Fiona Fenn is an author of fantasy novels that put complicated ​“heroes” front and center. A fan of villains, redemption arcs, and ​intense explorations of healing in all its forms, her debut novel, ​The Crack at the Heart of Everything, is a love letter to every ​villain who wanted to do better but never got the chance.

https://fionafennwrites.com | https://fionafenn.substack.com | Instagram: @byfionafenn | X/Twitter: @byfionafenn

Welcome to the Hive, Fiona. Let’s start with the basics: tell us about The Crack at the Heart of Everything – why should readers check it out?

Do you find yourself rooting for the morally gray traumatized villain who inevitably dies once they experience a change of heart? If so, TCATHOE is for you! I literally wrote this book to give that type of character the spotlight 🙂

Orpheus is your classical high fantasy/Dungeon’s & Dragons evil sorcerer with that grumpy “wet cat” vibe we all know and love (think Thomas Barrow meets Severus Snape). The story picks up right after he’s helped his best friend, Empress Lore, win an ongoing campaign to conquer the realm by summoning an army from hell which, in exchange, curses him to die. The curse is such a nuisance that Lore kicks him out of the palace into the world he helped ruin from afar and, confronting the devastation his magic wrought, Orpheus experiences a moral crisis…all while falling for the super hot, super annoying former general of Lore’s army, Fenrir Rawkner.

 Here’s the blurb:

“Banished, a death curse hunting him, the last person dark sorcerer Orpheus wants tagging along on his exile is his long-hated rival, Fenrir Rawkner. But when a massive chasm into hell threatens to swallow the Empire whole, Orpheus finds himself turning to Fenrir for help. Because Orpheus may be the key to closing the crack—if Fenrir can keep him alive long enough to figure out how.”

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’m one of those authors who gets hit with a full-fledged idea at 3am when I should be sleeping, and instead do an imaginary deep dive into every scene I want to write instead of taking notes. By the time I wake up, I’ve retained maybe 60% of whatever fever dream I lost myself to, and those tend to become my WIPs.

Speaking of worlds, what inspires your worldbuilding? Do you have a magic system/s? If so, can you tell us a bit about it?  

While I love worldbuilding, I love characters more. So, my worldbuilding tends to support the character journey I want to convey. For example, Orpheus in TCATHOE is a mage and Netherflame is the source of all magic in the world. But when deciding what that magic system will look like, I first ask myself how I want Orpheus to interface with it. How does it impact his everyday life and what kind of price does it ask in exchange for his access to it? What kind of limitations do I want him to struggle with and how can the mechanics of his magic feed into those, such as the curse that is the launching-point of the entire first act? 

By working backwards from the characters, the worldbuilding will directly reflect my larger narrative focus. Everything else branches out from there, the world fitting in place around my character’s journey rather than the other way around.

What (or who) are your most significant fantasy/sci-fi influences? Are there any creators whom you dream of working with someday?

I grew up reading widely and one of my favorite authors of all time is Tanith Lee. She was a master of prose, and because she wrote within the MG, young adult, and adult spectrum, I was able to grow up with her writing as my tastes and reading level changed. Her work absolutely contributed to my love of gorgeous prose, and any pretty words you find in my own work can be considered her influence. 

But I’ll be honest and admit that I am also coming to professional publishing from the fanfic world. If I ever get the chance to meet Naomi Novik, let alone work with her, I may actually combust on the spot!

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?

I actually love editing. Before my writing took the driver’s seat, I was planning to go into a career illustrating, so I look at writing a lot like I look at illustrating. Drafting is the sketch, an organic gesture that gets the narrative bones and the composition down. Editing is the actual rendering. The opportunity to discover the hidden details, draw them out, connect them to the larger story. During editing is when everything comes together for me, and my final image emerges as something truly alive.

We always appreciate a beautiful book cover! How involved in the process were you? Was there a particular aesthetic you hoped the artist would portray?

I have to give a ton of credit to my publisher (Tiny Fox Press) on this one! They came to me with a designer already chosen, completely confident that they would knock it out of the park. I filled out a little worksheet of questions and gave a few examples of covers that, to be honest, I thought were too wildly different from the designer’s portfolio to matter much, but they took everything and freaking blew me away. When Tiny Fox emailed me the initial thumbnail, it brought me to tears. I think we changed one tiny detail, that was it. I literally could not ask for a more spectacular cover! 

Can you tell us a bit more about your characters? Do you have a favourite type of character you enjoy writing?

Villains, villains, VILLAINS. I can not shout about them enough! The more pathetic the better. The more selfish and cowardly and downright awful, the more I will love you. There is just something about characters who believe themselves unlovable being confronted with genuine affection that never gets old. The prickly loner who can only rely on themselves because the world failed them at one critical juncture and they’ve lost all ability to trust in the goodness of people as a result. I love to force them into a reality that is precisely the opposite and watch them fall apart 🙂 

This is Orpheus to a “T” and it’s been one of my greatest joys seeing him connect with early readers. Every time someone says “I LOVE Orpheus” a part of me joyfully screams while a part of him tries to wither and die, haha.

Meanwhile, Fenrir is your typical surface-level himbo knight with a heart of gold, but has also found himself at the center of something he’s discovered he doesn’t actually support. He’s a fun one to write because he’s way ahead on his redemption arc compared to Orpheus, and they interpret the world very differently due to their personalities and also life experiences. It’s a fun mirror to hold up because arguably, they are both responsible for a lot of awful stuff, but they’re both dealing with the fallout very differently.

The world shifts, and you find yourself with an extra day on your hands during which you’re not allowed to write. How do you choose to spend the day?

Drawing. Is this a cop-out answer? Probably. But it’s true. You’re alive to create. Spend every second you can steal doing just that.

One of our favourite questions here on the Fantasy Hive: which fantastical creature would you ride into battle and why?

A big black dragon. I have a recurring dream where I shift into one. Maybe I actually want to be the fantasy creature someone else rides into battle? Seems like more fun and less responsibility, to be honest. 

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

Recent favorite reads: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison (and its sequel, The Witness for the Dead), Red Rising by Pierce Brown, and a hidden gem: Through Legend They Fall by Rachel Pendley. It’s a true 5-star book for me. Character-driven fantasy horror unlike anything I’ve picked up before. Do yourself a favor and devour it!

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

Climatepunk desert mecha meets space opera. That’s all I’ll say about my super secret WIP. Otherwise, The Crack at the Heart of Everything is getting a two-part sequel. Book one reads like a standalone, but Tiny Fox asked if I had more books in mind and oh, the pain is not over for our dear Orpheus 🙂

Are you planning anything fun to celebrate your new release? Do you have any upcoming virtual events our readers may be interested in?

I have two events local to central Virginia lined up! My book launch and preorder campaign is hosted by Shelf Life Books RVA and I’ll be adding additional signings to my website as I schedule them. 

Other than that, I’ll be guesting on some podcasts around release so definitely subscribe to my Substack to follow along and listen to me shout about villains!

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

That love, hope, and healing are never out of reach for any of us ♥

Thank you so much for joining us today!