S.2 Ep.24 Invisibility, Lies, and Lethal Love: Madeline Taylor on Heir of Illusion
S.2 Ep.24 Invisibility, Lies, and Lethal Love: Madeline Taylor on Heir of Illusion  
Podcast: The Mythic Mic Podcast
Published On: Mon Feb 09 2026
Description: 🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where ambition becomes art, illusions blur morality, and a failed acting career might just be the best writing origin story.  This week, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with debut romantasy author Madeline Taylor, whose book Heir of Illusion is already taking the genre by storm. Equal parts hilarious, unfiltered and deeply insightful, Madeline walks us through her winding path from unsuccessful actress, to  English degree, to self-publishing, to a whirlwind traditional publishing deal in a matter of months.We talk about what it really looks like to write a book during grief, burnout, and mental health struggles, and how spite, therapy, and sheer determination helped her push through anyway. Madeline is refreshingly candid about money stress, timing, and the emotional whiplash of being courted by agents and editors while still trying to pay for wisdom teeth surgery.Then we dive into the deliciously dark world of Heir of Illusion: a female assassin bound to a ruthless king, a mysterious Shadow Reaper, and illusion magic that is as morally tricky as it is powerful. Madeline unpacks Ivy’s journey from self-punishment to self-worth, the seductive danger of invisibility, and why she loves writing razor-sharp banter more than anything.🗡️ What happens when spite becomes your greatest creative fuel?🖤 How do illusions blur the line between survival and morality?🔥 And what does it really take to go from indie debut to trad deal in record time?This is a must-listen for romantasy readers, aspiring authors, and anyone who loves messy heroines, shadow daddies, and brutally good cliffhangers.🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…✨ Madeline’s unlikely journey from failed acting to published author. ✨ How spite — and someone underestimating her — became a powerful motivator. ✨ The reality of self-publishing on a shoestring budget. ✨ Auctions, foreign rights, and the surreal speed of her trad deal. ✨ Why writing is a business — and how she treated it like one. ✨ Illusion magic, invisibility, and moral grayness in Heir of Illusion. ✨ Banter as Madeline’s favorite thing to write and why scripts helped her master dialogue. ✨ Her favorite and hardest chapters to write. ✨ That evil cliffhanger and why Madeline stands by it. CONNECT WITH US🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill📚 Madeline Taylor – @madelinetaylorauthor✨ Loved this episode? Leave us a rating and review — it helps more fantasy and romantasy readers find The Mythic Mic.