Shelby Oval is proud to announce that her debut fantasy novel, Out of Embers and Shadows, has been awarded the prestigious Literary Titan Award, celebrating its captivating storytelling, powerful characters, and evocative themes. This epic tale follows Lora, a young woman caught between warring nations, who must navigate trust and betrayal when forced to ally with her enemies to escape the relentless grip of war. Praised for its strong female protagonist, found family dynamics, and immersive world-building, Out of Embers and Shadows is the first installment in the thrilling Shadowfire series. Oval’s work, rich in magic, dragons, and unexpected twists, has resonated with readers and critics alike, marking a stunning debut for this award-winning self-published author.

Q: Shelby, your book dives deep into war, betrayal, and uneasy alliances. Can you introduce us to Lora and what makes her such a compelling heroine?

Unfortunately, Lora is not the heroine. She is morally gray and begins to realize throughout the book that she might actually be a villain, which of course rattles her. But it does not stop her from being herself - since there really isn’t anyone else she’d want to be anyway. While she’s coming to grips with the fact that she might be a war criminal she does start to realize that she could maybe, just maybe, turn her life around. I think the duology of good and evil that rages within her is one we have all felt before - doing the wrong things for the right reasons… except we probably haven’t committed atrocities on her level. 

Q: Relationships are at the heart of every great fantasy—can you tell us about the key dynamics between Lora and the characters she meets along the way?

Lora has never had anyone in her life that she has cared about or who has cared about her except for her friend Kacey - who gets beaten and kidnapped when they are teenagers. O to enter into a unit that treats each other with respect and kindness is something literally out of this world for her. She is drawn to several of the cadre that offer her unconditional support and love and its been so fun to write those relationships blossoming. Small warning - in book three (which is being written now) shit hits the fan with some of those people sooooo….. Yeah, sorry in advance. 

Q: Without spoilers, which relationship surprised you the most while you were writing?

I genuinely cannot answer that but I will say that as I wrote book two and now book three the characters have decided things for themselves that I did not see coming. I know that sounds crazy to say but it’s true. I just hope no one hates me for how they want their stories to be told.

Q: How do love, loyalty, and betrayal weave together in Out of Embers and Shadows?

The same way they do in life. They are always interconnected because without loyalty in love there will always be betrayal and without love in loyalty you cannot help but betray someone. I think the blurring of what is considered betrayal and what isn’t when it comes to loyalty to oneself and one's values is where the real fun lies.  

Q: If Lora had to choose between forging trust with an enemy or protecting herself at all costs, what do you think she’d do?

In OES I think she is still in self preservation mode. She has spent her life being abused and used and neglected and so when she is offered a chance to escape that reality she will seize it - not because she trusts the other person, but because freedom is something her survival and sanity depends on. 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the relationships in this story—romantic or otherwise?

A huge underlying current in all the books I write is unconditional love - whether it's between friends, family, or partners. I hope that my readers, as they continue with Lora’s journey, begin to understand that concept. Love should not have to be earned - trust, yes - but love, true love, is freely given and maintained. 

Q: What can you tease about where these relationships might head in the next installment?

I don’t want to give anything away but let's just say not everything is as it seems. These characters really do whatever they please and boy do they have some things in store for the readers! 

Q: Which character would be most likely to betray someone first—and who would be least likely?

Lowkey it depends on what betrayal means to you… I think Nuva would not hesitate to kill Lora if she thought it would protect Kalon or Kierra, but I think the same of Lora towards anyone who would hurt Kacey. 

Liam is an angel. He must be protected at all costs THOUGH he does follow orders. 

Q: If your characters had to live in our modern world, who would thrive and who would be completely lost?

Lora and Nuva would be arrested for disorderly conduct for sure. I think Kierra would thrive but be downright distraught at all the wars and refugee issues. Liam would find modern medicine to be an absolute wonder and I think Garrison would end up being a psychologist or something. Lord knows what Kalon would do… 

Q: Which side character is secretly begging for their own book?

Ortega. I think gouging out your own eyes so as to not be used by the temples for your gift of prophetic sight is something not many could or would do. 

Q: If you could ship Lora with any hero from another fantasy series, who would it be and why?

I think what Lora truly needs in a life partner is not something that is often written into fantasy books…but if I had to I would say Creon from Lisette Marshall's Court of Blood and Bindings

Q: What’s the most emotional scene between two characters that you wrote in this book?

There is a scene where she just gets to feel pretty and she has never had that chance before. She also gets to sing and dance and be a person - not a weapon - and that was really beautiful to write. 

Out of Embers and Shadows follows a woman navigating a fiery landscape in which rival nations are engaged in war as she simultaneously faces the truth about her past. Where did the idea for this novel come from?

In truth the idea stemmed from a long hike where I considered dragons and war. As we hiked both up and then back down a mountain in Slovenia I distracted myself from the grueling steepness by imagining dragons and the dynamics that would be at play if I had a dragon and others did not. Then I began to build a war around that idea and thus the Shadowfire series sparked to life.

How did you balance magic and its use throughout the story to keep it believable?

Magic is alive everywhere and for fantasy readers, I think it’s important to make it as a part of the characters as breathing is. Lora doesn’t just have shadow magic when she needs it, she feels the pulse of her power along her arms, in her very blood. She uses shadows that are already there and her magic dances with the flames from Emir or Garrison. Magic is not simply used; it is in every fiber of these characters’ being. I think having it that way helps to make the world more immersible and the magic more believable.

Lora is a memorable main character. What was the inspiration for her traits and dialogue?

I LOVE reading books that have strong female leads who are unapologetically themselves (Think Jude from Cruel Prince or Aelin from Throne of Glass). As I started really diving into the fantasy genre, I realized a lot of the female leads still leaned heavily on their male counterparts – either to train them or support them emotionally. I got tired of this so instead of searching for a book that had an already confident and highly skilled female lead – I wrote one!

Can you give us a peek inside book 2 in this series? Where will it take readers?

Book 1 is such a whirlwind and book 2 immediately picks up where book 1 leaves off. You follow Lora and Kalon as they grapple with their new “relationship” all while Lora is trying to rediscover herself while still running from her past. There are definitely more twists and turns in this one and I am excited to see how readers react to certain actions and revelations!