Cold Moon by Tianna Maidens is shortlisted for the 2023 Author of Tomorrow Award, 16-21 Category. 

Cold Moon: In the heart of war-torn lands, two young soldiers, Wilder and Hayden, embark on a dangerous mission. Tasked with venturing deep into enemy territory to gather crucial intel from a man on the inside, their lives hang in the balance with every step. Unfortunately, the war does not care for them, or their mission, and when faced with a life-threatening situation, their courage and vulnerability are tested.

---

WNSF: What is your favourite book?

Tianna: Although I struggled to decide what exactly was my favourite book, as there are many that I love for different reasons, one that always comes to my mind when asked this question is A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. I first read it when I was 11, and immediately fell in love with it. I won’t spoil it too much, but I really admire how it delves into the most difficult parts of topics such as death and suffering, with a satisfying yet melancholy ending.

WNSF: Who is your favourite author? Or one who has inspired you and why?

Tianna: After reading A Monster Calls and the Chaos Walking trilogy, Patrick Ness has definitely become my favourite author – at first, I didn’t even know these books were all written by him! He has such a way with words, explaining his character’s emotions and inner turmoil without it feeling forced or clunky. I think that one of the most important parts of writing is creating characters that your audience can feel for and understand, and he always pulls it off amazingly.

WNSF: What is your favourite subject at school?

Tianna: My favourite subject in school is definitely biology! I find the natural world absolutely fascinating, and it’s absolutely crazy, and almost poetic, to see how it all works together.

WNSF: What does ‘adventure writing’ mean to you? Why did you choose to try your hand at an adventure story?

Tianna: I think that adventure writing should be about the journey of the characters – both literally, in terms of moving from point A to point B, tackling any obstacles between them, but also within the characters themselves, maybe as they are tested against some emotional adversity, or have to overcome a certain challenge. I haven’t written a lot of adventure writing myself, so I was really excited to give it a try!

WNSF: If you could ask an author anything, what would you want to know?

Tianna: I would want to know more about how to create believable characters that people can really connect to. Most of the time, when I fall in love with a book, it is for the characters, and I find that they are always a priority to me when I write, so I’d love to hear more advice on how to effectively write and focus on character motivations, relationships, and feelings.

WNSF: Who would you consider one of your heroes and why?

Tianna: One of my greatest heroes is my old dog, Summer. We got her when I was 4 years old, and she died when I was 14, so we basically grew up together. She gave me so much joy and happiness, and I always felt safe with her around. She had a massive impact on me growing up, and was a great source of comfort for me through difficult times. Her death is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to face, and I still think about her when I’m struggling.

WNSF: What is the most adventurous thing you would like to do, or place you would like to visit and why?

Tianna: When I am older, I hope to travel around the world – there are many things I want to see and places I want to visit. Specifically, I want to go to South Korea, in particular to Busan, and to Iceland, in order to (hopefully) see the northern lights.

WNSF: Where do you find inspiration for your stories? 

Tianna: I find most of my inspiration from other things I’ve watched or read, like shows, movies, or books. I like to use things that I myself enjoy to get a basic idea, such as a setting or theme, and then go off of that with my own takes and characters. The characters themselves are usually based off of an ideal or basic personality trait, which I try to expand upon to make them more interesting.

WNSF: If you could time travel, where would you go and why?

Tianna: I would go back to 1978 in order to witness first-hand my mum’s friend running off the train to get chocolates from the chocolate machine, then sprinting to get back on before the train pulled away – it’s a hilarious image, and I imagine it would be just as funny in real-time.

WNSF: What three words would you use to describe your story?

Tianna: Loyalty, harrowing, unforgiving.