During this 90-minute Q&A, Hazel McBride will discuss her path to publication – from self-publishing and writing fanfiction to being signed by Ciara Finan at Curtis Brown and traditionally publishing her duology A Fate Forged in Fire and A Queen Crowned in Flames with Renegade Books, Dialogue.
Hazel’s ‘Bonded to Beasts’ fantasy series is heavily inspired by Scottish mythology and features a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance, Celtic mythology, and a whole heap of feminine rage. She also has a dedicated following on TikTok. This event will offer invaluable insights into some of the different ways you can build a profile as an author (and attract literary agent attention) from self-publishing and fanfiction to social media – as well as what it takes to craft brilliant fantasy worlds and page-turning romance with morally grey and complex characters.
All ticket-holders will be invited to submit a question for Hazel and/or Ciara ahead of time. The most interesting and frequently asked questions will be curated and put forward to Hazel by CBC host Katie Smart. This event will be ‘webinar style’ with Hazel, Ciara and Katie appearing live on-screen, attendees will not appear on the screen however they will be able to post comments in a chat box.
Purchase your ticket for this event by clicking the ‘Enrol Now’ button.
After purchase you will be sent an email confirmation – then we will send you a link to join the Zoom event at least a week before the interview takes place. A recording of the event will be made available to ticket holders after the event.
Please note, current students of our Complete Your Manuscript – One-to-One Programme get free passes to live online events. If this applies to you please email students@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk to sign up.
Hazel McBride’s fantasy fiction has a dedicated fan base on TikTok, her writing includes Gaelic influences, dragons and romance. Her bestselling debut A Fate Forged in Fire is to be followed by the second book in the duology A Queen Crowned in Flames (out 26 May), published Renegade Books, Dialogue.
Hazel grew up in Scotland, gaining her BSc in Psychology at the University of Glasgow, before moving to the Dominican Republic. Switching the laid-back Caribbean for the sun-drenched Canary Islands a year later, she then moved to the chic South of France and is now fluent in three languages.
As a former animal trainer, Hazel loves writing about magical and fantastical creatures while exploring their connections with her characters. As a bisexual author with anxiety, she focuses on writing queer characters and exploring topics such as mental illness within her work. Now settled in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband, most of her work draws heavy inspiration from her Celtic heritage and Scottish folklore.
Ciara Finan joined the literary department at Curtis Brown in May 2018 after completing an MA in Publishing in Ireland. She began her career working alongside Curtis Brown CEO Jonny Geller on his extensive and dynamic list of writers. Ciara represents a brilliant selection of fiction and non-fiction authors, including Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellers. She is currently looking for fantasy, romantasy, book club romance, female-focused psychological thrillers, and commercial platform led non-fiction.
Katie Smart joined CBC in 2018; she is currently Senior Marketing & Sales Manager. She loves finding exciting ways to engage with the CBC community and is passionate about reaching out to under-represented writers through CBC's Breakthrough Writers' Programme. She has been part of the team behind the annual Discoveries writing programme and prize since it started in 2021. During her time at CBC, she has organised and chaired many events for aspiring authors.