S. D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction. That’s to be expected from someone who looks up to heroes like Captain America and Wonder Woman, has been sorted into Gryffindor, and isn’t much taller than a hobbit. She believes that with a little faith, a lot of love, and an untamed imagination, every adventure is possible. That’s why she writes. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog.
S.D. Grimm’s love of superheroes was a big inspiration for her first book in this new series, as she thought through various impacts of superhero actions in a fantasy setting.
FF: What inspired the story in Beneath False Stars?
I watched a lot of superhero movies. And I got to thinking, what if there were bigger consequences for superheroes after they destroyed everything while fighting villains. And what if it happened in a science-fiction setting? And what if my story took place decades after the aftermath of one such war, when the “consequences”—in this case, sequestering the created super-soldiers into domes, so that they can’t hurt the world with their superpowers anymore—is deemed cruel. So the world is seeking to resolve that mistake. How would the world react to that?
FF: What can you tell us about the main characters in your book?
Ryleigh is smart, tech-savvy, stubborn, a bit of an adrenaline junkie, and she deals with a lot of anxiety. She wants so badly to do what’s right, that sometimes she doesn’t see it through the pain of her past hurts.
Knox is calculating, careful, fiercely protective, and secretive. He hates to be caged. And he has a temper that he’s always trying to keep in check. More than anything, he wants freedom.
FF: Which character surprised you the most?
Knox actually. He wasn’t supposed to be a main character at all. In fact a totally different character was meant to be the love interest, buuuuuuuuuuut, Knox being Knox accidentally stole the spotlight. Is he the love interest? Well, let’s just say they start out as enemies. 😉
FF: Why do you think storytelling is such a powerful way to share truth?
You don’t need true events to share truths. And in stories, I think the heart of that truth lies in the realness of the emotions. Like in the story of the Velveteen Rabbit, the Horse tells the Rabbit how to become real. He says “you become.” And that’s what characters in stories do. They become real in that world, so that their thoughts and their feelings and their beliefs are real in a way. And that realness connects to readers on so many levels.
FF: What can readers expect from the rest of this series?
More! More depth into the characters they came to know and love. More insight into the world the characters live in. More secrets revealed. And also LOTS of action, some heists, covert clues left for the characters to follow—so sort of a treasure hunt, but the treasure isn’t conventional. Higher stakes, stronger connections, more hacking. 😉
FF: How do you get into the right frame of mind to write for your genre/audience?
I’m a theatre minor, so I get to know my characters really well. I develop them as much as I would need to if they were a character that I was going to play. And then, when I slip into their POV chapters, I become them. Write as them, if you will. And, yeah, that sometimes means switching back and forth between roles in a heavy dialogue scene. But that’s what makes it fun!
FF: What authors or books have inspired you as an author?
Wow, a lot! C.S. Lewis, Kathy Tyers, Maggie Stiefvater, and CJ Redwine, to name a few.
FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?
It’s the lifeblood of everything I do. My Creator created me to create. I have learned so much about the creative facet of my God through learning how to craft stories, and every story that I write brings me into a deeper, stronger relationship with Him because of it.
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Beneath False Stars
Project Integration #1
S.D. Grimm
Publisher: Enclave Escape
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, YA
Released: September 9, 2025
Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook, Kindle
ASIN: B0DX9WPQ4H
ISBN-13: 979-8886052183
Book Summary:
What they don’t see will hurt them.
The day to open the centuries-old Dome gates and reintegrate genetically engineered people back into normal society has arrived. There’s one caveat—their powers must remain suppressed.
Amidst this Project Integration Initiative, hacker Ryleigh Stevens has her whole life planned out. The plan? Prevent a second Universal Tech War in two simple steps. First, help Project Integration Phase One succeed—but not for the reason she pretends. Next, infiltrate the rebellion and sabotage Phase Two—the part that would grant people unbridled access to their superhuman abilities.
Too bad the one person who can make her plan reality is her sworn enemy. He’s dangerous. He’s Powered. And he’s the reason her brother is dead. Faced with an impossible choice, Ryleigh must decide how to do what’s right for the good of all humanity, even if it means sacrificing everything she holds dear—again.
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