Outside of her career as an author, Nikki is a professional technical and creative writer, spider wrangler, animal lover, and devoted cat mom. Writing fantasy and science fiction stories has been a lifelong passion for her.
She loves to include in her work the diversity she sees around her and draw upon myriad life experiences doing everything from wild cave exploration and horseback riding to practising iaido and archery.
Q.1 Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
A. Well, if you only know me online and through my books, you don’t know that I’m just a tiny bit under 5’ tall. I also have a fondness for Mongolian heavy metal music. Curious? Try The Hu and Hanggai Band for a few great examples.
Q.2 When should we expect your next book? What will it be about?
A. Heart of Vanris, the third book in the Warden’s Son series, comes out July 13th. The fourth and final book is tentatively scheduled for release on October 13th. Both are obviously continuations of the Warden’s Son series.
Q.3 When did you decide to write The Warden’s Son series?
A. I got the idea from the backstory I wrote for a D&D character early in 2023. The story itself diverged massively from that character’s story, but the inspiration was enough to give birth to a whole new fantasy world that I have loved exploring.
Q.4 What drew you to the fantasy genre, and what keeps you inspired to write within it?
A. I was a big reader from a young age thanks to my Mom. The first fantasy story I really remember capturing my imagination was Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce when I was 11. That was the book that inspired me to write. I’ve written ever since, mostly fantasy genre because I love the world-building and creativity of that genre.
Q.5 Can you describe the world-building process for your fantasy stories? How do you create immersive and believable settings?
A. My worlds tend to develop as I write the stories of the characters. That is a large part of why I tend to complete a series before I even consider publication. I can always go back and refine things earlier in the series based on adjustments I made along the way.
A big part of making my world immersive and believable for me is research. Everything is grounded in what works in the real world. I research injuries, travel times, technologies throughout history, battles, combat styles, etc. I could go on. I feel like the more believable the details are, the easier it is for the reader to suspend belief when you need them to.
Q.6 What role do you think fantasy literature plays in society, particularly in terms of escapism and imagination?
A. I think fantasy literature can be great for addressing real-world issues in a safe and exploratory setting. At the same time, it gives people a place to go to in their imaginations that can allow them to get away from real-world stress. Literature in general can also help us look at the world from a different point of view and create empathy for the experiences other people go through.
Q.7 What do you think sets your fantasy stories apart from others in the genre? What unique elements or perspectives do you bring to your writing?
A. For me, I think a lot of what makes an author’s work unique is their individual voice and vision. I do feel like my stories are deeply character driven and I have gotten a lot of positive feedback on my dialogue and my character arcs. I also enjoy creating different magic systems and inventing new fantasy creatures that I hope make each world richer and more immersive.
Q.8 When did you first realize you wanted to become a writer?
A. As mentioned above, I was inspired to start writing when I turned 11 by a fantasy novel I read. I told my teacher at the time that I was going to be an author. I have written since that day.
Q.9 What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing this series?
A. That I do have it in me to write a series more than three books long. Even more surprising, I’m writing a related series in the same world. That’s not like me at all.
Q.10 How do you handle feedback and criticism from readers or editors during the writing process or after the publication?
A. When I first started my writing journey, it was hard to take feedback and criticism on my creations because they are so personal to me. The best thing that ever happened was having a friend who was a skilled editor tear apart one of my stories with detailed feedback.
At first, I was devastated, but when I came back to it after a few days, I picked through that feedback and realized that there were some really useful comments in it. Since then, I have learned to love getting feedback because, while much is subjective, there is also a lot that you can use to improve as a writer and to make each individual book or story better than it was before. I absolutely love watching my work improve through the editing process.
Criticism from readers can be less easy to handle, but nothing you do will make everyone love your work. If you have to look at reader feedback, then I think it is important to let most of it go unless you see a pattern developing, in which case you might want to address that issue.
Q.11 Do you have any quirky or interesting writing habits?
A. Nowadays, I write anytime I get a moment to write down a thought. If I’m driving, I’ll record ideas on my phone. If I’m away from a computer, I usually have a journal handy to write any ideas down. I’m not sure if that is quirky and interesting or just annoying to everyone around me. lol
Q.12 How many books have you written? Which one is your favourite?
A. I’ve written 22 books to completion. Not all are published (or will be). I tend to not have favourite books as much as favourite characters/series. Until recently, my Forbidden Things trilogy was my favourite because I really loved Indigo’s character arc. Now I think The Warden’s Son series may have edged to first place because of how much I love the world and the characters. Kasiel’s journey has been a fantastic adventure for me.
Q.13 How do you know when a story is finished?
A. Most of the time I know where a story will end when I start writing. I find that the tricky part is sometimes figuring out the wrap-up that often comes after the ‘end’ of the story to give the reader a satisfying conclusion. With series, it gets harder because each book needs a good stopping place with the promise of something more.
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. The cover artist is Robert Crescenzio. I originally found his work on DeviantArt and really liked it, so I approached him about doing new covers for my Forbidden Things trilogy. Child of Vanris, the first book in The Warden’s Son series, was the 9th book cover he has done for me.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign.
A. I am constantly experimenting with marketing. The fact that I am a serious introvert makes social media challenging, but I try to have a presence there.
Criticism from readers can be less easy to handle, but nothing you do will make everyone love your work. If you have to look at reader feedback, then I think it is important to let most of it go unless you see a pattern developing, in which case you might want to address that issue.
Q.11 Do you have any quirky or interesting writing habits?
A. Nowadays, I write anytime I get a moment to write down a thought. If I’m driving, I’ll record ideas on my phone. If I’m away from a computer, I usually have a journal handy to write any ideas down. I’m not sure if that is quirky and interesting or just annoying to everyone around me. lol
Q.12 How many books have you written? Which one is your favourite?
A. I’ve written 22 books to completion. Not all are published (or will be). I tend to not have favourite books as much as favourite characters/series. Until recently, my Forbidden Things trilogy was my favourite because I really loved Indigo’s character arc. Now I think The Warden’s Son series may have edged to first place because of how much I love the world and the characters. Kasiel’s journey has been a fantastic adventure for me.
Q.13 How do you know when a story is finished?
A. Most of the time I know where a story will end when I start writing. I find that the tricky part is sometimes figuring out the wrap-up that often comes after the ‘end’ of the story to give the reader a satisfying conclusion. With series, it gets harder because each book needs a good stopping place with the promise of something more.
Q.14 Who designed your book cover? What was the selection process?
A. The cover artist is Robert Crescenzio. I originally found his work on DeviantArt and really liked it, so I approached him about doing new covers for my Forbidden Things trilogy. Child of Vanris, the first book in The Warden’s Son series, was the 9th book cover he has done for me.
Q.15 It is vital to get exposure and target the right readers for your book. Tell us about your marketing campaign.
A. I am constantly experimenting with marketing. The fact that I am a serious introvert makes social media challenging, but I try to have a presence there.
I have also had some luck with various ad platforms including Amazon, BookBub, and Facebook. Aside from that, I do occasional in-person events and am looking into trying out some book signings.
Q.16 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. A lot of times my main characters pop into my head complete with names. When it comes to side characters, I try to make sure the names of characters from the same culture look and sound like they could be part of a single culture.
Q.16 How do you select the names of your characters?
A. A lot of times my main characters pop into my head complete with names. When it comes to side characters, I try to make sure the names of characters from the same culture look and sound like they could be part of a single culture.
If nothing comes to mind when I'm creating them, I go out to baby name finders or name generators and look up names from the same origin (say Moroccan or Irish) and skim through them to get ideas, narrowing it down by gender or sometimes looking at meanings for something that fits my vision of the character.
I might use names exactly as I find them, or change spellings slightly to help them match what is already in the book for that particular culture. In my The Warden's Son series, my main character's name doesn't really fit the culture he is from, but he was raised in a different land, so it works for his backstory.
Q.17 Can you share any tips for aspiring fantasy writers looking to develop their own unique worlds and stories?
A. I honestly think that consuming fantasy media is the best place to start. Movies can help, but books especially, because you can also learn the basics of story structure and other craft elements from reading books.
Q.17 Can you share any tips for aspiring fantasy writers looking to develop their own unique worlds and stories?
A. I honestly think that consuming fantasy media is the best place to start. Movies can help, but books especially, because you can also learn the basics of story structure and other craft elements from reading books.
Read a lot of fantasy. Find out how other authors have created their worlds. When you come up with an idea for the book you want to read, run with it. Writing is the best way to start practising what you learned from all that reading.
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. I am fortunate to have a lot of people in my life who are very supportive of my writing. With The Warden’s Son series especially, I am humbled by how many of my relatives have read and enjoyed it without me even bringing it up. Though I am pretty sure my mom may have mentioned it. She’s my number one fan.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your books?
A. Some of the authors whose books I have really enjoyed are Tad Williams, Sherri S. Tepper, C.S. Friedman, Mark Lawrence, Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, and on and on. I feel like I have learned from so many great authors. I couldn’t possibly mention them all. I do have a love for traditional epic fantasy, so my style of writing and reading leans that way.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far.
A. I started writing my first book when I was 11. It was a rambling and weird story with talking space unicorns. I’ve written books and stories ever since with a few short story publications, including a serialized caving story in Cricket Magazine. In 2012, I got my agent and my debut novel, The Girl and the Clockwork Cat was published in 2014 by Entangled Teen.
For various reasons, I did not love my traditional publishing experience, so I decided to try self-publishing. I published the first book in my Forbidden Things series to start off my journey. I later bought back the rights to The Girl and the Clockwork Cat and self-published that book and its sequels. I’ve been at it ever since, with no end in sight.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - www.facebook.com/NikkiMcCormack/
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/nikkimccormack/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/nikkimccormackwriter/
X - twitter.com/Author_NikkiMc
Website - www.elysiumpalace.com
Q.18 How do your friends or family feel about your book or writing venture in general?
A. I am fortunate to have a lot of people in my life who are very supportive of my writing. With The Warden’s Son series especially, I am humbled by how many of my relatives have read and enjoyed it without me even bringing it up. Though I am pretty sure my mom may have mentioned it. She’s my number one fan.
Q.19 Are there any particular authors or books that have influenced your writing style or the creation of your books?
A. Some of the authors whose books I have really enjoyed are Tad Williams, Sherri S. Tepper, C.S. Friedman, Mark Lawrence, Mercedes Lackey, Anne Bishop, and on and on. I feel like I have learned from so many great authors. I couldn’t possibly mention them all. I do have a love for traditional epic fantasy, so my style of writing and reading leans that way.
Q.20 Share the experience of your writing journey so far.
A. I started writing my first book when I was 11. It was a rambling and weird story with talking space unicorns. I’ve written books and stories ever since with a few short story publications, including a serialized caving story in Cricket Magazine. In 2012, I got my agent and my debut novel, The Girl and the Clockwork Cat was published in 2014 by Entangled Teen.
For various reasons, I did not love my traditional publishing experience, so I decided to try self-publishing. I published the first book in my Forbidden Things series to start off my journey. I later bought back the rights to The Girl and the Clockwork Cat and self-published that book and its sequels. I’ve been at it ever since, with no end in sight.
Share your social account links -
Facebook - www.facebook.com/NikkiMcCormack/
LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/in/nikkimccormack/
Instagram - www.instagram.com/nikkimccormackwriter/
X - twitter.com/Author_NikkiMc
Website - www.elysiumpalace.com
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