Interview with Sara C. Roethle
Sara C. Roethle is a fantasy author and part-time unicorn. She enjoys writing character driven stories in various fantasy realms with elements of Celtic and Norse myth, humor, and metaphysical ponderings.
Her series include:Tree of Ages
The Thief’s Apprentice
The Moonstone Chronicles
Xoe Meyers
Bitter Ashes
Welcome to the Hive, Sara. Thanks for joining us today!
When did you know you wanted to write professionally? Describe your journey.
I’ve always been a reader, but never thought I could write a book. Then when I was twenty-two something just clicked and I decided I could. I wrote my first book in about a month (granted it was only 50,000 words) and self-published it a few weeks later. It was more of a fun thing, I didn’t expect to make any money from it (and really, I made very little at first). I didn’t discover I could publish on Kindle until two years later, and it took me three years after that to actually focus on writing as a career. I never tried to go the traditionally published route because I’m far too impatient.
What has your experience been with self-publishing your work?Overall I love self-publishing. It’s a ton of work, and there have been a lot of bumps in the road along the way. It can be a tough business, but I think I got lucky starting out when I did and learning my lessons early.
In your opinion, what are the most important factors for success as a self-published novelist?
1) Be persistent. I think we tend to mostly see stories of the lucky few who publish a bestseller on their first go, rather than the thousands who publish their first book to crickets (like me). Most of us have the “joy” of getting knocked down many times before we actually make it (‘making it’ meaning ‘earning a full-time living’).
2) Accept that you don’t know everything. I’ve learned a lot about writing and marketing over the years, but if I see someone doing better than me, and they’re kind enough to offer advice, I’m going to listen.
3) Put writing first. (This is something I need to work on. It’s far too easy to get caught up in all the marketing).
How important is reader interaction to you?
I think it’s really important…but I’m not great at it. I’m extremely introverted and I have social anxiety. Fortunately my readers are awesome and understanding. I do as much as I can.
Tree of Ages is a unique and beautiful creation. How did you come up with the idea for Finn your main protagonist who experiences a magical metamorphoses from Tree to human?Honestly, I don’t remember! It feels like I always had the idea in my head. Out of all my books, Tree of Ages was the one I wrote just for me without really thinking about my audience. To sound nice and cliche, I wrote the book I wanted to read because the idea really resonated with me. Oddly enough, that seems to be the reason most readers are drawn to the series (I assumed everyone would just think it was weird, heh).
How would you describe Tree of Ages for readers of fantasy that may want to delve in?
I always struggle with this question. In my opinion it’s kind of fairytale-esque? I’ve had quite a few readers say it has a similar feel to Lord of the Rings. Kind of character driven old school fantasy.
When you set out to write the 5 books that complete Tree of Ages, did you expect readers to connect so well with the characters? What did you hope to achieve with the series?
I really went into it expecting very little, so I’m so pleased with how the series was received. My characters feel very real to me (yes, I’m one of those crazy authors), and it means a lot to see readers connecting with them as much as I do.
As a side note, please give a shout out to your cover artist. Those covers are absolutely breathtaking! Deranged Doctor Design! They have been incredible to work with. I think they deserve a lot of credit for how successful the series has been.
Did you have the entire story arc planned in advance or did you go by instinct as you wrote?
I didn’t have any plan beyond the first book, haha. I’m getting better at planning in advance now because it took me a lot of time to figure things out with Tree of Ages (overall the series took me five years to write).
Many male fantasy readers falsely assume that female authors in the genre write romance disguised as fantasy. Have you felt this obstacle as a writer while reaching out to the male reading demographic?
I actually haven’t felt that an obstacle at all, but maybe I’m just oblivious. I’m sure there are plenty of men who stay away from my books for that reason, but I think many men will also gravitate toward female writers in hopes of some romance in their fantasy, and others will simply read female authors without bias, not assuming anything.
Your first series, the Xoe Meyers urban fantasy series, was YA and developed a strong following. What was the transition like from Young Adult fiction to the more complex and darker adult themes found in Tree of Ages and your other UF series Bitter Ashes? How were you initially received?I haven’t had any issues transitioning toward different themes. I think for new readers, only one or two of my series might appeal, but most of my long term readers (at least the ones I’ve heard from) have read each of my series and no one has complained about subject matter. Bitter Ashes is the only one that has content not suitable for all ages though (and even then, it’s not really that bad).
You have written (or are in the midst of writing) a number of series besides Tree of Ages. Please give us a bit of info on the other series so readers can check them out.
It’s getting to be a pretty big list! My newest series, The Moonstone Chronicles, is about a swashbuckling swamp witch and her two unlikely elven companions trying to overthrow an evil empire. Book one, The Witch of Shadowmarsh, just released in August. I also have a gaslamp fantasy series called The Thief’s Apprentice about a young thief and a female automaton investigating the murder of the automaton’s creator (and by extension, a dark network controlling London behind the scenes). My other two series, Bitter Ashes and Xoe Meyers, are urban fantasy. Bitter Ashes is loosely based around Norse Myth (Odin and Loki make an appearance in later books), and Xoe is about a teenage girl who learns she’s half-demon.
What is the key to your prolificacy?My prolificacy comes and goes, really. It helps me to be able to jump around between series. I usually need a couple months to formulate the next book in a series in my head, so by the time I finish one book, I’ve thought of my storyline for the next book in a different series and can jump to that. I try to write at least a little most every day on one project or another.
Who are some of the writers that influenced your career as an author?
Oh, too many. For urban fantasy it was Kim Harrison and early Laurell K. Hamilton. Epic fantasy was Robert Jordan, Jennifer Roberson, Tad Williams, and R.A. Salvatore.
What are some of your top fantasy reads of 2018 so far?
Well I’m finally getting around to reading the Throne of Glass series, so that’s been fun. Also really enjoying K.F. Breene’s Fire and Ice trilogy (though I’m only halfway through book two). Overall though I’m in a bit of a book slump. The last series I actually binged was Lindsay Buroker’s Emperor’s Edge, but that was last year. Can that still count?
When you are not writing, what takes up most of your time?
Video games. They take up way too much of my time, but I love them. I’d much rather play games than watch TV. Currently it’s Dragon Quest 11 (so good!), but my all time favorites are Witcher 3, the Elder Scrolls (all of them), and the Dragon Age franchise. Oh, and Dragon’s Dogma. See, ask me my top game of 2018 and I’ve got the question covered.
What’s next to look forward to from you this year and beyond?
I’m a bit behind schedule, but this year I’m hoping to release book two of the Moonstone Chronicles (that’s what’s coming next), then I have a surprise for Tree of Ages readers. Next year (or maybe the end of this year) will be book six of Bitter Ashes, and hopefully the spinoff/continuation of my Thief’s Apprentice series. I’ve also been posting the new chapters of the Xoe Meyers spinoff/continuation on my blog, and once those are all done I’ll wrap them up and publish the full book. Basically I’m incapable of letting go of any of my characters so everything will continue on forever in one form or another until I die.
Thanks again for joining us today, Sara, and good luck with your next releases!
Sara C. Roethle is the author of multiple epic and urban fantasy series, including TREE OF AGES, BITTER ASHES, XOE MEYERS, THE MOONSTONE CHRONICLES, and THE THIEF’S APPRENTICE.
