Making Magic in Queer Fantasy Romance with Freya Markse and Guest Host Jo Riccioni

Join us as we unravel the creative process behind author Freya Marske’s queer historical fantasy series, The Last Binding in this wide-ranging chat with guest host, Jo Riccioni. Freya guides us through her unique magic system, based on the concept of 'cradling', inspired by an activity she loved as a child. She further explores the underlying inequalities and social assumptions embedded in her magic system and gives us a peek behind the curtains on how she developed her characters Edwin and Robin, and the intricacies of their magical romance.

Freya address the pressures of meeting publisher deadlines and the industry's expectation of fantasy and romance writers to produce multiple books annually. She offers an insightful glimpse into her own experiences, sharing how she maintained her schedule for her trilogy and the sense of wish-fulfillment she discovered during the pandemic.

Finally, we discuss the evolving publishing industry and the recent market trends. The episode looks into the trend of genre mashing and its implications for authors trying to make a mark. We also touch upon the challenges of deciding between writing a romance or fantasy series and how to market oneself as an author. Also, tune in to our conversation about the impact of self-published books on traditional publishing. Lastly, we chat about the inspiration behind transforming a standalone book into a series and the books and authors that have influenced Freya's writing journey. Don't miss this enriching conversation with one of the most exciting voices in fantasy literature today.

Episode Chapters

0:00:00 - Historical Fantasy and Writing a Series

0:06:21 - Plotting a Romance Fantasy Series

0:19:38 - Writing a Book Series

0:30:44 - Navigating Genre and Market Trends

0:41:09 - Influences and Writing Approach

0:53:26 - Science Fiction, Horror, and Fairy Tales

Read the full episode transcript here