Ask the Author: Juliet Marillier
Answered Questions (191)
Juliet Marillier
Hi Laura - apologies, I only just saw this, have not been on this page very much. I don't think I would self-publish. What I did do is write a short story, which will appear in an anthology mid-2026, featuring some modern-day characters going to visit Piscul Dracului many years later. The castle has become a centre where international postgrad students can go on retreat, to do intensive research. But at least two have secret agendas, and perhaps the magic is still there! I had a lot of fun with this, will put something up on the page when the table of contents is announced. It's a romantasy anthology from UK publisher Titan Books. (You are the first reader to hear this.)
all the best, Juliet
all the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Hi Carole. Ths is an Australian edition from a small independent publishing house that specialises in fantasy and science fiction. For now, The Amber Owl is available only from booksellers in Australia and New Zealand. The publisher is negotiatinging a wider distribution including the US, UK, Canada and Europe, but at this point we can't say exactly when that will happen. There's an audiobook in production which we hope may become available more widely.
As an alternative, you can purchase the print edition directly from the publisher via their website- they ship internationally.
www.newdawnpublishing.com.au/books
As an alternative, you can purchase the print edition directly from the publisher via their website- they ship internationally.
www.newdawnpublishing.com.au/books
Juliet Marillier
Hi GiGi. Unknown at this point - the publisher is working on it. We hope either to get distribution to US bookstores or find a US publisher who is interested in doing an edition. But no guarantees, sadly. It is possible to order direct from the Australian publisher, if you're prepared to cover the cost of shipping. They do ship internationally.
www.newdawnpublishing.com.au/books
www.newdawnpublishing.com.au/books
Juliet Marillier
Hi Candace,
Thanks for the message! I have a new book coming out on February 25, called The Amber Owl. It's the first instalment of a two book series, a historical fantasy for adult readers. This is an Australian edition from New Dawn publishing, a small independent publishing house. Link here (you may need to copy to your browser):
https://newdawnpublishing.com.au/the-...
At present there are no overseas editions but the publisher is working on that. New Dawn does shop books internationally with quite reasonable shipping costs.
Have you tracked down Beautiful, my reworking of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which is available only in audiobook?If not, you might enjoy that one. Check it out on Audible.
all the best, Juliet
Thanks for the message! I have a new book coming out on February 25, called The Amber Owl. It's the first instalment of a two book series, a historical fantasy for adult readers. This is an Australian edition from New Dawn publishing, a small independent publishing house. Link here (you may need to copy to your browser):
https://newdawnpublishing.com.au/the-...
At present there are no overseas editions but the publisher is working on that. New Dawn does shop books internationally with quite reasonable shipping costs.
Have you tracked down Beautiful, my reworking of the fairy tale East of the Sun and West of the Moon, which is available only in audiobook?If not, you might enjoy that one. Check it out on Audible.
all the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
The Amber Owl is for adult readers, though it might also be OK for the older end of YA (age 16+) if they are mature readers. I hope you give it a try! It's the first in a two book series.
Juliet Marillier
Hi Ana. ''mo chridhe'' is the correct spelling in Scots Gaelic, so that would be fine to use. In Irish Gaelige (similar to the Scots language but with some different spellings and pronunciations) it seems to be ''mo croí''. Not sure where I got the version in The Well of Shades - I was aiming for the Irish version - but it looks as if my research was wrong.
I think for the tattoo you should use ''mo chridhe'', as we know that does at least definitely mean 'my heart'.
I think for the tattoo you should use ''mo chridhe'', as we know that does at least definitely mean 'my heart'.
Juliet Marillier
Sorry about the slow response, I used to get notifications when I had questions to answer here, but didn't receive anything for this one. Inspiration for Daughter of the Forest: partly my love, since childhood, for the fairy tale The Six Swans, on which the story is based. I wanted to see what might happen in a real family if they went through the dramatic events of the fairy tale: who would be strong, who would fall apart, how would they all be changed? Also, as swans often appear in Irish mythology, I chose to set my novel there, even though the Grimm brothers version of the old tale is Germanic. Then there was my need to work through some traumatic events in my own life - writing that book was a kind of therapy, and a lot of my personal feelings went into its creation.
Juliet Marillier
Hi Maeve and thanks for the message. As you probably know, I've had quite a gap after A Song of Flight, my most recently published novel. I do have a new one coming out in early 2025, called The Amber Owl. It's the first in a planned two-book series. It's being published by a small Australian publishing house, New Dawn, which specialises in science fiction and fantasy. The publisher will be trying to have it distributed as widely as possible, but at this stage I don't know about availability in other parts of the world. (I am slowing down a bit as I'm now well past retirement age!)
Juliet Marillier
Hi Nicole and thanks for the question. I am not really keen on self publishing. I love to write, but don't love the idea of handling all the tecnicalities, or dealing with publishing platforms, as well as doing all the marketing and promotion myself. I feel like that would take so much energy I wouldn't be able to do the writing part. Self-publishing works really well for some writers but that is not really the path for me. I am doing a new series with a local publishing house here in Australia, and we hope to get that distributed fairly widely, though the initial edition will be mostly for Australia and New Zealand. The first of those two books, The Amber Owl, should be published in early 2025. With this smaller publishing house (New Dawn) I do have more creative freedom. However, I'm unlikely to continue an existing series with them because that's just not the way it works.
All the best, Juliet
All the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Thanks for the message - I'm glad you love those series! Publishers make these decisions based on what they believe will sell. It's a business, so I guess that's what they have to do. I have had quite a good run with the mainstream publishers up until a couple of years ago, including some editors who were excellent to work with. Music: well, I was a musician before I was a writer so that is a good question. Mostly either classical (I use that term broadly) or folk music these days, and I don't listen to music while I'm writing as I find it distracting. I also sing in a community choir which I love. And I listen to choir music as well.
Juliet Marillier
Hi and thanks for the message. I was planning to write a third book, but my publisher did not want to continue the series (I guess because Cybele's Secret sold fewer copies than Wildwood Dancing.) I can't talk a mainstream publisher into accepting something they've already said they don't want. But I do know lots of readers would like a third book. I am hoping I might write Stela's story as a novella some time, to be published in a collection of my short fiction. It won't be for a while, as I'm currently writing an unrelated two book series which is keeping me very busy!
Juliet
Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Hi Amy. I'm so delighted that you loved Blackthorn & Grim!
Not sure about the tearful clutching, but there are several fantasy novels I've read and really loved recently:
The Winter Knight by Jes Battis (characters from the Arthurian legend reincarnated in present day Vancouver; a really good neurodiverse protagonist)
The Briar Book of the Dead by Angela Slatter (coming out soon; I got an advance copy. A fantastic ghost story, fantasy verging on horror, lots of folklore)
Thornhedge by T Kingfisher (my favourite fantasy author; a brilliant take on Sleeping Beauty)
Note, what I read is usually not very much like what I write!
all the best, Juliet
Not sure about the tearful clutching, but there are several fantasy novels I've read and really loved recently:
The Winter Knight by Jes Battis (characters from the Arthurian legend reincarnated in present day Vancouver; a really good neurodiverse protagonist)
The Briar Book of the Dead by Angela Slatter (coming out soon; I got an advance copy. A fantastic ghost story, fantasy verging on horror, lots of folklore)
Thornhedge by T Kingfisher (my favourite fantasy author; a brilliant take on Sleeping Beauty)
Note, what I read is usually not very much like what I write!
all the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Hi Briony, and apologies for the slow response. I'm so happy you've enjoyed my books!
Re that character, he's one of Johnny's men who dies in the fight for the islands toward the end of Child of the Prophecy (I just re-read that scene to check.) His name is Mikka. He pops up alive in Heir to Sevenwaters. I did ask the publishers to rename him, whether they did so I'm not sure as I don't have a copy of every reprint. Usually they won't make a change unless it's something really major, as it involves some expense.
Re that character, he's one of Johnny's men who dies in the fight for the islands toward the end of Child of the Prophecy (I just re-read that scene to check.) His name is Mikka. He pops up alive in Heir to Sevenwaters. I did ask the publishers to rename him, whether they did so I'm not sure as I don't have a copy of every reprint. Usually they won't make a change unless it's something really major, as it involves some expense.
Juliet Marillier
Hi Carol,
In hindsight, yes, it would have been useful to include a map for those two series. Geographically they are set in the north of Ireland, where the territories named (Kingdom of Breifne, Dalriada etc) were real places back in earlier times. I did take some liberties with the geography for purposes of better storytelling! One is that Inis Eala is not a real place. Because those books are already published, the only way a map could be added now would be for some kind of special edition, and I don't see the publishers doing that, sadly.
I hope I might get a map included for the new series (first instalment coming out in 2025.) But can't promise.
In hindsight, yes, it would have been useful to include a map for those two series. Geographically they are set in the north of Ireland, where the territories named (Kingdom of Breifne, Dalriada etc) were real places back in earlier times. I did take some liberties with the geography for purposes of better storytelling! One is that Inis Eala is not a real place. Because those books are already published, the only way a map could be added now would be for some kind of special edition, and I don't see the publishers doing that, sadly.
I hope I might get a map included for the new series (first instalment coming out in 2025.) But can't promise.
Juliet Marillier
Hi Ariel and so sorry I missed this question from four months ago (!) So far Finbar has not shown up in any of my other works - the closest we got with ''old" characters was the novella Twixt Firelight and Water, which is more or less the story of Ciaran and the raven Fiacha, covering quite a long time span. It has an appearance by Lord Colum and some of his sons, but not Finbar. There's a sort of appearance in Seer of Sevenwaters, of course, on the island (Inis Eala in those books, Swan Island in the Warrior Bards series), where his spirit is still around to supply wisdom when it's needed.
I were to include Finbar in a story now it would have to fit somewhere into the existing Sevenwaters saga - not sure if I am really up for that!
all the best, Juliet
I were to include Finbar in a story now it would have to fit somewhere into the existing Sevenwaters saga - not sure if I am really up for that!
all the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Hi Alex. I'm so glad you love Wildwood Dancing! Sadly, there has never been a Romanian translation. I wish there was one! I had lots of help from a Romanian guide when I visited Transylvania to do research for the book - he was quite expert on the relevant history and took me to many places I would not otherwise have been able to visit.
All the best, Juliet
All the best, Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Happy Thursday to you, Jessica. I can imagine what life must be like in these times for an RN working in Urgent Care. I send you love and strength, and a wish that you and yours remain safe and well.
Juliet
Juliet
Juliet Marillier
Hi Christie. I recommend any of the following:
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
Happy reading to you and well done for tackling the book challenge!
Circe by Madeline Miller
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow
The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
Happy reading to you and well done for tackling the book challenge!
Juliet Marillier
I think I have answered this elsewhere - but will do so again! Thanks for the positive feedback, it's very welcome. It's hard to pick one character as I tend to be very wrapped up in whichever characters I am currently writing. But if I have to pick just one it's Grim from the Blackthorn & Grim series. His voice came to me pretty much effortlessly and I was close to him from the start, even though Blackthorn gets more of the narrative. Blackthorn is my number 2 choice though in the past I would have chosen Faolan from the Bridei Chronicles, originally intended to be a secondary character only, but stepping up of his own accord to be central in Blade of Fortriu and The Well of Shades. I guess I relate to the most troubled characters.
Juliet Marillier
Hi Jennifer and thanks for the good wishes. I am a year or more behind my usual schedule, so there won't be a new book in 2022. I am still hoping to have something done in time for publication in 2023. My agent sees problems in the first propsal I sent him (the Baba Yaga series) and thinks it would need major changes to be marketable. I have two other possible projects, both stand-alone novels that are continuations of earlier series - he'll need to see those and decide if either is likely to interest publishers. They're both just at the proposal stage right now. I am very keen to get on with writing an actual book (!) but not confident enough to do that without a reasonable idea that it would be publishable. As soon as I have some news I will post on my Facebook author page (Juliet Marillier Official Fan Page) and on my website blog. I'm not using the Goodreads blog any more.
My state of mind: slightly better than it was a couple of months ago and thank you for asking.
Juliet
My state of mind: slightly better than it was a couple of months ago and thank you for asking.
Juliet
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