In her debut fantasy novel, The Trials of Browid, Australian actress Stephanie Bosshard weaves a thrilling, sensual journey through a hidden world of power, prophecy, and desire.

Selena Bell is a young woman fighting to keep her family café afloat after her mother's death and her father's disappearance"but the arrival of a mysterious pendant and dire warnings tied to her family's forgotten legacy quickly unravel the quiet life she knew.

'Selena froze, her heart skipping a beat as she spun around, searching the shadows for the source of the sound. But the streets were empty, the town deserted in the face of the approaching storm. It's just the wind, she told herself, clutching her bag tighter against her chest. Then, it came again. Louder. Clearer. A desperate, haunting cry that sliced through the wind. Her breath hitched, her pulse quickening. She scanned the street, squinting against the wind, her hair whipping around her face.'

A sweeping romantic fantasy, The Trials of Browid plunges readers into a world as immersive as it is intoxicating - one built on courage, resilience, and the yearning for freedom.

Written during Melbourne's long pandemic lockdowns, the novel began at a time when Stephanie's acting work had come to a halt and she was isolated from her family in Queensland.

Channeling her instinct for performance and her craft of inhabiting other lives, she turned to writing, creating a world where love, endurance, and defiance became powerful acts of survival.

'Selena, faces confinement and impossible trials, mirroring my own experience of feeling trapped, yet choosing to create, dream, and overcome,' says Stephanie.

What started as a way to stay creative became a lifeline - an imaginative escape that grew far beyond the walls of lockdown. Through writing, Stephanie rediscovered her creative voice and found that even in isolation, stories have the power to connect, heal, and inspire.

'This book gave me an escape, and while the trials Selena faces are different obviously to my own, her courage and strength gave me hope that this shall pass too,' Stephanie says.

Selena Bell has spent her life trying not to be seen, but when three mysterious strangers deliver a warning that shatters everything, she learns the truth, she's a Semper, magic woven into human form, and the world has been waiting for her to awaken.

Power in human skin. A force the world should've destroyed before it ever drew breath. Marked by magic older than the world itself, caught between the seductive chaos of the Fallen, and the brutal order of the Blessed, Selena is thrown into a realm of vicious trials, monstrous enemies, and ancient courts that see her as a threat and a weapon to claim.  

At her side is Gabriel, a fierce and magnetic ally whose loyalty is as dangerous as his allure. The greatest danger, however, may not be what she is, but what she is becoming.

Everything in this new world was different; she hadn't ever imagined that favours would hold such power. She knew Gabriel had lived many lives, but she had hoped he would have found ways to avoid making such binding bargains. And yet, she felt the sweet, suffocating tenderness of his sacrifice, giving himself for her, once again.

Working as an actor since age fifteen, Stephanie is no stranger to worlds of fantasy. She has written, directed, and produced her own medieval fantasy mini-series,  'Keys to the Keep'.

'Acting allows me to connect deeply to the human experience, understanding why people  – sometimes even those we struggle to comprehend – make the choices they do. This empathy allows me to bring every character to life on the page with nuance and authenticity, from heroic heroines to complex, morally grey figures,' says Stephanie.

I hope the love I have for my characters, and the curiosity about what drives them, infuses my story with emotional depth and resonance, making the trials, triumphs and transformations feel real and unforgettable.'

The Trials of Browid is perfect for readers of Romantasy authors like Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Scarlett St. Clair. Stephanie hopes her novel offers readers a world to escape into when times are tough – one filled with magic, passion, and a heroine who discovers the extraordinary within herself.

An emotional and magical journey, The Trials of Browid explores the strength it takes to rise after hardship, and the transformative power of hope.