S. A. MacLean is a fantasy romance author from sunny Southern California. Infatuated with magical worlds since her days of brewing mud potions in her childhood garden, she fell in love with the romantasy genre after realizing all her favorite fantasy novels had kisses in them. Her stories invariably feature quirky humor, sassy animal companions, and queer casts who represent her voice as a chaotic bisexual woman. Sarah received her BS in Natural Resources from Cornell University and a PhD in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley. She left the research track to teach environmental science at her local community college, inspiring the next generation of students to save the planet.

Welcome to the Fantasy Hive Sarah, and our Women in SFF feature! We’re thrilled you could join us for an interview about your cosy romantasy debut.

To begin with, can you briefly describe your story in three sentences or less? 

The Phoenix Keeper is a queer cosy fantasy set in a zoo for magical creatures. As head keeper for the critically endangered Silimalo phoenix, Aila is determined to save the species from extinction, but her social anxiety means she has an easier time talking to animals than people. To rekindle her phoenix breeding program, she’ll need to partner with an expert in public outreach, the glamorous head of the zoo’s griffin show – who also happens to be her obnoxiously hot nemesis from college.

Can you tell us a bit about your main characters, Aila and Luciana? What kind of personality do they possess? What drives them?

On the surface, Aila and Luciana are polar opposites. Aila is quiet, introverted, uncomfortable in social situations and most likely to hide in the back of her animal exhibits. Luciana is confident, a superb public speaker, perfectly at ease in front of audiences at the zoo’s educational griffin show and a gem at news interviews.

At their cores, though, Aila and Luciana are both hard working and knowledgeable, dedicated to conservation in their respective venues, tirelessly driven to take care of the animals they love. The two characters represent two sides of real-world species conservation – not mutually exclusive, but rather, more powerful in combination.

Did you create mood boards to help set the atmosphere of your story? If so, what did your mood board consist of? 

My mood boards are filled with nostalgia for my favorite childhood days at the zoo – concrete paths snaking through lush vegetation, a crinkly map in your hands, churros and slushies in novelty cups, an adorable plushie from the gift shop. Then there are all the creatures, the array of feathers and fur and scales. And most important of all, color! Just a rainbow of colors, warm and vibrant – and I hope the zoo in the book feels equally inviting and lively!

Your worldbuilding includes an array of mythological animals. What drew you to writing about these creatures? Which was your favourite to write about?

Outside of writing, my day job is as a community college professor in biology and environmental science. I’ve spent over a decade in ecology research and animal husbandry, so my zoo and its magical creatures are inspired by my own experiences training captive falcons, measuring day-old seagull chicks, and cleaning flamingo ponds. Many magical creatures at the zoo will be familiar staples – phoenixes, dragons, griffins, kelpies, unicorns – but just as many creatures are brand new creations based on real-world animals and conservation stories! While our main phoenix, Rubra, is the star of the show, my favorite animal to write was Archie, the mischievous archibird in the World of Birds aviary. Archibirds are inspired by the bowerbirds of Australia, which attract mates by building elaborate structures of twigs and fruit. Archie, however, builds his tower out of metal objects he’s stolen from unsuspecting zoo patrons, glued together with magical spit.

Without giving away too many spoilers, tell us about a scene in your book which you most enjoyed writing?

While the book has plenty of squeal-worthy romance scenes that were a delight to write, just as important is Aila’s relationship with her best friend, Tanya. There’s a scene where Aila and Tanya have a fight, and in the aftermath, Aila has to decide: Will she lay low until the harsh feelings blow over, like she knows they will? Or will she take initiative to own up to her mistake and show her friend how important she is? It’s a huge moment for Aila’s growth as a character, delivers the message that we’re always stronger with people to support us, and leaves me warm and fuzzy every time I reread it.

The Pheonix Keeper has been described as a “cosy romantasy”: can you tell us what defines both these fantasy genres for you? What made you choose to blend them?

For cosy fantasy, the key distinction for me is that we aren’t up against huge, world-ending stakes. I’ve heard cosy fantasy described as “low stakes,” but this is a matter of perspective! Saving an endangered species might be “lower” stakes than saving the world, but for Aila, saving her phoenixes is the highest of stakes in her personal world. And since it’s cosy, we can be comforted to know we’ll end up with a happy ending!

Romantasy is a more difficult term to define, but only because it’s growing and evolving so much! The genre is typically defined by dark romantasy, which tends to have those bigger stakes and darker narratives – and don’t get me wrong, I inhale these books! For me, the core of romantasy is a fantasy where the plot and romance are inseparable. You couldn’t take the romance out, or the plot and character arcs would be completely different. 

So for cosy romantasy, we have a fantasy where romance is integral to the plot, but with lower character-focused stakes. And that’s The Phoenix Keeper! Aila’s romance(s) over the course of the novel are crucial to not only saving her phoenix program, but also her personal growth and developing deeper confidence in herself.

Do you think there are particular tropes to cosy fantasy and/or romantasy, and if so, tell us about your favourites?

Inject enemies-to-lovers into my veins any day of the week. This is a staple of romantasy that I’ll forever devour, the unflinching tension between characters that slowly melts into an even more terrifying sliver of vulnerability. Aila and Luciana aren’t enemies per se at the start of the novel (that might feel overdramatic for work colleagues . . .), but they do hate and distrust each other, which is a coldness that will take a lot of work to thaw.

The other trope I adore in cosy fantasy (and any book, really) is a cute and sassy animal companion. And, well, I may have gone overboard and filled an entire zoo with them!

Which three cosy fantasy reads would you recommend to our readers? Give us some hidden gems! 

A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon, Sarah Hawley: I showed up for the spicy romance with a hot demon, fell in love with the disaster witch who adores growing plants and is on an anti-capitalist crusade to conserve endangered magical newts.

The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy, Megan Bannen: sure, there’s sort of a zombie apocalypse going on in the background, but who cares about that when you’ve got a pair of snarky enemies accidentally falling in love with each other as mystery pen pals?

Shoestring Theory, Mariana Costa: an upcoming cosy, queer, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers time travel romance with a grumpy old wizard and a mostly-alive cat. I had the pleasure of reading this book early, and it’s one to look forward to!

Who are the most significant women in SFF who have shaped and influenced your work? 

One huge inspiration for me has been V. E. Schwab. I took a several year hiatus from reading/writing fantasy, and when I came back, I picked up a bunch of books in the genre, trying to rediscover my passion. I read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, and it was the first book in forever that I couldn’t put down, then I sat and stared at my wall thinking, “wow, I want to write like this.” Schwab creates worlds that feel so lived in, these bold and complex female characters, and I’m amazed at how versatile her stories are.

Another big inspiration for me has been Heather Fawcett. I picked up Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, then ended up cancelling all my plans and reading the book in a single night. I love how Fawcett takes these tantalising fae that are a staple in fantasy, then weaves in these brilliant academic vibes. Emily is a fiercely intelligent and independent character who saves her male love interest more times than he saves her, yet her challenges connecting with people feel so relatable.

Last but not least, I’ve never read an Alix E. Harrow book I didn’t love. Her voice in A Spindle Splintered is biting, funny, irreverent – so unique among fantasy books I’ve read, and I hoped to hit a similar mark with The Phoenix Keeper.

If you could visit any fictional coffee shop or restaurant or tavern (etc!), where would you visit and why?

(Let the record show, my first instinct was, “I wouldn’t, I’d rather stay at home for a quiet night alone,” let no one be surprised I wrote a book about an anxious introvert.)

Let me crash one of Holly Black’s faerie banquets. Not for any of the cutthroat politics, mind you. Let me sit on a bench in the corner with moss under my feet, marvelling at ragwort ponies and fae delicacies as I sip a drink from an acorn (plus, enchanted food is the only way I’m getting dragged onto a dance floor).

If you were to have your story adapted, what medium would you choose—anime, Netflix series or feature length film? Who would you cast for your main characters? 

I’m torn! If The Phoenix Keeper was adapted, I’d obviously love to binge a Netflix series, maybe even see some more slice of life moments at the zoo (Parks and Rec was a huge inspiration, tone wise!). At the same time, creating all the magical creatures in CGI would be a huge task. So I think an animated series might capture the magic better, especially when it comes to bringing the creatures to life in all their vivid colors and behaviors!

Finally, how do you hope your readers will feel after finishing your novel?

I hope readers finish the book with a huge smile, kicking their feet, like a big warm hug from a good friend. I hope they feel inspired to keep working toward their own dreams. And maybe, they might feel the urge to visit a real-life zoo, to learn more about protecting the equally incredible creatures in our own world <3

Thank you so much for joining us for Women in SFF!

The Phoenix Keeper is due for release 13th August. You can pre-order your copy HERE