I was lucky to get an interview with T. A. Hernandez, the author of Tethered Spirits, and one of this year’s #SPFBO8 finalists.

I previously interviewed T.A. Hernandez, but since she became a finalist, we both felt that a new interview was just the thing…

Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m a very creative person at my core. Any spare minute I have, I’m often working on some kind of creative project, whether it’s my books, art, graphic design, making videos, or whatever other creative outlet has captured my interest that day. I’m happily married and a mom to two amazing daughters, and I work part-time as a therapist. The agency I work for primarily serves youth who are in foster care or who have been adopted out of foster care and their families. I live in Southern Utah, which is absolutely gorgeous, and I thoroughly enjoy the warm weather almost year-round. My family and I love to camp, swim, kayak, ride around the sand dunes, and have lots of other outdoor adventures together.

What was the first thought that popped into your mind when you found out you had made it to the semifinals?
“Hell yeah!” was probably the very first thing that popped into my mind, or something along those lines. Which was immediately followed by some nervousness about what would happen next. Would I end up a finalist, or was my time in SPFBO about to come to an end? Honestly I was super excited just to be a semifinalist, and I tried not to have any expectations beyond that. Fortunately, Becky didn’t make us wait too long and the finalist announcement came shortly after. That was a much bigger deal for me. I got the news in the middle of a work meeting and it took everything in me to refrain from jumping out of my chair and screaming. It didn’t feel real. It’s still quite a shock, honestly, but I’m absolutely thrilled.

Why did you decide to take part in the SPFBO?
I love the whole idea of SPFBO and the opportunity it gives self-published fantasy authors to showcase their books. I’ve enjoyed watching the contest over the last few years and as an avid fantasy reader, I’ve discovered some fantastic books through SPFBO. I entered for the first time in 2020 with my alternate 1920s magical circus novel, Calico Thunder Rides Again. It ended up being chosen as a semi-finalist, which I was absolutely thrilled about. I’m really excited to be participating again this year.

Why should we buy your SPFBO8 book?
If you like character-focused stories with protagonists who are a little messy and maybe a little (or a lot) traumatized, you should enjoy Tethered Spirits. The book follows three point-of-view characters whose paths intertwine as they seek to unravel a magical mystery involving immortality. Amar is a man with the ability to return to life each time he dies, which sounds great, except that he doesn’t ever remember his past life when this happens. Kesari is a girl who gave up half her remaining lifespan in exchange for the ability to use magic, but when we meet her at the start of the book, she’s terrified to use that magic and is looking for a way to get rid of it. And then there’s Aleida, a young woman turned ruthless in her desperation to save her only remaining family—something she thinks Amar’s immortality could help with. I like to think it’s the characters that really make the story shine, but there’s also a unique magic system and an interesting world readers get to travel all over and explore.

What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I’ve always loved reading and from a very young age, I was drawn to fantasy and sci-fi stories in particular. I wrote a few little stories in elementary and middle school, but when I was a freshman in high school, I became a lot more serious about it. I realized it was something I found a lot of fullfilment in, and I knew I wanted to create characters and worlds that resonated with me and with other readers just like in all the books I loved. At first, I was dead set on traditional publishing, but by the time I had a book ready, I’d decided self-publishing sounded more appealing. I released my first novel in 2016 and I’ve since published 4 more, including this one.

Why did you choose to write fantasy? And why pick this particular fantasy subgenre?
As I said, I’ve always loved fantasy. The idea of getting to create my own unique world with magic and dragons and whatever else I wanted has always been very appealing to me. Some of my favorite fantasy books have been written for a young adult audience, and I love many of the themes that are commonly explored in YA fantasy, such as personal identity, family relationships, friendships, and mental health issues. Tethered Spirits is a bit of a mix between flintlock fantasy and sword & sorcery, and I honestly don’t really have a reason for why I chose to write in those particular subgenres other than that’s just what seemed to best suit the story I wanted to tell.

Which other author has had the biggest influence on your writing?
Reading Tolkien’s books is what really got me hooked on writing to begin with. Aside from that, I might go with Neil Gaiman. I’m always impressed by his character work and the way he evokes emotion in his stories without being over-the-top. That’s something I strive for in my own writing on some level.

What’s the best thing about being a writer?
I love the way that I’m able to explore and express different ideas in my stories. For a long time, writing has been an important part of how I process things I’m dealing with in my own life, even when that’s through the lense of a completely fictional world. I also love the creative process overall and seeing my ideas come to life. It’s a unique experience every time, and I never get bored of it.

What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
When the story just isn’t coming together right, and you know something’s off but you can’t figure out what. I hate that feeling. Usually it just means I need to take a break, and I’ll be able to work it out later. But in the moment, it really sucks.

How do I get into the semifinals? Just kidding! Or not? Do you perhaps have a tip, scrap of wisdom, or perhaps an author app, tool, or resource that you can really recommend we try?
I wish I had good advice for getting into the semifinals, but I don’t, aside from just writing the very best book you can. One thing that I do really recommend is making connections with other writers and learning from them. Share what you know as well. Contribute to the community however you can and support other writers, and you’ll find writers who will also support and help you. Half the reason my books end up decent at all is because I’ve built connections with other writers who have critiqued my work or given me great advice on self-publishing, and hopefully I’ve been able to help them in turn.

What new projects are you working on?
Tethered Spirits is the first book in a planned trilogy, so my main focus right now is completing and publishing the next two books in the series. Book 2 is titled Revenant Prince, and I hope to have it ready to release in early 2023. Aside from this series, I’m also brainstorming and outlining a standalone science fiction novel. It’s too early to say much about it just yet, but I’m really excited about it.

Anything else you would like to say before we close?
Thanks so much for this opportunity to talk about my book, and best of luck to the remaining competitors.

And that concludes my first finalist interview, yay! Best of luck in the finals, T. A. Hernandez, and with sales.
Thanks for doing the interview.