If I have to go to the ends of the earth to save him, I will. But this, I need it. To stand on my own two feet. I’ve felt powerless long enough. No more.

Artura is a healer. Her home is in the grips of war.  A war on the very thing she values most: her freedom.

Accused of witchcraft and treason against Cimran and the wicked king who rules the land, Artura and Emrys, the man who loved and raised her as his own, are forcibly taken from their home. At the hands of The Cleanse, an elite group of soldiers tasked with eradicating magic from the kingdom, the pair are handed over to King Helmar and locked away beneath the mountain range bordering the city.

Artura has one goal:  Do not break. No matter what happens.

Tortured and taunted for months, when Artura is then one day handed over in marriage to a neighbouring king, it feels like this is yet another twisted form of punishment at the hands of King Helmar. Only, Artura realises that her betrothed, King Thorn of House Sorega, is not what he seems.

Whisked away from the place that has haunted her dreams for so long, Artura discovers things about herself that she never thought possible.

That perhaps all along, she really was guilty.

And perhaps it might be her greatest asset.

No matter what, sparrow, let it be done. I would cross oceans a thousand times over and follow you into the heart of hell if it meant you could be the woman you were born to be.

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An excerpt from Queen of Poison & Fire

“The storm isn’t letting up.”

I shrugged. “You trust Denard, as do I. So what is the problem?”

Thorn’s stern face turned to me and then I saw it. Something dark burning in his eyes, something that ignited my core and made my heart fluttery. I tried to slow my breathing, sucking in a sharp intake of humid air. It did nothing to settle me, instead giving power to the flame that now licked slowly throughout my core, sending tingles of awareness through every inch of my being.

“The problem is that I’ve wasted time trying to manage this storm,” he replied, “when I could have been down here making you scream with no one to hear.”

Heat pooled between my thighs. I tilted up my chin, determined not to crumble. At least not right away. “Is that so?”

Like a predator closing in on its prey, Thorn stalked ever closer, his eyes not once leaving my own. The intensity in them was brutal and all consuming, threatening to pull me apart as easily as the seas had pulled apart many a ship over years past. 

“I want you to scream for me, sparrow. I want your moans and cries of pleasure to rival the roar of there storm. If I don’t have you quivering and soaking beneath me in the next minute, I’ll die. But first, I want to see how you pleasure yourself. Show me that pretty cunt, darling.” 

About the Author:

Tiffany grew up in Sydney, Australia and has never written one of these before. She likes wine, nuggets, good books, tattoos and zombie movies. She strongly dislikes laundry - something there was an endless supply of while writing. 

In her free time you can find her with her husband and kids, all of whom keep her so busy, it’s a miracle she even managed to write the name of her first book, let alone all that followed.

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“You are eternal torture and I am a masochist,” he breathed. “Destroy me and I will worship at your feet.”

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Q&A

1. What was the inspiration for this book?

‘Queen of Poison & Fire’ went through so many changes to get to where it is now but in the early stages, I actually intended for it to be a spicy gender-bent King Arthur retelling, hence the MC’s name, Artura. I wanted to show that women can be more than just what history perceives us to be – some incubator that manages a household and goes quietly along with everything the men around us dictate. Artura is still very much the tough woman who takes no shit but there were certain changes made to her story in terms of conflict. Originally, the antagonist was to be her husband. That is clearly no longer the case. Long live the ultimate book boyfriend, King Thorn.

2. What comes first to you: the title or the story?

It’s weird because the title has always been the first thing to come to me for any project – if not the final title then at least a working one. I like to have a name for what I’m creating, something to make it feel a little more real as opposed to it just being a collection of words I’ve written. This time round, I was a solid 50K words into the first draft before I had a working title and that title is so very different from the end result of QPF. I didn’t have the final title until I was into second edits which was honestly straight up nerve-wracking for me because I’m such a planner. 

3. Speaking of titles, how did you come up with your book’s title?

You know, I haven’t the foggiest! I had a bunch of buzz words, I guess, that I associated with the story and I basically just played around with them until I found something I was happy with. My titles usually are derived from a line or scene in the book but this title is kind of the overall vibe of the story instead. 

4. Are you a planner or a pantser?

Until this book? A planner through and through. QPF was a book that took me by surprise because while I had the idea, I had no intention of writing it yet. I was halfway through another trilogy, The Handmaiden of Death Book Two: Rule of Shadow & Stars, when I started writing QPF. I felt a little possessed, honestly, and belted out half of the manuscript in eight days. That’s a solid 65K. For context, I average 2-3, maybe 4K words a day and I work four days a week at the moment thanks to kids. I knew after those initial 8 days that I was onto something good and I had to keep going. I don’t think I could have left the story alone even if I wanted to – it was just there non stop in the back of my mind. 

5. How long did it take you to write this beauty?

First draft took 2 months but then it took a further 8 to edit and proof. I got sick with covid (my second round) and I suffer from adenomyosis (endo’s shitty little cousin) so it took me forever because some days I actually could not get out of bed and focus. 

6. What did you learn about yourself while writing this book?

Honestly, I learned my limits. Emotionally, anyway. This book was such an emotional investment. King Helmar is the culmination, for me, of every fear, worry and nightmare I’ve had in my lifetime. Putting all of that to paper was hard – cathartic, but hard. I learned that it was okay for me to take a step back to care for my mental health, even when it’s triggered by something I dearly love. That it wasn’t me giving up or failing because I wasn’t keeping to a strict schedule. 

7. Obviously, this book is perfect, but what would you like to improve on as a writer in general?

I have creators curse where I finish a book and see only flaws because I grew so much and honed talents throughout the creation of the book. If I could improve on one thing, it would be appreciating what I’ve accomplished because writing is no small feat. It’s not easy to sit at a desk and essentially bleed onto paper for 6-8 hours a day. That shit is hard!

8. What do you want people to take away from your book?

I could write something deep and meaningful like ‘do not break’ (IYKYK) but honestly? Don’t fuck with a woman who has a lot to lose. That’s the lesson here. Beware the woman who has been wronged – she will mess you up.

9. What do you love most about this book?

I love the journey it took me on. I love Artura’s strength. I love Thorn’s capacity to care. I love Viane’s affinity for chaos and I love serving certain characters their just desserts. 

10. Lastly, what do you want to say to your potential readers?

Firstly, hi, how are you? Secondly, each and every one of you are amazing. Thirdly, and lastly, I would love nothing more than for you to all join me on this crazy journey. Stories and escapes are needed now more than ever. Life is hard, the world is insane and nothing makes sense. So let’s get lost together and ride a dragon. 

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