Author Interview: Brian Fence
Describe Librarian and Apprentice in 10 words or less for people who are just learning about it.
Steampunk fantasy about a young woman and an unwanted burden.
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
Librarian came out very organically, and when I wrote it I was all over the place! I think I started with chapter seven and worked my way backward and forward. With Apprentice and its upcoming conclusion, Freewoman, I outlined everything and work from those.
Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
I like to write in pubs or in a calm office with my feet up. There is usually wine or an attractive man attached (my husband).
What is your favorite line from Librarian?
“His magic smelled of lilies.”
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
Anything by Diana Wynne Jones, from whom I take my greatest inspiration; particular favorites of mine are Howl’s Moving Castle and Fire and Hemlock. Any short fiction by Neil Gaiman; and of course, because it’s based on my favorite ballad, Tam Lin by Pamela Dean.
Do you identify with your main character or did you create a character that is your opposite?
Anyone who knows me would say, “You’re Lenna!” I’m not a girl, but I sure do love my wine, bubble baths, and pickled eggs. I also hate geese.
What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real life men” impossibly high?
I hope readers take away that Lenna doesn’t need a boyfriend to succeed, but if I had to pick one from my books I’d definitely date Gilbert; he’s a total stud. I think book boyfriends do exist (I’m one of them!) unless you’re Edward Cullen. Then that’s a hard no.
To date, what is your most difficult chapter you have ever written?
Luc’s backstory in Apprentice. Though it came naturally to write, it came naturally for all the wrong reasons. It’s a painful scene.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
There may not always be happy endings, but love and friendship are king.
“Librarian” is Brian Fence’s acclaimed debut novel in a trilogy fantasy series that has been compared to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Neil Gaiman. The strong female protagonist, a librarian, is swept into a story rich with magic, politics, and adventure, with bold, fresh LGBTQIA+ and feminist themes.
An Oxford University science graduate and unapologetic My Little Pony collector, Brian is a self-declared ‘Third Culture Kid,” Brian has lived in the United States, Japan and The United Kingdom
Librarian
Author: Brian Fence
Blurb: Lenna Faircloth thought she was content enough to be junior librarian at one of the grandest libraries on the Continent, so long as at the end of the day she can enjoy a glass (or two) of wine and some decent shut-eye. Reticent and unconcerned with trivial matters, Lenna is almost laughably nonplussed the day her childhood friend, Gilbert, appears at her door, asking her to help smuggle stolen goods across national borders.
LIBRARIAN is the first part of a young woman’s long journey set in an alternate, sparsely-populated world. When unfortunate circumstances leave a bizarre, out-of-place artifact of immense power in the sole custody of Lenna, she is forced to question her own wants, the source of her withdrawal from others, and the curious nature of the Continent’s magic — all the while being the target of numerous political factions longing to possess the strange item bound to her by a child’s promise.
About the Author
Brian grew up in the small town of Whiting, NJ, a magical realm near the sea where pine trees grow in the sand. Aside from deer, his primary company was his imagination.
He obtained his BA in East Asian Studies (Japanese) and Creative Writing from Bucknell University, and spent a great deal of time studying, living, and working in Japan before moving to the United Kingdom to pursue a Master’s Degree in Sociology at the University of Oxford.
He wrote his dissertation in a pub, and proudly continues that tradition by pumping out novels at any bar with good grub and good drink. When he isn’t writing, Brian hops around the world tasting wine, collecting My Little Ponies, and cooking a hell of a lot of nomtastic food.
