This week for my author interview, I decided to interview someone I have met via social media who writes fantasy like myself. She has 2 books out in her series. The Second book just came out not too long ago. May I present Tehani Nelson:

What inspired you to write?

I’ve always loved reading, but I never really felt like classic fantasy offered enough of the heroines I wanted to follow. I wanted strong, amazing women leading armies. I was tired of damsels in distress and bikini mail. I was tired of love triangles and watching romance take center stage. So, I started writing the women I wanted to see. I started crafting matriarchal societies where girls are raised to forge their own swords rather than to wait for a glass slipper. I wasn’t afraid to hold back from gruesome, epic battle scenes and true military fantasy just because there was a woman at the helm. Apparently, I wasn’t the only person craving that world, because my readers have really responded well to the books so far.

Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?

I love reading, and while I write fantasy, most of my favorite books are in other genres. Fahrenheit 451 will probably always be my favorite book, and I read it a couple times each year. I also love To Kill a Mockingbird. I think I’ve read Beowulf more times than any other book, however. Probably because it’s such a short read. But I love the poetic language of the poem and the use of kennings. Plus, there’s a dragon.

What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?

I just put out Faoii Betrayer, the second full-length novel in the Faoii Chronicles. It’s been doing really well, and I’m glad I got to explore a more urban side of Imeriel. It also drew a lot of influence from modern issues, and I think it was important to explore those issues in a different light.

I’m currently working on Faoii Ascended, the last of the trilogy, but I also have another Faoii short story coming out in an anthology later this year. Passageways will be a collection of short stories from Indie authors, with each tale taking place in a unique universe. It’s a great chance to get a glimpse at 10 unique literary worlds without diving into a full novel or series. My story “The Teeth of Justice” gives the first look at Faoii outside of Imeriel.

Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?

Don’t compare yourself to other authors. There will ALWAYS be someone who writes more than you each day or who makes more sales or who found a better agent or who can spend more on ads. There will ALWAYS be people who seem like they’re doing better than you are, and it’s discouraging. So the best thing I know how to teach you is this: Don’t compare yourself to them. Compare yourself to YOU. Look at the You from 5 years ago. How proud would they be of what you’ve accomplished? How much have you learned since then? How amazed do you think current you would be if you could see where you’ll be in 5 years? Focus on that. There are MILLIONS of books out in the world. Thousands more are being published each week. It is so easy to get lost in that literary sea. So create your rock now. Remember where you’ve started and how far you’ve come. No matter how much it might feel like you’re drowning, you’ll always have that to come back to in order to ground yourself.

What influenced you as a writer?

I take a lot of influence from the world around me. Even if I don’t mean for it to happen, I draw heavily on current events and social issues, and they find their ways into the Faoii Chronicles. But that’s good. Literature should be a reflection of the world. It needs to be relatable and realistic, even if it’s Fantasy. The best way to do that is to draw from what you know and see.

Do you prefer a normal book or ebook?

I mostly read paperbacks, but I don’t have any sort of aversion to ebooks. I don’t know why so many people loft one above the other. Let people read in whatever manner suits them. In a society where reading is becoming less and less common, how dare we decry any version of it out of some misplaced sense of superiority. Reading expands your mind. Who cares how the new thoughts get into your head? This applies to audiobooks, too. The world needs to stop looking down on other people over arbitrary things. Books are books are books. The Faoii Chronicles are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook. They’re available on KU and Audible. No version is inherently better or worse than any of the others. Just read because you love the story. Pick whichever medium brings you the most convenience and joy.