We’re happy to host Sarah Remy, author of the new fantasy STONEHILL DOWNS at The Dark Phantom today!
In 1994 Sarah Remy earned a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Pomona College in California. Since then she’s been employed as a receptionist at a high-powered brokerage firm, managed a boutique bookstore, read television scripts for a small production company, and, more recently, worked playground duty at the local elementary school.
When she’s not taking the service industry by storm, she’s writing fantasy and science fiction. Sarah likes her fantasy worlds gritty, her characters diverse and fallible, and she doesn’t believe every protagonist deserves a happy ending.
Before joining the Harper Voyager family, she published with EDGE, Reuts, and Madison Place Press.
Sarah lives in Washington State with plenty of animals and people, both. In her limited spare time she rides horses, rehabs her old home, and supervises a chaotic household. She can talk to you endlessly about Sherlock Holmes, World of Warcraft, and backyard chicken husbandry, and she’s been a member of one of Robin Hobb’s longest-running online fan clubs since 2002.
Her latest is the fantasy novel, Stonehill Downs.
For More Information
- Visit Sarah Remy’s website.
- Connect with Sarah on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Sarah at Goodreads.
- Visit Sarah’s blog.
- Contact Sarah.
About the Book:
Stonehill Downs follows Mal, a powerful mage who functions as Lord Vocent, the king’s personal forensic scientist and detective. Magic and murder are his calling. Never have the two entangled in quite as terrifying a manner as on Stonehill Downs, where Avani, a Goddess-gifted outsider, has discovered a host of gruesome corpses reeking of supernatural malfeasance. The investigation is haunted by ghosts of Mal’s past, and the two quickly learn that they must cast aside their secrets if they are to succeed in unearthing the pervading evil—before it’s unleashed from the boundaries of the Downs, straight into the heart of the kingdom.
For More Information
- Stonehill Downs is available at Amazon.
- Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
- Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.
Would you call yourself a born writer?
Yes, definitely. I started writing when I was very young. It never mattered to me whether I made money off my stories. I write to entertain myself and it’s an essential part of my sanity, and really fun to boot.
What was your inspiration for STONEHILL DOWNS?
I wanted to set unusual characters down in a typical fantasy setting. I wanted a female protagonist who didn’t care what the rest of the world thought of her, who was true to herself, and not dependent on cultural norms for self identification. And I wanted a magus – Mal – who at first glance comes across as your usual fantasy sorcerer but who is in fact deeply flawed and maybe not meant to be the series’ hero.
What themes do you like to explore in your writing?
Morals. Real people have different value concepts, and my characters do as well. I also have a fondness for the puzzle of religion and how different cultures deal with faith or the lack thereof. I’ve also got a wee morbid streak. I like a little gore and violence in every story.
How long did it take you to complete the novel?
Stonehill took me roughly six months. Its sequel, Across the Long Sea, was written to deadline and as a result took only about four.
Are you disciplined? Describe a typical writing day.
Yes, I have to be very disciplined. Otherwise nothing gets done. I typically schedule a few hours in front of the computer after lunch, and then several more late, before bed. I sit down even if I have nothing to say. I put down words even if I have nothing to say. Bad prose can be fixed later, and I’m fine with that, so long as the story keeps going forward.
What did you find most challenging about writing this book?
Actually, writing the sequel. Stonehill was picked up in Harper/Voyager’s open call; the manuscript had been sitting in my desk for a few years and I hadn’t given it much thought. When Harper came back to me for a follow-up, I had a real brain freeze, simply because I’d moved on to other things and had other worlds in my head. I went back and reread Stonehill several times, and was relieved when the characters finally begin to live and breathe again.
What do you love most about being an author?
Living multiple imaginary lives. There’s nothing better.
Did you go with a traditional publisher, small press, or did you self publish? What was the process like and are you happy with your decision?
I’m a hybrid author. I self publish, I submit to small press, and now I write for Harper. I like to say I write the stories I want to tell, and then toss them out there and see where they end up. The pleasure, for me, is in the writing. The rest of it works, or doesn’t, and I’m okay with that.
Where can we find you on the web?
You can find me at www.sarahremy.com or on Twitter as @sarahremywrites Please do come find me. I love people.
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