A.K. Mulford
A.K. Mulford kicks off a new fantasy series with the tale of a genderfluid wolf shifter
MELISSA WHITLER | Contributing Writer
Bestselling author A.K. Mulford is back with a new fantasy series, starting with A River of Golden Bones, which came out Dec. 5. It puts a new twist on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, following the journey of genderfluid, wolf-shifting Calla. On an adventure of self-discovery, Calla must decide how to live authentically while trying to save her family’s kingdom.
Mulford recently spoke with Dallas Voice, all the way from Australia, to discuss the new trilogy and her own journey of becoming an author.
Dallas Voice: How did you come up with the idea for A River of Golden Bones? A.K. Mulford: It really started off with two ideas I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to do some kind of fairytale retelling and a high fantasy story with wolf shifters. Eventually this shifted to what if Sleeping Beauty wasn’t rescued by a prince, and the story revolved around found family?
This also created a backdrop to tell a genderqueer story. The idea of wolf shifters allowed for multiple forms, for me to work in a very rigid binary society and challenge it.
Where do you get inspiration to write? I get a lot of the world building from places I’ve lived and traveled to. Every country has its own myths and legends. I really love getting to bring that into fantasy. But I always want to make sure the fantasy setting doesn’t overtake the main story.
Growing up, I loved the genre, but it lacked diversity. Now I get to bring that fantasy nerd love while writing stories that reflect my experience. No one character is 100 percent me, but I can relate to them all in little ways.
All the characters have their own personalities, but I think at our core we have the same desires to feel seen, confident and worthy to take up space in the world. Family, friendship and loyalty are hugely important in my writing. That desire to be radically yourself is something I relate to.
What do readers have to look forward to in the trilogy? Each book will introduce a new character while continuing the main character’s story. The first book is kind of the coming out of Calla, the main character, but this is just the start. We get the euphoria of them figuring out who they are, and then see how they actually deal with existing with this knowledge. A lot of stories stop after the coming out, and I wanted to follow life beyond that.
I know you previously worked as a wildlife biologist. When did you know you wanted to switch from working with monkeys to writing fantasy novels? My whole life, I knew I wanted to either write books or work with animals. I’ve always been writing stories. Even when I was working in the jungle, I was filling notebooks with stories. My parents encouraged me to put my stories out there. And when the COVID-19 pandemic happened, we all were reaching for a creative outlet, and I knew it was the time to go for it.
I hadn’t expected my first book to be received so well, and, after that, I realized I can make a living from my writing.
What has been your experience being an out LGBTQ+ author? There are always going to be some downsides about being out, but I’ve been fortunate enough to build communities with fellow queer people. It’s really validating having people who can relate to my personal experience, having people say I see myself in this character. It’s been amazing to see people say they feel more confident using they/them pronouns because of my books. I mean, what is the point of having this platform if I’m not going to write stories I can see myself in?
Anyone can write a fantasy romance, I want to put my own twist on these stories. At first, I was worried that no one would publish A River of Golden Bones because it starred a genderfluid character. But I was very excited that my publisher loved and supported the story.
What has been your favorite part of being an author? One thing I love is seeing the physical manifestations of a story out in the world. Every time you see your book in person is surreal but very cool. I also am always excited about the response from readers. It means so much to me to know that people relate to and enjoy my books.
TikTok is my favorite online platform to connect with readers and other authors. There’s a community where we get excited about books together, and readers also get to know a little more about the person behind the story.
What advice do you have for young LGBTQ writers? The most important thing is to tell the story you want to read first. Later, in revision, you can think about how to translate that story to readers. This has always been a guidepost for me.
There is a readership for every kind of story; there are people desperate for your story. You just have to be fully honest, don’t sanitize your truth. Write the story the younger version of yourself wanted. And always remember, you’re important and your stories matter.
For more information or to order a copy of A River of Golden Bones, go to AKMulford.com.
