Author's Interview with Sarah J. Brown

First, before we move forward with our Author's Interview, I would like to start with an introduction. 

1. Could you please introduce yourself to us?

Hi! My name is Sarah. I'm a marketing communications consultant by day, writer by night. I live in the Chicagoland area with my husband Josh and two pups named Chewie and Leia. We're also Star Wars fans, if you can't tell. I am a terrible gardener, but I enjoy it. I'm also a novice violinist. I can play a mean Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

2. Congratulations on your book. So what inspired you to write this book?

I've been a gamer since I was 11 years old, playing tabletop RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder. I always loved the stories, the character interaction, the danger. This book is an ode to those games, a love letter. It shaped me in many ways, from social interaction to math. I wanted to give back. Also, I was in the middle of a masters program at Eastern Illinois University. I couldn't think of what to do for my thesis. Then an idea came into my head. Why not write a novel?

3. What is the book all about?

It's about found family, moral choices and temptation, good vs. evil. Eons ago, the gods of the world were put into an eternal torpor by the father of the pantheon to end the Gods War. In order to awaken them, their essence was put into amulets for mortals to find, put their lifeforce into the amulet to fuel it, and thereby awaken the gods. Our heroes are set upon a quest to find these mythical amulets and awaken the gods, only they're not the only ones looking for them.

4. Why did you choose this genre for your book?

I'm dyslexic. I used to hate reading, until I started playing D&D and my father put R.A. Salvatore's The Crystal Shard into my hands. I loved the story, the action, the heart so much that I didn't care I read very slowly. I fell in love with the fantasy genre that day.

5. How much time did it take to complete this book?

About a year and a half. I did most of the work, about 325 pages, in the last three months of that year and a half. For some reason, deadlines really make me write more and better.

6. What makes your Book Special?

It's pure escapism. It's just a fun story that I think a reader will get a lot of enjoyment out of, with maybe some introspection afterwards. What makes someone good? Does the end justify the means? The characters, too, make the book special. I put a lot of work into making them three dimensional - flawed people who are trying their best. Sometimes they succeed, sometimes they fail. But what's important is that they keep trying.

7. When is your second book coming?

I'm looking at early next year (2025) for the second book. The audiobook for The Amulet of Nethelar is coming in October of 2024. I'm currently working on a fantasy romance book that has enveloped my world. 

8. While writing did you get any writer's block? What is the Tip that you will give others who are facing writer's block?

Yes! Absolutely. Writer's block is a constant companion of mine. The one cure, though, is something people hate for me to say. Just. Write. No matter what it is, the only path to getting over writer's block is to write whatever comes into your head. It might be nonsense. Or it might be the beginning of your next chapter.

9. What are your other hobbies besides being a talented author?

Besides the aforementioned gardening and violin, I love movies, TTRPGs, computer games, playing with my pups, sewing, and historical reenactment.

10. Last but not the least, How did you feel, while giving this interview?

Apprehensive. I've never been interviewed before, but I was at ease by the end.

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