Showing posts with label author interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label author interview. Show all posts
J. D. Evans writes fantasy and science fiction romance. After earning her degree in linguistics, J. D. served a decade as an army officer. She once spent her hours putting together briefings for helicopter pilots and generals. Now she writes stories, tends to two unreasonable tiny humans, knits, sews badly, gardens, and cultivates Pinterest Fails. After a stint in Beirut, J. D. fell in love with the Levant, which inspired the setting for her debut series, Mages of the Wheel.
Originally hailing from Montana, J. D. now resides in North Carolina with her husband, two attempts at mini-clones gone rogue, and too many stories in her head.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Morgan Stang lives in the humid part of Texas. He graduated from the University of Houston with a BBA. By day he works in accounting and by night he sleeps, and sometime in between he writes in a wide variety of fantasy genres, ranging from dark fantasy (The Bartram's Maw series) to gaslamp murder mystery (The Lamplight Murder Mysteries) to cozy fantasy (The Bookshop and the Barbarian). He is a fan of all things nerdy, and lives with an immortal ball python.
Wednesday, August 6, 2025
SPFBO Champions' League Interview: Michael McClung, the Author of The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael McClung was born in San Antonio, Texas, but now lives in Europe. He has had the requisite number of odd jobs expected of a speculative fiction author, including soldier, book store manager, and bowling alley pin boy. His first book, the Sword & Sorcery novel "Thagoth," won the Del Rey Digital first novel competition in 2002 and was published by Random House in 2003.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. L. Odom hails from Oklahoma. After a five year stint in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs with an emphasis on Conflict and Security. She lives with her husband and five children wherever it is that the U.S. Army happens to send them. Her hobbies include running, jiu jitsu, and cooking to feed a crowd.
She can be found on Instagram @jlodom.author.
Find J.L. online: website
Published: May 14, 2024 by Azimuth Length: 374 pages (Kindle) Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2024) Series Land of Exile #1
Official Author Website
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Q) Welcome to Fantasy Book Critic Kane! We always love
to welcome new authors and hear about your journey. To start us off, could you
give us a brief introduction about yourself and how your life has brought you
to the wonderful world of self pub?
KW: Thanks for having me. I’m an Australian epic/high fantasy author on debut. Perils of the Past has occupied a place in my mind since I was a teenager. Four years ago (and twice the age I was back then), I sat down to write it in earnest—and now here we are.
KW: Love that reference, especially as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was one source of inspiration. The scene underground where Harrison Ford is searching for the Holy Grail to save Sean Connery’s life is an all-time favourite.
Do you recall how reincarnation was used in The Mummy? Rachel Weisz’s character in present day aligned with who she was in a past life. But what if your past life stood against everything you believe in? That’s woven into Perils of the Past.
I doubt I’d be writing fantasy without J. R. R. Tolkien.
KW: My characters didn’t give me a choice, haha. Or, put it another way, it has persistently been the story that I see when I close my eyes.
KW: The process differed from name to name. Some just came to me; others took hours to workshop. I remember how hard it was to name my female lead character. I must have gone through about 50 before I found one that fit. Her name is Antarna and she’s been training in a temple on a snow-topped mountain. Her name was inspired by Antarctica.
KW: I’ve written the type of book I love to read. It’s a high-stakes, epic adventure set on a unique and dangerous world. There are battles with both man and beast, plus flawed, determined characters you can root for (or against). And, of course, plenty of secrets and twists to keep you guessing.
KW: While most species of spiders are solitary in nature, did you know that the Australian huntsman are social (e.g., often living and eating together)? The only thing more terrifying than a spider is a group of them working together. That made it into a small scene in Perils of the Past.
KW: The novel almost had 4 POV characters, but I craved more time with Antarna (featured on the front cover), Cal (a seer-in-training, who has a great sense of humour), and Zanth (a mage bent on revenge). I needed to explore what shapes them and how their choices collide. They each have a powerful journey to go on—internally and externally.
KW: In primary school, one of my favourite novels was Ice Station by Matthew Reilly (a fellow Australian). It’s a breakneck thriller. In high school, I read all the books he published and a steady stream of fantasy (e.g., from Raymond E. Feist).
I’ve found the writing process for flash fiction (e.g., a story in 50 words) worlds apart from penning my debut novel. I would add, though, that practicing flash fiction has made me a better writer.
KW: As I spent more time with my novel, I developed a clear picture of exactly what I wanted. Parts of this vision were big and exciting—several full-page internal illustrations, illustrated chapter headers and scene breaks, and a second design hidden under the dust jacket of the hardcover. Other aspects were more subtle, from formatting choices to several chapters intentionally lacking a chapter number to tie into a character’s backstory. Self-publishing allowed me to maintain creative control.
KW: Tough choice... but that would have to be writing the first draft: exploring the world with my characters and seeing that word count climb.
KW: As I was writing my novel, I kept a reference folder with my favourite covers and artists. I had a strong sense of the style I wanted but remained open to where the design process might lead.
KW: Antarna enters that very cave in chapter 1. She’ll find more questions than answers…
KW: From the very first sketches, Anderson took my breath away. He was always receptive to feedback, dedicated to bringing my vision for the novel to life. Likewise, I welcomed his artistic insights and expertise. We exchanged so many great emails and communication felt easy.
KW: Surreal; a dream taken material form.
KW: It is intended to be read as a stand-alone—although there’s a chance I may return to certain characters or world in the future. I have an ambitious fantasy novel (packed with action, adventure and intrigue, of course) I’m itching to write that takes place on another world (or two!).
KW: I hope it sweeps readers away. Fantasy has an amazing ability to offer an escape, and this story leans into that—with sword fights, magic duels, near-death experiences and mysteries to unravel. All of this unfolds on a unique world where humans are not at the top of the food chain. But amid the action and adventure, each POV character faces personal struggles and painful truths. The novel explores some important themes, including the extent that the past shapes us and the power of friendship.
KW: Best. Interview. Question. Ever.
KW: You can find Perils of the Past here or add it to Goodreads. Connect with me on X, Insta or the other socials listed on my website.
Official Author Website
For world-building, I tend to start with a bit of real history, and then bounce it off a character to see what works. From there, both evolve and influence each other until they become something unique.
Q] Perspective plays an important role in this story, though in book one the focus was mostly on POVs from the Namarr empire. Will readers get a chance to engage with POV’s from the opposing Scothean empire later in the series? What led to your decision to only focus on one side early on?
MM: Short answer: Yes. Readers will be introduced to Ikarai Valka, a Scothean general in book two.
And book two and three will take us to a number of new locations.
As to my decision to stay grounded in book one, that came down to a matter of strategy. I had to look at what would be best for readers. Originally, I had all nine characters’ POVs in book one. That…didn’t work.
Dreams of Dust and Steel is an intricate story set in a vast world. I didn’t want to overwhelm people, so I had three questions at the top of each chapter as I wrote book one. Something like this:
1 ) What’s the emotional arc?
2 ) What’s the action in this section?
3 ) What is the world-building/plot introduced?
Every chapter had to have some semblance of all three, or it needed to be cut. This allowed me to make sure there’s always a sense of progress for readers, even when the story slowed down. It also allowed me to ensure characters had continuity in their development, some manner of action occurring regularly–be it dialogue, fighting, etc–and it allowed me to “drip” the world-building to readers in a digestible way.
I want to stay focused on character journeys in this series, while slowly peeling back the world as we go. Novelty is one thing folk love when they read, so this is my way of manufacturing a sense of “newness/freshness” throughout the series.
That keeps the pages turning.
Q] You’re writing two series simultaneously: Dreams of Dust and Steel, as well as a series of novellas set years before the events in DoDaS. Was this always the plan, or had you considered integrating both stories into one series?
MM: This wasn’t a plan until I wrote War Song as a reward to backers in my first Kickstarter. Then, I caught the bug for something dark but slightly more heroic than TPoP.
I’d just read Red Rising as well, and enjoyed Darrow’s story. The way he constantly strategized the next best step, or accomplished incredible feats, alone or with allies, inspired me to write a whole prequel for this legendary character, Danath Ironlight. I realized he shares quite a few qualities with the Reaper and had a similar backstory. In a way, the novella series is an homage to both Red Rising and George Washington.
Q] Comparisons to George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” seem to get tossed around frequently these days, but in this case it feels an apt comparison, with a list of POVs and supporting characters thats ever growing. Is there concern that the story might get away from you, or do you have the full saga planned out in advance?
MM: The full saga is planned out. I know how it ends for all the characters and have book 4 and 5 roughly outlined. Book 3 is done and in revisions.
The advantage GoT has over my series is that all the characters start together. It’s easier to ground into the world, see how characters relate, etc., early on. Easier to lead them into danger and cool scenarios, too, because there’s no worry about bringing them immediately back together.
BUT, all those characters who fan outward from the localized starting point, THEN have to meander back. From a strategic perspective, this can make it hard to wrangle in and may cause a lot of “bloat” through the middle of a story as we have to invent new shit to lead characters toward a conclusion that seems pointless.
Now, the advantage I have over GoT is that all my characters have been moving toward one another from the start. So while I might lose readers early on who dislike the lack of intersection between characters, my way of always narrowing toward something has made each successive book move faster in the writing process, and readers get to be excited as they see their favorite POVS cross paths, or mysteries click into place.
My “bloat” is more toward the front end, but I’d call it necessary character building. At least, no meandering middle bit. Readers who like the series from book one should be in for a treat.
Q] If you have any free time, how do you spend it? Can you recommend any books, games, shows, that have recently caught your interest?
MM: You’re right to ask it the way you did, haha. Not a ton of free time since I have two kids and hustle constantly atm. Fingers are crossed there’s more respite on the horizon, though.
If I had more free time, I’d play a ton of tabletop and board games and have a regular exercise schedule (yoga, martial arts, weightlifting). I’d also do a lot more hiking and paddleboarding. I truly enjoy nature, comedy, TV/movies. Video games are cool, but not my main thing. I love to dance, too.
The top three shows I strongly recommend: Dark, The Wire, Scavenger’s Reign.
Favorite games in recent memory: Ghost of Tsushima and Hogwarts Legacy.
Read Fantasy
Book Critic’s review of The Price Of Power
Q] Tell
us about your early experience in reading and writing fantasy! What were some
of your favorite authors and series that influenced the Dreams of Dust and
Steel? Did you always write fantasy or have you explored different genres?
MM: Well you see, I started out writing porn scripts in my twenties--err--I mean, TOLKIEN!
Okay, serious answer. When I was seven, my older brother and I bought a white dwarf magazine and thought it was the coolest thing we’d ever seen, so I got heavily into Warhammer, which was a massive influence. Also, my dad used to read fantasy, and on long car rides, we listened to audiobooks, the coolest one being a David Eddings book–that’s what kicked off my reading journey.
My peak reader experiences have been A Song of Ice and Fire and the Riftwar Saga. The latter made me want to dream up worlds, and the former inspired me to be an author. Special shout-out to the X-Men cartoon as well. Growing up in the 90s, I recorded every episode on VHS. The psychosocial relationship between characters and their powers is brilliant.
I wrote a lot of Sci-Fi when I was a more active member of the Wordos critique group. I had some publications and a few honorable mentions in Writers of the Future druing that stretch, but fantasy has always been my passion.
I’ve also done some non-fiction spirituality writing. You might catch that vibe in book two and beyond when the Arrow of Light shows up.
Q] Your books tell the tale of two empires struggling for dominance and control, with both sides committing horrid atrocities over the span of decades. Most of the POVs we engage with in book one are on the side of Namarr, the current ruling class, though I found it difficult to cheer their victory due to their war crimes. Are there any real-world wars or invasions that you had in mind while developing these empires?
MM: I pull a ton from history. I love it. The events leading up to the current timeline of The Price of Power were heavily influenced by the American Revolutionary War. Danath is a Washington-esque character, though instead of being part of the upper-crust, he starts as a slave. Kurgs are a mix of samurai and Mesoamerican cultures–I was obsessed with the Mayans for a while. Scothea is a blend of elements taken from Russia and Japan.
MM: Well you see, I started out writing porn scripts in my twenties--err--I mean, TOLKIEN!
Okay, serious answer. When I was seven, my older brother and I bought a white dwarf magazine and thought it was the coolest thing we’d ever seen, so I got heavily into Warhammer, which was a massive influence. Also, my dad used to read fantasy, and on long car rides, we listened to audiobooks, the coolest one being a David Eddings book–that’s what kicked off my reading journey.
My peak reader experiences have been A Song of Ice and Fire and the Riftwar Saga. The latter made me want to dream up worlds, and the former inspired me to be an author. Special shout-out to the X-Men cartoon as well. Growing up in the 90s, I recorded every episode on VHS. The psychosocial relationship between characters and their powers is brilliant.
I wrote a lot of Sci-Fi when I was a more active member of the Wordos critique group. I had some publications and a few honorable mentions in Writers of the Future druing that stretch, but fantasy has always been my passion.
I’ve also done some non-fiction spirituality writing. You might catch that vibe in book two and beyond when the Arrow of Light shows up.
Q] Your books tell the tale of two empires struggling for dominance and control, with both sides committing horrid atrocities over the span of decades. Most of the POVs we engage with in book one are on the side of Namarr, the current ruling class, though I found it difficult to cheer their victory due to their war crimes. Are there any real-world wars or invasions that you had in mind while developing these empires?
MM: I pull a ton from history. I love it. The events leading up to the current timeline of The Price of Power were heavily influenced by the American Revolutionary War. Danath is a Washington-esque character, though instead of being part of the upper-crust, he starts as a slave. Kurgs are a mix of samurai and Mesoamerican cultures–I was obsessed with the Mayans for a while. Scothea is a blend of elements taken from Russia and Japan.
For world-building, I tend to start with a bit of real history, and then bounce it off a character to see what works. From there, both evolve and influence each other until they become something unique.
Q] Perspective plays an important role in this story, though in book one the focus was mostly on POVs from the Namarr empire. Will readers get a chance to engage with POV’s from the opposing Scothean empire later in the series? What led to your decision to only focus on one side early on?
MM: Short answer: Yes. Readers will be introduced to Ikarai Valka, a Scothean general in book two.
And book two and three will take us to a number of new locations.
As to my decision to stay grounded in book one, that came down to a matter of strategy. I had to look at what would be best for readers. Originally, I had all nine characters’ POVs in book one. That…didn’t work.
Dreams of Dust and Steel is an intricate story set in a vast world. I didn’t want to overwhelm people, so I had three questions at the top of each chapter as I wrote book one. Something like this:
1 ) What’s the emotional arc?
2 ) What’s the action in this section?
3 ) What is the world-building/plot introduced?
Every chapter had to have some semblance of all three, or it needed to be cut. This allowed me to make sure there’s always a sense of progress for readers, even when the story slowed down. It also allowed me to ensure characters had continuity in their development, some manner of action occurring regularly–be it dialogue, fighting, etc–and it allowed me to “drip” the world-building to readers in a digestible way.
I want to stay focused on character journeys in this series, while slowly peeling back the world as we go. Novelty is one thing folk love when they read, so this is my way of manufacturing a sense of “newness/freshness” throughout the series.
That keeps the pages turning.
Q] You’re writing two series simultaneously: Dreams of Dust and Steel, as well as a series of novellas set years before the events in DoDaS. Was this always the plan, or had you considered integrating both stories into one series?
MM: This wasn’t a plan until I wrote War Song as a reward to backers in my first Kickstarter. Then, I caught the bug for something dark but slightly more heroic than TPoP.
I’d just read Red Rising as well, and enjoyed Darrow’s story. The way he constantly strategized the next best step, or accomplished incredible feats, alone or with allies, inspired me to write a whole prequel for this legendary character, Danath Ironlight. I realized he shares quite a few qualities with the Reaper and had a similar backstory. In a way, the novella series is an homage to both Red Rising and George Washington.
Q] Comparisons to George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” seem to get tossed around frequently these days, but in this case it feels an apt comparison, with a list of POVs and supporting characters thats ever growing. Is there concern that the story might get away from you, or do you have the full saga planned out in advance?
MM: The full saga is planned out. I know how it ends for all the characters and have book 4 and 5 roughly outlined. Book 3 is done and in revisions.
The advantage GoT has over my series is that all the characters start together. It’s easier to ground into the world, see how characters relate, etc., early on. Easier to lead them into danger and cool scenarios, too, because there’s no worry about bringing them immediately back together.
BUT, all those characters who fan outward from the localized starting point, THEN have to meander back. From a strategic perspective, this can make it hard to wrangle in and may cause a lot of “bloat” through the middle of a story as we have to invent new shit to lead characters toward a conclusion that seems pointless.
Now, the advantage I have over GoT is that all my characters have been moving toward one another from the start. So while I might lose readers early on who dislike the lack of intersection between characters, my way of always narrowing toward something has made each successive book move faster in the writing process, and readers get to be excited as they see their favorite POVS cross paths, or mysteries click into place.
My “bloat” is more toward the front end, but I’d call it necessary character building. At least, no meandering middle bit. Readers who like the series from book one should be in for a treat.
Q] If you have any free time, how do you spend it? Can you recommend any books, games, shows, that have recently caught your interest?
MM: You’re right to ask it the way you did, haha. Not a ton of free time since I have two kids and hustle constantly atm. Fingers are crossed there’s more respite on the horizon, though.
If I had more free time, I’d play a ton of tabletop and board games and have a regular exercise schedule (yoga, martial arts, weightlifting). I’d also do a lot more hiking and paddleboarding. I truly enjoy nature, comedy, TV/movies. Video games are cool, but not my main thing. I love to dance, too.
The top three shows I strongly recommend: Dark, The Wire, Scavenger’s Reign.
Favorite games in recent memory: Ghost of Tsushima and Hogwarts Legacy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: JA Andrews lives deep in the Rocky Mountains of Montana with her husband and three children. She is eternally grateful to CS Lewis for showing her the luminous world of Narnia. She wishes Jane Austen had lived 200 years later so they could be pen pals. She is furious at JK Rowling for introducing her to house elves, then not providing her a way to actually employ one. And she is constantly jealous of her future-self who, she is sure, has everything figured out.
Find J.A. online: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Bookish Things Newsletter Signup with free short story
Runelight links: Amazon, Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Joaquín Baldwin writes epic fantasy with a queer touch. As a multidisciplinary artist, he’s been recognized for his work in cinematography, photography, 3D design, and illustration, and his animated shorts have won over 100 awards. He unadvisedly decided that writing novels was the next thing on his list. While at Disney, he worked on films such as Zootopia, Encanto, Frozen and Moana. He spends an inordinate amount of time crafting the complex world of the Noss Saga. Visit him at joaquinbaldwin.com.
Monday, January 6, 2025
SPFBO Finalist Interview - Stephanie Gillis, the Author of The Humane Society for Creatures & Cryptids
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Stephanie Gillis is a vlogger, writer, dog trainer, and dinosaur-enthusiast living in Colorado with a very load and obnoxious parrot. She has two Bachelor's degrees in Linguistics and Japanese. When she's not staring at a bright white computer screen for hours on end you may be able to spot her in her natural habitat digging through thrift stores or seeing movies at ridiculously early hours of the morning. If seen in public, approach with caution, puppies, and musical song lyrics.
Find Stephanie online: website
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. L. Odom hails from Oklahoma. After a five year stint in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs with an emphasis on Conflict and Security. She lives with her husband and five children wherever it is that the U.S. Army happens to send them. Her hobbies include running, jiu jitsu, and cooking to feed a crowd.
She can be found on Instagram @jlodom.author.
Find J.L. online: website
Friday, November 22, 2024
SPFBO X Finalist Interview: K. R. Gangi, the Author of The Oathsworn Legacy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: K.R. Gangi is an independent author from Minnesota who transcribes his daydreams into stories of fantasy. The Light of the New World series is his first step on his writing journey, along with a few short stories and an endless list of projects he hopes to one day complete. There is nothing that brings him more joy than his wife, Melissa, and the books neatly shelved in what's referred to as "The Reading Room." He firmly believes that there is nothing more powerful than a good story.
Find K.R. online: website
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ADRIAN M. GIBSON is a Canadian speculative fiction author, podcaster and illustrator (as well as occasional tattoo artist). He was born in Ontario, Canada, but grew up in British Columbia. He studied English Literature and has worked in music journalism, restaurants, tattoo studios, clothing stores and a bevy of odd jobs.
In 2021, he created the SFF Addicts podcast, which he co-hosts with fellow author M. J. Kuhn. The two host in-depth interviews with an array of science fiction and fantasy authors, as well as writing masterclasses. (But don’t worry, it’s not overly serious—there are also plenty of shenanigans to be had.)
Adrian has a not-so-casual obsession with mushrooms, relishes in the vastness of nature and is a self-proclaimed “child of the mountains.” He enjoys cooking, music, video games, politics and science, as well as reading fiction and comic books. He lives in Quito, Ecuador with his wife and sons.
Find Adrian online: website
Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael R. Fletcher lives in the endless suburban sprawl north of Toronto. He dreams of trees and seeing the stars at night and being a ninja. He is an unrepentant whiskey-swilling reprobate of the tallest order and thinks grilled cheese sandwiches are a food group.
Publisher: Michael R. Fletcher (April 4, 2024) Length: 366 Formats: ebook, hardcover, paperback
Friday, September 6, 2024
Author Interview: Yaroslav Barsukov, the Author of Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Nebula Award, SCKA Award finalist. Member of SFWA. Left one erstwhile empire only to settle in another. Speaks German by day, Russian by night. Writes in English.
Friday, July 26, 2024
Interview: Adam Weller chats with Mike Shackle About His Fantasy Horror Serial The Witchfinder Chronicles
Mike Shackle’s What Evil Lurks is the first entry of the fantasy horror serial “The Witchfinder Chronicles” and is set during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Lord Jon Willem Legray, Witchfinder General under the Queen, is a veteran of decades of monster slaying throughout 16th century England.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wend is a somewhat average 30-something female with your typical atypical brain. She's had a lot of interests in her life–so many that she’d have to live a hundred lifetimes to fully experience them all. She's been a librarian, a yoga instructor, a video producer, a baker, a barista, an ER tech, a farmer, and a professional cleaner.
INTERVIEW
Thank you for agreeing to this interview. Before we start, tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a somewhat average 30-something female with your typical atypical brain. I’ve had a lot of interests in my life–so many that I’d have to live a hundred lifetimes to fully experience them all. I’ve been a librarian, a yoga instructor, a video producer, a baker, a barista, an ER tech, a farmer, and a professional cleaner. Those are just the jobs I’ve had. I won’t even get into my hobbies. There’s one interest, however, that has lasted my entire life. That’s writing. It’s part of what grounds me and makes me, me.
Do you have a day job? If so, what is it?
When I take off my Wend Raven cloak, you’ll find another writer under there. Though, you might find the writing I do for my day job a bit less exciting. I write for magazines, and I also create press releases and such for businesses.
Who are some of your favorite writers, and why is their work important to you?
As a child, I was deeply impacted by high fantasy writers like J.R.R. Tolkein and C.S. Lewis. They wrote worlds that I could lose myself in time and time again. They wrote characters that came alive to me. I couldn’t bear to leave Frodo dying in a cave while I did something as meaningless as eating a bologna sandwich, so I’d heroically bring my books to the dinner table. As I got older, I came to love the intricate weaving of Brandon Sanderson and Robert Jordan. When I read Kel Kade’s books and realized they had been self published, it lit a fire under me. She was a real person who was doing what I had dreamed of doing and had found success. It was after reading her series that I decided to dust off my notes for Master of the Void and give this self-publishing thing a try.
What do you think characterizes your writing style?
The hope behind my writing style is that it will be accessible to anyone. When I committed to writing Master of the Void, my son was eight. I wanted to write something that he could digest and enjoy, but that would also be appealing to older audiences. I’ve had readers from eight to eighty tell me they loved Master of the Void, and that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something special.
What made you decide to self-publish Master of the Void as opposed to traditional publishing?
Master of the Void isn’t a trendy book. It’s also not a short book. I knew it would face a lot of obstacles in traditional publishing. I also wanted to retain the creative liberty that self-publishing affords. But more than anything else, it was a challenge that I wanted to undertake for the sake of my own growth as a person and as a writer.
What do you think the greatest advantage of self-publishing is?
One of the biggest advantages, in my opinion, is the freedom to publish your book exactly as you envision it. The other, and this was something I only realized once I had already self-published, is the community of indie writers that exists. It’s been such an amazing experience to become a part of this group of hard-working creators who continuously lift one another up.
On the other hand, is there anything you feel self-published authors may miss out on?
Free marketing. On my worst days of second-guessing social media posts or trying to wrap my head around the business side of self-publishing, I can often be heard saying, “I thought writers were allowed to be reclusive hermits who live in a cabin and do nothing but write! I didn’t sign up for all this other stuff.” I’m sure traditional authors have their own struggles, but marketing your self-published book can quickly become a full time job. For most of us, that is in addition to our existing full time jobs and other responsibilities, prioritizing friends and family, and trying to find time somewhere in there to continue to write. For me, it’s a constant state of trying to find balance.
Why did you enter SPFBO?
My husband and I followed previous competitions, and were really impressed by the way the community brought positive exposure to authors who might struggle to be seen in the quagmire of modern self-publishing. Along with wanting to be a part of something so exciting, I entered SPFBO with the hope that someone along the way who might never have picked up Master of the Void otherwise might read it and find something special.
What would you do if you won the SPFBO?
Well, I fell on the floor when I was announced as a finalist, so I’m a little bit concerned about what the shock of winning might do to me…
Jokes aside, I would keep writing! I think we all look for ways to find worth in what we do, and putting my book into SPFBO felt like bearing my soul to a bunch of strangers and hoping they found me worthy. That sounds a bit dramatic, but I think most authors would say that their writing is a piece of themselves that they bravely show to others, hoping that someone will find value in it. Making it this far in the competition has taught me to value my work and have a little faith in myself. I can keep writing because others want to keep reading.
How would you describe the plot of Master of the Void if you had to do so in just one or two sentences?
Master of the Void is a book about choices. We aren’t slaves to our circumstances, and we can forge our own paths if we are willing to be brave.
What was your initial inspiration for the book? How long have you been working on it? Has it evolved from its original idea?
I hate to say this, because I don’t want to come across as criticizing Harry Potter (I love the series). But, during a reread of Harry Potter, I was a little bothered by the way the Slytherins were portrayed (as a Slytherin myself, this is understandable). As mere children, they’re sorted into a house that automatically makes them the bad guys. Where’s the element of choice? That got me thinking about how so often in literature, the villains are portrayed as someone who basically had the path of villainy laid out for them from the beginning. The heroes are the same way: miracles or destiny laying out a path of success for them or giving them special gifts or tools. My inspiration was to write a book where each character chooses their path for themselves.
Unfortunately, I started the story in 2018 and shelved it for several years. I picked it back up in 2022 with renewed vigor and having grown a bit as a writer, and was able to finish it to be published in 2023. I promise the sequel won’t take as long to be published!
The story did evolve a bit, but I believe it stayed true to its original purpose.
If you had to describe it in 3 adjectives, which would you choose?
Oh, that’s really hard. I guess I would say: relatable, endearing, timeless.
Is it part of the series or a standalone? If series, how many books have you planned for it?
Master of the Void is part one of a planned three-part series.
Who are the key players in this story? Could you introduce us to Master of The Void’s protagonists/antagonists?
Master of the Void has a pretty large cast, but the two main characters are Derrius Mendi and Orimund Laetus. Orimund is a child who has grown up with privilege and expectation. Derrius has only his hopes and dreams for the future. These two have a bit of a parallel journey, but respond to the obstacles and trials in their lives quite differently. The antagonist spends much of the story in the shadows, so I won’t say much and risk spoiling things for potential readers.
Does your book feature a magic/magic system? If yes, can you describe it?
Master of the Void takes place in the Seven Lands, a world where every person has magic. Each person’s magical type is determined by a testing that takes place on their 13th birth moment. The magic system is an elemental-style magic linked to colors and the stars, and is what I like to call “scientifically plausible” magic with rules and costs.
Have you written Master of the Void with a particular audience in mind?
I went into this a bit earlier, but my ultimate dream was for Master of the Void to be a demographic-breaking book in the style of Tolkein or Lewis that could appeal to audiences of all ages. The main characters are in their teens, so Master of the Void often gets classified as YA. I think it fits well in that category, but shouldn’t necessarily be limited by it. More than an age-specific audience, I wrote Master of the Void for people who love magic, love characters, and love journeys–both in a physical sense and in a personal sense.
What was your proofreading/editing process?
The first thing I did when I finished each chapter was to read it aloud to my husband and son. Believe it or not, this is where I caught a lot of errors and inconsistencies, or realized a sentence just didn’t work well. My husband and son are particularly good with continuity, and their excitement to hear the chapters kept me motivated to write. I had several beta readers, some of whom I mention in my acknowledgements, who were also fantastic about helping me catch issues. I did proofread and edit the entire manuscript myself, which was a huge undertaking that I don’t necessarily suggest to most authors. Having a degree in writing, I was well suited for the task, but it was a daunting responsibility (and I have no one to blame but myself for anything that slipped through the cracks!).
Cover art is always an important factor in book sales. Can you tell us about the idea behind the cover of Master of The Void and the artist?
I had a pretty clear idea of what I wanted for the cover of Master of the Void from day one. The Void was a must, and I wanted a cover that would make your imagination start to turn. What is this strange hole? Who’s the character? Did they make the Void? Are they going to travel through it? I wanted people to ask questions when they saw the cover. I found Brian Flores’s work online, and loved it immediately. I reached out to him with my idea for the art, and he brought it to life flawlessly. He was really great to work with, and I hope Master of the Void finds success so that it will help to bring him recognition in the art world.
Which question about the book do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!
I wish someone would ask me why I don’t have an audiobook. The honest answer is that I have this crazy dream of Nick Podehl narrating the series, and so I need a miracle or a whole slew of book sales to make that happen!
What’s your publishing Schedule for 2023/2024?
Book two: Creature of the Void is in progress, with a goal to complete the first draft by the end of November. If all goes well, the finished product will be released in the late spring of 2024.
Thank you for taking the time to answer all the questions. In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you would like to share with our readers?
I want to thank every person who takes a chance on Master of the Void, and especially those who have done so and said kind things. There’s no such thing as a perfect book, or a book that’s for everyone, so it is extremely special to me when someone finds my book and loves it. I often say that I live off the comments of my readers, not the royalties from book sales. I could spend hours talking about my magic system or discussing who my readers ‘ship together and why (seriously, please message me all your thoughts on this. I love it so much). Thank you all for supporting indie authors like me. We’ll do our best to write worlds you can live in for years to come!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: By day, R.K. Ashwick herds cats in the animation industry. By night, she writes, bakes, and herds her literal cat around her living room. She lives with her husband (and said cat) in California.
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