Q:  How did you initially get involved?

I started with Takamo Universe as a glossary writer. My job was to compile information about species and nations found in the universe to create a general reference. One day Randy asked me if I was a writer and of course I was excited to try my hand in the universe, so I began with a series of short stories about the Ogonin siblings that eventually became the first book, Atlas of Lies. Funny enough, I think Randy tricked me into the novel through these shorter form increments and it's really been a pressure-free way to write, so I'm happy I took him up on the offer.

Q: The Ogonin Trials are set in Takamo Universe. Can you tell us a bit about it?

My story begins 40 000 years after the initial conflict found in Empire's Rift. Some of the major tech like fold gates and cybernetics show up, as do some of the companies and nations. Horta Galaxy has basically become an oligarchy, run by the heirs to major trading companies. The heroes in Ogonin Trials must wrestle with their inner desire for justice and freedom as they realize that the leaders they once followed are not as benevolent as they once believed. Corii Ogonin, the protagonist, is ex-military. Ever since an incident left her maimed, she left her post and started a salvaging company that crosses the region to collect and preserve ancient history and tech. What she finds on one distant plant, Kadien 5, is the impetus for Atlas of Lies.

Q: Is this book a stand-alone story or the first of a series? Did you have the whole series planned out from the beginning, or have things evolved in ways you didn't expect?

This is the first of two books, possibly three if I decide to tell the story of the Ogonin parents, though I'm not sure how much juice that could take so it may be a few years into the future. I can say with certainty that the climax of Atlas of Lies is only the catalyst for what's to come in the next book, Clash of Traitors. As I was coming to the end, I had already revealed certain relationships and events that will evolve into the greater picture and I believe the twist at the end is what really sets the stage for the second book.

Q: Can you give us some insight into your main character?

Corii Ogonin is called Justice Incarnate by her father, who was himself a principled colonel of the Republic. Like her father, Corii sees what her superiors do and she’s enraged by the injustice they stand for. She would likely never have been swayed out of the military had they kept their word and paid for her reconstructive surgeries after the incident, but this was only the first instance that showed her how duplicitous the military and political leaders of Horta really are. She never set out to solve the worlds' problems, but she is not the kind of person to let sleeping dogs lie. As more information about trouble in Horta is revealed, Corii gains resolve in her quest for justice, reason and freedom across the galaxy.

Q: How do you feel your characters will evolve throughout the series?

Corii and her siblings are coming into their own powers through the series of trials they face. Corii is a born leader and her tactics prove to her followers she can be trusted in battle and diplomacy. She begins this story being fearful to lose people through her own misjudgments and through the actions of others. She learns to trust herself above all else and to lead with reason so that she can save lives.

Corii's younger sister, Leranu, is a spitfire genius with the computational brain power of a quantum computer. She begins this story feeling quite haughty, but soon becomes humbled to the point of feeling like a liability. She uses her mind to buff up her defenses and become a force to be reckoned with. but she still must learn that brawn does not replace training, so there is plenty of time for her to grow more audacious in book two.

The Ogonin brother, Danii, is not well understood by Corii in this novel. She knows him as a criminal, but his true nature only begins to be revealed after their paths collide. Danii's plans and intentions will come to the forefront in the next book as his prowess as businessman and diplomat are required for future deals. One thing that can be said of Danii is that he is selfish in the most divine meaning of the word. He preserves the values in his life, but the question is, will that include the whole of Horta?

Q: How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurred you on?

I started writing in grade school and I've been prolific ever since. You can get a taste of my writings on my website, kassandradick.ca. I think it all began when I moved from picture books to novels. I didn't want to read the babysitter club when I was in grade five. Instead I was obsessed with Steven King. His capacity for creative plots and characters fueled my desire to invent the best stories I possibly could. Ultimately though, the book that convinced me I owe the world great things was Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. After reading that incredible novel, I knew I had to ask more of myself in terms of the ideas, characters, and morals I wanted to share with the world. Ogonin Trials, is my first opportunity to put into practice the principles of reason, justice, individualism, and freedom as my themes. I think the sci-fi setting is perfect practice since it enables readers to escape our current conflicts, but bear witness to the kind of universe we might be left with if we don't fight for those principles now.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process, and why?

My favorite part about writing is writing. I love typing endlessly and witnessing the scenes take shape, and the characters grow. I can hear dialogue in my mind and see battles laid out, so I really enjoy executing what appears in my mind's eye. Outlining is fun and research is necessary, but straight writing for hours at a time is just where it's at. I don't have a least favorite part. I might say editing, but that's really not true because editing is just writing, but getting to read your story at the same time. You can reflect on whether things make sense and are visual and memorable and all that, so it's actually quite relaxing. I think finding a publisher is the hardest part of writing, so I'm eternally grateful to Randy and the whole team at Takamo.

Q: What's next? Do you have more new and exciting projects you are working on at the moment?

I am of course getting started on book two, but I am also going to be switching over to crime mysteries and designing a series that follows the work of Amanda Reid, a police officer who appears in my first book, Habit. She will begin her series as a new detective, freshly placed in the small town of Grand Forks, BC, where she is faced with a most heinous and unusual suicide, if it really is a suicide...

Apart from writing, I am also in school to become a pilot, hence the handle where you can find me on X and instagram: @poet.in.flight

Interview courtesy of Takamo Universe, FIND MORE GREAT SCIFI TITLES HERE