AMoRaR Interview – A. E. Zeigler

A Month of Rain and Reads Interviews5 months ago3 min readAdd comment

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’re interviewing A. E. Zeigler, author of the Chains Of Deceit series and more, as she launches her crowdfund campaign on Backerkit as part of The Book Bazaar 2025.

A. E. Zeigler is raising funds for a special edition of Chains Of Deceit. If you like forbidden romance between a broody MMC and a compassionate yet strong FMC, hot morally gray antagonist who must be redeemed, multiple couples falling in love, hostile take-overs, high stakes, soulmates, bound by love and by magic romance.

Follow the campaign and pledge your support!

Please tell us a little about yourself and your Backerkit project.

I launched a YA fantasy pen name last year with a Backerkit crowdfunding campaign. I’m back this year with book 2 of the same series!

Why did you join The Book Bazaar 2025?

I love the collab spirit of Backerkit. I love working with such awesome creators.

Have you crowdfunded before? What do you hope to achieve with your project?

Yes! This is actually my second solo campaign after a successful group project a few years ago. I just want to get these awesome stories into reader’s heads.

Tease us with your Backerkit campaign! What rewards can we expect?

I love the amazing things I’ve prepared for you. Mostly I’m excited about the books (obviously because they’re fun and adventurous. As for the add-ons, I love the chibi character art stickers and bookmarks of my characters.

Why did you decide to self-publish/publish with a small press and what has been your biggest success so far?

I love having more control with self-publishing. I can do the pretty books and the pretty covers and give more to my audience that really immerse them into the world I’ve created in a book.

What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?

I get to write what I know readers love.

What tips can you share on self-publishing or crowdfunding with your fellow indies?

Develop a love of spreading surprise and delight. I love creating things to delight my reader.

Can you recommend a few of your favourite SFF books from indie/self-published authors?

Mary Mecham, Brandon Sanderson (he does his own books through Dragonsteel),

What are you working on after your campaign?

My plan is to fund a duet in each of the lands in my world–8 total. So I’ll be working on the next duet.

Do you have any last words?

I love crowdfunding and being able to create products that readers enjoy! I love my readers and enjoy that awesome experience of being immersed in a fantasy world.