Lace and Blade 5 Author Interview: Marella Sands

From lands distant or nearby, familiar or utterly strange, historical or imaginary, from ancient times to the Belle Époque comes a treasury of luscious, elegant, romantic fantasy. Come with us on a journey through time and across boundaries, inspired by the longings of the heart and the courage residing in even the meekest person.

The release date is Valentine's Day 2019, but you can pre-order it now:

Kindle: https://amzn.to/2PBzyj6ePub: https://www.books2read.com/u/bwYJwP


Here I chat with Marella Sands about her story, "Spire Witch," and a bunch of other stuff.

Deborah J. Ross: Tell us a little about yourself.  How did you come to be a writer?

Marella Sands: My fourth grade teacher made us write a story every day. After that, I never really stopped, although it didn't occur to me until I was graduating from college that someone might actually pay me to write. From then on, I tried to figure out how to write at a publishable level.

DJR: What inspired your story in Lace and Blade 5?

MS: That's a little tough. The original idea was very different, about an apprentice priestess who was learning how to properly inter the dead of the city, but I never could figure out a plot to go with that character. After several failed drafts, the character changed into a runaway rich girl who merely prayed over the dead and dying, and the story became “Spire Witch.”

DJR: What authors have most influenced your writing?

MS: I'd have to credit my writers group for that. Up until I met them, I hadn't really encountered people in real life who could help train me to be a better writer. As for reading, I grew up consuming vast amounts of fantasy. My father had an extensive SF collection so there were always novels around the house and piling up on shelves. So...I grew up in the milieu and loved to read, but when it came time to writing, it really helped to have people who could show me the ropes.

DJR: What advice would you give an aspiring writer?

MS: It's more work than you can possibly imagine, so be sure it's something that really calls to you. 

DJR: Any thoughts on the Lace and Blade series or this being its final volume?

MS: This is the final volume? Too bad - there are so few places to try to sell one's work. Thanks for the sales :)

Marella Sands writes that she likes to travel, and in 2018 was able to do some fun things like watch a village cricket match in Cerne Abbas, Dorset; search the Jurassic Coast for fossils; visit the Phallological Museum in Reykjavik; and stand in the crack between the Eurasian plate and the North American plate in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland. She, like most writers, has more writing projects on her desk than are really good for her sanity.