Author Helen Garraway and I might write in different genres, but we certainly have (at least) two things in common: both of us inherited our love of reading from our mothers, and we started writing somewhat late in the game. Despite her delayed start, Helen is doing something exactly right: she’s an award-winning and USA Today and Amazon bestselling author whose books are called “intelligent,” “compelling,” and “amazing.” One reader wrote of her work, “Fantasy at its finest.” Even better, Helen is a true literary citizen and genuinely believes in giving back and paying it forward. She generously doles out advice and runs her own interview series that can be found at her website.

Welcome, Helen!

Christina: How long have you been writing? What drew you to the profession? Is it harder or easier than you expected?

Helen: I never intended on being an author, it just sort of happened! I have always been an avid reader, of many different genres, though fantasy and science fiction are my favourites. There was this pivotal moment in my life when everything changed, and I suddenly had time to fill, and I started writing. I had this idea bubbling for a while, and I was jotting down ideas, and then my daughter went off to university and I began writing. I never stopped, and out flowed the Sentinal series. Even then I didn’t regard myself as an author; I was thinking I’d like to read them as a book and not on my lap top, it wasn’t until then that I thought I could actually publish them.

I have been very fortunate that my books have won multiple awards. I am now a USA Today bestselling author and two of my books, Sentinals Justice and SoulBreather, were up in lights in Times Square in New York, celebrating winning BookFest gold medals. True bucket list moments!

Christina: Why fantasy? What about the genre appeals to you more than any other? Do you feel it can do something that others cannot?

Helen: I love world building, so it seemed natural to create my own worlds and set my stories in these new worlds. I don’t have all the techno knowledge so I create low tech worlds with magical creatures and mysterious powers. A place to escape to when real life gets tough!

In the Sentinal series we travel around the world, through four different countries with very different settings. From leafy watches, to arid deserts, icy mountains and tropical islands. Each setting affects how the characters react. In the SoulMist series we have the contrast between sunny Puronia, where those with souls live, and gloomy, mist-shrouded Eidolon, where the soulless are banished. 

Christina: What does a day in the life of Helen Garraway the writer look like?

Helen: I work full time, so it’s rare that I have a day just to write, though when the writing bug bites, I have taken time off work just so I can write. I can’t concentrate on anything else until I have the words out of my head and onto paper. Typically I write late at night or on the weekends. You will not see me early in the morning!

Christina: In April of this year, you published a standalone dystopian fantasy, Harmony. Why a standalone? Do you prefer to write series? What makes you decide if your book will be a standalone or part of a series?

Helen: I prefer writing series. I don’t tend to write short and once I start, I fall in love with my characters and their world and don’t want to stop writing about them. But Harmony was a story that wanted to be told, so I wrote it down and left in the archive. I was still writing both the Sentinals series and the SoulMist series at the time, and I was concentrating on finishing those series. Once I was finished, and I was waiting for edits to come back, I unearthed Harmony. I thought it would be good to write a standalone novel for those readers who are not fans of series.

Christina: Where did the inspiration for Harmony come from? Aside from being a standalone, how does it differ from your other work? 

Helen: I have no idea where the idea for Harmony first came from. Ideas pop out from nowhere and I write them down. Some ideas grow as characters develop, and others wait for the right moment. I think my brain works non-stop, ideas constantly evolving and scenes revealing themselves. Once I have a firm idea then I brainstorm the plot and possible conflicts. I typically have an outline, but I write scenes as I think of them and then organise them. I don’t tend to write in a linear fashion. 

The main difference for Harmony is that it is a dystopian science fantasy and is set in a technology driven world. The world building contrasts between those living in the futuristic cities and those less fortunate living in low tech sectors.

Christina: On July 1, you released OblivionGate, the third and final book in the SoulMist series. How did it feel to complete yet another series? How did you know that three books would be enough? 

Helen: It was an amazing feeling and a real sense of achievement. As if I proved I could write more than one world. Which is crazy seeing as Sentinals series is six books and a novella, but I wrote the SoulMist series because I put my hand up for an anthology. SoulBreather was the first book I wrote to an external deadline from scratch. I had two ideas for books bubbling at the time, and as the anthology was paranormal romance/fantasy romance genre, I needed a magical creature, so I went with angels. If you supported the Realm of Darkness anthology, which hit the USA Today bestseller list at number 110! Then you have a copy of SoulBreather on your ereader already. I hope you enjoy it.

As for three books being enough—I didn’t!! I dithered for a long time over whether to split the third book into two, and at one point I did and had four books planned, but my editor recommended I keep it to one book. I’m still not sure if that was the right decision because OblivionGate is so much longer than SoulBreather and DragonBound. In fact, it might be my longest book! But it’s published now and is being well received, so I am very happy.

Christina: The SoulMist series revolves around Solanji, a Soulbreather, who “can touch souls and see into a person’s inner thoughts.” Where did the concept for a Soulbreather originate? 

Helen: I was considering ideas about why an angel would be fallen, and what could have happened for him to be cast out, so I started thinking about those who had souls and those who didn’t and what impact that could have. The ability to touch souls and remove them evolved from there, and then I thought about how do you return them and that became SoulBreathing and how rare it was for someone to be able to return a soul.

Christina: How fun was it to write the books?

Helen: I love writing. Getting into that zone when the words just flow and time passes unnoticed is truly magical. Writing the SoulMist series was a little more stressful because I had an external deadline, and my editor this time recommended I split book one into two books. I had intended on writing a duology, but the world kept growing, the characters had more to say, the fledglings popped up and wanted to get involved, and the words kept flowing. The SoulMist series was so different to the Sentinals series, so although I love the world of Remargaren and want to live there with the Sentinals, it was just as much fun to write in a new, very different world. It was an opportunity to try something different and prove I could create new, just as lovable characters and write books outside the Sentinal series.

Christina: Characters can be so complex. What do you hope to create with your characters? What traits are important to you? Do you have a favorite character or characters from your books?

Helen: The characters tend to be the first part I write. These personalities leap out at me, with their challenges and beliefs, and off I go. I tend to write heroes with strong protective streaks and an innate sense of duty and honour. They also attract found families and surround themselves with people who will help them succeed. Teamwork is important, and working together towards a common end game tends to be one of my themes. Just as we work together in the writing community to support each other. This gives me a range of personalities to cause conflicts, friendships and romance. It is lovely when readers really connect to the side characters and want more stories about them, because that means I succeeded in creating relatable characters with depth and substance.

My favourite character is tough to choose now I have so many books. But if I have to, then Jerrol from the Sentinals series because he was my first main character, and Birlerion, because he was the most complex character I have written and had hidden layers even from me!! Birlerion grew on me as he revealed himself. And then there is Demavrian and Solanji, who are very different characters but just as much fun to write and I could go on. And now I have a new favourite character in the epic fantasy series I am currently writing. Vael is a wounded hero extraordinaire and he tugs at the heartstrings, though I have a feeling one of the other characters is going to be a surprise favourite.

Christina: Marketing is an important job for authors, and you seem to do it well. Do you have any tips for those who have trouble marketing their work?

Helen: Collaboration. I have found the most effective marketing is working with peers in the same genre you write, within the writing community. Newsletter swaps, where you feature each other’s books in your newsletters, joining group promotions, and group events. The power is in working together to share your love of writing with others and to extend your reach to each other’s audiences. The writing community is so supportive and there is so much to do when you self-publish. Helping each other helps us all be successful.

Another important point is growing your own following, via a newsletter, your website or your own online store. A place that you the author own, otherwise third party platforms own and control your customers. I am very excited that I have just created my online store. Readers can now download ebooks and audiobooks direct from me. That marketing task has been on my to do list for a while now, so I am thrilled to cross it off my list. You can find my store here: https://bookshop.helengarraway.com 

Christina: Let’s chat pets, as that seems to be a popular topic for these interviews. You still have your cat Alfie. Any other cherished pets? Are you a cat person more so than a dog person?

Helen: I have always had cats, never a dog, so yes, I am definitely a cat person. Alfie is going on nine now, so he is not so young, and sadly I lost Lily a couple of years ago. I’ve had both of them since kittenhood. Alfie is my writing companion, and I based one of my magical creatures on him, even taking his name and playing with the letters. Alfie became the Arifel. Arifels are a cross between a fluffy kitten like creature and a dragon, and they have scaly wings and tails. Alfie sleeps in this dragon pose with his elbows out and chin flat on the ground. Makes me think of a dragon! 

Christina: What’s next for you?

Helen: More writing, though I am slowing down a bit. I have no plans to publish anything until next year at this point. I have been going flat out for four years and I am tired. My day job has become more intense, and I am exhausted by day’s end. Though I don’t seem to be able to stop writing; I find it addictive. I have started a new epic fantasy series, I have almost completed the two books in the Sentinal prequel, and I have ideas for two other fantasy series bubbling. I wish I had the time to write them! But I am not going to put myself under pressure and set any launch dates until the new year. 

I will be writing a new novella/side story as my Christmas gift to my newsletter subscribers, so make sure you are signed up to my newsletter (via www.helengarraway.com). It will only be available for free download for a limited period. I will be posting a poll as well, for subscribers to vote on the characters they want a story about. Last Christmas, subscribers chose Alyssa and Jennery from the Sentinal series. So read my books, sign up, and have your say!

Helen can be found in multiple places!

Thanks to Helen for agreeing to this interview! If you know of an author or artist who’d like to be featured in an interview (or you would like to be featured), feel free to leave a comment or email me via my contact page.