If The Hunger Games was your favorite movie in the franchise and you cannot wait for Sunrise on the Reaping, you might want to brace yourself for the release of Burn the Water. Screenwriter Bill Ray is dipping his toes in the world of YA novels with a duology that is sure to captivate all kinds of readers. From those who love the themes of Romeo & Juliet to those who love reading about women in leadership positions, everyone is bound to finish this novel wanting more.
Burn the Water comes out March 3, 2026, promising to be one of the most incredible reads of the year. Eulalie Magazine spoke to Ray about his debut in the world of novels, why these characters will captivate readers, and what’s coming next.
Eulalie Magazine: What motivated you to go from screenwriting to a YA novel?
Billy Ray: One of the great blessings of being a writer – or being a painter or a singer, or any other creative pursuit is that you get to keep challenging yourself to get better, to grow by trying things you’ve never tried before. I grew up reading novels, had always revered great authors like Hugo, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, and I wanted to see if I could tell a story in that format. It was daunting! And I had to learn as I was doing it. But what I ultimately learned is that storytelling is storytelling.
Eulalie Magazine: Why do you think readers are still captivated by the Romeo & Juliet theme?
Billy Ray: It’s the greatest love story of all time. Period. Two lovers with an entire world trying to keep them apart. They’re willing to sacrifice everything for each other, even die for each other. That’s a level of drama that can’t be topped.
Eulalie Magazine: What makes Rafe and Jule characters readers will root for?
Billy Ray: Rafe and Jule were raised to hate, raised to triumph, and raised to kill. Yet each sees something in the other that changes all that, and confounds their worldview. They each come to learn that love is nobler than war, and bigger than the water.
Eulalie Magazine: What attracts you about writing about generational conflict?
Billy Ray: I honestly don’t think about Burn the Water in terms of generational conflict – and I never did. Burn the Water is, ultimately, about LEADERSHIP. It’s about a young woman struggling and suffering – and loving – until she’s grown into the kind of leader that can unite all of England.
Eulalie Magazine: Do you have any more ideas for other novels?
Billy Ray:I just finished the sequel! Couldn’t be more excited about it.
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Lara Rosales
By day, Lara Rosales (she/her) is a solo mom by choice and a bilingual writer with a BA in Latin-American Literature known as a Media Relations Expert. By night, she is a TV enjoyer who used to host a podcast (Cats, Milfs & Lesbian Things). In addition to Eulalie Magazine, you can find her work published on Tell-Tale TV, Geek Girl Authority, W Spotlight, Collider, USA Wire, Mentors Collective, Instelite, Noodle, Dear Movies, Nicki Swift, and Flip Screened.