Interview with Author Kate Stevens
Kate Stevens is our next Indie Author Spotlight for March and we’ve had a delightful time working with her to create these delectable scents! Kate’s Bloodborne Court series is a dark romantasy that follows the captive mortal bride of two ruthless vampire kings (and she doesn’t have to choose). The next book in the series, Captive of Wicked Souls, will be coming out later this year. Kate spoke with us about her inspiration, endometriosis rep in the books, advice for fellow indie authors, and more!
USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Stevens has been devouring romance novels and absorbing every detail since she was far too young to be reading them. With a passion for sci-fi and fantasy, she loves nothing more than a captivating villain, a touch of angst, and endless groveling. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her cute-but-demanding pets and a hoard of books. She's the author of Bloodborne Court, a dark fantasy romance series. Prior to that, she published sci-fi romances including Archlord of Exile and the Bride to an Alien Prince series. Her work was featured in the Claimed Among the Stars anthology, which hit #42 on the USA Today Bestseller List in 2022.
What made you want to be an author?
I feel like I've always been an author! I started writing my first novel at 15 and even before that, I was always telling elaborate stories with my toys.
What is your favorite thing about writing romantasy as opposed to other romance genres?
I love fantasy worldbuilding! I honestly could spend the rest of my life worldbuilding and never write another word. And yes, you can world-build in other romance subgenres, but worldbuilding with magic and vampires/fae/demons/witches takes the cake. There are no limits to my imagination!
What was the inspiration for the Bloodborne Court series?
In late 2023, I was watching the first season of AMC's Interview with the Vampire, and it got me reminiscing about all the vampire books and TV shows I loved as a teenager (Vampire Diaries, Buffy, True Blood, Vampire Academy, the list goes on...). But this time, I didn’t just want one morally black vampire boyfriend who would put Lestat, Damon Salvatore, or Spike to shame. I wanted two, and I didn’t want to choose.
What made you want to include Nessa’s endometriosis as part of her character, and did you face any challenges while writing to include her endo symptoms in a romantasy setting?
In the very first rough draft of Bride of Brutal Hearts, Nessa didn’t have endometriosis, and the book really seemed like it was missing something. At the same time, I’d undergone my own endometriosis excision surgery a couple of months prior, but my symptoms were starting to creep back in. Adding my experience with endometriosis made the story click into place and also gave me an outlet to come to terms with the chronic condition.
It wasn’t easy, since I wanted my portrayal of endometriosis to feel realistic, even in a fantasy world. I didn’t want there to be a magic cure. I didn’t want it to be something Nessa simply ignored or pushed through, but an actual obstacle in her path. The biggest challenge was honestly my self-doubt. I was terrified I was digging the book’s grave. Who wants to read about someone in agonizing pain all the time? But I decided that, at the very least, the book would have one superfan, and that would be me. I was so happy to be proven wrong!
What do you hope readers will take away from your stories?
That being chronically ill, plus-sized, neurodivergent, and/or anxious does *not* disqualify you from being the heroine of a story!
What is your favorite thing about indie publishing?
I love indie publishing because it gives me the chance to tell the stories that have always been rattling around in my head. After a decade of trying my hand at traditional publishing, I had almost given up hope of ever being published or becoming a "real" author. Now I know that no one can stop me!
What is some advice that you’d give to aspiring authors who are thinking about indie publishing?
There's a huge indie author community online and even if you're on the shy side (like me!), joining these Facebook groups or Discord servers is so, so valuable. If you write romantasy, check out FaRo Society! I've learned so much from the fantastic authors there.
Are there any other indie books that we *need* read? Shout them out here!
Where do I even start? If you want a villainous vampire boyfriend, try The Serpent's Bride by Kathryn Ann Kingsley. If you want a spicy fae romantasy, read anything by Mallory Dunlin (my favorite is Caught in the Basilisk's Gaze). Laura Thalassa's Bewitched is an awesome urban paranormal romance series that concludes this year! And if you want a standalone romantasy, Rebecca F Kenney has literally more than a dozen that are amazing!
What do you have coming next that we need to keep on our radars?
2026 is a busy year! After this amazing feature with Briarwick Candles, Bride of Brutal Hearts will release as a duet multi-cast audiobook in the late spring, followed by the release of book two in the series, Captive of Wicked Souls, in the second half of 2026.
What is the best way to support you as an indie author?
If you want to support me, nothing helps more than leaving a review or telling a friend about my books! Reader recommendations can be life changing for an indie author.
Where should people follow you to find out more?
Follow me on Instagram @katestevensbooks or join my newsletter list at katestevensbooks.com.
LOVED this!! 😍 Let me tell you how I RAN to buy all three candles to display with my gorgeous BOBH hardcover haha
Thanks so much for sharing, Kate! 🥰
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