In the fantasist’s debut novel, How to Lose a Goblin in 10 Days, a goblin and a halfling are forced to cohabitate.
Why cozy fantasy?
Honestly, it’s not my usual wheelhouse. When I started writing, I leaned more towards the epic side of things. But a few years ago my mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s, so I wanted to write something less heavy than my usual stuff. I found comfort in writing a quieter, cozier story that focused more on the elements of home, family, and community. And then I wanted to add some rom-com flavor. I’m a huge fan of those early-2000s romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Those are the movies I grew up with, and they hold a very fond place in my heart.
The worldbuilding feels influenced by The Lord of the Rings as well.
It is, but I wanted to give a fresh twist to it. When people think of fantasy, Tolkien is one of the first things they think of. It’s so well-known: halflings automatically make you think of Frodo and Bildo Baggins; goblins are always evil; the wizard is always good. I wanted to have a different take on that and also explore what happens after the adventure, what happens to the people who were left at home.
Ren, the goblin love interest, is nonbinary. What inspired you to create a queernorm world?
There’s a lot of queer cozy fantasy, which I love, but you still don’t see that many explicitly nonbinary characters, not just in fantasy but across the board. I wanted to help fill that void. And it felt right for the character: that’s just how Ren showed up. Also, I pretty much only write about queer characters. When I was growing up, I loved fantasy novels but it felt really isolating to not see heroes like myself. I decided when I became a writer that I’d create the kind of stories I wanted to see. I don’t want to have to interrogate the same kind of homophobia and bigotry that exists in the real world. Honestly, if we can accept that there are dragons, why not accept that this is a world where all sexualities and gender identities are accepted, too? That’s part of the coziness, I think.
You play with a lot of romance tropes. Do you have a favorite to write?
I love “there was only one bed,” which I use in the book. I’m also a huge sucker for childhood friends to lovers, and fake dating. There are actually very few romantic tropes I actively dislike because when they’re done well, they can be very charming.
Do you consider yourself more of a halfling or a goblin?
I love the cottagecore aesthetic that goes along with halflings, but inside I’m more of a goblin. My desk is organized chaos. I wouldn’t do very well in the orderly halfing way of life.
