How did you decide to become a writer? Include age when you began to write.
I have always been an avid reader, a love inherited from my mother, but I didn't start writing until my mum passed away in 2016, I was 49. My daughter went off to university and I suddenly had time on my hands. Ideas had been bubbling for a while, so I started writing, and out came a series of six books. The Sentinal series.
What genres do you write? Or plan to write in the future?
I love reading fantasy so I write the kind of books I enjoy reading. I write epic, or high fantasy. High fantasy is a setting where the world is not real and has been created by the author. Though I must admit sometimes my world feels more real to me at the moment! I love the escapism, building new worlds, and creating characters that are engaging and rounded. I am having fun with the Sentinals series at the moment but I have ideas for other worlds too, a more dystopian fantasy possibly.
The most recent release or the next book you're about to release......Share blurb and 5 reasons why someone should read that book. Include a link if already released. If there are any reviews for this book, please include them as well. Hey, those do help lol.
I have just released the second book in the Sentinals series, Sentinals Rising. Release Date: 17th March 2021 Although Jerrol Haven, a captain in the King’s Rangers, recently rescued King Benedict from the clutches of the malevolent Ascendants, and foiled their attempted coup to take control of Vespiri, the Ascendants have not stopped their scheming. Assisted by the mysterious Sentinals he woke from a three thousand-year sleep after the Lady Leyandrii made him her Captain, Jerrol faces the retaliation of the Ascendants. In anger, they strike back and Jerrol must defend his King and country from further magical attacks, whilst trying to repair the Veil that protects their world. A call for help comes from the neighboring country of Terolia, where the nomadic families are disintegrating into chaotic infighting. Family law and the Terolian nomadic way of life are under threat. King Benedict sends Jerrol and the Sentinal Birlerion to go and investigate, instructing them to do whatever is needed to protect the Families from the Ascendants. Sentinals Rising is the second book in the saga of Remargaren, a vibrant, ancient world of high fantasy suffused with magic and adventure. You can order the book on Amazon: viewbook.at/SentinalsRising Reasons to read 1. Action Packed - it never stops! 2. Find out more about the characters you loved in the first book, Sentinals Awaken. We have the chance to learn more about the Sentinals now they are awake. 3. Immerse yourself in an amazing world of forests and ancient lands, and travel to a new country, Teriolia, a sun-baked, drought-ridden desert. 4. A touch of romance blended in 5. Easy to read, even if you are new to epic or high fantasy, readers are loving it- you can check out the reviews for Sentinals Awaken on Amazon. Goodreads 5* reviews for Sentinals awaken 1.M.J Glenn: If you liked book 1, you'll LOVE book 2! I kept turning the page and had to force myself to stop reading. I was genuinely excited to get back to it each day. A great read. Highly recommended. 2. Sloane McClain: I was lucky enough to be given an ARC to read. In Sentinals Rising, Helen Garraway continues the masterful storytelling she began in Sentinals Awaken. The reader is taken deeper into the world of Remargaren and shown the workings of a second country. Garraway has done a superb job of fleshing out her world. So good, in fact, that the reader can visualize it as a real place, on a real map, in a real world. It's the same with her characters. We learn more about Jerrol, and even more about Birlerion, as well as several other characters. More friendships are made while others are tested. We love some and hope to see a few others get what they deserve. The first two books were such great reads, I'm looking forward to the story continuing in book 3.
Who is your ideal audience? Add all that apply, short or long.
Anyone who loves to immerse themselves in a book really. Although my books are set in a fantasy setting, there is action, romance, mystery, friends and enemies, great dialogue and rich environments. I wrote the series as adult fiction, but I have fans as young as eleven who consumed the first book in two days during a road trip!
What sets you apart from other writers?
Goodness, tough question when there are so many amazing authors out there. I still feel amazed that I am a published author. My debut novel was only published in October 2020, so it is still early days for me. I am honored to be ranked among the self-published indie fantasy authors. I hope my books speak for themselves, and if they enable readers to escape for a while, then I have succeeded.
If you have multiple books available, which one is your favorite? And why?
I only have two published books and the free novella at the moment, and I love all of them. Sentinals Awaken because it was my debut novel and I loved building my world, fleshing it out, and discovering the characters and their voices, and Sentinals Rising because it gave me the opportunity to immerse myself again and learn even more about them, and of course, to test them further. The novella, Sentinals Stirring, (available to download for free if you sign up for my newsletter) was an opportunity to flesh out when Jerrol, Torsion, and Taelia first met.
What does your writing process entail? Planner, pantser? Research required? Editing methods? etc
I usually have a framework of where I'm starting and where I want to finish up, but how I get there is typically a bit more of a pantser. I tend to jump around when I write; it is not a linear process. I'll have ideas that bubble up and I have to capture them at the time they spring to mind, and then I'll go back to where I left off and continue. It's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and when everything clicks into place it is amazing. I am more organized when I edit. I have timelines, and storyboards, so I can ensure my characters are where they are supposed to be at the right time. I have been known to move chapters around, cut characters and rewrite! My editor says I have too many characters, but to me, they all have a place and a purpose. I am conscious of it and try to pare them back when I edit.
Behind the scenes......Music or no? Any other tactics used in the aid of writing?
I often have music playing. Book One was Clean Bandit and Take That. Book Two was Sia's This is Acting. I love Unstoppable. That's how I felt when I was writing it. Other times I'll have classical music, or the music from Blue Planet playing.
What would you tell a new writer to help them get started?
I would encourage them just to write; to write for the sheer enjoyment of it. If you enjoy what you doing then it will come through in your writing. If you intend to publish, whether it be self-published as I am, or traditional, learn your craft. There is much more to writing a novel than just putting your pen to paper. Learn your grammar. Comma splices and I are very good friends! Learn the structure of a book, pacing, tone, suspense, setting - there is plenty of information out on the internet, you'll be amazed at what you don't know!
Do you have a newsletter? Share a subscribe link if you have one. Include what to expect with your issues (if you'd like to share this information)
You can sign up for my newsletter at helengarraway.com. I send out a monthly newsletter and an alert when my books go live. You'll find out about my writing process, more about the characters, I am currently including a mini-interview with the characters, access to a free ebook to download, Sentinals Stirring set a few years before Sentinals Awaken. I have an author website helengarraway.com where I also post book reviews and I have a blog and post Author interviews. I just recorded a podcast where I read chapter one of Sentinals Awaken, you can find it on the home page. You can also follow me on: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20767015.Helen_Garraway Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/helen-garraway Twitter: https://twitter.com/HelenGarraway Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helengarrawayauthor/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/helengarrawayauthor
Is there anything you would like to add? Any tips or anecdotes you'd like to share? You can use this space to add more information from a previous question. Please include questions so I'm not confused lol.
I am currently working on my third novel, Sentinals Justice. I am in the editing stage and hoping to publish in the fall. I wish I had started writing earlier, I love it and can't imagine not writing now. My dream would be a full time writer, but like many others I currently fit writing around the day job. I have to take time off to launch my books because make no mistake, if you choose to self-publish, you get to do everything yourself - you are not only the author but your PA, publisher, and marketer all in one!
