Cheyenne Richards

We ask every featured author the same set, so the archive is comparable.

How did you start writing?

Sailing and travel gave me settings full of pressure, history, and consequence. Writing became a way to understand the people who might inhabit them.

Which publishing path did you take, and why?

I chose independent publishing because it lets me control the research schedule, presentation, and long-term direction of each series.

What was the hardest lesson?

Research can become a hiding place. Eventually the character must step onto the deck and make a choice the sources cannot make for you.

What does your working setup look like?

I draft with maps, timelines, and research files open beside the manuscript, then do a separate pass devoted only to pace.

What marketing actually worked?

Awards and trusted reader recommendations have created lasting discovery; they give a new reader a reason to take a chance on an unfamiliar name.

What would you tell a first-timer?

Budget for professional editing and design from the beginning, and treat historical verification as part of revision rather than decoration.