Rebecca Ross writes fantasy novels for teens and adults. She lives in the Appalachian foothills of northeast Georgia with her husband, a lively Australian Shepherd, and an endless pile of books. When not writing, she can be found reading or in her garden, where she grows wildflowers and story ideas.

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Welcome to the Hive, Rebecca! Firstly congratulations on your adult fantasy debut A River Enchanted and the upcoming sequel A Fire Endless. Could you tell us all about your duology, what can readers expect?

Hi! Thank you so much for having me. In A River Enchanted, we meet a bard named Jack who is summoned home to help solve a mystery as to why young girls are going missing. Adaira, the clan’s heiress, believes the spirits of the island are to blame, and needs a bard’s music to help draw and persuade the spirits to return the girls. But as Jack and Adaira work together, they begin to realize there are older and darker secrets at play on the island. A Fire Endless is the sequel and concludes the duology, so you can expect to encounter the western side of the island (which was previously shrouded in mystery during book one), a deeper glimpse of the spirits’ realm, new characters, and of course more romance!   

Tell us a little something about your writing process – do you have a certain method? Do you find music helps? Give us a glimpse into your world!

I don’t particularly have a certain method, but I do prefer to write at my desk in my office with a cup of coffee and a glass of water close at hand. My best writing hours are first thing in the morning, as soon as I’ve woken up. I do indeed love writing to music, and I create playlists for all of my books. 

Speaking of worlds, what inspired you to set your book in the Isle of Cadence, in Scotland? Was there a particular favourite aspect of Scottish folklore which initially sparked your interest?

The very first image I ever saw for this story was the island. It didn’t have a name yet, but I could see its hills and mountains, its trickling fairy pools and lochs, the bracken and heather. It reminded me of the Isle of Skye so I knew that Scotland was calling to me. I’ve also had a book on my shelf for years that has been a great source of inspiration: Scottish Herbs and Fairy Lore by Ellen Evert Hopman. Within that book are endless snippets of folklore and traditions, as well as a list of herbs and plants that grow on the highlands. It was very helpful as I was creating the Isle of Cadence, and one of my favorite bits of lore is about the power of the winds: how important it is to pay attention to which direction they blow from, and how each wind has its own color. Knowing which wind is blowing can give one insight and wisdom of what’s to come–the good omens as well as ill-fated ones.

What kind of enchantments and spirits does your world incorporate? Did you plan to keep these elements subtle or did you want them to be a predominant feature? 

In a way….both. I want the magic to feel natural and subtle, almost like you can see it in your peripheral vision but it melts the moment you look directly at it. It’s seamlessly woven into everyday life on Cadence. In the same breath, though, there are moments in the book when the enchantments hold weight and greatly influence the humans in the story. It is a constant balancing act between the mortal and spirit realm. 

If you could use one enchantment or become one spirit from your duology which would you choose and why?

I think I’d become a spirit of the western wind. I’d love to be able to fly over the isle. 

Now let’s discuss your characters! Can you tell us a bit more about Jack and Adaira please? And which of your side characters did you enjoy crafting the most?

Jack is grumpy, sensitive, and highly creative and Adaira is a shrewd, confidant dreamer. They hated each other as children but as adults, they find that they make a good team (and perhaps even more than that). Torin and Sidra are two other characters who my readers tend to gravitate toward and love. Sid and Torin are a bit older than Jack and Adaira, and have been married a few years. They’re in a different stage of life, and I found that it was immensely fulfilling to write their story arcs.   

We see such varying opinions from authors when it comes to the time of editing their books. How have you found the editing process? Enjoyable, stressful or satisfying?

Revisions are always the hardest part of the process for me. I love drafting the most, and often discovery write, which makes for a thrilling experience during the draft but a headache for revisions. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I rewrote A River Enchanted, trying to find the right path for the story. A Fire Endless was also on a very tight deadline for revisions, so I felt like I bled my heart and soul into the pages just to get the story exactly how I wanted in such a tight turnaround. My editors have taught me so much about storytelling, and I try to carry those kernels of wisdom with me as I continue to grow and challenge myself in the craft.  

Did you find the transition from writing YA fantasy to Adult fantasy easy or were there any difficulties you encountered?

I won’t say it was easy, because writing a book and then selling it is a difficult thing to do, even when you’re an established author. But I was ready to write a story for an older audience, and it began to bleed through in my storytelling. It felt like a natural prompting to let myself grow and be brave and test new waters. Because honestly? It was really about me being confident in myself and my work and finding the courage to take this story to the adult side of the market. And I’m very happy I did! There are also some differences between YA and adult, but I think beginning in YA gave me a solid foundation, and I enjoy writing for both audiences.   

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover and your covers are both simple yet striking and elegant! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped they’d portray?

I feel so fortunate that all of my covers (the US versions as well as the UK ones) came out so lovely! I remember giving my team direction with a pinterest board, so they could see the style of covers that I love, but they honestly came up with everything on their own!

Here’s a fun question and a favourite one here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

Have to choose a pegasus. I grew up riding horses so I’d feel more comfortable on one than something like a dragon, and I love the versatility of being able to ride in the calvary as well as having aerial power. 

Tell us about a book you love. Any hidden gems?

I love The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta. I don’t have time to reread many books these days, but I always make time for this trilogy. 

What’s next for you Rebecca? Can you tell us a little something about your current work(s) in progress? Have you any upcoming projects which you can share?

My next YA book is called Divine Rivals and will be out on April 4, 2023. I pitch this story as You’ve Got Mail in a WWI-inspired fantasy setting, so you can look forward to plenty of epistolary elements and a rivals-to-lovers romance arc. It’s also the start of a duology, so I’m about to begin drafting the sequel. 

Finally, what is the one thing you hope readers take away from your writing?

I have to quote Kate DiCamillo here, because she says it best (and this has been a quote I’ve carried with me since I was first published): “I hope that readers laugh. I hope they think about their souls. I hope they think about how they are connected to the people around them. I hope that the story makes them feel less alone.”

Thank you so much for joining us today!

Thank you for having me! 🙂

Rebecca’s books are available now from HarperCollins. Order yours below:

A River Enchanted | A Fire Endless