Interview with D.L. Gardner
Author of
Darkness Holds the Son, and more
Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.
Hi. My current work, which is at the final proofing and formatting stage is titled Darkness Holds the Son and is a stand alone novel that is a spin-off from the Sword of Cho Nisi series. Darkness Holds the Son takes us to a small village named Tuluva where Jareth, an unemployed mercenary, and his wife and two children are raising goats to sustain themselves. Things go well for them until the land-baron of Ogress raises their taxes, forcing Jareth to pick up his crossbow and return to the battlefield. Jareth has an even more pressing problem than keeping his family out of debtor’s prison, though. His son Crispin has seizures that are caused by magic and if Jareth doesn't find the source soon, it could be fatal as the boy hears voices instructing him to kill his father. On Jareth’s quest, he discovers that the same affliction is haunting all the children in the kingdom.
Where did you get the idea for this book or series?
The idea comes from my observation of a growing breakdown of the family unit in our society, and how easily children are persuaded into cults and fads that are not necessarily healthy for them. I think there’s a real need for parents to guard over their children these days. This concern prompted me to write Darkness Holds the Son.
Do you write in more than one genre?
Yes. I write in many fantasy subgenres, but I also write in sweet romance, historical, and historical mystery. Most of my work, though, has some sort of fantastical element to it.
Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.
I think the life experiences I’ve had and share in my stories makes my writing unique. I’ve lived without electricity, in the desert, on the land. Co-owned 25 free roaming horses at one time, helped build a Navajo hogan, lived in a mud hut, caves, and San Francisco in the 60s. I’ve studied psychology and natural healing methods. Many of my stories contain elements of my life history.
Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?
My love for nature manifests in my books. I don’t think I have one story that doesn’t take the characters either in the mountains or on the beach oyster picking. Since adulthood I have always lived away from city life and I think if you look at my work overall, you’ll see my devotion to nature.
In the Sword of Cho Nisi series there’s an island with very important characters who were fashioned with the utmost respect after Navajo friends and acquaintances I’ve had while living next to the reservation in Arizona. In my book Dylan, the main character is autistic, and his personality comes from the many passengers I transported as an ACCESS bus driver.
What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?
I like stories that draw me into their world and keep me there, and so those are the kinds of books I write. I also love enlarging the worlds I create and write companion short stories and novellas and spin-off novels for my worlds. My work is character driven, and you’ll find some pretty interesting supporting characters as well as main characters. Sometimes those character become favorites.
Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?
Joe Abercrombie’s Shattered Sea Series. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Very well done captivating series.
Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?
I recommend the Sword of Cho Nisi series. It’s true that the more we write the more we learn how to write, and this series is my most recent. The world is diverse, as are the people in it. There’s a lot of action, compassion, love, honor, deceit, treachery and even some humor.
Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?
My children growing up for sure. I have more time to write now than I did. I raised seven children, and so my creative time was put aside for their sakes. Now I’m retired and have my whole day to devote to creative endeavors. I’m also a painter.
What question do you wish you would get asked more often?
Where can I find your books!
That’s something every author wants to hear. I love to write. I would do it if no one read what I wrote, but it’s so much more satisfying sharing your worlds with others.
Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?
“You can make anything by writing.” –C.S. Lewis.
It’s true. We live in a small world compared to the worlds we could live in when we read and write and use our imaginations. I love when someone like Lewis puts it into a simple statement like this.
https://www.patreon.com/
https://gardnersart.com
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Thanks to Dianne for participating.
Last week I displayed the cover to my newest book: Crisis in Fire and Snow, Book 6 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series. The other new thing is an alternate location to get my books. I'm looking for someone to try this site to download Threading The Rude Eye for 99 cents and let me know what you think of the experience before I add my other books to it.
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