What Inspires My World: A Q&A with Readers

I love hearing what readers want to know about the world I built and the characters who live in it. I recently opened a question box on Instagram, and your responses were amazing. So let's dive into them.

Q: The inspiration behind your FMC?

A: My Noel was (as cliché as it sounds) inspired by me. When I first started her character design, the reference was my picture, and I asked the artist to capture what stood out for her. The long, black hair, the figure, the dark eyes, and long lashes, all of it was the foundation for what became a well-rounded character. The rest of the physical details came with the progression of the story as I was writing my first draft. I think I was able to picture her best from Theron's eyes because whenever I wrote from his POV, I wrote as a man in love. Well, a volkin in love.

As for Noel's personality, I knew from the very beginning that I wanted a broken soul to fix the world. I have longed for an angry woman, and knew Noel fits the arc best.

When I first started writing The Rose and the Guardian, I began with the prophecy before I even had any idea what the book would be about. After a whole night of writing and rewriting, I knew I had six women. Therefore, six books (for now).

Art By Amber

While writing the first chapter from Noel's POV, the ideas came to me one after another. I already felt so connected to her that when I got my very first feedback on her, I got offended and felt as if my little darling was insulted. Of course an author must go through this to grow a thicker skin, but having anyone say anything bad about my Noel was heartbreaking (now it's fine though. I have thicker skin than an elephant and I'm way too confident with my characters and world so...).

Now that the book is out, even though her story is far from over, I am proud of what she has done and what she has been through. Noel and I went through lots of learning together, so she was (and will be) my forever little darling.

I hope people will connect with her the way I did. Actually, my mom considers her as part of our family since I talked about her so much, and I continue giving snippets of her future arc.

I love that Noel is cold and strict, and when Theron gave her the opportunities to be soft and even funny (she has a great sense of humor, I'd say, but I'm biased). And I loved seeing her grow in both personality and strength. I also love that at the end of the book, she becomes this ruthless, broken woman with a very big goal. In future books, you will meet her through a different lens. A lens of a powerful and sometimes cruel woman, but never unjust. Noel has earned it with roses and blood, and I love her the way she is. Even wounded and not perfect. Well, she is perfect for me.

Q: When will we get more of the universe you've created?

A: As of November 2025, I am writing The Warden and the Warrior, the first book in the parallel series. Earthly Ties is in the same universe as The Rose and the Guardian. The Warden and the Warrior will feature characters we've met in Ethereal Ties (be ready for matchmaking chaos with Elder Aina and the village grannies) and will be a separate series, set in the same world and timeline. I would recommend reading my books in the same order I publish them, but Earthly Ties could be read on its own. In The Warden and the Warrior, we will dive into the daily life in Avera, and the stories will be romance-focused, while in Ethereal Ties, it's more fantasy and lore-heavy. I won't disclose the main characters now, but when you see them in my future teasers, I promise you'll get excited.

I'm currently having the time of my life writing about V*** and T***.

Q: What was your inspiration for writing this unique novel?

A: Here comes another cliché answer (sorry in advance): I couldn’t find what I wanted to read. I wanted a lore-heavy monster romance with feminine rage at its core.

I wanted to write a story centered on feminine power. Not equality, not comparison, just the raw strength women carry.

I wanted a story that revolves around the beauty of femininity, and what better way to show it through Theron's eyes? Even better, I have so many MMCs to show the different angles of a child of nature.

Actually, I'm Slavic on my mother's side, and I grew up with tales, stories, and Slavic culture (I'm also fluent in one Slavic language, but I won't disclose which one for privacy). I felt that this beautiful part of human nature was missing in my favorite genre, so I decided to take it upon myself and write it.

I decided to create a whole new world and timeline from the very creation. To create a culture that is inspired by everything I adored as a child and still am. I wanted to create a race of noble, beautiful monsters. And I just had way too many ideas. I love Vatheria, and I love Avera and all its residents.

Every time I sit down and write, I feel at home.

Well, that's it for today. A first blog on my beautiful website about my beautiful world. Thank you so much for reading it, and I hope to release The Warden and the Warrior soon.

If you didn't know, I have a Facebook group where you can discuss and upload anything related to my books. You can join here:

Nicole A. Sterling's Monster Lair