I traveled to Russia and visited one of their many homes and interviewed Russian historians. Nadine: Extensive! I read endless biographies, history books, and searched deep into archives. Sara (BSR): How would you describe your research process for Romanov? So when I was thinking of historical fantasy retellings, it was a no-brainer! Not only did I want to give my own take on Nastya and her spunky personality in a dire situation, but I wanted to learn more about the Romanov story as well. I spent part of my childhood growing up in Alaska, where we studied Russian in school, and-on a more shallow note-I always loved the animated film. It was the first country I ever traveled to. Nadine: A part of my heart has always belonged to the Russian people. Sara (BSR): What drew you to Anastasia and the Romanov family, and what was your inspiration for your spin on their story? I actually show the different covers we went through on my Instagram: I’m thankful that my publisher involves me as much as they do. In the end, my publisher will always have the final say. Ultimately, my editor and I agreed on which one to go with. It was originally a different color scheme (red with yellow swirls.) The two options I was presented with were both stunning, and we had to take them to a small group of readers for an opinion on which one they loved best. After a couple back-and-forth we have a final! ROMANOV’s cover had my heart from the very start. Then my publisher hires the cover designer and presents me with (usually) two options. I also include important elements and the mood of the story. Nadine Brandes: The first step is that I fill out a long multi-page form on what I envision for a cover-whether that’s color scheme, style, etc. Can you tell me the process of deciding on cover art? Who ultimately decides? Were there many revisions? Sara (Book Series Recaps – BSR): I LOVE the cover of Romanov. She also shares how she connects with her readers via social media.

I love what she had to say about her latest fantasy retelling, as well as her writing process.

I recently had the privilege of interviewing Nadine Brandes, author of Romanov, Fawkes, and the Out of Time trilogy.

Fawkes nadine brandes