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Netherford Hall is here!
It’s always a bit of an emotional situation when you finally publish a book. I mean, all my books are special to me, but they are all their own journeys in terms of the process and who I was when I was first writing the book. To get to the beginning of Edith and Poppy’s love story, we go back to the pandemic times. A lot was going on for me during that time, in addition to all the just existing. I was diagnosed with ADHD. The house felt like a pressure cooker. The news, every day, felt like I was progressively living in some dystopian nightmare (still haven’t ruled…
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Is Netherford Hall a Cozy Romantasy?
We are now deep in the throes of ARC reviews for Netherford Hall, and while I try not to throw myself on the mercy of reviews, one observation from some readers has made me rethink this book a little. (The people who love this book really love this book and this post is not for them.) The end of the book is certainly fast-paced, but the majority of the book is not. Like the world of Jane Austen, from which it was inspired, the focus isn’t on high action, complex plotting, or angst and danger. It’s about relationships between characters, establishing their connections, demonstrating their problems, and seeing what happens…
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What is a gentlewitch?
We are quickly approaching the release date for Netherford Hall, and I’m currently busy working on the third installment, The Game of Hearts, right now, so my brain is thinking about all things gentlewitch. (Which is available to pre-order in paperback and in ebook–and soon in audiobook.) Now, this is a term I’m very familiar with. In fact, I’ve been writing so much about gentlewitches that I forgot it’s a term I made up. So, I wrote a little backstory about said magical beings, a la Tolkien’s “Concerning Hobbits.” What is a gentlewitch? To understand the Love in Netherford series, one must first become acquainted with the role of a gentlewitch in…
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Queen of None is Now Available Everywhere!
No, this is not a repeat from 2020. Well, that’s not entirely the truth. As you may remember, the Queens of Fate series was picked up by Solaris books early last year, and Queen of None has officially been re-issued with a brand new cover, updated text, and new acknowledgements. This truly is the little book that could. This morning, I sat in my car to get some celebratory coffee, and listened to the beginning of the book narrated by the amazing Deborah Balm. She just absolutely inhabits Anna’s spirit in a way that made me quite emotional. As an audiobook nerd myself, I was thrilled when her voice sample first…
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Presenting The Portraits of Fate: Anna Pendragon and Sir Bedevere, Art by Mae Morrison
I am a massively visual person. Part of this comes from having a fine arts background, but part of it is just the way my brain is wired. I have hyperphantasia, which means when I read a book I can see, hear, smell, and feel things in vivid detail. So it’s not surprising that I’ve dreamed a long time of having my characters rendered in beautiful art. And with the increasing challenges with AI everywhere, I decided that for Queen of None–and all the books in the series–I wanted to hire an artist to make project come to life. I took to social media for this project, and for one for Netherford…
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Netherford Hall Series Picked up by Solaris Books Imprint Solaris Nova!
Publishing moves slow, until it doesn’t! I’m so happy to announce that Solaris Books, via their new imprint Solaris Nova, has acquired Netherford Hall and its two sequels (currently titled The Viscount St. Albans and The Game of Hearts). The pitch is fast and furious: a sapphic Bridgerton with witches. And werewolves, vampires, Fae, and a motley crew of characters. It’s light, romantic, silly, sexy, and joyous, with magic, politics, and of course, lots of fashion. So much fashion, in fact, that it’s the book that inspired ThreadTalk in the first place! Yes, indeed. It was Viola’s chintz dress that got me going on my first research project, and look where we are now.…
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The New Cover for QUEEN OF NONE is Here! (Plus Release Info!)
Most books and series don’t get a second chance at life. Indeed, when my publisher closed, not long after I submitted Queen of Fury, I despaired a little. This Arthurian adventure, the family saga, of the Queens of Fate, might never really come to a conclusion. Thankfully, I was lucky and that didn’t happen. Not only that, but I’ve been involved in the discussion of the re-branding of the cover and look of all three books coming out from Solaris next year and in 2024. I wanted something medieval, eye-catching, and representative of the Pre-Raphaelite inspired aesthetic. Thankfully, the publisher was on the same page! So when I got to see…
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May 2023 Class – Writing History In Your Fiction!
Looking to history for inspiration can be fun–and fraught. It’s not a matter of simply copying and pasting, but rather interpreting, interpolating, re-telling, and re-imagining. We’ll dive into places and approaches to sourcing as well as explores some of the pitfalls and minefields inherent in writing historical and history-inspired fiction. Plus, a look at authenticity vs. the myths of history. Are people so different now than they used to be? Or are we informed by our own age? Join me, Natania Barron, a fantasy author, fashion historian, and longtime history nerd, for a hands on class and discussion. 7pm, EST – May 25, 2023! Register Here! (And as a reminder:…
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From the Arthurian Lit Readings: “Sir Palomydes’ Quest” by William Morris
Arthuriana and the Matter of Britain influenced centuries of writers and artists, but many think of the Arts & Crafts movement and Pre-Raphaelites when it comes to the visuals. Few know, however, that William Morris himself was more than a painter–in fact, he was also a fantasy writer and poet (among many other things). During my graduate research, I came upon his poem “The Defense of Guinevere” and, ultimately, more of his Arthurian poetry work. Sir Palomydes has always been one of my favorites, the prince from the Middle East sent to Arthur’s court as a paragon of chivalry–who falls in love with Iseult but never gets her (thanks,…
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Check Me Out on the PopDNA Podcast talking Sir Gawain, the Green Knight, and Queens of Fate
Speaking about one of my favorite subjects of all time: Sir Gawain! It was so lovely getting a chance to nerd out with Rhonda and Erin from the PopDNA podcast. I could go on for a lot longer than I did about the Gawain subject, but getting a chance to gush about my favorite himbo cinnamon roll from Queen of Fury is definitely up there. Likely you’ve already seen how much I loved The Green Knight, too. Big thanks to the PopDNA hosts for having me.
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On Feminism, Fate, and Family in the Queens of Fate Series
As I’m writing the third book in my feminist Arthurian retelling series (this one is Queen of Mercy, while the others are Queen of None and Queen of Fury), I’ve been having quite a lot of thoughts about the overall themes and symbols of them. For context: I started the first book in 2009, and now here we are in 2023. Which is about the same difference in time from the end of the first book to the beginning of the third book. In that time, characters who start out as babies become adults (well, in medievalish terms). People die. Alliances are forged, relationships broken. It’s very much a whole…
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Fumbling Towards Camelot – My Arthurian Stories Find a New Home With Solaris Books
Who can say when a story really starts? Out of the mire of post-Roman Britain, the Arthurian Tales rose to prominence across much of Europe: a motley patchwork of stories, characters, and adventures that remain with us today. It is, I suppose, a great, collaborative tapestry, with new authors adding to the scenes for almost 1500 years. Like many young writers, and especially those of the medieval inclination, I fell head over heels for Arthuriana when I was in college. Though I was acquainted with the stories thanks to Disney and Mary Stewart, discovering the age and breadth of these tales absolutely blew my mind. I felt a kinship, especially,…
