I am pleased to invite J.L. Rowan to the blog today! She is an editor and fantasy author who has had many short stories published. Currently she’s working on a novel set in the kingdom of Talitha, a medieval-type world where magic is real and giant sentient cats are its Guardians. She loves all things medieval and even tries her hand at medieval cooking and crafts. Plus, she loves tea! In short, she is a kindred spirit. I hope you enjoy the interview, and please, go check out her work!
Hi, J.L, and welcome!
Thank you for inviting me! I’m happy to be here!
You and I intersected many years ago on my blog, and have continued to correspond back and forth over the years- thank you for your interest in my work! I knew a little bit about your writing from those interactions, but as I did some internet-stalking on you, I realized you have a whole breadth of interests that I didn’t know about. So, first, give my readers an idea of who you are and what you write about.
I love your stories! Your portal fantasy trilogy is superb!
Who am I? That’s not the easiest question to answer, LOL. We tend to equate who we are to our professions, but I’m not a fan of that.
I’m a Christian. I’m a sister and an aunt. I have my Master of Library Science with a specialization in Archives and postgraduate work in rare books and manuscripts. I’ve lived and worked all over the U.S. at various times, as well as internationally, and in several fields, including legal, medical, social work, and educational. Professional writing has been part of many of those work experiences. I love learning, and recently took classes in Old English. I’ve also studied at seminary and been on three international mission trips, with the hope of going on more. I do volunteer work in my community in the area of dementia awareness and support, and I really enjoy participating in the fandoms I love.
Most of what I write is noblebright fantasy, set in the medieval-era secondary world of Talithia.
To date, the majority of what I’ve written is short fiction (stories, flash fiction, a novella), but I have a two-volume novel in progress as well. Many of my short stories have been published, and I’ve won a couple of awards and contests. I have since collected most of those stories and self-published them as a collection.
I also write historical fiction, as well as other fantasy not set in Talithia, and have had some of that published (I’m particularly proud of my historical fiction story about of Arc, which was published by Arx Publishing).
I do a lot of writing on the nonfiction side as well, including ghostwriting. I had the fascinating opportunity to write a book commemorating the history and centennial of my church. I love history and research, and was able to dive into both in this project.
I’ve also been an editor for more than twenty years of fiction, non-fiction, and even a little poetry.
What prompted you to start writing? What has the writing journey been like for you?
Like a lot of writers, I started writing young. I enjoyed creating stories. The journey, however, has been challenging. I don’t want to get into details, but I survived complex trauma from a young age, and it naturally has influenced my writing, as well as my ability to write at times. I think imagining other worlds and writing my own stories helped me survive aspects of that trauma. Also, there was a ten-year period in which I was the primary caregiver to both of my parents; one had cancer and the other had dementia (both have since passed). I worked full-time as well, so my creative output throughout that time was minimal. I focused a lot on short stories, as they seemed more attainable and provided a much-needed sense of accomplishment upon completion.
Writing, both fiction and nonfiction, continues to be an important tool as I navigate processing PTSD.
Two of our strong connections are our shared love of the medieval world, and fantasy. One thing that fascinates me is that you not only write and read about the world, you immerse yourself in it in other ways, particularly through medieval cooking and crafting. What brought about your interest in the medieval world, and what prompted you to immerse yourself in it in these “hands-on” ways? What do you love about the experience of cooking authentic medieval dishes or using other traditional medieval crafts to create something beautiful?
I’ve had an interest in the medieval world for a very long time, but it really took off about 30 years ago when I learned of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism). I started attending events in my kingdom, which revealed a whole new world of hands-on work in all things medieval. I’ve moved around a lot (domestic and international), so it wasn’t until I settled in my current location that I was able to devote any significant time to pursuing these interests.
I enjoy cooking and sharing food, and I have prepared two kingdom-level feasts in the SCA, which tended to involve around a dozen different dishes for about 40 people—not particularly large feasts for the SCA, but large enough for me. Medieval foods were not at all like what is portrayed on screen and film (tasteless bread and unidentifiable stew). The cookery books that have survived show that food in the middle ages was quite varied. The books also rarely give measurements or much direction. I like creativity in cooking, so medieval recipes allow me to exercise that.
For crafting, I’ve tried my hand at illumination and have hand-stitched my wool cloak. I’m getting more into hand embroidery at the moment, and one of my goals is to create an embroidered book cover. I’ve seen examples of early modern embroidered book coverings, and they’re beautiful. They’re a little outside of the medieval era, but still close enough to keep my interest!
What’s your favourite medieval recipe, and what handcrafted item are you most proud of?
I don’t think I have a single, favorite medieval recipe, but one that I really enjoy is Norse Pies, taken from the medieval French cookery book, Le Viandier de Taillevent. It’s a hand pie of chicken, cheese, dried fruit, and a pine nut paste. I have a modern recipe for it on my blog.
For crafting, I think I most enjoy some of the medieval illumination I’ve done.
You describe your work as “noblebright fantasy”. Explain what that means, and how you incorporate that idea as you write about your fictional world of Talithia. Do you have any favourite modern authors in this genre?
Noblebright fantasy has a focus on hope, even in the darkest of times. Noblebright characters are not perfect. They are flawed, and can make mistakes, but the goodness of their character is what is emphasized. They influence their world for the better, and they do what is right, even when it costs them dearly.
I incorporate this in my stories together with Tolkein’s idea of fighting the long defeat, the idea that the world is fallen, that it will eventually be restored, but that, in the meantime, we have to fight for good in the ways that are available to us.
Many of my characters war against the long defeat, even when it costs them dearly or when they know they will lose the battle. They fight the wrong they see in their world. Sometimes they fight well and sometimes they don’t. But they continue on, fighting the injustices they see, large or small.
I don’t know that I have a favourite modern author, but I found that the early stories of Mercedes Lackey embodied these ideals well.
I have to ask about the cats. Your world of Talithia contains the Guardians, who are huge, sentient cats who can bond with a human. Do you own a cat? What is it about cats that inspired you to include them in this way in your stories?
I’ve loved cats since I was a child, and have always felt a connection and a bond with them, so it only seemed natural to include them in my stories as sentient creatures. As an adult, I wasn’t able to adopt my own until 2008. Those kitties have since passed away and I currently have adopted my niece’s kitty, who is elderly and will live out her days with me.
What is it about the fantasy genre that particularly attracts you?
Fantasy allows for impossible elements that other genres wouldn’t necessarily accommodate, such as sentient animals, combined with the ability to create an entirely new, secondary world.
Fantasy feels like a completely blank canvas where the writer can paint any kind of world they wish.
Unfortunately, writing is not a “career” that brings fame and fortune to all who practice it. What motivates you to continue writing even when it seems like no one is noticing your work?
I genuinely enjoy what I write. Of course, I want others to enjoy my stories, too, but I don’t write to make other people happy, and sales are not my primary motivator. The story is.
Who is a writer who inspires you?
I think I draw inspiration from a variety of writers. I love Charlotte Bronte for writing one of the most courageous characters ever, Jane Eyre. I love Alexandre Dumas for how he can pull the reader into the adventures of the Musketeers. I love Shakespeare’s use of language and how he captures every aspect of the human experience. For fantasy, I draw inspiration from the early works of Mercedes Lackey. Her world-building for Valdemar had all the elements I wanted my stories to have: a medieval-era secondary world, sentient animals, characters fighting for good and against evil, no matter the odds or the price.
You talk about your love of tea in your Substack post about hosting a high tea for friends, which sounds completely delightful. So, my final, fun, question is: Do you have a favourite tea? You can answer in general, like black, green, herbal, or if you have a specific tea or flavour you love, do let me know! I’d love to check it out!
I’m not a fan of caffeine, so I tend to stick to herbal teas most of the time. A lot of my teas come locally from a vendor at my community farmers market, so they are her unique blends, but I also have some lovely teas from Fava Tea and Art of Tea (which has the most amazing Earl Grey Creme tea… my exception to no caffeine). And hosting a high tea is one of my all-time favourite delights. It’s a lot of work, and a labour of love, but so much fun!
Thanks to J.L. Rowan for visiting with me today! Please go check out her work at her website, and stop by her Substack and give her a follow!
Check out my NEW urban fantasy short story at Flicker Press! And if you like it, please leave a review!
