We chat with author Analeigh Sbrana about Lore of the Wilds, which is a stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.
Hi, Analeigh! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! Well, where to start? I am a writer, photographer, and a book collector. I love to collect special editions and signed copies of my favorite books, and I’ve been known to purchase entire series before I’ve even read them…my TBR (to be read list) is embarrassingly long, but hey I’m building my dream library. I also love traveling, cappuccinos, and exploring used bookstores.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. My grandmother is a poet and my mother writes poetry and short stories…so I’ve been around creatives my whole life. I think I wrote my first book of poetry when I was five…I couldn’t even write yet, but my mom typed up my poems and bound them into a book for me. I started writing short stories in fifth grade and never stopped!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The first chapter book I picked off the shelf on my own was The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum (I’ve been obsessed with fantasy ever since).
- The one that made you want to become an author: Oh this is a tough one because I think its always been my dream… but maybe Howls Moving Castle because it is just so imaginative and it was really inspiring.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Legendborn by Tracy Deonn lives rent free in my head…I am never not thinking about this book.
Your debut novel, Lore of the Wilds, is out February 27th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Cottage Core (why is this two words???), Darkly Whimsical, and untraditional.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect to be surprised I think. I don’t think my book quite fits into any one category, it’s a mixture of many things. Dark yet cozy at times. Whimsical and heavy. They can expect magic, fae, romance, and found family.
Where did the inspiration for Lore of the Wilds come from?
Lore of the Wilds came from a daydream…I was daydreaming, as I so often do, and I saw a human woman entering a library that hadn’t been explored in one thousand years. It was clear that she loved books dearly and was one who devoured stories. I just wasn’t sure who she was or why no one had entered the library in so long. That all came later.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
All of my side characters! Each one of them were a surprise, I swear they wrote themselves onto the page, and exploring their different personalities, backstories, etc was so much fun! But if I have to narrow it down…I will say Grey. He’s my cinnamon roll ‘bestie’ character and I love him so much.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced and how you were able to overcome them?
My main challenge was self doubt. Growing up I had never seen a book like mine on the shelf, one that centered a Black woman who could wield magic…who was destined for greatness in a fantasy setting. Internally, I think that told me that there wasn’t a place for a story like mine within traditional publishing. It took a lot of introspection and self pep talks to force myself to finish the story and actually put it out there for people to read.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I feel like nothing in my life is ever…traditional…and my publishing journey is just one example of many. I actually finished writing Lore of the Wilds in 2021 and tried for a year to find an agent who would champion my book. But when that didn’t pan out…I had so many friends telling me to just self publish it. They were all eager to read my book (I documented my writing journey on my Instagram) and so I decided to just do it! I withdrew every query (even the ones that were currently out with agents who had requested my full manuscript), hired an editor, a proof reader, and a cover artist/designer. I spent weeks researching self publishing (which felt like learning 10 jobs at once) and did everything I could to make my self publishing journey a success. I even set a publishing date and opened up preorders! To my surprise (and delight), my cover reveal went a tad bit viral on Tik Tok and Instagram. One day after posting my reveal my DREAM agent reached out to me after it came across her feed. She asked if I was interested in representation and if so, could I send her my manuscript. Three weeks later my book was sold at AUCTION! Since then, it has been a whirlwind of triumphs and exciting opportunities and I feel like this has just been a dream! But if it is all a dream, please don’t wake me.
What’s next for you?
Book two! Lore of the Wilds is a planned duology so I am furiously working on the sequel now. After that, I have about five stories I’ve already started and am itching to tell.
Lastly, are there any 2024 book releases that you’re looking forward to?
Oh, SO MANY how many am I allowed to list? Alright off the top of my head… I am SO excited for Bride by Ali Hazelwood, A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal, Fathomfolk by Eliza Chan, Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews, The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste, Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase, To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang, More Than One Way: Part Two by Sienna Holt, The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields, and Don’t Want you Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban.
EXCERPT
The morning of the autumn equinox, Lore sat in the servants’ dining hall, frowning. There was a small stain on the hem of her servant’s tunic—it was shaped exactly like a leaf, stem and all.
She rubbed it with her thumb, though she assumed the stain was probably almost as old as the tunic itself. She doubted anyone had noticed it, especially since it was so much smaller than the black royal crest of Wyndlin Castle that was emblazoned on the front and back of her outfit.
Overkill, if you asked her.
She hated that she bore their crest as if she belonged to them. She wanted to rip this tunic off. She picked at the crest, though it was sewn on with a stitch so thick it would require a dagger to break.
She didn’t know what to do. She’d already finished her meal and the thought of heading back to the library to continue working by herself—on today of all days—made the food in her stomach turn to lead.
She shouldn’t be here, alone in this gargantuan castle, without a single person to celebrate the autumn equinox with.
The autumn equinox marked the day when the nights became longer than the days. It had always been a significant day for her people and the most enjoyable festival of the year.
That was what bothered her—she should have been home, with Grey, stringing leaf wreaths and garlands and eating sizzling spiced apples and star-shaped oat cookies to celebrate the longer nights. They should have been speculating over who would be chosen to track the movement of the wandering stars that evening.
She imagined what the community would be doing now. If they had managed to rebuild the Burgs’ tavern, then she imagined that Emalie, their daughter, would be directing the other young folks to open all the windows and doors wide. Everyone would be working together to remove the tables and chairs and spread them out in the courtyard, so that the tavern’s wooden patio could be used for a dance space.
Thane, the blacksmith, would have put his hammer down and would be tuning his instruments. The man could play everything. Aunty Eshe would be tidying the children: brushing and braiding their hair and making sure they looked their best for the festival.
Acrid heat pooled within Lore’s chest when she thought of the conversation she’d had with the chief steward, when he’d forbidden her from attending the festivities.
She stopped picking at the crest and slumped against the table, dropping her head onto her arms. Resigning herself to an autumn equinox spent alone, Lore sniffed back tears.
She could smell the food already being prepared in the kitchens. No wonder the only thing they served for breakfast was yesterday’s bread and a small portion of butter. They were already preparing the feasts for that evening.
Though the humans’ more intimate affair would have been preferable, she did not doubt that the spread served tonight would be like nothing she’d ever seen—or tasted—before. Her mouth watered at the prospect.
If she couldn’t be with her loved ones, there had to be a way to sneak in and steal a plate from the fae, if only so she could eat it alone in her room. She’d be out of the way, as requested.
But she wasn’t going to miss out completely. She looked toward the kitchen. She picked up her tray and walked over to peek inside. Double the usual confectioneries were hard at work. She could see at least six fae decorating just the tarts. There were seven more dusting, icing, and glazing what appeared to be dozens of different flavors of cookies. It put her oat cookies to shame, but she would trade all the feasts in the world to have those oat cookies with Grey.
Lore twirled a stray curl around her finger, biting her lip to hold back her grin. Yeah, there was no way she was missing out on these cookies.
On the way out of the servant’s hall, she swiped a clean bowl from the counter.
