Banff author Jordan Bartlett releases 'Contest of Queens'

ROB MURRAY: Banff-based author Jordan Bartlett has just released her new book “Contest of Queens” and she joins me on the program. Congratulations on your big release! This is your first book, isn’t it?

JORDAN BARTLETT: It’s my first novel. I released a series of short story fairy tales earlier last year, but this is my first big one.

RM: How does it feel now that your ‘baby’ is out in the world?

JB: It feels so wonderful. I finally understand when parents will show their kindergartner’s drawings and be like, look at the artist my child is. I have that feeling but about written pages.

RM: That’s awesome. Tell us a little bit about “Contest of Queens.” What’s this book all about?

JB: It’s about a queendom that’s split level. You have the lower realm and the upper realm, and we follow two protagonists. Jacs, an inventor’s apprentice who lives in the lower realm, is really interested in anything to do with the upper realm where Connor, the other protagonist who’s secretly a prince, lives in the palace and is really interested in the lower realm. They start this correspondence, defying all things, and send letters to each other for years and form a really nice bond. Then, on Jacs’ 16th year, the feud between the realms reignites, and she decides, if I want to make any change, I need to compete in the Contest of Queens and hopefully win the crown.

RM: What inspired this story? What inspires you as an author?

JB: I’ve been reading all my life. I love fantasy especially, and I really love fairy tales. It actually started as a retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk. I just love this idea of like a split-level Queendom, and then I started playing with what if it was a matriarchy and we had women in charge? What would that look like? It just kind of spiraled from there,

RM: Writing a book is one thing. Actually getting it printed, published, and promoted, that’s an entirely separate thing. Have there been any challenges along the way?

JB: Totally. I honestly thought writing the book would be the hard part, but you know what? That was probably the easiest part to deal with. Learning a new industry is like learning a new language. What I did find, though, was that everyone was so willing to share and help.

RM: Is this a standalone book or is this part of a series?

JB: It is the first in a trilogy. The whole series is called the Frean Chronicles. The Queendom is called Frea. Book two is in the works.

RM: Do you write in a public space around town? What’s your process there?

JB: I write a lot on my couch, but the other big portion of my writing I actually like to do at the Banff Springs Hotel. They have this beautiful room where you just look out down the valley and you feel like a Queen in a castle, which is very fitting writing about Queens. I love the Banff Springs.

RM: What’s the response been to your new book?

JB: So far so good. I’ve had people I didn’t even know were reading it,come up to me or send me a message saying, oh my gosh, either I’m so excited or I just got it. I love it. I’m very lucky it’s been quite well received. That’s

RM: Where can people pick up a copy of “Contest of Queens”?

JB: Anywhere you can buy books. You can get it on Amazon, at my publisher’s website, Barnes & Noble, Chapters-Indigo, and if you live in the Bow Valley I’m very fortunate that Café Books has picked it up. I’ll be signing copies there soon so you can even get a signed copy.

RM: I was going to ask you about that. It must be a little challenging to do a book launch or book release kind of event with COVID going on right now. Are you able to do so?

JB: It’s been very odd. I have visions that hopefully I’ll be able to do something maybe in the summer as a half book birthday, but it’s actually been really nice. I’ve instead kind of done these little pockets. On February 11^th I’ll be doing a Zoom launch discussion with the librarians at the Banff Public Library, so that will be lovely. You can register for the event on their website. Instead of one big thing it’s just little self-contained, safe things that I’m doing.