Author Interview - Sabine A. Reed

Brief Introduction: 

Sabine A. Reed is the author of fantasy e-novella The Black Orb. She has her own Writing and Publishing Blog where she gives tips to new writers. You can find her at twitter SabineAReed also. You can read the first chapter of her book here.

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Q: Let's begin with your novella, can you tell me a few things about The Black Orb?

A: The Black Orb is a fantasy novella released from Uncial Press. Aria helps support her older brother, who is one of nature's innocents, by running cons and picking pockets. When he disappears, she fears he has been taken by the minions of the Queen of Azmeer, to be enslaved in her army of conquest. While seeking word of his fate, she narrowly escapes capture herself, aided by a sharp-spoken old man who appears to have strange and magical powers. Bikkar claims to know how she can free her brother and at the same time defeat the Queen's potent weapon, the Black Orb, which sucks power from magicians.

Only after Aria and Bikkar find Marcus an enthralled bed slave of the Queen, does the old wizard reveal that just one device can defeat the Black Orb and only Aria can wield it. But first they must escape the stone warriors who pursue Bikkar. And then Aria must die, for no living hand can wield the powerful Dragon Claw.

Q: What triggered the idea of it, where did it all begin?

A: I wanted to write about a female hero who doesn’t have any magical abilities, but is forced to fight against magic in order to protect a loved one. The idea that she is a thief, has questionable morals but is willing to risk her life to save her brother took root in my mind, and didn’t let go until the story was complete.
Q: How did you create your main characters, are they based on anyone? A: The characters are not based on anyone, but I believe that even a hero should be flawed. Hence I made mine a shameless thief who is fighting evil because she wants to save her brother, but is forced to make choices that will influence her entire kingdom.

Q: What do you love the most about your novel?
A: I love the absolute devotion and love Aria has for her brother. I admire that. She will do anything, risk anything to save him. She is selfish in a way because she cares only for those who matter to her, but when it comes right down to it, she makes the hard choices. And then of course, there is the absolutely gorgeous setting of the fictional kingdom of Azmeer, a powerful weapon, an evil queen and a helpless wizard. It’s my version of what a fantasy story should be.

Q: Where do you usually draw inspiration from? 

A: I don’t think a writer should wait around for an inspiration to strike. Inspiration is a fickle concept. Writing is a job, and like all jobs it needs discipline and commitment. Having said that, I love reading fantasy, and perhaps my inspiration to write comes from the love of the genre itself. I write stories for myself. I’m the first reader, and need to be happy with what’s on the page.

Q: What do you think is the best and what's the worst thing about being a writer? 

A: The best thing about being a writer is having the liberty to create imaginative worlds and live in them - and not be considered insane. The worst thing is not actually being able to live in them. It’s hard to create fascinating fictional worlds that have magic and powerful witches and wizards, but settle with the mundane reality of everyday life.

Q: How was your trip through writing and publishing so far?

A: I’ve been writing for five years, and The Black Orb is my first published work. So you can say that it has been a hard journey; time consuming, but rewarding. I’ve treated it as on-the-job training, and I would never regret the experiences I’ve gathered in all these years.

Q: If you could travel back in time would you have done any of it differently? 

A: I would have taken some writing courses. Since I didn’t, I had to pretty much learn everything about writing and publishing on my own, and that has taken a lot of time.

Q: Do you have any tips or suggestions for new writers? 

A: Writers should write, write and write in different genres. Read a lot. Network with other writers. Visit the websites and blogs of other writers to see what they are doing, and what they say about the writing process. It’s absolutely essential to learn from other people’s experiences. I have my own blog Writing and Publishing Resource for new writers so that I can share my experience with others.

Q: What should we expect from you in the future? Do you have any new projects under construction? 

A: I have another fantasy e-novella in submission, and am currently working on an untitled fantasy trilogy. I expect to write more stories, because that’s what I love doing.

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You can buy Sabine's e-novella from Amazon and Uncial Press. 

You can also read a  preview of it and my review.