Interview with real-life superwoman Dacia M Arnold

A mother, and a ten year Army Vet with two tours of combat as a medic, Dacia M Arnold actually lives up to the role of a superwoman. Dystopian fiction fans are looking forward to meeting Denver author Denver Pop Culture Con next week May 31-June2, 2019. Her first novel Apparent Power is an award-winning book that follows a mother journey to find her son before a post-apocalyptic government does. The sequel, Shifting Power, is due out this Fall 2019. Get to know Dacia and check out her DPCC panels.

Colleen Bement: Is this your first time at Denver Pop Culture Con?

Dacia M Arnold: I attended my first Comic-Con (back when it still was Comic Con) at 27 (I’m a bit older than that now). I attended as a fan and had no idea what to expect. I came back last year to support some friends I had made in the writing industry and this year I am returning for the first time as a professional. I anticipate being very tired come Sunday.

CB: Tell us a little bit about the four panel’s you are hosting at Denver Pop Culture Con. I love the one entitled “Finding Creative Inspiration in the Mundane.” I need that one!

DMA: “Colorado Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors” is one I am very excited about. Being so new to the con scene, I am really looking forward to the opportunity to get my name out there and associated with some very talented people.

“World Building in YA Dystopian Fiction” is something I have quite a bit knowledge in. There are so many angles to consider when developing a believable dystopia to include the reason for the original government to fail, and giving a voice to the minority that suffers in support of the “greater good”.

“Putting Your Own Life (And Relationships) Into Your Books” is an All-Star panel that I am so humbled to be on.

Finally, “Finding Inspiration” is something every writer faces. Sometimes everyday life is not very exciting. We go through lulls where the muse is elusive. This panel will talk about forcing the craft, pulling ideas from seemingly thin air, and

CB: Dystopian fiction? My readers will love it! Tell us about your new book Apparent Power and what inspired you to write it?

DMA: After reading YA after YA dystopian novel (and LOVING THEM) I started a search for dystopian novels with a main character I had more in common with (like being an adult and a mom). Nothing gets me worked up or on edge more than a threat to my kids and I wanted to see how this dynamic would affect a woman in a doomsday scenario. Needless to say, I could not find this book. So, I wrote it.

CB: The Brightest Firefly: A Collection of Short Works looks right up my alley. Fill us in on this cool project.

DMA: I only started writing a few years ago, but when I did I hit a wall in my novel about halfway through. I began to research techniques to break through this wall and one of the suggestions was to write something else. I started a blog and quickly found flash fiction. The Brightest Firefly is a collection of work I have created since starting this literary journey. I like stretching myself to writing using different styles and techniques. Readers can expect to find fiction of different voices and genres as well as some nonfiction, poetry and a couple of short plays.

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CB: I see you have yet another book coming soon called Shifting Power. Two questions:

1.) With Apparent Power and Shifting Power, can your readers look forward to a trilogy?

DMA: YES!!! This is definitely a trilogy and I am so excited to be wrapping it up next year. I don’t know if I will ever consider doing another series again, but I do love apocalyptic stories where the mom has to figure things out for herself and her children. I have a couple more of these type novels up my sleeve, but they will be stand alones.

2.) When do you find time to sleep, LOL?

DMA: Oh man. I drink coffee aaaaaall day and melatonin at night just to turn off. I make lists to makes sure I hit all the important things in the day, but the key is to give myself grace to not get everything done. I’m in school full time with a double class load to finish by next April with my Bachelors in English, I work full time and my husband is a conductor for the railroad and is constantly traveling for work. This leaves me to be a solo parent about 75% of the time. All that being said, sleep is a top priority in my productivity and is considered sacred in my house.

CB: You served our country for 10 years in the Army. First of all, thank you so much for your service. How did your time in the service shape who you are today?

DMA: I joined the Army at 19, which pretty much shaped me as an adult. I have bad habits of course, like dropping a well-placed eff bomb, if there is such a thing. I have also picked up good habits like professional correspondence, my medical experience, and my vast knowledge of contingency plans. I adapt well to changes and can make solid decisions in the midst of chaos. As a mom, there are things that affect my day today. Hyper-vigilance is a constant battle between being a hovering helicopter mom and rubbing dirt in their boo-boos (figuratively… I am a medical professional after all).

Somedays I lay my daughter down for her nap and think Man: I was really accurate with a rifle-mounted grenade launcher. I’ll never get to fire one of those ever again. Other days I am thankful to be able to stay home and not leave them for months at a time to a combat zone.

I did deploy twice, but before I was a wife and a mom. I was fortunate to have solid leadership in Baghdad ER who treated every horrific day as a well-oiled machine of patient care. I rarely doubted my abilities, as there was a mutual respect across the board and every person had a role to play and play it well. The atmosphere there allowed me to mentally process the crazy things I saw and experienced. The big question is if I have PTSD from it all, and the answer is no. This is not to diminish the mental stress deployment has on different people. I have peers who did not adapt as well and this does not make me strong or them weak. We all just have different paths of continuing life after those experiences.