Danielle Paige is the New York Times bestselling author of the Dorothy Must Die series and the Stealing Snow series.

Tell Us About Mera: Tidebreaker. Mera grows up as the daughter of the king of Xebel, a colony of Atlantis. Instead of marrying the boy her father expects her to, Mera sets off on her own to kill the future king of Atlantis, Arthur Curry (a.k.a. Aquaman). She is hoping to secure her claim on her father’s crown and to take revenge on Atlantis for years of perceived oppression. But when she meets Arthur, she begins to question all that she has been told to believe. She ultimately falls for him and has to choose between her mission and her heart.

What Made You Want To Tell This Story? Mera herself! I grew up loving the DC Universe! I was less familiar with Mera’s backstory, but the more I learned about her, the more I connected with her and wanted to tell her story—and the more epic it felt. Mera’s conflict between her history and her heart is just as epic as Wonder Woman’s or Batman’s or Superman’s, and I felt honored to get to write it!

What Did You Think When You First Saw Completed Illustrations? I believe there was some squee-ing! Seeing Mera in the “hero pose” was huge for me! Stephen’s work is beautiful, but more than that, the Mera on the page feels like the girl I saw in my head—smart, brave, funny, and determined.

What Do You Hope Fans Take Away From Your Story? I have gotten to read a few of the other DC Ink and DC Zoom titles, and while they are all so diverse, I think they all share a common theme that relates to all young people: what it means to be a hero. Whatever your upbringing, whatever your circumstances, you can grow up to be a hero.