Author Interview with "Beyond the Realms" Author: Christina Wallace!
- Katie Jenkins-Merical
- Mar 26
- 7 min read
Hi everyone. Today I am sitting down with Christina Wallace from our box set "Beyond the Realms." Dive into this author interview to find out more about her and her story inside the anthology. Want to read her story inside the anthology preorder your copy of "Beyond the Realms" for 99 cents at your favorite retailer. Click Here to Preorder!
Author Interview: Christina Wallace
Thank you for joining us today here on The Dungeon Crawler’s Blog. We like to let every author start things off by introducing themselves.
Hello, I am Christina (Author C Wallace). I am married with two kids, a dog, and cat, and live in the Florida Panhandle. When I am not writing, I enjoy playing video games with my family, baking, and creating merchandise for my books with my Cricut.
Every author has a unique story to their journey in the writing industry. Can you tell us why you started writing and how you became an author for the first time?
I’ve been writing for longer than I didn’t write. It became an obsession for me when I was in middle school, but I did not pursue publishing until after 2020. I secured a publishing deal with my debut novel, The Light Keeper, but sadly, the publishing company had to close its doors before my book launched. I chose instead to become independently published and I haven’t looked back.
I got into writing as a way of coping after my family moved to a new state and I left my friends behind. I don’t make friends easily, but the characters I created lived rich and active lives and I never felt lonely when writing about them. All my characters live rent-free in my mind and demand to have their stories told.
Right now, you have a special project inside the pages of one of our box sets. That box set is titled, “Beyond the Realms”. Can you tell us a little bit about your story?
My story is The Stolen Queen. The premise is a faerie king has ruled over a human island for the last 400 years. Every 20-30 years, his human bride mysteriously dies, and he takes a new queen. Some consider it an honor to be chosen as the next queen, but others see it as a death sentence. When my MC’s best friend, Jalessa, is chosen as the new queen, she does not see it as an honor and sets out to rescue her friend when no one else will.
The problem for my MC, Anneska, is that the blacksmith’s apprentice, Konnor, catches her trying to steal a special dagger from him made from the only metal that can harm a faerie. He decides that he will also go to rescue her friend, but there is no one on the island Anneska can stand less. The two argue constantly and struggle to get along, but after each saves the other more than once, they find there might be more to the other than meets the eye.
Your story in our box set, “Beyond the Realms” must have a unique main character or duo in your story. Can you tell us about her/he or them?
Anneska is a trapped, free-spirit. She has no desire to fulfil the role all girls of marrying age are expected to. She’s been raised to become the best wife she could be, but there is nothing she wants less. Boys her age get to apprentice and find jobs they enjoy while she is made to wash clothes and learn to bake. She cannot openly go against her father, but she finds her own ways to stand up to him, such as cutting her hair very short the day she came of age, making her less-desirable to potential suitors. She also fails in many “wifely” aspects. Anneska doesn’t care what it takes, she will find a way to leave her village one day. When her best friend is taken by the king’s men, she seizes her opportunity. It doesn’t matter to her that she’s never left the village, climbed a mountain, or killed anything, nothing will stop her from reaching her friend.
Konnor, the blacksmith’s apprentice, has a reputation of romancing many of the unwed ladies of the village and catching the eyes of others. While most fall for his charms, Anneska does not, and he wouldn’t say that it bothers him, but he does enjoy going out of his way to bother her. He is also an incredibly talented blacksmith. When Konnor learns that Anneska has set her sights on rescuing Jalessa, the stolen queen, he stops her, without understanding why he cares. When Jalessa’s family offers a hefty reward for their daughter’s safe return, Konnor decides to go after her. The reward money would be all he needs to set up his own smithing shop. And since he knows Anneska is too stubborn to be told what she can and can’t do and will still go after her friend, and at least this way, he can make sure she doesn’t get herself killed… even if it’s just so he can say, “I told you so.”
What is the main theme of your story in the box set, “Beyond the Realms?”
You don’t have to conform to the expectations others have for you.
Do you have a certain technique to your writing style? What is your writing style like?
I am a panster/discovery writer. I don’t plot anything before I start writing. I come up with a generalized idea with maybe a point or two I know the character will face, but most the time I don’t even know who the main character is. Everything pulls together as I write it. Hair color/Eye color, it is all decided on the line on which it is written. I power through the first draft and then decide what works and what doesn’t, identify my plot holes and areas that need to be better developed, and I make it all make sense in the 2nd draft.
If you could give another author advice what would the top three things you would share with them to help them in their journey as an author?
· It’s never going to be perfect (especially the 1st draft) and that is okay. At some point you have to be confident in what you’ve written and put it out there.
· Build your writing community. Find editors you trust and enjoy working with, other authors who can offer advice, cheer you on, and understand what you’re going through.
· There is enough space in the writing community for everyone. Even if your idea is very similar to someone else’s, it will be different coming from you. Whether you write spice/no spice, dark fantasy, Christian romance, there are readers who will find you. Don’t let others make you feel like your writing doesn’t have value because it isn’t for them. And remember: one author’s success does not mean you cannot be the next success. Cheer on your fellow authors, see it as proof that it can be done, and keep chugging along.
Share three things about your personal life you don’t mind our readers knowing about?
· I was in the United States Navy and served active duty for 6 years
· I love playing video games. I grew up watching my dad play and then we played games together, like Half-Life, and I continued playing games when I moved out. Now I play video games with my husband, we like Assassin’s Creed, Mass Effect, Uncharted, Tomb Raider, Detroit, and others.
· I am crafty. I dabble in many things. Cake decorating is one of the things that I’ve enjoyed for the longest, but I also sew a bit, create things with my cricut, and make my own themed merchandise.
As all good things come to an end what would you like to leave our audience with for future thoughts about your writing, your author career, or you as a person? Please share.
I have very big author dreams, as I am sure many do. My Light Keeper series will be complete in 2027, but once I have an established fan base, I plan to actively pursue having the series developed into either a movie or TV series. While I know the odds are low, they are not zero. If it can happen for someone else, then it can happen for me, but only if I try. For too long, I let other people tell me that my writing won’t go anywhere, and I’m not letting them get to me anymore. I have many more ideas I’ve yet to publish, so you can expect to hear a lot more from me.
— About the Author —
Christina Wallace
Christina Wallace is a mom of two who has spent the past 4 years dedicating herself completely to her writing to realize her dream of becoming a published author. This dream came true on May 30, 2023 when The Light Keeper debuted. Since then, Christina has published several more books, including YA fantasy romance. She has been invited to attend festivals, bookish events, and even a school to share about her books and author journey.
When she's not busy writing and promoting her books, Christina enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, either playing games or exploring outdoors.
Join Christina's Newsletter: Author C Wallace Newsletter
—About the Book —
Beyond the Realms
A Limited Edition Box Set
Collection of YA Epic Fantasy Authors
Featured Story: The Stolen Queen
The faerie queen has died… again. They always do. Every twenty to thirty years the queen dies with no explanation, and when she does, King Lorryn takes a new bride from the island villages—whether she wants to be queen or not.
Anneska will never forget the terror in Jalessa’s eyes as the king’s men took her away. Her parents begged for someone to save her, but because the king blesses his bride’s home village, intervention is forbidden.
Anneska has never been one to ask permission.
To stop the king, she needs a special weapon. But when she tries to steal a blade forged from rare metal, Konnor, the blacksmith’s apprentice, catches her red-handed. Worse? He’s planning to rescue Jalessa, too.
Konnor is strong, infuriatingly skilled, and far too smug for his own good. Unlike most girls, Anneska isn’t charmed by his handsome face or easy smile—especially when he takes every chance to remind her how unladylike she is. But if she wants to save her friend, she has no choice but to partner with him. Together, they’ll face monstrous creatures, a treacherous mountain, and enemies who need no weapon to kill.
But the biggest challenge? Surviving each other.
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