TBE: The world in “Fate: Cast of Light” feels both alien and familiar at the same time. What inspired the unique features of this world, like the sentient forest, the daytime stars, and the peculiar yellow-spotted apples that Kael is so obsessed With?
Diamond Ross: I’ve always been drawn to the line between familiar and unfamiliar. A lot of my poems and narratives live in that space where reality and fantasy coexist—not fighting each other, just layered together. With Fate, I wanted that same feeling. Something recognizable, but skewed just enough to keep you uneasy. I didn’t want to throw Harper—or the reader—into a world that felt entirely alien, because sometimes the most haunting tension lives in what we almost recognize, but don’t.
And honestly, I just love weird little quirks. Things that don’t necessarily matter to the plot but breathe personality into the world and characters. Daytime stars. A forest with opinions. Yellow-spotted apples that Kael is weirdly obsessed with for absolutely no reason other than… he just is. It makes the world feel lived-in. Strange, sure—but still alive.
TBE: Harper’s relationship with CJ seems to be deliberately unsatisfying from the beginning. Was this relationship designed as a contrast to what she finds with Elric and Kael, and how did you approach writing the emotional transition from her human relationship to these new connections?
Diamond Ross: I didn’t create her relationship with CJ just to contrast what she finds with Elric and Kael—I created it to feel real. There’s nothing inherently wrong with CJ. But sometimes, relationships become too familiar. They settle. The spark fades, communication slips, and it all starts to feel… muted. That’s not necessarily his fault, or hers. It’s just what happens.
Harper might’ve always been capable of more, but it’s possible she didn’t know how to ask for it—or didn’t believe she could have it. Maybe she let things go dull without meaning to. Maybe she clung to fantasy more than reality. Elric and Kael aren’t necessarily “better” than CJ. They’re just new. And she’s new, too—in this world, in herself. Sometimes we mistake intensity for connection, or potential for destiny. And we project what we want onto whoever happens to be in front of us.
The grass isn’t always greener… it’s just growing somewhere we’ve never stood before. And that alone can feel like magic. Even if it’s not.
TBE: The blue stone seems to represent something significant about Harper’s character and her choices. Without giving away too much, could you talk about what the different stones symbolize and how they connect to the larger themes of fate and choice in your story?
Diamond Ross: There’s this almost playful blur between choice and destiny—like a web that’s too tangled to pull apart cleanly. That’s what I wanted to explore. Not “one or the other,” but the mess in between. Harper thinks she’s being pulled toward a single path—the blue stone. To her, it feels like the obvious one, the right one. The blue stone holds so much promise, but… promises aren’t always comforting. They can be binding, too.
It represents inevitability. A future that feels chosen for her, even when she’s technically the one choosing it. That’s part of the tension: the illusion of choice versus the weight of choosing anyway.
There’s a reason it calls to her—but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Or kind.
As for the other two stones… their stories haven’t finished unraveling yet. So I’ll leave that part tucked away for now.
TBE: The dynamic between Elric and Kael is fascinating – they’re clearly close but also competitive. How did you develop their relationship, and was it challenging to balance their distinct personalities while maintaining their bond?
Diamond Ross: Oh! You have no idea the inner turmoil I go through writing those two. I’m obsessed with their dynamic—the fire, the banter, the quiet loyalty buried under all that tension. It’s playful, it’s intense… it’s brotherhood, it’s frenemy, it’s everything.
Was it challenging? Absolutely. I wanted their relationship to constantly walk the line between love and hate—like one sharp breath could tip it either way. There’s an unspoken trust between them, but also a shadow—something lingering, unaddressed. Their bond is as gray and complicated as they are, and I think that’s what makes it so addictive to write… and hopefully just as addictive to read.
TBE: There’s a beautiful scene where Elric creates a magical date experience for Harper, complete with an enchanted chest that releases colors into the sky. What was your inspiration for creating these magical moments that feel both romantic and otherworldly?
Diamond Ross: Honestly… Elric’s just smooth like that. I wanted a moment that wasn’t overly performative, but still let him charm Harper in a way that felt natural to him—and a little disarming to her. But more than that, I wanted to give the reader a taste of what magic in this world feels like. Since the story’s a slow burn—not just the romance, but the worldbuilding too—I wanted to sneak in these little bursts of wonder. Something to remind everyone that Fate’s world isn’t like ours, even if it brushes up against it in familiar ways. There’s a lot still to be revealed, but I wanted this scene to feel like the first real breath of something bigger, something strange and beautiful, just starting to unfold.
TBE: The “tests” that Harper must face seem to have deeper significance beyond simple obstacles. How do these tests connect to your overall theme about destiny versus choice?
Diamond Ross: The tests are about calling Harper out. They expose her patterns—how she keeps choosing what feels like fate, hoping the glitter means gold. The blue stone is the perfect example. It pulls her in like it’s destiny… but is it? Or is she just choosing the same shiny thing over and over, romanticizing the chaos because it feels like a story? It’s a direct contrast to how she dulled herself down in her old life. She craved fantasy, but now she’s living it—and the question is whether she’ll keep falling for the illusion, or finally choose something real.
TBE: I loved the bonus scene where Harper catches Kael and Elric bathing – it’s both humorous and revealing about their characters. What made you decide to include this more lighthearted moment, and do you think humor is important in fantasy storytelling?
Diamond Ross: Oh boy, that scene! I wanted something totally outside the main plot that still showed who these characters really are when they’re not fighting, scheming, or emotionally imploding. This story is only going to get darker and more intense, so moments like this are little breathers—tiny love letters to the characters and their dynamics. And yes, I’m a huge fan of humor. Fantasy doesn’t need it, but life isn’t just one tone. Even in the darkest stories, I love when there’s a spark of something else—something absurd or warm or just plain stupid. That contrast makes everything hit harder.
TBE: Your writing style shifts beautifully between emotional depth, tense action, and playful banter. Which aspects of the story did you find most enjoyable to write, and which were the most challenging?
Diamond Ross: The banter—hands down. It was both the most fun and the most difficult. These characters, especially Kael and Elric, have such distinct voices and layered history, and I wanted that to land. Their dynamic had to be sharp, flirty, competitive, a little cruel, and loaded with things they’re not saying out loud. That’s a lot to juggle in just a few lines of dialogue! But honestly, I love it. I’m so proud of their banter—it might be my favorite part of writing them.
TBE: I noticed you included both a character Q&A and a teaser for the next episode at the end of the book. What inspired this interactive approach to connecting with your readers, and how do you envision the relationship between author and audience in fantasy literature?
Diamond Ross: I wanted to give readers a little something extra—something that makes the world feel alive even outside the plot. The character Q&A was my way of letting fans hang out with them a bit, like getting to eavesdrop behind the scenes. And the teaser? That’s for the chaos lovers. I see the author-reader relationship in fantasy as a trust pact—we go deep together, we escape together, and sometimes we just get to laugh at bonus content between the trauma. I want readers to feel like they’re part of it, not just witnessing it.
