20 Questions With Mara Rutherford (8/13/26)

Today we have the absolute pleasure of chatting with author Mara Rutherford as she answers 20 questions about herself and her new book, MY UNFAMILIAR. 

Before we hear from Mara, let’s take a quick peek at MY UNFAMILIAR.

Bastian is still reeling from the loss of his owl familiar/best friend when he lands on Winnie’s pink doorstep, but reluctantly seeks out a replacement so he can enter the Royal Mage Competition. Enter Winnie: endlessly empathetic, frequently weepy, and a talented familiar matchmaker. Bastian is all-business in the face of her charming menagerie, which is all the more unfortunate when it turns out that Winnie is Bastian’s new familiar. With the perilous competition just around the corner and familial pressures mounting, this grumpy-sunshine pair must work together to win the competition and break the bond…provided they still want to part ways after their souls intertwine.

MY UNFAMILIAR is perfect for readers who enjoyed Mara’s previous cozy YA romantasy, A CURIOUS KIND OF MAGIC!

NOW LET’S HEAR FROM MARA!

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1. What’s something that made you smile today?

Gorgeous sunset-colored dahlias at the flower kiosk on my walk! I bought a bunch that match the cover of MY UNFAMILIAR perfectly.

2. What have you been reading lately?

I’m currently reading LADY TREMAINE, a loose retelling of Cinderella from the stepmother’s point of view. It’s really beautifully written, and Lucifer—a cat in the original Disney movie—is a falcon in this edition, which I love.

3. If you could spend a day with another author, whom would you choose?

I would have to say Laini Taylor. I was an enormous fan before I became her friend, which I still can’t believe I get to say. She sees the world through such a colorful, magical lens, and she pulls you into it when you’re with her. We spent a few days driving around Wales together two years ago, talking about writing and books and art, and I would love to do it again.

4. Do you have any “comfort” books that you like to reread?

I’m not a huge rereader, but I have read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE multiple times and likely will again. The only other book I reread semi-regularly is THE POISONWOOD BIBLE by Barbara Kingsolver. I adore that book.

5. You’ve traveled all over the world with your family—what is your favorite bookstore? What about your favorite library?

Ooh this is tough. I have a dream of finding my books at Shakespeare and Co. in Paris because it’s so iconic, although it’s always crowded! I really loved Typewronger Books in Edinburgh, where I spent a couple of hours writing once. And Waterstones Brussels was so great to me. I did several events with them and enjoyed every one. I haven’t spent a ton of time in libraries overseas, but the National Library of France in Paris is definitely worth a visit.

6. Do you have any writing traditions or rituals?

I don’t really have any writing traditions or rituals, although I do occasionally pull a tarot card when I need to get in the writing mood. I have a little writing altar next to my desk with tiny treasures (a scroll with my writing mantra, a swan feather, some lucky stones, and a friendship bracelet from a writing friend) that I like to think sends me good writing vibes, too.

7.What’s your go-to writing snack/drink?

Black tea with cream and honey. I very rarely eat while writing.

8. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not writing?

I love to explore on foot. Rome is excellent for strolling and sightseeing (and shopping, of course), although right now it’s too hot to do anything!

9. What kind of animal do you think Winnie would match you with? 

I would like to believe she’d match me with something mysterious and whimsical like a fox, although I suspect I’d end up with something small and not particularly elegant, like a fieldmouse.

10. Winnie cares for so many wonderful familiars. Are there any special animals in your life?

I’m fortunate that my life has always been filled with animals. At one point in my childhood we had four dogs, three horses, a cat, two birds, two hamsters, and a snake. My father-in-law was a veterinarian, so my husband was also raised around animals, which is one of the things I first loved about him. Our mini poodle, Mishka, is the true critter of my heart, though. She’s nearly eight and has been my constant companion since she was a puppy.

11. Do you see any of yourself in any of the characters—in what ways would you say you’re alike and different?

All of my characters have some part of me in them, I think. Usually their vulnerabilities are my own. Winnie, for example, is trying her best to please everyone around her while also meeting her own needs. That’s something I have struggled with myself. Bastian, meanwhile, feels like he has to prove himself to the world due to his own insecurities. I know that feeling well, too. Of course, I’m different from all of my characters as well. Otherwise things would get very boring in my books! 

12. Since the chapters in MY UNFAMILIAR alternate between Winnie and Bastian, whose POV did you enjoy writing more? Whose was easier?

I enjoyed writing both POVs. I wasn’t even planning to write it that way, necessarily. But the moment I started typing, Bastian’s voice came out. In some ways, he was probably easier to write, because he’s more analytical than Winnie, who leads with her emotions most of the time. But the contrast between the characters was what made it so fun to write.

13. How do you decide on the names for your characters? Do they ever change as you get to know them more?

Generally, the names of the main characters come to me immediately and don’t change. It’s the side characters who I end up renaming often, because I don’t know them as well. Also, eight books in, I have forgotten which names I’ve already used, so I sometimes have to look back and make sure it’s not the third time I’ve called someone Thomas. 

14. If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

They’re all young, for the most part, so probably what I wish someone had said to me at that age: “Everything is going to be okay.” I doubt I would have believed them, but it’s still nice to hear. And for the most part, everything generally does work out okay!

15. What are you hoping readers take away from MY UNFAMILIAR?

Since this is a cozy fantasy, I want readers to feel cozy themselves: warm, fuzzy, like they just spent time with old friends drinking tea and snuggling up by a fire (or like a very soft, very cute mini poodle is lying next to them on the sofa). With all my books, I want readers to come away feeling a sense of satisfaction tinged with just a hint of bittersweetness that it’s over, and mostly like it was time well spent. And I hope it makes them see a little more of the magic in their own lives. 

16. How long has MY UNFAMILIAR been in the making?

I started writing MY UNFAMILIAR in February of 2025, so not all that long in the publishing world. I drafted it in a few months, so all in all it was a very quick process. 

17. Have you ever had any magical experiences of your own?

I feel like I see small magics everywhere, and I have to credit some of that to writing books with magic in them. To me, anything that fills me with a sense of delight and wonder is magic, and living in foreign countries means that happens to me often. In Rome, I’m constantly delighted by things that I’m sure locals take for granted, like orange trees in full fruit in winter, or a bright green parrot squawking in the tree outside my kitchen window. I’ve lived a fairly full and adventurous life, but it’s the little things, like fireflies, that really feel like magic to me.

18. Do you have any shows or movies that you would recommend to people looking to replicate the feeling they get from reading your book?

In terms of shows and movies I’ve consumed lately, I would say Love Through a Prism on Netflix, which is a beautiful anime series, or The Other Bennet Sister, which was such a great comfort watch. Some of my all-time favorites that give me similar cozy vibes are Pride and Prejudice (2005 especially, but really any Austen adaptation), Gilmore Girls forever and always, and Howl’s Moving Castle.

19. In what ways has your background in journalism influenced your fantasy writing?

I think it’s made me a fairly “clean” writer, meaning I draft neatly and don’t require a ton of copyedits (at least, I don’t think I do—maybe one of my copyeditors feels differently!). But mostly it revealed to me how much I would prefer to escape into a fantasy world than spend even more time in the real world.

20. Are you working on anything new?

Right now I’m beginning revisions for the sequel to THE DEMONIC INVENTIONS, which came out in April. I’ve also started something new that I’m very hopeful will be my next YA fantasy, and I have a very fun project in the works that I’m excited to talk about soon.

MY UNFAMILIAR by Mara Rutherford; 9781250359902; 12/1/26.