Merlina Garance (she/they) collects chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms like trading cards but when they’re not too busy lying down or writing, they like: cuddling their dog and life partner (not especially in that order), baking but especially eating the results, hikes in nature, seeing their friends and family in quiet environments, especially if pizza is involved.
They live in France in a mouldy flat with a nice attached garden.
Author Links:
Website: merlinagarance.com
Newsletter: merlina-garance.ck.page/87df3a4ce8
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/merlinagarance
Goodreads: Merlina_Garance
Amazon: Merlina Garance Author Page
Instagram: @merlina_garance_author
Bluesky: @merlinagarance.bsky.social
Facebook: @Merlina_Garance_Author
Add The Motherly Stones to Goodreads: goodreads.com/book/show/203884799-motherly-stones—a-paranormal-mystery-romance – A dark, mysterious romance with bisexual and a-spec representation.
Operation Olive Branch: https://linktr.ee/opolivebranch
GoFundMe’s Highlighted by Authors for Palestine Event: https://afp.ju.mp/#info
For the AfP event we have selected the following 3 families to help boost their fundraisers. The details below were taken from the OOB spreadsheet.
Mohammed’s fundraiser: GoFundMe
Mohammed’s Instagram: @mohammedalbaredei
Ibrahim’s fundraiser: GoFundMe
Ibrahim’s Instagram: @ibrahimwithi
Rula’s fundraiser: GoFundMe
Rula’s Instagram: @rula_mohammed
You were one of the authors involved with the Authors for Palestine event – can you tell us why you chose to get involved with this, and which of your works you put up as raffle prizes?
I wasn’t educated about Palestine before October 2023, when the genocide started. That’s when I began understanding the horror of what Palestinians have been subjected to for decades. I tried to do my part about informing and donating, but there is always a frustration about not being able to do more, so when the AFP event started it felt right to join. I had offered five copies of my debut novel The Flourishing, and one of my latest release at the time, Dandelion.
Do you find your sense of social justice and activism informs the philosophy of your writing, in terms of narrative and character arcs? If so, how?
What a great question! It does indeed. For example, I used to work with victims of domestic abuse and this influenced a character in The Flourishing. The main POV character, Andy, got the chance to save Thalia from a bad situation, and that was me projecting all the times I wished I could have done the same. I’ve actually written a piece about angst and why I love it (it’s on Katherine Blakeman’s blog and the link is on my website). I did some soul searching and realised that it’s a chance for me to take characters who are suffering and bring them to the happy ending they deserve. That means I tend to write realistic situations that touch a number of topics (queerphobia, racism, transphobia) while never being too dramatic or graphic on page because it’s hard for me to write, and then I navigate to find my characters the best possible happy ever after for them.
Let’s talk about your work a bit more; you have a new release coming out in October, can you pitch it to us?
Of course! It’s a paranormal novella with a friends-to-lovers romance at its heart. It’s set in the 90s too, because having mobile phones would have made it too easy for the characters… Rish and Toni have been friends almost all their lives – despite Rish’s life long crush on her. When one day, Toni shows up excited to have been appointed to appraise the abandoned castle on Paicrich Island, off the coast by which Rish lives, he has a bad feeling and offers to go with her. Little did they expect the castle to have a life of its own…
What did you draw upon when creating the fictional setting for Motherly Stones (Paicrich Island)?
I think I mashed up some real settings I have been to, or have seen in pictures. As a kid, I used to play quite often in the ruins of a local castle (under supervision, it was safe!). One of my friends also does a bit of urban exploration and I think I mixed my experience in the ruins with the photos they showed me! All in all, I just wanted a haunted castle to trap the characters in, and the island meant they were even more isolated and would have to spend a few days there without access to help. This sounds really cruel when formulated like that, haha!
Is the representation in Motherly Stones typical of the rep in your work, and can you talk a little bit about why this rep is important to you?
Yes and no. It’s typical in that it’s queer, and I always aim to be as inclusive and diverse as possible. And no, because it’s the first book I publish with characters with those identities. Rish is inspired by my husband (a bunch of the dynamic between Rish and Toni is, especially how reckless Toni is vs Rish’s attention to safety and germs!) and Toni kind of by me.
I do tend to include bi/pan characters, and demisexual because that’s my own identity, but in my already published books you’ll find lesbian characters, gay, genderqueer, nonbinary and I have a release next year with a trans woman.
I also want to be mindful about racial diversity. We are raised to consider white as the norm so I’m training myself to challenge that by always asking myself : does this character need to be white? Then I try and figure out their background and how that enriches the story.
What 3 things do you want readers to take away from your work?
The main one is tolerance/acceptance. We as humans can always do better in that regard, no matter how openminded we already are, and it’s important to keep challenging ourselves to understand new identities and backgrounds. I know I used to be more close minded about a lot of things, and I still try to keep learning. So acceptance towards others, but to ourselves as well. They tend to go hand in hand, I like to think. If you can find yourself in one of my characters, and feel yourself loved through the eyes of another, then that’s a big win for me.
Another would be emotion. What I really want is for readers to feel something while reading my work. Good or bad, I just home my writing touches a little part of your soul!
And the last would be fun! I also write to entertain myself and others. I love writing dialogue, especially banter, and I hope one of these guys’ interactions makes you laugh!
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