Today I'm interviewing the great Mariya_Evans! They are the author of The Assassin's Scars and The Amarian Chronicles series. Read on for tidbits in award-winning TAS, peeks into assassin life, inspiration for the series and more!

Legend:

TWA: Your fellow interviewer :D

Mariya: Mariya_Evans

TWA: Hi! I'm The Word Artist, and I come from Author Insights. Please reply to this interview when you'd like to begin!Also, do you have any nickname that I can call you as?

Mariya: Hello! You can call me Mariya.

TWA: It is really an honour to interview you, Mariya! Could you tell me and the reader(s) a bit about yourself? It can be as personal as you wish, or just your books.

Mariya: Sure! I'm in my early 20s and have been seriously writing for a little over a year now. The main genre I've written is fantasy/action, and I've written that in multiple styles including letter-style in some of my short stories. I tried my hand at a rom-com that severely needs editing. My favorite part of writing is the characters. ✨️ 

 I work in emergency medicine, so while I don't write medical stuff, I do incorporate some of the things I've seen into my writing. I find that even when trying to write light and humorous things, I generally end up with dark humor, so it's safe to say that everything I've written is on the darker side with a fair does of violence. I enjoy reading a variety of genres including fantasy, action-adventure, and sci-fi. The genre that I dislike the most is probably romance though I occasionally do enjoy reading that as well. 

TWA: Ooh, incorporating medicine in your stories? That is quite interesting.So I expect you put in a lot of thought into your characters?

Mariya: I do, yes. They all have very unique personalities! ✨️

TWA: Could you tell me about a character you enjoyed writing about?

Mariya: My favorite character is Angie, who doesn't have much of a place in the story till later. She's very aggressive and only cares about herself, so she's a villain in some aspects. However, readers that get far enough see another side of her--a slightly nicer one. She just has a lot of sad backstory. I write in her POV a few times, though most of the story sticks to Sophie and Duke's POVs. 

 My second favorite character is Darius (He's a reader favorite). I don't use his POV at all, but I don't really have to seeing as everyone knows exactly what he's thinking and feeling just by his actions and speech. He has some bad habits, but in the end, he cares more about Sophie than anything else in his life, and he's willing to sacrifice in order to protect her.

TWA: Haha I've seen the positive reception for Darius from other readers too! Speaking of The Assassin's Scars... let's talk about it. Could you please tell the reader what it's about?

Mariya: Sure! TAS is set in the fictional country of Amaria, which is like a medieval England with outlaws (think Robin Hood). The book focuses on the Veiled Forest and the outlaws that live there. The main character is Sophie, an assassin for one of the Guardian Clans of the forest, and the story mostly follows her and my other MC, Duke. 

 Really, the overarching theme of the series is trauma and how it changes someone (there's a pretty big focus on romance, which is hindered because of past trauma), but throughout the series, the plot is driven by the clan and the conflict they face.

TWA: I did get that medieval vibe from your cover, the world, and also how they talk too! That Amarian accent is quite distinct. 

 Ooh, I'm so excited to interview you about the world! Trauma is quite a serious and deep topic to write about. I assume it plays a big role. Why did you choose trauma to write about? How does it affect the characters and the plot?

Mariya: Yes, the language is a bit different though not too far from English. I didn't want it to be hard to understand (people on WP don't read prefaces, lol). 

 Actually, I didn't start the story with the intent to look at trauma so closely. When I was still back in the planning stages, Sophie wasn't even the first character I created. Also, TAS doesn't focus quite as much on trauma and its effect as much as the rest of my series simply because my most traumatized character is pretty closed off at this point. 

 I think that with the things I've encountered with work etc., it was just meant to be a story about trauma. So many writers want their characters to be traumatized, and that's fine, but I'm sick of seeing them overcome that trauma because *one* person loves them or says something nice to them. That's not how trauma works. It takes years, and most people are never ever free of its effects. If you write trauma-ridden backstories than you'd better be prepared to write its effects for the rest of the story, not just until your character finds love. I wanted to depict that. It has to be frustrating for victims of abuse to see poorly written trauma (though of course everyone deals with their trauma differently). I just wanted to write a book that shows how deeply damaging it can be. Sorry for the rant, XD. 

 I prefer writing darker things. I don't do light and fluffy. There are quite a few people in the story that struggle with trauma, though Sophie and her family are the main ones. It definitely affects the way Sophie sees people and adds an element of mistrust to nearly all her relationships, affecting everyone around her. This is really shown closely in Book III of my series, but you see it in all of them.

TWA: Trauma really is a deep topic. I'm glad you depicted it as realistically as you could! 

 Yes I realised Wattpaders 60% of the time skip prefaces and author's notes, even the ones with dedications... 

 Other than darker topics like trauma, what other elements can readers expect from The Assassin's Scars?

Mariya: It sure is! It's definitely been a challenge to write about. 

 TAS does have a few other elements. There's extensive worldbuilding, which makes it sort of like a medieval fantasy novel minus the magic. Amarian culture is essentially a mix of medieval culture and my imagination. There's a ton of clan lore and culture including traditions and rituals. There are also several romantic subplots (some turn out well, others don't). Romance actually has quite a strong influence on the storyline though much of it is not healthy romance. TAS, though less violent than the rest of my series, does have its share of blood and death. Violence/death/trauma is a big part of most of my works.

TWA: An interesting and well-written mix!Alright, time to delve deeper into TAS...What inspired you to write it?

Mariya: Hmm, I really don't have a deep answer for that. The idea bounced around in my head for a while, and I finally wrote a horrible, plot-hole ridden first draft just to get it down on paper. The story itself really evolved from Draft One to Draft Two. 

TWA: So you made heavy editing?I'm aware that there are currently four books in the series. Did you originally plan for this to happen, or did you just, you know, go with the flow?

Mariya: I did edit heavily. TAS is an entirely different book than it was when I wrote the first draft. 

 Actually, when I started writing, I was just going to stick to one book. Then I realized that with all the worldbuilding and clan conflict, I wasn't going to be able to do that. Once I added some things to the plot, I had enough for several books. However, at this time, I'm planning to cut off the story at Book IV. Perhaps in the future, I'll add another, but Book IV ties everything up fairly nicely.

TWA: Ooh, so you're implying that the clan conflict and worldbuilding was a lot bigger than you had expected? 

 Your protagonist, Sophie, is an assassin. Let's discuss assassins in your book. What drives them (or her)?

Mariya: Yes, the worldbuilding really grew. I finally sat down and planned out the culture such as diet and dress. 

 Hmm. I'm not sure I'd actually call her a protagonist because depending on what side of the story you are on, she's really not one at all. For Sophie, at first it was the need for control, and then loyalty. Throughout the series, she has some darker motives, but in TAS, she's mostly just protecting those around her, mainly her king. Other assassins are pursuing revenge or doing the same as Sophie--protecting their superiors.

TWA: So assassin life is all about protecting the superiors. What happens when that superior is killed? Do they become outlaws, avenging their fallen superior? Or do they sit and live in regret their whole lives?

Mariya: Most assassins are already outlawed, and many are loyal to a superior, who provides them with a home and comfort in return for protection. If their superior is killed, they may try to strike up a deal with someone else or else they'll go out on their own. Revenge is also a possibility if they genuinely cared for their superior. Sophie is a part of one of the Guardian Clans, so if something happened to her king, she'd have the opportunity to either serve the next one or step down from her position as Clan Protector.

TWA: Interesting facts! (Me reading your book currently and absorbing this information too :D) 

(Author's Note: I have finished The Assassin's Scars and it's a compelling read!)

 Killing, no matter how justified, is still murder. I'm sure Sophie has had to deal with the guilt. Does it add to her trauma? Does she regret killing them sometimes?

Mariya: I'm trying to share things without giving away spoilers, lol. 

 Sophie deals with loads of guilt, yes. And on top of that, a lot of the killing is related to the trauma and the people who hurt her. She doesn't enjoy killing, though at times she gets in that murderous mood, so to speak. But she does have a lot of regrets, yes.

TWA: Lol if you do only I will hear it... >:)

 Murderous mood? I'd hate to experience that. 

 Assassins usually have weapons. What are Sophie's go-to weapons? How does she use them?

Mariya: Sophie, as she states, is comfortable with any weapon. She's had years of experience and grew up with weapons. However, her go to weapon is a knife. She has several, some of which Darius gave her. ✨️ She can throw them, though generally she uses them in close-up fighting. She also uses them for non-killing purposes as well (such as peeling apples, XD). 

TWA: Ooh, I love knives! 

 Now I'm imagining Sophie casually threatening her enemies while peeling an apple with her sharpest knife xD 

 What do you personally love most about TAS?

Mariya: Hmm, that's a really good question. I think I'd have to say the characters. They are all complicated and have strengths and weaknesses. It took me a while to create some of them, but I feel like they all possess unique attributes. They are definitely the part of TAS that I'm the proudest of.

TWA: Ooh, so you like how realistic and original your characters are? Interesting.

 I see that your series is very well-received. Are there any people you'd like to thank?

Mariya: I haven't shared my series with many people in my real life, though some of them have pleaded with me to. It just feels too personal, XD. But on Wattpad, yes. There are tons of people that have made me smile and believe in my writing when I hated it. Eternal-Theory has probably made me laugh the most. OneWinterNight 's comments always have me chuckling too. TheStoryScholar has given me tons of wonderful feedback as has eatingherwords. The Round Robin Reading Group, a book club I'm in, is absolutely AMAZING with the feedback they provide. I'll never forget my first two readers either, ella_rowan and BeckyDevlin, who somehow made it through the horrible first draft of TAS. There are tons of others. Honestly, I've learned a lot from other writers on here. I've dedicated chapters to a few of the ones who've had a positive impact on my writing journey.

TWA: A shout out to them!What do you have in store for TAS? Short stories? Spin-offs? More aesthetic art?

Mariya: Well, obviously the story continues in the next few books. I am planning a book on Sophie's childhood, but I have some other things that I'm working on, so it's sort of on the back burner for now. I do have short stories from different perspectives that go with my series. However, at this point, I don't have many--just a few for Book I, and many need editing before I publish. Other than that, I am working offline on several character spin-offs (Angie, Elijah), but the only one that's currently published is Troublesome Toby, a rom-com that really has more to do with Book IV. It's set around the end of Book II. I am, at some point in the future, planning to write on the history of the Guardian Clans, including their founder.

TWA: Ooh, so more worldbuilding and character info?What inspired you to start writing stories?

Mariya: Writing in general? I just wanted to get my ideas down on paper, I guess. I always enjoyed writing for school and such, but I only started seriously writing just recently.

TWA: I see. Let's talk about reading. What's your favourite book(s), on Wattpad or off?

Mariya: I have a special love for Lord of the Rings and books such as The Chronicles of Narnia. When I was young, I read the Redwall Abbey books by Brian Jacques. Honestly, I probably read all of the Redwall books at least 6 times. I'll read anything fantasy except books that contain smut or demon/angel tropes.

As for on Wattpad, many of the author's I named as inspirations to my own writing have some lovely stories that I've enjoyed. The first book to make me cry tears of frustration was Emily Emm Writer's, but she's taken the series off of Wattpad several months ago (much to my dismay). One of the series that I'll always enjoy is obliviablack's since she has a character that is practically Darius 2.0. 

TWA: Darius 2.0? The characters must be very similar. Have you ever read book solely for the inspiration? Why or why not?

Mariya: No, I don't believe so. When I don't have the inspiration to write though, I do read, and that's sometimes given me inspiration. The reason I don't read for inspiration is because I've found that things like taking a walk and listening to music help me to write.

TWA: Music really helps for me too! And I agree with that point.

 I do have two more questions for you: 

 1. What new stories or future projects do you have in mind? Could you tell the readers more about it so we can get excited together :) 

2. What is one piece of advice you would like to give to any aspiring authors?

Mariya: 

1. I plan to edit my rom-com, Troublesome Toby and complete it. It's been super fun to write since it's completely different than all my other works. I also plan to finish Book IV of my series. At that point, I'll probably finish the plot to Sophie's childhood book and start posting chapters (it's a bit complicated as I have to add all the flashbacks and info that I put about it in my main series). I also want to start on a book about the Guardian Clans' history. So, lots of plans! 

2. One piece of advice I'd give is to take all criticism given you in a respectful and open-minded manner. Don't be offended simply because someone says something you don't like. You don't have to incorporate it, but you can at least look over it. I've seen so many angry posts on Wattpad about judges and awards being nasty and unkind with feedback. Half the time the feedback is actually constructive, and the person receiving it is simply too close to their own writing or hasn't learned to control their reactions when they don't like something. Remember that if you aren't willing to change, then your book isn't going to get anywhere. Books take tons of time and work and love. They aren't ever perfect, and most of them take a lot of editing. The books I've been most impressed with on here are written by authors who've been willing to listen to those around them. Remember that others have a unique perspective and also have the ability to look at your beloved book through neutral eyes.

TWA: Yes, big plans you have! I totally agree with your second point!

Well, that's all from me. Thank you so much for your time, Mariya!

Mariya: Thank you!

~~The End~~

That's my interview with Mariya_Evans! If her books The Assassin's Scars sounds like what you'd like, do check it out! I've read it, and highly recommend it :) 

I hope you enjoyed reading my interview with Mariya_Evans and learned something new.