I was lucky to get an interview with Heidi K. Allen, the author of Where Madness Lies, one of this year’s #SPFBO9 entries.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I live in Salt Lake City, Utah, a beautiful city nestled right up against the mountains. In addition to writing and indie publishing, I work in IT and am the mother of two little girls. I'm a child of the 80s, an unapologetic nerd, and of course, an avid reader. I’m also an old-school gamer (hefting my tower around to LAN parties) and used to build my own gaming systems. I’ve been on a lengthy hiatus while finishing my novel, though I have a few on deck to play as a personal reward for launching though, which is exciting.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
Unlike most currently popular mythological books that are simply retellings, Where Madness Lies brings the Greek gods into this era. It’s a contemporary mythological thriller centered around a lonely and cursed mortuary technician who, thanks to her new friend Artemis, is pulled into a strange world of immortal ex-gods, impossibly strong assassins, mysterious cults, and ancient, devastating family secrets.

If you prefer thinking in mashups, it’s American Gods + The Odyssey + Bakkhai + a wee bit of Eyes Wide Shut. It has strong (yet fallible and relatable) female protagonists, a bit of horror, a hint of romance, page-turning suspense, twists you won't see coming, and a pantheon of delicious characters. So far, it’s getting great reader and editorial reviews which is quite thrilling!

This book also began its manifested life with a successful Kickstarter, which has lots more info about me and the book if you’re curious, including character art of Artemis (one of the protagonists), and the Venetians (the antagonists) that I really love.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
Not counting the little book I wrote at age 8 and sold to various family members, I really got into it in the early 2000s with blogging. When a friend said she loved my writing and asked me if I’d ever considered writing a book, it gave me the push to try my hand at telling the story I’d had rolling around in my head. It took me fourteen years on and off again, (more recently, four years in earnest) to write Where Madness Lies into the world.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
I have not! I came across it by lucky happenstance as I was in a Kickstarter-related Facebook group with the winner of last year’s SFPBO. I of course immediately planned to get on London time to throw my book in the ring. I’m glad I did, even though I didn’t make it to the semi-finals.

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
I’ve loved reading since I was very young, and while I enjoyed many genres (and still do), fantasy and sci-fi won my heart. I grew up on stories about John Carter and began my young reading journey in earnest with the likes of Dragonriders of Pern, Sword of Shannara, and Ender's Game. While I love epic fantasy and being completely immersed in new worlds and magic systems (and I do have a list of story ideas!), contemporary fantasy has a natural pull for me as a writer and person who still longs to find magic in the mundane, or another world hidden in our own.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
It’s hard to pick, there have been so many over the years. I would say recently though I’ve really loved V.E. Schwab (Addie LaRue especially), Alix Harrow (Ten Thousand Doors of January), Madeline Miller (Circe), and Tamsin Muir (Gideon the Ninth).

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
It took me a while to find my footing as a writer. Over the last fourteen years I put the story through two disastrous NaNoWriMos (National Novel Writing Month), four styles of outlines (once I realized I needed one), three titles, several long pauses when a busy life conspired against it, a no-nonsense writing coach/developmental editor, a recognition that sporadic binge writing is just as acceptable as daily writing, and finally a year of querying, which is a rather soul-crushing and not for the faint of heart.

Eventually, I decided to stop banging my head (and heart) against that wall and instead take my novel’s fate into my own hands. I was excited to learn the multi-threaded ropes of indie publishing, but I found I did have to grieve the loss of that long-held dream for a bit. Ultimately though, I’m really happy with my decision, even though it’s a lot of work wearing all the literary and business owner hats. I actually just randomly received an email rejection from a literary agent I’d queried over 18 months ago (!), and it felt pretty sweet to delete it with gusto and zero emotional pangs. I couldn’t be prouder of the work I’ve done for myself and for my dream, all on my own.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I really love Scrivener for drafting, outlining, and tracking all things story related—pictures, reviews, ISBNs, blurbs, keywords, categories, and so on. It’s so dynamic and as an organized person, I like that I can keep everything all in one place.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
Where Madness Lies stands alone, but I loved the characters so much I’m going to continue in most likely a trilogy. I have book two plotted and will begin drafting next month. It’s been ages since I’ve been able to spend time writing and I’m looking forward to creaking those creative muscles back to life.

Apps that are based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as ChatGTP and Midjourney, along with apps aimed specifically at authors, have caused quite a stir. Do you expect these new technologies will make your life as a self-published author easier or harder, and do you expect that they’ll mean you’ll earn more or less?
Given my career in IT, I have both a healthy appreciation and reticence for AI. If used correctly, it has the potential to cut down on busywork and could perhaps help with miserable processes like blurb writing, for instance, though it still has limitations—it’s only as good as the data it’s fed. I do firmly believe the tech needs some serious guardrails.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
I’d love to quit my job, buy a beach house, and write full time to the sound of the sea and my daughters’ laughter. More realistically in the short term, I’d love to just develop a real following of readers who love my stories. I would love to make a comfortable living writing, but only time (and dozens of other factors) will tell.

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Thanks for the opportunity to chat Rune, and thanks to Mark for the chance to participate in the SFPBO contest!

I wish you the very best and hope a lot of readers discover your writing.
Thanks for doing the interview!