REACTANCE: An Interview With Dacia M. Arnold

This week we get to interview author Dacia M. Arnold about her life and her story “Reactance,” which is a novella in the dystopian DiaZem Series. This novella stands as a prequel to “Apparent Power,” the first novel in a series, and comes out on December 11th!

Rachel: Hi Dacia! Why don’t you start by telling us about yourself?

Dacia: I’m a mom of two under five and a ten-year Army veteran. I served in Baghdad ER on one of my two combat tours. My emergency medical knowledge lends itself well to writing action.
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R: Wow! That's really amazing! What was it like working in the ER?

D: It was like the best worst time of my life. I actually blocked much from memory. I am only just recently starting to look back on events versus emotions, but it helps that the emotions attached to those memories aren’t negative. There is much pride and a sense of personal growth I still feel when I do talk about it. And a bit of surreal-ness to think that I came out of it with minimal trauma.

R: Do you feel like writing while using knowledge from your time in Baghdad helps you move forward through the emotions and memories of it as they come up?

D: I feel like the technical knowledge feeds into my storytelling, but having experienced trauma, shock, loss, hand to hand combat, etc. I’m able to articulate the raw feeling of being in those moments as naturally as they occurred. Everyone has a fight or flight reflex but when the switch is stuck on fight for so long it takes a while to come out of it.


R: Traumatic things can weigh so heavily on the people who experience them. It’s incredible that you’ve found a way to make them work for you. Does the main character in “Reactance” have that same fight reflex you mentioned?

D: Funny you ask. There is a line in “Reactance” where the main character reflects on this very thing: “I think my fight or flight switch has been stuck on fight since this all started.” To me, there is rarely a better option. Maybe it’s the military part of me that thinks shying away from a definitive solution is counterproductive. One thing I can say about today’s young adults is they are brave in the ways of positive change.


R: They really are, and it’s so great to have stories like “Reactance,” where they can see characters making decisions that validate that part of them. Does the character you quoted play the main role in both “Reactance” and “Apparent Power”?

D: No. Reactance is a stand-alone side story to “Apparent Power” and the sequel, “Shifting Power.” It spans timelines of both books, so one can read before or after the first book (“Apparent Power”) However, there are many parallels between 18-year-old Sasha Bowman in “Reactance” and the series protagonist, 35-year-old mom, Valerie Russell.


R: Many authors write companion books after the main series is complete. What made you decide to write this one before the main series begins?

D: “Apparent Power” has a lot of hype already. We released for preorder six months before release. The original idea was to offer preorder folks a free audiobook from my publisher while they wait. I suggested instead of using one they already have, I could write the audiobook. As I was writing the script it just made sense to publish a written copy as well. In short, I wrote a book to market my book. With the six month lead on “Apparent Power,” “Reactance” gives people a taste of what to expect from me as a new author and the world I created. Subsequently, it also gave me a foundation moving forward in the series. This backstory will ultimately hold the key to the final chapter of the DiaZem Trilogy.


R: That’s such an interesting concept! What inspired you to write a book to advertise a book?

D: My publisher suggested offering a free audiobook to presale folks. I asked if I could write one that went along with the series instead of another random story. They agreed.


R: This marketing tool seems so wonderfully out of the norm that it’s bound to draw attention. How has it worked to build excitement for “Apparent Power”?

D: Reactance has been available for only a few months, but there is a resounding “I can’t wait for ‘Apparent Power’” from everyone who’s finished. I’m still trying to figure out the best way to market my marketing ploy aside from giving it away, but I’m basically giving it away.


R: Thank you so much for your time, and for sharing your work with us!

“Reactance” follows the story of 18-year-old Sasha Bowman through the end of the world and into the new dystopia. Humanity is putting itself together again, but with some people manifesting strange electric powers and being placed on a pedestal, conflicts rise between them and those without powers. Buy the story now on Amazon!

“Dacia is a brilliant writer and I’m very excited for Apparent Power!”

“This book is a page turner from the start.”​

“LOVED it was an understatement. I legit didn’t put this book down until I finished it!”

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Follow Dacia M. Arnold on Twitter and Facebook, and visit her Website!

​Rachel White is an aspiring fantasy author who dreams of becoming an audiobook narrator. She lives in Utah with her husband and three children.
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