About Tamara

Tamara’s formative years were bookended by two incidents of culture shock. The first incident was her move at age ten from the Deep South of the U.S. to the midwest of England, where she learned the art of living in tight quarters, a new depth of appreciation for the written word, and how to make a decent cup of tea. These skills served her well when she undertook her B.A. Creative Writing at Bath Spa University, which she earned with First Class Honors. The second incident was in 2009 when she returned to the South, where she learned the value of living on one’s own, the true depths of her fervor for the written word, and just how much she is relished by mosquitoes.

Arguably the strongest constant through it all was her love of stories and her desire to be a published author. Alongside the inevitable ebb and flow between the stress and tedium of a day job, she became a freelance editor to subsidize her writing – prose and poetry that explore themes of family, loss, identity, and their reflection in the natural world. The Fruit of War is not the first novel she’s written, but it is the first to be published, and if nothing else has made her nine-year-old self very happy.

Outside writing and reading, her interests include art and history, collecting all manner of impractical and often old things, and making lists. Her feet are kept on the ground by her partner Mark and their three pets: Molly, an anxious Shepinois; Penny, a petite dilute calico; and Magnus, a rambunctious mackerel tabby.

Fun Facts for the Curious:

She's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle fiend.
When asked her favorite food, it's hard for her to pick between risotto, yaki udon, and chicken kolhapuri; she's also very partial to a good poached egg.
She and Mark painted their home's walls a variety of colors, including terracotta, teal, red, and plum. She loves it.
She's fond of genealogy, and has traced one of her family lines back to the 1500s.

Frequently-Asked Questions

What was the inspiration behind "The Fruit of War"?

It’s hard to pinpoint a single core inspiration; it’s easier, instead, to point to a mindset. I hadn’t written anything significant for several years, so to re-stoke the fire and rebuild my confidence I decided to be kind to myself. I set out to write something indulgent, cobbling together various things I liked from abandoned smaller projects, with the goal of it being something I finished purely for me. When that miraculously happened and it wasn’t half bad, I then took a step I never had before – to actually embark on publishing, because what did I have to lose?

Ultimately, my inspiration was fed by a medley of things I like – fantasy, gothic themes, big philosophical ideas, rag-tag groups, botany, family histories, and dense worldbuilding – and the challenge of seeing if they could all play well together.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing recreationally since I was nine years old; my first multi-page story was about my kitten, Lizzie, and written in rather fuzzy pencil in a spiral-bound Steno notepad. I was passionate about writing from then on, but I didn’t, however, conceptualize myself as a “serious writer” until I started my first novel around the age of fourteen (a sci-fi epic that I hope to get back to someday).

How many books will there be in the "Fruit of War" series?

Right now, the plan is for it to be a trilogy. However, as we know these things can sometimes change, and there may be a longer series at work.

Do you plan on releasing "Stone and Flesh" as an audiobook?

Yes! It’s my hope that we’ll be able to fund a quality production in the near future. Watch this space!

What’s the best way I can support you?

In terms of profit, buying directly from me via my website will always put the most money in my pocket. You can also Buy Me A Coffee! Money, of course, isn’t everything, and I know a lot of us are struggling in the current climate. The biggest support you can give me is through your voice and your words: tell me what you think, recommend me to friends, leave a review, make a keyboard-smash about that scene or that cliffhanger on your socials – because my work means very little if it isn’t shared and enjoyed!

How do you feel about fanworks?

I’m honored to know anyone would even consider making a fanwork of my books, and appreciate every piece regardless of whether I see them! However, there are some gray areas. For example I cannot, for many reasons, read fanfiction – please do not ask me to.

I would also reiterate what I hope is common sense: obey copyright laws, be respectful to one another and to me, and share with full understanding of the audience to which you want to share. In other words, don’t try to pass elements of my story or characters off as your own or profit from them, don’t use my work as a means for bigotry, and tag spoilers or mature content. It’s also important to point out that I have very strong feelings against AI, and hope you wouldn’t steal from other artists thinking you can then call yourself the same.

Where’s the best place to interact with you?

I am an introvert, and try to keep my social media time to a minimum. It’s also just me, myself, and I at this desk. That being said, I do try to read and respond to everything sent in good faith no matter the platform. My preferred social media platforms right now are Tumblr and Bluesky, and Discord is a strong possibility in the future. My newsletter, however, will always be where you hear about things first, so if you’re not signed up yet make sure to get in the loop!

I also want to be a writer! Can you give me any tips?

I’m here to tell you that you already are a writer, if you decide that’s what you want to be! While I can’t offer one-on-one coaching or read anything submitted to me (the latter for legal reasons as much as time), I hope to soon be able to offer some helpful resources. In the meantime, the best advice I can give you is simply to start writing, and keep writing no matter what – you can’t do anything with a blank page.

What causes do you support?

I have always been a proponent of libraries and independent bookstores. While I still need to put bread on the table, I sincerely hope that you opt to support these institutions when you support me wherever you can. Similarly, my ultimate goal is to shift entirely away from Amazon (for multiple reasons), so anything that helps this endeavor – such as buying from me directly, or from an independent bookstore – is appreciated.

Creative Credits

Map of Ícalar by Melissa Nash
Stone and Flesh book cover and website banner created from a commissioned original illustration by Karina Refrynn, a.k.a. WeirdUndead

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