Stewart’s second novel within the sequence, The Bone Shard Emperor, launched in 2021 and her ultimate e-book, The Bone Shard Battle, arrives in bookstores April 2023.
Mixed, her first and second books have greater than 3,000 constructive opinions and are editor’s picks for greatest science fiction and fantasy on Amazon. Collectively, the primary two books have offered greater than 100,000 copies.
“It’s the perfect feeling on the planet to be working full time doing what I really like,” Stewart stated. “The entire technique of going backwards and forwards with my agent on the completely different affords for my first e-book was thrilling as a result of so many events had been .”
This yr, Stewart offered one other three-book sequence known as The Gods Beneath to Orbit in a six-figure deal. With the primary e-book to be revealed in 2024, the sequence is about in a world the place historical magic has wreaked havoc, and valuable stones impart magical skills to those that can management their energy.
“For me, writing is about exploring completely different concepts and themes. I would like individuals to really feel one thing, like they’ve gotten a brand new perspective,” Stewart stated. “That’s why I really like getting fan mail from individuals who really feel like they actually linked with a few of my characters or felt some pleasure in a darkish time.”
“I all the time say that epic fantasies are my one real love as a result of you’ll be able to discover completely different elements of a world that you simply’ve constructed,” Stewart stated.
Taking part in the lengthy sport
Stewart’s journey breaking out as an writer required endurance and some detours. All through her research at UC Davis, she continued to put in writing.
“There have been a variety of books that I began writing however didn’t end,” Stewart stated. “I additionally wrote many brief tales, but it surely wasn’t till I used to be really at UC Davis, I completed my first full-length grownup novel.”
Whereas Stewart would have beloved to leap proper into writing after commencement, she stated it didn’t make sensible sense. Due to this fact, she held varied jobs, beginning as an entry-level workplace technician for the state and ultimately ended at UC Irvine as a compliance officer for contracts and grants.
“I positively assume having a level from UC Davis helped me discover a job immediately,” Stewart stated. “Having the ability to maintain myself and proceed writing was the perfect path as a result of I knew publishing is a very fraught profession. It’s received a variety of ups and downs and it’s very troublesome to interrupt into.”
Realizing the dream
Stewart’s love of storytelling began when she was as younger as 3 years previous. In line with her mom, that was the age when Stewart dictated a narrative to be written down.
“I all the time say that epic fantasies are my one real love as a result of you’ll be able to discover completely different elements of a world that you simply’ve constructed,” Stewart stated. “I often begin with what I name a narrative seed, only a small concept that I discover attention-grabbing after which add thematic components.”
She additionally attracts inspiration for her books from on a regular basis encounters.
“The thought for The Bone Shard Daughter got here after I was out at lunch with some associates and my pal virtually choked on a pointy bone,” Stewart stated. “Then I began pondering, ‘What if I take advantage of bone shards for some form of magic system?’ I then constructed the e-book from there.”
Science fiction and speculative fiction are two genres Stewart stated she enjoys writing. With Stewart’s current cope with Orbit, she added she feels that her profession as a author is basically set.
“Lots of people look down on fantasy or science fiction as being fluff, which I’d humbly argue towards,” Stewart stated. “I really feel prefer it permits us to discover severe points in a method that doesn’t really feel confrontational to individuals. We are able to get below any person’s pores and skin and present them one thing they won’t have thought of — and I really like that.”
