Disenchanted
Brianna Sugalski
(A Lay of Ruinous Reign, #1)
Publication date: December 16th 2022
Genres: Adult, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, New Adult, Romance
At the peak of the Breton Renaissance, Lilac Trécesson is held prisoner in her own castle after a most wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. Her coronation looms years later, and between their town riots and the noble family bent on snatching her throne, she prepares for the worst…
Until a letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to banish her curse forever.
Her heirloom dagger at the ready, Lilac embarks into Brocéliande and finds herself in the hands of a bloodthirsty barkeep who demands her help in exchange for protection against the even deadlier forces of the woods.
She is thrust on a quest to uphold her family’s legacy—and her sovereign right to destroy it and start anew—by any means necessary. Pity the fool to underestimate the girl with subpar blade skills but pure spite to make up for it.
This is the tale of a cursed princess,
A crestfallen killer,
The town that wants them to burn,
And the witch who can save them both.
Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Sure, Disenchanted is the history and legend-inspired story of a Breton princess in the 16th century. Lilac learns on her fifteenth birthday that she can speak to the feared creatures in the forest Brocélinde that surrounds her kingdom, in an ancient, arcane tongue elusive to humans; since then, she’s been kept in her castle, convinced to fear the repercussions of a public appearance before she inherits the throne from her father.
One evening, a witch at the edge of the wood makes her an offer she simply cannot refuse, so she escapes into Brocéliande one week before her Accession ceremony (and the king’s proclamation of his decision to abdicate). A run-in with a nest of ogres chases her into an enchanted tavern inn that appears out of nowhere, and it is there Lilac meets Garin—a barkeep with a witty mouth that clashes with the mysterious way about him.
This is book one of a three, possibly four book series.
Do you have a favorite character?
Yes, it’s Garin. You’ll see why.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?
Yes; the witch Ophelia is a character I wasn’t sure would originally make the second book, but that was when this was supposed to be a duology arc. Now that the series has expanded through my sequel plotting, she has a much larger part in book two and three, and I love writing her. She’s quickly become my favorite.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
Yes, Disenchanted (A Lay of Ruinous Reign: Book One) was originally released as an upper YA novel in 2020. I participated in PitMad in winter 2018 and it got picked up by an indie publisher, The Parliament House Press. It was published in March 2020 and has an audiobook narrated by Krys Janae. I decided early on in drafting the sequel, which I’m working on now, that this duology needed to become a trilogy at least, and that it must be elevated in age and reader rating. So, in August 2022, I parted ways with my publisher, spent three months rewriting and revising with my original editor and a new one, and rereleased Disenchanted in December 2022 with a new series name and rating—Disenchanted (A Lay of Ruinous Reign: Book One), a New Adult Dark Romantasy.
How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
My first contract was offered (with Disenchanted YA by the Parliament House Press) about two weeks after Pitmad 2018. It was an unagented offer.
Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I will be self-publishing for the foreseeable future. I have so much more control over things and enjoy it that way.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I like to loosely plot then jump in, filling plot holes in the moment. I have to write with a show or audiobook playing in the background, but most types of music are distracting to me.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I did before I participated in Pitmad, and I did again in my New Adult revision. It’s so important to invest in a great editor. They make all the difference, truly.
What’s next for you?
There will be a new cover for Disenchanted releasing in August, as well as the cover reveal and preorder availability for my sequel, Disillusioned in November. This fall I’m also releasing the audiobook for Disenchanted, narrated in duet narration by Krys Janae and Zachary Johnson.
Author Bio:
Southeast Asian fantasy author with a soup addiction. Diverse medievalist and developmental editor who lives in oversized sweaters, and prefers to explore the more ominous—disenchanting, if you will—undertones of history, romance, and the arcane.
My debut, Breton Arthuriana-inspired YA Dark Fantasy DISENCHANTED, released with the Parliament Press in March 2020, and is being re-released and rebranded for the New Adult/ Adult indie market in December 2022. The rest of the trilogy will follow this updated genre rating.
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It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
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