L.E. Richmond was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest by an American writing teacher and a German bookseller. Her childhood consisted in a large part of imagining stories for her PLAYMOBIL characters and checking out as many books from the library as would fit on six library cards. Now she spends her time chasing two blonde baby boys, reading aloud to the hazel-eyed young man who has her heart, and attempting to transfer the stories in her head into words for others. Her passion is for words and stories that thrill the soul, and she is endlessly amazed by the One who not only used words to bring this world into being but also crafted the most epic story of all time.
In this interview, L.E. shares some of her thoughts regarding her latest Chronicles of the Undersea Realm Series book, The Locket’s Revenge.
FF: What inspired the story in your book?
The entire series is a spin-off of The Little Mermaid. But in The Locket’s Revenge specifically, I actually had two other major inspirations—the movie The Vow and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the Bible.
FF: Which character surprised you the most?
The character who surprised me most was probably Elle. She is a new character (referenced indirectly in book 1), and I had not realized how large a role she would play in Darin’s story.
FF: Why do you think storytelling is such a powerful way to share truth?
Humans are emotionally impacted by stories. An example of this that really stands out to me is from the book of 2 Samuel. David commits adultery and murder, and is clearly justifying these acts in his own mind. It is only when Nathan the prophet tells him a story that he finally grasps the enormity of his own sin. The best stories can make people feel truth, rather than simply knowing it on a cognitive level.
FF: What can you tell us about your next book?
The Locket’s Revenge is actually the last book in this series, but in April 2025 I will be releasing a dystopian cyberpunk inspired by the book of Esther. It is the story of an infertile girl chosen to wed the human lord of a robot-dominated society for the purpose of bearing his children. As the secrecy which has protected her begins to fall away, she must decide whether to take a stand for others whose lives are regarded as expendable or to save herself at any cost.
FF: What kind of research did you do for this book?
Most of this book’s research involved looking up the names and characteristics of unique sea creatures.
FF: What do you want readers to take away after reading your book?
I want them to take away two things. I want them to take away a sense of wonder at the beauty and nearness of God. And I want them to take away the knowledge that no physical trait will ever diminish their innate value.
FF: What are the biggest challenges for you as an author writing in your specific genre?
I have had to learn to love worldbuilding. When I started writing, I was leery of boring my audience (and myself) with too much description. But as I wrote the Chronicles of the Undersea Realm, I came to realize that fantasy world details like figures of speech, ways of eating, and cultural norms make a story more potent and immersive.
FF: What authors or books have inspired you as an author?
There are too many to name them all, but Regina Doman and Gail Carson Levine inspired my love of fairy tale retellings. C.S. Lewis inspired my desire to write stories that would create in readers a longing for The Storyteller. Elizabeth Marie Pope inspired me to write characters that will live forever in readers’ minds.
FF: How has your faith or world view impacted the way you tell stories?
My goal as a writer is to leave readers with a longing for more. Not more of my stories, but more life, more beauty, more truth, more goodness. The reason why is because I believe that God Himself is the place where all those things are truly found, and the more that these longings are awakened, the more readers will follow them to the One who can satisfy them. With this in mind, I try to write stories that are strong and enjoyable on a surface level while at the same time containing threads of deeper meaning for those who choose to look for them.
The Locket’s Revenge
Chronicles of the Undersea Realm Series #2
L.E. Richmond
Enclave Escape
Genres: YA/Teen, SciFi/Fantasy
Release Date: October 22, 2024
ASIN: B0CYWXFH32
ISBN-13: 979-8886051582
Book Summary:
A Trinket Could Unleash a Tempest
Locklyn Adair thought that finding the Sea Enchantress would lift her family’s curse. But the ramifications of her desire for a tail reach further than she could ever have dreamed. Now the entire Undersea Realm is in peril, as Circe, armed with the locket capable of controlling the Loch Ness monster, journeys to the North Sea in pursuit of revenge.
Darin Aalto’s specialty is tracking down treasure. When it looks as though a magical locket has fallen into evil hands, he joins Locklyn and her crew on an expedition to recover it, hoping to find a key to his past identity along the way. Despite having no memory of the Mermaid leading the quest, he wonders if she was more than a friend all along.
As a vengeful enchantress, fiery monster, and impending war threaten the Undersea Realm, Locklyn and Darin must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stop the locket’s revenge.
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