Welcome to A Month of Rain and Reads, a celebration of self-published and indie SFF throughout the entire month of November. To find out how you can take part and view the whole list of content, visit our introduction post.
Today we have a chat with martial artist, software engineer, and author Emily Barlow
Describe yourself like you would a character in one of your books.
Oh lord, you come out swinging with the questions! I’m awful at objectively describing myself, but here goes…
She was short, even for a human. Most women reached a height of at least five feet, four inches, but this one found herself craning her neck to speak with everyone she met. It didn’t seem to bother her; conversation flowed readily from her wide mouth, which smiled more often than not. Wrinkles on both sides of it confirmed the notion. A dusting of freckles mixed with old acne scars crossed her cheeks, darkened only slightly by the same sun that had etched fine lines in her pale forehead. The beginnings of crow’s feet crinkled the skin to either side of her slate-gray eyes as she chuckled at something her husband said. When she tossed her light-brown hair out of her face for the third time in as many minutes she gave up, tucking its straight length behind one ear so as not to detract from her conversation.
Looking at her, no one would guess she was any sort of athlete; her height and medium build, paired with the softness of middle age, created a sort of stumpifying effect that made her look even shorter than she was. Nevermind that she’d run four miles nearly nonstop the day prior and helped teach four martial arts classes that evening. The old Energizer Bunny commercials came to mind–she just kept going, and going, and going, and going… Perhaps she was one of those people who simply didn’t know how to stop.
Our theme for November is A Month of Rain & Reads. Do you subscribe to the idea of curling up with a good book while the rain pours down outside? What book would you read? Would you bring tea and a blanket? What would make the moment perfect?
Absolutely! Rainy days in front of a picture window are my favorite, especially in the fall. Bonus points if there’s a fireplace nearby that I can stick my toes in front of to keep them warm. I would definitely want tea, but which kind would depend on my mood that day; I drink anything from green tea to Earl Grey to various herbal concoctions (especially if I’m sick). A fluffy blanket or quilt–one large enough to get lost in–and a papasan chair would be *chefkiss*.
Why did you decide to self-publish, and what has been your biggest success so far?
To explain why I self-publish, I have to go back in time a bit. I started writing what became my first novella, Sunchaser, while my father was undergoing chemotherapy in 2021 and 2022 for pancreatic cancer. He and I both loved science fiction and fantasy books, and I’d been writing short stories and flash fiction in both genres for a while just for fun, but I’d never really considered publishing anything. My dad encouraged me to try it. At the time he’d been given about six months to live, and I decided then and there that he would hold a published book in his hands with my name on it before he was gone.
I managed three before he passed. He loved all of them.
What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?
Knowing that the stories I put out and their presentation are completely, authentically mine. It’s the adult version of the satisfaction you get as a kid from decorating your notebooks for school with drawings and stickers that mark them as yours, or decorating your room as a teenager until it’s a space you feel represents you utterly.
Your bio describes you as a software architect by day, which sounds rather logical and organized when compared to the magic and wonder of fantasy worlds (no disrespect intended). What is your day job’s relation to your writing? Are the two contrasts/opposites, or do you feel like they complement each other? Do you prefer hard magic systems, or do you lean toward the whimsical and wondrous?
No disrespect taken! It never ceases to amaze me the number of creatives who end up in engineering-adjacent professions. My day job has helped me develop a knack for patterns of logic, which helps me flesh out worldbuilding in the stories I write. If I’m writing science fiction my knowledge of technology lets me skate closer to the bleeding edge of what-if. And the business skills I’ve learned help with the publishing side of the indie author life (though like many of us, I still struggle with marketing). So I definitely think it influences a lot of what I write, in the same way it influences who I am.
I do tend toward the whimsical and not-fully-explained more than crunchy, detailed magic systems, and I think it’s out of a desire to not switch on the logic brain for a while when I read. Reading is escapism for me, and when I spend all day solving what amounts to complex logic puzzles the last thing I want to do is keep that part of my brain awake any longer than is necessary.
What themes are important to you, and how are they reflected in your writing?
People are people, no matter the setting. They love; they lose. They rejoice and lament and connect with one another in human ways (or alien ones, or fae, or however they identify). Characters are central to any relatable plot that draws me in; without them I feel no connection to the story. That includes the characters I write. I’m along with them for whatever ride the story takes us on, and i’m committed to letting them be their true, authentic selves, whatever that means for them. As a result we get a good bit of self-discovery, some hero journeys, and a smidge of social commentary (though I don’t like to smack readers in the face with it; it’s more a case of acknowledging the fact that diverse people exist in the real world, so they also exist in mine).
What else can readers expect from your books? Any favourite tropes or character archetypes?
I try to avoid labeling my characters as I write, choosing instead to see them as whole people with infinite nuances of personality, so I wouldn’t say I have a favorite archetype. But I do strive for uplifting and fulfilling character arcs and plot. That doesn’t mean we don’t lose people along the way–but it does mean their sacrifices are not without purpose. I also don’t dwell too much on mistreatment of characters (though it does occur). The real world has plenty of awful people doing terrible things. Writing them in detail is emotionally exhausting for me, so I seriously doubt there’s any grimdark in my future unless it’s flash fiction. Other than that, the only time I pay much attention to common tropes is to turn them on their heads just to see what shape they can take when they’re twisted up a bit.
What are you working on next? Can you tease us?
I have two things in the works at the moment: another standalone novel that’s more general speculative fiction than fantasy, and a book that’s set in the same world as my third book, Involuntarily Immortal. It follows Elric, a spy for the English crown, as King Edward the Confessor lies on his deathbed and calls for him to fulfill one more mission for God and country. The twist: if he fails, the apocalypse foretold in the Book of Revelation will destroy the world as he knows it. All he has to aid him are a few dubious allies, a trusty steed, the survival instincts he’s built over a twenty year career navigating court politics and intrigue, and a mysterious bag* that seems to produce the things he needs (whether or not they’re what he wants is another matter entirely). I’m about halfway through it at the moment thanks to the massive amount of research I do for historical fantasy, but so far it’s a wild ride and a lot of fun!
* If you’ve read Involuntarily Immortal, yes, it’s that bag. If you haven’t…well, all I can say is that the bag is plenty of people’s favorite character.
And a few quick questions. What’s your favourite…
…book, in recent times?
To quote the movie Ever After (which I think was quoting something else), I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the heavens! I mood read, so it’s hard for me to pick just one. But I’ve really enjoyed One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig and Charlie Holmberg’s Numina series (a re-read for me, but it’s a perennial favorite). Charlie Holmberg is one of my instant-buy authors.
…game, in recent times?
Another tough one; I live in a house that’s gaming-centric, so there are lots to pick from. A friend of mine is awesome enough to run a great Daggerheart game for us once a month, and I’m really enjoying the Motherboard setting he’s using for it. It appeals to both my speculative fiction brain and my technical brain.
…writing advice?
Just write the thing. Whatever it is, whatever form it takes. I recently attended a very impactful women in leadership conference where one of the speakers told a whole room of grown women that we were ready enough–for our next promotion, our next position at another company, our next career move, whatever. The same applies to writing. You’re ready enough. Go write the thing.
…advice for someone who wants to publish their own book?
Network with the fantastic community of indie authors out there. By and large I’ve found it to be a super supportive group of people who truly believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. I’ve gotten cover design feedback and advice, formatting help, writing tips, and all kinds of marketing ideas and inspiration from the great group of folks I’ve connected with.
And yes, that means I’d love to hear from you if you’re looking to get started! Or thinking about it. Or a friend is thinking about it. I’m happy to pay some of that forward.
…source of inspiration?
This is the hardest question for me to answer, because my answer is everything and anything. I suppose the important part is having time to reflect on the things I’ve read and experienced so that they can bubble up into my mind and make me ask “what if.”
…way to clear your mind when everything gets a bit much?
Music. Playing or singing it, specifically. There’s a song for every mood I might have, and music has always been a huge emotional outlet for me.
Do you have any last words? Any shoutouts to authors who have supported you or whose books have inspired you?
There are so many people to shout out here–Kathy Cuyler, author of the Blackwick series and everyone’s cheerleader; Peter Wood, author of both cozy and not-so-cozy post-apocalyptic fiction, who has enjoyed my books and not been afraid to sing their praises; Jethro Wegener, author of the highly satisfying Duke Gibbs thriller series and marketing guru extraordinaire; Dawn Weast, who hasn’t finished publishing yet, but maintains space for those of us who do…the list goes on, but you can find most of them on my socials.
Emily Barlow
A software architect by day, Emily enjoys reading, writing, knitting, crocheting, sewing, running, and learning martial arts with her family in her spare time. She is supported by her longtime husband and two wonderful children, who endure her eccentricities with enthusiasm.
