No one writes a romantasy (romance fantasy) retelling quite like Scarlett St. Clair. Originally independently published, the former librarian is now a New York Times bestselling author who has penned 10 novels and counting. Her first book, A Touch of Darkness, was a steamy Hades and Persephone retelling that took the online book community by storm.
After going viral on TikTok, St. Clair was signed by a publishing house and hit number one on The New York Times bestseller list. Now, she continues to capture the hearts of romantasy readers across the world thanks to her dark, dangerous and spicy scenes.
Here, we dive deep into her journey as an author, what the romantasy genre means to her, her must-haves when writing and the latest news on her upcoming book. Keep reading for all the answers!
First for Women: First things first, we’d love to give our readers a little backstory on your story as an author. Did you always know you wanted to be an author? What drew you or inspired you to write romantasy?
Scarlett St. Clair: I decided I wanted to be an author because I had never realized that you could write fantasy and create worlds before. I was so young at the time and thought I was going to write Young Adult fantasy, so it was a little while before I got into romance.
I got into it because I got a master’s degree in library science, and I decided to ask my coworker, ‘What romances do you recommend?’ She recommended The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley, and I fell in love with romance.
So, I started to look around more for these two things in one book. And then it was really in the indie space, not so much in the traditional space, and it was people like Grace Draven, who wrote Masters of Crows, who made me think, ‘I want more of these books.’ So I just started to write what I love.
FFW: Speaking of romantasy, how has Booktok played a part in the sudden rise within the genre?
SSC: It’s one of the reasons I’m published. I think Booktok was such an interesting thing because it really went on the rise in the middle of COVID-19, which was such an important time for us to connect in a different way. People rediscovered their love of reading, and they got to have a social platform at the same time. It just elevated their voices so much.
But I think what was so amazing about that is that people wanted to escape, and that’s exactly what romantasy provides. It’s an escape from reality but also a way to relate to people because these characters go through real-life issues.
What I’ve noticed, too, is that on the heels of COVID-19, people have just really wanted to bring those connections to real life, which is so cool.
FFW: You yourself went viral on Booktok for your Hades & Persephone retelling, ‘A Touch of Darkness.’ How was that journey for you?
SSC: I didn’t realize I was going viral on BookTok because I wasn’t on TikTok then. However, I noticed that my paperback sales were increasing over my ebook sales. And I was like, ‘What is happening?’
But that led to my books getting into Barnes and Noble, and then they were selling out every week. They told the head of Sourcebooks that I would benefit from having a publisher, and that’s how I got my publisher.
FFW: Your latest book, Apples Dipped in Gold, released in July of this year. What does this retelling of Grimm stories mean to you?
SSC: I started writing this fairy tale retelling just for fun. I needed a palate cleanser after I wrote Queen of Myth and Monsters, which was a very hard book for me to write.
I just really wanted to write a dark fairy tale retelling, and this one, in particular, the background of the characters is steeped in abuse, which is a very personal topic to me. So it was really kind of healing to get to write Samara’s storyline and explore how she changed as a person.
FFW: Is there a specific way to prep and plan for your retellings, and what does your research process look like when you begin a new book?
SSC: I always gather a stack of books that I’m going to read to prep for the book. So, with the fairy tale retelling, I had multiple Grimm anthologies because they’re all translated differently, and I just read and read and read and just absorbed the tone, symbolism, motifs—everything.
Then, once I feel like I have a good grasp of the vibe of the book, I start writing. That’s my process every time.
FFW: If you’re willing to share, we’d love to hear a little bit about your writing routine!
SSC: I wake up at 4 every morning to start writing. I have a 5-shot Americano, and then I light candles before I sit down and write until about 8 or 9 in the morning.
FFW: Do you buy a different candle for each book?
SSC: I have different ones. They’re more like energy candles. So I do a new set every day. If I’m going to need some seductive vibes, I can pick one of those. It just depends on what kind of energy I want to channel.
FFW: Is there anything special you do to celebrate finishing a manuscript?
SSC: Hang out with my dog. It’s so rewarding to have it finished, and you’re almost in this space of euphoria. And I typically am so caught up in my work and I feel like I neglect my dog. So I just love sitting on the couch with her after I finish something.
FFW: What can you tell us about your new book, Terror at the Gates?
SSC: I’m still working on Terror at the Gates. The goal is to finish it at the end of this month, but it’s turning out to be a very rigorous book. It’s very long, but I love it so much. I’m so excited to share this book with everyone.
FFW: What are you reading right now?
SSC: I am reading The Book of Lilith. It’s related to my research, but it’s a very interesting book. It talks about women’s experiences with Lilith and her transformation into a feminist icon character in modern times.
