, yeah, I'm not going to go too much into that because it's. Again, I don't want to spoil things.

[Lexi]

We don't want to spoil. We just want the tiny little teasers. Even if you're like, nope, I can't talk about that. It's in book two. It's like wonderful.

[Nicole]

We will take it. So question on the specifically with Dog and Mork, like, is one of those instances getting a dragon when they're older versus having one from hatchling age, does one lead to a higher chance of Dagamorc or which one did Khan and Rhaegon do?

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, I'm not going to go into that. But what I can go into is. So, okay, so a dragon respecting and having that bond with a rider is, you know, that's the dragon giving itself to, you know, to, to the rider, I guess. Like it's, it's, it's this, you know, it's a safer sort of bond. Right. But Dagan Morc is actually quite dangerous and it can, for a dragon, it can lead to the rider not surviving. So that process, like what they are offering, don't want to go to a spotlight you're good for dragons offer that, you know, it's, it's. They would, they, it would be frightening for a dragon. They would think that they're going to lose the one that they very much care about. So, you know, it's, that is a process and it comes with great time and great, you know, respect between each other and a great understanding of the strength of each other. And so yeah, for Khan and Raagan to be there, it's, it's pretty remarkable.

[Lexi]

Now do dragons have a similar lifespan as the fae or even a longer lifespan as them?

[Sarah A. Parker]

They're eternal, so they. Yeah, so they love it. Yeah, yeah. They can be killed obviously, but no, they, yeah. Or they can decide to go up into the sky if they want to end that. It's their choice if they're ending generally, obviously. Unless they're killed. So, yeah.

[Lexi]

So let's talk about the Ether Stone. We'd love to know a little bit more about it. You know, for instance, how does it transfer to the family members? You know, we, we understand the person bearing slash, you know, protecting the stone has to die for the stone to be released. Released. And then is the transfer automatic? Can you walk us through how that works?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah, no, it's. It needs to be physically lifted and, and placed on the other brow so it doesn't lift itself or anything like that. So. Okay, yeah. So when obviously Elowin's mum passed away, you know, it was, it was loosened for quite a while before, but Then she obviously placed it on her brow. So it was taking from her mum, had already passed. The runes were that were, you know, etched into that, into the actual diadem. So, yeah, it, It, Yeah. That's why her mom ended up the way that she was. Very, you know, it just took everything from her. Her corpse.

[Lexi]

And it has. And it is that one family line as well, is that correct?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes. Well, you can pop it onto anybody, but it's going to drain them immediately.

[Lexi]

Oh, dear. So. So they're the only ones who. Okay, so they're the ones who have,

[Nicole]

I'll say, the energy capacity to the bigger battery life.

[Lexi]

Yeah, yeah, the battery.

[Nicole]

They're the Energizer Bunnies.

[Sarah A. Parker]

It's a curse more than anything, to be honest. But yes. Oh, my gosh.

[Nicole]

I have so many questions, but I know there's not one that you can answer about it, so I'm just gonna hold off and that's totally fine. Well, so let's get into some character plot questions. So the K' Zari and Kahless love story, can you offer any hints as to how that came to be, what this means for a story moving forward, or just a full stop pass?

[Sarah A. Parker]

So there will. You'll learn a lot more about that in book two and book three, Especially book three. So it's coming. It's coming. That's so exciting.

[Lexi]

That was one chapter that I reread almost immediately after I learned just who Rave was, because then it's like, oh, my God, without even knowing that she was her daughter yet. And then I went back through just with that extra context, and it's just, again, just totally different on a reread. Can you tease anything about Fallon and her and Rave's relationship? You know, how it shaped Rave to be who she is today?

[Sarah A. Parker]

So again, you're going to learn a lot more about that in book two. I'm so glad that these questions are things that are actually coming in book two.

[Nicole]

Also.

[Lexi]

It's like, I tell you what, man, some people are even like, there's a second book, right? And it's like, are you kidding me? There better be. And it's just so much fun just because, like, we all have so much excitement about it and just, just like, you know, we understand if we have to. We do have to wait and just.

[Nicole]

That's so exciting.

[Sarah A. Parker]

But, yeah, no, but, but I will say felon is. Felon is. Is dead. You know, and it was very. It was traumatic and quite horrific. Like when Rave was first, you know, brought to that, the Place where, you know, we obviously don't know a lot about it, but with scavenger King, she, you know, she was learning about the world. It was like a, you know, like they think toddler brain in a fully grown, you know, Fae body. So, you know, very frightening, very, you know, boggling. Had to learn to speak to, you know, how her body moved, all that sort of stuff. So, you know, Fallon was there for her through most of that. So, you know, not from the very start, but she was there through a lot of it. And you know, I think when you're creating those bonds with somebody and you're really letting them into your heart and then for something as traumatic as what happened, you know, which obviously we don't. You don't know yet. But yeah, for, for what ended up there, it's, it was, you know, for Rave, it was very. It kind of shaped who she is now and how she deals with love and letting people in and. Yeah, so it was, she had a hard, A hard, I guess, introduction reintroduction to the world and a hard end to her last life as well. So yeah, she's been through some shit.

[Lexi]

Was it, would you consider it like a sisterly bond or was there even like a romantic relationship in there or.

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, very sisterly. Like she, she loved you like a sister in every way. So.

[Lexi]

So, okay, we need to talk about the other. Can you give us any clues about this connection, this relationship? For instance, when the other attached itself to Rave, Was the other there right from the get go when she was reintroduced into the world? Does the other only come out when she's really in her rage? Why does the other exist within her? I know you can't asking.

[Nicole]

Anyway,

[Sarah A. Parker]

so. Yes, the other has been there since she was, you know, since she came to. In this, in this life, we'll call it. Yes, she's been there since then and yeah, certainly. How can I explain it? There's. I can't. Look, you're going to learn a lot more about this very early on in book two, so. Oh, exciting. So book two, where it's. Throughout book two, it's a big. Yeah, I'm not going to go into much, but just you're going to have a lot of these answers in book two.

[Lexi]

But I do have one quick question to see if you can settle an argument between Nicole and I because after you joined our recording here today, we were having a sisterly banter, full blown sister argument about it.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So.

[Lexi]

Okay, so in the audiobook, in the. Because we both love to listen to audiobooks the other's POV it is mostly a male voice.

[Nicole]

So there's the male speaking it for like any of the high level walk through stuff. And then it cuts to the woman who plays Rave's voice for like a line or two. It almost seems like an inner monologue or inner dialogue sort of situation. And then it cuts back to the male's voice which I, I normally am like, oh wait, whenever I like split POVs like that. This was the first time I split POV. I'm like, this is perfect. No notes. It never changed it.

[Sarah A. Parker]

It was so.

[Nicole]

It was so well done. I loved it. But yeah, so it almost seemed like the other's monologue was a female perspective.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes. A. Okay. Yep, yep. Then that's right. Yes.

[Nicole]

Haha.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Like a feminine voice, you know, so the other. I'm glad that there is that, you know, sort of. Because it would be more of a kind of animalistic sort of, you know. Yeah. Deep sort of, you know, that, that make. Yes. So okay.

[Nicole]

Yep.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I'm happy I'm gonna hold off on

[Nicole]

answering or asking my next question because I feel like it's gonna not be able to be answered. But that's totally fine.

[Lexi]

We have a theory on who the other is.

[Nicole]

And let me tell you so our. We have a discord just for like fantasy fangirls and for all of that. And we have a when the moon hatch section of the discord. I think it has the second or third like most amount of conversation going on in it just because everyone has gone feral for this book and there is a very popular theory in said discord that the. And you. I know you can't say anything about this. That the other is Slotra taken over Rev. That is our theory.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I think for anybody who has read the book more than once and has picked up on my foreshadowing would know the answer to that pretty clearly. You know, I. The foreshadowing I did do, it was specifically so that question, you know, if things were sort of taken in and notice that it's answered in the foreshadowing between the lines.

[Lexi]

Fantastic.

[Nicole]

I love it, I love it, I love it. Follow up question to that because at the end in the epilogue, Kazari is starting to show signs of madness. It seems like we can assume it's a. I'm going to call it a different type of or a different flavor of madness from the other. Is it a different. Okay, beautiful. I'm so excited to learn more about that because.

[Lexi]

Because at first it was like, wait, is the Other within her as well, which would then mean is the other ether stone. Okay.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Callous. Well, she generally can.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So.

[Lexi]

So, yeah.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah. So she's. Yeah, she is definitely struggling. And I will say that. So we will Book two.

[Lexi]

Right. Well, speaking of her, Kazari sent me to rave five phases ago. Why five phases ago. And I. I guess rather than asking, you know, why. And did she actually expect it to reach her mother?

[Sarah A. Parker]

No, no, no, definitely not. She. As far as she's aware, her mum is gone. It was definitely. And I think this kind of makes it more heartbreaking. It was definitely, definitely her just passing a note to the wind and, you know, wishing that her mum was there with her.

[Lexi]

I love that so much. And it was because I was gonna follow up with asking, like, is this at all correlated to why she keeps escaping the shade? So I guess my different question is, do we find out why she has

[Nicole]

been escaping the shade?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes, we learn more about that in the next couple of books. So, yeah, we learn a lot more about Kazari and yeah, we're. Yeah. In the next couple of stories. So that whole Kzari Khan, Elwin Ta Thrave and everything that happened in the diary entries, that is all sort of. And also the prologue of book one. That is all very much, you know, all of that. Think book two, three. That is the whole.

[Lexi]

Love it. So I'll ask another question here. Is that from reading Khan and her interaction, it did not seem that Khan is aware that she is his daughter. He does not know.

[Nicole]

Okay, cool. I love all the lines of, well, if she was my daughter and I'm like, so exciting, we would be remiss if we did not ask you about this dang scavenger king.

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes.

[Nicole]

I guess the first question is, why does he call rave Firelark?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yeah.

[Nicole]

Okay, awesome. Well, are we going to learn in that similar vein, are we going to learn more about his motives, why he originally captured tortured rave in the second book as well?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes, that whole sort of situation. That's. Yes. Book two. Sweet. Book two.

[Lexi]

Does he. Because he is very specific about wanting the burn and how he is older than Khan and that's why he thinks that he's the rightful heir. And does that mean that his mother is from the burn?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Yes, correct.

[Nicole]

I have to ask you, Sarah, as we're asking these questions, do you have to, like, go into different compartments of your mind? Do you have, like, okay, this is the only Book one compartment, and this is the book two compartment. Like, are you having to, like, be like, did I say that in book one? Or is that in book two?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Or, like, especially because I'm writing book two, I'm like, oh, gosh, hang on. Like, let me just think. So I am. I'm writing back. I'm like, okay, no, that. That conversation did happen then.

[Nicole]

You're doing a phenomenal job at it. I just gotta say so.

[Sarah A. Parker]

I'm like, you should see in my head, I'm like, juggling.

[Nicole]

I'm like, oh, gosh, seriously, you're doing so phenomenal. It's just amazing what you've given us. Will book two open right where we left off? Or is there going to be some time has passed? Or can you not say so?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Obviously, I've still got to pass it on to editors and stuff and know I might be asked to change bits and pieces, so please take this with a grain of salt. But currently, as it is, yes, we start where we left off, but we do have time jumps that happen throughout the store. Well, you know, we move forward in the story, so I'm not talking about years or anything like that or phases, but it's. We do definitely, you know, the book two does. We cover a lot of ground.

[Nicole]

Yeah.

[Sarah A. Parker]

So awesome.

[Nicole]

Very cool.

[Lexi]

Before we wrap up this interview, is there anything else you'd like to share with our audience? Any questions that you wished we had asked that you have the answer to? Ready to go go? Or anything at all that you'd like to share?

[Sarah A. Parker]

Oh, no, I think we've done really well. I think we've covered ground and I think you guys have done great with asking, with your questions and everything. It's been really fun. So thank you so much.

[Nicole]

That means so much to us. Thank you for the story you've written and from the bottom of our hearts. Like, I know I've been sharing like a crazy woman on our Instagram stories, which you've been very kind to repost. Now, I've read it, like, four times. And that is not because we're interviewing you. It's because this book, I mean, obviously because you're amazing, but, like, it's because the book you have built is so incredible. And like, like Lexi said, it's quickly jumped up to some of our favorite books of all time. We have heard that across the board from many people who have read it in the last few weeks as well. And just what you have created is a masterpiece. Thank you so much.

[Lexi]

Oh, my goodness. Well, we hope that you enjoyed this interview with the one and only Sarah A. Parker. And we all hope that you enjoy reading Ballad of Falling Dragons. Whether you begin tonight, tomorrow, this week, next month, whenever that might be, this

[Nicole]

might be one of my favorite sequels, if not one of my favorite books I've ever read. I'm only 50% of the way through it right now and it's a fucking masterpiece. That's all I'll say.

[Lexi]

I'm 88% through and I feel the exact same way. I am so, so excited for the Deep Dive that will be starting with episode one on June 1st. But don't worry friends, we are going to have a Ballad Reactions episode that drops on May 25th.

[Nicole]

Our chapter breakdowns are going to be coming soon for what chapters we're covering which episode with the ballad Deep Dive. Thank you as always to our Mind Left AKA our content researcher Brooke and our executive producer slash sanity manager slash co host of the Fantasy fanfellas podcast, Hayden.

[Lexi]

We are very active on social media, so please be sure to follow us on Instagram and slash our TikTok at Fantasy Fangirls pod. And if you're watching this on YouTube or want to watch on YouTube, see the difference in our hair between these two years, pretty please hit that subscribe button to keep following along long I

[Nicole]

Somewhere our hair stylist just shuddered while you're hitting buttons. Please hit that five star button on whatever podcast platform you are listening on. And if you want to go the extra mile then write a little love note in that review section. Please don't just do that for this podcast, but for any and all podcasts you listen to. It's like giving your favorite podcasters a big, big big hug. And last but certainly not least, share this episode with your fellow Moon Fall friends. If you are driving to the midnight release party tonight, this is a perfect thing to make everyone in the car listen to.

[Lexi]

Thank you everybody. Bye bye. See you on the other side.

[Nicole]

See you on the other side.

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[Lexi]

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