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In addition to being a fantasy author, Aaron Sher is also a software engineer, a martial artist, a pretty decent cook, a very (very) amateur blacksmith and bladesmith, and—when called upon to serve—expert furniture for his cats. Not necessarily in that order. He lives in Pittsburgh, PA in the United States with his wife and a varying but always-extravagant number of cats, fish, plants, and miscellaneous wildlife.
If you’d like to support Aaron and his work, consider subscribing to his newsletter (located at the bottom of his website), following on his socials: Facebook, Instagram, Threads or Bluesky. And you can also purchase his books here. Now, let’s get into the interview!
Below are questions Aaron answered for this Spotlight.
What drew you to writing, and what has your journey with the craft been like so far?
I’ve been designing TTRPG campaigns for many years, and I got frustrated with the constraints of that genre, especially how simple the plots need to be. I thought that by writing a book I could at least have characters who would cooperate with me (little did I know...)
If you had to pick one, which of your stories was your favorite to write and why?
I guess I'd pick Applied Leverage, though it's like asking which is my favorite child. By book two in the series, after going through the editing and publishing process, I had a lot more things to think about while writing. It's still fun, but there's more craft to it now.
And what was the most difficult part of getting your work published for the first time?
Mainly that I just didn't know what I was doing. Self-publishing is not hard overall, but there are an awful lot of details and gotchas that nobody warns you about.
I knew I wanted my books on Kindle Unlimited—as an unknown author, it's more important to lower the barrier to entry for my books than it is to make them available as broadly as possible—but finding a cover artist (the current cover of Applied Leverage is the *third*), figuring out how to format the book, understanding how KU limits you and how it doesn't, it's all just a lot.
I didn't even apply for a copyright until the book had already been out for six months, and I just learned the other day that I'm supposed to copyright the paperback separately from the ebook.
Let’s pause for an excerpt from Aaron’s book.
And now… back to the interview.
How would you describe your ideal writing set up?
Right now I'm sitting in my comfy recliner with a blanket in my lap, typing on my iPad, with a cup of cocoa by my side. This is the best setup, at least until the cat decides that my lap belongs to him instead.
What was the most profound piece of advice you've ever received? How did it influence your writing?
I really have no idea. I haven't gotten very much advice as a writer, which is unfortunate. I'll answer a slightly different question instead: the most profound realization I've had while writing.
During the rewrites of Applied Leverage, I realized that it's all about the emotion, no matter what it looks like on the surface. And this is true no matter what "it" is. If there's no emotion there, it'll be flat despite the best prose, the most careful plot, or the most intricate world building.
Lastly, do you have any book or story recommendations?
My main inspirations are Butcher's Dresden Files and Benedict Jacka's Alex Verus series. Those guys probably don't need my help, though, so I'll shout out S. F. Henne's Lunar Order Chronicles instead—it's really excellent, well written urban fantasy with fascinating world building and strong characters. Another one is Tao Wong's A Thousand Li—a Chinese-inspired wuxia cultivation story.
Synopsis for each book or series is pulled directly from their webpage.
A little bit of power can get you into a lot of trouble.
Connor Rourke is one of the little people, supernaturally speaking: a psionic in a world of mages. He's happy being the top—okay, just about the only—supernatural locksmith in the Boston area. He doesn't aspire to adventure or heroism, but he's about to get pulled in whether he likes it or not (spoiler: he doesn't).
When he stumbles across a secret that was never meant to be known, he gets in trouble with forces far beyond him. Mixed up in a conflict between factions he can't match or understand, he'll have to find a way to survive for himself and those he loves. Along the way, Connor will learn secrets hidden for centuries, face and defeat threats to his life, and ultimately tackle an enemy who could annihilate him with a thought.
Here’s some things Aaron mentioned about his books, too!
The hero of Origin Key is Connor Rourke, a telekinetic locksmith. As a telekinetic, he's a blue-collar guy who's—largely against his will—dealing with the rich and powerful mages who are the upper crust of the supernatural society.
The first book is called Applied Leverage for several reasons, but the main one is the message: a small force, properly applied, can create great results. Connor is pretty much always the least powerful person in every room, but he prevails through cleverness and good friends, and that's the message I'd like readers to walk away with—that power is not the only, or often even the best, answer.
That about brings us near the end of this spotlight! Before you go though, make sure to follow Aaron on his socials (Facebook, Instagram, Threads or Bluesky.) Or subscribe to the newsletter at the bottom of his website.
Aaron also mentioned some other projects he’s currently working on, so here’s what he had to say:
I'm currently working on book three of Origin Key. I know the title, but I haven't made it public yet. The series is planned for six books, so I need to move right along if I want to finish it before people lose interest!
I also have a short story called Green Wild coming out in a charity anthology this summer (attached to the Tales as Dark as Time book signing event in Hershey, PA this July); after the event I'll get the rights back and I'll make that available on my website. There will likely be other short stories in that world, and I have a full novel series planned... someday.
Thanks to all of you for reading, and to Aaron for giving me this wonderful opportunity to spotlight him. With that, I’ll see you all next time, buh-bye now!