Author Rachael Herron Celebrates Best-Seller After Relocation

Rachael Herron, a prolific author with 27 novels to her name, has achieved a significant milestone by breaking into the USA Today Best-selling Booklist for the first time. Her latest novel, The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland, reached this prestigious list just one week after its mid-August release. This success follows a pivotal change in Herron’s life: in 2020, she and her wife, Lala Hulse, left the San Francisco Bay Area, seeking a safer and more accepting environment for their relationship.

In Oakland, California, where they lived, Herron and Hulse often felt uneasy expressing their affection in public. Herron recalls experiences that left them feeling vulnerable, including an incident in which they were chased out of a bar by a man shouting “lesbians!” The couple were also affected by the passage of Proposition 8 in California, which banned same-sex marriage just months after their wedding in 2008. Although the ban was later overturned, the couple grew weary of the rising homophobia in the United States. By 2021, they decided to relocate to New Zealand, where they felt they could live without the “ever-present fear” of violence against LGBTQ+ individuals.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reported a surge in anti-LGBTQI legislation in the United States, with a staggering 616 bills introduced in recent years. Against this backdrop, Herron found solace in Wellington, where she and Hulse settled in the suburb of Karori with their pets, Arlo, Space Prince, and Junebug.

The move significantly influenced Herron’s writing. In her new home, she felt liberated enough to write a queer romance for the first time, which resulted in The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland. The novel centers on Beatrice Barnard, a woman who dismisses a psychic’s warning about her impending death until she faces a life-threatening situation. Herron even incorporated tarot cards into her creative process, using them for inspiration and guidance.

Initially, Herron considered self-publishing the novel, believing there was limited market interest in queer romances. However, encouraged by her newfound freedom and happiness in New Zealand, she decided to share her manuscript with her agent. To her surprise, it received multiple bids at auction from publishers, ultimately being acquired by Hachette Book Group’s Grand Central Publishing.

A week after its release, The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland was ranked number 101 on the USA Today Best-selling Booklist, an achievement that Herron describes as a “dream come true.” She emphasizes that this milestone was unexpected but serves as a validation of her creative choices.

Looking ahead, Herron is embarking on her next project, a local historical fiction novel set in Whanganui. The story will focus on Charles Mackay, the early 20th-century mayor who infamously shot a man threatening to expose his homosexuality, alongside local artist Edith Collier. Herron expresses her excitement for this unorthodox narrative, stating, “I honestly think it’s going to be the most unmarketable-to-New-York book that I have ever written… and I don’t care.”

Throughout her writing journey, Herron has relied on tarot cards for introspection and direction. She discovered the cards after attending a 12-step meeting for alcoholism recovery, where she felt compelled to seek a new form of guidance. The tarot has since become an integral part of her creative process, helping her navigate both her personal and professional life.

With her unique blend of personal experience and creative expression, Rachael Herron continues to defy expectations. She embraces the freedom to write authentically, prioritizing what resonates with her over market demands. As she moves forward with her writing, Herron remains optimistic, using both her stories and her connection to a higher power to fuel her passion.