ABOUT THE BOOK

Set 30 years into a hopeful future where fossil fuels are obsolete in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a reluctant spider-kin fortune teller must solve the mystery of who killed four soldiers at Fort Liberty. With not quite enough– or maybe too much– help from an infuriating Fae Colonel, and before her dear friends, an oak goblin doctor and a fairy with a penchant for machine guns, end up as the next victims. Including a neurodivergent main character and a diverse cast of quirky companions, Explosive Chemistry is the second installment of the Liliana and the Fae of Fayetteville series that started with Precise Oaths.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Paige writes about superheroes and sentient cities, were-spiders and gun-loving fairies, werewolves and fighter pilots. By day, Paige writes articles and technical books for O’Reilly Publishers about analytics software and data architecture. In her spare time, Paige loves to shoot arrows and throw axes and spears. She lives in the middle of Texas, and will show you far too many pictures of her garden if you let her. She once invented a way to grow food on Mars that NASA liked, and has a cute trophy to show for it. Her dogs and horses are unimpressed.

TALKING POINTS

• Climate change fiction (hopepunk, solarpunk, cli fi) – Climate change is an existential threat. Paige can talk about what wonderful things would happen if we did better and what awful things will happen if we don’t.
• Mixing genres – Explosive Chemistry is actually chemistry, made up of mystery, science fiction, fantasy, and even a hint of slow-burn paranormal romance.
• Neurodivergence – Some of us think even more differently than most. A lot of folks have the concept that having a mental difference means a person doesn’t have the same desires for companionship, or can’t be brilliant, or funny, or useful to society. 
• World myths – In Explosive Chemistry, we get to meet some native myths and monsters. 
• Cozy fantasy – Explosive Chemistry, while action-packed, has elements that make it a fun, cozy read, including personal relationships as primary stakes, a found family made up of quirky misfit characters, and even tea parties.
• The importance of a diverse main cast – “Nice thing about being a fiction writer who wants to change the world: it’s your world, and you can change it.” It’s important for members of the audience to be represented in all aspects, and diversity is something Paige is passionate about in her writing and in her day-to-day life.
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