An Interview with Bo Huffman

Bo Huffman lives in a cottage overgrown by roses and overrun by perfect pets. She has been a lifelong writer and reader of all things fun and fantasy, and sometimes romance. Her favorite things include rabbits, being a coffee snob, hunting for speakeasies, visiting grocery stores in foreign cities, and eating a perfect croissant.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

My husband and I play a lot of tabletop and roleplay games, and the main character of this book was inspired by a character I created for one of our Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. I had so much fun imagining this dwarf pastry chef clad in armor made of baking equipment (colander as a helmet, muffin tin as a chest plate, wielding a rolling pin) that I just kept writing his story, and that became the tale of the royal bake-off in Desserts & Dragons. My husband would pop in and ask, “What’s Gregor doing now?” and it was something we could easily talk about and a fun thing to bond over. At the time I was also working as a pastry chef, so I took the joys (and woes!) of baking and incorporated them into the story as well.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Picking the title was really hard! The protagonist is inspired by a D&D character I made so I wanted it to pay homage to that. I swapped ‘Dungeons’ with ‘Desserts’ and that became the title. I had a huge list of titles but I think this captures the lighthearted, fun nature of the book best. I also wanted readers to know that it’s in the cozy fantasy genre akin to those like Legends and Lattes and I think the similarity easily lets readers know that if they liked that book, they’ll really enjoy mine.

Describe your dream book cover.

My cover is exactly what I wanted it to be and I’m thrilled by how it turned out! I was so nervous hiring an artist for the first time, worried that maybe I didn’t quite explain the premise quite right or the style would be off, but when he sent me the drafts I was overwhelmed by how well it captures the spirit of the book. It’s a lighthearted, humorous fantasy book, and everything about the cover—from the tilted crown to the dragon smooshing the cake—sets the stage that this book is going to be a fun read. The back is also very cute with baking images that the artist came up with himself, so I really encourage people to get the physical copy of the book!

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have had so many jobs! I was a professional tour guide in DC for 5 years, then I ran my own French macaron business at farmer’s markets, and now I have a career in corporate training. I think having a main job makes the escapism of writing that much sweeter. There’s a saying “write what you know,” and while I can definitely incorporate aspects of my past jobs into my writing (like I did with baking in Desserts & Dragons), I love setting them in a fantasy world that is so different from real life. I think sometimes people are eager to be just a writer, but having a day job gives inspiration to your work. Sometimes you look back at your past experiences grateful that they happened because there’s so much material there to work into your stories.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I used to want to be a romance writer because I was obsessed with Sex & the City and romance novels when I was younger, but then I realized I prefer reading the genre instead of writing it. My husband and I are into a lot of fantasy roleplay and tabletop games that inspire a lot of my plots, and so he is my main audience now. I write knowing that someday my daughter will grow old enough to read my books and the thought drives me to create something incredible for both of them. I want my books to be their favorite works not just because mommy wrote them, but because they really are great works.

Do you have any writing rituals?

I write once my daughter is tucked into bed, so I’m at my desk at 7 pm every single evening. Creating a habit of it has made me almost giddy when I sit down, because I don’t let myself write before then. When I am finally at my desk and can let myself sink into my world, the writing comes easily. Ideas I’ve been simmering all day flow out, and I have no distractions until it’s time for my own bedtime at 10 pm. I’ve been making myself a decaf sugar-free lavender coffee as well, and now just the smell of lavender makes my fingers itch to type.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I want readers to know that great works don’t all have to be full of violence, spice, and gore. The fate of the whole world doesn’t have to be at stake. Reading can be a cozy escape, the feeling of a cup of tea to sip leisurely and really savor the world-building and characters. Those are my readers- the ones who enjoy cozy writing, witty humor, and characters they can really relate to.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.