Q&A: Juliet Brooks, Author of ‘A Fae In Finance’
We chat with author Juliet Brooks about A Fae In Finance, which is a hilarious contemporary fantasy romance and follows an exasperated low-level investment banker who is trapped in a magical realm by a faerie prince, where she must survive in a strange new world with only her wits—and a solid Wi-Fi connection.
Hi, Juliet! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a climate professional focused in the energy space. I’ve spent my career in energy transmission and renewables development, and love nerding out about the electric grid. In my spare time, I like to read, bake bread, and foster cats. And, when I should be doing other things, I tend to think about balance and imbalance in our society and then write about that.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have a very early memory of sitting at my family’s computer hutch (remember those?) and typing something in Papyrus size 18 font in a Word doc. I remember getting to 20 pages and being so so proud of myself. There was definitely a fairy in a bubble of some sort. And when we were kids, my best friend and I would write and illustrate stories together. I think telling stories has always been a way for me to process emotion and have empathy for other points of view.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: It was a Scooby Doo mystery book and I feel like there was scuba diving involved. I mostly remember kicking my feet because I was so anxious. I must’ve been 5 or 6.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I don’t think there was any one book! I know that as a kid I loved Eva Ibbotson and Gail Carson Levine. I think The Secret of Platform 13 and Island of the Aunts really influenced me, as did Ella Enchanted.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Alecto the Ninth. Tamsyn, no pressure – no pressure – but I’m a great beta reader. I read super fast, mostly just hype you up, and will send you live reactions by line.
Your latest novel, A Fae in Finance, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Humorous magical workplace depression romp.
What can readers expect?
Mostly chaos!
In seriousness, readers can expect a mostly light read about an exasperated finance professional working remote from Faerie, with a midpoint slide into existential depression. There is found family, a cat, some hot and menacing faeries, a guy who screams in the courtyard at irregular intervals, and brief mentions of Faerie Court politics that the narrator Miri mostly manages to avoid thinking about. There’s some very light romance, but it’s primarily a workplace sitcom with generous helpings of ennui.
Where did the inspiration for A Fae in Finance come from?
While writing it, I would’ve denied this vociferously, but A Fae in Finance came out of feelings of isolation: isolation because of COVID; isolation because I felt like I worried about the climate fight and the people around me weren’t worrying enough; distress around the ways that we as a country have been isolating ourselves from people who are different. The book was my way to process themes of loneliness, indifference, and casual cruelty, using humor as a lens.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
One of my favorite characters to write is the Gray Knight. Without spoiling too much, she works for the Princeling, and had a hand in trapping the main character Miri in Faerie. Throughout the book, she needs to reckon with her reasons for doing that, and she has to balance her decisions to act for the greater good with the individual consequences of her actions.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Nope! It was smooth sailing. Easy as pie. Can’t recommend enough.
Just kidding. I had a hard time editing the book, actually. I was so grateful to my editor, Steph, who helped me figure out what was relevant and what needed to be removed; she clipped unnecessary plotlines and really brought the book into focus for me.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
The bottom line is that I am so, so, so lucky! I was querying for agents back in 2023 when I heard about Orbit Works, an imprint of Orbit that took unagented submissions. So I submitted A Fae in Finance to Orbit Works without an agent, and then I went through the contract signing process in August of 2024 without an agent (the publisher recommended that I reach out to some agents prior to signing, but I’m a terrible listener and was also fairly convinced that it was all a dream).
The editing process took about 9 months start to finish; we went through two rounds of developmental edits, where my editor Steph vastly improved my book with her suggestions. Then we went through copyedits, and then a cold reader review. There were several explanations of “showed” vs “shown” which I’ve already forgotten, so apologies in advance to my next copyeditor. There was a lot of math and calendar review – I didn’t expect either of those things, and am grateful that there were people to double-check my work.
What’s next for you?
I finally completed my agent search process this August, when I signed with the incomparable Bethany Weaver. We’re on submission now for a different book (man goes to magical climate conference; chaos ensues) so, funnily enough, my debut is getting published while I’m having an agent shop a book around to publishers for the first time.
And, next summer, you can expect A Mermaid in Marketing, the in-world sequel to A Fae in Finance. The cast has rotated somewhat, but Doctor Kitten (the cat) will still feature prominently, so you aren’t going to miss anyone important.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year?
I just finished The Isle in the Silver Sea and it was AMAZING. This year I also read and LOVED, in no order: The Maid and the Crocodile (we love watching useless men become useful, featuring a delightful protagonist); The Unspoken Name (gotta stan sapphic assassins); When the Angels Left the Old Country (a gorgeous morsel); My Lady Jane (hilarious. Just hilarious); The Incandescent (magical boarding school never had so much admin); Gods of Jade and Shadow (I cried. I’m a lil baby); Interstellar Megachef (a wild ride full of flawed people); She Who Became the Sun (this blew my entire mind).
