Reji Ex | Author
1. What inspired you to start writing/creating art, and how has that inspiration evolved over time?
There were multiple factors at play. I was growing up in a house where I felt very out of control of my own life. I lived out in the country where I couldn’t just go to the neighbor kid's house to hangout when I needed a break. I didn’t have cable tv. I did have a typewriter. Yes, in our day in age, I had a typewriter. I read books in school and loved how reading took me away to magical worlds of Greek Gods and wizards, even a battle to the death because of the capital. I realized that I could write my own world. I started with Orion. I didn’t write seriously but when I was stressed out about the day, I’d start writing about Aries and what he did. A lot of it was pre-teen angst. When I hit high school, we were supplied with a laptop and my writing journey went from Aries’s adventures written in drabbles to an actual story. Then, I stopped writing. I got serious about life which was a horrible horrible mistake. I went to school to become a vet tech and wouldn’t you know it, covid happened. We were sent home for quarintening and I was locked in my room where my only escape was writing. I found the discarded story of Orion and took a serious look at it.
2. Can you share the story behind your latest work? What was your creative process like?
My Orion Trilogy has recently concluded with The Blue Bloods of Orion. This was tricky. Aries has been my emotional support character since I was twelve years old and I knew his story was coming to an end. I had to do it right. I knew how the story was supposed to end but the journey to the end was constantly and dramatically changing in my mind. At one point, I had it in my head that Marko was going to lose his character and go on a killing spree, Aries was going to have a dramatic self-revelation, and even Besnik and Roman were going to have a deeper dive into their characters. I knew that the Orion Trilogy was primarily about Aries and I couldn’t stray too far from Aries’s storyline. I ended up rewriting Blue Bloods twelve times before I felt that it was perfected. The story concludes just enough to allow a sequel and leaves enough questions that make the reader want a prequel.
3. What themes or messages do you aim to convey through your work, and why are they important to you?
The most important message that I want my readers to get out of the Orion Trilogy is that trauma doesn’t define you, trauma doesn’t weaken you. Yes, you’ll feel like you’re weak and some days you’ll even feel like you’ve been defeated. I want those days to be the time where my readers pick up my book and remember that they are the heroes in their own stories and that this feeling of weakness and defeat is only temporary. Over all trauma doesn’t define who you are. I know there are days when I have to reread book three to remind myself that the best is yet to come.
4. What advice would you give to aspiring authors/artists who are just starting their journey?
Write the story that you need to hear. Don’t worry about what other people think. Don’t worry about other people’s opinions. Write your story as if you were writing it for yourself and no one else is going to read it.
5. What role has self-publishing or independent production played in your career, and what have you learned from the process?
When I started writing my book, I thought that I would never be published. I started looking into revenues for self-publishing when a friend of mine actually introduced me to her friend who just started her own independent publishing company. Working with Flick It Publishing has been the best decision of my life. Misti is so great and helpful. I went from thinking it was going to be a struggle to get published to knowing that my next five books have a home with Flick It.
6. How do you connect with your audience, and what has been your favorite moment of reader or viewer feedback?
Connecting to my audience has been a bit of a struggle. There are some people that have really loved the book but I feel like I’ve yet to introduce my book to the right audience. I’m eternally grateful for the audience that I’ve accumulated; my book is really starting to take off in the UK. People have told me how they find the series extremely addicting and they can’t put the book down and it makes my day when I hear that. I’m excited for more people to read my book.
7. How do you handle challenges like writer's block or creative burnout, and what motivates you to keep going?
My favorite advice for writer's block is to write about the mundane day of a mundane side character. While I was writing Orion, I was struggling with world-building. I wrote about Besnik's life on Helix. This idea spiralled out of control and now Besnik is not only a beloved main character but also has his own prequel coming out in 2025
8. What’s next for you? Can you share any upcoming projects or future creative goals you’re excited about?
In 2025, I have the prequel to the Orion Trilogy called The Darkside of Orion. I have an LGBT vampire cop romance, Love Sucks. I’ve pitched an idea about the love affair between the Archangel Michael and Lucifer, a young adult novel about my summer camp experience and also the sequel of the Orion Trilogy. I’ve got a lot on my plate, as you can see and I can’t wait to get started.
9. Who are some of your biggest creative influences, and how have they shaped your work or style?
My biggest creative influences are Michael Jackson, Disney, and Dreamworks. I know, I know, they aren’t writers. But it’s their ability to tell a magical story that has really inspired me. I spent a duration down the Disney rabbit hole learning about how Disney World uses scents, speakers, colors, and even optical illusions to create the perfect magical world for visitors. The immersive experience was something that I always found inspiring. Michael Jackson’s music and dedication to storytelling through his “short films” was something that always fascinated me. I could close my eyes and imagine myself in his life with how precise his storytelling ability is. It’s something I aspire to be.
10. How has your personal life or experiences influenced your writing/art, and are there any particular moments that stand out?
It is no secret that I’ve used traumatic life experiences in my stories. Being abused as a child and also the death of my fathers is a very obvious theme in my books. I’ve flipped the script and had Aries, the hero of the story, being the victim. I’ve put Aries on the path of trauma healing where he realizes that his abuser just felt weak and took it out on him. It was something that I couldn’t understand as a child so I retaught myself by having Aries learn it. It was easier for Aries to understand since he was an adult rather than me as a child. Thinking as Aries and how he’d feel and react was more therapeutic than the years of therapy that I was in.
