Deborah Sutton

The first fantasy I read was Lord of the Rings and that sowed the seeds for a life-long love of the genre. Later came Anne McCaffrey and Ursula Le Guinn along with David Eddings. Recently I’ve fallen in love with Game of Thrones by George RR Martin and most lately The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

 

Before fantasy really took off as a genre in its own right, I was a big SF reader. Anything by Robert Heinlein got devoured. I loved The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and read it till my copy fell apart at the seams.

 

What has all this to do with me? Lots, as those are the writers and genres that set the standard and continue to teach me so much about storytelling.

 

Romance is my second love. When it’s done well, the stories uplift, reward and enlighten. Love is one of the strongest human emotions. It changes lives and drives motivation.

 

My own work is divided between the two – fantasy and romance. My fairytale novella, Arriana’s Trial, is a gentle blend of the two genres with a generous dollop of fairytale wonder.

 

My first class honours degree in Creative Writing helps, because having studied fiction of all types I’ve got a pretty good understanding of what works and why things sometimes don’t.

 

Spending time as a classroom teacher taught me patience along with how to get and stay organised, and having a travelling childhood with a dad in the RAF broadened my formative horizons and taught me independence, and acceptance of other cultures and nationalities, along with curiosity about the world.

 

Like most writers, I draw on my life experience and background, but I don't write about myself. The veiws attitudes or opinions in my stories are those I've bumped up against, but they're not necessarily my own.

 

Writing is my passion. Sometimes I like having written more than I like the long, often gruelling, writing process, but it defines who I am and I’ll never stop.

 

I hope you enjoy my stories.

 

Additional Links:

My Goodreads Profile

My Freelance Writing Site