We chat with author Nora Carmody about Daughter of the Wind, which sees darkness lurking in the shadows as a betrothed princess wrestles with a dangerous new magic that threatens her bond with her beloved horse—and a forbidden love for the enemy sworn to protect her.
Hi, Nora! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m Nora Carmody, a romantasy author with a background in clinical social work. I spent over a decade working as a psychotherapist, which really shapes how I approach character relationships, emotions, and behaviors in my writing.
I also grew up riding horses and competing in dressage on my Arabian mare, and that inspired the horse bond at the center of Daughter of the Wind.
That’s a little about my past, but now, my days are spent homeschooling kids, running a busy Etsy shop, and, of course, writing. I’m usually juggling a lot, but I love it!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I can remember writing fantasy stories about a girl and her unicorn almost as soon as I could write, but I think what really engendered my love of story-telling was when I would have a sleepover with my cousin, we would tell each other these elaborate fan fiction tales about our celebrity crushes at the time. As we got older, we started to write those early romantic fantasties down, trading manuscripts back and forth until we got better and better at it. And here’s the fun part: now we’re both published authors!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Berenstain Bears—but I swear I remember it as BerenSTEIN! (I guess I’m from an alternate timeline)
- The one that made you want to become an author: I would have to say the horse stories I grew up reading—books like The Black Stallion—combined with the fantasy stories I was already writing myself. I think I always wanted to live inside those worlds, and eventually, I realized I could create one of my own.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Your debut novel, Daughter of the Wind, is out April 14th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
I saw a reviewer call it this, and I couldn’t agree more: Romantasy for the horse girls
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a sweeping, emotional romantasy that’s immersive, fast-paced, and deeply character-driven.
I’ve always been drawn to stories that pull you in completely, where the writing disappears and you’re just living alongside the characters—and that’s exactly the kind of reading experience I wanted to create.
So in Daughter of the Wind, readers will be introduced to the powerful horse-and-rider bond at the heart of the story, the slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, a war-torn land (with giant eagles!), and an ancient evil that threatens them all. It’s a story about love, sacrifice, and the impossible choices we make to protect the people—and creatures—we’re bound to.
Where did the inspiration for Daughter of the Wind come from?
The inspiration really came from wanting to write the kind of story I’ve always searched for as a horse girl: one where you could see a horse on the cover and know it was truly central to the story, not just background detail.
I grew up riding horses, and that bond between horse and rider has always felt powerful and emotional to me. I wanted to build a fantasy world where that connection mattered just as much as the romance—where both relationships carried real weight.
And then, of course, I added giant eagles.
Because, to me, the most best parts of watching LOTR were any time a horse was on screen…or the giant eagles.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I especially loved writing the moments between Zara and her horse, because that bond is so central to who she is and to the choices she has to make. Those scenes carry a lot of emotional weight, and they were some of the most meaningful for me to explore.
I also really enjoyed developing the dynamic between Zara and Talon. Their relationship is full of tension and restraint, and writing that slow shift from enemies to something more was incredibly fun.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges was balancing the complexity of the story across a full trilogy. There are a lot of moving pieces—character arcs, worldbuilding, and long-term plot threads—and I wanted everything to feel cohesive and intentional.
I wasn’t always a writer who outlines, but I definitely had to become one out of necessity. Not only so an entire trilogy could feel cohesive, but also so that it was faster and easier to write. So I spent a lot of time mapping things out and making sure each book builds on the last without contradicting anything. It’s a bit like weaving everything together so that, (hopefully) by the end, it all clicks into place.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
It’s been a long and winding road, honestly, but one that taught me so much! I actually published books earlier in my career under a different name, but Daughter of the Wind represents a fresh start for me—a return to the kind of story I’ve always wanted to tell.
Over the years, I’ve grown a lot as a writer, and I think this book reflects that. It’s more aligned with my voice, my interests, and the kind of emotional, immersive stories I love to read. I really wanted to take all the elements and tropes of fantasy and romance that I love and combine them in a story that will hopefully resonate with romantasy readers!
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m deep in edits for Heiress of Storms, the second book in the trilogy, which has been really exciting—it expands the world in some big ways and takes the emotional stakes to another level. The romance deepens in a big way as well.
I’m also starting to think ahead to Book 3 and the larger arc of the trilogy, which is always fun to piece together. And on the more visual side, getting to see things like cover designs come to life has been such a surreal and rewarding part of the process. I’ve been so, so happy with Daughter of the Wind’s cover, and I know books 2 and 3 will have equally gorgeous art!
Mostly, though, I’m just excited to keep building this story and sharing what comes next with readers.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m really looking forward to Fury Bound—I love anything with that kind of animal bond element (obviously), and I loved the first book!
I’m also excited for some of the big romantasy releases this year, especially anything new in the A Court of Thorns and Roses world and new titles like The Wolf and the Crown of Blood. My TBR is definitely getting a little out of control.
