DJanée is both an author and a poet. As an author, she writes material ranging from children’s books to young adult fiction.
With a collection of young adult novels, children’s books, and poems to her name, DJanée is a multifaceted writer of various genres and formats. Her published books include Jimmy and the Teddy Bear and On the Run, the first book in the young adult dystopian series More Than Conquerors.
As a roller coaster enthusiast, DJanée uses her works to captivate, inspire, encourage, and entertain young readers with engaging plots and exciting twists and turns throughout her stories. When she is not writing poetry or stories, she is learning something new, such as a new language, a new skill, or random facts. She also enjoys traveling with loved ones.
TBE: I liked the detailed world-building in Taliver. Can you share your inspiration behind creating this unique and immersive setting?
DJanée: Inspiration can be found in just about anything for me. In this case, I found it in an image. I was surfing gorgeous, inspiring pictures on Pinterest of very mythical, dreamy settings, and I came across one that was of a castle on a hill with lush vegetation everywhere. It was beautiful, and it made me imagine an entire kingdom that overlooked a waterfall and a vast valley with a streaming river and trees. From there, Taliver was born.
TBE: Daia undergoes significant growth in the story. How did you approach developing her character, especially considering the challenges she faces and the internal struggles she experiences?
DJanée: It often feels like the characters in my stories write themselves more than I write them. Daia is no different. She is a very interesting and understandable character in my opinion. She faces difficult situations that may not be your average, everyday occurrences, but her heart is very relatable.
While writing more and more about her, I got a clearer sense of who she is and what she’s after. Her aspirations never really change, but the various circumstances bring different things out of her–even things she never knew were there. And I think this encourages her to keep going and become even more confident, just like anyone who sees some unexpected greatness inside of themselves.
As I discovered more about Daia, like with any character I develop, I shared the different traits and behaviors that convey these discoveries about her. A person’s thought patterns, how they feel about something or how they view it, the choices that they make–they all tell you more about a person. I shared all of these treasures about Daia as I discovered them while writing so that readers will get a clear sense of who she is and what makes her so easy to connect with.
TBE: The book highlights themes such as choice, destiny, truth, and leadership. Were these themes premeditated, or did they evolve naturally as you wrote the story?
DJanée: They evolved as I wrote the story, but the themes and lessons in my literary works tend to connect very strongly to principles that are dear to my heart. For example, one of the biggest themes in The Blizzard’s Secrets is the importance of being the best “you” that you can be, which is a principle that I feel we can forget sometimes. We all face intimidating circumstances or some sort of experience that we’re unsure about because it is different. Then, we tend to look around at other people and how they handle the situation, which can make us feel even smaller if they manage it with such finesse and apparent ease. But this can be such a great disservice to ourselves, because while someone else may handle things well in their own way, they can’t do what we would do. We have our own special touch in one way or another that makes us unique from anyone else. We each bring something special to the table, and The Blizzard’s Secrets is a great reminder of that.
TBE: Daia grapples with leadership challenges. How did you approach portraying the complexities of leadership, especially in the face of moral quandaries, and what message do you hope readers take away regarding power and responsibility?
DJanée: Leadership is a huge responsibility and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Daia recognizes this and goes through a series of both internal as well as external challenges as a result. I wanted readers to witness her struggles in order to really understand her perspectives. In my opinion, they show just how complex Daia’s situation is and how lonely it can be. But they also show the value of that grit and the determination she carries with her. I find it inspiring, and I hope that others see it, too. I want readers to recognize the value in Daia and in themselves because, like in Daia’s case, no one else can handle a situation or a new challenge the way you can. Everyone is unique and has their own path to walk that will bring something different to any given situation–whether big or small.
TBE: Taliver’s society is described as having tribal roots woven into contemporary governance. How did you approach blending these cultural elements to create a believable and rich backdrop for the story?
DJanée: It’s one thing to coexist in the same region as separate entities. It’s something else entirely to adopt one another’s practices, to value one another, and to become one body. The idea behind the Taliver community is that the two separate people came together and contributed to one another while becoming one unified nation of people. They recognized the strengths in one another and wanted to maintain a balance and respect between them. As a symbol of their equality and of the value they found in each other’s strengths that made Taliver better, some roles were reserved for descendants of a certain lineage. However, most roles and events in the community had no distinction between the lineages at all, because they were one people who all contributed to making their home, Taliver, a better community.
TBE: Relationships between characters are integral to the narrative. How did you approach developing these relationships, and were there specific dynamics that you found particularly interesting to explore?
DJanée: The focus was primarily on the Seer and Marquis. The Seer holds a very special place in Daia’s heart and winds up being a driving force for Daia and several significant events in the story. So, I wrote the narrative to give readers a peek at why as well as how he is so important and makes such a big difference in Daia’s world. The care in his heart and the peek into his backstory also contribute to the inspirational message in The Blizzard’s Secrets. It’s no wonder where Daia gets her potential from.
Marquis is an interesting case that is not quite as straightforward as the Seer’s relationship with Daia. Marquis has a lot of complications of his own that he is working out, and it’s very evident throughout the story. To be honest, it was fun to write about and watch the mysterious Marquis and the very contemplative Daia dance around each other, trying to figure one another out. There is nothing simple about their relationship, but I will say there is a surprise bonus chapter about Marquis at the QR code in the back of The Blizzard’s Secrets that sheds a little more light on their relationship. To be honest, though, there could probably be an entire book written about Marquis because he is a very pensive guy who has been through a lot and is just as complex as Daia, if not more so.
TBE: What authors or works of fiction have influenced your writing style and storytelling, particularly in “The Blizzard’s Secrets”?
DJanée: Veronica Roth’s Divergent and Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me particularly have been inspirational for me when writing about strong female characters. I tend to be drawn to bold female protagonists, and I absolutely love the inner strength found in characters like Tris (Divergent) and Juliette (Shatter Me). Daia carries a bold inner strength in The Blizzard’s Secrets as well, though it is a little different. It is a prudent and controlled anger, and it produces inspirational courage in Daia that makes you want to root for her and stand up to whatever challenges you face in your own life.
TBE: Maintaining suspense seems crucial to the narrative. How do you balance revealing enough to keep readers engaged without giving away too much too soon?
DJanée: Personally, I imagine myself in the shoes of my characters. When you’re experiencing a series of events, you don’t know what’s going to happen. There’s an element of uncertainty, curiosity, and maybe even surprise. Thrilling, suspenseful books that keep me on the edge of my seat are my favorite kind of stories. I look for it in every book that I pick up, and I want to give that same excitement to readers who pick up mine. I want them to see, learn, discover, experience, think about, and encounter things just as the characters do and when the characters do so that the story is immersive and they have a deeper connection with the characters.
TBE: Writing fantasy often involves creating rules for magic, societal norms, and more. What challenges did you face in establishing the rules of your fantasy world, and how did you overcome them?
DJanée: The Frozen Tundra was the most challenging aspect to create. Blizzards can already be hazardous, so I had to dig a little deeper and consider how to convey a storm that was even worse and more threatening somehow. It needed to feel more dangerous, look more dangerous, and do things that a normal storm wouldn’t do, which was fun and interesting, because it allowed me to dive deeper into my creative side until I could describe something that was colder and more terrifying than a typical storm. I considered things I know about blizzards, and I thought about what it would be like if they were amplified. From there, I let my imagination take over, putting myself in that setting and describing the experience of persevering through such a dangerous environment.
TBE: Can you share a bit about your writing process? Do you meticulously plan every detail of the plot, or do you discover the story as you write?
DJanée: I discover the story as I write, which is a lot of fun. I love surprises and suspense, and I love reading. Experiencing the story for the first time as I write allows me to enjoy the story almost as a reader. And just like a reader, there are times I talk to the characters because I can’t believe something they did or I’m just as shocked that something happened as they are.
After pouring out a rough draft of the entire story, I go back and tweak the narrative to really bring things to life. Unexpected plot twists become more dramatic, deep conversations become more insightful, pensive moments become more reflective, settings become more immersive, etc.
TBE: What has been the most rewarding aspect of writing “The Blizzard’s Secrets” and what advice do you have for aspiring authors looking to embark on their own creative journeys?
DJanée: The greatest reward for me is having a piece of my heart out there for others to see. I want readers to know the value they carry when they are themselves versus trying to be like anyone else.
For aspiring authors, I would say to really enjoy the journey. Dive into your story and get to know your characters. They’re funny. They’re adventurous. They’re inspiring. They’re worth getting to know. You might find there are some extra secrets and special traits about them that you’ll absolutely love. The writing journey doesn’t have to be just about what readers will discover in your book. Discover your story and its world for yourself.