arigale spite in the spirit teaser - on #altread #authorinterview

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I’m pleased to share author Denise. O. Eaton’s work and her most colourful book cover. (And love her colourful hair, too!). Turns out we are both Ghibi film fans!!

Sassy Brit: Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Denise O. Eaton: For anyone who doesn’t know me, perhaps the first important thing to know is that fantasy, anime, and magic consume my life. I’ve always liked to escape from the norm, especially since I didn’t have the best childhood growing up. I would cling to any book or program with magic in it and then started to craft my own worlds and stories before I even picked up a pencil as a child.

SB: What is somthing unique/quirky about you?

DOE: I can wiggle my nose like on ‘Bewitched’. My husband absolutely adores it when I do it.

SB: Tell us something really interesting that’s happened to you!

DOE: The first thing that came to mind (out of many options) is a memory from when I was just four or five years old. It’s one of my earliest strong memories. I was laying in bed in a big guest room at my Grandma’s place, but I couldn’t sleep because it was new. The moonlight made patterns on the ceiling that I watched for what must have been hours, but then something startled me. At the foot of the bed, there was pressure. At first, I thought it was my dad coming in and checking on me, but as I bent to look, no one was there. I couldn’t move my foot because the blankets were tugged down by the force. I panicked. My body froze and the hair on the back of my neck stood up as I saw a faint outline of a man for a moment. He was elderly, thin, and smiling gently enough it calmed my rapid heartbeat. He said, “I’m glad I finally got to meet you, Denise.” That was it. I felt the pressure remain a moment even after his visage faded, but the second it lifted I bolted to the kitchen to find my dad still awake and told him the whole story. As I explained the man, my father began to grin in much the same way. I was perplexed, but then he pulled out an old family photo that looked just like the man. To this day, I am convinced that my grandfather who died of cancer before I was even born, came to meet his granddaughter.

SB: How lovely! One of my brother’s had a similar thing happen to him, only it was our grandad saying his wife was in labour.
If you knew you’d die tomorrow, how would you spend your last day?

DOE: I would cling to my husband and friends. I’d want to have one last DnD session to wrap up the year and a half long story we’ve all been involved in and say goodbyes, but then the rest of the time I would be loving on my partner and curled up watching movies with our favorite foods.

SB: Who is your hero and why?

DOE: For a long time, I have always looked up to Monty Oum. He was an animator and storyteller who sadly passed about seven years ago now from an allergic reaction in his early thirties. I admire how driven he always was. People who worked with him would say he never slept, instead he just ‘powered down’ with his headphones on for a short while. I could never push myself quite that hard, but the things he could do were impressive. He was a bright, inspirational soul who brought a little more light and conviction to everyone around him. I will always be sad I never got to meet him.

SB: What do you do to unwind and relax?

DOE: I love to play video games, mostly the JRPG genre, but right now it’s almost exclusively Final Fantasy 14. I got it earlier this year and I want to try and get through some story before the new expansion comes out. I also have a weekly DnD group that has had a story ongoing for over a year and a half now. I really love the characters from there, and they may turn into story inspiration at some point. Baths, candles, and snacks are great comforts to me and help me to center myself during or after long writing sessions. I also drink a ton of tea. I have a whole collection of loose leaf teas depending on my mood and need.

SB: Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

DOE: Sleepy, driven, quiet, creative, and caring.

SB: Do you have a favorite movie?

DOE: It’s a close call between Spirited Away and A silent Voice. Both of these animated movies are near and dear to my heart.

I watched Spirited Away when I was eleven or twelve, and maybe a hundred more times since. The magic in that movie is so interesting. I would watch a million movies with Chihiro, Haku, and the insane, vibrant world Ghibli brought to screen. It’s been an inspiration for ages now.

I watched A Silent Voice when it came out in 2016. This movie is a rollercoaster of emotion, so be warned. The main themes have to do with mental health and redemption. It’s hard to not love all the imperfect characters and cheer for them to find stability and happiness in some way, even when they really mess up. It’s hard to believe they fit so much in a movie runtime. I can’t help but cry every time I watch it.

SB: Oh, I also LOVE ‘Spirited Away’ and Ghibi films!

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot?

DOE: It would have to be between a fox, a phoenix, or a butterfly. Foxes, especially fennecs, are my favorite animal. I always jump like a kid when I go to visit them at the zoo, even if they are always sleeping. Foxes would be it if I went for the cute factor. A phoenix or butterfly both have themes in their spiritual meanings that pertain to the main theme in the Arigale series, as well as another book I’m planning that has a lot to do with dreams, death, and the choices we make. I believe all of my work is going to deal with death on some level.

Thank you!!!

Arigale: Spite in the Spirit

by Denise O. Eaton

Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy

Judith and Chit are called to the lonely tower outside their city with little explanation. The one who summoned them is an old Elven wizard named Maleth, who will send them on a quest to lower their floating city of Arigale to where it once resided. Maleth is intrigued by Judith’s strange form of necromantic magic, yet he is also certain of the anxious young man training to be a spearman and scholar.

Judith, a bubbly yet mysterious young woman, is eager to accept. Chit remains withdrawn and cautious, a remnant of being raised by the Order that presides over their land. Soon, both discover their meeting with the wizard carried dire consequences. Can they accomplish what has been asked of them and save Arigale by exploring the land below, no matter the lengths they must go to?

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Denise O. Eaton grew up in a small town in southern Missouri, and from a young age, she chose fantasy literature as a means to broaden her horizons within her rural community. Following this passion and wishing to give back to others, she went on to earn a degree in Creative Writing from Webster University in December 2014. The Arigale series is her first foray into publishing, and she has been working on it since 2019. When she isn’t writing she enjoys meeting with her Dungeons and Dragons group, watching fantasy and anime shows, practicing tarot, or planning her next cosplay costume.

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