We featured T.L. Stone’s story “Tusks, Tails & Teacakes” in our article about stories set in taverns and inns. A sequel, “Sorcery, Swords & Scones,” is coming soon. A good opportunity to ask her a few questions!
A Dutch version of this intervview can be found here >
I’ve read that the inspiration for the book came from a game you and your brother used to play. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
Sure! When I was much younger, my brother and I made up a game we called Tavern by the Wayside, which consisted of us pretending to run a medieval tavern. Basically, it was the two of us discussing what to serve to our patrons. So when I decided to write a cozy fantasy, a tavern was an obvious setting and I named the village Wayside.
Is this the first publication and if so, also the first manuscript you started to write on? Did you always wanted to write?
Tusks, Tails & Teacakes is my debut cozy fantasy, but it isn’t the first book I’ve written. I am a published author in other genres and with other pen names. I have wanted to write since I was a child, although I haven’t always been a full-time author.
What attracts you in this genre that you were compelled to write a cozy fantasy story with low stakes instead of, for instance, an epic fantasy?
I found myself reading lots of cozy fantasy as a way to combat how crazy the world started to feel. Life is high-stakes enough for me right now. I wanted the books I read to feel like a warm hug!
When writing, do you think a lot about ‘keeping it cozy’ and trying to avoid high stakes adventures for your characters, or do you just see where the story leads you and try to adjust later on?
My cozy fantasy books have some adventure and intrigue, but I keep the emphasis on found family and friendship, along with keeping the setting and details cozy and comforting.
The story revolves around a half elf rogue, a dwarven burglar and an orc guard. Do I sense a bit of experience with D&D perhaps?
My teenage daughter got me into D&D and my character is a half-elf rogue, so that was a big inspiration!
Do you keep your writing by the story you tell, or do you have whole logs of backgrounds, histories and such of the world your story is set in?
I sketch out the world and have character backgrounds and histories but I also develop it more fully as I write.
Is the story of these characters after Tusks, Tails & Teacakes done, or are you planning on more books in this world (and with these characters)?
There are more books coming in this world! Sorcery, Swords & Scones is the second book in the Tales from the Tavern series, and it focuses on Sass the dwarf and Val the guard. It releases on August 26th.
Do you like te read cozy fantasy yourself and do you have some recommendations for us?
I love reading cozy fantasy. There are so many I love, but I highly recommend The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst and Can’t Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne.
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