Interview with Morgan L. Booth, Author of The Pact of the Red Claws

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Pact of the Red Claws?

The story was inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, a tabletop roleplaying game my husband and I play with our friends. When I first started playing the game, character creation was my favorite part (now it’s combat!) and I made five characters, one after the other: a Lizardfolk druid, a Dragonborn sorcerer, a Leonin barbarian, a Kobold rogue, and a Shifter fighter/bard. I remember feeling miffed because I couldn’t play all five of my characters at the same time, and then I realized: oh wait, I actually can. It’s called writing a book. At that point, a world took shape, along with twelve races unique to the world, and a magic system. I took the basis and backstories of the characters I’d made and remolded them to fit the world of Terravon. From there, the Pact of the Red Claws took off.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Pact of the Red Claws, what would they be?

I never thought of individual theme songs for my characters, but one song defined the adventuring party, and their story, as a whole: “Someone To Stay” by Vancouver Sleep Clinic. I listened to this song over and over while writing, and scenes from the story would play out like a music video in time to the song. It made me realize, as the story unfolded, that Found Family was becoming a major theme.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy all the way! And yes, it is also my favorite to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I have around 50 books in my TBR list, 90% of them being fantasy novels, and I just keep adding to it. It includes Onyx Storm, When the Moon Hatched, Dune, The Dresden Files, and Berserk, to name a few.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There are so many scenes that I absolutely loved writing, but there is one scene that I snuck in as an easter egg specifically for my D&D friends. I won’t give spoilers for the story, but I will say this: a certain character in our long-running campaign has a propensity for force-feeding fireballs to her enemies.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I always have to have a blanket. Doesn’t matter if it’s 80 degrees in my office (which it often is, considering my office is also my reptile room, so multiple heat lamps running constantly). Blankets are cozy, and feeling cozy is a requirement for both reading and writing.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

I do have a fun philosophy: never say no to free ice cream!

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

The biggest takeaway from my story would be this: family isn’t always the ones you’re bound to by blood. Sometimes it’s the people you surround yourself with, the people you least expect, and the ones who are there for you in your darkest hour.