Q&A: Moniquill Blackgoose, Author of ‘To Ride a Rising Storm’

We chat with author Moniquill Blackgoose about To Ride a Rising Storm, which is the epic sequel to the bestselling and multi-award-winning To Shape a Dragon’s Breath and follows a young indigenous woman and her dragon who fight for the independence of their homeland.

Hi, Moniquill! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m an author, maker, costumer, con-goer, and blogger. I’m an enrolled member of the Seaconke Wampanoag tribe, and a descendant of Ousamequin Massasoit. I’m also a phlebotomist. 

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My love of stories starts from the cradle, and my love of having written (which is different from loving the act of writing, I think) starts from age eleven or twelve. 

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: since I’m clinically hyperlexical and have been reading fluently from age three, the actually quite boring answer is probably ‘One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish’ by Dr. Seuss – early reading of Seuss probably primed me for comfort with novel neologisms and eventually conlanging… 
• The one that made you want to become an author: probably one of Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, which I first read around age 12. 
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Watership Down lives in a particular place in my brain. 

To Ride a Rising Storm is the sequel to To Shape a Dragon’s Breath and it’s out January 27^th If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

“Oh no, things got worse!”

For those who haven’t picked up To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, what can readers expect?

A robust and thoroughly explored alternate history, set in the 19th century, viewed through the perspective of a young Indigenous woman leaving her insular community for the first time – and dragons!

And for those who have, what’s to come in To Ride a Rising Storm?

More of that, and the escalation of colonizer opposition to Anequs and her people as she comes into her own power and understanding of the world she lives in and how it’s changing. 

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

I’ve very pleased with the way various character arcs and relationships are proceeding, and there are a few new characters introduced in book two that I really hope my audience will love. 

Did you face any challenges with the sequel? How did you overcome them?

I’ve never before written a sequel to a work that was already published and thus had an established canon that I had to stick with – it’s certainly been a learning experience.

What’s next for you?

Currently working on the third and final book of the Nampeshiweisit trilogy! 

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

Next on my reading list is ‘A Psalm for the Wild Built’, by Becky Chambers.