High Priestess and Empress focuses on the real-life characters of Pamela Colman Smith, Florence Farr and Dame Ellen Terry. The book is written in the “alternate history” genre …

Susan Wands – 14 May 2024

The Back Flap

On her return to London, artist and seer Pamela Colman Smith discovers that her nemesis, Aleister Crowley, has returned—and his sights are set on her. Despite Aleister’s efforts to stop Pamela from further developing her tarot deck and accessing its magic, she carries on casting her High Priestess and Empress muses, Golden Dawn society leader Florence Farr and popular theatre star Ellen Terry. But when Ellen is poisoned and nearly killed, Pamela realizes that Aleister won’t stop coming for her—not until her muses are dead.

When Aleister reveals his plot to assassinate Queen Victoria and all female rulers, war breaks out between the Aleister’s Carlists and the Golden Dawn. With so many lives on the line—that of the queen, and those of her friends—Pamela must access her inner magic to face the battle of her life.

About the book

What is the book about?

Pamela, a seer and empath, is hired by a cult to design tarot cards, and must summon the muses of her cards, High Priestess and Empress, to help her thwart Aleister’s demons and stop the Carlists from trying to destroy all female rulers.

When did you start writing the book?

In 2018, while I was living in Los Angeles, I started writing High Priestess and Empress, the second book in my Arcana Oracle Series.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took me five years to write High Priestess and Empress.

Where did you get the idea from?

Following the Major Arcana tarot progress, the second and third cards are the High Priestess and Empress, and I cast who I thought Pamela Colman Smith would consider her muse.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I was happy to get a sensitivity reader to look over the sections dealing with Pamela’s feelings of being an outsider to high society in London.

What came easily?

The plotting about Pamela working with the Lyceum Theatre came easily to me because I was a professional actress for almost thirty years and know that environment very well.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

High Priestess and Empress focuses on the real-life characters of Pamela Colman Smith, Florence Farr and Dame Ellen Terry. The book is written in the “alternate history” genre, there are some true incidences related and others that are woven into a “visionary” aspect with the magical aspects.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I love the writing of Susanna Clarke’s series Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell for the depth of character’s journey involving magic and for her strong contrasts of the two protagonists. Maggie O’Farrell’s historical fiction books, The Marriage Portrait and Hamnet, are gorgeous in their historical ambiance and heart tugging struggles. Deborah Harkness’s All Soul Series, A Discovery of Witches, Shadow of Night, and The Book of Life, were all wonderfully set, featuring the protagonist Diana Bishop and her love interest, Matthew Clairmont, who are good foils. I also loved Helen Macdonald for H Is For Hawk, her prose about adopting a hawk and moving through her personal journey in raising a wild creature.

Do you have a target reader?

Young people who grew up on “Harry Potter,” and “Twilight” and older readers who watched “Dark Shadows” and Jane Austen movies for the protagonists who are the underdog

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I read historical fiction, biographies or watching movies in the genre that I’ll be writing and watch movies that are of the era of my book.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I write about a third of the way through and then I outline the rest of the book.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I belong to three writing groups, so I edit as I go along and then pass the semi-finished work on to my developmental editor.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes, I hire a developmental editor.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

When I first write, I don’t listen to music but when I edit, I listen to music like Loreena McKennitt, Dead Can Dance, Afro Celtic music and 80’s music.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

About eight years ago, I spent a year studying how to submit to agents, taking classes in crafting query letters, and how to submit to agents. I did submit some queries to agents but I found I wanted to spend that time writing instead of writing query letters.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Seeing that indie publishers are open to collaborating with authors, I was attracted to Sparkpress’s track record of publishing women authors with great titles and books. It was a gradual process, educating myself on the pro’s and con’s on indie publishing.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

The in-house graphic artist at Sparkpress, Lindsey Cleworth, designed High Priestess and Empress book cover, as well as the first book in my series, Magician and Fool.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have a marketing plan that I work out with my PR firm, Bookspark, and from the choices that I made last year in marketing the first book.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I would advise new writers to explore how books are being marketed, whether it’s through TikTok, Instagram, FB or Amazon Ads.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up all over, my father was in the Air Force.

Where do you live now?

I live in NYC.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’ve studied tarot for thirty years, acted professionally and am on the steering committee with the New York City Chapter of the Historical Novel Society.

What are you working on now?

I am working on the third book in the series, Emperor and Hierophant.

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of High Priestess and Empress from Amazon US or Amazon UK.