Sarah Wallace is an author of cosy fantasy of a historical nature. Their books combine queer fiction into a cosy fantasy/regency world for the most wonderful results. They started in publishing with their series Meddle and Mend, starting with Letters to Half Moon Street a regency epistolary novella. Their second novel, Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms is a cosy regency fantasy co-written with S.O. Callahan.

Read on to find our interview!

The Interview

Anna: What was it that drew you to writing, and what made you stick with it?

Sarah: I grew up in a family of bookworms so I’ve always been drawn to books, as it was thankfully part of my family’s culture. My parents were very encouraging of us doing creative things so when I showed an interest in writing when I was little, they were very supportive of that. So I think all of that helped. And I feel like I’m hard wired to want to write, somehow. Because when I read a book I really love, I’m often inspired to write because of it. Mostly to capture that feeling of being immersed in a story.

Anna: I love that you were writing from so early on, especially from being a reader. That feeling is always a beautiful one to capture!

Your work is mostly in the cosy and regency fantasy genres (which I love!) What is it about those genres that you love to write?

Sarah: I write cosy because I like how hopeful that genre is. Similar to the romance genre, cosy books offer readers a safe reading experience with a happily ever after. So even if challenging or harsh topics are broached, there’s an overall softness to the story. Ultimately I want my books to be comfort reads, and cosy fits that very well.

I write Regency fantasy because, first, I’ve always been drawn to fantasy. And as a queer writer, I want to be able to write stories about people like me or others in my community. But the challenge with queer historical fiction is that the stakes are always going to be pretty high, because that was the reality. I write an alternate Regency period so queer readers can see themselves in the pages and get to experience the soft, low stakes stories that cis-het readers have enjoyed for years.

Anna: Yes! That’s why those genres are May favourite to read and write too! Especially with queer regency books, seeing myself in those pages is wonderful.

I haven’t quite finished ‘Letters to Half Moon Street’, but what I’ve read I love! What was it that inspired the use of the epistolary form for that novel? I think it works so beautifully!

Sarah: Thank you!! I’ve always loved epistolary form. But I think the biggest inspiration for that was Sorcery and Cecilia by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. I read that series when I was in college and fell completely in love with it. And I’ve wanted to try my hand at epistolary ever since. In a more general sense, I’m fascinated by epistolary as a narrative form because it takes the unreliable narrator to a very unique level. Because everyone reveals different parts of themselves to different people. And using letters allows the reader a first hand look at how much the MC is willing to tell one character as opposed to an other, and how their tone changes slightly. It’s also a fun and immersive way to read a story.

Anna: That is so interesting! I really like how you’ve put that, it really does enhance the story. Ooh I’ll have to give those books a look as well!

Do you have a favourite character pov to write letters for? (I understand if you love them all!)

Sarah: I do love them all but I think Seb’s letters were the most fun to write. They were a late addition and his voice was incredibly fun. The other part I enjoyed most was the banter. Whether that was Gavin and Gerry’s sibling banter or Gavin and Charles’ friendly/flirtatious banter, the back and forth of it all was very fun.

Anna: That is so good! It sounds so fun to write!

I asked S.O. Callahan a little about Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms, but I wanted to chat with you about it too! What did you love about collaborating on writing a novel?

Sarah: So many things!!
I loved that we hyped each up as we wrote. Writing can be very solitary. So it’s so nice having that validation more immediately.
And I loved having two brains working through it. It’s so much easier to solve plot issues, world-building details, promo, commissions, and all of the different pieces that go into writing and publishing. We encourage each other, we brainstorm together (which is so much more fun with a partner), we’ve celebrated together. Honestly everything about the experience has been wonderful.

Anna: I’m so glad to hear it! I could tell from the way Breeze Spells was written you both had so much fun with it.

What was it that drew you to self publishing as opposed to traditional publishing?

Sarah: I’m so glad that came across!

There were several things that drew me to it. The main one was creative freedom. I like that I don’t have to change anything in my stories that I don’t want to based on someone else’s idea of marketability.

I also like having control over my own story: the blurb, the cover, the narrator. I like that I get to pick all of that and it allows me to stay true to my vision of the story.

Indie authors get a bad rep for being impatient but I do think it’s noteworthy that we can choose when our books are published. I typically write my books 1-2 years before they’re published. But even that is fast compared to traditional publishing. And I pick dates that mean something to me or to the story.

Anna: I really love this reasoning! That’s what drew me to self-publishing too.

Has there been something with self-publishing that you’ve found challenging but that you got through?

Sarah: I think the most challenging part has been the slow periods and the self doubt that came with them. The first two years of self publishing I wasn’t selling very much. And I kept trying to figure out what I was doing wrong. Last year especially, I think, I was very discouraged because I was doing everything I’d read I should do, and I felt like I wasn’t making progress.
Adding to that was some burnout with the books I was writing and the promo I was doing. What got me through was investing in classes and learning new tactics (like when to do permafrees and how to market them), and then shifting gears with new writing projects with S.O. Callahan. This year has been like night and day in terms of sales. So I’m kind of grateful now for that rough period because it’s given me perspective when I see things going well.

Anna: I can imagine, that point when you start out can be rough. I’m so happy you pushed through!

Do you have any new projects planned/anything new in the works?

Sarah: Shannon and I are working on getting the next two books in the Fae & Human Relations series ready for publication. One is basically done – we’re just wrapping up on the details now. And the other is about to go through its first round of revisions. We also just completed the rough draft of a project we’re very excited about! It’s going to be a little different from our other work in terms of time period and setting but the cozy fantasy and soft romance should feel familiar to our readers.

Anna: Ohmygosh yesss!! I am so excited!

Just the last few questions now. This is one I like to ask all the authors, the answers would be so varied. If you had the opportunity to bring your books to life in another form of media would you? And if yes what would it be?

Sarah: Ooh I would love that! I think I’d want them to be in a miniseries. Something that doesn’t prolong the story unnecessarily but doesn’t shorten it too much either.

Anna: Ooh! I love the sound of that!

Last question, do you have any advice for any new indie authors?

Thank you so much for doing this interview with me! I have loved chatting with you.

Sarah: My advice would be to write the stories you want to read. And that indie publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. It might take some time, but stick with it, learn from other authors, and be willing to try different approaches.

Thank YOU! This was a lot of fun!!

Anna: Perfect advice! I’m so glad to hear it!

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I will be continuing this series with a host of wonderful indie authors. I can’t wait to share these interviews with you all!