Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Ephantus Muriuki is talking with Jack Borden, author of The Ants of Fire.

FQ: What a moving adventure this read was for me. Are there particular characters in your book that you hold dearly?

BORDEN: I definitely love Avelyn and Killian. I think there is more to Sitric and Ciara than meets the eye. But I’m fond of Avelyn in particular – she’s based on some people who are close to me. 

FQ: From where did you draw your ideas for this new sequel?

BORDEN: I was thinking about the invasive fire ants that we have here in Texas. I wondered how terrible those creatures would be for tixies. And from there, the idea of fire breathing ants was born.

FQ: Mention one challenge, if any, that you faced when trying to write this book.

BORDEN: Finding time to write remains my most difficult task! It sounds terrible, and I have gotten better at simply being disciplined and making time to write. 

FQ: Croaky is one of the characters that stood out for me because of his warm and vibrant personality. He also goes to great lengths to safeguard the lives of Avelyn and her family. Is he a representation of someone you may have interacted with in your lifetime or just a figment of your imagination?

BORDEN: Croaky is really based on a wonderful dog we had, who got killed in December of 2022. His name was Cookie and he was a shelter dog we got when he was about 8 weeks old, back in 2015. He was a fierce defender of our family, protecting us from snakes and anyone he thought was suspicious. But to us, he was he a giant baby who could loved on. My kids could step all over him and he would smile. You could talk to him, and he really seemed to understand. Croaky is kind of like Cookie, if Cookie was a frog protecting tiny creatures. 

FQ: Do you write the stories and then put in the illustrations? How is that process for you?

BORDEN: I write the story, and get it how I want it, and then work on getting the illustrations right.

FQ: The book cover is catchy and demonstrates creativity at its best with its befitting cover art and choice of colors. It aptly gives us a sneak peek of what to expect in the story, too. How did you come up with such an aesthetic cover?

BORDEN: I love the cover too! Cecily Eiferle is an artist based in East Texas. She created the covers with my input, and I just love her work. She’s doing all the covers for this series.

FQ: Simplifying tough themes to make it easier for the reading audience to grasp is one of this book's strengths. Is it a skill that you developed over time?

BORDEN:  I think, if I have that skill, it is something that has developed over writing thousands of words and imagining more stories than I can write!

FQ: Please give readers who are unfamiliar with your intriguing work a description of what you write and what to expect from you in the future.

BORDEN: Thanks for this interview! I am currently writing book 5 of this series, of a planned seven books. I am enjoying the story, which takes place away from where Avelyn and her family live. Book 4 is my personal favorite so far, and it will be released on November 15, 2024. It’s a wild adventure journey story and I enjoyed writing it a lot. It’s called The Lost City. I hope people enjoy it as much as I did. 

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