Strathmore is in fantasy fever this month, ahead of the Medieval Faire and Artisan Market, and one author is already capturing imaginations.
Clare C. Marshall, a Canadian sci-fi fantasy writer, visited Music Box Books, a newly opened hub for local readers, on Aug. 2 to sign copies of her books, including titles from her Sparkstone Saga and The Violet Fox series.
The Sparkstone Saga follows a team of university students with superpowers who are enlisted to save Earth from an alien invasion, while The Violet Fox series is set in a fantasy kingdom divided by caste.
A lifelong storyteller, Marshall began writing as a child and was already submitting works to publishers by the time she was 15.
"I might as well write and publish and sell my own books," she said. "In 2011, I started."
Marshall shared that her love for young adult sci-fi fantasy stemmed not only from a gap she saw in the market, but also from her father.
"[My dad] is definitely a really big reason why I'm in this genre," said Marshall. "When I was young, I think he wanted me to be an astronomer. He got me to memorize all the planets and the moons when I was 7 years old. That kind of stuff he really encouraged, like knowing the stars."
Her next fantasy novel follows a mermaid caught in the middle of a murder mystery.
As an author in self-publishing, Marshall also has to be her own salesperson.
"Books are a product like any other, and if you know how to sell them, they will sell, and I know how to sell books," said Marshall, pushing back against the "poor writer" stereotype. "There are also ways to be successful at it if you keep working on it and you're writing in a field or in a genre that will sell."
Marshall also believes the traditional vs. self-publishing debate is fading.
"There's no bias, and certainly not in 2025, when it's never been easier to publish a book. It's never been harder to market a book," Marshall said. "I actually have more people now say, 'You self-publish your books? That's so cool.'"
Marshall shared her latest invention, a book vending machine inspired by a trip to Japan in 2023.
"I could have these little, tiny books, but also I can make multiple collections of tiny little books so that people could collect them. And every time I have something new, I can put them in the vending machine, and people will always be coming back for something new," Marshall explained.
"We're going to miniaturize it, because everybody loves miniature things."
"Putting yourself out there is hard work. It is a job in and of itself that inevitably becomes part of your job as a writer, especially if you are going a self-publishing route," Marshall reflected. "It's never just one thing that is going to make you be 'successful.' It's all the little, teeny tiny things you throw in a row that are going to make you successful."
As the Medieval Faire brings fantasy to life from Aug. 22 to 24, readers can still dive into otherworldly realms through Marshall's books, available now for those craving a mystical journey or science-driven adventure.