Death & Maia
by A. C. Jolly
Released: Apr 24, 2025
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Why this book and why now?
Two unrelated things happened to me last year that inspired this story in different ways: My dad passed away, and not long after that I watched the TV series Agatha All Along (which, amongst other things, features a romance between a Lady Grim Reaper and the titular character) and was extremely disappointed with the lack of backstory. So I was thinking about death in general, and then I was also thinking about deathy lesbians, and then at some point I asked myself, who would Lady Death actually fall in love with and what would that be like?
What is a significant way your book has changed since either the first draft or the way you thought it would turn out when you first had the inspiration?
When I started writing, Maia’s voice was very “old-style” and formal because I thought that suited the classical Greek setting (Athens in around 400 BC). But everything sounded, in my mind’s ear, like it was being narrated by Galadriel from Lord of the Rings and it just had no texture at all. So I re-wrote what I had (not much at that point) with Maia’s voice being much warmer, more colloquial, and with a lot more F-bombs. Which felt way better, to me.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
I don’t think Maia would like me, I think she’d find me soft and pretentious. Death would like me but she likes everyone.
Do your character names have special significance or meaning?
I love the name Maia. It’s the name of a goddess in Greek myth and endures as a very beautiful and powerful name nowadays, with lots of variations in different countries.
How does it feel to finally share this book with readers?
It is honestly the best and coolest thing I’ve ever done, and every sale or KU page reads honestly feels like an explosive little miracle to me.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Maia would love Married at First Sight (Australia). I think that’s because my wife loves that show and Maia reminds me of her at lot.
Were there any scenes or characters that surprised you as you wrote?
There’s this one scene where Death shows Maia what’s beyond her magic door, which is basically a portal to the rest of the universe. It felt like a hard scene to write at first, because in context, the sight of planets and nebulas and all that would have been completely incomprehensible and impossible for Maia to process. So I did something fun/different with whitespace and formatting and I ended up really loving it.
Which character was the most fun to write, and which was the hardest?
None of the characters were especially hard to write; it’s quite a short book and there are very few of them. But the best and funnest was probably Ianthe, who is Maia’s friend and ex-lover. She is like the coolest, kindest big sister I never had.
If your book had a scent, what would it smell like?
Oil lamps, piss, and blooming roses. I think that is actually a line from the book.
If your book had a signature dessert, what would it be?
Roman honey cake.
Your characters are throwing a party—what’s the theme?
Being alive.
If your book had an official mascot, what (or who) would it be?
A cute stray dog.
Do you outline your books in detail, or do you prefer to discover the story as you write?
Very much a discovery writer, although I have to have a strong shape for the story at the start. For a romance, I find this is pretty easy because it’s built-in to the genre (i.e. a happily ever after).
Do you have any writing rituals or habits?
Getting up at 5am and sugary coffee.
What are you currently reading?
One Hundred Years of Solitude, and I love it, it’s an absolute banger.
If you could have dinner with any author, living or dead, who would it be?
Ursula Le Guin
