Penn Cole Author Interview Questions

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself! What did you do (career wise) before you became an author?
   • My undergrad degree is in Creative Writing, so I always knew I wanted to write, but as I was preparing to graduate college, I decided to take a job at a photography studio to pay the bills. I ended up developing a successful photo business, which later transitioned into small business coaching. I then decided to attend law school, and I spent a few years practicing law until Covid made me take a step back and reassess my life. I realized that I had never given up on my dream of writing novels, so I finally decided to take a chance and publish my first book! This coincided with a cross-global move from Texas (my home state) to Paris, France, where I live now with my husband and cat.
2. What inspired you to write Romantasy?
   • I’ve always been a big lover of fantasy, because I love imagining worlds where the impossible is always possible and things like magic and dragons are not just real, but part of everyday life. However, as a younger reader, I didn't see myself in the fantasy books that I found on bookstore shelves or in popular media like movies and graphic novels. At the time, those stories were always written by men, featuring men, and targeting a male audience, often relegating female characters to no more than a shallow, poorly developed love interest. Eventually, I stumbled on a book called Kushiel’s Dart, by Jacqueline Carey. I was absolutely entranced by the amazing female characters and the way the story highlighted issues important to women such as consent, bodily autonomy, and gender equality. For the first time, I could imagine myself in the hero’s shoes, instead of being the damsel in distress. That really opened my eyes to a world of fantasy that was more accessible to women, and for me, that inclusivity is what makes romantasy such an incredible genre to write in. Though I have many male and nonbinary readers and I value them deeply, I get a lot of joy in writing the books that, as a young woman, I wanted but couldn’t find.
3. What is the longest amount of time it has taken you to prepare and complete a book?
   • Ask me again when my next book is out! I’ve been working on the fourth book in my my series for over a year now, which is the longest time I’ve ever spent a single project. Some of that is because my career has seen a lot of dramatic changes in the last year as my series has really gained traction with new readers, which I am so grateful for, though it has been a big learning curve.
4. Which book of the Kindred’s Curse Saga has been most challenging for you to write?
   • Glow of the Everflame, book two in the series (which just released on December 3rd!) was a difficult one for me emotionally. Although I enjoyed the writing process, I struggled a lot with self-doubt and imposter syndrome. I actually almost deleted the book just before I published it, because I was so afraid that it would fall flat and disappoint readers after my first book had been so warmly received. I put a lot of pressure on myself to get better with every book I write, and although that can be a great motivator to always be learning and improving my craft, it also requires having faith in myself to do big, scary things!
5. Which character did you enjoy writing the most? Do you relate to this character at all?
   • I really love writing Taran, who is a character we get to know beginning in Glow of the Everflame. I like to describe him as a himbo golden retriever—not the brightest bulb in the box, but a heart of gold and the most loyal friend you could ever want! He is always laughing, always grinning, and absolutely always cracking inappropriate jokes, but as with many people who always put on a happy face, there’s a lot of hurt and brokenness buried beneath the surface. He’s been through a lot of trauma, and at his core, he wants nothing more than to love someone deeply and be equally loved in return. In that respect, I definitely relate to Taran. We are both romantics at heart!
6. How were you first published?
   • I originally self-published my first three books: Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, and Heat of the Everflame. I spend about two years writing and editing them, and then I rapid released them over a short period in 2023. I was very fortunate that they caught fire with readers pretty quickly and did well on the Amazon bestseller lists. In early 2024, I connected with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, and they expressed interest in partnering with me on the print edition of my series. I was already familiar with Atria and had long been impressed with how aware they are of publishing trends and how unafraid they have been to take risks on untraditional book deals and book marketing, and I knew immediately that I wanted to work with them. Although my ebooks remain self-published, Atria is re-releasing the print books in a beautiful new hardcover edition with additional content, so it feels like I’m publishing them for the first time all over again!
7. What do you believe is most important about the Romantasy or Fantasy Romance genre that sets it apart from other genres?
   • I think Fantasy in general, but especially romance-heavy fantasy, is really uniquely situated to help people work through difficult moral and social questions without the baggage we bring in from “the real world.” We all have so many biases and preconceived notions on most real-life issues, and those things can easily blind us and make it hard to see controversial topics from other perspectives. In fantasy, we get to leave a lot of that behind, which gives us a unique opportunity to put ourselves on the opposite side of a conflict. I believe strongly that reading, especially fiction, is innately political, but it doesn’t have to be the divisive, polarizing politics we’re used to. Instead, it can be something that encourages us to find love in unexpected places, to nurture compassion, and to keep our minds and hearts open to people of all kinds.
8. What are some of your personal book recommendations?
   • In romantasy, I’m really loving Book of Azrael by Amber V. Nicole, Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir, Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana, and if you like things on the spicier side, anything by Katee Robert or Kimberly Lemming. On the contemporary side, I’m always ravenous for anything written by Emily Henry or Elena Armas.

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