L.R. Braden is the bestselling, multi-award-winning author of the Magicsmith series, the Rifter series, and several works of shorter fiction. When not writing, she spends her time reading in a multitude of genres (speculative fiction is her favorite), playing games with her family, enjoying Colorado’s great outdoors, and weaving metal into intricate chain mail jewelry that she sells through her Etsy shop, Wimsi Design. Find out more at www.lrbraden.com.
SunLit: Tell us this book’s backstory. What inspired you to write it? Where did the story/theme originate?
L.R. Braden: “Personal Demons” is the sequel to the book “Demon Riding Shotgun,” which introduced the characters of Mira and Ty. After writing that first book, I wanted to look deeper into Mira’s past. In “Demon Riding Shotgun,” Mira took the first steps in learning to trust and rely on a person other than herself. In “Personal Demons,” I wanted to push what she’d learned in book one to a new level and let Mira start healing some of her backstory wounds so that she could grow as a person.
Mira believes herself to be a monster. A belief that society and circumstance have reinforced time and again. As a demon-possessed magic practitioner, Mira has to hide from the world. She’s taken special care to keep her distance from anyone she cares about, both to keep them safe and to protect herself from their (she assumes inevitable) rejection.
She hasn’t seen or spoken to her family in over a decade, because it would break her heart to have them see her as the monster she believes herself to be. But sometimes we can’t see ourselves clearly until we see ourselves through the eyes of another. That’s certainly true in Mira’s case. It’s only through the acceptance of others that she begins to accept herself.
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SunLit: Place this excerpt in context. How does it fit into the book as a whole? Why did you select it?
Braden: The excerpt I chose shows Mira struggling at the beginning of the book to work with another person after years of isolation—a struggle that persists through much of the story. I chose this excerpt because it’s a good example of Mira’s character and nicely highlights the starting point of her inner conflict for this book, i.e. learning to trust and rely on others rather than doing everything alone.
SunLit: Tell us about creating this book. What influences and/or experiences informed the project before you sat down to write?
Braden: Since “Personal Demons” is a sequel, the first book in my Rifter series, “Demon Riding Shotgun,” informed a lot of the story. I needed to stay true to the characters I’d created in book one while creating enough new content to make this story unique and complete on its own. I knew I wanted to explore Mira’s past, and that meant getting to know her family, but the story changed quite a bit from my original concept before I ever started writing, mostly due to what I learned during the research stages.
Because Mira is a Cuban-American, and I am not, I had several conversations with a friend of mine who is Cuban-American to learn about her culture and family life. Obviously, every individual has a different background, home, and family situation, but I took the information my friend shared and used it to fill in the broad strokes of Mira’s family. Their boisterous attitude; lack of personal boundaries; the compulsion to feed people; the types of food they eat; and the unbreakable rule that family takes care of their own all came from those conversations.
I had originally planned out the story so that Mira’s family had written her off and she had to win them over, but after my research conversations, I decided to change the story so that her family was eager to welcome her home, thereby placing the broken part of their relationship squarely in Mira’s court as a personal flaw rather than an external obstacle. This created a stronger anchor to the theme of acceptance and love without restrictions, as well as strengthening Mira’s character growth arc.
“Personal Demons”
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SunLit: What did the process of writing this book add to your knowledge and understanding of your craft and/or the subject matter?
Braden: I learned a great deal in the course of writing this book just from the research I had to do on the many aspects of the story on which I am not an expert. As noted in the previous question, I learned quite a bit about Cuban-American culture, including many things that didn’t make it into the book.
I also learned more about the structure of law enforcement in Florida thanks to a Florida cop who was willing to answer my questions. I crowd-sourced information about the Florida Everglades and Miami, asking people from my reader and friend networks to share their personal experiences with as many sensory details as possible so that I could get a feeling for these places that I had never been to in person. I reached out to a sensitivity reader who helped me refine a few scenes that included a transgender character. I also did research on cryptids in order to flesh out the details of the story in a way that would jibe with local legends and myths. Truthfully, every scene I write expands my knowledge in some way.
SunLit: What were the biggest challenges you faced in writing this book?
Braden: The two biggest challenges of writing this book came in the form of research and clarity. Because this story’s protagonists are a Cuban-American and a person of color, neither of which I am, and the story takes place in Florida, a place I’ve been to only once, there was a lot of research required to ground my story in a believable way. Arguably, I have a fair amount of latitude in this department because I write fantasy books. If facts don’t line up quite perfectly with reality, I can always say, “Well, that’s how it is in my world.” However, I do my best to make all the mundane aspects of my story as realistic as possible so that the more fantastical elements come across as believable.
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As for clarity, there are several instances in this book when Mira is having multiple overlapping conversations, speaking internally to her demon and externally to another human at the same time. There are also a few scenes where Mira and her demon are wrestling for control of her body, during which some of the conversation is internal, some is external, and sometimes they’re both speaking aloud through the same mouth. These scenes are intentionally complex, letting the reader experience some of the confusion Mira suffers constantly by having a second person in her head. However, I didn’t want the structure of the writing to be so confusing that readers couldn’t figure out what was going on. Hopefully I found a reasonable balance between order and chaos. You’ll have to judge for yourself.
SunLit: What’s the most important thing — a theme, lesson, emotion or realization — that readers should take from this book?
Braden: That everyone, no matter who they are or what they’ve done, is deserving of love.
“Personal Demons” is all about acceptance — individual, familial, and societal. Many people hold the belief that they are, for one reason or another, unlovable, and in many cases society reinforces that belief. My main character Mira is a prime example of that.
As a rifter — a human magic-user possessed by a demon — she is considered an abomination by pretty much every other race that inhabits her world. Add to that a personal history of trauma and the fact that when she loses control of her magic she is a danger to those around her, and it’s no wonder Mira isolates herself.
My second narrative character, Ty, is Mira’s first step on the road to learning to accept herself and trust in the acceptance of others. He acts as a buffer and bridge that alternately creates a safe space for Mira when she needs it and pushes her forward when her natural tendency would be to turn away. Their relationship is far from smooth as Mira continues to struggle with her trust issues and the idea that anyone could see her as more than a monster, but at least she’s moving in the right direction.
SunLit: Your main protagonist is possessed by a demon who has a distinct personality. What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of writing two characters rolled into one body?
Braden: As I mentioned when I talked about the challenges of writing this book, trying to maintain clarity while also relaying a sense of chaos and being overwhelmed to the reader is a difficult balance to hit. Another tricky situation is when the demon and Mira are having conflicting thoughts or insights during moments of high action. It can be hard to convey two sets of internal monologue (or dialogue) without slowing down the pacing of a scene. Despite these drawbacks, I find Mira and her demon very fun to write.
One of the best parts of having two personalities shoved together like this is that it’s a natural recipe for adding humor. There are many dark moments in this book, but when Mira is moody or moping, you can bet the demon is going to have something to say about it, so the reader won’t get stuck with a depressing protagonist for half a book. Along those same lines, having two entities creates plenty of opportunities for misunderstandings, both between themselves and when interacting with the rest of the world.
The demon’s presence in Mira’s head also means that readers get two perspectives on every situation when Mira is the POV character. Sometimes the two of them agree, and then the demon may not say anything, but sometimes the demon gets to play devil’s advocate, voicing the questions and doubts that readers may be having and highlighting important information in a fun and unique way. That dynamic between Mira and her demon also adds depth to the development of both of their characters on an intimate level, because you can’t hide from someone who can literally read your thoughts. That puts the demon in a unique position to force Mira to face her flaws and grow.
SunLit: Tell us about your next project.
Braden: My most recent publications have been a continuation of the Rifter series. “A Demon Faerie Tale: A Rifter Novella” published in September 2024, and the next full Rifter novel, “Dancing with a Demon,” published in early 2025.
A few more quick questions
SunLit: Which do you enjoy more as you work on a book – writing or editing?
Braden: While I love the original creation of a story, I think my favorite part of the writing process is editing because that’s when I can really see everything come together.
SunLit: What’s the first piece of writing – at any age – that you remember being proud of?
Braden: When I was in high school, my aunt died. I wrote about the experience of watching her pass on in the hospital for a personal narrative assignment in my English class. After we got the papers back, the teacher pulled me aside and told me that my descriptions were so strong and clear that I’d made her cry. She was the first person to tell me I had a talent for writing.
SunLit: What three writers, from any era, would you invite over for a great discussion about literature and writing?
Braden: I’d love to sit down with Brandon Sanderson, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Terry Pratchett to discuss world building.
SunLit: Do you have a favorite quote about writing?
Braden: This quote is more about books in general than writing specifically, but it’s one of my favorites: “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.” — Mason Cooley
SunLit: What does the current collection of books on your home shelves tell visitors about you?
Braden: One look at my bookshelves will tell you that I love speculative fiction with a particular passion for fantasy, that I like to own the books I read, and that I prefer physical copies to ebooks.
SunLit: Soundtrack or silence? What’s the audio background that helps you write?
Braden: I need silence to write.
SunLit: What music do you listen to for sheer enjoyment?
Braden: I love fiddle music and pop/rock. Anything with a beat that makes me want to get up and dance.
SunLit: What event, and at what age, convinced you that you wanted to be a writer?
One day in my late twenties, I was sitting in my living room reading a book, which is how I spent most of my free time, when I had a lightning-strike, light bulb moment. I looked at the book in my hands and thought, “I could do this.” The more I thought about trying to write a book, the more sense it made to me. I’d spent my entire life being entertained by other people’s stories. I had a wildly active imagination. Why not try entertaining other people for a change? And just like that, without any formal training, industry connections, or guidance, I sat down and started writing my debut novel, A Drop of Magic, with the mindset of, “Let’s see what happens.”
SunLit: Greatest writing fear?
Braden: Because all of my books carry a theme of acceptance of people’s differences, I try to incorporate as much diversity in my cast as I can. Obviously that means writing a lot of character types that don’t match my own personal experiences. I try to do research when I can, and I always try to write characters with sensitivity and respect, but one of my big writing fears is that I will accidentally offend someone because I get some detail wrong, whether it be about a person, place, or profession. I hope readers realize that writers are trying their best, but we’re still only human. And wouldn’t our stories be boring if we only wrote from first hand experience?
SunLit: Greatest writing satisfaction?
Braden: The greatest satisfaction I get as a writer is when a reader reaches out to tell me they’ve enjoyed my writing, whether in an email, review, or in person. Nothing makes me happier and more excited to write more than hearing that my works are appreciated. As a reader, if you love someone’s books, make sure to let them know. You could be the inspiration for them to write another.
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