Rachanee Lumayno Spellbinds with Kingdom Legacy: Building a Seven-Book Fantasy World

What happens when a pandemic kills your D&D campaign? If you’re Rachanee Lumayno, you don’t sulk or bake bread—you construct an entire fantasy universe instead.In the 38th episode of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Factory, host Mookie Spitz sits down with Rachanee, the indie author behind the Kingdom Legacy series. She describes how she turned an abandoned gaming character into a seven-book saga spanning interconnected kingdoms, shifting protagonists, and themes of identity, power, and found family. Her approach flips the usual fantasy model on its head: no bloated continuity, no homework for the reader—just modular storytelling that lets you jump in anywhere and still get hooked.Together, Rachanee and Mookie conduct a working session on what actually gets books written—and sold. They dig into: Why most writers stall out—and how Lumayno cranks out full novels in monthsThe plotter vs. pantser divide, and why she didn’t even fully world-build until book threeUsing tarot cards as a storytelling engine, and why it sometimes works better than outliningThe indie author reality of choosing the best covers, editors, cons, and why human connection beats online adsYA fiction that isn’t soft, and how darker themes can hit younger audiences without dumbing anything downWhy reading your work out loud might be the single best editing tool you’re ignoringThey also go beyond the books and into creative discipline, the grind of self-publishing, and the uncomfortable truth that thinking too much is often the enemy of writing anything at all.If you’re trying to write, publish, or just stop screwing around and finish something, this one lands. And if you’re a reader you’ll walk away with a new fantasy world to explore, and a sense of wonder and appreciation for Rachanee's enthusiasm and creative process. The GuestRachanee Lumayno is an actress, voiceover artist, screenwriter, avid gamer and amateur dodgeball player. She grew up in Michigan, where she spent way too much of her free time reading fantasy novels. So when she decided to try her hand at writing a book, it made sense that it would be in her favorite genre. The Kingdom Legacy series marks her debut as an author. She is also a staff writer for two comics and an upcoming video game.Her first novel, Heir of Amber and Fire, was named a Best Book Winner for Young Adult - Fantasy / Sci-Fi in the 2024 Spring PenCraft Seasonal Book Awards.Her Books & Resourceshttps://www.rachanee.net/https://www.rachanee.net/newsletterhttps://www.rachanee.net/bookshttps://www.instagram.com/rachaneelumaynoWant to be on the show? Have feedback? Send Mookie a text!Support the show