Indie Support Sunday: Sephyrra
Immersive daydreaming has always been Sephyrra’s thing—building worlds and stories before she falls asleep. This then drove her to fanfiction (it’s truly the gateway for us writers), where she discovered her love for writing; even if it was in other people’s worlds.
Sephyrra’s love for horror, folklore and creepy stories inspired her to write her books—“monster romances for grown women” is her awesome tagline on Instagram. More than that, she also writes books with plus size and older women because they should be worshipped and celebrated too!
All her books are available in Kindle Unlimited.
BEING AN AUTHOR
Who or what inspired you to write?
I think I was always a storyteller. I’ve always done this thing called immersive daydreaming, where I make up whole stories in my head before I fall asleep. I did it constantly as a kid, and I still do it now. 😂
I started writing fanfiction first, and that was probably where I really learned how much I loved writing. Eventually, I moved on from playing in other people’s worlds and started creating my own.
What’s the best and worst part about being an indie author?
The best part is definitely the freedom. I get to write weird books. I can make the heroine older. I can make her plus-size. I can make the love interest an actual monster and not explain myself to anybody.
The worst part is that being indie means you’re doing almost everything yourself. You’re the writer, publisher, marketer, social media person, advertiser, and half the time tech support too.
Why did you choose to self-publish instead of going the traditional route?
Mostly because I wanted control.
My books are pretty niche, and I knew I didn’t want to change the things that made them mine just to make them easier to market.
Self-publishing gave me the freedom to experiment. I could write older heroines, plus-size women, dark themes, strange monsters, and whatever else my brain came up with.
When you’re not writing, what do you do to get the creative juices flowing?
I consume a ridiculous amount of horror. Movies, creepy stories, folklore, strange documentaries, random internet rabbit holes. I love finding something disturbing and then wondering how I could somehow turn it into romance. A lot of my ideas also just come from daydreaming. My brain never really switches off.
If you were to recommend books to me (in any genre), what would they be?
I’m definitely drawn to books that are darker or a little strange.
I’d recommend Land of the Beautiful Dead and The Last Hour of Gann by R. Lee Smith. I also really enjoyed Skeleton King by Charity B.
What are your top 5 tips or pieces of advice for aspiring authors?
Finish the book. Seriously. You learn so much more by finishing something than endlessly fixing chapter one.
Don’t obsess over making your writing sound like somebody else’s. The things that make your writing weird might be exactly what somebody loves about it.
Read in your genre, but read outside it too.
Learn the business side if you want to publish indie. Writing is only one part of it.
Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. I don’t think anybody ever does.
ROMANCE AS A GENRE
Why did you choose romance as the genre to write in? What is your favorite thing about the genre?
Romance can fit inside horror, fantasy, paranormal, basically anything, and I love that. At the end of it, you still have two people, or creatures in my case, falling for each other.
If not romance/subgenres of romance, what genre would you like to write in?
Definitely horror.
What are your most and least favorite tropes?
I love obsession, possessive love interests, forced proximity, forbidden attraction, and morally gray characters.
I hate misunderstandings that could be fixed with one conversation. Just ask the question.
What are some tropes you want to write in the future?
Enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience, bodyguard romance, and more forbidden relationships. I’d also love to write a heroine who is more dangerous than the love interest. I tried to do this in Touched but I want to explore the dangerous heroine trope more.
What are some topics (sensitive and otherwise) that you think should exist more in romance?
Older women, female desire after forty, plus-size heroines, mothers, and women starting over. I also want more morally gray women.
If you write open door romance, why did you choose that and what inspires your sex scenes?
I write open door because intimacy is part of the relationship. Plus-size women deserve to see women who look like them being wanted in steamy scenes.
YOUR BOOKS
What inspired your published stories? How and when did you come up with these stories and plots?
I’ve always loved horror and monsters, so eventually I started mixing them with romance. The older, plus-size heroines came naturally because those were the women I wanted to write.
Can you briefly tell me about your books?
The Primal Sins Collection is a series of dark monster romances featuring older, plus-size heroines. The books are Insatiable, Drenched, Devoured, and Touched, with monsters, sea creatures, demons, invisible entities, obsession, and plenty of spice.
I also have Claiming Red, a werewolf romance and the first book in my Once Upon a Monster series, which I really need to find the time and energy to finish.
Do you already have a favorite character from the stories you’ve written?
Devoured is my favorite book I’ve written, so I’m very attached to Zahra and the Executioner. The whole book has a very Silent Hill feel to it, and the Executioner was heavily inspired by Pyramid Head. Their dynamic was probably the most fun I’ve had writing a couple.
If you were to cast your book for a movie/television show, who would you cast in the lead roles?
For Devoured, Tom Hardy as the Executioner. His Bane in The Dark Knight Rises was a big inspiration, especially the voice from under the mask. I imagine the Executioner sounding very similar from under his helmet.
For Zahra, I’d choose Richa Chadha. Zahra is half Pakistani and plus-size. Richa is Indian and she has the presence I imagine Zahra having.
How much of yourself do you put into these characters?
Little pieces always end up in them. A fear, insecurity, joke, experience, or something I wish I’d said.
What is a story/stories that you really want to tell?
I want to tell stories about women who don’t fit the usual romance heroine mold. Older women, plus-size women, mothers, women with messy lives. I want them to be desired exactly as they are, without needing to become younger, thinner, or easier to love. And, obviously, I want monsters involved.
Is there one common element that readers can find in all your stories?
Women who don’t fit the usual romance heroine mold, obsessive love interests, and usually a monster.
What’s next on the bookshelf for you? Anything you can tell us about a future project?
I already know what I want to work on next. I want to continue my Once Upon a Monster series, and I also have a horror project called This Soft Rotten Love that I’ve been dying to get back to.
When you write these stories, what are you hoping your readers will feel?
I want women to see themselves in these stories. There’s a lot of feminine rage in my books too, along with desire and women being comfortable in their own skin. Older, plus-size women can be powerful, sexual, angry, and still be wanted.
AUTHOR’S CHOICE
Paperbacks, hardbacks, ebooks or audiobooks
Contemporary, fantasy, historical or romantic suspense—Really depends on mood. These days I’m into historical romance.
Single or Dual POV—I like both
Standalones, series or standalones in a series
Open door, ajar door or closed door romances
Music or silence when writing—I think this too depends on mood. Whatever my adhd brain is feeling.
Plotter, pantser or plantser
Water, tea, coffee or….wine?
Cold or warm weather
Write better in the morning, afternoon or night?
Illustrated or photo cover?
Sephyrra can be found on Instagram, TikTok, Goodreads and Patreon. You can also sign up for her newsletter to stay updated!
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