On this episode of Unbound, Devin sits down with Jacqueline White on the eve of the November 3 trad re-release of Souls in Ruin, the first book in her dark fantasy trilogy.Jacqueline shares how a dream of a woman in a dungeon cell turned into a book she couldn't put down. We talk about writing morally gray (and morally black) characters, why Mireille's stillness was deliberate, and what a year of indie success looked like, from over a thousand ARC sign-ups to landing an agent and a traditional deal. We also get into the "traumatic fantasy" label, love triangles, the new deluxe edition, and the one line fans can't stop quoting.📖 Souls in Ruin hits shelves November 3. The audiobook is out now.Timestamps:0:00 Intro and welcome 2:26 The dream that started Souls in Ruin 5:46 Morally gray characters and what Jacqueline wanted to read 11:53 Morea's stillness: passive or survival? 14:12 The audiobook narrators 15:21 What "little Jacqueline" would say now 19:49 One year since the indie launch 27:50 Going from indie to trad: fears and surprises 32:40 Genre, "traumatic fantasy" and romance rules 37:36 The love triangle and the two male leads 42:43 Picking favorite characters 48:13 The line fans latched onto 50:12 Wrap-up and release infoSubscribe for more author conversations.

I sat down with Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune, the duo behind the Avalon University series, at Barnes & Noble Colonial in Orlando, days after Sorrow & Strangers hit shelves.We start with rapid fire (Frolic, Marry, Kill with no easy answers allowed) and then get into the heavy stuff. Alexis opens up about writing Summer's grief and why their editor told her not to cut the repetitive parts. We talk about Connor versus the Stranger and the difference between loving what someone shows you and loving who they are. They explain why Rafe's story was planned from his very first scene and how Max beating the crap out of him says more about how men actually communicate than any heart to heart could.We also cover how two people write one book, how Rose & Star Publishing started as a tax shelter, and what nobody tells you about going from indie to trad. They also give a book 3 update.⚠️ SPOILERS: Full spoilers for Blood & Betrayals and some for Sorrow & Strangers. There's a quick Burn (Penn Cole) spoiler at 30:31.Huge thanks to Barnes & Noble Colonial for hosting us.*Disclaimer: Affiliate links, small commission to the channel at no extra cost to you📚 Grab Sorrow & Strangers: https://amzn.to/4yEYrff📚 Start with Blood & Betrayals: https://amzn.to/4xXZeXjJeanette Rose: https://www.instagram.com/fatedlovesAlexis Rune: https://www.instagram.com/authalexisrune/TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro00:50 Frolic, Marry, Kill (Zach, Zane, Luke)01:55 Which Disney character Summer and Alice would go feral for02:52 Top book boyfriend03:59 Top book girlfriend05:29 Hardback or paperback05:55 How two authors write one book08:31 The editing process (and getting locked out of their own drafts)11:26 The Morningstar family and found family13:37 That "your mom's waiting to hug you" moment14:41 The Nexus: social media in an Arthurian world16:47 Aqua, envy, and body horror19:41 Writing grief in Sorrow & Strangers23:08 Connor vs. the Stranger26:00 Going from that cliffhanger straight into grief28:08 Rafe and "hurt kids become angry adults"30:10 Male characters need more than an obsession30:31 Burn tangent (spoiler for Penn Cole's Burn)31:54 Why Rafe, Alice, and the Stranger got POVs35:01 Rafe's demon and mental health35:26 Max, the gym scene, and how men actually talk38:29 A very important shifter question40:22 Book 3 update41:54 Dungeon Crawler Carl and men writing women45:35 How Rose & Star Publishing started47:03 The future of Rose & Star50:22 Indie to trad: what nobody tells you52:41 Why preorders matter so much53:05 What readers latched onto that surprised them54:39 Outro#SorrowAndStrangers #AvalonUniversity #Romantasy #BookTube #DarkAcademia #UnBound

Sierra runs @unhingedbooktalk and built Wonderwick, her officially licensed story-inspired candle and fragrance company, after a candle business and a viral SJM string wall collided into something neither of us could have planned if we tried. We chat about the eleven months it took to land her SJM licensing deal, building a rep team so the brand markets itself, why word-of-mouth from real fans beats any ad, and how authenticity is the actual algorithm. Plus a lot of random things 🤣 the brick, dark romance as an empathy machine, why Tamlin gets a bad rap, and whether you can make a man smell like fresh mowed grass.

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Follow Sierra: https://www.instagram.com/unhingedbooktalk/

Check out Wonderwick: https://thewonderwick.com/

Subscribe for more conversations in the book space.

Co-hosting Realm Runners ⁨@realm_runners⁩

Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/

Timestamps:

0:00 - Introduction to Unbound and creator conversations.

0:42 - Sierra introduces herself and her journey.

1:39 - Discussion on Instagram and viral content.

3:02 - Creating content and community engagement.

5:23 - Transition from candle company to book content.

8:27 - Balancing content creation with personal life.

12:02 - Marketing strategies and the power of word-of-mouth.

16:06 - Changes in social media platforms and content strategies.

24:33 - Intentional content creation and time management.

35:08 - Discussion on book adaptations and community engagement.

43:15 - Exploring themes in romance and fantasy genres.

54:25 - Insights into dark romance and character development.

1:06:30 - Upcoming events and collaborations.