Interview: S. A. Crow

This week debut author S. A. Crow has dropped in to talk about writing, process, and their February release Into the Fire! Please give the a warm welcome!

I’m S. A. Crow a LGBTQ+ indie author. I published my first novel Into the Fire, Book 1 of The Fire Series, a romance suspense novel early this year. This novel was a bucket list item for me and I had the good fortune to take my Grandmother a signed copy on my book tour. I was named for my Grandmother and she is my first and longest role-model. I dedicated the book to her and taking it to her was a dream come true. Everything after that event has been a blessing.

What started you writing?

I grew up in an avid reading family. I was never censored on what I could read because of my age or ability. Growing up with stories made me want to read my own. I often thought of what if’s and how I would’s when reading or watching television. It was natural to include the hobby of writing from an early age. I completed my first novel in my 20’s and then promptly lost the manuscript. When our family went through a traumatic experience I found myself lost in a story again to help me get through the changes. That story became the first novel in The Fire Series.

Where do you write?

I often write on my desktop in the large living area of the house I share with my roommates and family. I recently got a tablet and a bluetooth keyboard so I can go to coffee shops when I feel safe to head out in public again. I think a lot of us feel like it’s a little daunting to be out among people again.

What do you like to read?

This is always the hardest question to answer, isn’t it. My reading choices vary as much as my music. I try to read at least one classic literature piece every year. I love the epic Fantasy Kushiel’s Legacy series. I read a lot of romance novels. True crime fascinates my psychology major mind. Historical novels and nonfiction hold a place in my heart. You can never miss a good mystery or horror novel. I’m a E. A. Poe fan and Jane Austin and I read one of theirs every year. Picking a favorite book or genre is almost impossible.

What are the three books you’d take to a desert island? Why would you choose them?

E. A. Poe’s collected works, Jane Austin’s collected works, and the Kuchiel’s Legacy. I can get everything I need from these three collections.

Writing is an intrinsically solo occupation. Do you belong to any groups or associations, either online or in the ‘real’ world? How does that work for you?

I would have never been able to publish my novel without the invaluable help from some amazing people. My three writing buddies, two of which I live with. The Heart Breathings Writing group and Writers Helping each other FaceBook group.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I have two odd dogs. One is a Whippet Black Lab. mix named AJ, the other is a Border Collie Black Lab. mix named Destiny they’re both rescue puppies. They make everyday the best day with their love and happiness. I play Skyrim on the Switch and get creative with my Bullet Journal. I also have a growing collection of washi tape.

Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?

As I said before, my family was going through a traumatic experience that tossed our whole world upside down. I began watching, well, actually the show Leverage. I grew fascinated with the character Elliot (the Hitter) and the actor Christian Kane. I found it amazing that not only was he an actor he is also a singer, songwriter, and lead in his band.

That combination triggered a thought in my mind and I came up with a story with the main character who is an actor, singer, songwriter and lead in a band who falls for a chef looking for a new direction for her career.

I love the element of suspense in romance suspense. I knew right away that this was the sub genre for the book. As I began to write the story I fell in love with my side characters. I love series where you follow a connected group of people and each novel builds on their relationships. I started planning a series based off of the characters in the book. It took me 45 days to draft the novel and 5 years to get it to publication. Part of that time was sadly filled with depression. Another part was that Google held my document hostage.

Yes you heard that right. I sent the novel to a friend for her to do the line editing. She made editing changes and I went to approve them and Google told me that I didn’t own the document. I couldn’t change anything about it. I couldn’t approve any of the edits. It sent me a bit further into my well of depression. Luckily for me my editor found a way around the problem and here we are with it published.

I’m lucky in that I am one of those writers that drafts quickly. Editing is the bane of my existence. I have dyslexia so editing takes forever for me, but I have lovely friends that help me. I came close to throwing my computer out the window when I was doing the formatting and uploading of the novel.

If I have any advice for first time indie authors. Always give yourself way more time than you think you’ll need to format and upload.