Interview with Acacia Warmerdam, Author of The Wrath of the Broken (The Cursed Series Book 4)

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Wrath of the Broken (The Cursed Series Book 4) ?

Listening to a podcast about Marilyn Monroe, and Frea, in my mind, very much holds the same sexual power as Marilyn did. I had also just finished writing the third book and felt the story wasn’t quite tied up as much as I would have liked. Not only did I want Eli and Lou from the third book to have a longer storyline, but I also felt as if Drake from the first book was drastically overlooked because he was so much younger at the time, so I made him the male lead this time around. I have a deaf friend, and I wanted to ensure he had a Voice that wasn’t just a throwaway character. I think Drake and Frea’s bond is unique; I had never written about such a strong female before; not often do you see FL put love aside and save the world first. I had been toying with the idea of doing a shifting book, and I had never read any before besides Van Helsing, so this was my toe in the water for this genre— the shifting part of the story is merely an undertone to the story since Frea is just learning her powers.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Wrath of the Broken (The Cursed Series Book 4), what would they be?

Frea would be- “Labor” by Paris Paloma, “1000%” and “martyr” by KiNG MALA.

Drake would be- “The Night We Met” by Lord Huron.

Princess Lou- “I’ll Wait” by Kygo & Sasha Sloan.

Eli- “I Found” by Amber Run.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Horror is my favorite, so it’s pretty far from my usual writing style. I have started a romantic thriller, but I was told it’s hard to rebrand, so maybe I’ll do something with it in the future. But I find writing romance freeing and healing. I am a sucker for anything historical romance, but I prefer it to be dark, which we don’t see often enough.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Since we are mid-renovation on a 1910 house that was scheduled for demolition, so all my books are packed in boxes, but I’d like to read the Fourth Wing and jump on that train. I usually reread Jane Austen’s Emma every winter, which inspired my first series. I have a few Dramione fanfics I’d like to try out since Manacled ruined me. It mixed romance and Dark perfectly, and I think SenLinYu is doing a rewrite and will publish as a fanfic, so I am excited about that.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Honesty is the best policy, but when Eli explains how to eat an orange to Cully, and Lou gets trapped in the pantry listening, that one is good. I hate to give anything away, but Lou and Eli can be insatiable, so the tree scene is great. I also love the chapters during Frea’s ‘Games’; how strong she is really carries the book.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Not really. When I wrote my first series I wrote the books over 300 pages each in less than two weeks so I was delirious and only ate canned peaches and drank coffee. By the end, I had lines in my fingernails from making myself so sick.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Hard work creates the conditions for luck to flourish.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

No matter your trauma or circumstance, you can overcome it. I grew up in a terrible living situation as a child and used writing as a way to work through my trauma. It didn’t break me, and it doesn’t have to break you either.

Acacia Warmerdam is the author of the new book The Wrath of the Broken (The Cursed Series Book 4)

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