Pop the champagne, we made it! Thank you for bearing with me through the last few months while I got my life, and my book together. I can’t wait to read your feedback!

In honor of our featured protagonist, let’s talk about strength. Particularly, what does it mean to be strong?

It’s a question that has fascinated me throughout my life. Physical strength is easy enough to understand—it’s tangible and observable. If it wasn’t apparent from my work, I love a good slugfest. In addition to anime, God of War and Dynasty Warriors were two of my favorite games. Nothing quite tops watching two Titans facing off.

But emotional strength is much harder to quantify. It’s fluid, changing with times and attitudes. It’s influenced by gender, race, culture, societal norms, and numerous other untold factors. And on this point, Cassius has been one of my most polarizing characters. To some, he’s “a bit of a weakling” who spends too much time in his own head (Fun Fact: Dante was often listed as a favorite character for the exact opposite reasoning). For others, he’s their favorite character—his struggles are relatable because, despite being “perfect,” he’s flawed. He’s a coward; he’s hesitant; he’s insecure; he’s self-deprecating. A true Pisces, if that’s your thing.

To me, though, what makes Cassius captivating is his ability to grow, and I was so excited to be able to explore this in this new installment of the series. So, I hope you’ll enjoy the journey as much as I did, and if you do, let me know…

What makes you strong?