Author Interview with C.W. Rose

I’m so excited to share my recent author interview with C.W. Rose. She is releasing her debut fantasy romance novel, Oceansong, in August! She has also graciously sent me an ARC for this book, so be on the lookout for an upcoming review. Read on to find out more about C.W. Rose’s journey to being published, the inspiration behind Oceansong, and what she’s working on next.

Eliza: I recently listened to a piece from NPR’s 1A on Romantasy and I found it really interesting. Romantasy is popping off this year! When did you get into the genre (as a reader or a writer) and what romantasy books are your favorite?

C.W. Rose: Fantasy and romance have been my genres of choice since I began reading for fun as a preteen. I started with high fantasy books, but always found myself drawn to whether two characters would get together and find their happily ever after. I later began reading YA contemporary romance (more specifically, the Sweet Valley series), and again, I was always the most interested in the romantic relationships. I didn’t grow up in the States so I didn’t know romantasy / fantasy romance even existed as a genre. Fast forward about a decade later and read Grace Draven’s Radiance, Laura Thalassa’s Rhapsodic, and Amanda Bouchet’s A Promise of Fire, and I was hooked on fantasy romance from then on. My dream genre really did exist! As for which romantasy books are my favorite? It’s hard to choose, I’ve read so many great ones. Recently, I’ve loved the Haven Cove series by Desiree M. Niccoli, Until the Last Page by Chantal Gadoury, and Born of Starlight by Mariet Kay. I’m always looking to discover new authors and read my favorite authors’ new books. And now I have to go listen to that NPR segment!

Eliza: Romance is one of the biggest genres out there. Every woman that I know reads romance (even if they don’t identify as a romance reader) and there is a tremendous amount of content out there. Has it been hard to stand out amongst the crowd and are there any tips that you would give writers who want to write in this genre (but aren’t sure how to get noticed)?

C.W. Rose: I love that romance is such a huge genre. I think there’s always that challenge when writing in an immensely popular genre, feeling that everything has been done before, and I definitely struggled (and still do) with that feeling. There have been a lot of Little Mermaid and Romeo & Juliet retellings, as well as mermaid romances. I personally haven’t felt it was too hard to stand out despite all that. Because there’s a quote by Audre Lord: “There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.” So yes, the idea you have very likely has already been done. But it hasn’t been done by you and with your unique perspective. I always say to write what makes you happy (and worry about whether it’ll sell later), because I do believe passion shows when you’re writing and marketing. If you don’t love your story, then how can you expect others to? 

Eliza: Okay, so I love a story about mermaids. I’ve been big into mermaids since I first saw Jojo in Aquamarine. In one of my books, Mythical Investigations, I just had to include a mermaid-like character (an Undine) as part of a murder mystery. How do the mermaids in your story compare to the traditional folk stories– what’s the same and what’s different?

C.W. Rose: I love that you have an Undine in your murder mystery, what a fun twist! Can you believe I’ve only recently seen Aquamarine? It’s such an adorable story of female friendship and I’m all here for it. The concept of merfolk has always fascinated me, as well. So like traditional folk stories, my merfolk are human from the waist up and fish from the waist down, and have a deep affinity with the sea itself and marine animals. But, they cannot grow legs on land, and they’re a matriarchal society. They’re also able to manipulate the seas and give humans breath magic at the cost of their own life-force. I also wanted to inject some of my Chinese-American culture, so my merfolk appear Asian and speak in a Mandarin-like dialect (though royals and nobles have learned human languages). They bond for life and when they find their lifemate, their tail colors merge to signify the forming of a new family. Finally, they believe in reincarnation upon death.

• Related Author Interview with Paranormal Fantasy/Romance author Rachel Hobbs

Eliza: You did a ton of research on the setting for this story, a rural town in Alaska, and you have also lived in Alaska. What drew you to this location and did it present any challenges when it came to writing the story?

C.W. Rose: Ahh, I wish I had lived in Alaska, but I only visited a long time ago. It’s on my bucket list to go back, though. I never forgot her beauty, majesty, and mystery. I chose this location because I thought it would be a fun twist to write about cold-water mermaids, and the mermaids in my book have hidden themselves from humans for hundreds of years prior to the start of Oceansong. So a cold, isolated place with not a lot of people around seemed to be the perfect place for merfolk to hide from humans. I wanted to make the setting as true to life as possible, so there were some challenges in remembering what the weather patterns would be like, their daylight hours, even the slang that locals used. Ensuring accuracy was paramount, especially as I was never a local.

Eliza: In a recent guest post, you talked about the struggles that come with querying a manuscript for a long time. This process can be so overwhelming for new writers. Do you have any advice for writers whose manuscripts are stuck at the bottom of the stack?

C.W. Rose: I thought querying brought on the highest highs (with full and partial requests and calls with agents and/or editors) and lowest lows (rejections), and sometimes, it happened in the same day, or even within minutes or hours. The best advice I can give is to keep trying and keep your dream alive, while pivoting as necessary and continuing to refine your craft. Understand that much of finding your champion in this industry still comes down to a matter of luck, that the right person will find your work at the right time. It can be so hard to let go of control, but know that your time will come. And if it suits you, find a fun way to deal with rejections. I know other authors have crafted or bought something and/or treated themselves after a set amount of them. Finally, write the next book while you’re waiting to hear back from agents and editors.

Read more about C.W. Rose’s journey to a book deal on her blog: From Query to Book Deal, and (almost) six rollercoaster years in between.

Eliza: Oceansong is being published with Hey Hey Books, but before you were signed, did you consider self-publishing? Why did you choose not to go that route?

C.W. Rose: I have a lot of respect and admiration for self-published authors, because it takes work and dedication to do it all yourself, and I’ve read some absolutely amazing self-published books lately. And to be perfectly honest, I felt that I didn’t have the time or finances to self-publish, and I wanted to have a professional team take care of edits, formatting, cover design, and at least some of the marketing. I wanted to focus what free time I had on marketing on my end, and writing, as I’m a slow writer to begin with. I also felt like I didn’t know enough about the publishing process itself to successfully self-publish my novel. It’s been immensely helpful having my publishing team behind me to guide me through the process.

Eliza: What part of the process was the hardest for you: writing, editing, or publishing?

C.W. Rose: I’d have to say writing and getting that first draft down and getting into a routine. I enjoy editing because the words are already there, and publishing has been a very educational, exciting (and sometimes overwhelming) experience so far.

Eliza: What is next for you? Any plans for upcoming novels?

C.W. Rose: I’m glad you asked! I’m currently working on Oceansong’s sequel and preparing to submit it to my publisher. I have two projects I’d like to delve into once this duology is complete. One is a contemporary romance that’s set in my childhood home of Singapore, and the second is a romantasy based around Chinese mythology. I do have ideas for a horror-romance, a women’s fiction story and another romantasy set in our world, but I haven’t fully fleshed those out yet.

Eliza: Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions today! I can’t wait to read Oceansong. I definitely added it to my TBR and I hope anyone reading this will too!

C.W. Rose: Thank you so much for having me! I had a great time chatting with you. I hope you’ll enjoy Oceansong! For more information on me and my upcoming books, please check out my Linktree. You’ll find all my social links, a way to contact me, and a link to sign up for my newsletter here: C.W. Rose | Instagram, Facebook, TikTok | Linktree

Oceansong by C.W. Rose releases on August 27, 2024.

OCEANSONG is an Adult Contemporary Romantasy that is an Asian Romeo & Juliet meets The Little Mermaid, set in the grittiness of the real world.

Fish are mysteriously disappearing, starving the people in Angie Song’s Alaskan hometown. Angie, an aspiring marine biologist and dock worker, enthusiastically joins the hunt to find out where the fish are gathering. When her family and the villagers discover that merfolk are responsible, they vow to destroy every last one. In the midst of the conflict, Angie faces off with a merman and fails to pull the trigger.

Inquisitive Mer-Prince Kaden is just as snarky as Angie, but he’s willing to talk and stop the brutal massacring of his people. The two form a cautious alliance to broker peace between the humans and mer before any more of them die.

As tensions clash between the two races fighting to control the sea’s resources, Angie and Kaden’s forbidden relationship ignites. And as she learns about the mer’s mysterious  world and the reason why the fish are gone, Angie starts to question who the true monster is, and where her loyalties lie. Taking the wrong side means choosing between family and her job, or the man she’s fallen for and the merfolk she’s come to respect—or losing it all. 

Oceansong Book Description from C.W. Rose’s Author Website