An Interview with Breezy Grooms
Breezy Grooms is a fantasy author with a passion for mythology, dragons, and epic storytelling. She weaves tales of gods, warriors, and destiny, bringing rich worlds and unforgettable characters to life. When she’s not writing, she’s diving into folklore, dreaming up new adventures, or getting lost in a good book. She also shares her creative space with her cat Natalie, who oversees all writing sessions with regal indifference.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
Who inspired me to write was my great-uncle Steve Sanfield. He’s a famous author/poet. He taught me everything I know and always encouraged me to write the stories I came up with. He always told me this: “A good writer can make the characters seem human, but the best writer can make the characters come alive.” I still think of those words every time I write.
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I was rereading Percy Jackson at the time, and I wondered what would happen if I combined Greek, Egyptian, and Norse mythology into a book. I’ve always loved dragons, but I was sick of the same tropes over and over again, so I created my Raevnir. They are an evolved subspecies of dragons that look like humans with large, feathered wings and fangs instead of the monstrous creatures that their cousins are. They don’t have the impenetrable skin like other dragons do, but their skin is still extremely durable, able to take multiple direct hits before they’re actually lethally injured. The only vulnerable spot they have are their necks. They don’t have scales. One thing Raevnir have in common with their more monstrous cousins is their attraction to shiny things. Most Raevnir do have hoards, but they’re small and carried in a single velvet pouch. Their hoards are made up of tiny shiny objects. Raevnir are built for powered silent flight, actively flapping their wings. They have long lifespans, able to live for six thousand years. I couldn’t just have mortal Raevnir though so I created the Raevniran pantheon to give the species more depth. I’ve always been obsessed with dragons and wanted to create something no one has ever seen before without using the universal tropes of giant beats or shape shifters.
Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
So, the series title is Chronicles of Eldoria, which was easy to come up with. Book one is Eye of Shadows, which is actually the name of the artifact that ignites everything in book one. The names came easy to me. As far as the different continents within the world of Eldoria, they have some interesting inspirations. Elysia was named after Elysium in Greek mythology. Valoria has the word valor in it, which is a knightly virtue often shown in Arthurian legends. Stormrheim doesn’t have a specific thing that inspired it, it was just the closest I could get to a Norse sounding name. Verdant Haven was named that because of how rich the continent is in plants and wildlife. It’s Aegyptia that truly has the coolest inspiration. I named Aegyptia after spinosaurus aegyptiacus, which is my favorite dinosaur right after the velociraptor, which is how the character Velocia got her name.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
If my book had a soundtrack, there are three songs that would be on it. Born for This by The Score, Sound of Surviving by Nichole Nordeman, and Shadow by Livingston.
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I was actually working at a T-Mobile store when I first started writing Eye of Shadows.
What books did you read (for research or comfort) throughout your writing process?
I mainly read Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series, Chronicles of Nick series, and Shadows of Fire series while writing.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Listen to your great uncle, he knows what he’s doing
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That you have the choice to choose your future. That not everything is as it seems and that free will is the greatest gift a human has.
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