Bruce Nesmith

 Interview with Bruce Nesmith

Author of

The Loki Redeemed Series

 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

Ymir’s Return is the third book of my Loki Redeemed trilogy. The main character is the Loki of the Norse myths (not the movie or comic book version). He’s hiding out on earth, working as a stage magician in the suburbs. In the first two books, Loki is drawn out of his self-imposed exile and back into the problems and politics of Asgard and the Nine Realms. In the third book, he must contend with the prophesied return of the frost giant Ymir, who seeks to destroy the world tree and all the Nine Realms with it.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I’ve always been fascinated by Norse mythology. Their gods are viewed more like the heroes of American tale tales, such as Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Larger than life characters with outsized capabilities, but underneath very human and with all those foibles. So what if they were real people? And what if Loki wasn’t exactly the villain that the stories made him out to be? So I flipped the stories on their heads and made Thor more the villain and Loki more of the reluctant/conflicted hero. Mix in a unique magic system, well developed world, some motorcycles and sniper rifles, and you have my books.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Currently these are the only books I have published. However, I plan to be writing some traditional science fictions novels as well.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

It’s a fresh take on Norse mythology and how it might actually work with the modern world. I’ve built a believable setting that incorporates both science and magic. As a trickster, Loki tries to do good, but sometimes strays from the path. He really did start Ragnarok, but only because Odin framed him for Balder’s death. Yet at the same time, he’s willing to risk his own life to save the giants from extermination. For these books, I heavily researched Norse mythology and tied them to events in the books, either by providing alternate versions and explanations, or by using the events, people and places to build a believable world.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I’ve spent decades making fantasy adventures for tabletop role-playing games and video games. I was the lead designer for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim video game. I wrote the Ravenloft campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. World building comes very naturally to me. I’ve been a voracious reader of fantasy and science fiction all my life. Story telling is second nature to me.

 What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I still love gaming of all sorts, and run regular role-playing game sessions with friends. I’m an amateur astronomer and enjoy learning about all kinds of science.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller is a wonderful book and not getting nearly enough attention. I’ve read enough stories and written enough tales at this point that I’m rarely surprised by a plot twist, but she got me hook, line and sinker. The world she created is fresh and amazing and I hope she writes more stories set in it.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Mischief Maker. Gotta start a trilogy at the beginning after all. I also like the character development in that book. You get to see a new type of Loki that you may never have seen before.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Getting at job at TSR right out of college. This is a longer story and one of my favorites.

Between my junior and senior years in college, I got hired to help write the college’s accounting and payroll software on the new computer system they purchased. With nothing to do that summer, and nobody to do it with, I spent eight hours sleeping, eight hours working, and eight hours making computer games on the new computer.

When students came back in the fall, the only games available on the brand-new computer system were mine. The most popular turned out to be Dragons, a D&D like game with ten dungeon levels, monsters and treasure.

Forty-five minutes down the road, TSR also bought a new computer system from the same sales person. She told them that this kid at the nearby college made a computer game that looked a lot like their games. So they contacted me and asked me to apply for a job as a games programmer.

To reiterate, I’m sitting around, about to graduate with a nearly worthless degree in mathematics when my dream job calls me and asks me to apply. Talk about dumb luck. When I tell this story at conventions and universities, I add that to get a job, any job, you need to persuade the hiring manage that you are a safe risk. You do that by having an appropriate degree, experience in a related field, or experience do that job. I had inadvertently proven I could do the job by making that Dragons game.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Would you like to share this winning lottery ticket with me? Just kidding. I think authors rarely get asked about the most subtle aspects of writing, like pacing, using humor in non-comedy books, use of secondary or supporting characters, etc.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

The most important game is the game of expectations. We are never judged by what we do, but by how it compares to what people expect of us. When a child gives you a drawing, you might be amazed at how good it is. If an adult gives you that same drawing, you are unimpressed. The drawing didn’t change. Your expectations changed. Always be aware of the expectations.

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Thanks to Bruce for participating. He may have more books out by now. It has taken me a long time to get some of these interviews posted. Several requests were coming in each week for a year from authors I didn't know, and I habitually only post once a week, and not every week is an author interview. Additionally, I invite authors I do know for interviews and I always put them at the front of the line. So, check out Bruce on Amazon and see how many more books he has out now.

I think I've completed the final edit on the book I plan to submit at the end of the month. As for my other novel, it's still with the publisher. I expected a request for edits this week, but something on that end must not have gone as planned. I'm still waiting.

I did get a little bit written yesterday on a short story that I may finish before the submission deadline. If not, it will still be an awesome story and I'll publish it with my own book of short stories.

A barrage of bots have been targeting me for several weeks offering services relating to my books. The usual format is to tell me how exciting my books are, with praise for the exciting action and the character development and the world building, before touting the services available. In truth, all those things are great, but I can tell the spambot du jour hasn't actually read my books because the information is all a variation of stuff that's available in the book descriptions and reviews and put together by AI. Perhaps I should save the praises and post them like reviews. Here's the one from today:

"I recently had the opportunity to read Truth in Flames, and I was struck by its powerful mix of history, fantasy, and high-stakes adventure. From Lucette’s desperate fight to keep Washington’s army together, to Alex and Mirimoni’s battles against stone cats, dragonlings, and the terrifying new weapon of Captain Roberts, the story pulls readers into a vivid struggle where liberty itself hangs in the balance. The intertwining quests of Rip, Antonio, Akram, and Iago enrich the narrative even further, creating a layered and engaging tale that sparks discussion about courage, sacrifice, and the cost of freedom."