An Interview with Author Romy Morgan about "Fallen Feathers"
- Apollo Imperium
- Sep 14
- 8 min read
This week, we're interviewing Romy Morgan, author of "Fallen Feathers". As the author of a sapphic novel, we asked her questions about her inspiration, writing process, and what the book is about, and she told us about her unique (but very effective) writing style, some themes she used in her book and plenty more. Take a journey with us into the world of her story, and let's get to know the writing and life of Romy Morgan.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself! Who are you, how did you get into writing, which work of yours are you most proud of?
A: My name is Romy Morgan, and I am a sapphic author from the North of England. I have always loved making up stories, and when I was little I really wanted to be an author, but I didn’t enjoy writing on paper and was bad at spelling (I’m still not great, thank goodness for spellcheck right?). I was also not great at actually finishing any stories if I started them, because I’d think of something new. After working on stories on and off, in 2023 I was inspired to write Fallen Feathers, and since then I haven’t stopped writing. Every free moment is spent writing now. As well as a writer, I am a historian, finishing a masters degree in museum studies. I work a lot in theatre; acting, directing, producing, designing etc. I also sometimes work in TV.
Q: What’s the book about? Tell us where the story takes us.
A: Fallen Feathers is a sapphic love story, following an angel called Ophelia and a demon called Nessa. It is set in the beautiful historic city of York and it’s a story of feelings, morals, found family, and peril. Nessa and Ophelia each represent their realms in the North of England, and though they should be enemies, they have been secretly madly in love for six thousand years. Neither is brave enough to tell the other how they feel, but soon they discover a dangerous plot by their bosses that forces them to take a chance and fight for their love and what they believe in. They not only find love in each other and the friends they make along the way, but also learn to love themselves more.
Q: What are the most important themes you wanted to get out into the world with this book? Did you struggle to incorporate them into the writing?
A: The themes and messages in the book came about very naturally, I think. The number one message is definitely hope, and that’s so important right now. Hope that things will always get better, even when you are at your lowest, and that a better future is possible for everyone. Being yourself is also a big theme in Fallen Feathers. The angels and demons in the story all struggle with the feeling that they are not right, or not enough. They are too nice to be demons or too bad to be angels, and I think it’s such an important message just to be your own complicated self, and not try to be who other people, or society tells you to be. Though Fallen Feathers is a sweet love story about angels and demons, there are also elements of other themes and analogies that people may relate to; such as abandonment issues, trauma and PTSD, found family, moral dilemmas, the blurred lines between good and bad, parental issues, self love, forgiveness, and LGBT+ issues.
Q: How long did it take you to write this book? Did you grow in your writing during this time?
A: While writing Fallen Feathers, I discovered an unusual way to write that really helps me personally. I initially write my books on the notes app on my phone, then transfer them onto a computer document to edit and format. This means I am able to write in my spare time wherever I am. I became obsessed with writing Fallen Feathers, it was the first time a story had just flowed from me effortlessly. It took me two months to write it, then I felt lost after finishing it, so began writing a sequel. In the end I wrote three books in eight months. Since then I always write on my phone first, because I personally find it quicker and easier. I am able to easily write while travelling, and I wrote parts of Fallen Feathers in the dressing room of a show I was in, between scenes, on holiday, and on car journeys. Writing is what I love to do, so I basically write at any free moment, then edit on my laptop once I finish each chapter.
Q: The usual question is, of course, why people should read your book. We’ll get to that later, but why would you read your book, if you hadn’t written it?
A: With Fallen Feathers, I basically wrote a book that I would love to read; in fact I do reread bits of it often, just for fun. While I do love reading, I don’t actually read very often, and I find it hard to work out which books I will enjoy in a bookshop full of options. I want someone to present me with a list ‘books that are perfect for Romy specifically’! Haha.
As a lesbian, the sapphic romance would draw me to Fallen Feathers if I saw it. I haven’t actually read many sapphic books, so I am always excited to see them. I would also like the balance between adventure and peril, and the heartfelt romantic parts in the book. Another thing that would draw me to it, is that it’s the first of a series, so you know you are going to be able to go on a journey and get to know the characters well. Often love stories end when the couple get together, but personally, after all the build up, I like to see what happens next and what it’s like for them as a couple.
Q: So… Why should people read your book?
A: You should read Fallen Feathers if you enjoy swoon-worthy love confessions, a sweet and heartwarming story about being yourself and the importance of found family. Also if you enjoy stories that tackle the subject of good vs evil and questions about morals and loyalty. In Fallen Feathers, the characters start to discover that things aren’t just black and white, and there are grey areas between good and bad. You will enjoy it if you like character driven stories where you really get to know and love them.
Fallen Feathers is also set in England in the beautiful historic city of York, featuring many real life locations. The characters are Northern, like me, so if you like books set in England with British English, you’ll like this book.
Also I like to use TV programmes as comparisons. I tend to say that Fallen Feathers is what you’d get if you took the angel and demon romance and threat of apocalypse from Good Omens; the fiercely loving found family and adventurous peril from Once Upon A Time; and the sweet gentle queer romance and themes of discovering yourself from Heartstopper; but made it Sapphic!
Q: Are there any characters that you wrote parts of yourself into? Or did you detach yourself from the story to write from an entirely different perspective?
A: I think there are always elements of myself in my books. Not necessarily purposefully, but when I look back on the characters I have written, I often notice similarities to myself in some of them. I think I see a bit of myself in Ezra; the angel that Nessa and Ophelia befriend that ends up being like a brother to them. We are both softies! I also find myself writing about complicated emotions with insightful thoughts and healing moments for my characters, which is inspired by my mum who is spiritual, and a counsellor and NLP practitioner.
Q: Are there any scenes or plot points you cut out because they just didn’t work?
A: Not really. I am not one to do loads of planning. I plan out the general idea of a book, then start to write and see where the story and characters take it. With the Fallen Feathers Series, I note down elements of the story when they come to me, but then it just flows when I start to write it. Of course, there was a lot more of the story to tell after Fallen Feathers, hence why it became a series. I am grateful to be able to write more books about these characters and explore the story further.
Q: Where did you draw inspiration from, when you were looking for outside inspiration? Did you do a lot of research? Did you look for pictures with the right vibe?
A: As the book is about angels and demons, I did research a bit about different stories and elements of religion and mythology; but Fallen Feathers features a fictional version of religion etc. I did however incorporate some elements and stories I had researched. I also love to use Pinterest to create moodboards and gather inspirational photos. As Fallen Feathers is set in York; which is my favourite city, I drew upon my knowledge of the location to include real locations and settings.
Q: Are there any easter eggs in your story, or things that you’d only see if you read the book a second time?
A: Oh yes. I love including little details to be discovered on a reread. There are even some things referenced in the first book that are relevant in the third book. As you read the series, you will discover that there is reason behind a lot of seemingly insignificant details. For example, at the end of Fallen Feathers there are two demons that are mentioned passingly by name. One of them becomes half of the secondary couple in book two, and the other is a relevant character in the third. In fact, in this series, angels and demons are only named if they are going to go on to play a role in the story. So from the beginning, if a character is named, then they are going to be relevant later on.
Q: Rapid fire word association. One word (yes, you’re allowed more for titles) to describe your book for different topics. Here we go. 1: song, 2: different book, 3: color, 4: meal or food, 5: weather type, 6: environment (forest, cinema, kitchen, etc.), 7: mood.
A:
Angel Baby by Troye Sivan
Good Omens
Purple
Chocolate
Sunny but cloudy
Cosy cottage
Heartwarming
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about you or your book?
A: Fallen Feathers and the second book Grey Feathers are both out now. They are available as signed copies on my website (www.romymorgan.com) or on Amazon and many bookshops. The third book Eternal Feathers is coming in November, and further titles and other projects are coming in 2026.
Q: Lastly, where can people find you and your book?
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