Author Interview: Mai Corland

Get the inside scoop on ‘Verity Guild’!

Mai Corland is the author of our May Romantasy ‘Prophecies and Schemes’ featured book: Verity Guild. Read on to get the inside scoop from inspiration to favourite scenes and more!

What sparked the idea for Verity Guild?

So I feel like every weird girl has a choice; you can either be a horse girl, or you can be a mythology girl, and I went to the mythology side! I did Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, and then Roman mythology. I was also an Art History major in college, and specialised in ancient Roman art, so I always wanted to do something with that. And then I read And Then There Were None which is classic Agatha Christie, and I just adored it! I loved how claustrophobic it felt, and I loved how you thought you knew who did it, and then you didn’t as people start to drop one by one. I wanted to bring that into Romantasy!

Verity Guild is set in a world inspired by ancient Rome, which we now know you have a deep history with! Did you have to do any additional research for this book, or did it all come from knowledge you already had?

So I always have like 48 Google tabs open, and a very questionable search history, especially with poisons and everything! But I wanted to read a lot about the ancient Roman republic because I wanted to set a book that was kind of in the turmoil of a change in regime and the direct aftermath. So I wanted to see what the problems were with the ancient Roman republic and things like that. But it’s not a historical, it’s not one-to-one, it’s just loosely inspired.

The republic has a rich history, deep secrets and political tensions. What was the most interesting part of building this world?

Gosh, I loved it all! I loved creating a deep history that goes beyond what you’re seeing on the page. So things that took place before the story started, they’re going to set everything into motion and play in the background, because it’s part of their consciousness. I think, in both the States and in the UK, you get a lot of history that goes into the politics that’s formed today. So I love that, because I think it just helps things feel really real and fleshed out.

Verity Guild is a locked-room murder mystery, predominantly set in one location. Did this raise any challenges, and how did you overcome them?

When I draft, I send it to my agent first, and she gives me notes and then I send it over to my editor. And my agent’s notes for my very first draft were like, ‘This is great! But they keep running up and down the stairs wondering what’s happening.’ So I had to go back and eliminate some staircases! So yeah, you want to make sure that you’re not being repetitive if it’s all in one location, that the same thing isn’t happening in the same room, that you’re using the setting almost like a character. But I loved the claustrophobia that comes from that, that they can’t get out of there, and that the killer has to be there with them. I love that for the tension in the narrative.

Did you always know who was trustworthy and who wasn’t, or did some characters’ loyalties surprise you as you wrote?

So, I’m a pantser, or a “discovery writer” which sounds so much more professional! But no! It probably wasn’t until the last draft that I decided who did it. Because the way that you can go with mysteries is either to layer in red herrings to keep the reader on their toes, or you can do it where everybody is a suspect. If everyone has their on motivations and reasons, it can be anybody! So it really wasn’t until the very last draft that my editor and I decided who it was going to be.

The story is set after the magical bloodline is wiped out by the republic. How did you make the magic feel so integral to the story, even in its absence?

Part of that is the way the characters feel, because it’s about 20 years later. It’s enough that the older characters remember it very well, but the younger ones not as much. But as it’s taking place in the old palace of the King, the King who was magical and murdered, his bloodline lived there! So you have the frescoes that are dedicated to his bloodline, the statues that are missing from the night they were all murdered, the remnants are all there. I love when a detail enriches both the setting and the story! There’s a banquet hall, it’s big and cavernous and empty just for them, which I love as it creates an eerie setting, and then you have the huge fresco on the wall that shows how their magic works. So you’re doing both things, you’re world building and setting building, but you’re also going into a literal depiction of how it works rather than someone telling you.

We love omens and prophecies in fantasy! What tone or feeling did you want to create by introducing these early in the story?

I wanted to give that ticking clock, eerie feeling of oh, this is all about to go very wrong! You have this terrible prophecy for the kingdom, and you’re wondering how is this is going to play into the story. I like that it establishes both the tone and a kind of clock.

Verity Guild has a dual POV narrative. How did you keep Kerasea and Torren’s voices distinct, especially as they’re two strong-willed and guarded leads?

I’ve described it as trying to capture the voice of your imaginary friends! So you’re trying to see the world through their points of view. Torren’s background is that his family fell from grace, and he was young when this happened, so he had this poverty childhood and he’s coming from struggle. Whereas Kerasea, on the surface, has always had this privileged life. But because of her secret, she also has a tonne of insecurity. The goal is to try and get their voices to sound like the way they would try and depict something. Torren’s voice was more distinct for me from the beginning, but I really liked the way Kerasea saw the world.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I love this question, I used to mentor other writers! My biggest advice would be to read both inside and outside of your genre, and to read recently from the last 1- 3 years so you know where your genre is currently at. Fantasy, for example, has changed a tonne! And then when you’re trying to be published, remember that the writing is the art and the publishing is the business. As you move along, keep working on the next thing, as it keeps your creativity fresh and also keeps you from hyper focusing on and being too precious about one book.

What is your favourite thing about the FairyLoot Exclusive Edition of Verity Guild?

The endpapers are incredible, and everything about it is just stunning! But the very first thing that came to me was the hardcover art. I was like, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything this beautiful! And just, how they so immediately captured what I was after. It’s so gorgeous, the dust jacket is beautiful, but that hard cover is just incredible!

Author Recommends

Have you ever wondered which books your favourite author thinks are an absolute must read? Well, wonder no more! Here are four books Mai Corland thinks everyone needs on their TBR: