I’m not sure if you’re all aware, but this year I discovered one of my all-time favourite fantasy series, thanks to my wonderful friend Roni, who recommended it to me. This was not only a new series but a new author to me. One who has now become an auto-buy author! So I decided to pull up my big girl pants and slide my behind into her DMs to ask if she would be down for an interview. I was so nervous, but when she replied saying yes…guys, I felt so giddy!! I mean, the title has given away who it is already, but I’m so super happy to have the wonderful Mariah Montoya on my blog 🙂 By the Orchid and the Owl may be one of my all-time favourite fantasy worlds!
So let’s get to it!
The first question is always my most basic. Sorry 😆
For those who haven’t met you yet, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hello! That’s okay!😂 My name’s Mariah, I live in Idaho, and I’m a mom of two little ones who writes in whatever spare time I can find. I love both magic and romance and like to read and write anything with those two things. My favorite is mixing genres or subgenres and playing with magic systems!
Is Mariah Montoya a pen name? If so, what made you choose it?
Mariah Montoya is actually my maiden name, so I use it as a pen name now. It’s really nice because I always loved my last name, and now I still get to use it!
I love the name Mariah Montoya, too. It’s a really pretty name.
Have you always been drawn to writing, and are you a full-time writer?
I’ve definitely always wanted to be a writer (I started writing chapter books during recess when I was in elementary school). I’m not a full-time writer yet, but I hope to be one day… the thought of having eight hours a day to write is literally my dream.
I’m crossing my fingers and toes that this happens for you!
Guardians and Monsters duology has not long since come out, and I loved every minute of it! What was it like writing this with Grace? How did co-writing work?
Thank you so much! It was a fun learning experience to work with a co-writer. Grace and I have very different styles when it comes to writing, so we had to figure out how to play to our strengths. For instance, Grace is better at banter, dialogue, and spice, while I’m more interested in worldbuilding and magic systems. So instead of trading chapters, we decided who wrote what scene based on our preferences. Grace is also a much faster writer than me and can get stuff done, while I have to really zone in and connect with my muse. She’s a panster while I’m a plotter. The list goes on 😂 But ultimately, I think we were able to write something that neither of us would have been able to achieve alone, and for that I’m so excited and grateful!
I love that! I also love the fact that two very different writers were able to come together and bring us an amazing duology! I loved the world and the characters. The banter was top-notch, and the spice was delicious.
Do you incorporate any characteristics of people you know into your characters?
Not consciously or intentionally, but sometimes I do step back, take a look at my characters, and go, “Oh wow! That’s kind of like XXX or XXX.” I think a lot of the MMCs I write tend to be loosely based off of my husband. 🙂
My friend recommended me By the Orchid and the Owl, and I was hooked and obsessed within the first chapter. How did you come up with the idea for this series?
Oooh, that’s awesome! Thank you for reading! Remember when I said earlier that I love to mix genres and subgenres? Right before I started writing BTOATO, I was feeling a bit frustrated because I couldn’t find a romantasy with the exact mixture of vibes that I wanted—I love the super intense, spicy romances that come with books like ACOTAR or Fourth Wing, but they all seem so serious. At the same time, I was really missing the whimsy and quirk from books I read as a teenager, like Ella Enchanted or The Princess Bride, but none of them have that adult romance I crave. So I wanted to combine those two vibes – a romantasy with a sizzling romance and high stakes, but a cozy vibe with plenty of whimsy and quirk! To this day, I think some readers are still confused and jarred by that combination, but every time it reaches a reader who connects with it, I get so happy and excited!
I love how you have worded that, because it is definitely that whimsy and quirk, along with the romance, that gives it such a special place in my heart. I want to live in this world because it’s everything I wanted as a child, but made for me as an adult.
Also on the topic of BTOATO, how many books will be in the series?
I plan for there to be five, each title based on one of the sector mottos. 🙂
Ahh yes!! I was hoping this would be the case 😀
If you could have any power from that world which would you choose? I’d so totally be a wild whisperer!
Yes, being a Wild Whisperer would be so cool! I think I’m torn between that and Object Summoning. The lazy side of me would definitely love to be able to conjure something without getting out of bed. 😂 I love plants and animals so much, but I don’t think I’d be too keen on being able to hear insects.
Oh gosh, yeah, the lazy side of me wants to be an object summoner…I’d 100% get that as a second brand 😂 You know I was thinking, if I was a wild whisperer…Maybe I wouldn’t be afraid of spiders if I could talk to them and say, “Yo, pal, you’re freaking me out a bit, wanna go in another room?” 😂
Random question! Would you rather have 50 pet monkeys that are the size of a small mouse or 1 mouse the size of King Kong?
Oh dear. This is the most fantastic question ever. 50 pet monkeys the size of a mouse would cause so much chaos in the house, but a mouse the size of King Kong would probably eat me. I could either keep the monkeys in a tank and feed them like they’re hamsters, or try to train and ride the mouse like a dragon. You know what? I like the sound of that last one better. I’d choose the mouse and become the first mouse-riding queen in the world.
Haha, yes! Mariah Montoya, the first mouse-riding queen of the world. That’s one hell of a title lol.
Do you have any writing rituals? Can you talk us through what a writing day looks like for you?
Honestly, in the phase of life I’m at right now, writing isn’t a consistent thing I can do, so I’m really just trying to get anything done when my husband comes home and can take over the kids. However, my husband does bring me tea or hot chocolate whenever I want, and I imagine that helps! I’m also hopeful that one day I’ll have my own office with bookshelves and plants and a comfy chair and silence. 🙂
What genre of books do you read the most of?
Definitely romantasy and dystopian, although I’m starting to read more mysteries!
I do love a good mystery, but I don’t read them as much as I lean towards Dark Romance and Romantasy these days.
If you were stuck in the jungle and had to survive off the land, which 5 book characters would you choose to be with you? (Can be your characters, can be other authors’ book characters)
Oh, interesting! Well, I’d take Rayna, since she can talk to plants and animals. Also Tarzan. Katniss Everdeen. And… let’s go with Jacob and Edward from Twilight. That’s such a weird crew, but I feel like all of them could survive in the jungle well!
Okay, yeah I like them options…now I need to know Team Edward or Team Jacob?
ugh it’s so hard because I feel like Jacob was so whiny, but in general I’m team werewolf…so I guess him?
Oh yeah! I am also team Jacob…Now you mention it, he was a bit whiny, wasn’t he!
I would take Rayna with me to the jungle, for sure. I’d also take Lucan Veredal because he can hunt. Tory and Darcy Vega from Zodiac Academy because they can use fire, earth, air and water magic. Lastly, maybe Ridoc from Fourth Wing because he would make everyone laugh.
What’s the hardest thing about being an author?
I would say the criticism. I’m already really hard on myself, already a people-pleaser and perfectionist, so anytime someone doesn’t like my work, I feel like the biggest failure in the world. It’s something I’m working on! Logically, I know I can’t please everyone, but my heart wants to make people happy and give them a fun escape, so I just feel guilty when that doesn’t always happen.
To continue with that what’s the best thing about being an author?
The best part is a tie between the actual feeling of being in the zone/getting that story out onto the page, and making people happy/getting positive feedback from readers. I love when the writing flows, but I also love when people resonate with it just as much!
Whose your favourite Willa or Felicity? (I know I’m mean)
Haha so mean! I’m going to choose Felicity since Willa has a normal mouse lifespan and won’t be with us for much longer. Best not to get attached. (How’s that for mean???😂)
OMG Mariah! I’m sitting with my mouth hanging open! So mean…
This is Willa and me right now 😂
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I love going on runs or hikes, baking, and reading, of course!
Which book of yours is your favourite and which character do you love the most?
Oh, this is hard! I love almost all of them, but By the Moonbeam and the Mist just took me to a different level and holds a special place in my heart. So does Wrinkled (although nobody reads that one, hahah). My favorite character is probably one I haven’t written yet 😉
I am adding Wrinkled and all your other works onto my TBR right now!
What authors inspire you?
Rachel Gillig, Gail Carson Levine, Brandon Sanderson, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Sarah A. Parker, and Rebecca Ross, to name a few!
What type of music do you enjoy & do you listen to music while you write?
I don’t listen to music while I write, although I love having ambience on. Whenever there’s any actual lyrics, I forget what I’m writing and get transported into the song, so I listen to music when I’m exercising or doing chores. I’m going to be so honest here—I listen to Sabrina Carpenter a lot, as well as musical playlists.
Haha yeah, when I’m doing the interview questions and then typing them up, I can’t listen to music because I just vibe to the songs lol. I love a bit of Sabrina Carpenter!
What is something you can tell us about your current WIP?
Well, I’m taking a short break from writing before I dive back into By the Lockpick and the Lyre, but I will say that it’s dual-POV, so we’re getting a lot of insight into Coen and what he does beyond the island… and we’re finally going to uncover all the secrets about Jagaros!
OMG YES!! I have so many questions about Jagaros! Also, I am so more than happy to be in Coen’s POV 😍 I have me a big crush on him 😂
What was your favourite book as a child, and your favourite movie? Mine was Enid Blyton & Harry Potter & my favourite movie was Grease (still is)
Ooooh, very cool! Harry Potter was also a huge staple of my childhood, but I also loved the Inkheart series soooooo much. Choosing a favorite movie sounds impossible, but I really loved Titanic even as a young girl, and still do. Or Tarzan!
Titanic made me cry the first time I watched it as a young girl, and then I watched it before I got on the ferry to Ireland and had a panic attack when the boat stopped moving 😂 I won’t watch that film again haha.
How do you choose the names for your characters?
Oh my gosh, I don’t even know. Sometimes they just come to me, and I write them down before I forget. Many times, that’s one of the hardest things to do, especially when it comes to romantasy. Common names don’t fit well in a fantasy setting, but I don’t like when names are too “out there” or hard to pronounce. A lot of the time, I’ll take a regular-sounding name and change one or two letters to make it sound unique and familiar at the same time. For instance, Gileon instead of Gideon, Jenia instead of Jenny, Dazmine instead of Jasmine, etc…
I love this! Because you are totally right, a character called Bob in a fantasy setting doesn’t feel right, but also when the names are too “out there” in my head, I go blehbleh 😂
How do you pick the book titles?
Book titles are hard, too. For By the Orchid and the Owl, I just wanted a title that would convey the powers, and came up with that… but then I had to write a whole poem based on it. For Xantera, Grace and I wanted a title that started with X for people’s A-Z challenge, so we decided to make up a random word and name our city after it. It sounds so casual when I explain it like that, but in reality, coming up with each title has taken me HOURS over the span of many days.
I wanted to hug you and Grace when I saw Xantera. It was something that sounded amazing and right up my street, and it would give me an X in my book alphabet. It was a bonus welcome to me that I fell completely in love with it! Now you have to give us another one for next year’s challenge 😂 I also love the poem in BTOATO, and also the ones that are in Xantera and Veradel. I love a little rhyme/poem in a book.
Would you rather be a vampire or a werewolf?
A werewolf 100%. I cannot do blood.
I think I would be happy with either one, to be fair. I like the idea of vampire speed, but then turning into a wolf is also amazing! I don’t fancy drinking blood though…
Do you have any pets? If so can we have pictures? 🥹
Yes! I have an Australian Shepherd named Posy, and she is my favorite.
She is adorable!!!
If you had to choose…again, I’m sorry, I’m mean…Coen or Lucan and Saskia or Rayna?
Probably Coen, although I can’t really pinpoint why. Maybe because he’s most like my husband? I also really feel like he has a lot of depth, and he’s probably the most complicated one of them all.
I’m not even going to try and answer this myself because I love them all haha.
Would you like to be able to have mind to mind communication with someone?
No ahhahahaha. That sounds terrible! I am someone whose mind goes a million miles a minute and sometimes I think things I don’t even mean, so I feel like that would cause some complications.
I get that, I have so many intrusive thoughts that I think, what the heck! I don’t believe that. It would be rather complicated, haha. I also get lots of headaches and migraines, so having someone in my head all the time would make that worse lol.
What comes to you first, the plot or the characters?
Usually, the plot! The characters feel like they bloom as I go.
What’s next for Mariah Montoya? What do we need to keep an eye out for?
Definitely By the Lockpick and the Lyre, but I also have two other series ideas that have been haunting me for a couple years now. Originally, I was planning on finishing the entire Esholian Institute before I started either one of them, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that after Lockpick, I need to get one of them out of my system. So be on the lookout for something mystery-related (with magic and romance, of course!).
Excited!!
What advice would you give to whomever is reading this? It can be writing advice or life advice 🥰
I will repeat this writing advice for as long as I live: try writing your dialogue separately from EVERYTHING else: internal monolouge, action, description, etc… I truly think that the conversation part of our brain and the prose part of our brain are in different spots, and trying to toggle back and forth between dialogue and the rest does one of two things—either makes dialogue sound stiff and unnatural, or makes prose sound less stellar than you are capable of. Writing my dialogue first, taking a break, and coming back to write the rest of the scene around the dialogue has changed my life as a writer, for the better! As far as life advice? Being kind is so fulfilling, and the universe needs your light. It’s something I’m trying to remind myself even in the darkest of times.
That is amazing advice, and I wouldn’t of ever thought of writing the dialogue first and then going back and writing around it. I also love your life advice. The world is too dark a place at times and smiling at someone could change their day drastically.
Thank you so much, Mariah, for doing this interview with me. I will list Mariah’s socials below if you want to follow her and stay in the loop with new releases. If you haven’t already make sure you check out the Guardians and Monsters Duology, Xantera and Veradel, which is out now!
