Romantic fantasy is one of 2025's hottest genres. With 25% of the Whitcoulls top 100 list made up of fantasy-based books, we're very excited to see the industry continue to grow, and doubly excited to feature this interview with Rachael Craw, author of The Lost Saint, a 'rip-roaring' time-travel romantic fantasy, and Andrea Eames, author of A Harvest of Hearts, a 'whimsical and unforgettable' cosy romantic fantasy.

Read on to hear about their writing processes, building fantasy worlds, and what they're writing next.

Kia ora Rachael and Andrea! Fabulous to talk to you about fantastical worlds in words. Would you consider your recent books to fit into the growing space of romantasy? 

Andrea: A Harvest of Hearts is absolutely romantic fantasy - fantasy with a strong romantic subplot - but I feel like there are reader expectations around the new term ‘romantasy’ that it doesn’t meet, and I don’t want to mislead anyone! Here in the States, at least, romantasy has come to indicate that the romance is the primary focus of the novel and that it contains ‘spice.’ Many reader reviews include a chilli-pepper graphic to indicate the level of explicit scenes in romantasy books, and one reader rated my book a capsicum on the spice level, which I thought was hilarious!

So when I talk about it I tend to refer to it as a fantasy, so that readers know to expect world-building and plot to take precedence over the romance - even though it is very much present and important!

Rachael: I’m in the same wheelhouse as Andrea with The Lost Saint. It’s more fantasy or alternative historical romance where the kissing is a side dish rather than a centrepiece. I think there’s been such a saturation in the market for romantasy and it’s a nice marketing label to indicate to readers what to expect but I don’t think A Harvest of Hearts or The Lost Saint sit entirely in that mould. Like Andrea’s, mine is a juicy capsicum rather than a fiery chilli. But capsicum’s are fresh, crisp and delicious! What’s not to love?

How do you think writing romantic fantasy compares to epic fantasy? Is it a more intimate experience within the book?

Andrea: It’s usually a more focused lens, for sure, allowing you to really zoom in on the characters and their inner worlds. My favorite romantasy novels are those that have a well-developed world and characters, with a romance that feels like it grows naturally out of those things rather than being superimposed on them. If the fantasy part of romantasy feels like a stage set, the romance suffers too. Ideally, I think, the fantasy and romance elements should be equally strong.

Rachael: We are of one mind on this. I feel like Ana in The Lost Saint and Foss in A Harvest of Hearts have bigger fish to fry than tumbling into bed with a magical hottie. Though there is some very pleasant tumbling. I wouldn’t class either of our books as Epic fantasy, because I generally associate the term with doorstop tomes with dizzyingly complex histories with vast casts of characters where a tapestry of subplots are tangled and combed free over hundreds and hundreds of pages and appendices.

But you still have to create a fantasy world, or a historical fantasy world, which seems a big job!

Andrea: I love world-building! It is a big task, and I work at it over the course of several drafts. My first draft is usually just getting the story out - I’ve heard this referred to as a ‘discovery’ draft, or even a ‘vomit’ draft. To be honest, my first draft is more of a ‘panicked vulture vomiting to ward off predators’ draft. My priority is just getting it to exist! In subsequent go-overs, I really dig into the characters and world and hammer out all the intricate details that make the book come to life. That’s the fun part. In all my books, the non-fantasy ones too, the setting is a character in its own right, and I have to know it intimately. The great thing about writing fantasy is that I know that particular setting better than anyone else!

Rachael: I love Andrea’s world building in A Harvest of Hearts as it is a completely original landscape, especially in the Sorcerer’s house which is a sentient thing that grows and moves around him. I love the contrast between that world and Foss’s humble home in the butcher’s shop. But also the world of magic and the lore she has created
around heart magic. So so clever. Building the world of The Lost Saint, I made things a bit tricky for myself as I wanted to ground the story in a quasi-historical landscape. I had to do loads of research around the Holy Roman Empire in the 1300’s. I am now jangling with random, useless facts about cramp rings and Holy Fools and use of glass in castle windows and the shift of hearths from the centre of a room to being built into a wall with a chimney, etc. Also, my magic is drawn from ‘miracles’ and so I did a lot of research about saints and that was a wild and fun rabbit trail.

How do you approach writing? Are you at the keyboard every day without fail?

Andrea: I wish I could say yes, but not always. I struggle to balance my writing work with my other work, parenting, just being a person, and in my current season of life I’m not capable of sitting down and creating a consistent routine. I write mostly after my daughter has gone to sleep, and in whatever moments I can during the day. I also have ADHD so I struggle with executive function a lot, and have to play all sorts of mental games with myself when it’s time to focus. I try to be gentle with myself and allow my novels to take shape in the way they choose, in the time they need. 

Rachael: My years writing with a baby were exactly like Andrea’s, grabbing time where I found it. Now, I have a little bit more structure because my kids are grown and self-sufficient. However, I didn’t do any writing for the first half of the year because I was teaching full time and my brain was completely fried. I have taken this second half of the year off and I am keeping to a routine to maximise my time. I drop my daughter at school and try to be back at my desk by 8.30am. I write, mainly using the Pomodoro technique which helps me get into a deep work state. I do chores in the 5 minute breaks. Lunch. Then back into it, though often more editing/revising in the afternoons. I have never been good at first drafts, I always want to fuss over every sentence.

What has been the most enjoyable part about publishing A Harvest of Hearts and The Lost Saint? 

Andrea: My favorite part of seeing A Harvest of Hearts out in the world has been connecting with the fantasy reader and writer community! It’s such a passionate group of people who read voraciously and I have really enjoyed being more of a part of it - although I’ve always been a fantasy reader, this is the first time I’m a writer in this space!

Rachael: I feel the same as Andrea on this. Also, I did something I hadn’t done before and
commissioned an artist to create some character art for me which was super fun. The process was kind of magical. I loved collaborating with the artist and seeing the characters come to life.

You’re both appearing in a session at WORD Christchurch. It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun?

Andrea: I can’t wait! Christchurch is my hometown and I’m so honored to be attending. Rachael King and I go way back and I can’t wait to see her again, and I’m very much looking forward to meeting Rachael Craw in person! I know it’s going to be a hugely fun and engaging conversation.

Rachael: I can’t wait to talk to Andrea about A Harvest of Hearts. I listened to the audiobook in preparation and was completely swept away by the storytelling and the brilliant narrator! I love that northern England accent so much and Foss really came to life for me.

What else are you looking forward to at the festival? 

Andrea: I’m really excited to see Rachael’s new Violet and the Velvets book launch! I’m also looking forward to making connections with Kiwi writers while I’m home, as I’m a bit of an island where I live currently in Texas. I’m also excited to catch up with my good friend Amy Blythe, who is running the High Schools Grand Slam. There’s a
bookbinding workshop that I would love to attend as well!

Rachael: I am going to sneak into as many sessions as I can and soak up the vibes!

Can you tell us more about your next projects? Are you working on further fantasy projects, or heading in different directions? 

Andrea: I have another fantasy novel coming out next year in July, A Tangled Magic, loosely inspired by the Rapunzel fairytale. I’ve also got a sequel to A Harvest of Hearts in the works, following Cornelius the talking cat and another character; a sequel to A Tangled Magic; and a folk horror novel that’s taken root in my brain like a
particularly poisonous mushroom!

Rachael: I am very excited to hear Cornelius is getting an off-shoot novel as he is one of my favourite characters in A Harvest of Hearts! I am taking a pause from the next book in The Lost Saint series to finish an adult horror novel which I am loving! When I finish it, I will return to saints and miracles and making out with medieval hotties. Then I have another Young Adult portal fantasy on my mind.
 
Rachael and Andrea will appear at WORD Christchurch on Sunday, August 31. Their books are available in all good bookstores now.