Interview with

D. William Landsborough

Author of  Shadow's Advent series

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

I quite literally just finished up the final revisions on my second book, Revelations, and sent it out to my copyeditor. It’s the sequel to my debut novel, Archangel, and the second of six books in my Shadow’s Advent series. In Archangel, the angel Uriel descends to an Earth that is now ruled by demons. It’s been ten years since the war between Heaven and Hell began, and Hell lost.

After establishing a foothold in Archangel, Revelations takes place right where its predecessor ended. Uriel, his half-demon friend Shandra, and a host of other angels try to capitalize on their victory by marching an army towards the demon prince, Abaddon.

The books are very much dark fantasy and Revelations in particular has a lot of action scenes. One thing I wanted to really push in Revelations, considering this is a series about angels and demons, is questioning and doubting of faith. That’s the main theme behind Revelations and most of Shadow’s Advent, but I can’t say too much without some potential spoilers!

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

I wasn’t raised religiously, but I always found religion fascinating. There is so much lore, research and writing when it comes to the characters—angels, demons, half-demons, etc.—of religions. And I’ve always enjoyed a good vs. evil story, so I asked myself what would happen if evil won and we picked that up ten years later? How different would the world look? How would the characters of these angels change after being trapped on a demon-run Earth for a decade?

Do you write in more than one genre?

I don’t have books out in more than one genre, but I definitely write in more than one. While Shadow’s Advent is a dark fantasy series, I also write a series of short stories called Nightshade. Those are urban fantasy stories about a woman who hunts monsters for a living, but she herself is a monster that can’t die. The real issue is that no one knows exactly what she is, so it pushes her away from those that normally hunt things like her. Right now, Nightshade is being released for my patrons on Patreon.

I’m also planning a non-Shadow’s Advent book for next year. It will be a near-future climate sci-fi and, true to my dark fantasy background, will be pretty bleak (but hopefully ultimately inspiring). I’m also in the very, very early stages of planning a horror novel!

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

I think every story is worthy of attention if it’s a story that entertains you. If it manages to suck you in, make your heart race and make you feel strong emotions (positive and negative), then it’s worthwhile. When I write, that kind of entertaining is exactly what I aim to do.

In some of the feedback I got for Revelations, I had a beta reader tell me they were so shaken by a character’s death that they had to put the book down for a little bit. It’s that kind of reaction, that powerful feeling, that I really hope to convey through my writing.

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

Aside from inspiration drawn from devouring books, shows, movies, etc. since I was young, I can’t say much. I know a lot of people say that art comes from pain, and I know some of the best literary works do. I’m fortunate enough to not have some kind of severe trauma or lifechanging event in my past that influences what I write.

I think it’s my personality though, that desire to make people feel good, to laugh or get taken away to a different place (especially with all that’s going on) that influences my writing.

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

I’m a huge nerd. If you follow me on social or meet me in real life, prepare to be cooler than me.

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

I am a huge Adam Nevill fan. I know he’s gaining popularity here in North America more and more—my favourite book of his, The Ritual, was turned into a movie on Netflix—but he has some genuinely creepy stuff. Sometimes his level of detail is too much for my taste, but his books never fail to give me nightmares.

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

Well right now I have to say Archangel, Book One of Shadow’s Advent. Come December, I would say Revelations... but you have to read Archangel before you can read that!

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

Archangel had been a backburner project for me for years. I would ebb and flow when it came to working on it. Then, in August of 2018, I decided to quit my bank job and go back to school for marketing and communications. This decision was purely driven by a mental health crisis and a genuine unhappiness with my job, so I took the risk and quit it, relying on freelancing and savings (and student loans) to get me through a one-year program. During that time, I also decided that making a jump into what I really wanted to do meant getting Archangel out there.

If I hadn’t left my job at the bank, if I hadn’t chosen to go after what I really wanted, I don’t know if Archangel would have ever come out or if I would be on the verge of releasing my second book.

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

I wish people would ask more about independent publishing (aka self-publishing). There is still a stigma attached to indie authors, one that stops people from even picking up a book if it isn’t from a big publisher. And I get that mindset, and I understand the pros and cons to both sides. But indie authors are essentially (and for tax reasons, usually) their own business. They are entrepreneurs. And if you ask any of us about the process of being an indie author, the enthusiasm will be overwhelming!

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

It’s not a catch-phrase or a quote I can attribute to any person in particular, but I always tell people “don’t be embarrassed about your dreams.”

 

It might sound silly reading that out loud, but there are so many people who are embarrassed to admit they want to be a writer, a painter, a musician, or anything that channels your passion. Hell, I used to be one of those people. Archangel, when I was writing it, was only known to a few people who I knew wouldn’t judge me. But, looking back, what would I be judged for?

I absolutely love how many of my friends, family or even strangers have approached me since Archangel’s release to tell me how they want to write a story they’ve been thinking of or how they want to try their hand at photography or making music. I tell them to go for it. It might just be on weekends or in the evenings at first, but you can do it.

So don’t be embarrassed for pursuing something your love. Don’t be embarrassed if you stumble and definitely hold your head up high if you persevere. Embrace those dreams and make them a reality.

_________________________

Thanks to William for participating in the interview.

In my own writing, I'm making some minor typographical corrections to Threading the Rude Eye and preparing to give Promise of Carnage and Flame the final review before it hits the big river store in ebook with the paperback to follow.

As part of my self-reward for completing Promise of Carnage and Flame, I got these:

I also had a battle of Vauchamps. Here's a picture of French cuirassiers about to destroy a Prussian infantry brigade. The picture summarizes a lot of things:

For anyone who cares, I use the Song of Drums and Shakos Large Battles rules -- upscaled for real battles that involve corps and armies -- with basing from Age of Eagles (except, using the 1/72 scale figures, I only get two infantry per base, and one cavalry figure per base. Also, my infantry brigades consist of four bases, and my cavalry brigades of two bases--because I want to play big battles, but I don't want to go bankrupt buying figures, and I don't want to re-base ever again. You may notice some figures aren't painted and I haven't fancified the bases. We'll see if that every happens. I did write an after action report for the battle, but I've found a different rendition of the same battle that I want to try--and I messed up the initial setup when I played on this first one. The short version of the report is that that the Prussians held off the French quite well (perhaps because I had placed more Prussians on the board than had actually arrived historically at the start time) until the French cavalry arrived on the flank and smote them hip and thigh, fetlock and forelock. The Prussian heavy cavalry had a great chance to destroy a French infantry brigade, but the French foot soldiers held, which allowed some French cavalry to catch the Prussian heavies in a weakened state, demolishing the Prussian horse brigade as a fighting unit. I played after the Prussians had reached the break point to see how well Blucher would do in getting his troops away from the pursuit. The Prussian general salvaged some, but it was a rather bad day for Marschall Vorwarts.

I did get some great responses from readers of my latest newsletter. If you want to know what provoked the most feedback that I've had so far, you'll have to sign up for my newsletter here.

 

Promise of Carnage and Flame is written. 27 chapters and 90K plus words. I have celebrated the completion of this this stage of the process by rewarding myself with some miniatures and recreating the battle of Vauchamps as I re-learn the Drums and Shakos Large Battles Rules. I'll post a battle report later.

I don't have a cool cover completed for the new book yet, but here's this, which is completely unrelated:

I've also got a couple short stories battling in my head. They will be the next items I write, and fairly soon, before I get to my stand-alone dystopian thriller novel--and then on to book 5 in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series--I already have about 15K words done for book 5. I'm contemplating some new beasts which will appear in the series, and I think they will also go in one of my short stories, as I will set the short story within the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire world.

My newsletter should be coming out this week. If you haven't signed up yet, here's the link to do so.

One thing this edition of the newsletter will address is the question of spoilers as requested by someone on a fb group to which I used to belong. I have pretty firm opinions on the matter as it was presented, but I won't get into that here.

I'm currently reading Larry Correia's Monster Hunter International, and I should post a review when I've completed it--the book is currently free here. I'm also about to finish a story by Algernon Blackwood. It's the first of his works that I've read, as far as I know. I can see that I'll have to explore more of his stories.

In the meantime, I may contemplate the story behind this:

 (Originally published 3-7-21 then censored then supposedly restored but only shows as a draft - now attempting put it back)

Have I been ill? Affirmative. How ill have I been? I've been so ill that I did no writing or editing all week long. Was it the commie-rona? Could be. I've lost most of my sense of taste and all of my sense of smell, but I have refused to succumb to the insidious disease.

While I've accomplished very little, apart from finally finishing a couple books book, Ferling's Independence: The Struggle to Set America Free, as part of my research for what will be book 5 in my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series, I did fit in a viewing of the 1950 production of Cyrano de Bergerac, one of my favorite movies ever. I think any list of my top ten movies has to include Cyrano de Bergerac and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. Of course there are more, but those two leap to mind.

As for Ferling's book:

I have nothing but unadulterated praise. In fact, I may have made multiple highlights per page. I may have made so many highlights that my highlights will be useless to me. It has more details and background on individuals and events surrounding the Second Continental Congress and the debate for independence than I'll ever be able to use. It is exactly the thing for which I had been searching but had been unable to find. It set me back $9.99, and was well worth it. I will probably share some Fun Facts about some of those details in future posts. Some of the most inspiring things I read were actually from the supporters of the colonies in Parliament from the debates on how to handle the colonists' demands and pursuit of the conflict. It was all super good. 

Reading this book helped me decide that what I wanted to accomplish next in my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series would best be achieved in book 5 rather than book 4. Book 4, Promise of Carnage and Flame, was originally going to cover the independence issue, but it veered in an unanticipated and completely awesome direction. The main story, along with Antonio and Rip's adventure, will continue to book 5, while the stories involving the dragon hunters and another character provide the culminating excitement for book 4. Unfortunately, I have a stand alone book to write before I get to book 5. My modern dystopian adventure has to be told before it becomes reality rather than speculation. Additionally, I have at least one short story to write to submit for an anthology, so I may not get book 5 out before the end of the year.

***

Jose Ferrer won an Oscar for his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac in the movie directed by Michael Gordon.

I don't think anyone else can touch the role the way he did--not Gerard Depardieu, and certainly not Steve Martin. Brian Hooker's translation of Edmond Rostand's play is a masterpiece. Ferrer wears Cyrano, not like a mere suit of clothes and a white plume, but to the depths of his soul. He causes us to completely forget about Cyrano's nose, no matter how much he talks about it, by opening Cyrano's psyche to us. Can any man watch Ferrer's portrayal of Cyrano without saying to himself at some level, "That's me. I am Cyrano!"? I know can't, but maybe my stubborn pride and independent streak run beyond natural prudence.

Mala Powers plays Roxanne. She reminds me of Virginia Mayo. She does a fine portrayal of Roxanne, but all the other characters in the play are merely supporting cast for Cyrano.

I have the play in French--from when my French class read it in college--but after watching the movie, I picked up Hooker's English translation for free on Amazon. It is eminently quotable--and I imagine more opportunities to use the English rather than French version. I would love to do this play at our local theater and take a stab at playing Cyrano myself.

***

Finally, I also saw Hunt for the Wilderpeople. I allowed Sam Neill to lure me into watching the show. I wasn't disappointed. I expect the film isn't for everyone. I don't think my wife cared for it. I found it laugh-out-loud funny in a few instances. My favorite lines that I can remember were:

"Leave me alone."

and

"Are you going to manslaughter him?"

I suggest you watch it before cancel culture discovers it and lobbies to have it cast into the bonfire of good things you're not allowed to see because it offends one of their peculiar anxieties or fails to send the proper political message.