Fantasy writer S.M. Carriere found her calling with her first novel, Ethan Cadefael. As a student of Celtic myth, her interest with characters of old fueled her talent with imagination and wit. Her publication The Dying God and other stories is a series of ten stories inspired by her favourite fairy tales and it also includes five poems with illustrations centered around the same theme. This work is followed by Ethan Cadefael in the Battle Prince. Seized by this passion, Carriere would turn out one novel per year. She is an explorer by heart and a writer by trade. S. M. Carriere is a storyteller who weaves ancient myth into story lines parallel with the social issues of our time.
Carriere was born in Ecuador, raised in Australia and finally took residence in Ottawa, Canada. With such an adventurous background, it is obvious where she picked up her interest in myth and magic. Her appetite for ancient stories of old only grew exponentially. She writes a lot, dreams a lot and imagines new tales spun from old themes and symbols.
“I would get into these writing fugues where I would sit and write,” explains Carriere, “Before I knew it, I had skipped dinner and it was like four o’clock in the morning. I had absolutely no memory of time passing.”
Writing fugues are common in her life now. It is the creative spirit in action possessed by a young woman with stories she’s compelled to share. She speaks of high moments when her energy flows through the art fueled by spirits of the past. These intense artistic experiences leave her in a dream state. The result? Her readers are captivated by the myth and legend weaved through her words.
Her next titles quickly followed. Character-driven stories set against a background of magic and spirituality. The Summer Bird came second, another set of stories inspired by myth and folklore. This one takes place in an ancient land where a god helps a young female protagonist bring peace but at a high personal cost. The stories run deeper and closer to issues that grip Carriere. But thankfully, she doesn’t work alone. She has help.
Carriere finds solace in two things: her imagination and her flat mate, whom Carriere admits puts up with a lot.
“She’s been super good,” says the writer, “She helps me out with everything and with all of the random writer moods. She bears with them incredible magnanimity.”
S.M. Carriere has emerged as a prolific self-published writer of fantasy and says she’s ready for a professional book deal. She is a talented writer whose driven to turn out the best her writing spirit has to offer and she’s inspired by her mythical gods through good works previously conveyed by her past counterparts. For every writer is often and avid reader, and Sonia’s got her favourites too.
Currently, she is getting through the works of Steven Erickson, mainly his new book Malazen Book of the Fallen series. Like her own writing, Erickson’s ability to channel his knowledge of anthropology and archaeology into his stories fills her imagination with intrigue and mystery.
“I think that is why I like it so much,” she explains, “because it’s something that I’m so intensely interested in too. His fantasy is incredibly epic and very detailed.”
Carriere is currently working on a science fiction manuscript she is hoping to get published. Until then, her books are available at Amazon.ca as well as directly through her website.
This interview took place on May 10th at Ottawa Comiccon 2014 located at the Ernest & Young Centre.