Find out what inspired Meghan Le Fay to write "Wings of Life" down below.
What was your inspiration behind your most recent book?
Wings of Life has kind of a funny origin story. It started with a post I saw of someone mocking a 13th century historian. The historian was chronicling about 11th century English and Danish relations, claiming that the English were losing their good English wives to the Danes because the men took care of their bodies, bathed, and changed their clothes regularly. Granted, the source was a bit out of context, but I found it hilarious to imagine a young woman coaxed away from her homeland by clean skin and clothes, a lean body, and a well-groomed beard. That’s not the story I wrote, but I wove the idea of bodily health through the people of Drakh, and I kept the heart of a woman leaving her home and finding herself entranced by a new land and new way of life.
What does Reading Rainbow mean to you?
I find it important to be mindful of what I consume as a reader. To me, Reading Rainbow means that I try to seek out LGBTQIA+ authors and allies. It also means that I don’t read authors who I know to support harm for the community. When I find them, I celebrate books with accurate and meaningful representation, and I particularly enjoy and applaud when diverse characters show up and simply are who they are without their sexuality or gender being the driving force behind them. I find joy and feel pride when reading characters who happen to be gay or queer, for example, but the story doesn’t centralize around this singular attribute, and I try to do the same in my own writing. I want to see and portray the full life and complexity of the character rather than distill their existence down to being LGBTQIA+.
Why do you feel representation of a variety of people is so important when it comes to writing books?
Life is diverse, therefore writing must be diverse. Stories are so often a direct mirror of life — with perhaps some details changed, especially in fantasy. When a story has a narrow worldview, regardless of genre, the work will feel hollow and flat. Having a wide variety of people in all aspects is what makes the characters and their worlds and lives enriching and fulfilling. If the characters only meet people like them, they will not be challenged and cannot grow. There is also something intrinsically valuable to the human experience about seeing a part yourself on the page. It helps us realize that we are not alone, not strange, not unwelcomed. We’re real people, we matter, and we exist everywhere — even in a world filled with dragons.
Tell us a little more about the book and why you decided to write it.
I love the idea of having all the wrong things happen to a character that turn out to be exactly what they needed. This has happened in my own life, where things have gone awry and caused me pain or heartache, only to find that my path through leads me to more joy and fulfillment than
I could have imagined before. I also love examining and writing about human relationships of all sorts, such as the way two lovers might come together, a parent and a child might finally find common ground, or two seemingly opposite people might discover the strongest friendship. Most of all, I am enamored with fantasy and worldbuilding, pushing the wondrous moments in life further with tangible magic, exotic creatures, other worlds, and other races beyond humanity. In essence, I wrote this book to merge together all of this — the heartache, the relationship, and the fantastical — into one story.
What can fans expect from your book?
Fans can expect a sweeping epic romantic fantasy set in a world steeped with dragon lore. There’s political intrigue, subterfuge, and mystery. There’s also wonder, enchantment, and growth. The book follows a young woman who wants to prove herself and find her place in the world while contending with betrayal from those she holds dearest, and worst of all, from herself. Along the course of the story, she’ll uncover a dragon hidden in plain sight, magic lingering in the world, and the inner workings of her own heart.
What's up next for you in the bookish world?
After Wings of Life, there are two more books in the Dragonbound Chronicles ready and waiting in the wings! The second book, Scales of Flame, is already available for preorder. More information about the third book will be released later this year.
Meghan Le Fay hails from present-day Earth, despite her lifelong dream of being born as an elf in Middle- earth. A constant and consummate fan of fantasy, she lives, breathes, and dreams in the spidery language of the magic. Her works are inspired by her obsessions with mythology, medieval history, and all things magical and mystical—especially dragons. When not writing or daydreaming of other realms, Meghan can be found avoiding the Arizona desert heat through reading, crafting, music, or dance. Or having wild adventures (both real and imaginary) with her family. To learn more, please visit her website at: www.meghanlefay.com
