For most readers, a nutmeg spice jar is simply a kitchen staple. For 20-year-old western Kansas author Kristian Roden-Quigley, it became the inspiration behind an entire novel.
Roden-Quigley recently published his debut novella, The Bitter Spice, a historical romance with gothic undertones set on a fictional English estate. The book, released May 17 through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, marks the first published work for the Elkhart-area native and represents years of writing, revising and learning the intricacies of self-publishing.
At approximately 13,300 words and 62 pages, The Bitter Spice follows Virelle, a scullery maid who has secretly loved Caspian, the heir to Blackthorn Hall, since childhood. As Caspian faces pressure to enter a strategic marriage arrangement with Lady Lysandra, old emotions resurface, and a seemingly simple nutmeg spice becomes a symbol of memory, longing and the bittersweet nature of love.
“The spice itself becomes this recurring symbol for memory, longing and how sweet things can turn bitter,” Roden-Quigley said.
The novella employs multiple points of view, allowing readers to experience events through the perspectives of Virelle, Caspian and Lady Lysandra. Roden-Quigley said he wanted each character to feel authentic, complete with flaws and personal struggles.
“Real characters plus good world-building are the two hardest but most important parts of telling a story,” he said.
Although romance may seem like a natural choice for some writers, Roden-Quigley intentionally ventured outside his comfort zone. A longtime fan of science fiction, history and the Halo video game franchise, he viewed the project as a personal challenge.
“My first book was to challenge myself,” he said. “I’m a sci-fi, Halo, history guy. So I wanted to write something I was not comfortable writing. I wrote a romance book where each character is imperfect, then I used my love of history to support and build upon it.”
The idea for the story grew from his longtime interest in poetry and storytelling. He found inspiration in William Blake’s famous poem “The Tyger” from Songs of Experience, while also researching English country estates from the Regency and early Victorian periods. Even family conversations played a role in shaping the narrative.
“I also learned from my dad that nutmeg can be poisonous,” Roden-Quigley said. “That fit well with the themes I was exploring.”
His culinary background also influenced the book. Roden-Quigley previously worked as a chef at Big C’s Cafe before taking a job on night shifts at a milk processing plant. The food and spice elements woven throughout the story felt natural because of those experiences.
The path to publication was far from simple. Roden-Quigley estimates he completed 10 versions of the manuscript before settling on the final draft. Refining the pacing, balancing romance with darker themes, and perfecting emotional story arcs proved challenging.
“The revisions were the hardest part,” he said. “Making sure every character felt real and flawed, while not giving too much away too soon, took a lot of work.”
Once the manuscript was complete, another challenge emerged: self-publishing. Roden-Quigley had to learn formatting, cover design, marketing descriptions and keyword selection through Amazon’s publishing platform.
“Formatting took me forever, and I still messed it up,” he joked. “I edited it myself, so there’s bound to be a mistake or two.”
Despite the obstacles, publishing the book brought a tremendous sense of accomplishment.
“Actually finishing it and hitting publish felt huge,” he said. “Seeing it go from late-night writing sessions to something people can actually hold is the best feeling.”
Roden-Quigley credits former employer April Kerbo with providing encouragement during the early stages of the project. Kerbo read an early draft and helped convince him the story was worth sharing.
“She actually pre-read version three and gave me the confidence to publish it,” he said.
Born and raised in rural western Kansas, Roden-Quigley graduated from high school with interests ranging from poetry and fiction to history and gaming. While The Bitter Spice is his first published book, it likely will not be his last.
He is already working on a psychological thriller and hopes to continue building a career as an author.
“Writing is the main thing I’m chasing right now,” he said.
The Bitter Spice is available in paperback and Kindle editions through Amazon
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