It’s the story of Princess Amethyst, who lives in this small world where everything is taken care of for her, until one day the neighboring country attacks Gishlan. That one I’ve been working on since 2010.

War and Chess is my first book, nearest and dearest to my heart. I currently am editing To Craft a Nation, which is book three of the series, and just sent book four, Rock at the Bottom of the Sea, off to the US Copyright office.

I want it to feel like they never really left Gishlan at all. I want people to be able to read one, walk off, and find a different book in the series in a book bin somewhere, years later. I started it when I was fourteen, and I plan on creating stand-alones, featuring the members of the same family, until my hands give out. I’m currently working on writing The Gishlan Series, which two out of three published works are from that universe. It still feels like I’m writing books for the teenager I was, and I really like that. So, at fourteen, I picked up a pen and became the change I wanted to see in the world. However, I was getting tired of young women who needed someone else to slay the dragon. So I write fantasy! I’m a little embarrassed about it, but I was hecking in to Disney princess movies well into my teen years.

Which, then circled me right back to where it all started: Fantasy. Grimm Brothers was a gateway drug, and then I got into folk stories, and legends. I fell in love with fairy tales as a tween. I am a bit of a nerd! My parents raised me on Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and The Dark Crystal. Grew up in an agricultural community working on the family ranch, but now I live in a very small city. Hello! I come in peace! …Ignore the fact I’m filled with the hereditary rage of one thousand grandmothers… Anyway, I’m Helen M. Welcome Helen! First things first, imagine that you’re introducing yourself to a whole new audience on another planet somewhere in the wide universe, what would you say? I heard you’re a bit of a nerd? We do like nerds around here. Since we were well past midnight at that stage and there were no crossroads involved, I promise, the vibes are all good, we did not sign our souls away that night. Helen and I bumped into each other on Twitter, at 1am, on a cold wintry night as 2022 was getting closer to being, well, done and dusted.

War and Chess by Helen M. Pugsley