Hi. I was wondering, if Alina, Mal, Genya and the Darkling were real people, would they be your friends? And also, have you borrowed traits from yourself or friends/family for any of the characters? If so, which traits would that be? Finally I just want to

I’m so glad you enjoyed S&B and that you’re looking forward to Siege and Storm! 

I have something in common with all of my characters (yes, even the Darkling), though sometimes I don’t see it until the character is actually on the page.

I do sometimes find inspiration in the people around me. The relationship between Genya and David is definitely inspired by the interactions of a couple of friends of mine. And there’s a specific exchange between two characters in book 2 that actually came straight from a text message. Erm… and Eva the pig-nosed cartographer? Yeah, she may have been inspired by a girl who used to pick on me in junior high. Cuz I’m petty like that.