Interview with Horror and Dark Fantasy Writer and Poet Marsheila Rockwell
Marsheila Rockwell Interview
1. Thank you so much for joining me! For those who don’t know you, could you please introduce yourself and your writing?
Thanks for having me!
Boozhoo (hello) to everyone! My name is Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell. I am an award-nominated tie-in author and poet, as well as the author of thirteen books. My work includes Marvel Untold: Sisters of Sorcery, SF/H thriller 7 SYKOS, and The Shard Axe series, set in the world of Dungeons & Dragons Online, as well as dozens of short stories, poems, and comic book scripts. I write primarily dark fantasy and horror, with the odd foray into science fiction and the Weird West.
Marsheila Rockwell
I am also a disabled pediatric cancer and mental health awareness advocate and a reconnecting Chippewa/Métis. I live in the Valley of the Sun with my husband, three of our five children, two rescue kitties (one from hell), and far too many books (yes, there is such a thing, LOL).
2. Congratulations on your recent release Sisters of Sorcery from Marvel and Aconyte Books! Can you please tell us how this project came about?
Thank you so much! The process was pretty straightforward. I sent in a writing sample to Aconyte, they liked it, and they put me on their list to receive notifications about upcoming calls for novels. When I saw a call I was interested in, I sent in a few pitches, my editor picked some and asked for expanded pitches, and then we narrowed in on one and developed a detailed synopsis. Marvel approved it and it was off to the races! The whole process from first pitch to first draft took about a year.
3. Without giving away spoilers, what is the premise of Sisters of Sorcery?
The book centers on Clea, the Sorceress Supreme of the Dark Dimension and estranged wife of Dr. Strange. Her mother, the tyrannical Umar the Unrelenting and current ruler of said dim dimension, has obtained a supercharged new energy source that she intends to use to power a campaign of multidimensional conquest. Clea is the only one who can stop her, but she can’t do it alone, so she recruits some powerful witches from Earth to help her – some of which comic book fans may be familiar with, and some of which they probably won’t. Witchy girl power for the win!
4. In addition to writing stories, you also write poetry. Do you have a favorite poem that you’ve written?
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but one I’m most proud of is “Reservation Fairy Tales 101 – Final Exam,” which was published in Augur Magazine 4.1 and has been nominated for this year’s Science Fiction Poetry Association Rhysling Award. It’s a poem about the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (#MMIWG2ST) epidemic, presented in the form of a multiple-choice test that’s intended to make the reader consider not only the issue itself, but the role they play in it.
5. When did your love for writing first begin?
I learned to read when I was three and books helped me through a rough childhood. They were an escape for me, and writing was a way to not only keep that escape hatch open for myself, but to help other people who might need one. The first story I remember writing was a 20-page Conan pastiche in sixth grade, complete with a talking cat and a princess in need of rescuing, but I’m sure I was opening doors to new worlds well before then.
6. Do you have a favorite book or comic?
I am in love with pretty much everything Guy Gavriel Kay has ever written. His Fionavar Tapestry trilogy is a longtime favorite (though I usually recommend folks start with Tigana, because it has everything I love about the FT trilogy, but in one book instead of three). As for comics, you can’t go wrong with anything Gail Simone has written (especially Wonder Woman).
7. What’s next for you? Any projects you can talk about?
I do a lot of tie-in work, so I’m under various non-disclosure agreements and can’t say much about forthcoming projects. But I am working on some more pitches for my editor, so hopefully one of those will get greenlit and I’ll have another book out in a year or so. I’m also involved in an exciting new anthology based on a fan favorite property, so that should be a lot of fun. And I’m always writing poetry and short stories, and hoping to get some time to work on an original novel when my contracted (i.e., paid) work allows.
8. Where can readers find you?
I have a website, a blog, a FB page, and am on Twitter way too much, LOL. I also have some local con appearances in the fall, pandemic gods willing; folks can keep up to date with that on my social media. Here are my links:
Website: https://marsheilarockwell.com/
Blog: https://mrockwell.dreamwidth.org/ (mirrored on my website)
FB: https://www.facebook.com/MarsheilaRockwellAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcyRockwell
