I was lucky to get an interview with Jill Chard, the author of The Relic Thief, one of this year’s #SPFBO9 entries.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I am a high school English and Drama teacher living just outside Montreal, Quebec. I wasn't always a teacher. I've been a video game designer, a sfx make-up assistant, assistant video editor and an interior designer. Writing has always been a part of my life, patiently waiting for me to take it seriously.  

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
You definitely should try The Relic Thief. It is a provocative and thrilling fast-paced hopepunk fantasy. This first volume of The Other Side of Darkness follows Nila, a talented thief who is impervious to magic. While handy for stealing relics, her gift also makes her the unwilling crux of a plot to bring back a magic that almost destroyed the world. Too late to escape, Nila must do everything she can to prevent that power from getting into the wrong hands, even if that means trusting in others again. Full of heists and adventures, intrigue and action, The Relic Thief will keep you turning pages.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
Teaching got me back into writing. I really enjoyed writing scripts and short stories for my students. Then, a few years ago when I was stuck on the couch after foot surgery, I picked up an old idea and began The Relic Thief. I fell in love with novel writing and haven't looked back.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
This is my first competition. I heard about SPFBO when I was digging through vlogs for self-publishing tips. I was blown away by how big the community was and the quality of writing out there. Mark has created something pretty amazing here. It's more than a contest, it's a festival.

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
Fantasy offers the greatest escape while also holding a mirror up to the world's most important issues. I chose the hopepunk genre because it's about fighting for positive change, building community and kindness. It's a remedy to apathy and cynicism. I'm really tired of the hero coming to save the day trope. It encourages us to sleep through the world's problems, waiting for that one person to fix things, while all along it's us who can make the biggest difference by coming together. The Relic Thief explores resilience, the power of bonding and what really happens to those who believe they can wield power alone.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
While writing The Relic Thief, I was going through intense challenges in my personal life. Writing became a balm and a sanctuary from my reality. The issues I faced within my writing were more like puzzles to figure out, challenges that were fun and exciting, problems I could actually handle. When they became difficult, like, making sure my magic system made sense, I just banished myself to the woodland trails nearby, talking the puzzles out to myself like a crazy lady. By the end of the walk, I usually knew what to do. When I didn't, I would put the writing aside and work on another book. The break gave the story time to bubble away in my subconscious. By the time I came back to it, I would have more perspective.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I have a few projects on the go. I'm currently doing the final edit on a literary novel called North of 7. It's about how family secrets can lead to terrible legacies, and is set in rural Ontario, Canada. Another project is a YA historical pirate fiction called Rats! set in England, Africa and the Carribean. I'm also working on book 2 of The Other Side of Darkness.

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?
Life as a self-published author is already stupid hard. I think AI will flood the trad market but self-pub is already about retaining creative control. I'm sure AI will be mostly shunned from the community.

The real problem will come from audience literacy. I've been teaching for 19 years now. I've seen a huge change in literacy in that time and it is accelerating downward at an alarming pace. Immediate access to information, addiction to 5 second entertainment and algorithms designed to dissuade critical thinking are some likely culprits. Enter AI where kids plug in parameters and their work is finished in seconds. There is no thinking involved, no analysis, no creativity. I don't even think my students read the AI work they handed in to me this year. Whether AI gets banned from schools or not, AI creation and AI consumption is going to become commonplace. Literacy rates will continue to fall, reducing the number of readers. So, ya, it's going to get worse. (Ha! That's a very grimdark answer.)

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
I'd just like to thank you for doing these interviews. I've enjoyed reading them and getting to know a bit about the other contestants.

You’re welcome! Thank you, for some interesting answers. I wish you the very best in the SPFBO. I hope a lot of readers discover your writing. Thanks for doing the interview.