Interview with Lanne Garrett
Q: What is your newest book about?
A: The Cost of Curses, book one of two, is an Irish Folklore retelling of the battle of Ireland, weaving in elements related to the Fomori, the fae, and the Milesians.
This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers duo is perfect for fans of folklore retellings, unique magic systems, fae and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and witty banter. The Cost of Curses has everything. Magic, folklore, horror, and the start of something spicy.
One failing curse.
One curser willing to sell her soul.
And a reckoning that has been coming for a century.
Be careful what you curse for.
Curses are a treacherous currency that buys naught but sorrow, where intentions are twisted, and payment is eternal. For Milesian curser, Faidh, that lesson is learned in blood.
While celebrating the Oíche Bealtaine festival, the ancient town of Falias is plunged into chaos as the Wild Hunt rides again. The curse holding back the Tuatha de Danann has weakened, shattering a century of peace. Soon, all of Falias will fall, with the eyes of the fae focused solely on the line of Milesian cursers who damned them.
With the future of Falias hanging in the balance, Faidh sets out to save her family and her people at any cost, even if it means risking her soul to damnation. In a daring move, willing to defy all boundaries, Faidh summons the forbidden. She comes face to face with a Fomorian—Killian, and learns his attentions run much darker than she had ever imagined. Pulled into his twisted web of lies, the Scale of Death gives her a choice. He offers salvation to her people, but it comes at the steep price of her very existence. She must find a key in the one place she has feared her entire life—the mounds of the fae, the very people hunting her.
Be wary, for not all is as it seems.
It is far worse.
Q: What is your next book about?
A: Siphons and Souls is a young adult fantasy adventure novel, the first in a three part trilogy. It’s a story of a young woman who is forced to choose between saving her realm and saving those she loves the most.
Surrounded by a darkle that claims every man, woman and child, the once-great nation of Averroes has been plunged into chaos for nearly a century. In a realm at war with creatures of Umbra, the kingdoms of Averroes spare no expense in winning this war, including the taking and imprisonment of Affinities. Now, the fate of this dying nation rests on the shoulders of the one they’ve locked away.
Like every Affinity before her, Siphon, Nola Rathmore, has been taken from everything she has ever known and forced into training at the Institute, under threat of death of her and her sister. There, she discovers the true depth of her Affinity and the cost of this dark secret. Fated to walk the path of the dark prophecy, Nola learns she is destined to end the Umbra war. But first, she must survive the Institute, protect her secret, and keep her twin alive. Treachery, corruption and danger haunt the halls of the Institute, and Nola must strengthen her Affinity if she ever hopes to save herself and those she loves. Ready or not, the last war is coming, and Nola’s dark Affinity is all that stands between Umbra and the destruction of the world as they know it.
Q: What is your favorite genre to write and why?
A: I enjoy the freedom and creativity of writing fantasy! I can explore unusual themes and ideas, build a world out of a spark, and dive into wishes and dreams. It ignites my sense of wonder and ‘what if.’ The rules that apply to many other genres aren’t a roadblock in fantasy. I’m held back only by my imagination.
Q; Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
A: Stephen King. He has this way of creating sympathy for the villian…one could find themselves rooting for the bad guy without even realizing it.
I love the little details he freckles throughout his stories – the color of a bike, the inner thoughts of a fox, the ankle placement before the ankles were smashed. His writing style is both beautiful and uncomfortable. His characters come to life and death without ease. People are complicated and messy and he captures that chaos perfectly. His stories are deep and well drawn out in ways that make you wonder and turn the page. I enjoy how his books tell themselves, rather than telling me how I should feel about each page.
Q: How do you handle moments when inspiration seems hard to find?
A: I step back and take a break. This is usually a sign that my ink pot is empty and my inner creative is tired. I immerse myself in books and art and activities that bring me peace. I find my creative juices flow much quicker after a small respite.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
A: That there is a lot of advice out there and not all of it will work for you. Don’t break your back trying to fit into a mold designed for someone else. Write for yourself, write in ways that work for you, be kind to yourself and your craft. The rest will come.
Q: What is the hardest thing about writing?
A: The self doubt. It creeps in when least expected…those can be difficult days, days I step back and self-care. Not everyone will like my work and that’s ok.
