Interview with Dusten J. Munden

Hello, I'm Deston J. Munden, author of the Dargath Chronicles and Dusk Mountain Blues series. I'm from the rural areas of North Carolina and I have a major in Game Art and Design. It's a pleasure to meet you! 

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

Undergrove is the third book of the Dargath Chronicles, continuing stories that both Tavern and Duke’s Brand left off. It’s more of a Dungeons and Dragons adventure in comparison to the other two books of the series, taking inspiration for campaigns that I’m currently in. There are huge fantasy inspirations that are coming through in this book that I’m proud of. There’s plenty of returning characters from the previous two books as well as new characters such an elven barbarian, a sky dwarf bard, and a dragon alchemist.  Keep an out for any news involving this new book.

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

It’s hard to say where exactly I get my ideas from. I play a lot of video games, read a lot of books/comics, and listen to a lot of music. From there, I’ve just got so many different types of ideas that come into my brain. There are times where a certain appearance, interaction, or demeanor of a stranger strikes a chord within me to make a character or a book. This is why I have to have a particular document for keeping my ideas.

For this series, I was largely inspired by video games. I’m a huge fan of stuff like Elder Scrolls, World of Warcraft, and Dragon Age so that came through a lot in the Dargath Chronicles. Lately though, I’ve been taking a lot of Dungeons and Dragons influences because I’ve been playing it a lot more.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes, I write in science fiction and fantasy!

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

What I consider unique about my writing is my take on character driven stories. It’s important for me to represent characters and themes accurately while keeping to that fun, playful, or emotional style that I want to maintain. I enjoy vivid descriptions, powerful themes, and character driven motivations within my writing.

Another thing that I take care in doing is making my worlds feel diverse in races, sexualities, cultures, neurodivergence and etc. I want to make it a place where people feel welcomed and represented, so it’s always a goal for me to have characters and themes fill that mold. I think that everyone can enjoy something within my worlds.

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

I do think my past and my general experiences has shaped how my writing has come through. There are personal issues, traumas, and experiences that come directly through my characters while others come through in more subtle ways. I do say that my humor and general personality also plays a large part in my writing. It makes it feel personal to me since I know how to bring myself through the tale while keeping true to the characters that are most definitely not me.

I think it’s particularly difficult to balance you as an author versus your characters. You want to have just enough of you in the story, but the readers do not want to read about you personally (unless they are reading your autobiography or memoirs then well…they knew what they were signing up for). With Xel, my main character, he has gone through a lot of similar issues that I have but the key is how he has been shaped by it. There’s a balance you need to maintain and it's important for everyone.

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

I do think it’s important to know that I’m a very vocal about diversity and equality in my books without making hardcore political statements. I want to make a change both in and out of the industry. The plights of BIPOC, LGBT, and neurodivergent people are often overlooked by readers and publishing companies alike. I’ve taken upon myself as a self-published author to try to make the change that I want to see in the industry while still making it accessible for everyone!

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

I have quite a few recommendations, especially in the self-published realm. I would love more people to read Deck Matthews, Emmet Moss, Bernard Bertram, Verse Atoui, and Renee April. These are all self-published authors that has made amazing books that are grossly underrated. They each have interesting styles with so many different styles. Try them out!

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

I would recommend starting with Tavern. It’s a great start to getting to know my writing style and me as an author. Fantasy is my true passion while science fiction is more of a side project. So, if you wanna start with my work, that’s a good place to go.

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

Oddly enough, it took getting sick to truly start my writing career. After college, I fell upon some hard times and my health degraded. To break through, I decided to get serious about novel writing. I sat down and began writing what would become Tavern. From there, I tried at the traditional publishing route to no avail, so I decided to do some research on self-publishing. I found that it was a good place for me to start. Now, I’m somewhat comfortable and making a name for myself.

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

A big question that most authors like hearing is “what is your favorite character?” We tend to have a lot of background behind the characters that people don’t get to see.

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

“For me, it’s always been a process of trying to convince myself that what I’m doing in a first draft isn’t important.

One way you get through the wall is by convincing yourself that it doesn’t matter. No one is ever going to see your first draft. Nobody cares about your first draft. And that’s the thing that you may be agonizing over, but honestly, whatever you’re doing can be fixed. …

For now, just get the words out. Get the story down however you can get it down, then fix it.” – Neil Gaiman

This one has gotten me through so many problems when drafting. I get so caught up in my own perfection that it didn’t occur to me to just get it down. Now, it’s much easier to draft novels with this in mind.

Follow me on social media! And have a good day

Social media links:

Website : www.djmunden.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Deston-J-Munden/e/B07Q2D6948/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SrBuffaloKnight

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordjmunden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D.J.Munden/

Book Links: 

Tavern: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PWTR89Q

Dusk Mountain Blues: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085LQJH3K

 

 Interview with JMD Reid

Author of 

Above the Storm 

and more

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

I’m working on What Masks Hide, a five book fantasy series that’s set in my Jewel Machine Universe. It’s a companion series to Secret of the Jewels, running parallel to it with some minor connective tissues. They compliment each other but neither is necessary to understand the other.

What Mask Hides follows Lady Foonauri, a young noblewoman who has become disaffected by her pursuit of powerful men. It has led to two men she loved being destroyed and her living far from her home.

She is approached by the enigmatic Onyx and is offered to join a group of thieves called the Cracked Gems who broke the rules to save the world one small crime at a time.

Will she find meaning taking control of her life?

 

 

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

 

Like Secret of the Jewels, What Mask Hides comes out of a short story I wrote called Dual. It is about Taim, a young prince who, after finding one of his palace officers sexually assaulting his fiancé, challenges the man to a duel. Everyone thinks he’s going to lose. So does Taim, but he’ll he hopes the truth will prevail.

Only an earthquake struck and drops him and his opponent into the earth. Taim and Obhin have to help each other to survive and in the process talk about Foonauri, the main character of What Masks Hides. What Taim took as a sexual assault was actually an adulterous affair while Obhin, who had known Foonauri since childhood, had been told that Taim was forcing Foonauri to marry him.

The two men realize that Foonauri has lied to them. Taim is able to let go, but not Obhin. In the end, he kills Taim. I always wondered what happened to Obhin and Foonauri after that. I saw their relationship failing.

So I conceived two series, Secret of the Jewels following Obhin two years later as a broken man, and Foonauri as she faces her complicity in the tragedy and her own guilt and quest for redemption.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

 

No. Just Fantasy. 

 

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

 

My characters. I strive for comples and realistic characters and relationships. I want their personalities to drive their choice and thus the plot. I make you care for them and root for them as they face their trials (and there will be trials).

 

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

 

As a disillusioned romantic (aka a cynic) I find myself rooting for my characters to find love. Not the wild, crazy, passionat love, but that quiet companionship. The relationship that survive once the fires die. That support each other and are partners in life.

 

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

 

I love fantasy. The books of my youth from Lord of the Rings, The Belgariad, Death Gate Cycle, The Wheel of Time, The Shannara Books, Dune, and more all made me want to invent my own worlds. Tell my own stories. 

 

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

 

R. Scott Bakker if you want to see philosophy baked into fantasy and an unflinching look at the truth of humanity and not the romantic version we like to pretend that we are.

 

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

 

Above the Storm starts off my epic fantasy series The Storm Below. It’s my first book and one I am proud of. It is a military/epic fantasy that chronicles Ary and Chaylene, to farm youths, through their military service and to their confrontation with a Dark Goddess to decide the fate of the world. 

 

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

 

Meeting Michael Evan on Facebook.

 

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

 

Not sure. Never really thought of it and nothing is coming to mind.

 

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

 

“The difference between a professional writer and an amateur is the professional didn’t’ give up.” Richard Bach

JMD Reid's links:

Buy Link for Above the Storm 

Buy Link for Diamond Stained

Facebook

Facebook Reader's Group

Twitter

 Interview with E.G. Stone

Author of

The Wing Cycle Trilogy

The Speaker of Words

and the upcoming

On Behalf of Death Series

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

            My current work in progress is the fourth book in my upcoming On Behalf of Death series. This series is somewhere between an urban fantasy, comedy and, well, causing trouble. Essentially, my main character, Cal Thorpe, is hired by Death to be his marketing and public relations specialist. Each book involves a separate episode of Cal’s adventures while working for Death.

            The first book, The Innocence of Death, involves solving a murder that Death didn’t commit. The second, Knowledge Aforethought, has Cal dragged back to 1494 by Time to deal with Life and Death’s relationship at the start. The third, A Party of Certainties, involves a favour for the Taxman and a not-quite-reincarnated Al Capone. Book four (which I just started) is what happens when Death goes on holiday and Cal has to take his place.

 

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

            I haven’t the foggiest. It probably came through a random conversation or a dream or some such. That’s how most of my stories come about.

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

            Indeed I do! I have sci-fi/dystopian/cyberpunk, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, plans for hard sci-fi, mystery, even romance under a different name (Evelyn Grimald rather than E.G.)

 

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

            My love of language! I am a linguist and so I enjoy spending time crafting the language so that it conveys its meaning precisely and deeply. I also spend a lot of time with my characters, making them as realistic—and flawed—as possible.

 

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

            Probably. I definitely put my emotions into characters, since if I’m feeling it, it must be relevant to someone else, too. As far as personal experiences, I don’t usually do that since many of my stories don’t involve the bookworm who doesn’t tend to go out much. Psychologically, I’m sure many of my unique attributes make it into the story.

 

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

            Um...these are always the hardest questions. I’m fond of tea? I read just about anything? I have a cat who happens to be Queen of the Universe? There are many tidbits of information that might be helpful to know. The most important is probably my ability to cause trouble. :)

 

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

            Oh, I have so very, very many. It all depends on what sort of book you’re interested in. If there is a specific genre, a specific style, a sort of main character, I can probably recommend something. (Perhaps look at my book review blog or YouTube channel. Or if you want a specific recommendation, feel free to ask!) I read so many fantastic indie books that it’s really hard to pick one or two. They appeal to different people for different reasons and are very uniquely crafted, so picking one...probably not possible.

 

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

            Well, all of them? Again, this sort of thing depends on what you want. If you are looking for something more light-hearted, more tongue-in-cheek, then the upcoming On Behalf of Death series is probably for you. If you want something more dramatic and epic in scale, with characters you can really root for, The Wing Cycle trilogy is your best bet. If you want a more intricate exploration of thought and language wrapped up in rebellion, then Speaker of Words is for you.

 

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

            Probably right in the middle of my MS in Applied Linguistics, I decided that, while I could very easily go work for one of the tech companies doing natural language processing or work with AI, I would much rather be a writer. So here I am! I saved up for three years’ worth of giving it my all in my writing career (my expenses are low, thank goodness) and if it doesn’t work by then, I shall go do something else. But this has really given me the opportunity to push for being a writer full time.

 

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

            Not this one. :)

            I get asked all sorts of questions, about all sorts of topics. But just for fun, a non-writing question I rarely get asked is what sort of car I would like. The answer is: a 90s Saab with an electric engine conversion. Because while many of the super cars are really pretty to look at, they would die the moment I hit a pothole.

 

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

            I describe myself as: writer, linguist, wanderer. I’m not sure if that’s what you mean, but it’s an accurate description. Though, to be fair, the wanderer bit hasn’t happened as much this year thanks to the world rather falling to bits. Whoops!

 

 

Interview with A.F. Stewart

Author of 

Eternal Myths 

Visions and Nightmares 

and more

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

It’s a series based on Arthurian legends, called The Camelot Immortals, with the premise that the witches and wizards of Camelot are indeed immortal and still alive in modern day England. The books mainly focus on the women of the legends: Morgan le Fay, the Lady of the Lake (named Vivienne in my series), Iseult, and the protagonist, Nimue. The plot revolves around Nimue, as she gets pulled unwillingly into a destiny she doesn’t want. And while it is a contemporary fantasy, there are many legendary and epic fantasy elements as the characters visit worlds other than the mortal one.

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

It was, of course, inspired by the legends of King Arthur, but the original idea started back in 2007 when I wrote a short story called Legendary Debts. It evolved from the notions, “What if the legends were real, but didn’t quite happen the way they were told”, and “What if Merlin was a jerk and everyone from Camelot hated him?” From that original story came another one with those characters in 2014, based on the tales of the Grail quests, and after that I decided to develop a series. I also reworked the two short stories into a prequel book called, Eternal Myths.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Yes, I write in the horror genre and in various sub-genres of fantasy. I also dabble a bit in sci-fi for some of my flash fiction stories and a 100 word drabble series I post on my website. Plus, I write and publish poetry. It’s usually all darker themed, though, so it tends to tie together.

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

I do like mixing mythologies and history and then throwing in weird bits for fun (such as Nostradamus showing up in my Camelot books and a cheese-loving troll). Plus, there is lots of angst and mayhem, and a modicum of violence. And there’s always dysfunction among the characters.

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

I think my fascination with true crime and the psychology of murder manifests in my horror stories as there seems to be a lot of delving into the mind of evil. Also, my lifelong love of myth and legend plays a big part in my fantasy books.

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

I’m not big on romance subplots in my books (nothing wrong with romance, just not my thing), and a lot of my books deal with grim themes like family issues, death, and abuse. There’s not a lot of graphic violence, (although some books have such scenes), but they are not for readers who like lighter styled fantasy books.

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

There are two indie authors who write cyberpunk novels, M. Darusha Wehm and Bard Constantine, who deserve the spotlight. Both do a terrific job of combining detective noir and gritty sci-fi. Readers should definitely check out the Andersson Dexter series by M. Darusha Wehm and The Troubleshooter series by Bard Constantine (who also writes fantasy novels).

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

Besides my upcoming series, I recommend Visions and Nightmares. It is a short story collection (I love short stories and encourage more readers to try them out) and it’s a nice mix of horror and fantasy. The ten stories all have female main characters and deal loosely with the themes of revenge, fate, and death. My favourite tale in the collection is my version of Alice in Wonderland, but the djinn’s story seems to be a reader favourite.

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

Probably discovering Lulu.com back in 2007 at the point when I got serious about getting my writing published. It’s what started me on my indie author career when I self-published my first poetry book and a book of short stories.

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

I wish I’d get more questions about my characters and what makes them tick. I love talking about them, and I’d love to tell a little more of their back stories.

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

My unofficial slogan is Be Afraid of the Dark, or the variation, Are You Afraid of the Dark? It is a reworking of my favourite quote from the movie Pitch Black, “You’re not afraid of the dark, are you?”

Here's link to her Amazon Author page: Check out her books.