We chat with Andrea Eames about A Tangled Magic, which follows a woman with amnesia—and magical hair—who searches for her lost memories while navigating a web of royal intrigue, bone magic, and secret monasteries.
Hi, Andrea! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a fantasy author based in a small town in Texas. I grew up in Zimbabwe and moved to New Zealand when I was a teenager, so I consider myself a Kiwi/Zimbabwean hybrid. I’m the mom of one human daughter and six cats, as well as two visiting raccoons that I’m hoping will magically domesticate themselves one day.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t love reading and writing and plan to be an author. I wrote my first ‘book’ when I was five years old—a few pages about a unicorn, stapled together with a cover and blurb on the back!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: As a toddler, Thomas the Tank Engine! I learned to read pretty early and have basically never stopped.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Grimbold’s Other World by Nicholas Stuart Gray, where a talking cat travels between the worlds of Day and Night.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Lately, Piranesi by Susanna Clarke—the literary Backrooms!
Your latest novel, A Tangled Magic, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Dark, twisty, whimsical Rapunzel retelling!
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a darker, more complex, but still magical take on the traditional fairytale, featuring a resourceful heroine, sentient hair, a telepathic raven, political intrigue, and a unique and visceral magic system.
Where did the inspiration for A Tangled Magic come from?
I started writing a piece about a girl with sentient hair who lived in a bookshop, and realized how I was unconsciously drawing from the tale of Rapunzel. Fairytales have that way of creeping into your psyche! As I researched the many forms the story has taken throughout the centuries, the fleshed-out plot of A Tangled Magic emerged from its bones.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I love an animal companion, and Baldbeak—with his penchant for eating eyeballs—is one of my favorite characters. I also spent many happy hours researching medieval book-making and embroidery, both fascinating rabbit holes.
One of the most enjoyable characters to write was Patrick, because of his sly sense of humor and the banter between him and Netta. There’s also a hair-dyeing scene I’m fond of—you’ll see when you get there!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
This was the tightest deadline I’ve worked to, and it took many late nights and M&Ms to get the book finished! Not the healthiest methods, I’m afraid.
I also experienced a loss while working on this book, and weaving my thoughts about death and religion into the text helped me to process my thoughts and emotions as I worked through it. Religious rigidity as opposed to the fluidity of personal spirituality is a strong theme in the novel.
What’s next for you?
I am writing a companion novel to my first fantasy title, A Harvest of Hearts, following the adventures of a minor character and the talking cat, Cornelius! I’m also excited about another project I’m working on, which I would describe as The Night Circus meets Shadow and Bone.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
I’m really looking forward to reading The Witch Below the Dreaming Wood by H.G. Parry; Mudlark by Mary Helen Specht; and To Dance With Death, by Brittany Arena.
This year so far, I’ve especially enjoyed reading The Children, by Melissa Albert; The Unicorn Hunters, by Katherine Arden; and Make Me Better, by Sarah Gailey.
