A World With Talking Animals

Melissa Burrowes Author Interview


They Were All Loyal embarks on a journey into the realm of a fictional land’s diplomatic negotiations and resulting war. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform as you were writing the novel?



The initial concept was quite different! Originally the story was going to focus on the scientist, Shui, against the television news crew, Samantha and Dave; however, the more I wrote the more I saw them working together rather than at odds with each other. Prime Minister Tresser gradually transitioned in the manuscript from supporting cast into a main character role, and the story developed from there.



Without revealing too much, certain major events in the plot were intended from the start; I’m very happy with how it turned out and hope readers will be as surprised as the characters.



How long did it take you to imagine, draft, and write the world your characters live in?



I had the premise of a world with talking animals already from previous books I’d written – such as Permafrost , a prequel you should read if you haven’t yet – but this story was unique in that it focused on the world at the international level. They Were All Loyal took eight years to complete, which is the longest I’ve spent to date working on a manuscript.



What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?



The overarching theme of the story is loyalty, or rather how everyone is loyal to different convictions. It’s something that plays out in the world constantly; people are generally quick to judge others’ opinions as right or wrong, but it can be very subjective.



Will there be a follow-up novel to this story? If so, what aspects of the story will the next book cover?



There’s definitely another novel in the works. Unfortunately, I can’t say for sure when the release date will be right now. I’d encourage readers to check out my website, where you can find updates about what I’m writing and upcoming book releases!



Author Links: Website | TikTok