Interview with Stella Atrium, Author of Home Rule

12 Jul 2023

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Home Rule (The Tribal Wars Book 3)?

HOME RULE winds up the story threads for the trilogy that follows the choices made by tribal women in a conflict zone. The original idea was to explore the costs and consequences for female warriors and women in a household while the tribes labor to bind together as a nation. How do women gain voice in the public square? How do women hold together a family when the fighting is at their doorstep? How to respond to the oppressor or the foreign peace-keeping groups who speak a different language?

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

I read history and biography mostly as research. And for pleasure. What happened in real events is far more interesting than how the story flows when retold. Our lives are told by our mistakes and what steps we take in the next attempt.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Mostly, I read student work from online writing courses that I teach. The inventiveness of young writers keeps me engaged with fresh perspectives and the writer tools needed to show the protagonists in a brave new world.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

In HOME RULE the characters gather to celebrate the change-over from an oppressive regime. We see the fruition for the many struggles and loss of life. Was it worth the cost to the tribes? Outcomes for each character are managed, with some hints for what is in store for them in TRIBAL LOGIC, book 4 in the series.

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

I write in the mornings before the phone starts dinging. I’m done by noon when I put on my promotion hat and seek more places to spread the word about this sci-fi trilogy.

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

Keep at it. You never know who might pick up the books for a Netflix series. LOL.

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

Women come in all types. Women have all choices if we demand them.

Stella Atrium is the author of the new book Home Rule (The Tribal Wars Book 3)

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