Melanie Harding Shaw is well-known in the Wellington and Aotearoa New Zealand speculative fiction scene, both as a writer and through activities such as being the Writer Liaison for CoNZealand. Melanie has had numerous short stories published winning the Julius Vogel award for best short story in 2022.
As fans of Melanie’s work, we were very excited to see the recent announcement of the publication of her debut full length novel, City of Souls.
City of Souls is an enemies to lovers, romantic, paranormal, urban fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic, decaying Wellington. With dark magic, intricate world building and a fast-paced plot, City of Souls is a book that is both fun and thrilling. The two key protagonists at the books core are bounty hunter Hel and winged necromancer Bastion, both with mysterious pasts and a slowly-emerging romantic interest in each other.
City of Souls recently won the Winner Agents Choice in the Romance Writers of New Zealand Great Beginnings Contest.
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Melanie for taking the time to answer our questions, and for providing such an illuminating insight into her world and work.
This interview was done in conjunction with Caffeine and Aspirin, the arts and entertainment review show on Radioactive FM and was conducted by Tanya Ashcroft.
City of Souls : Soul Court Ascension / Harding-Shaw, Melanie
“City of Souls is an enemies to lover’s, romantic, paranormal, urban fantasy set in a post-apocalyptic, decaying Wellington. With dark magic, intricate world building ,and a fast-paced plot, City of Souls is a book that is both fun and thrilling. The two key protagonists at the books core are bounty hunter Hel and winged necromancer Bastion both with mysterious pasts and a slowly emerging romantic interest in each other.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
Against the grain / Harding-Shaw, Melanie
“It’s bad enough when your own body tries to attack you, but when dark powers want to as well, running is the only option. Until you can’t. After another casual fling goes horribly wrong, coeliac witch Trinity moves down the country to start over, yet again, in the bush-clad suburb of Karori. On the surface, it seems like the perfect place: from the local bistro below her flat with its gluten-free baking (and its handsome owner) to the mountain bike trails she can escape to. But her fresh start takes a dark turn when she discovers something is trapping her familiar, Saifa, in the suburb…” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Alt-ernate : a collection of 37 stories / Harding-Shaw, Melanie
“Alt-ernate is the debut short story collection from author Melanie Harding-Shaw.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.
Year’s best Aotearoa New Zealand science fiction & fantasy. VI
“Collected together for the first time, the very best science fiction and fantasy short stories published by New Zealand authors in 2018″–Publisher information.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.
Year’s best Aotearoa New Zealand science fiction & fantasy. V2
“Ancient myths go high-tech a decade after the New New Zealand Wars. Safe homes and harbours turn to strangeness within and without.Splintered selves come together again – or not. Twelve authors. Thirteen stories. The best short science fiction and fantasy from Aotearoa New Zealand in 2019. With works by: Juliet Marillier, Nic Low, Rem Wigmore, Andi C Buchanan, Octavia Cade, A.J. Fitzwater, Nicole Tan, Melanie Harding-Shaw, Alisha Tyson, James Rowland, Zoë Meager, and Casey Lucas.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.
Year’s Best Aotearoa New Zealand science fiction and fantasy, V3
“When borders closed last year, Kiwi science fiction and fantasy took readers on flights of imagination through space and time. This anthology contains a selection of the best short science fiction and fantasy stories published by Aotearoa New Zealand writers in 2020.” (Adapted from Catalogue) Also available as an eBook.
Year’s best Aotearoa New Zealand science fiction & fantasy. v. 4
“Contents : Introduction. I will teach you magic by Andi C. Buchanan, A thorn in your side by M. Darusha Wehm, Rabbit by Samantha Lane Murphy , Clutch, stick, shift by Tehnuka, Plague year by Anuja Mitra, Basil and the wild by Rem Wigmore, Data migration by Melanie Harding-Shaw, Domestic goddess by Kirsteen Ure, Below salt-heavy tides by Andi C. Buchanan, The women who didn’t win Nobels, and how world trees are not a substitute by Octavia Cade, Why we make monsters by Rem Wigmore, Interview with the sole refugee from the A303 Incident by James Rowland, Last Bird Island by Nat Baker and Washing the plaid by Juliet Marillier.” ( Adapted from Catalogue)
