SPFBO AUTHOR INTERVIEW: K.E Andrews

What inspired you to write your SPFBO entry? Is there a particular story, personal experience, or idea that sparked this book?

So, I was supposed to be revising the sequel to my other book when I was scrolling through Instagram and saw some beautiful art for a necromancer couple. I thought that was cool and then I started thinking about a couple that was on the run but one of them was a necromancer and the other had plant magic. I’d had this idea of a genderbent Hades and Persephone, with Hades being a large buff woman and Persephone being a shorter man, so I took that idea and morphed into what Hills of Heather and Bone is today. I kind of knew early one I wanted to explore themes of death, grief, and anxiety and set it in a Scottish-inspired world.

How would you describe your writing process? How did it evolve during the creation of this book?

Usually, I start with a rough idea and write either a short summary of it or a couple pages of outline before I begin writing. This book I didn’t do as detailed of an outline as I’ve done in the past, but I did do more moodboards and image collection to get the vibes and feel I wanted for this story. My writing style is more plantser but I lean more toward plotter.

What challenges did you face during the writing or publishing process, and how did you overcome them?

There were two major hurdles I had to get over when writing this book. While I was writing and doing major revisions (around December) my aunt passed away and there were a series of other personal setbacks that really hit me hard and derailed me for a bit. I was writing this book about grief while dealing with my own so I had to find a way to motivate myself to channel what I was going through into my writing while still giving myself grace not to write and process everything that was going on. The second issue was that early in 2023 I had my plan for hiring an editor and getting all the copyedting done, but the person I chose had couldn’t do it, so that set me back. I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to get all the rounds of editing done before my projected pub date (because I really wanted to enter it into SPFBO) but it all got done in the end.

Who are your biggest literary influences and how have they impacted your writing style?

I usually say Mark Lawrence, Tahereh Mafi, and Nakita Gill. Since this was more of a cozy story instead of dark fantasy, I went with more lyrical and vivid inspirations like Nakita with this story. Any writing that is beautiful but can also be dark, gritty, and impactful is an inspiration to me. I try to blend the lyrical and the dark together as best I can.

How do you approach world-building in your fantasy novel? What elements do you think are essential for a compelling fantasy setting?

I usually start with images I can use to help me create a visual I want to then write out on the page. It differs from story to story. With this one, since it’s in 1st person, I had to envision how would this one person sees the world and how much do the know about the world around them. Not saying that gave me the excuse to not flesh out the world as much as I have done before, but I wasn’t writing a character who was well traveled or knew a lot. For a compelling story, I think the setting needs to feel real. Sometimes the micro details, small things a culture does, the foods, festivals, things like that, can make the world feel more real.

If you could give a piece of advice to the main character in your book at the start of their journey, what would it be?

That’s a tough one. I don’t think I have any advice to be honest.

As a self-published author, how do you navigate marketing and promoting your work?

That’s one of the hardest things for me. I’ve slowly been getting better at networking with other authors, being consistent on social media, and investing in small paid ads alongside looking for opportunities to talk about my book. This year I went with a book tour (Plunge into Books) and it worked very well to help spread the word. I do small paid ads when I’m running a promotion and decided to jump onto a lot more book sales. I also don’t hesitate to give away free review copies to anyone who wants one. I’m still learning how to market effectively.

What made you decide to participate in the SPFBO competition? How do you think this experience will benefit you as an author?

I entered my dark fantasy book, The Assassin of Grins and Secrets, last year. That was my first time entering any contest like it, and I’d heard about because I followed Mark Lawrence for a while. It seemed like a good opportunity, so I took a leap, and my book made it to semifinals. It was a big step, and I met a lot of great authors. I learned so much about self-publishing, marketing, and made many friends. This year, I wanted to try my luck again with my new book to see what happens. I’ve already met so many new authors and have a lot more books to read. SPFBO is a great opportunity for new and experienced authors to bump shoulders with new people, get more eyes on their books, and really test to see how your book is received by readers.

If you were to win SPFBO, what impact do you think this would have on your writing career?

I try to keep my expectations low and just enjoy being in SPFBO, but if I win, I think it would allow me to have something that would help my book get recognized more. The neat thing about this competition is that even if you don’t win, you can still go far in your writing career.

What's next for you after SPFBO? Are there any upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m currently working on a few short stories and revising the second book in my trilogy, The Woman of Steel and Scars. I won’t have anything new for a while to submit to SPFBO, which means I’ll hopefully have more time to write and read all the future books that will be entered.