My hearts, I cannot wait for you to meet my friend S.F. Henne.

Sarah is an indie author who loves all things fantasy and (separately!) sci-fi. Born and raised in Adelaide, South Australia, Sarah swapped beaches for the ski slopes of Whistler, British Columbia and started her American adventure. She now resides in Washington State with her husband, daughter, and lab Luna.

Sarah and I met in an editing course in 2021 with my write-or-die BFF Arlys Avery—after the course the three of us became became pen pals and, of course, we follow each other on Bookstagram.

JEN: Welcome, Sarah. Thanks for letting me interview you. Please let’s start with locale. I can never remember that you’re in the States now. Tell me about your hometown and home-now.

Hometown: Adelaide, Austraila. Then Whistler and Vancouver, Canada. (That’s where I lived when we met.) Now in Washington State where I’m telling the tales that have been rattling around my head for years.

When I’m working, I do try to keep my British English quirks while writing in American English. I do base my cities on my hometown as it’s so nicely laid out.

JEN: What’s your favorite genre? To read? To write?

SARAH: Fantasy! Though I will still argue that fantasy isn’t a genre.

JEN: Wait. What does that mean?

SARAH: Fantasy isn’t a “good” genre, I guess I should clarify. Good meaning that it sets clear expectations for the reader looking for a book. While it means they know we will get some fantasy element, it does nothing to tell us what kind of story we will get. And it’s the same for sci-fi (I also hate they they get lumped together as they couldn’t be more different).

JEN: Oh, me too. Lumping together fantasy and sci-fi is just insulting!

SARAH: The “genre” fantasy doesn’t convey anything about the plot. It’s just a setting. With romance we know that we are going to get a romance between at least two people. The external story is going to involve these people falling in love. Action - we know that it is going to be the good guys vs the villains, the external story is about defeating the villain. Crime is pretty self explanatory. There is a crime and someone’s going to solve it by the end.

Now, what is the external story of fantasy? There isn’t one because the setting is fantasy. Therefore fantasy is always that plus something else. Fantasy romance, fantasy horror, fantasy action and adventure (though don’t get me started on urban fantasy as that’s just setting plus setting). These things start to tell us what the external story will be. Defining fantasy is like defining “what is a fiction book?” Take all fiction plots and add fantasy as the setting, boom, a whole new genre. Really fantasy is just the flavor and spices we add to a fiction plot line.

JEN: When you’re right, you’re right, Sarah! This makes a ton of sense to me.

So, who are your favorite creators? Like, who is your favorite author? Favorite narrator? Who’s your favorite cover artist?

SARAH: T. Kingfisher (her humor and unique worlds are something I aspire to) Narrator - Aaron Smith. Cover Artist? I have too many! Trif Book Design who did my book. And Jeff Brown — I hope to afford him one day.

JEN: Favorite music?

SARAH: Nightwish and Blind Guardian are two of my favorite. But when working I like music without words so Two Steps From Hell.

JEN: Tell me more about your writing routine.

SARAH: First thing is always making coffee, a small workout while it brews, then it’s sitting down at my computer to work (which can be anything from emails, to writing, to editing, to my book coach work) then usually around noon is time with my daughter. If I’m lucky I can get a few more hours of work in the afternoon.

JEN: What other writers are you friends with, and how do they help you?

SARAH: Besides you and Arlys? Authors Laura Huie, Tar Atore, M. Daniel McDowell, and AJ Alexander are my other author BBFs. They’re all part of my support network who are always there when I need them.

JEN: Who, or what, made you want to start writing? Tell me your origin story.

SARAH: I was always making up stories in my head or thinking different ways a book could go but it wasn’t until 2005ish where I realized I could write these stories. It sprouted from my sister and I watching Battlestar Galactica and we hated the “romance” that happened, complaining we could do it better. This sparked the idea that I could create my own and a space opera was born. Not that I have finished it. But one day.

JEN: And you know I’ll read it! Space opera is one of my favorite genres. What else inspires you to write?

SARAH: I usually get small sparks that turn into story seeds as I call them. It’s not much just an idea of my MC and a bit about them. I have far too many of these and not enough time to write them. But for influencing the series I am writing I usually find the ideas come from reading or watching movies. There will be some small thing—perhaps a line of dialogue or a strong emotion or a situation and then my brain takes off. Usually the book it comes from goes off it a totally different direction that what I thought so I have to add it in somewhere.

JEN: You’re the second person to tell me Battlestar Galactica prompted you to do better! In a live with Dana Sweeney, she said the writers’ work (or lack thereof!) gave her the confidence to write. (Both laugh.)

What sort of themes do you most enjoy tackling in your work?

SARAH: Hope. That is the one theme, the one thing I want my readers to feel when they finish my books. Hope that they can have a better life, hope that things will improve, hope in the world. The other is love against the odds. Not just romantic but platonic. That we all deserve love and it changes us for the better.

JEN: Hope is my drug of choice, usually, too. What hopeful works are coming next? I already placed my preorder for Book 2.

SARAH: Yes, Forged in Moonlight (Book 2) launches Dec. 5. Then I hope to have Book 3 out and begin working on my epic fantasy again. Yes, Jen, that one. (Laughs)

(NOTE FROM JEN: Sarah’s referring to the book I got to read in our editing course. I cannot wait! You’ll love it.)

SARAH: From being a writer and wanting to know all the things, this lead me to train to become a book coach. I always got compliments from authors I worked with for critiques or beta reads that I had such insightful feedback. This lead me to apply at Author Accelerator to train to become a certified book coach which is coming up July 15.

JEN: Your advice on both my books was crucial. You’re mentioned in the acknowledgments of both, in fact. I’m so excited that other authors will get the valuable feedback you offer. But what is a book coach?

SARAH: A book coach can be many things, and to each coach it can be something different, so I will tell you what an Author Accelerator book coach is. We are an editor, we are a mentor, a cheerleader, and support. We do a variety of different things, but the main thing we offer is to be there long term.

Unlike a straight up developmental editor who reads the manuscript and then gives you their feedback, we can be there from the start. We will be there when you have your idea and nothing more, working with you to develop your story. Other times we help you to write a solid outline so that you fix the mistakes you might've made before a single word has been written. We can given ongoing support, creating weekly or fortnightly deadlines where you submit the work and we give ongoing feedback while you write. One of my favorite things about being a client of a book coach is that we can bounce ideas off each other, we can actually discuss things and work as a team to build up the story. 

One of the main things with Author Accelerator book coaches is that we always include one-on-one calls where we discuss our feedback and solve the issues together. Everything is very much hands on, we are there throughout the process.

The last thing about AA book coaches is that we all work in our "zone of genius" this means we find the area we are best at, we are most passionate about and that is where we work. We don’t do broad, but find where we can really shine. For me, this is fantasy. There is nothing worse than finding an editor who doesn't understand fantasy trying to give you feedback. This is what I am passionate about, that is what I understand the best. 

JEN: I can say with authority that you give great advice outside of fantasy, too. But I love the idea of working in a “zone of genius”. So, can we hire you?

SARAH: Not yet. I am still going through the last phases of being certified through Author Accelerator and will be setting up everything once that comes through.

If you are interested in looking for a coach you can reach out through Author Accelerator to search through all certified coaches to find the best fit. They will match you with the coaches that fit what you need.

As for me, you can always follow me on social media and send me a DM there. My main two are Instagram and TikTok. Or check out my Linktree if you are looking for me as an author.

JEN: Amazing. Sarah, thank you so much for being by guinea pig—you beta tested my new author interview form and are letting me post this. I’m so grateful.

Last thing. What’s a question I haven’t asked that I should have?

SARAH: I always like to throw in a random question. One reading-related could be, “What is your favorite and least favorite trope?” Mine is Found Family and Damsel in Distress (nothing I hate more that a female character who’s only there to serve the male’s character growth).

JEN: Ugh. Same! That’s why I love your female characters so much, Sarah. Badasses!

My hearts, don’t just take my word for it! You can meet Sarah’s badass FMCs for yourself. Pick up S.F. Henne’s first novel The Last Lunar Witch and pre-order Forged In Moonlight while you’re at it!

Are you a human author? A human who narrates audiobooks? A human who designs book covers? Or a human who does PR and promotion for other authors? I'd love to interview you, too. Let me know when you’re ready!