We chat with author Juliette Cross about Firebird, which is an epic, scorching dark romantasy—think House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash.
Hi, Juliette! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a multi-published author of paranormal and fantasy romance since 2014. I was born and raised in south Louisiana where I currently live with my husband, four children, and menagerie of pets. I love quiet days on the back patio that overlooks the bayou and beautiful live oak trees. It brings me peace. I also enjoy dinner dates with my husband, trying new restaurants, and am on a quest to discover who can make the best old fashioned.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I always loved writing from a very young age, but it was my 10th grade English class in high school when my teacher Ms. Anderson asked us to write a fictional short story that truly sparked that deep desire to be a writer. Using my imagination in that way felt magical, and I’ve wanted to be an author ever since.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: My mom bought me a pack of three fairytale books that came with a record I could listen to the book on my record player at the same time. I suppose that was my first audiobook. Ha! Interesting that it was a dark fairytale I remember. I can’t remember the other two books in that pack at all.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Jane Eyre. Hands down.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier. Marillier is a spellbinding and beautiful storyteller.
Your latest novel, Firebird, is out April 8th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Brutal, Harrowing, Passionate, Mystical, Hopeful
What can readers expect?
A journey into an Ancient Rome that will feel familiar but has been changed from history in that all patricians have the gods-given gift of dragon transformation. But the gods like to play favorites, so Minerva has bestowed some of her own powers to certain women in order to thwart and destroy evil men. Book 1, Firebird, is the first part of the journey, following Malina and Julianus, but the full tale is told over three books.
Where did the inspiration for Firebird come from?
I’ve always been fascinated by Ancient Rome. I’m a die-hard fan of the HBO series Rome, The Gladiator, and similar movies. I’m also a huge fantasy fan. I was actually just sitting on my patio with my husband one day (about 10 years ago actually), and I said, “Wouldn’t it be cool if the reason Romans were able to conquer and burn across the world was because they were dragon shifters?” That sparked the idea, and I’ve kept coming back to it, keeping notes and writing the prologue, waiting for the day to tell this story. I’m so happy it’s finally here.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I enjoyed writing Malina’s character and exploring the difficult emotions she felt being captured, enslaved, and then planned her escape from the city of Rome, the heart of the Empire. Knowing that historically this happened often, though they weren’t swept up by a dragon, her character’s inner thoughts and emotions were both the most difficult and the most important, in my opinion.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
My challenges surrounded the details of Roman life. While I have a good background of the way they lived, there were finite details I needed in order to set scenes realistically. So I might have been immersed in a scene then I’d have to stop to research before I could move on. Such as, what else Romans sold in the forum besides animals and food or how they might grind grain for bread at home. That being said, I loved doing the research. It helped make me feel even more as if I was there in this fantasized Ancient Rome while telling the tale.
What’s next for you?
I begin writing The Beast Lord, book 2 in The Rise of Northgall series then I’ll be jumping into writing book 3, Deathrider, in The Fire That Binds which will conclude this series. Bloodsinger, book 2, is already with my editor, and I’m excited to deep dive into edits with her. The main characters in Bloodsinger are very different from those in Firebird. The same will be for those in Deathrider, which I think will make the full journey that much more appealing.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m looking forward to reading Zoey Draven’s Hunger in His Blood. While Zoey is a friend, I also adore her books, and I’ve been looking forward to this one. I also want to read Jenny Nordback’s Irresistible Devil and Naima Simone’s novel coming out later this year, The Huntsman.
