Author Chat: Emma Sterner-Radley

You may have seen there’s a giveaway going this Wyrd & Wonder for Snowblooded by Emma Sterner-Radley, a book about rival assassins in 18th century Sweden who must work together for one last hit before they both try and leave their oppressive order. If this sounds up your street, rejoice because it’s out today! And to celebrate, the author has kindly joined me for a chat about all things Snowblooded and beyond…

About the Author

Welcome to the Book Nook Emma, and congratulations on your upcoming publication! What inspired Snowblooded and what was the journey from concept to publication like for you?

Thank you for inviting me and thanks for the congratulations! Snowblooded started with two thoughts being combined. 1. I’d like to write about the Swedish 18^th century because it was such a fascinating part of our history. 2. I bet readers (me included) would like a book about rival assassins having to work together. Snowblooded’s journey was a surprising one, actually. I was an indie writer when I first thought of it, having been published by small presses and self-pubbed. But this book felt like it needed something else. So, it was with Snowblooded I got an agent and then was lucky enough to have the story picked up by the lovely Solaris Books.

Valour and Petrichor are two wildly different characters, as they would be the first to admit. Did you find writing one easier than the other?

It depended on which part I was writing and the mood I was in at the time. As someone who suffers with a mental health condition, it was at times easier to write Petrichor. Contrastingly, as a generally happy-go-lucky lesbian, it was often more natural to write Valour. What was hard to write were the sides to them that were alien to me, like Valour’s confidence and Petrichor’s coldness.

Writing assassins and intrigue involves a lot of moving parts. Did you have everything lined up before you started writing, or did you let the story pull you along? Basically: Gardner, architect, or something in between?

Absolutely something in between. I need a basic skeleton for my story, otherwise I start making too many limbs and branching out with all sorts of unnecessary parts. But if I make the skeleton too detailed and completed, my brain gets bored and doesn’t want to write. It’s a fine balance. The intrigue in this book was an issue as most of it ended up in the second half of the book. The plot skeleton ended up being all rump and legs with no arms! Luckily, there’s a lot that can be moved about in editing.

Are we going to see more of Valour and Petrichor in future or have you got other things cooking?

I hope we get to see more of them! Since writing Snowblooded I’ve focused on other projects, though. I write fast so two stories sit edited and ready, hoping for a home. Meanwhile I’m currently editing a third one, a portal romantasy with Vikings and a museum heist.

Other than your own, are there any other exciting upcoming releases you’d like to shout about and recommend?

So many! I’ll stick to three, though, and recommend that anyone who likes Snowblooded keeps an eye out for Sarah Brooks’ The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to The Wastelands, Sam K. Horton’s Gorse, and Genoveva Dimova’s Witch’s Compendium of Monsters duology.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from your work?

Oh, it’s hard to only pick one. But if I have to, I suppose it’s for those of us who belong to a minority to get to see ourselves represented in a story not about being a minority.

A fun question to end with: if you could live in any fantasy world, where would you go and what kind of character would you be?

This really depends on when you ask me. Right now, though, I think I’d like to be someone in Terry Pratchett’s Ankh-Morpork. Preferably one of those who have a comfortable life. Maybe one of Lady Sybil Vimes’ dragons?

Thank you again to Emma for taking part in this Q&A! Don’t forget to enter the giveaway I’m hosting as it closes on 15th May, but if you can’t wait until then to get your hands on this fabulous queer book, go and buy it now!!