It’s a common piece of writing advice, and often well-intentioned: ‘ Stick to writing in one genre.’ While there is a benefit to that approach, in this post, we’ll discuss what happens when you give yourself permission to not only write but publish in different genres. When I was considering this topic and an author to interview, the wonderful and talented Jess McFarlane immediately came to mind.
I’ve had the joy of speaking with Jess about writing craft previously, in our interview: When ‘write every day’ isn’t an option: chronic illness and publishing. With her latest book Woman of Wolves recently released, it seemed like the perfect time to have her back on the blog.
About the author: Jess McFarlane
Jess McFarlane wrote her first novel within a beat-up notebook when she was 14. She grew up on Bundjalung Country but currently lives on Yorta Yorta Country with her husband, Alec & their German Shepherd, Sam. When Jess isn’t writing, she enjoys playing video games, cooking, archery & advocating for chronic illness and disability awareness
Woman of Wolves
She was ice, born amidst it, and she was Fáelben, bathed in the blood of wolves.
The peace treaty between the five chieftains has been broken.
MacMaol has declared himself ruler of Eryn, joined by two other traitors. When Muirne Arasgain’s brother and father ride out to stop his tyranny, she is left behind to defend her home.
With news of an unexpected tragedy, Muirne is forced to become chieftain of Inbiur, the territory in which the Arasgain family has ruled for centuries. But when an otherworldly stranger arrives, suspected of being a spy and giving only his name: Riagan, Muirne’s home is infiltrated, and the life she knows is gone forever.
Having lost her home and her family, Muirne must fight to get it all back. Escaping MacMaol’s prison, she finds Tolmach, the last chieftain of the alliance. Reluctant to assist, he points her in the direction of a mercenary group on the east coast of Eryn, who operate under no chieftain’s rule, bound by sword and coin.
But who leads these mercenaries? Can they be trusted to aid her in ending MacMaol’s terror and restoring her territory? Or will Muirne’s world fall apart when she discovers the only person who can help her get everything back is the one who took it all to begin with?
Thank you Jess for joining me on the blog!
You’ve written two fantastic books: Widow’s Flame (2022) and Woman of Wolves (2025) — can you tell us a bit about each of them?
Widow’s Flame is a Western novel about a woman’s grief over the murder of her husband, and how she uses that grief to fuel her journey for revenge. It follows her and a bare-knuckle fighter she’s hired across the Atlantic, from Ireland to America, where she takes justice into her own hands by killing the outlaw men who murdered her husband. It’s not a happy tale, and it highlights how most people become the monster they’re hunting when on the path of vengeance.
Woman of Wolves is the first to a four-book series called “Arasgain Rule”. It follows Muirne Arasgain, a young noblewoman who is thrust into the title of chieftain after the deaths of her father and brother. When her territory is infiltrated and taken over, she has to fight to get it all back, and the only one who can help her is the person she hates the most. It features tropes such as enemies to reluctant allies to lovers, feminine rage, cinnamon roll MMC, only one horse, forced proximity and found family.
Your first book, Widow’s Flame, was written in the Western Genre. What is it that you love most about that genre, and what are some of its challenges?
I think my love for the Western genre came from my love of horses. When I was little, I’d watch Western films just to see the horses flying across the screen, their riders sitting deep in the saddles. And as I grew older, I really appreciated the grittiness that generally comes with the genre, as there are always themes of revenge and the human condition. I’ve written a few Westerns, Widow’s Flame being the one I ended up publishing first, and I found it fairly challenging making sure I was doing the genre justice. Usually, when you see a Western revenge film or read a Western revenge novel, the main character comes away fairly unscathed from all the “killing”. I wanted to take a different approach, which was a challenge in itself, by making my main character conscious of how killing these men was affecting her.
Your latest book, Woman of Wolves is in the fantasy genre — can you share something about what led you to write in this genre, and how this book came to be?
The first book I ever wrote was a fantasy novel, with a talking dragon and a horse that spawned lightning. I’ve always adored fantasy and when I got the idea for Woman of Wolves, I was reading a lot of books about Irish folklore. I wanted to write a book set in “imagined” Ireland and feature themes from its folklore, especially druids and how they approach taking care of the earth. The Morrigan has always fascinated me, too (probably because I love corvids) so it was a bit of a no-brainer to write a book about the things that I liked! I definitely didn’t see it turning into a four-book series, though!
What are some of the things you love most about the fantasy genre? Its challenges?
I like that it’s different from real life… which might be kind of sad? But it’s easier to escape to, as there aren’t many reminders from everyday life. I’ve been reading fantasy books since I was a kid and I’ve always had a soft spot for it. It can be challenging to write, as you need to stick to the formulas because the fan base can be very protective. Woman of Wolves is quite “low fantasy” in comparison to other fantasy books I’ve written and I’ve noticed some people questioning its validation as a fantasy novel. That’s been an interesting challenge in itself.
Both books have a good dose of romance in them. Romance as a genre itself is a whole other topic, but there’s often a lot of discussion around tropes and subgenres—do you have any favourite tropes to write or read?
I love romance! I feel like most of my books have romantic elements in them, simply because I love writing relationships between characters. And writing the “smuttier” stuff is fun and a good, healthy way to explore your own sexuality. When it comes to writing and reading a romantic plot, my favourite trope is slow burn. Woman of Wolves features an extremely slow burn between the two main characters, Muirne and Riagan, and I remember at times being like “gaaah!!” writing it, because it was agonising and I just wanted to see them get together. It’s been really great seeing that same experience translate across to my readers, because I know that I’ve written it well! Reading it is the same sort of experience – I want the relationship to seem “worth it” and slow burn always brings substance to both characters and what they share with each other. Insta love is overrated!
Across your writing practice, and considering the books you’ve published (So far!) are there themes you continue to return to in your writing?
I have noticed that a lot of my earlier books (WoW written 2016, Widow’s Flame written 2018) feature angry female protagonists. Which is probably a sure sign that I am angry (I am, how can I not be as a woman in the 21st Century?). And I feel like to some extent, I’ll always have angry and/or assertive female characters. Because I’ll be damned if I write about a woman who is just going to stand idly by while a man tells her what to do.
Are there genres that you haven’t written in yet, that you’d like to in the future?
I think the only genre I haven’t delved into is paranormal. I’m not entirely sure whether I’d like to, only because I’m not sure if I could do it justice and I’m not a massive fan of the genre, so I wouldn’t know where to begin. But if I ever got an idea for a vampire and/or werewolf novel, I could give it a crack!?
When it comes to publishing, the most common advice often seems to be to stick within one genre—what are your thoughts on this? What has your experience been with writing across more than one genre?
I’m not too sure where that advice comes from. I’m assuming it’s because it’s easier to market yourself as a “– author” than as an author who writes anything. I never write with a marketing plan in mind, and I probably never will. Because that’s not why I do what I do. I don’t write to sell books, I write because it’s a basic bodily instinct, like breathing. It’s just cool that I can also do this gig and make some pocket money on the side from it, too. Being able to write more than one genre has been an awesome way to explore who I am as a writer, what I sit comfortably in, and what calls to me the most. What I’ve found out is that I’ll write whatever comes to me – usually in the form of a character entering my head and going, “Here’s some puzzle pieces, put them together for me and you’ll find out what’s happened in my life.” It’s never been a conscious thing where I’ve actually gone, “Right, I’m writing a fantasy book, let’s make sure we stick to this formula, etc.”
A few years have passed since you published your first book, in that time, what are some of the publishing and/or writing lessons you’ve learned?
I’ve learned a heap of marketing lessons, especially when it comes to marketing myself and pitching my book at events in person. You won’t get readers if you don’t talk about your book. You need to be on the verge of annoying in order to actually get attention. You need to scream and shout and claw and do everything humanely (and ethically) possible to get eyes on you and your stories. In the indie world, it’s literally the only thing you can do. You’re just another drop in the ocean, otherwise.
I’m not sure if I’ve learned any writing lessons, only that Arasgain Rule has been an interesting exercise, seeing as I’ve just published book one and I’m writing book four. Seeing my growth as a writer (from 2016 to 2025 – almost ten years!!) has been wild. And it’s actually very cool that readers will get to see that as the series releases.
Do you have any advice for authors considering writing in more than one genre?
Just do it, man. Have fun. There aren’t any rules. If you wanna write and publish more than one genre, why not? So many authors have done this in the past, and yeah, you won’t be able to have “Paranormal Romance Author” on your banner at events, but you can just have your name and a really cool picture of yourself and be proud that you write what you want. It’s a great way to explore yourself. It’s also a great way to get a really diverse reader base and appeal to more than just one consumer.
Where can readers get their hands on your books, or hear more about your writing?
You can shop anywhere online for my books. Widow’s Flame is still available, however I do need to republish it under my imprint Raven’s Ink Press. Just time and money! Woman of Wolves is available through Amazon, Kindle Unlimited, Barnes and Noble and Booktopia.
You can hear more about my writing on my Instagram page, as I’m more active there than anywhere else! I also have a monthly newsletter you can sign up to.
Thanks again Jess!
I was lucky enough to read an advance copy of Woman of Wolves. Now that the book is out in the world, I’d highly suggest picking up a copy if you like your books feminist, atmospheric, and filled with heartfelt warriors. I can’t wait to see what Jess writes next!
Steph Huddleston 
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