A new sapphic pirate fantasy, Virelai’s Hoard by Vivien Nash, released earlier this week on August 4th. When I read an eARC of Nash’s book, I was hooked. The first of a trilogy, Virelai’s Hoard brings sapphic pirates to the forefront in this new fantasy series.
Following three POVs, the book starts with con-artist and loner, Riley, and her rat, Patch. She sets her eyes on one last big con, hoping to set her up for the future, on the ship Moonshadow. Except, she’s drawn into the familiarity and safety of the crew, exacerbated by the mysterious Captain Calla and her first mate, Sable. Meanwhile, Sable is trying to decide how trustworthy Riley really is and Calla is pushing her crew to their very ends to reach the treasure she so desires. With oodles of LGBTQ+ representation and dynamic characters, this book promises the start of an amazing trilogy.
Virelai’s Hoard easily reminded me why fantasy is my favorite genre, so I think it’ll stir any fantasy lover’s heart. Riley, Calla, and Sable are the perfect tangled mess. The plot was fantastic and fast-paced enough to keep me hooked. If you love pirates, mystery, and women kissing and pining, this is the best read to pick up.
This book includes adult content!
Fandom Spotlite got a chance to ask Vivien Nash questions about her new release, as well as general questions about her writing.
Fandom Spotlite: When did you begin writing Virelai’s Hoard? How much has it changed since the first draft?
Nash: Oh, I can actually give you the exact date for that! I keep a track sheet of my daily progress. It’s December 30th, 2024. And it didn’t actually change much! This was such a blessedly clean draft. Except for the world-building. My first editing pass was basically dedicated to only that because I had none, not even names for places!
FS: What’s your writing process?
Nash: Generally, I just like to operate off a simple rule of “no zero days.” Which worked great when all I had to concern myself with was drafting! It’s working less great with the sequel because there are so many accessory tasks (release, marketing, newsletters, etc.) I can use for the “no zero days” rule that I’m now slower on the actual drafting. But it’s getting there.
FS: How do you deal with writer’s block?
Nash: I just push through it, because usually it’s about a scene block for me, rather than a writing block, and that kind of block doesn’t go away even if I wait it out. This is where the “no zero days” rule is useful because as long as I put even 100 words down, well, that’s progress, and it doesn’t take more than a few days to get through the problem scene and go back to my daily baseline.
FS: How’s your experience been in the production of the book (where to write it, how to get a cover, how to use BookFunnel, etc.)?
Nash: I draft, edit, and format on Google Docs, and then use Kindle Create to get the document ready for publishing, and right now this process works just fine, considering my limited funds!
For covers I went to the lovely people over at GetCovers, and I got very lucky with the designer assigned to me, because both the covers I booked so far for this series (Virelai’s Hoard and the companion novella, Storm Shelter), are gorgeous. There was a lot to learn on the cover subject, though, and the biggest help I had was from both my author friend, Elsie Hawthorne, and an indie author discord (IAA) we are both a part of. Everyone has been so very generous with their time and advice and I would’ve never known what to even ask for without them coaching me. (I’m kind of hopeless for all the visual stuff, as my website will tell you if you visit it haha). The blurb being as strong as it is also happened thanks to their help!
Learning to set up my website and newsletter has also been… a process, but funny enough BookFunnel was the easiest part of that process! By the time I got to the BookFunnel step, both my newsletter and my free novella were ready to go, so all I had to do by that point was simply set things in motion!
So, basically, all of this has been challenging, because most of these things I was doing for the first time and some of them had a steep learning curve. But I got a lot of help and a lot of support along the way and in the end everything was doable. And as I get more bandwidth and more experience I’ll start learning how to do all these things better as well!
FS: Do you have any favorite characters, particularly with the three MCs?
Nash: Sable. Her noble and obstinate vibes just speak to me. Also… muscles. Enough said.
FS: How do you come up with names for characters and settings?
Nash: Random name generators are so very handy. Truly. Did I mention how I’m useless for visual stuff? I’m even more useless with names. Look, we all have our strengths and this is not mine! (My family had a bunny that I’d named Bunny once, so really.)
FS: What was your favorite part of the story to write? (Feel free to be vague to be spoiler-free!)
Nash: Most of the scenes that included Sable. I really did not joke that she’s my favorite! If I had to pick one, I’d pick either the spoon scene or Chapter 27. Though the ghost ship chapter was so much fun to write as well!
FS: How are your characters similar to you (traits, looks, etc.)? Similar to others in your life?
Nash: I think every character has bits and pieces of myself, and it seems to me that this is inevitable. Because you need to drop in their shoes and really immerse yourself in their skin to be able to write them, and something of you will always be left behind. I think it’s the something that gives them life, in the end. It’s a beautiful part of the process. It also proves that we all, as human beings, contain multitudes. No one is just one thing.
FS: What prompted the idea for Patch’s character?
Nash: Ok, so I said I started writing Virelai’s Hoard just before New Years’, but I’ve been trying to write a version of this story collaboratively for a couple of years before that, so I’d had the chance to experiment with a couple different versions of Riley beforehand. The Riley with no pet was not relatable enough. A character only out for herself can be fun, but I needed a way to show she was about more than that in the heart of her. So, a pet. But what kind of pet? I’d started with a lizard, but that was very quickly dismissed because it felt too distant. Another attempt was with a monkey she’d stolen right before departure from one of her hook-ups, but I learned that neither me nor Riley are very fond of monkeys! (She dumped it on the captain as soon as she set foot on the ship and called it good-riddance, so that was good for the fun factor but not so good for the character relatability factor!). Then, finally, the rat, and he was it. They just compliment each other in the best ways. They are both trouble-makers through and through, but Patch also has the smarts to know when Riley is crossing the line, and the emotional awareness Riley is sorely lacking!
FS: Did anything surprise you when writing, like a character or plot idea?
Nash: …Sable again. She was supposed to be as morally gray as the rest of them. There wasn’t supposed to be anyone in my story who I could call a hero! But she took a look at the role I’d had planned for her in my story and went like… nah. Love her for it.
The ghost ship chapter was also unexpected. I drafted all the chapters before it with no idea about what I was going to do with that chapter. I wasn’t planning on ghosts! The only thing I was planning was to make the chapter horror-leaning, and that went out the window once I was actually writing it because I was craving something else at that moment. I’m glad I listened to that voice because I love how it came out.
FS: If you could summarize the feeling or vibe of Virelai’s Hoard in five words, what would it be?
Nash: I’ll do it in three: sapphic pirate shenanigans.
FS: What can readers expect from book two of The Dagger & Tide trilogy? Have you already started it?
Nash: I did! I actually just wrapped up act 2, but this one is not a blessedly clean draft so there’s a long way to go still until it’s ready for other eyes than mine. I’m already suspecting most of my readers have Calla down as their favorite character, and they can definitely expect more of Calla in this book. Oh, and a surprise return character :).
Thank you for Nash for agreeing to the interview. The insight into an author’s mind is always amazing, especially when the book is sapphic. I have to say, to answer one of these questions myself, Riley ended up being my favorite character. Learning about Patch in this interview was the best!
Virelai’s Hoard can be purchased starting August 4, 2025 on Amazon.
Vivien Nash can be found at her website, Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram. If you sign up for her newsletter, you’ll get exclusive access to the companion novella Storm Shelter, featuring side characters Kit.
Check out my July Reading Wrap-Up which includes Nash’s novel.
