AMoRaR Interview: JD Rivers

A Month of Rain and Reads Interviews4 months ago5 min read

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 an interview with JD Rivers, author of The Edge of the World and The Salt in the Sea.

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?

OMG yes! I always dream of having a reading nook one day with a view over a garden, and then in the rain, maybe with a bit of thunder going on, I’d curl up with a book and big pot of tea (that ideally never gets cold) and a fluffy blanket, and then time doesn’t exist anymore.

Why did you decide to self-publish, and what has been your biggest success so far?

Because I have no patience, and the whole she-bang of submitting to an agent, and waiting, then maybe get a spot, and then waiting to see if a publisher picks it up, and then more waiting until it gets released—nope, not doing this.

Also the chances are slim that my weird little story would even get picked up in the first place. Writing crossovers genre wise and not fitting into the romance and not-romance categories comes also with drawbacks. But self-pub is more open to experiments.

Biggest success has been that people actually bought, and read!, the book.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?

The community. I have met a lot of authors and aspiring ones that are so open, they help when you have questions, are open to promo, are willing to include a stranger in their network. And they are passionate, even in these trying times.

I consider myself lucky to have found my people.

The Edge of a World features mysterious ruins, archaeology, and a scholar main character. How much research about archaeology or academia did you include in the story?

When I say not a lot everyone will look at me aghast. But I have a masters in history, and since I was really young loved watching documentaries (still do), especially about ancient cultures and archaeology. So yeah a lot of my own experience and interest and knowledge that I accumulated over the years seeped into Otar and his story.

What themes are important to you, and how are they reflected in your writing?

One of the most important things I keep thinking and writing about is that relationships aren’t easy. That they need constant communication and commitment to actually work. I love to explore those aspects and not every relationship I write about will end happily (though I try to give the stories a somewhat hopeful ending). Another theme is that blood family isn’t everything. Loyalty and respect isn’t a one way street and even family should accept that. Chosen family is such a powerful theme and trope I will defend til the end. Why should we stay with people that don’t have our best interest at heart, whom we can’t trust, who will never be there for us, even if we are there for them? Why stay in toxic relationships by choice or by birth?

I know that leaving is hard, and scary, and sometimes not feasible, I get it. So I hope my books give those readers at least some hope that one day they will be able to. That there is more out them for them.

What are you working on next? Can you tease us?

Currently I’m working on the third and last Otar book, but maybe not the last in the universe. But that is for later to decide. And there are at least three novellas I’m currently working on. *laughs*