Author Chat with Morgan L. Busse on Her New Steampunk Adventure, Secrets in the Mist
I am thrilled to welcome Morgan L. Busse back to the blog! She is one of my favorite speculative fiction authors, so the minute I saw an advance reader opportunity for her next release, I applied. This story is a hold-on-and-don’t-let-go adventure, and I’m craving the sequel. Read on to learn more about Morgan and her new steampunk novel, Secrets in the Mist.
Q: What is one random fact about yourself that not many people know?
All right, this is really random and somewhat strange: I don’t like food touching my lips when I eat. Seriously. I try to open my mouth big enough so I can take a bite without the food touching my lips. And I use a ton of napkins when I eat so if I do get food on my lips, I wipe it away right away. There you go, random and strange!
Q: Today, we’re featuring your novel Secrets in the Mist on the blog. Would you share what inspired you to write this story, or how this story began?
This story started as a little joke. Years ago when I was finishing my first steampunk series and zombies were a big thing, my husband said I should do a mash-up steampunk zombie story. I laughed, but then I imagined this world where people had to live on mountaintops or on airships because the world was covered in a mist that turned people into zombies.
I never thought I would write that story, but when I shared the idea with a couple publishers, I had a lot of interest and Secrets in the Mist was born.
Q: Cass has so much personality, and frankly, I wish I could be friends with her in real life. Did you base her character off of someone you know, or what prompted you to write her the way you did?
I wanted to write a character different than the other female characters I’ve written before: one who was more outgoing, spunky, a survivor, and blunt. As I began to form Cass’s character, I realized a lot of her personality was similar to my youngest daughter. So whenever I wondered what Cass would do, I would think, “What would Maki do?” Because of this, Secrets in the Mist was dedicated to my firecracker daughter.
Q: Let’s talk about the Turned. These people-turned-zombies vary in physical decay and intelligence. In short, they’re totally creepy! What gave you the idea of a mist that takes over people’s bodies and uses them as hosts?
I wanted to stay as close to science as possible and not have your usual zombie story. I decided to go with spores as the cause for the Mist because most of the time, spores cannot penetrate the human body. But there are very few that can use the bloodstream to circulate the body and there are even some that can take over the host and use the body.
I also wanted the cause of the spores to be a benevolent/pacifist reason. Biorformin, which is what I call this spore, was created to end a war by incapacitating the other side with as little as possible bloodshed. Instead, there was an unforeseen side affect by which the spores used humans as a food source and then used the body as a host. I did not want the humans to still be alive in some capacity, but rather the soul is gone and all that remains is a husk. Creepy, scary way to go, but not gory and no eating of brains!
Q: One of my favorite characters is Captain Gresley. At one point, he tells Cass, “Every time it feels like the world is out of control, all I have to do is look up, and I remember there is an order to everything.” Why is this message so important for young people to understand today?
First, Captain Gresley was one of the first characters that stepped into this story. I based him on the actor Michael Clarke Duncan. I pictured him as this huge intimidating man who is really just a teddy bear with a big smile who sees God everywhere. He sees God in the stars, in the sunrise, the cool wind, and he is never alone. This is his faith. This is also my faith. I connect most with God through nature. I see his fingerprints everywhere and it reminds me that I’m not alone.
I wanted to convey this same faith to my readers. Sometimes we can be so caught up in our worries and fears that God disappears. I found that when I take a moment to be quiet, to hear a bird sing or enjoy a sunset, I remember that even though the world seems totally out of control, God is still there (and in control). No matter who is on this earthly throne, God is bigger than him or her, and he’s still running this world. And I can have hope and comfort in that fact.
Q: Fiction often speaks truth just as loudly as non-fiction. If you could leave your reader with one parting truth nugget from this story, what would it be?
Like I said above, that God is in control. And he cares about the little things as well as the big things. The poor people as much as the rich. Everything, even if it doesn’t seem like it because God is always working in the background.
Q: How can readers stay in touch with you?
The best way is through my newsletter and social media sites. Here are those links:
- Website: www.morganlbusse.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/morganlbusseauthor
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/morganlbusse/
- Twitter: twitter.com/MorganLBusse (@MorganLBusse)
Q: Can you tell us when the second book in the duology is set to release?
Book two releases August 2022. I haven’t revealed the title yet because it’s a hint as to what happened in book 1 (so I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone yet). The book is already with my editor, so readers can rest assured they will find out the rest of the story next year!
About the Author
I’m a writer by day and a mother by night. I write fantasy and steampunk novels and sometimes dabble in science fiction. I’m the author of the critically acclaimed Follower of the Word series, The Soul Chronicles, and award-winning Ravenwood Saga. When I’m not writing, I love to play games, take long walks, and dream about my next novel.
About Secrets in the Mist
In a world where humanity lives in the sky to escape a deadly mist below, Cass’s only goal is survival. That is, until she finds a job on the airship Daedalus as a diver. Now she explores ruined cities, looking for treasure and people’s lost heirlooms until a young man hires her to find the impossible: a way to eradicate the Mist.
Theodore Winchester is a member of one of the Five Families that rule the skies. Following in his father’s footsteps, he searches for the source of the Mist and hopes to stop the purges used to control overpopulation. But what he finds are horrifying secrets and lethal ambition. If he continues his quest, it could mean his own death.
The Mist is rising and soon the world will be enveloped in its deadly embrace, turning what’s left of humanity into the undead.
