I was lucky to get an interview with Sharon Rivest, the author of Deceit, and a semifinalist in this year’s #SPFBO9.

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m an American author living in Michigan and considered a troll because I reside below (south of) the Mackinac Bridge. My reading interests are diverse, but I find myself always returning to the fantasy genre. What else would a troll love? I’m not urban in any way, preferring life in the woods at the end of a dead end road.

Why should I buy your SPFBO9 entry?
If you like fantasy with a dark edge, this is the book for you. Deceit is the story of Mace, a disgraced ex-Houseman, now mercenary. With chapters interweaving his turbulent present and revealing his troubled past, Mace’s journey unfolds. Deceit is the name of his weapon, a sword hidden in a spear. With little more than his deceit, a dog, and an old warhorse, Mace sets out to kill one of the most powerful men in the land. He learns every choice has consequences, some deadly, some tragic, and most unforeseen.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I simply love creating worlds and telling stories. It seems I’ve been writing forever. There are a large number of novels under my belt, on floppy discs in boxes, and on old computer drives. I began submitting stories to publishers double-spaced on actual paper in the mail, that’s how long I’ve been at it.

Have you participated in the SPFBO before and where did you hear about the competition?
This is my first time participating in SPFBO. I read some books by Mark Lawrence, saw him mention it online, and thought I’d give it a try. Thank goodness I waited to have my coffee that morning or I’d have completely missed making the competition.

Good that you did, Sharon!

Why did you choose to write fantasy?
To be honest, making stuff up seemed easier to me than doing research to get it right. Boy was I wrong. When you dream it up, you’re responsible for making everything work. Everyone knows how to use a gun or where Europe is in relation to China, but they don’t know anything about your fantasy world when they start reading. The author has to decide on architecture, modes of transport, level of technology, types of religion or no religion, the list sometimes feels endless. I started writing with what I hoped was a level of realism. Life isn’t black or white, it’s shades of gray. People aren’t wholly good or completely bad. Bad things happen to good people. Bad people get rewarded despite how evil they are. Apparently that makes my type of fantasy grim/dark. I’m good with that.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
Picking one would be difficult. Every time I read a book, I feel like I can glean something new from it. How to make characters feel more alive, or how to make a compelling plot, or what kinds of twists I find especially delicious. In an earlier life, I loved C.J. Cherryh’s The Faded Sun Trilogy. Scifi, but with unique cultures, a friendship between opposites, and a people with an indomitable spirit. Another early favorite was Marion Zimmer Bradley’s The Mists of Avalon, where decisions, loyalty, and destiny can all work for and, at the same time, against a hero. And, of course, more recently the works of Abercrombie, Lawrence, and Sanderson.

If you were to win the SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?
That’s a tough one. Expand my reader base? Get me to work harder putting out new books? Credit for all those long hours in front of a computer screen? All that and I would probably find out what it’s like to fly without wings.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?
When you self-publish, everything can be a challenge. Sometimes you feel like you’re wandering through the dark at midnight during a lunar eclipse. I was lucky enough to find a mentor. Someone who had already gone through the process and could answer questions and give advice. Get one of those if you can. I was also lucky enough to find good beta readers, the kind that tell me the truth about things that aren’t working in my stories. Praise is wonderful, but it doesn’t help an author grow or fix problems. Through other writers, I found a writer’s group that encourages me and gives me great feedback on works in progress. We meet regularly and that keeps me on track.

Do you have any tips or an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
Glean as much as you can from social media. Join groups of writers and readers with similar tastes there. Not every one of these will be a perfect fit, but you’ll eventually find those you click with. I write in Word and use Prowritingaid to help me edit my work. The piece of advice I’d give is: learn to use the story format most authors employ. Use punctuation properly. You don’t have to adhere strictly to every grammatical rule, but don’t go so off the rails that readers can’t follow your story. Reading should be an enjoyable pastime, not a slog.

And now it's time to yank out your Palantir! Let’s talk about the future. What new projects are you working on?
Book Three in the Masks of Discord came out just a few weeks ago, so I’m working on the fourth and finally book of the series now. A volume of short stories is in the pipeline. Another fantasy series called Kingsblood which starts with Tomb of the Kings is in the third draft phase. (The name comes from an actual place I visited in Cypress.)

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?
There’s a lot to consider when it comes to AI, not the least of which are the copyright issues. I fear that AI will be toughest on book cover designers. There can be quite a bit of upfront cost in self-publishing. Many authors are looking for ways to cut those costs and an AI cover might be where they start. As to the content of books, AI isn’t writing at the level of humans right now so I think authors have some breathing room before stories from the ether become commonplace. I want to believe that machines will never be able to look into the human heart and understand what captures it, moves it, and makes it beat faster.

Do you have any dreams you’d like to share?
Writing more books is always a pleasant dream. I’d love to come up with a concept that clicks on all cylinders and has everyone talking. You know, the must read book. #1 bestseller. I’m currently working on my image manipulation skills so that someday I can put my vision of my story on a cover. It’s not as easy as you might think.

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Keep reading. Keep writing. There is nothing in the world so rich and wonderful as your imagination.

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