Author Sariah Skye #interview

Please give a warm welcome to author Sariah Skye also writing under the name Lizzy Fox

Tell us a bit about yourself

This one is always hard for me since I’m a chronic over-sharer. But, let’s see… I’m in my 30s, from Minnesota where I’ve lived most of my life. I’m married with two kids and a dog. I’m a huge geek, swear too much, and am super awkward in real life. I love romance of all kinds, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and I’m obsessed with Imagine Dragons. I’m also super sarcastic but I’m not sarcastic about Imagine Dragons–I really am stupidly obsessed with them. LOL

Have you always wanted to become an author?

Since I was five years old, yes. My mother and grandmother were readers and my grandmother wrote quite a bit as well, but she passed before she could get anything published. I literally don’t think I could do anything else.

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

Well I have quite a few projects going on, actually. A lot of inspiration comes from music or even a specific song, to some real-life experiences I’ve had, whatever. The Be Yours trilogy was inspired by my real-life struggles with depression and also by a song I’ve loved for years. The Infamous series was loosely inspired by my ridiculous adoration of a certain band, and The Fated Saga was inspired by World of Warcraft; they have dragons in the game that shape shift into humanoids and I thought that was super cool ten years ago. I’d never heard of dragon-shifters before. That’s pretty much the gist, it comes from anywhere and everywhere.

What are you working on now?

1) Wrapping up the Be Yours trilogy with Be Your Everything, and starting the spin off, an MM contemporary Be Your Mistake.

2) Finishing Fated Fury and the Fated Saga

3) Notorious, book #3 of The Infamous series

4) A couple of secret projects of existing characters

5) Shadow of Sherwood, my gender-bent RH Robin Hood retelling

Do you have any quirks while writing?

Honestly I prefer to write from 9pm to 4am if I had my way; I’m more awake at night. I have big, long playlists where I put on my headphones and drown everyone else out (unsurprisingly, a lot of those songs are Imagine Dragons—NO, REALLY?!?!) Got to have my cherry Pepsi, and I absolutely cannot stand anyone looking over my shoulder. I’ll punch someone who does that. LOL

What are your hopes for the future?

Stability, I suppose. I’d love to take all my work to multiple markets instead of just Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. I’d also love to hit the USAToday or New York Times lists, but with a solo title, otherwise I’d never know if it was my work people were buying for or someone else’s.

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

The best thing I can say is just be yourself. You’re going to come across a lot of people with a lot of advice, and some of it isn’t going to work with you. Sometimes those people might second guess your seriousness as an author, but that’s probably because they’re insecure with their own abilities.

Also: GOOD COVER. I really don’t think it’s wise for anyone, unless they are professional, to design their own covers. There are so many places to get decent, affordable covers. You can have the greatest story and the best editing and blurb in the world, but if your cover is awful, no one will ever know because they will pass right on buy. I think cover is the one thing you absolutely CANNOT skimp on. Some designers just starting out, needing to grow their portfolios will be very affordable, sometimes only $50 for custom. That’s super reasonable. I’ve seen so many good stories fail because their covers stink.

Do you have anything to say to your readers?

Hmm, I’m sure my readers would just prefer I don’t say anything at all because I blah blah blah too much all the time. But, I do hope they know how much I appreciate them, their support, when they share my books, talk about them, or message me. It’s a very tough, intimidating business, and “imposter” syndrome affects most of us. You don’t know when your message or kind words might be the motivation I have to keep going when I want to quit. ❤ (This goes for ALL authors!)

Also, I’m sorry for all the Imagine Dragons fangirling. Really, I am. 😛

Okay I’m not. But I love you all just the same!