Jane Routley lives in Moreland and is an award winning author of a number of novels. Earlier this year, Jane released her latest book, Shadow in the Empire of Light.
MEDDLER: How did you come to be a novelist?
JANE: I wanted to be a writer as soon as I could read. Reading is one of the great ways of visiting other worlds and living other lives. If you write, you can create the kind of worlds you want to visit. It’s the most satisfying activity I know except when it’s not working. Then it’s a pain.
MEDDLER What inspired your latest novel?
JANE: I was reading a lot of gritty fantasy along the lines of Game of Thrones and it suddenly struck me that it wasn’t much fun to be a woman in the kind of traditional medieval kind of society most fantasy novels are set in. So I thought I’d create one in which it’s more fun to be a woman. After all I’m writing fantasy. Why not have the kind of world I like?
MEDDLER: What are the biggest challenges of being a fantasy author?
JANE: The fact that it doesn’t count as serious writing is pretty annoying. Its improving but a lot of readers of mainstream fiction still regard it as a childish ghetto and won’t be seen reading it in public. Yet fantasy has lots of serious themes. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings explores the corrupting nature of power. The evils of discrimination are a strong theme in Harry Potter. To do that while still writing a good fun yarn takes skill.
MEDDLER: Is your character of the telepathic cat based on someone?
JANE: No! Unless you count Specky the cat who we owned as a child. But I love cats. Developing an allergy to them is one of the great sadnesses of my life. I love watching the activities of the cats in my neighbourhood. My heroine’s cat is her best friend and also a wry critical voice in the story.
MEDDLER: Are there any local places that are good for helping your productivity?
JANE: I love the Upfield train line. A train journey is great for getting ideas. So much to see on the way. But during the lockdown I’ve also discovered how delightful it is to cycle around the Fawkner Cemetery in the afternoon. There are so many beautiful plants there, it’s wonderfully quiet and I imagine the lives of the people buried there.
Shadow in the Empire of Light.
Magic, Murder, Mayhem : But keep it in the family.
Shine is an orphan without magical gifts in a family of powerful mages, and is stuck managing the family estates with only an eccentric aunt and a telepathic cat for company. But when the family descend on the house for the annual Fertility Festival, Shine is plunged into intrigue; while helping one cousin to find a compromising letter, rescuing another from an unwelcome alliance and hiding a fugitive, she discovers a smuggling ring, stumbles upon a murderous plot to depose the current Family Matriarch, and is forced to run for her life.
Available in paperback in January.
Currently available in audio and ebook formats.
https://rebellionpublishing.com/product/shadow-in-the-empire-of-light/
The Coburg Meddler 