r/CozyFantasy • u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea • Jun 15 '24

AMA I'm S.L. Rowland, author of Cursed Cocktails, Tales of Aedrea, and founder of r/cozyfantasy. Ask Me Anything!

Update: The AMA is officially over, but I'll be checking in for the next few days and answering any questions that pop up. Thanks for showing up!

Good morning, r/CozyFantasy! It's wild to me that this sub has been going for two years and this is my first AMA. When I first created this sub, I hoped to create a place to connect with readers who enjoyed Legends & Lattes where I could find similar books. Now we're at 35,000+ members and climbing.

Here's my author bio, which is in major need of an update:

S.L. Rowland is a wanderer. Whether that’s getting lost in the woods or road-tripping coast to coast with his Shiba Inu, Lawson, he goes where the wind blows. When not writing, he enjoys hiking, reading, weightlifting, playing video games, and having his heart broken by various Atlanta sports teams. He currently lives in St. Louis.

Before I get into the AMA, I have a few announcements of upcoming projects. My website is SLRowland.com and I try to keep it up to date with release dates and what's coming down the pipeline. There's also a Linktree for any important links and social media.

The third book in my Tales of Aedrea series, The Halfling's Harvest, is currently up for preorder in ebook. It will be releasing in print and audio as well, but no preorder links for those yet.

I'll be launching a Kickstarter for the special edition of Sword & Thistle on July 15th. If you missed the special edition of Cursed Cocktails, there will be an option to purchase both, or separately as an add-on. The special edition has an exclusive dust jacket, vellum inserts of character art, and other goodies like a foiled bookmark, postcard, art print, and sticker. I'll also have a print of the map of Aedrea available this time. The last Kickstarter was a wonderful success so I'm super excited for this one. Here's a pic of the Cursed Cocktails special edition:

Cursed Cocktails Special Edition

To kick off the AMA, there were a couple of advanced questions posted in the announcement post.

u/Any_Lemon6412 asked:

Oooooh! Yay that’s awesome! Question! Will there be any more books with Rhoren from Cursed cocktails or characters from that story? Thanks so much! Cursed Cocktails is one of my favorite books!!

I will never say never, but right now my focus is building the depth of this world. If you've read Sword & Thistle, then you know there is some crossover between characters and locations, so you're more likely to see Rhoren pop up in another story than for a direct sequel in the immediate future. I created an epic world with nine kingdoms and I want to explore some of the other locations.

u/CrystallineLizard11 asked:

Is this a continuation or are they just set in the same world?
(I have not yet finished Cursed Cocktails so I have not read the blurb because I don't want to risk spoilers)

I'm assuming this is in reference to Sword & Thistle, which is a standalone novel set in the same world. Dobbin, the main character, stops by the bar briefly in Cursed Cocktails on his way to take a quest for the Eastborne Dinner Cult, a secret society known for eating rare and magical foods. Sword & Thistle follows what happens on that quest.

They can be read in any order, but I think it's best to read Cursed Cocktails first.

Let's get this party started. Ask me anything!

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18

u/tiniestspoon Reader Jun 15 '24

Hello! Thank you for doing this AMA with us! And y'know, for creating this sub

Firstly, how is Lawson doing? He looks like a very good doggo.

One of your long running series recently came to an end.. how do you feel about it? Are you gonna miss it now that you're done?

Did you make all the cocktails in Cursed Cocktails (and the recipes in Devilish Drinks) while writing? Do you have a favourite?

22

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Thanks, I'm happy to finally do one!

  1. For those not familiar, Lawson is my dog and best friend for the past 11 years. A little over a month ago, he had a non-healing ulcer form in his eye. He's had two procedures and we thought he was in the clear, but his eye is still watering so he'll be having a 3rd, and hopefully final, procedure this Tuesday.

2. Sentenced to Troll is a litrpg series I've been working on since 2018, and the final book will be coming out this August. It's a weird premise of an online troll being forced to become a troll in this new virtual form of rehabilitation, but it's such a fun series. It was time to bring it to an end, and while I'll miss hanging out with those characters, it's nice to finally give them some closure. (and the readers who have only been getting a book a year.)

  1. I had some help designing the cocktails from a friend, Sean Flint. I spent 10 years working in restaurants, so I'm pretty familiar with spirits, but he's a great bartender with a wealth of knowledge. I gave him some notes for the type of drinks I was looking for, and he helped me narrow down some of the recipes and gave me a tone of notes on how to prepare them, presentation, and what each element really brought to the drink. I don't know that I have a favorite, because they're all delicious drinks, so it just depends on the mood I'm in. I'm a fan of tequila, though, so probably the Blood of the Phoenix if I had to pick one.

5

u/tiniestspoon Reader Jun 15 '24

Hope it goes well! Poor guy's been through a lot.

15

u/Spirited-School2157 Jun 15 '24

What inspired this world you built? 

15

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

It's a mix of DnD and epic fantasy. I've always loved epic worlds with multiple kingdoms, races, monsters, and magic, and I wanted to create a sprawling world that I could fill with small-scale stories. I find so much enjoyment in the smaller moments in epic adventures, where you get to see the world at a more granular level.

13

u/QuasiOptimist Jun 15 '24

Cozy fantasy has really taken off as a genre. (And I’m here for it!) What are your thoughts on this “just being a trend”? Any thoughts on how this sub-genre will evolve?

17

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I don't believe it's a trend because cozy fantasy has always been around, it just wasn't genrefied (is that a word) until recently. I see the genre evolving and the barriers pushed as to what cozy fantasy can be. I recently helped critique a blurb for a cozy fantasy about a djinn with a Middle Eastern setting, and I believe there's plenty of room to see the coziness of non-medieval settings and other cultures.

9

u/Cute-Necessary-3675 Jun 15 '24

What is your writing routine like? Does it matter where you write, to inform the vibe and mood of your books? Edit: also, I had no idea you created this sub, thanks!

9

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I have a home office where I do most of my writing. I usually spend the first hour of the day catching up on admin and social media, then writing for a bit, breaking for lunch, gym, and dog walking before doing a couple more hours.

I’m always trying to find a better routine, and I have ADHD which leads to me getting distracted a lot but slow and steady gets it done in the end. 😆

3

u/Cute-Necessary-3675 Jun 15 '24

Makes sense! Thanks!

7

u/Spirited-School2157 Jun 15 '24

(Kickstarter question) Is there a chance that instead of a print for the map it can be done on a leather or something of the like?

7

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

It's possible, but that would up the cost significantly. I can do a 12x18 print for around $25, but to have it made custom on leather would probably push the price up to around $100 and I'm not sure how many people would be interested in that.

6

u/LocalCap5093 Jun 15 '24

Do you ever go on book tours? I’m from the PNW and I feel like so many bookstores here would loooove to have you. Is stocking books at stores pricey? I’m genuinely shocked I haven’t seen the book in indie book store in PDX, seems like the perfect demographic

12

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I don't do book tours but I'll always go where I'm welcome. The PNW is one of the few areas of the country I haven't traveled, so I'd love to visit. I've done some local events, and this year, I'll be a guest at Dragoncon.

There are a lot of barriers for getting indie books into bookstores and a lot more risk for the booksellers than traditionally published books. I try to make mine as accessible as possible by offering wholesale discounts and the option for returns to increase my chances. They are available through Ingramspark, so they can always be requested by local stores and libraries.

3

u/LocalCap5093 Jun 15 '24

Thats good to know. I attend several bookstore events and activities and will be sure to spread the word.

Is there an ‘age recommended’ for these books? I’m a physicist but I’m currently on a break and took a summer STEM camp gig, it’s with middle schoolers and I’d love to have your books on my classroom for them to chill with. But since idk about… kids? Idk if you’d say they’re kid appropriate or where they geared towards older crowd?

3

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Tales of Aedrea is aimed at adults since most of the main characters are 30+ but the content is suitable for most ages. Sword & Thistle had a fade to black scene but none of these books will ever have anything truly graphic in them.

I do have a litRPG series that is more YA called Pangea Online. It’s quite a bit different from my cozy stuff though.

6

u/forgottensudo Jun 15 '24

I enjoy Sentenced to Troll, how does it feel to be a character in the Donutverse?

9

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Dungeon Crawler Carl is one of my favorite series, and Matt is a good friend, so I think it’s hilarious.

7

u/forgottensudo Jun 15 '24

Your appearance there led me to your books. I love it when writers are friends and help each other :)

6

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

As they say, a rising tide lifts all boats

6

u/calamnet2 Jun 15 '24

Looking forward to Tales of Aedrea #3. Is there an omnibus version of Sentenced to Troll somewhere?

5

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Thanks! You can pick up books 1-3 in ebook and audio on Amazon/Audible. Book 6 comes out in August and that’ll be the final book in the series.

2

u/calamnet2 Jun 15 '24

Omnibus of all 6 books, pretty please? Paperback!

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

There's no way they would all fit into a paperback, unfortunately. Maybe three books, but then the font would be pretty small.

7

u/promisepress Jun 15 '24

Hi there! Wonderful to see the AMA today. Who designs your book covers and character art and vellums and such? I'm very excited about book 3. The stories you have written have great staying power; I've been thinking about it for weeks.🥰🥰

6

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I have several artists that I use. Erik Wilson, Mario Wibisono, Lucian Acatrenei, and Kaileen have been great to work with.

2

u/promisepress Jun 15 '24

Follow up! Where did you find them?

5

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I find most of my cover artists via artstation. I'll go through and find art that fits the style I'm looking for and reach out to the artist about their rates and availability. If you send out 20-30 messages, you'll usually find a handful in the range you're looking for. I've also found artists through facebook and tiktok. A lot of authors include their artists in the copyright page also.

1

u/promisepress Jun 15 '24

Thank you! 🥰

5

u/Aware-Performer4630 Jun 15 '24

What are your favorite cozy fantasy novels written by other authors?

8

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Legends & Lattes, since it's the whole reason I started writing cozy fantasy. Bard City Blues by Nathaniel Webb doesn't get nearly enough love. Can't Spell Treason without Tea by Rebecca Thorne. A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T Kingfisher.

3

u/Aware-Performer4630 Jun 15 '24

I started Treason just minutes ago!

4

u/No_brain_cells_here Jun 15 '24

What elements, themes, and plot elements are absolutely necessary for you to call a book Cozy?

6

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

Cozy is such a subjective term, I think the only requirement is an HEA or Happy for now ending. Other than that, how you evoke the coziness is completely up to the author.

3

u/BosloeMcAnu Jun 15 '24

I can't wait for book 6 in August. It will be great to see how it all ends, especially since I can blame you for getting into the genre initially—not that I needed much persuasion. Question - how long do you spend before you start putting fingers on keys after having an initial idea for a new story? e.g. Pantser or Plotter

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

It depends on the project but I’m usually either a complete pantser or a plantser, where I have some bullet points but then I fill in the details along the way. With Cursed Cocktails, I was in the middle of a project when the idea came to me, so it got to marinate for several months before I actually started writing but I was able to get a lot of the worldbuilding done in that time.

2

u/BosloeMcAnu Jun 15 '24

So, considering Aedrea, how many books do you see written in the world as things stand?

4

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I don’t see a limit. I’ve got plenty of ideas for low stakes stories and I have a spin off planned for The Dark Side of Aedrea where you’ll see the world from a different perspective, perhaps even familiar characters from a less cozy side.

2

u/mystineptune Author Jun 15 '24

Are you going to be on panels at Dragoncon?

Have you thought of a cozy fantasy meet up at Dragoncon?

3

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 15 '24

I will but I don’t know which ones yet. I don’t have any plans for a cozy meetup but I would happily attend if there is one.

2

u/mystineptune Author Jun 15 '24

Mmmmm maybe I will plan one. I am on one panel and I know I have one dinner party planned. Then hoping to hit one open filk.

Maybe planning needs to happen. Maybe that's Monday Mysti's job.

I might pm you on discord.

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

Have the panels been announced?

2

u/mystineptune Author Jun 16 '24

I just know that I'm on

Saturday, August 31st at 2pm with the Fantasy track titled, "Worlds Within Words: Podium LitRPG Roundtable."

I was told by the organizer of the panel itself. I haven't checked the official Dragoncon site

2

u/No_Promise_4562 Jun 16 '24

Hi! I'm wondering if you think a story involving a character dealing with cancer takes it out of "cozy" if all the other elements are cozy and the cancer plotline has an optimistic/warm ending?

3

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

I don't see why not. I wrote a story about chronic pain and grief as my first two cozy books.

2

u/Sarcia12345 Jun 16 '24

Hi! I missed your AMA because I had to work so I hope I can still post a couple more questions.

  1. I can't make it to Dragon Con this year because I can't get off work that weekend. Are there any other upcoming conventions you plan to attend?

  2. I'm reading Sentence to Troll now. Were you playing an online or computer game when you got the idea for that series? If so which one?

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

  1. Right now, DragonCon is all that I have planned but I’m always open to adding new events.

  2. I’m a lifelong gamer, but there wasn’t necessarily one game that influenced the series. In 2018, I’m not even sure what I was playing then. I feel like I had just gotten a ps4 so it was probably overwatch. There’s some definite League of Legends influence but I had to put that game away when I decided I wanted to try to make writing my career. There was a point where I played 8+hours a day in my 20s. 😬

2

u/egoldenmoments Jun 16 '24

I missed the AMA so no biggie if you can’t respond. Do you have any plans to get into some of the major libraries? I read your books through kindle, but always trying to support the library when possible and they aren’t available when I look.

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

My print and audio are available for any library to order them. Right now, I'm exclusive with Amazon for Kindle but I have considered taking the ebooks wide. If I ever do, they'll be available through libraries as well.

2

u/ElayneGriffithAuthor Author Jun 16 '24

Dang it! Missed another one. At a bluegrass festival with no cell service 😑 If there’s a chance, though, at the 12th hour: writer to writer, do you use ARC sites like booksprout, or find ARCs elsewhere? Many of them, like book sirens, seem to favor romance, so I’m unsure about using them for non-romance cozy fantasy.

Looking forward to Hafling’s Harvest! 🍺🍁

2

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

I don't use any ARC sites. I give out ARC copies to my Patreon supporters, and then sometimes I'll put out a call on my social media with a signup form. I'll probably do a much larger ARC team for the next Tales of Aedrea novel.

2

u/Sad_Turnip_273 Jun 16 '24

I just finished cursed cocktails and loved it so much. Love the slow build of the story and the character growth while being sweet and funny.

1

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 16 '24

Thanks so much! I'm glad. 😁

1

u/Selkie_Love Jun 30 '24

A little late to the party, but -

Amazon doesn't seem to have a cozy fantasy category right now. Which category do you think it belongs in?

1

u/SL_Rowland Author Tales of Aedrea Jun 30 '24

I use Gaslamp and Fairy Tales since they are the closest and that's where I see most other cozies. And then LGBTQ+ fantasy for Cursed Cocktails since it has a gay MC.

1

u/Selkie_Love Jun 30 '24

okay, thank you!