Sapphic romantasy fans, we have a treat for you! Today, we're joined by Avery Carter to chat all about their upcoming novel, This Delicate Flame, out on the 30th of March. Discover what you can expect from the main characters, including chronic pain and autism, and how they were created, plus, a few non-spoilery hints about upcoming books!
Thank you for joining us, Avery! Could you start by introducing yourself?
I’d love to. My name is Avery Carter, and I’m an indie fantasy author. I mainly focus on high fantasy worlds with low stakes, with sapphic characters. I live in South Korea with my wife and our two dogs.
We would love to know more about your upcoming novel, This Delicate Flame, and what inspired you to write it!
The story was actually originally planned to be a novella! I started writing it along with my creative writing class that I was teaching about novella writing. While I was doing that, I realized there was a lot more to the story than just a novella, and now here we are!
What drew you to the romantasy genre, and what do you love most about writing cosy stories in particular?
I’ve never written romantasy before! I always thought it was an interesting genre blend, and I wanted to give it a try, but sapphic this time. As for why I like cozy stories, mine are always medium-cozy. Tamora Pierce was a huge influence on me growing up, and I love how her stories always toed the line between cozy and not. Cozy stories are also a wonderful source of queer joy for me, and I try to spread that as much as I can!
What are your favourite romance tropes to enjoy as a reader, and do any make it into This Delicate Flame?
I love snarky banter and sarcastic nicknames that eventually become fond. I have both of those in This Delicate Flame. I’m also a big fan of the italicized oh moment.
Tell us about the world building process! How did you create Rendworld, and is it inspired by any other real or fictional places?
I knew going into this story that I wanted a world that was wholly unique and unlike any I had read about before. I came up with the idea for a world that got split down the middle by an eruption of magic, and the leftover magic holds the two halves together. From that detail, I developed the rest of it, including magic systems, cultures, and unique creatures. There’s a lot to play with here, and I’m excited to dig more into it.
You are originally from the States but emigrated to South Korea. Has this experience, or your new home, inspired any settings or experiences within your books?
Honestly, emigrating is the main reason why I’m able to publish. I didn’t consider it until I moved here. As for inspiration, there’s a few particular details in some of my books that come from here. The bathhouse in The Ghost and the Real Girl is inspired by saunas and bathhouses here, and Ayustan fire soup in Honorbound is basically kimchi-jiggae.
Can you tell us a little bit about your characters? Which, if any, do you identify with most and why?
Rylla is a village healer who lives by herself out in the forest, and Tarinne is an assassin who shows up on her doorstep. Writing these two women was incredibly fun. They’re both in their 30s (Rylla is 32 and Tarinne is 30), and I was able to draw on a lot of my own experiences in writing them. Between the two, I identify most with Rylla. She has autism and chronic pain, and I also have had both of those.
And which characters do you hope your readers will connect with the most?
I hope that readers will connect with Rylla! I know that people are definitely going to have a crush on Tarinne, and who wouldn’t? She’s gorgeous, strong, and caring. My wife already has a big crush on her. But, Rylla is very close to my heart, and I know that she’s the kind of character people can connect with and relate to.
I also know that readers are going to connect with Nairra, who is Rylla’s best friend. She’s incredibly relatable. Without spoiling too much, she’s the one rooting for Rylla and Tarinne the most.
The story also features a diverse range of representation, with sapphic, autistic, and chronically ill characters. Why was this especially important to you?
All of the identities represented in This Delicate Flame are identities that I have personally experienced. I had chronic pain for years because of a misdiagnosed slipped disc in my back. It was so bad that I was up at night in pain, and I could barely walk around my own house. Making the choice to give Rylla that pain was hard, but I knew it was the right call for her character.
I’ve written autistic characters before. Sera in The Ghost and the Real Girl is another canonically autistic protagonist, and she shares some similar traits with Rylla. I think that autism is deeply underrepresented in the fantasy genre. There are a few examples in big books that I can think of (Renarin from the Stormlight Archive), but most of those are men. Autism in AFAB people looks very different, and I enjoy highlighting that.
And my characters are sapphic because I am really, really gay.
Is there any additional representation that you’d like to see or write more of in the future, particularly within the cosy romantasy or wider SFF genre?
More disability representation! Limb difference, PTSD, cPTSD, autism, chronic pain… The list goes on. Give me people who are chronically ill and still show up in their magic world every day. Give me magical accommodations. Give me disabled people who are still considered sexy.
Did you come across any challenges while writing or publishing this novel? How have you overcome them?
Well, I work full time, so I always run into time constraints. This trilogy was a challenge for me: write and publish an entire trilogy in the space of a year. I’ve never done that before. Since I’m autistic with medium support needs, my job as a teacher often wipes me out so much that I don’t have the energy to write after work. Finding time to write can get a little hinky.
Are you a plotter or pantser? What did the writing process look like for you?
I used to be a panster, but since I finished my MFA, I am firmly in the “plotter” category. Some details still come out as a surprise, and develop as a natural part of the writing process. Rylla and Tarinne’s first kiss, for example, was not supposed to happen when it did. But at that point, the characters had been yearning for each other for about ten chapters. Who am I to deny that?
When I outline a novel, I tend to create a beat sheet. This includes the emotional beats that I want to hit in every part of the story. It keeps the story moving forward, and makes sure that the characters constantly grow and change. Every emotional beat does or changes something in the story. If I get bogged down in the details, I use Rebecca Thorne’s Five Sentence Method to step back and see the wider picture.
As this is the first in the Rendworld Trilogy, could you give us any hints about what might be next?
Okay, so something I LOVE to do is give non-spoilery spoilers about my books. These are out of context quotes, small details, or other things that tease an upcoming story. I posted a whole series of them for the third book in The Moon Trilogy, and I’m going be posting them for the Rendworld Trilogy as well.
A few non-spoilery spoilers I can give for the next two books are:
A dragon tea party
Tarinne runs into an ex
Rylla makes a new friend
Wholesome heterosexuality (I haven’t written a het relationship in a LONG time, so this will be new for me haha)
A reunion scene that’s a hybrid of “Would You Fall in Love With Me Again?” from Epic: The Musical, and the prison scene from s2e8 of Arcane
We are seated! And with quite a catalogue of books already published, where would you direct readers to while we wait for the next instalment? Any stories that hold a particularly special place in your heart?
I definitely have enough books to keep readers busy! If you liked the autistic representation and yearning of This Delicate Flame, I recommend The Ghost and the Real Girl. If you liked the magical world and competence of the characters, I recommend Spellbound and its companion, Honorbound. If you liked the relationship and the eventual spice, I recommend The Moon Trilogy, starting with Waxing Moon!
Why did you pursue indie publishing as opposed to other routes, and do you have any advice for indie authors set to make their debut?
Indie publishing is a LOT of work, but I enjoy it! I like the complete control I have over every detail in my books, including cover art, character art, interior formatting, and more. That being said, it’s a huge time commitment, and sometimes it feels like I’m just screaming into the void and waiting for an echo. I have to stop and remind myself that it’s a process and I probably won’t be a success right away.
Interestingly, you’re also an English teacher! Have any of your experiences in teaching aided your writing at all, or, vice versa, does your writing skill ever inform your teaching?
My writing skill informs my teaching all of the time! My students know that I’m an author, and my school actually has my YA books in their library. It’s really cool to see. I use short story plotting methods to teach essay writing, and it helps students understand the mechanics in a more interesting way.
As for my teaching informing my writing, it’s less noticeable, but still there. I’ve actually started basing some of my characters off of a few of my students! Bes from Honorbound was inspired by a student I taught for years.
Our podcast focuses on media we’re currently loving. Are there any books, shows, movies, or games you’re enjoying at the moment? Any recommendations for our audience? Bonus points if it includes sapphics!
I recently started watching The Boys on Amazon Prime. It’s an interesting take on the superhero genre. As someone who grew up reading comics, and who devoured comics like Watchmen, it’s a show that tickles my brain in just the right way.
I also enjoy playing Baldur’s Gate 3 and Overwatch 2. Not romancing Karlach for every single run is INCREDIBLY hard.
For books, I’ve recently been obsessed with The Blacksea Odyssey by J.A. Vodvarka. Nyssa is my book girlfriend, and I love her relationship with Quinn. I’m very excited for the next book in that universe.
About the Author
Avery Carter cannot remember a time where they didn’t want to create stories. They kept wondering what to do with their life, and finally settled on not settling.They are an English teacher and walking art museum, covered in tattoos, ocean blue hair tied out of their face, and square, purple glasses. They proudly proclaim that they are the “coolest person you know” to their students, and spend each day trying to live up to that title. They are a nonbinary queer author living in South Korea with their wife and two dogs. They spend their days writing new stories, and teaching their students to love words as much as they do.
Website: www.avery-carter.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Avery-Carter/author/B0B38MBPD6?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Instagram/Threads: my_graceless_heart
Comments