Fantasy Authors Interview

Meet Cae

We've got another awesome Fantasy author for you today. Hailing from the Philippines, please welcome, Exequinne, and let's hear what they've got to say.

What is your country of origin?

Philippines

What other languages aside from English can you speak fluently?

Tagalog/Filipino

Is there a story as to how you got your username? Please tell us about it!

Story-time right off the bat? Let's go.

I got my username because I was an impressionable kid way back when and got obsessed with the x's and q's. There's this one girl from a higher year in high school and her name has all the requirements, and I got drawn by it. This was before I had any plans of becoming the novelist I am today. I was just looking for a mononym I could be known for the rest of my days, especially in the writing world. And so, after arranging and adding some stuff, it's got to where it is now.

My account was made in late 2014 and I feel that "Exequinne" is just such a mouthful and an eyesore—a little bit intimidating to approach—so I eventually had to give my name so that people can refer to me easily. Still, I owe a lot to this username that I couldn't just shed it off and change it. Rather, I have some grand plans for it. Stay tuned in the next five to ten years. Lol.

What inspired you to write?

If you're aiming for what inspired me to start writing poetry, no one did. I was just a lonely kid back in primary school, so I started jotting down words and making each line rhyme with each other. And that's when I first realized I liked putting my thoughts into words—because I feel like I have a lot to say and no one would listen.

If you're aiming for what inspired me to write novels and genre fiction, in general, look no further than Rick Riordan's PJO series. I gobbled that thing up when I was around 12. I thought—I could do something like this as well!!!!—and that's how it was for me until now. I read a book, watch a show or a movie, or consume just about any media, and I'll be like—I can and will do something like this as weeeeeell!!!!. That's also how I ended up with way too many series and standalones in my writing queue.

Please tell us about your story/ies on Wattpad so that readers could find them.

*flexes fingers * I should never be asked this question and not expect a barrage of words.

I am the author responsible for the Chronicles of Fantasilia Series and its horde of spin-offs (a 13-novella series and more to come!). It's about this girl who has to discover how to save the world and her friends against a great evil that may be more ancient than she thought. It's an epic/high fantasy series with elements of adventure, action, and romance.

ONC 2022 brought about a slew of works and they are as follows: The White Thorns of Fire, a longlisted novella, is a wholesome adventure about family, friendship, and a frozen world. Never Ever Say Goodbye, a historical fiction novella centered around the darkest times in our history in the postmodern world, is currently unpublished due to safety and political reasons. It's also included in the longlist.

The Piper of Mirchaek is a high fantasy series with East Asian mythology influences. Its first book, Piper: The Gods of Dansarun, is originally an ONC 2022 novella and is part of the longlist. Since then, it has spawned two more sequels, with the last installment to be written and released this year. It's the story of a prince and his guard going through all sorts of stuff in their magical world, finding the thing that matters to them most.