Whimsical Worlds and Heroic Hearts
Meet Tessonja Odette, a Seattle-based author known for her captivating fantasy romance and fairytale retellings. With a fascination in psychology, Tessonja creates deep, insightful characters and vivid, magical worlds. Her writing journey began with a love for mythology and fairy tales, culminating in her first novel, "Shadows of Lela," in 2018. Since then, she has penned numerous books, including popular series like "The Fair Isle Trilogy" and "Entangled with Fae," totaling over 15 novels.
Whether she's crafting epic quests or romantic entanglements with brooding fae and fierce heroines, Tessonja's stories are beloved by readers who crave enchanting and emotionally rich narratives. Outside of writing, she enjoys dancing with her daughter, watching K-dramas with her husband, and indulging in various creative hobbies like music and art.
Now, let's dive into an engaging Q&A with Tessonja Odette herself, where she shares more about her inspirations, writing process, and upcoming projects.
Q&A
What inspired you to write fantasy romance and fairytale retelling novels?
I’ve always loved romance stories. I’ve been a hopeless romantic with a fantastical imagination ever since I was young so I quite naturally fell in love with fantasy romance. I also grew up on Disney and would always make up my own lore (especially about villain backstories), so fairytale retellings became a particular love of mine.
What keeps you motivated and inspired?
Aside from reading in my genre, I consume a vast array of media, from manga to anime to K Dramas, that keeps me inspired and entertained. Consuming creative work always makes me feel more creative, so I try to go out of my way and take time to enjoy TV shows and leisure. Which can be hard because I’m a workaholic and have to force myself off my computer/phone to turn off my writer/work brain. I also like to pursue non-writing related hobbies to keep my creativity flowing without it always having to feel like work.
Could you share some insights into your writing process? Do you have any rituals or habits that help you stay productive and creative?
I’m extremely habit-oriented and work best on a predictable schedule. My day can absolutely crumble if one unpredictable thing invades my schedule or mindset. So I have set days a week when I write, and I have to do it first thing in the morning without letting myself get distracted by social media or emails. After I’ve written my chapter or scenes for that day, I move on to more admin-type writing work, like emails or shipping book orders from my online signed book shop. The night before a writing day, I always journal about my next day’s chapter and try to write out the first line/paragraph, so that I’m ready to write that scene first thing in the morning.
How do you create complex and relatable characters in your novels? Are there any specific techniques or inspirations you draw from when developing their personalities, motivations, and arcs?
When developing characters, I like to give some focus to their psychological wounds or misbeliefs, and how they will find healing by the end of the story. This is especially important when I’m writing romance, as I like the romantic relationship itself to bring my characters to a healing place. I also like to give my characters relatable hobbies, quirks, or interests. As a multi-creative myself, you’ll often notice I infuse my own artistic hobbies into my characters.
Your fantasy worlds are richly detailed and immersive. Could you share your process for world-building? How do you balance creating unique settings while ensuring they resonate with readers?
I love building immersive fantasy settings, especially in Faerwyvae, where several of my series are set. When I originally created this world in The Fair Isle Trilogy, I decided on rules for how the magic worked, courts, and political structure, but I left it open enough that it could grow with every book. And I’ve found that I’ve been able to explore SO many aspects of this world through the eyes of every new character, and I feel like there’s still so much I could uncover in the books to come. I like to generate whimsy whenever I can while also ensuring my descriptions are “rooted” enough for the reader to visualize them. I also base my settings loosely on historical time periods, which I think also helps me keep my world building and settings easy to imagine.
What have been the most rewarding moments in your writing journey? Conversely, what challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Seeing fan art, cosplay, and meeting readers in person has been so incredibly rewarding. I fangirl over my readers as much as they fangirl over me, and I just love the bookish community. My challenges usually revolve around self doubt and anxiety. I have a few close writer friends who always help me overcome those stressful hurdles, even if it means just letting me vent to them. Knowing I’m not alone (in a job that can feel very lonely at times) means the world.
How do you connect with your readers? Do you have any memorable interactions or experiences with fans that stand out to you?
Most recently it’s been in-person events! I’ve attended signings the last couple years and have quite a few scheduled this year and next. It’s been so amazing seeing my readers face to face. Last year, I attended RARE Florence, which was my first time receiving crafty gifts from readers: bracelets, bookmarks, pins, etc. It was so amazing to think someone was looking forward to meeting me so much that they brought a gift for me. It was so moving!
What advice would you give to new writers?
My advice is to find your crew. See if you can gather a small group (or even one other person) of authors who 1.) write in the same/similar genre as you, 2.) are at a similar place in their career, and 3.) have similar goals as you regarding where they want their career to go. This way you have fellow authors to learn alongside with, brainstorm with, troubleshoot with, and people who can reflect back encouragement when that self doubt creeps in.
What are some of your all-time favorite books, and why do they resonate with you? Are there any lesser-known gems you'd recommend to fellow readers?
My all time favorite book is The Book of Atrix Wolfe by Patricia A. McKillip. That book was a major inspiration when I was younger that made me want to be a writer. Her prose is beautiful and her stories have this ethereal, magical quality. For lesser known gems, I’ve got to give a shoutout to my pals Valia Lind, Hanna Sandvig, Alisha Klapheke, Angelina J. Steffort, and Jesikah Sundin. My list could go on, honestly, but these are some authors I want to see plastered all over Bookstagram more often.
What do you wish people/readers knew about you?
I’m honestly not sure, but I know many of my readers want to know 2 things: how to pronounce my name and how to pronounce Faerwyvae. So I’ll tell you! It’s “Tess-on-yuh” and “Fair-wi-vay” (“wi” as in “with”).
Sampling of Her Work:
Upcoming Release
MY FERAL ROMANCE
December 10, 2024
Quick Description: “Bridgerton meets My Fair Lady and a dash of He’s Just Not That Into You in My Feral Romance, a spicy standalone fantasy romcom in the Fae Flings and Corset Strings series. If you like fae bargains, friends-to-lovers romance, and cozy fantasy worlds, you’ll love this sizzling tale.”
A Rivalry of Hearts
Click below to find my review for Odette’s “A Rivalry of Hearts” book.
Spoiler alert: I gave it five stars!
