Fairy Curious:
When a boy who never grows up seeks to take control of a magical world, the only person who can stop him is his ex. Peter Pan meets Buffy in this slow-burn romantasy. Book one in a duology.
Purchase Fairy Curious
Josie Starling doesn’t believe in fairytales anymore. When she was 16, she followed a beautiful boy through a portal into Everfall—the magical island of the fairies, where it’s always autumn. But Ty Thorne wasn’t a dream boyfriend. He was a nightmare.
Josie escaped with help from the fairies and the pirate Sebastian Scythe, but it left her scarred.
Now, she leads a secret college society of fairy-believers who are trying to keep the magic alive. It’s a tough job when she no longer believes in magic herself. But Josie’s keeping a promise made to the fairies. And ignoring the slow-burn pull she feels toward the pirate captain.
With Ty Thorne up to his old tricks and the fairies’ home threatened, Scythe asks Josie to come back to Everfall and help him fight again. Fury fuels her reluctant return.
Josie's greatest challenge isn’t confronting the boy who betrayed her. It's learning to trust herself—and daring to believe again in a happily ever after.
Author Interview with Alicia Wilder:
Hi Alicia! Congratulations on the release of your new book: Fairy Curious.
You’ve written romance books in the past, but this is your first romantasy, right? What prompted you to make that genre switch?
You’ve written romance books in the past, but this is your first romantasy, right? What prompted you to make that genre switch?
That’s right, and the funny thing is, I never thought I’d write a fantasy because I didn’t think I would be good at worldbuilding! But once I read a few romantasies I loved (like The Once and Future Queen by Paula Lafferty and Inked by Rachel Rener) that focus on the character development and relationships, I decided to give it a try.
Growing up and in college, I wrote a lot of fantasy and sci-fi stories. I just ended up publishing contemporary romance after I got really into that genre during the pandemic. I actually started writing this book in college. I wanted to write a darker twist on Peter Pan, where it turned out the girl who followed a boy to a "magical world" made a big mistake. It was not a romance in that version. That came later, after I turned what was a screenplay written in a media class into a graphic novel script, and finally into a novel with a dual timeline: before and after the big mistake. The girl who made a mistake learns how to be a warrior in this book. She doesn't just learn how to live with her mistake, she learns how to confront it and fight back.
Growing up and in college, I wrote a lot of fantasy and sci-fi stories. I just ended up publishing contemporary romance after I got really into that genre during the pandemic. I actually started writing this book in college. I wanted to write a darker twist on Peter Pan, where it turned out the girl who followed a boy to a "magical world" made a big mistake. It was not a romance in that version. That came later, after I turned what was a screenplay written in a media class into a graphic novel script, and finally into a novel with a dual timeline: before and after the big mistake. The girl who made a mistake learns how to be a warrior in this book. She doesn't just learn how to live with her mistake, she learns how to confront it and fight back.
What fantasy elements did you include in your story?
Fairy Curious includes a portal to a magical world where it’s always autumn. There are fairies, mermaids, and a unique magic system. Book 2 (which I’m writing now) might include a few additional magical elements.
What was your inspiration for writing this book?
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is the inspiration for the world I created. I changed a lot of elements, and ended up renaming all the characters because it’s ultimately different enough to not be a true retelling, but that’s the origin. I also took inspiration from Buffy the Vampire Slayer of an underestimated young woman who becomes a warrior and the found family who supports her.
What was the hardest scene for you to write? What was the most fun?
In some ways, the easiest part of this dual timeline book to write was the “then” timeline, which was based on the screenplay and graphic novel script I’d already written. The “now” timeline was all new to this manuscript. I write with an outline that’s mostly themes and loose plot points, so there was a lot of exploring “what’s going to happen next?” along the way. That can be both fun and hard.
Now that I’m writing Book 2, I’m finding that all the hard work I did building the world in Book 1 is really paying off and making the exploring part a lot of fun, though!
Now that I’m writing Book 2, I’m finding that all the hard work I did building the world in Book 1 is really paying off and making the exploring part a lot of fun, though!
Who did you write this book for?
All of my books are for people who want to read stories about healing through love. Fairy Curious in particular is for any reader who’s ever made a big, life-changing mistake — and had to find a way to live with it and hopefully move on.
What is your favorite romance trope, and does it appear in this book?
Slow burn! And yes, Fairy Curious is a verrrry slow burn between the pirate captain and the young woman he trains to be a warrior.
Do you believe in happily ever afters?
I do, and I believe they’re for everybody — the imperfect, the people still working on their mental health, the people healing from trauma. Everybody deserves a happily ever after.
Do you have any writing rituals when you work? If so, what are they?
When I’m in drafting mode, I write every day. First thing when I get up, I make a cup of coffee and then sit down at my desk and write for a couple of hours. I have a day job, so that’s the only time I usually have to get words down. Not every writer has to write every day, but the routine and the ritual works well for me.
What advice would you give to mainstream romance authors looking to branch out into romantasy?
Don’t forget to lean into your strengths! When I sent out an early draft of Fairy Curious to a couple of beta readers, their feedback was that I’d forgotten the romance part of the romantasy. I was so busy making sure the worldbuilding and the fantasy was right, I’d forgotten to emphasize the part I already knew how to write: the love story. I went back and added a lot more romantic scenes in later revisions, and Book 2 is already leaning heavily on the romance in my first draft. I learned that trying something new is about grafting — sometimes coaxing! — a new branch onto your writing tree, not building from scratch.
Also, this probably goes without saying, but read widely in the genre or subgenre you’re trying to write. Romantasy is a very broad category these days and tends to encompass any romance in a fantasy setting. There are some very fun experiments being done within romantasy when it comes to plot, characters, and relationships.
Also, this probably goes without saying, but read widely in the genre or subgenre you’re trying to write. Romantasy is a very broad category these days and tends to encompass any romance in a fantasy setting. There are some very fun experiments being done within romantasy when it comes to plot, characters, and relationships.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing the sequel to Fairy Curious now! This will be a duology, although there’s room for side characters to get their own stories eventually. I am planning a Kickstarter next spring for an early release of Book 2 and hopefully special editions: https://aliciawilder.com/kickstarter/
Book 2 will come to other retailers in September 2027.
Book 2 will come to other retailers in September 2027.
Alicia Wilder
Alicia Wilder is a Colorado-based, award-winning spicy contemporary romance and romantasy author. She writes happily ever afters for imperfect people.
Connect with Alicia online:
https://aliciawilder.com/
@aliciabwilder on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok
Connect with Alicia online:
https://aliciawilder.com/
@aliciabwilder on Instagram, Threads, and TikTok
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