Today, I have the pleasure of interviewing Jessi Honard and Marie Parks. We'll be talking about their contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting.

Jessi and Marie have been co-writing speculative fiction since 2009, and their 2022 contemporary fantasy debut, Unrelenting, was a finalist in the 2020 Book Pipeline Unpublished Manuscript contest.

Marie is a fantasy, sci-fi, and horror author who landed in New Mexico after traveling full-time in an RV for years. Her writing uses speculative fiction to dive into topics like social justice, the environment, and the power of friendship. Jessi Honard is a speculative fiction author, business owner, and professional coffee inhaler. Her work leans into the power of imaginary worlds as a conduit to exploring common struggles of identity, belonging, and trust.

Together, they've run a successful copywriting agency since 2010. Jessi lives in the Bay Area of California with her partner, Taormina, and Marie lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with all the dogs.

In this episode Jessi, Marie, and I discuss:

• What qualities make for a successful co-writing partnership and how to decide whom to work with.
• How to bounce back from early mistakes and why you aren't always one mistake away from ruin.
• The importance of interrogating the "why" behind your vision for your book and your career.

Plus, their #1 tip for writers.

For more info and show notes: diymfa.com/408