A MerMay Conversation with Rose Santoriello

 The final week of MerMay is upon us, which means the MerMay LGBTQ+ Readathon is almost over! (Though, let’s be honest, there are a lot of books on that list and we’ll be reading them all summer long.)

We wanted to finish this event with a splash, so this week, we’re bringing you a series of short interviews with the authors of merfolk books with LGBTQ+ representation. 

For our first interview, we talked to Rose Santoriello (they/ them), author of Haunt Me, Baby as well as other queer monster romance books.

VQ: The monster romance genre seems to be growing in popularity. How would you describe it to audiences unfamiliar with it?


Rose: Monster Romance kind of has two subcategories—scary and cozy. The scary monster romances often feel like a Romantasy, just with a very non-human love interest. The other size is much more cozy! And reads a lot like contemporary, but with cute monsters. 


VQ: How does your own queerness influence the types of relationships you highlight in your books?


Rose: I often write characters that have had similar queer experiences to me and my friends and those I love. It’s not always cookie cutter, sometimes it’s messy and that’s very real too.


VQ: What is it that you think makes sea creatures such an enduring theme in folklore? (And why is it so often romantic in nature?)


Rose: Monsters in general are endearing because you are loving something despite them not being conventionally attractive or having flaws/faults. I think it tells us that we can be loved for who we are, regardless of how we look or the mistakes we make. Sea creatures add the extra appeal of mystery and untreaded waters. Many sea creatures in literature were also allegories for the queer experience—I specifically think back to the original Little Mermaid. It all comes together in how we perceive sea creatures today. They’re beautiful and romantic and different!


To learn more about Haunt Me, Baby: A Taboo Sapphic Romance, visit Rose’s Goodreads page or follow them on Instagram at @rosesantoriello .

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