I’m delighted to chat today with Jordan H. Bartlett, author of the YA fantasy, Contest Of Queens.
Can you tell us a little about your backstory?
I’m a hybrid, born in New Zealand and raised in NZ and Canada. I think that idea of having a foot in each hemisphere definitely shows up in my split-realmed Queendom! I’m a Speech Language Pathologist by day and a bookworm-now-writer in my spare time (by night I’m a sleeper…).
Can you pinpoint when in your life you decided to be a writer?
I’ve always loved reading and writing. Since I was in high school, I’ve had an “anything book” on my nightstand next to the book I’m reading that I fill with poems, stories, writing ideas, etc. When I was fifteen I wrote a bucket list that was about two pages in MSword (what can I say? I have a lot I want to do). Number 1 on the list was: meet J.K.Rowling, and number 2 was: publish a book. I honestly thought the first one would be an easier task than the second, but here we are!
Who are your favorite authors?
This one is so hard, but at the moment they are: V.E.Schwab for her characters and aesthetics; Patrick Rothfuss for his prose; Brandon Sanderson for his world-building; Jane Austen for her dialogue; and Margaret Atwood for the chills.
What’s a piece of advice you’d give to aspiring authors?
Rejection is wonderful. Get excited about rejection because it will (likely) be a huge part of your path. Rejection just means that you are one person closer to finding the agent or publisher who will make your work shine. Also, how great is it that someone took time out of their busy day to read your work and say “no thank you.” If you think your words a worth sharing, I promise you they are, so keep going until you find someone who agrees with you. In the same vein, be open (but not controlled by) feedback. Most people are just trying to help, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept every piece of advice you get.
What inspired you to write this book?
The idea of a fantasy novel set in a matriarchal society came from a conversation I had with a dear friend of mine over tea. We were discussing how wild it was that so many fantasy authors will create worlds with dragons and elves and whole new cultures and language systems, but somehow decide to keep sexism and racism as a norm. The beauty of a fantasy world is that you can do whatever you want. You can create your own rules. Fantasy novels are a beautiful source of escapism, so why would I want to escape into a world where the societal narrative is the same (often worse) sexist bologna we deal with in our day-to-day?
What is your pitch for this book?
An inventor’s apprentice befriends a Prince in disguise and defies realm-related prejudice and gravity to be the voice for her people and unite a broken Queendom in the Contest of Queens.
What makes your book different from others in your genre?
It’s set in a matriarchal society, Griffins power the economy, and I’ve subverted a few fantasy tropes! 😊
Describe your main character(s) in three words.
Resourceful, Logical, Passionate.
What is the central message you hope readers take away from the novel?
That in all things, be kind. I hope that this novel shows that prejudice and division of people based on where they’re born, or what gender they are only makes us weaker as a whole. I hope that it makes people think about and re-evaluate their own prejudices and how they impact others. I hope my book shows that at the end of the day, people are people. Give one group power and how they shape the world might look different, but there will always be those who are corrupt, and there will always be those fighting for what’s right.
What’s your favorite scene in the book?
Oh nelly, they all feel like my children, but I really loved writing the prison cell scene. I remember being in the Halifax library and pacing out the size of the room on the floor, measuring out the width of the bars and height of the bed with my hands, and really pushing myself into that scene. I must have looked crazy from the outside, but the results were worth it!
What aspect of your world are you most proud of?
Honestly, I really enjoyed creating and writing about the guard pairs and knights, which is wild because they weren’t in my first storyboard and arose as a result of the worldbuilding that happened while writing the first draft. It was such a fun thought experiment to work out: ok women on average are not as strong as men, how can they still be effective and intimidating law enforcers and a realistic military? and on the flip side, what would the narrative be that would exclude men from joining the ranks? I wanted to keep it as realistic as possible and drew a lot of inspiration from the show Avatar the Last Airbender, from research around martial art styles like Aikido that focus on outmaneuvering the opponent (rather than being stronger), and novels like Terrier by Tamora Pierce.
What was the most challenging part about writing a matriarchal world?
The language. Oh nelly, as a Speech Language Pathologist and an English major I was not expecting words to fail me, but the English language, I discovered, is patriarchal in nature. So many things I didn’t expect needed to be renamed or reworded. Specifically the titles – many of the female titles we have did not carry the same power behind them. For example, in our world we have Lord and Lady, so to simply switch the power of these two would not convey the same message to the reader given the reader’s expectations, plus I wanted to leave it more open for same-gender couples. That’s where Lord and Genteel came from. Lord is gendered female, and Genteel is the gender-neutral term for a Lord’s spouse. Also, balancing the language and the power dynamics in a heterosexual kissing scene was way more complicated than it should be! Who makes the first move? Who is being acted upon? How is it described? What are my world’s expectations on how that should look?
What are you working on now?
The sequel! Stay tuned! 😊
What’s your favorite personal quote or motto?
Keep moving forward.
Where can readers purchase your published work?
My release date is January 18, 2022, and you can order Contest of Queens direct from the publisher here: https://camcatbooks.com/Books/C/Contest-of-Queens
My fairytale collection can be ordered through my website: https://jordanhbartlett.com/fairytales/
Where can readers find you on social media?
My website www.jordanhbartlett.com has all of the links on there.
I have Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Goodreads, YouTube, and that’s about it so far! Most can be found with the handle: jordanhbartlett
What is the synopsis of your novel?
In a Queendom divided, can one girl unite the realms?
Jacs, an inventor’s apprentice from the Lower Realm, has only ever dreamed of what the land among the clouds holds. That is until she finds a letter from Connor, an Upperite boy hoping to learn more about the land below. Little does Jacs know, Connor is actually Prince Cornelius of the Queendom of Frea. With wooden boats and hot air balloons, the two begin a secret correspondence. But their friendship is divided by a heavily-guarded bridge and an inescapable prejudice.
The strength of their bond was thought to transcend distance and time, but when the royal family visits the Lower Realm, the Queendom’s feud is reignited.
To save her people, Jacs must infiltrate the Upper Realm and earn her place to compete in the Contest of Queens. In a story about friendship, love, bravery, and defying gravity, Jacs will strive to prove that a Queendom is strongest when united.
What is your official author bio?
New Zealand-born, Canadian Jordan Bartlett grew up reading books about boys for boys. She struggled to find that strong female heroine that she could relate to. While empowering female characters are more prevalent in recent literature, they are often found in worlds dominated by men. Bartlett wrote Contest of Queens to create a world asking “what if” where females are the default gender.
Bartlett holds degrees in Psychology, English, and a Master’s of Science degree in Speech and Language Pathology. Throughout her English degree, she focused her studies in the areas of children’s literature and the role of women in literature throughout history. It is this affinity for fairy tales mixed with her desire to breathe life into compelling, unique, and ultimately flawed female characters in a world where they have not been tethered that she hopes to flip fantasy tropes and challenge gendered expectations in young adult readers—while keeping the levity of a fairy tale.
When she is not writing, Bartlett works as a Speech Language Pathologist and is a certified yoga instructor. Any other free time is spent hiking, biking, and kayaking in the mountains and lakes of her backyard. She has devoured literature all her life and is honored to add to the world’s library.
Thank you so much, Jordan, and congratulations on your book launch!