Interview with S.A. MacLean, author of THE PHOENIX KEEPER

 

I am beyond stoked about today's interview!!! S.A. MacLean is an author that I was super happy to get to interview because her upcoming books just sounds fantastic! I loved getting to learn more about the book and her writing process! I hope you all enjoy this interview as much as I did! As always, links to follow S.A. and buy her book, The Phoenix Keeper (out August 13th) will be included at the end of the interview.
     

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When did you first start writing and when did you know that you wanted to publish something that you wrote?

I started writing my first book all the way back in 2010! I always had in the back of my mind that I wanted to be published one day, but I wasn't sure what that path looked like, and it took quite a while to build enough confidence in my writing to share it with others. I wrote a couple books as a hobby throughout my college undergrad (only my mom ever read those). I stopped writing during graduate school, partly due to some pretty severe depression/anxiety. Then when I finished my PhD in 2018, as one way to combat that depression/anxiety, I pushed myself to reconnect with my creative side and start writing again, this time with the goal of pursuing publishing more seriously. I wrote three more full books on Wattpad, where strangers got to read my words for the first time. I got some amazing encouragement - as well as constructive criticism that helped me start really thinking about craft and plotting and growing as an author. In 2020 I moved off Wattpad and finally took a serious crack at querying, using a rewritten version of one of my books. And it didn't go well! In 2021 I wrote a completely new book - and that book also died in the query trenches! But while book two was querying, I was already hard at work writing The Phoenix Keeper.

I can definitely get that. Sharing your writing is so hard to do. I'm glad that you stuck through it. Wattpad is definitely a good way of starting to share your work when you're afraid. I also appreciate that you shared the books that died in query as well. Not all books are picked up and sell and I think it's important to acknowledge those books.
What was the publication process for this book like?

The Phoenix Keeper was the third book I queried - and it almost got shelved! I sent out 68 queries over six months, and it was query number 64 (thanks to a #DVpit like) that got me my single offer of rep. But one yes (and one very enthusiastic agent) is all it takes. Despite getting rejected by 67 agents during querying, The Phoenix Keeper positively blazed through submission to editors, snaring its first offer in just two days, and multiple 6-figure preempts by the second week (I was, obviously, delirious throughout this entire process).

I am so glad that you got rep from this book! I'm so glad that someone saw the potential in this book and helped push for it to get edited and published. Congratulations!
I am obsessed with the idea of a zoo for magical creatures. It combines some of my favorite things, magical creatures and the ability to take care of them. Where did you get the idea to write a book around that?

This is a case of a book so solidly in my personal wheelhouse, I simply had to write it! The Phoenix Keeper draws on over ten years of personal experience in ecology research and animal husbandry, from hand-feeding falcons on the glove to surveying arctic ducks, banding screeching woodpeckers and measuring day-old seagull chicks. I even considered becoming a zookeeper after grad school, and I logged about 200 hours working alongside real zookeepers at the LA Zoo! One other incredibly personal part of myself that made it into the book is the anxiety rep. Our main character, Aila, struggles with chronic anxiety, modeled after my own experiences with anxiety (and working with my therapist to develop healthier strategies). Wrap that all together with some bisexual disaster rep, and that's the book!

Prefect! Best reason to write a book. I wish I had some of the experiences that you've had. I've always had a fascination with animals, both real and mythical, and hand-feeding a falcon sounds like a dream! I also can appreciate a book with anxiety rep in it!
How long did it take you to write this book?

I actually finished this book faster than any other book I've written, about two and a half months for the first draft, and it was revised and going out in queries just four months later. Aila and I are, perhaps, a little too similar in our personalities - anxious, introverted, in love with animals. Getting into her voice and headspace came easier than other characters I've created. And the rest of the zoo and magical creatures were so heavily inspired by my own experiences, I felt like I had so many rich stories to draw from to make the world feel alive and unique.

Ooh that is quick! I can see how that definitely makes it helpful for writing from her headspace though. That sounds amazing!
What are some of your favorite magical creatures that you included in this book? Are there any that you love but didn't include?

The book is full of lots of familiar magical creatures - three species of dragon, three species of griffin, two species of phoenix, unicorns, krakens. One of my favorites is Maisie, the kelpie, a carnivorous water horse with quite a sweet temperament (when she's not devouring goat legs). But I'd say even more of the magical creatures are brand new creations, inspired by real world animals and conservation stories, which were so fun to make! There are mirror flamingos, vanishing ducks, moss martens, periwinkle prairie geese. Being a hopeless academic, I have my own reference encyclopedia with 50+ species in it, not all of which got a ton of page time in the final book! Definitely wish we could have seen the gilled antelope more, and the liquefying starfish always makes me chuckle.

I do not think I've read a book with a kelpie in it before! I don't often see them mentioned! I also love the idea of creating creatures. They all sound amazing!!!! Also, I want to read that encyclopedia now lol
The cover of this book (both US and UK) is gorgeous! How much of a say did you have in the cover? What was that process like?

Truly, I'm so fortunate to have landed this breathtaking cover, which was illustrated by Niall C. Grant. As an artist myself, and an incredibly visual-minded person, I'd heard horror stories of authors unsatisfied with their covers and was bracing myself for the worst - only to be so blown away with my editor's vision for the cover, I trusted her completely to see it through. That being said, we had a bit of a journey with this cover, starting out with a completely different illustrator and cover direction! That version of the cover was fantastic, I adored it, but just didn't quite nail the vibe we were looking for in this particular book. Then my editor appeared with Niall's version, and wow, I was blown away! I'm very picky with my bird anatomy, and these phoenixes are so perfectly detailed, so elegant in the swirls of flame (and at least at the time of me writing this, you haven't even seen the back cover yet!).

I am so glad to hear that. Niall really did a truly amazing job! I'm glad your editor was able to find Niall to nail down the vibe!
I believe this is your debut novel. What has the experience been like for you?

Every publishing journey has its rocky points, but on the whole, I feel incredibly privileged to have had such an incredible journey with my debut book. My editors and publicists and marketing managers have all wowed me with their enthusiasm for this book, as well as made me feel so supported for the even more ambitious books I have on the horizon (when I tell you the physical restraint required to not gush about my future projects 24/7, maintained only by imagining my editor looking sternly at me from the UK). It's also been a delight to see so much enthusiasm from readers wanting to pick up the book, especially people with biology and animal backgrounds who have reached out to me to say how thrilled they are to see these topics merged with fantasy and magical creatures. I also got to draw my own character card art for my book!!! Talk about a bucket list item checked off.

I want to urge you to gush about all of them, but also don't want to get you in trouble with your editor. I am just endlessly curious about what else you have in the works! That sounds like an amazing experience and I am glad to hear that you've been able to...well, experience it. It's nice to see people passionate about topics and to see them read books that feature those topics.
Do you have anything specific (i.e. drinks, fidgets, etc.) that you keep in your writing space to help you stay focused?

A nice little drink is my classic way to settle into the writing mood! I wish I could buy stock in the boba tea industry, I guzzle so much on a weekly basis. Classically, I'm a matcha milk tea girlie, but I cycle through a dozen other flavors depending on the vibes for the day.

That is so valid!
What are some upcoming books that you're excited about reading?

Next up on my TBR I've got Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli, and The Honey Witch by Sydney J. Shields. I've also had the chance to read early copies of Mistress of Lies from K.M. Enright (which shares a debut day with The Phoenix Keeper!) as well as Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa, and you won't want to miss either of them!

I want to read The Honey Witch!! It's on my TBR, but also my brain is being mean about it. I just got a copy of Shoestring Theory in the mail and I am so excited about it!!
I am so thrilled with this interview! Thank you so much to S.A. MacLean for joining me! It was truly a pleasure to get to learn more about The Phoenix Keeper and everything that went into publishing that book. I definitely recommend checking out that book and seeing if it fits your vibe! If it does, make sure to request it to your library or preorder the book. Give her a follow as well!

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You can find S.A. MacLean on their website, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

You can buy S.A. MacLean's books from Hachette Book Group and UK Retailers.

If you can't buy her books but you still want to read them, consider requesting them to your local library or suggesting them on Overdrive!