It hasn’t been all that long since Merlina Garance actually appeared on Katherine’s Corner! Last November she wrote a wonderful article about why they include angst as part of their plots, which really spoke to me as I do the same, for similar reasons. I jumped at the chance to have her as part of Sapphic Fiction February, because she is a beautiful writer and an all-around amazing human being. So make sure to check out their books – you won’t regret it!
Merlina, tell us a little bit about you – who are you, and what do you do?
I am 29 years old and French.
I studied languages, worked as a social worker for a few years then had to stop because of a chronic illness that makes me homebound on most days.
I like to write, obviously, read, hike, bake (and eat the results...) and play RPG videogames (currently, Dishonored 2).
I now write full time and hope to be able to keep doing that!
How did you become an author?
I think in a way I always was one? I've been writing stories for as long as I can remember. In secondary school, I had a blog where I posted my stories chapter by chapter. It's only in 2017 that I really started writing novels though, and the first one, written in French, still sits in my computer waiting to be published.
I decided to self publish The Flourishing thanks to the support and encouragement from a group of online friends and thinks have taken off since then!
Who’s your favourite character that you’ve ever written?
This is of course the toughest question. I have a soft spot for Thalia, from The Flourishing and who is also present in Just Stu. She's had a hard life and struggles to trust people but throughout both books she comes to a place where she can finally start building the life she wants. She has a soft, maternal personality which also conflicts with her PTSD and difficulty to let people in at first.
Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?
If I do, it means my mental health is down the drain and it's up to medicine to fix it... Usually, I struggle with the opposite problem of too many things to write and too little time. I wrote five books in 2023 and as I write this I've started a sixth one...
What do you consider to be the hardest part of writing?
Avoiding inconsistencies. I never have fun editing that aspect of my books while I comb through it to make sure every date, place, etc I've mentioned is accurate and doesn't contradict something else.
And how about the most rewarding?
I thrive through writing dialogue. It's how I start writing anything, analysing the interactions between two characters and finding out their dynamics. Banter is my favourite thing to write.
Is there anyone you’d like to highlight, while you’re here?
I met three wonderful independent authors in 2023, all of which have written sapphic books and some of which have become friends!
A big shoutout to Rachel Bowdler, whose help and advice have been super valuable as I navigated self publishing for the first time. Her romance books are all very sweet and comforting reads.
Lillian Barry has written the beautiful The Santa Pageant which is a perfect mix of angst and love, just how I like it.
Finally my favourite read [in 2023] was Gwenhyver's Jasyn and the Astronauts series.
How can people connect with you?
I am @merlina_garance_author on Instagram where I am the most active. I sometimes post on bluesky @merlinagarance.bsky.social.
All the important information is gathered on my website: https://merlinagarance.com
And finally, I have a newsletter that goes out every month (you can subscribe through the website) in which I give updates about current and upcoming projects, send out snippets, free chapters, etc.
Finally a light-hearted one. What ice cream flavours and toppings would you put together in your ultimate sundae?
I'm not a big ice cream person but the best one I ever ate was in Mauritius and it was vanilla ice cream topped with grilled coconut flakes. I can still taste it!
If you enjoyed this interview, then make sure you’re following my social media accounts (@kblakemanwriter on Twitter and @katherineblakemanwriter on Instagram) to get all the latest updates! And if you want to support my own Sapphic Fiction journey while you’re here, The Summer We’ve Had is available now, and Love You However is coming on March 22nd!
