Katherine Briggs crafted her first monster story at age three by coloring in notebooks and dictating to her mom. Since graduating from crayons to laptop, she continues to devour and weave fantasy tales while enjoying chai tea. Four novels later, she graduated in Craftsman Fiction from Jerry B. Jenkin’s Christian Writers Guild, which opened the doors to writing mentors including bestselling author DiAnn Mills, conferences, contest finals and wins, short fiction and novel publication, critique partners, and friends. She, her co-adventurer husband, and rescue dog reside outside Houston, where she classically educates amazing middle school students, teaches ESL to adults, and enjoys studying other languages. Katherine loves tea, her coadventurer husband, her rescue dog, reading, outside (dog’s favorite word, too), clean hip-hop/rap, language, ballet, classical education, and hanging out with you via her Story Newsletter and Instagram!
Visit Katherine Briggs online
The Immortal Abyss
Seize the throne. Seek the legend and conquer the Abyss. Nations rise and fall in the aftermath of war over the Eternity Gate. The corrupted desert throne stands empty, and the Immortal Abyss awakens. Drought ravages the continent, and people long for the rebirth of a starpalm, who will rise from among mortals and end their judgment. Orphaned at birth, Tol grew up hiding in the farthest corners of the desert, training under powerful rebel fire wielders. She now dedicates her life to the Rebellion’s cause to seize the throne and Abyss from the surviving dynasty and deliver both to the coming deity. Chosen as the Rebellion’s messenger, she travels to reach sympathizers capable of identifying the starpalm. Familiar figures haunt her dreams, and her path twists with every step she takes. Can Tol fulfill her purpose and summon a legend? Or will her country perish under the judgment of the twin gates?
- ISBN: B0CXHL4JDK
- Publisher: Enclave Escape
Interview with Katherine Briggs
This is the sequel to your debut published novel, The Eternity Gate. What message do you hope your readers take away from this latest release?
Thank you so much for interviewing me, Tiffany!
After reading The Immortal Abyss, I hope readers will be inspired to never give up on what is good. Your actions change the world. You are important to God.
You have multiple irons in the fire with teaching middle schoolers and adults, but you name your husband as your co-adventurer in life. What literary pilgrimages (if any) have you taken for book research? What was your favorite and what did you discover or learn?
We have traveled to states offering beautiful rock formations, such as New Mexico and Colorado. Hiking and exploring these gorgeous spots inspired portions of the worldbuilding in The Immortal Abyss. For the desert described in the story, I was delighted to find real life charcoal-colored sand along the volcanic coast of the big island of Hawaii. Picking a favorite literary pilgrimage is too hard! All are gorgeous testimonies to God’s unsurpassed creativity.
As writers, we often must be careful of our word count. Sometimes, that means snipping bits of what we write during the revision process. That being said, what did you edit OUT of this book?
If I’m remembering correctly, I edited between 6,000-10,000 words out of The Immortal Abyss! A wise writer friend and beta reader reminded me that many words can be cut at the sentence level, which was a relief to hear as I began tackling my word count. As far as scenes go, the opening was (of course) rewritten many times. There were a handful of scenes toward the middle of the book that did not serve to forward the plot or pacing, which were also cut. An ancillary antagonist also didn’t make it to the final draft. Such are the causalities of strengthening story!
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I think some of the best money I’ve spent on writing is paying for postage mailing physical ARCs to early readers and books to giveaway winners. That always makes me happy.
Readers love reviewing books they’ve read, and we authors can’t resist checking those reviews. Some of them can sting a bit, but the good ones find a special place in our hearts. Do you have any feedback from a specific reader that had a significant impact on you? What was it?
Three cheers for book reviews! They help stories so much. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every reader email, post, message, and letter. The feedback that impacts me the most are those describing how the reader felt seen through the story or how The Eternity Gate and The Immortal Abyss helped them see Jesus. What an incredible honor.
You’ve developed a love for language and culture. How has writing full-length fiction allowed you to explore that further and what have you learned from the process so far?
Writing naturally strengthens our grasp of language, and getting to know characters requires a deep dive into their culture, beliefs, and experiences. For language, I enjoy the challenge of painting enough of the picture so readers can connect to what “we’re seeing together” and then color the rest of the world for themselves. This is a tall order for genres driven by setting, particularly those involving “other worlds.” It’s a constant learning opportunity.
In addition to writing novels, you’ve also written short stories and articles, appeared on podcasts, conducted multiple interviews, and performed classical ballets in addition to your work as a classical and ESL teacher. What is one habit or practice that helps you strike a balance among all of that?
I’m reminded that we work through seasons. Faithfulness and prayer are important, and even the Proverbs 31 woman likely didn’t accomplish everything she’s known for in one day! Lately, especially during busy book launch seasons, I’m practicing prioritizing my tasks by importance whenever possible. If I leave things I love, like brainstorming and drafting new stories, to the end of the day, it can get shuffled aside.
You moved among several states in the U.S., in addition to multiple countries around the world. Although it might be difficult narrowing them down, what was one defining moment that inspired something significant for your life?
I remember returning to the U.S. after several months overseas and experiencing culture shock in response to my own country. The streets were so wide. People laughed freely and boisterously. Soda and bread tasted different. Why didn’t I feel at home in my homeland? Through wrestling with this, I hope I grew in my ability to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I learned to love my country with greater understanding, and it reminded me that our true home is in Heaven.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I was blessed with parents who supported my writing. They signed me up for the One Year Adventure Novel high school writing curriculum, and I would definitely do that again. But as far as differently goes, if I lived those years again, I wish I had better understood that first drafts are supposed to be messy!
You enjoy rocking out to clean hip-hop/rap, and you write for the inspirational market. How do your faith and spiritual walk play out in your writing?
I pray while I brainstorm and write. I need God’s help to get the work done, and I want my imperfect stories to bring him glory. The fantasy genre gives unique opportunities to explore “what if?” questions. This requires me to seek counsel from others and sharpen my understanding of what the Bible defines as true, good, and beautiful.
Finish this statement: In the future, I will…
Lord-willing, write a story that’s been in my subconscious for about fifteen years. After hibernating as a short story idea for so long, it recently woke up and told me it would like to be a fantasy trilogy! But there’s one more story I want to write first . . . ;)
Anything extra you’d like to add?
Again, thank you for the opportunity to chat today!
If you enjoyed this interview, I hope you’ll check out The Eternity Gate and The Immortal Abyss. I also love connecting with reader friends via my once-every-two-months-ish email newsletter at www.katherinebriggs.com. I send new subscribers my science fiction and fantasy short story collection Experiments and Enchantment.
Thanks for sharing with us, Katherine!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having an active imagination and a flair for the dramatic. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who works as a homeschool mom and independent contractor, helping others become their best from the inside out. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Kentucky. They have a daughter and son, and 2 cats. She has sold over 25 books so far, three of which have won annual reader's choice awards. She is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. (www.tiffanyamberstockton.com)
"
Thank you so much for interviewing me, Tiffany!
After reading The Immortal Abyss, I hope readers will be inspired to never give up on what is good. Your actions change the world. You are important to God.
You have multiple irons in the fire with teaching middle schoolers and adults, but you name your husband as your co-adventurer in life. What literary pilgrimages (if any) have you taken for book research? What was your favorite and what did you discover or learn?
We have traveled to states offering beautiful rock formations, such as New Mexico and Colorado. Hiking and exploring these gorgeous spots inspired portions of the worldbuilding in The Immortal Abyss. For the desert described in the story, I was delighted to find real life charcoal-colored sand along the volcanic coast of the big island of Hawaii. Picking a favorite literary pilgrimage is too hard! All are gorgeous testimonies to God’s unsurpassed creativity.
As writers, we often must be careful of our word count. Sometimes, that means snipping bits of what we write during the revision process. That being said, what did you edit OUT of this book?
If I’m remembering correctly, I edited between 6,000-10,000 words out of The Immortal Abyss! A wise writer friend and beta reader reminded me that many words can be cut at the sentence level, which was a relief to hear as I began tackling my word count. As far as scenes go, the opening was (of course) rewritten many times. There were a handful of scenes toward the middle of the book that did not serve to forward the plot or pacing, which were also cut. An ancillary antagonist also didn’t make it to the final draft. Such are the causalities of strengthening story!
What was the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I think some of the best money I’ve spent on writing is paying for postage mailing physical ARCs to early readers and books to giveaway winners. That always makes me happy.
Readers love reviewing books they’ve read, and we authors can’t resist checking those reviews. Some of them can sting a bit, but the good ones find a special place in our hearts. Do you have any feedback from a specific reader that had a significant impact on you? What was it?
Three cheers for book reviews! They help stories so much. From the bottom of my heart, I appreciate every reader email, post, message, and letter. The feedback that impacts me the most are those describing how the reader felt seen through the story or how The Eternity Gate and The Immortal Abyss helped them see Jesus. What an incredible honor.
You’ve developed a love for language and culture. How has writing full-length fiction allowed you to explore that further and what have you learned from the process so far?
Writing naturally strengthens our grasp of language, and getting to know characters requires a deep dive into their culture, beliefs, and experiences. For language, I enjoy the challenge of painting enough of the picture so readers can connect to what “we’re seeing together” and then color the rest of the world for themselves. This is a tall order for genres driven by setting, particularly those involving “other worlds.” It’s a constant learning opportunity.
In addition to writing novels, you’ve also written short stories and articles, appeared on podcasts, conducted multiple interviews, and performed classical ballets in addition to your work as a classical and ESL teacher. What is one habit or practice that helps you strike a balance among all of that?
I’m reminded that we work through seasons. Faithfulness and prayer are important, and even the Proverbs 31 woman likely didn’t accomplish everything she’s known for in one day! Lately, especially during busy book launch seasons, I’m practicing prioritizing my tasks by importance whenever possible. If I leave things I love, like brainstorming and drafting new stories, to the end of the day, it can get shuffled aside.
You moved among several states in the U.S., in addition to multiple countries around the world. Although it might be difficult narrowing them down, what was one defining moment that inspired something significant for your life?
I remember returning to the U.S. after several months overseas and experiencing culture shock in response to my own country. The streets were so wide. People laughed freely and boisterously. Soda and bread tasted different. Why didn’t I feel at home in my homeland? Through wrestling with this, I hope I grew in my ability to put myself in someone else’s shoes. I learned to love my country with greater understanding, and it reminded me that our true home is in Heaven.
If you had to do something differently as a child or teenager to become a better writer as an adult, what would you do?
I was blessed with parents who supported my writing. They signed me up for the One Year Adventure Novel high school writing curriculum, and I would definitely do that again. But as far as differently goes, if I lived those years again, I wish I had better understood that first drafts are supposed to be messy!
You enjoy rocking out to clean hip-hop/rap, and you write for the inspirational market. How do your faith and spiritual walk play out in your writing?
I pray while I brainstorm and write. I need God’s help to get the work done, and I want my imperfect stories to bring him glory. The fantasy genre gives unique opportunities to explore “what if?” questions. This requires me to seek counsel from others and sharpen my understanding of what the Bible defines as true, good, and beautiful.
Finish this statement: In the future, I will…
Lord-willing, write a story that’s been in my subconscious for about fifteen years. After hibernating as a short story idea for so long, it recently woke up and told me it would like to be a fantasy trilogy! But there’s one more story I want to write first . . . ;)
Anything extra you’d like to add?
Again, thank you for the opportunity to chat today!
If you enjoyed this interview, I hope you’ll check out The Eternity Gate and The Immortal Abyss. I also love connecting with reader friends via my once-every-two-months-ish email newsletter at www.katherinebriggs.com. I send new subscribers my science fiction and fantasy short story collection Experiments and Enchantment.
Thanks for sharing with us, Katherine!
__________________________________________________________________________________________
"Tiffany Amber Stockton has been crafting and embellishing stories since childhood, when she was accused of having an active imagination and a flair for the dramatic. Today, she has honed those skills to become an award-winning author and speaker who works as a homeschool mom and independent contractor, helping others become their best from the inside out. She lives with her husband and fellow author, Stuart Vaughn Stockton, in Kentucky. They have a daughter and son, and 2 cats. She has sold over 25 books so far, three of which have won annual reader's choice awards. She is represented by Tamela Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. (www.tiffanyamberstockton.com)
"
For more great interviews, visit our Author Interview Archives.