Time for the next in my series of author interviews with the finalists of the SFINCS contest! We’re now joined by B.S.H. Garcia, author of From the Depths, a fantasy prequel packed with adventure.
From the Depths by B.S.H. Garcia
The world can sustain the needs of many, but the greed of a few can destroy it for all.
In a life steeped in peril, the Brune family has thrived on the knife’s edge. Renowned for their smuggling and bounty exploits, Konar and Karliah’s parents command both respect and fear. Comfortable yet haunted, the family faces the constant threat of perilous assignments, leaving scars that even a parent’s protective embrace can’t heal.
Still, Konar dreams of scholarly pursuits, and Karliah sees the world as something ripe for the taking. When the emperor dangles an irresistible offer—a job to end their dangerous pursuits forever—the Brunes seize the chance. But there’s a catch: the item in question is little more than a myth, deemed impossible to find.
As the family embarks on the voyage of a lifetime, their bonds are tested like never before. Locating and securing the prize will require sacrifices beyond measure, and when your family is in the business of pirating, trust is the greatest myth of all.
From the Depths is a prequel novella that takes place roughly a thousand years prior to the events in Of Thieves and Shadows—volume one in the epic fantasy series, The Heart of Quinaria.
About the Author
B. S. H. Garcia is the author of the epic fantasy series, The Heart of Quinaria. A household manager by day, writer by night, she graduated with honors from The University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in English Writing. To get into character for her stories, she trudges through the woods in cosplay with a mead-filled drinking horn and has traveled from Oregon to New Zealand seeking inspiration. Visit her online at www.bshgarcia.com. There, you can get your hands on a FREE copy of The Heart of Quinaria prequel novelette, From the Ashes. All she asks for in exchange is your soul.
Let’s begin…
PW: What inspired you to write From the Depths?
BG: I never actually set out to write From the Depths. I was prepping to dig into a key POV character’s past for Of Love and Loss, when I realized I needed to sit with him and his sister longer. Get inside their heads. Figure out how they ended up so… the way they are. These characters—these siblings—have always meant a lot to me, and while some might slap a villain origin story label on this, I never have. That was a huge part of why I needed to write it. What started as me trying to make sense of things spiralled into a full novella before I even realized what was happening. One minute I was journaling, the next I was staring at a completed story like, “Well. Guess I’m doing this now.”
PW: So was it wasn’t intentionally a novella?
BG: As mentioned previously, no, that was never the plan. I figured this character work would stay buried in my notes, never to see the light of day—but here we are. Haha. It just kept growing, and at some point, it felt less like I was writing a story and more like the characters were telling me, You’re not done with us yet. So I listened.
PW: That seems to be a common thing in the domain of novellas, which is part of why I ask! They seem to fill the gaps of stories that we don’t plan, but fill an important space… So did the length effectively reflect how much you needed to dig into to satisfy yourself for this part of the characters’ journey?
BG: Yeah, definitely. The length fit what I needed emotionally as much as narratively. I think novellas work best when you’re exploring a specific, intense moment of a character’s journey. For From the Depths, the novella length let me linger exactly as long as I needed without overstaying the tension or rushing past the depth. If I’d stretched it further, it would’ve felt diluted, less raw. Any shorter, and I’d still be haunted by things left unsaid. That being said, I do have more of these characters’ backstories to tell, but the rest will be better handled in-series.
PW: How does this book fit into the rest of your work?
BG: From the Depths is a prequel novella that takes place roughly a thousand years before the events of my main series, The Heart of Quinaria. It works as a standalone, but ideally, you’d read it between books one and two for maximum impact—or at least read the main series after to continue the characters’ journeys.
PW: Do you find this length of story presents any particular benefits compared to longer or shorter forms?
BG: I love novellas because they give me the chance to experiment more. There’s something about shorter fiction that feels less risky, so I get to push myself in ways I might not attempt in a full-length novel. With From the Depths, I wrote from the POV of a child and preteen, which let me focus on family dynamics and trauma as a strong B-plot. I don’t think I could’ve pulled that off as smoothly in my larger-scale epic fantasy with six POVs. A novella allows for a more personal, specialized journey while still giving far more depth than a short story. Honestly, they’ve become one of my favorite things to write. I’ve been writing one in between each novel just to reset and try out new techniques.
PW: Very well put! They are a great length for that kind of developed character focus. However, do you find publishing a novella presents any particular challenges compared to longer or shorter work?
BG: The hardest part is definitely marketing and selling shorter fiction outside of an anthology. Having my novellas tied into my main series has helped with that, ensuring some audience continuation from the existing storyline and worldbuilding. If From the Depths were a true standalone, I think it would be more of a challenge to market—but then again, I feel like novellas are starting to grow on people. You can knock out a complete story in far less time, which is a huge draw. I’ve been reading a lot more novellas in recent years and love them. They’re more fulfilling than a short story but less of a commitment than a 100k-word book.
PW: Same; I do enjoy chopping between novellas to get a lot of variety but enough story to satisfy. Next up, do you have any notable experience to share for marketing novella-length fiction?
BG: Tying a novella to a series definitely helps, especially if there’s already an audience for that world. They also make great reader magnets for newsletters. I give away my first prequel novella, From the Ashes (a previous SFINCS semi-finalist), to all my newsletter subscribers, and that story alone has been huge for finding readers and building my audience.
Novellas also have the advantage of being priced lower, which helps overcome the price hesitation some readers have with self-published books. Plus, short fiction opens doors for competitions, magazines, and anthologies, so there are plenty of ways to get it out there.
At the end of the day, early in a writing career, exposure matters more than financial gain. Whatever gets your work into the hands of more readers is a win.
PW: And do you find as a bonus you also get some sales of From the Ashes even though it’s available free? This seems to happen to me a bit…
BG: Yeah—honestly, it’s surprised me in a really good way. Even though From the Ashes is free as an ebook, quite a few readers have gone out of their way to grab print copies after finishing it. There’s something satisfying about having a physical copy of a story you loved, and it’s been super rewarding to see readers connecting with it enough to want that on their shelves.
PW: What’s next for this book, and your work in general?
Making it to the finals has been humbling. I never imagined From the Depths would resonate with so many people, especially with it being on the longer side for a novella and featuring child protagonists. Seeing readers connect with it has been incredible.
Right now, I have two books, two novellas, and an interactive short story published in The Heart of Quinaria, with at least one more of each form on the way. I love this world and will be writing in it for some time to come.
That said, I’m also stepping into new territory—sci-fi and horror are calling my name. Speculative fiction for the win.
PW: Always yay to horror! And to finish, how has reaching the SFINCS finals impacted you?
BG: Reaching the SFINCS finals has been an incredible experience. Exposure is one of the hardest things to get as an indie author, and before this competition, From the Depths wasn’t one of my top-selling or most-reviewed stories. Seeing it find new readers through SFINCS has been surreal in the best way.
Competitions like this are so important for self-published books. In a market flooded with content, it’s easy for indie stories to go unnoticed, no matter how much heart and craft go into them. Three of my published works have entered competitions, and each time, it’s connected me with readers who might never have found me otherwise. That kind of opportunity is invaluable.
I’m beyond grateful to everyone who makes this competition happen—especially the judges, who take time out of their lives to read, review, and champion indie authors. It means the world.
PW: Fully agreed! Thanks very much for all your thoughts!
I’ll be back soon with the next of our finalist interviews, and remember you can keep up with the full competition here. And be sure to check out From the Depths!
