Author Interview: C. W. Rose
Debut author C. W. Rose (she/her) has arrived in the Rambling Realm. During her stay, she kindly agreed to chat with me about herself, her debut novel Oceansong, and the secrets of her writing process.
About C. W. Rose
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi Amr, thank you so much for having me today!
I’m C.W. Rose, fantasy and romance author by night and healthcare professional by day. I write about ordinary Asian women in extraordinary circumstances and find themselves and sometimes (okay, usually) love on the way, and the cinnamon roll men who adore them. I’m also a karaoke enthusiast, ocean child, lover of travel and mama to a dog that looks suspiciously like an Ewok.
What inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always been a reader. I would read everything, the backs of ketchup bottles, every last word on a sign. I wrote my first “book” when I was eight years old, which was a picture book about fishes. I later graduated to writing Disney fanfiction when I was twelve, which evolved to novellas, and then novels. I don’t recall a specific inciting incident that made me want to start writing. The stories and characters in my head beg to be put on the page. I truly believe that writing chose me. It’s something I can’t ever see myself not being a large part of my life.
About Oceansong
What can you tell us about your debut?
Oceansong is an adult contemporary romantasy that’s an Asian Romeo & Juliet meets The Little Mermaid*, set in the grittiness of the real world. 24-year old aspiring marine biologist Angie Song has returned to her Alaskan hometown for the summer to work at her family’s docks. She learns that fish are mysteriously disappearing from the sea, starving her small fishing village. When she investigates and finds merfolk to be responsible, her family declares war on them. And in the midst of the conflict, she falls in love with a Mer-Prince, putting everything and everyone dear to her in danger.*
What was the inspiration for Oceansong?
Anyone who’s ever known me knows that I’ve always been more comfortable in the water than on land. I attribute it to having bad knees and asthma, where swimming and the sea breeze would make both feel better. I’ve always loved and been fascinated by the sea, and deep water never scared me. Inspiration came for Oceansong when I was on a cruise vacation with my family. I was standing at the balcony of a common area, staring out into the sea, watching the rolling and crashing waves. I’m also a certified scuba diver, so I started thinking, if I were to dive under the sea right now, what would I find? At that point my mind started wandering, and I began to wonder, what if there were merfolk under the sea? What if they were real and just have been hiding from us this whole time? From there, the initial ideas for Oceansong were born.
If you were a character in your book, who would you be and why?
I’d love to say Angie, the protagonist, because I loved writing her so much, but I’m the most like Mia, Angie’s older sister. She’s married to a man who gradually changes throughout the course of the story into someone she no longer recognizes. She’s always felt like she can’t do any better, so she stays with him. But as the story progresses, she begins to realize her worth, grows into her confidence, and makes the right choice for her and her young daughter. Her journey was fun and healing for me to write, as someone who suffered from codependency and low self-esteem up until just a few years ago.
If Oceansong was turned into a movie, who would play the main characters and why?
Wouldn’t this be the dream, to have our books turned into movies? My fancast list would be:
Roseanne Park as Angie, James D. Kim as Prince Kaden, James Kyson Lee as Zixin/Baba, Allison Teng as Mia, Gong Li as Queen Serapha, Andrea Brillantes as Princess Adrielle, and Song Weilong as Crown Prince Cyrus. All these celebrities best portray the characters’ appearances closest to how I had imagined them.
Are there any fun behind-the-scenes moments or any hidden easter eggs in your novel that you’d like to share?
Angie and Mia’s nickname for their mom and grandma is fantong, which literally means “rice bucket” because of their love of rice. This is my own waipo (maternal grandma)’s nickname, for the same reason. In fact, my waipo loves rice so much, that she once wrote a poem about how amazing rice is. Kaden, Cyrus, King Aqilus and Serapha’s tail color are maroon because red is a lucky color in Chinese culture. Finally, Oceansong used to be dual POV with Angie and Kaden, but after a full rejection in which the agent was kind enough to give me paragraphs of feedback, I made the decision to make it single POV. However, for anyone that does want Kaden’s POV, they will get it in book 2!
Can you share a favorite quote or excerpt from Oceansong?
This is one of my favorites. It's the first time that Angie ever realizes that merfolk might just exist...and a hint of things to come.
Yet the seawater rippled with angry waves. A strong wind gust barreled through and walloped her face.
“Hey! What’s that?” Stefan pointed to the water. The other divers crowded around them.
A dark streak of scales appeared with two flowing, transparent caudal fins. The boat rocked again, a violent wave smacking the hull, and Angie clung to the sides to keep her balance.
The waters calmed once the tail vanished from sight.
Angie drew her head back, covering her mouth with her palm. The other divers chatted in low murmurs. She sat, resting her hands on her lap and took a deep breath so she wouldn’t still be anxious when she started diving and burn through her oxygen too fast. The bumpiness and waves appeared when the—merman? Mermaid? Some other strange creature? — appeared, and calmed when it disappeared. As if it carried the turbulent waters on its back.
About Writing
What was the most challenging part of writing Oceansong?
This actually surprised me, but the underwater scenes and worldbuilding were the toughest. I thought it would be easy, considering I’m a strong swimmer, scuba diver, and snorkeler, but there was so much to consider. First, that they were in a weightless, constantly moving environment, and how would that affect the way they swam? I had to consider the flora and fauna and seascape when worldbuilding, and imagining how the mer might live. Would they need to sit down? How do they sleep? What furniture would they have, and how would they construct their buildings? How would they store items? It was definitely the most stressful part of writing and worldbuilding, but ultimately, I’m so happy with how it finally turned out.
How would you describe your writing process?
First, I’m a quilter. Scenes come to me out of order and I write them all down in my little phone notepad to keep track of them. When I have enough scenes, I start to rearrange them into an outline, adjusting as I go. After that, I become a plotter. I literally cannot write the next scene / chapter unless I have a general idea of what’s going to happen next. I do have pantsing moments in between if I’m writing the story and certain scenes repeat themselves or don’t make sense in that order, or I may decide to change a plot point halfway through. I love typing ‘the end’ on a manuscript, but I enjoy the journey more!
How would you describe your writing style?
I prefer writing in close third-person POV. I’ll happily read first person, but it feels odd for me to write. Close POV really helps me to get into my characters’ heads and empathize with them. Typically, I also explore themes of feminism, animal rights, environmentalism, and family in my stories.
What have you learned from writing your debut novel?
I’ve learned that it’s okay if it isn’t perfect. To be kind to myself when edits seem tough or when things aren’t going smoothly. I’ve learned that communication with your publisher (and agent if you have one) are of paramount importance, and that it’s so, so important to find the right champion for your work, no matter how long it might take. Finally, I learned to celebrate every single win.
Do you have any strange or fun writing habits or rituals?
I write in my phone’s notepad a lot because I’m usually on the go, and by the time I get home, I’m too tired to sit down and think about what’s going to happen next, and keep track of all the characters and things that have already happened. So my phone is usually full of walls of texts of WIP-related information. Oh, and my favorite place is to write is on the couch, preferably with the TV on. I like noise around me, but oddly, I can’t write with music playing because that distracts me.
What's your favorite writing snack or beverage?
I typically write in the evening, and I try not to eat after a certain time (or else I won’t be able to fall asleep). I don’t have a writing snack, and my go-to writing beverage is herbal tea. I love chamomile, chrysanthemum, rooibos, and any combination of lemon, ginger, and turmeric teas.
If you could choose any place—real or fictional—to write your next novel where would it be and why?
I’ve always said if I could get the time off from work, I would go to Key West, rent a little room or small home for a month, and write. I was inspired by doing a tour of Ernest Hemingway’s home when I visited there. I love the beach, the ocean, and warm weather, so that would be the perfect spot for me to take some time off.
What's the most unusual place where you've found inspiration for your writing?
I’ve found inspiration for writing anywhere and everywhere. I can’t think of any super unusual places, but I’ve found inspiration just sitting in the car and staring out the window. Inspiration for my very first WIP came because my teenage self had a crush on a video game elf!
C. W. Rose’s Advice
What do you think is the most important thing for debut authors to know?
That it’s easy to get burned out, especially in the months leading up to publication. I feel like there’s so much pressure for us to do everything in terms of keeping up our social media presence, marketing ourselves, and for some of us, seeking out ARC readers and setting up PR boxes / preorder incentives on our own, while also trying to make time to write the next book, meet editing deadlines, set up book tours and launch events, depending on how involved your publisher is. From personal experience, it has been overwhelming at times. But know that it’s okay to take a break. It’s okay to note write or do writing-related things if you’re really lacking the motivation. And you don’t have to do everything, only what works for you.
How did you go about getting your book published?
Oceansong was the second book I queried. I was in the query trenches for a total of nearly six years and racked up over two hundred and fifty rejections between two manuscripts. I finished Oceansong in 2022 and proceeded to query it after several rounds of betas and edits. It’s been a rollercoaster querying journey (as it is for so many of us), including an agent offer that fell through because she left her agency the day before our call. For Oceansong, I initially queried agents whose MSWL I fit closely with, but broadened that as time went on to agents who represented fantasy and romance and just general adult fiction. I also entered into mentorship programs, but I didn’t get into any of them. In the end, I wound up with two small press offers at the same time, and elected to sign with Hey Hey Books in October 2023 because they felt like the right fit for me.
What surprised you most about the writing and publishing process?
With writing, just how many rounds of edits you have to go through before your book is considered publishable. I went through three or four major rounds of edits for Oceansong before even signing with my publisher, and then it went through four more rounds, including two rounds of developmental edits. Just when I thought the book was good to go, there were more improvements to be made. A creative’s work is never done, right? For publishing, I expected to have to do a lot of marketing, because that falls to us, whether we’re self or traditionally published, these days. I was surprised at just how much marketing there is to be done! Maintaining a presence on socials, doing outreach, getting your book in stores (especially if you’re with a small publisher or self-published), learning or relearning social media platforms, setting up a newsletter, distributing ARCs, planning a launch party—it’s a lot! But all we can hope for is that all our hard work pays off in the end.
Are there any resources or tools that were particularly helpful to you during your writing journey?
Like most authors, the internet has been a vast source of information for me to research. The people around me have been a valuable asset, as well. I work with people as a healthcare professional, and my colleagues’ and patients’ experiences are so broad and they have such wonderful stories to tell. I’ve had patients and colleagues who lived or have family in Alaska, and to help me write the children in Oceansong, I asked my colleagues and friends who had children of similar ages.
What is the strangest thing you had to research for your book?
It’s hard to pick a single strangest thing, but I’d have to go with researching what drowning victims look like after a certain period of time, and how it feels to drown. The mer use drowning as a way to take down the humans.
What does Rose read?
What genres do you enjoy reading the most?
I read very, very widely and consider myself a mood reader. I tend to veer toward fantasy, romance, and thrillers/suspense the most and generally prefer reading in the adult age group. I also read light sci-fi and horror, contemporary, select nonfiction, upmarket and literary fiction, magical realism, and memoirs when the book description or topic interests me.
Who are some of your favorite authors, and how have they influenced your writing?
Oh, I have so many across so many different genres. But focusing on the ones that influenced my writing, I’d have to say Grace Draven, Megan Bannen, and thriller writers Lucinda Berry and Minka Kent. Grace Draven was the author that ushered me into the fantasy romance world, and I loved how she portrayed respectful, mature relationships. I loved Megan Bannen’s snarky, dark and hopeful tone from her novels. I added two thriller authors in here because I learn a lot about pacing and raising the stakes from them.
What's the last book you read that you couldn't put down?
Two books that I couldn’t put down were actually both ARCs! One was Ensnaring the Siren by Desiree M. Niccoli, which is the third installment in her Haven Cove series. I adored her first two books and of course, the third did not disappoint. This will be released on August 6, 2024. The other was Until the Last Page by Chantal Gadoury, which will be released October 1, 2024, which is a sweet romantasy and fairytale retelling. Mermaids and fairytale retellings are right up my alley, and both these books delivered!
If you could have dinner with any three authors (dead or alive), who would they be and why?
Probably Grace Draven, who was the author that got me started with reading fantasy romance. My dear friend and author Deborah Wong, who lives on the other side of the world, and we’ve been through the querying trenches, and now being published authors together. Finally, Francine Pascal. I was obsessed with the Sweet Valley series as a teenager, and grew up with those characters.
C.W. Rose’s Plans for the Future
What are you working on next?
I’m currently going through a round of self-edits for Oceansong’s Book 2 (which is still unnamed). Outside of that, I’m also working on a new WIP that’s a contemporary second-chance romance set in my childhood home of Singapore. I also have another romantasy based around Chinese mythology that I might dive back into one day.
Where can readers find your book and connect with you?
All my social links, website, and newsletter can be found in my Linktree.
Is there anything you would like to say to your readers?
What my protagonist, Angie, would tell me. Never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Society and some cultures teach women to always be docile and always give people the benefit of the doubt. Angie would say screw that. She would say to be brave but smart, assertive, and loyal. And let’s restore and maintain the beauty of our oceans and all her creatures.
Unfortunately, the time has come for C. W. Rose to continue her journey. But if you wish to find her outside of the Rambling Realm you can do so by visiting her website or following her on Twitter, Threads, Instagram, TikTok, and Goodreads.
