I almost always have music playing when I’m writing or editing. I put together playlists for each book so I can get myself in the right mood. Here are all the songs I’ve been listening to while writing and editing Her Runaway Lady, a sapphic romance set in Paris in the 1880s. The setting is a Belle Epoque That Never Was but the music in this playlist, titled Sapphos, is all over the place.
It includes Fever Ray, k.d. lang, Billie Eilish, Unwoman, Sinead O’Connor, Morphine, Satie, songs from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack, Cat Stevens, Kate Bush, Baby Rose, Girlpool, Suzanne Vega, yeule, Saint Avangeline, Kiki Rockwell, Aimee Mann, Nouvelle Vague, Florence + the Machine, Christine and the Queens, Julien Baker, dodie, India, Tove Lo, Cecile Chaminade, Arlo Parks, Floor Cry, chloe moriondo, Debussy, Jill Tracy, Willow, and Sharon Van Etten.
These songs have ALL the feels of two young women falling in love but resisting that with everything they’ve got.
If you listen to it, leave a comment and let me know what your favorite track is.
I recently read (and LOVED) Jessie Thomas’s new release, Once Upon a Dark October, a sapphic vampire romantasy, so thought I’d chat with her about her writing and inspiration for her book.
What inspired you to write Once Upon a Dark October?
I love writing about vampires, and I hadn’t written a sapphic romance yet even though I really wanted to, so I decided it would be fun to mix the two in a dark, Gothic setting. And then I started thinking about the usual fairytale elements—curses, shapeshifting, sleeping women in coffins, etc.—and how interesting they’d become if they were twisted a bit and then blended with some familiar vampiric lore. The title really made everything else come together.
All curses made in blood must be broken with blood.
ONCE UPON A DARK OCTOBER is an adult sapphic reimagining of Cinderella with a vampiric twist on other classic fairytale tropes. Available now through Amazon.
How long did it take you to write (and edit) Once Upon a Dark October?
It took longer than I’d planned. I worked on it off and on over the course of a year, and after about six months of that year, it finally felt like the story elements were coherent. It’s so rewarding to see it all take shape and to polish it up after you’ve hammered out the details.
Who is your favorite character and why?
It’s so hard to choose! I love the coven; the ensemble scenes are fun with the banter and the characters learning how to work through their conflicts and combine their powers and skill sets. All of them bring something to the fight and they’re loyal to each other.
What came first, the characters or the world?
I think the world came first. I was kind of thinking of Poe when the title came to me: “Once upon a midnight dreary…” And so this gloomy, sea-swept coastal town of perpetual fog and mist came to mind.
Where do you write your books?
I attempt to write them while my cats help. And by “help,” I mean they demand attention and try to interfere (or advise?) with the editing process.
What’s your go to beverage while writing?
Something cozy! My writing routine starts with a nice, warm drink, so usually I’ll have cappuccino or hot chocolate.
What can you tell us about your next book?
I have more works in progress than I can count, but I’m hoping my next release will be finally finishing up another vampire romantasy, A RANSOM IN BLOOD. It’s the first in a duology—a regency Bridgerton-esque inspired world where a thieving woman unexpectedly finds herself blood-bound to the vampire she attempts to steal from. When her rival steals the vampire’s ancient relic, they’re forced on a journey together to get it back, and she has to keep the vampire alive with her blood. And then he offers to tend to her every desire in exchange… I’m hoping it’ll be ready by early next year.
BJ Sikes, author 