Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a mother of two who lives in the Midwest and writes fantasy novels that deal with themes like redemption, faith, loyalty, and friendship. Before I published my first book, I was a registered nurse and have also worked as an IT portfolio manager.

Which writers inspire you?

If I think back to my childhood and what series and author attracted me to reading and to the idea of being a writer, it has to be the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I do see his influence in the themes I choose to incorporate in my books. I also love the Harry Potter series by JK Rowling.

What are you working on at the minute?

This week, I’m finishing Hope’s Promise, Book 2 in the Soulkeeper’s Reborn trilogy.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Finn is a scrawny but scrappy rich kid who, along with his three best friends, records pranks he plays on others and uploads them to the internet. When one prank goes horribly wrong, Finn’s past catches up to him and he’s sentenced to juvenile detention. A mysterious stranger offers him another option, admission to an exclusive and unconventional reform school outside the country. He takes the offer but soon discovers that what he thought would be a way out is really a deadly turn for the worse. If he is to survive, he’ll need to learn to adapt, to trust his friends, and to demand more of himself than he ever has in the past.

If this book is part of a series, tell us a little about the series?

There will be two more books in this trilogy, Hope’s Promise, coming February of 2018 and Lucifer’s Pride, coming soon after that.

What genre is your book and why do you write the genre?

Wager’s Price is Young Adult Paranormal & Urban Fantasy. For me, the fantasy genre allows me to take my characters places that show truth through fiction in a way that I can’t in other genres.

Is there a specific actor/actress/person that you use as a reference for your main characters?

No. But in Wager’s Price, Finn Wager has ADHD and his medicine keeps him from gaining weight, leaving him smaller than the other boys in his class. As a mother of teens and former nurse, I’ve known lots of young men in this situation and drew on my personal experience with a number of people to create Finn.

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?

Although I love all of my characters, there is a special place in my heart for Hope. She’s spent her entire life knowing she’s the last Soulkeeper and that someday she’d have to live up to the name. Although she trains with an angel named Gabriel, she tries her hardest to be a normal human girl, performing with the dance team at her high school, going to parties, and generally avoiding the parts of her role that are more than she’s ready for. So when she’s accused of a crime she didn’t commit and sent to Revelations, knowing that she must solve the mystery of the lost souls, she does so reluctantly.

There’s a part of the book where Hope is undergoing a painful and terrifying trial, and she vocalizes her anger toward God. As a Soulkeeper, she knows first hand that there is a God because He is responsible for her role and the angel who trains her. But for her, that makes her suffering far, far worse. Because knowing there is a God allowing her to suffer seems cruel compared to believing her pain is completely due to chance. So, she’s rather bitter and sullen about her lot in life.

I find her character utterly relatable. I wrote this book right after losing a young family member to a demon of a disease and while my sister endured treatment for AML. Faith is hard in times of trial, no matter what religion you are. Even as an atheist, I think it can be hard to have faith in yourself or others when it seems everything is going wrong. Hope represents that universal struggle in this book.

Why did you decide to become a writer?

At the time I started writing, I had a chronically ill child whose care made it difficult for me to work outside the home. I feel extremely blessed that my readers have enjoyed my novels and spread the word about them. It’s allowed me to help others in a way I would not be able to if I worked a conventional job.

Where do your ideas come from?

I’m a person who believes in a greater power and that all inspiration ultimately comes from a place of love and universal connection. I really don’t know how else to explain it.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

I wouldn’t say that writing is hard, but I do think that reaching readers is getting harder as many people complain they don’t see my posts on social media anymore. It’s difficult to cut through the noise today, even when someone wants to know about your books.

What book/s are you reading at present?

I am currently reading Turtles all the Way Down by John Green and Origin by Dan Brown.

How do you relax?

Cooking, I’ve found, is the most relaxing part of my day.

What is your favorite book and why?

I couldn’t possibly list just one favorite, but I did recently enjoy Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maass and A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman.

Which famous person, living or dead would you like to meet and why?

This is going to sound strange, but as a kid I used to want to be Oprah when I grew up. Then when I grew up, I didn’t want to be her anymore, I just wanted to be LIKE her. I’d love to meet Oprah. I think she’s done so much to make the world a better place.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read deeply within and outside of your genre and take classes on craft that are specific to your genre.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

The best way to learn more about my work is to visit www.gpching.com. If what you want to know most as a reader is when the next book will come out, the best thing to do is to join my newsletter list at http://smarturl.it/GPChingVIPlist. I am not the type of author who spams their readers with frequent emails. Usually, I send out about 4-6 per year, mostly to inform readers about new releases or sales. If you want to get to know me on a more personal level, ask me a specific question about a book, or perhaps message me about my books, you should join my Facebook group, G.P. Ching’s Fearless Readers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/450457555307350/.