Beth Cato - author of the Clockwork Dagger tales, the Blood of Earth trilogy, the soon-to-be-released Red Dust and Dancing Horses anthology, and more - is a fresh and inspired voice in the world of speculative fiction. The combination of a passionate commitment to her craft with her meticulous scholastic rigor results in a rare and marvelous literary alchemy. During this marvelous 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse, Beth explores the concept of the "strong character", offers insights on magic in urban fantasy and steampunk, shares her process of incorporating critique readers in her writing, and more.