Today I’m chatting with Dawn Chapman, author of the Pilots of Artem science fiction series. You can read a taste of the series in the free novella Wait for Me.

What inspired you to start writing?

I started writing at six. I begged my parents for a typewriter while walking around a car boot sale—like a flea market. From then on, I began creating worlds and never stopped. I just needed to get my stories out of my head.

I was enamored with typewriters for along time, too. The sound and tactile feel. Nothing quite like it. Tell us about Pilots of Artem and the novella Wait for Me.

The series focuses on a LitRPG storytelling style, including stats, body mods, and character progression arcs. I create high-octane action and temper it with mysteries that take some time to unravel. Plus, readers will discover a “found family” dynamic, accentuated by the strong friendship between the male main character and his female co-pilot. 

As a trigger warning, I’ll add that I’m pretty blunt in my storytelling.

Ah, I’ve learned to interpret an author saying their writing is ‘blunt’ as “my words are going to punch you in the gut.” Sounds like your personal experiences have influenced the plots or characters in your books.

Absolutely. There’s a bit of me in all my work. Those who know me personally will recognize some of the things I’ve been through.

I touch on topics like sexual abuse in Steel Hearts, eating disorders in several stories, and self-harm as a coping mechanism in Interstellar Pawn.

What about personal interests or hobbies?

My background has definitely influenced this series: motorcycles, racing, and a lifelong love of sci-fi and its subgenres.

For this story, I immersed myself in the world of helicopter training and piloting. I spent 18 months in research mode, talking to real helicopter pilots from both military and civilian backgrounds. Flying helicopters is absolutely fascinating. I read every biography I could find about war veterans and spoke to countless people in the field. One theme in the story is firefighting from helicopters, which completely captured my heart. The bravery and resilience of these professionals are breathtaking.

Sounds like readers should expect a lot of rich and realistic details in your stories! Once the research is done, what is your writing process like? Do you follow a specific routine or ritual when working on a project?

I’m prolific enough to juggle several projects at once, which keeps me writing even if one project feels a little stale.

I make notes and write scenes for projects years in advance. I also put a lot of effort into world-building and research, especially for niche subjects like helicopter flying.

So, what was the initial spark or idea that led to the creation of Wait for Me?

Wait for Me was a challenge. I was tasked with writing 14,000 words for Valentine’s Day in one of my Discord servers. So, I thought, “Why not?” I wrote it in a day and edited it over the course of a few months.

That’s an insane level of output! Can you introduce us to the main characters and their motivations in your new release?

This story is told from Nico’s point of view. He’s a helicopter medic grappling with the fear of saying, “I love you.” It also shows how he meets Rusty, the protagonist of the series, and how his life changes—and changes fast.

I always dive straight into my stories. This one doesn’t hold back. That said, this book is a different style for me. I wanted it to be a slow burn, slice-of-life story, but still include the high-octane moments my readers expect. It’s a shared world, so there are crossovers with the other authors’ contributions. It was such fun to weave these connections into the series.

And this story hits hard—really hard. From the very first chapters, the emotions are intense. I’ve received wonderful messages from readers about how much the story moved them.

Were there any particular challenges you faced while writing this book?

The series had huge challenges, partly because it’s a shared world. The City of Artem universe includes contributions from three other fantastic authors.

Personally, I faced devastating losses while working on this series. I had just drafted the first book when I lost my mom in November 2023. Then, in April, I lost my editor and close friend, Briar.

Continuing was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Finding another editor and keeping pace with deadlines felt impossible. At times, I struggled with dark thoughts and coped with self-harm, but I reached out to professionals and took a much-needed break to recover.

I’m sorry to hear about the struggles, but glad to hear you sought help and took time for yourself. Writing is cathartic for many folks, but the process takes a lot of energy. So, if you had to choose one book from your backlog for readers to “get to know your writing better,” what book would you choose, and why?

Any of them! My largest series is The Secret King, a passion project originally written in 2007 as a feature film and later developed into a TV series with a co-writer. Now, it’s over 23 books long, ranging from short stories to full-length novels.

But if I had to pick, Pilots of Artem has been my favorite. The friendship and emotional rollercoaster in this series are unmatched.

Awesome. Poking through your catalog, and there is a wealth of options there already. What are you currently working on, and where can readers stay updated with your latest news and releases?

I’m working on a spinoff I shouldn’t be (haha) for a new series launching in February with Chris Kennedy Publishers: Interstellar Pawn. It’s a sci-fi progression fantasy, and I’m thrilled to be working with such professionals.

For updates, Facebook is usually my first point of contact. I’m also active in my Discord server and happy to answer questions about series or upcoming projects.

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Read Chapman’s Wait for Me at no cost today, and check out Dawn’s Amazon page, join her Patreon, and find other information on her author website.