I was lucky to get an interview with Nicole Pierman, the author of Danu's Curse, one of this year’s #SPFBO9 entries.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I've been writing since I was a child without much prompting on anyone's part other than lovely words of encouragement from teachers and family members. I write poetry, historical fiction, historical fantasy, and now urban fantasy under another name, Nicole Fox. When I'm not writing, I'm either reading, hiking, baking, or active on my YouTube channel.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
Short answer: There's powerful Tuatha de Danann, tricky Irish deities, and shimmering demons, y'all.

Long answer that's way more serious: I was inspired to write Danu's Curse because of Morgan Llwelyn. I found her novels, The Greener Shore and Finn Mac Cool on my grandmother's bookshelf as a teenager, and those two books changed my whole outlook on how to tell a story. I learned so much about Irish history and how often Irish myth and legends are tied into Ireland's history, which is incredibly unique. That idea is something I wanted to bring to life with my own set of writing skills and personal experiences. The novel is set during the early Iron Age of Ireland, so they have just been introduced to iron with some other technological advances for that time period, but there's also gods and goddesses, Tuatha De Danann, and earthly magic involved. Danu's Curse is largely based on Irish myths and legends, but then there are characters of my own creation that are just as real in their own right, trying to navigate a magically charged world full of love, danger, and deceit. 

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I've been writing since I was in elementary school, but I started with poetry because it's easier to teach 3rd graders how to write a poem compared to a full-length novel. But after writing dozens of poems throughout my younger years, I tackled my first novel at 13 years old. I knew I wanted to mainly be a fantasy writer but decided to be rebellious against my own wishes and instead wrote a historical fiction novel. After that, I started weaving magic into my writing in second book and that continues on to this day.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
This will be my first year participating! I heard about it online but I forget who mentioned it to me. Then I asked my editor and she explained the setup and told me I should give it a try for Danu's Curse. My first book is historical fiction, so that obviously doesn't count. I briefly thought about entering my second novel, but decided against it because it has very light magic that I don't think would stack up against full-on fantasy books. Danu's Curse is the best fit for this competition, and I'm glad I waited until I had a solid contender.

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
I grew up reading fantasy novels and I love the idea of creating a new world or building onto an already existing world, but throwing in whatever type of magic or magical beings you want into it. I wish there were such things as elves, faeries, mermaids, etc. and that's actually what I believed as a child. I didn't completely understand the concept of "fiction" for quite some time, but because of that belief, my childhood was full of magic and adventure. That's why fantasy appeals to me the most: it's steeped in real life, but it's also whimsical, magical, and mystical.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
As I mentioned above, Irish writer Morgan Llwelyn changed the outlook of writing and storytelling for me at a very young age. The way she writes is magical and full of passion, though her books are not purple prose. It's a wonderful balance between heartfelt words and simplicity, which is my guide for writing.

If you were to win the SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?
I think it would open up a lot of fun and professional opportunities to help pay some of my outstanding bills, but mainly I entered this contest to connect with fantasy writers and fantasy readers. The journey is way more interesting along the way, and yes, the destination of winning (or even placing in the top 20, 10, 5, 3... I'm not at all picky) is fantastic as well, but it's the memories that will be made and the friendships gained that will be extremely meaningful to me. 

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
I am one of those weird writers where, if I am at a certain stress level, I can't write. I was in that place for this novel for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There were just too many things happening (as we all know) and then I was let go from my job. And another job… and one more after that! After the third time I was left unemployed, I didn't open the document for months because it was just too depressing. But then I joined a writer group that did sprints every day, multiple times a day. At that point, I knew I needed support from others, so I joined all the writing sprints and had a fantastic time. There was no pressure to create an amazing product; we were just writing to pass the time and forget about our troubles. Within 5 months, I finished Danu's Curse. Within another two months, my self imposed editing was complete and I found my current editor. Everything went up from there regarding publishing it, but I still have minimal funding and time for marketing because I have 3 jobs that take up a lot of my time. Though I still don't have a lot of time to focus on marketing and connecting with others, I am proud that I published Danu's Curse because it was an uphill battle for two years.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I think writing sprints are helpful because though writing can be lonely, it doesn't have to be. I join writing sprints with AuthorTubers who do live writing sprints all the time and I've become way more productive than simply writing on my own. Also, I think writers need to take at least two days off from writing to decompress and avoid burnout. If you don't need two days off, then at least take one day off. Burnout is the last thing you want. However, I see it often because writers push and push and push until you've pushed yourself to the brink of stress, and then you have to pick up the pieces. Taking a few days off every week helps you avoid that and it's better for your mental and physical wellbeing.

Regarding tools, I am very basic and use Scrivener for drafting, then turn it into a Word document for my editor, and then I use Atticus to format the book. If you want to format your own books, I suggest Atticus. I couldn't publish without it.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
I'm excited to share  that I'm now mainly writing under my urban fantasy pen name, Nicole Fox, for my Midnight Detective Agency book series. The first book in the series, Obsidian Murders, will be released this summer. I will write historical novels off and on under my given name, but my focus will mainly be on urban fantasy. I have so many idea and planned books that I decided to create a pen name so my other novels and poetry books weren't pushed down on my website or Amazon sales page and forgotten.

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?
Everything has some sort of impact in one's life, but I don't know what it will do to the overall artistic sphere in the future other than create massive issues with copyright infringement because I am not well versed in that type of technology, nor do I use it (or want to use it). I don't want to try it or put anything that I've written or created into any AI program because I don't know where it'll turn up or how it will be used. We are already seeing a divide in people saying they don't care about AI art, but a lot of people do care and will not buy anything "created" by AI, including books. I can't say if that will mean more or less money, but I'm not in the business of self-publishing to get rich off quickly producing books. You're seeing that happening already, but that isn't what art is to me.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
I hope some day I'll be able to live comfortably off my writing. 

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Thank you for this opportunity and I can't wait for what SPFBO has in store for not just me, but for all the writers who join 2023/2024's contest.

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