StanleyWheeler

 

Author Interview with Christopher Keene

Author of

Cycle of Blades and more

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

I’m editing a romance fantasy book that’s passion project for me. Here’s the blurb:

When Princess Emily is poisoned, ex-poisoner and journeyman Holt Gnarl goes on a quest to find the rare flower needed for the antidote. The flower is on the other side of a country riddled with plague, and Holt must obtain it before the month is up. To add to an already dire situation, the duke’s troublesome middle child, a young woman named Riva, follows him to escape the expectations of being a nobleman’s daughter.

When the duke’s men don’t come to take Riva home and Holt fails to get her to return, Holt allows her to accompany him. Encountering both beasts and brigands on the road, Riva insists Holt tutor her in the art of poisoning. Holt agrees, but Riva soon discovers that many of his skills are due to the various masters he trained under, not all of whom he left on good terms. As she meets each of Holt’s old mentors, Riva comes to understand both how Holt grew to be the man he is and the type of woman she must be to survive in such a threatening world.

Forced to take on the role of master and protector until Riva can fend for herself, Holt experiences the struggles his mentors went through when he was their student. These struggles help him to confront his past and settle old scores while also exacerbating Riva’s feelings toward him and his hidden feelings toward her. Although bogged down by losses and reconciliations, Holt and Riva persist in their journey. Time is ticking, and the life of Riva’s sister hangs in the balance.

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

True Grit, Howl’s Moving Castle, Uprooted, a bunch of places.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Arguably. Fantasy and Sc-fi generally get lumped together though.

 

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

In fantasy, my books are usually stand alone so it actually has an ending, which it the problem with a lot of modern never-ending series. Plus, they’re good. You don’t have to trust me. Read them yourself.

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

I guess my relationships. I’ve been with my girlfriend for over a decade and I think our interactions come out a lot in the heroes and heroines.

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

I don’t care about anyone’s identity when it comes to writing. I judge people’s work on its own.

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

Matthew Stover’s Heroes Die is my favorite book, and I don’t hear his name being passed around much.

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

At the moment, Cycle of Blades for adults, War of Kings and Monster for children or young adults. Each of them is standalone fantasy and decent examples of my work.

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

I got picked up by a small American publisher when I was in my early twenties, who have supported my early work.

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

What doing think of [insert story element]? E.g. realistic villains, magic systems, made up cultures, twists and foreshadowing. Literally anything to do with story telling.

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

I quite like Spike Speigel’s “Whatever happens, happens” from Cowboy Bebop as it acknowledges the chaos of existence and our lack of control over it.

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Thanks to Christopher for participating. I particularly like both the title and cover on the last picture  I posted there.

Here at the Chateau du Chat Gris, January grips us tightly in its frigid hand. Yesterday at the hardware store where I stood in line, but then elected not to buy the overpriced product I had planned to get, I overheard a guy talking about frozen pipes under the house. The snow which fell in copious amounts hardened during a few days when the temperatures fluctuated between below freezing and slightly above freezing. The cat walks over it with no difficulty, but the rest of us break through in a crunch-thump pattern as we walk across it. Those places in town where the sidewalks didn't get shoveled have become treacherous trails of uneven ice and snow. One such place includes my path to the courthouse. Sometimes is easier to walk in the street that to brave those perilous paths. January is not one of my favorite months, even though some of my favorite people were born during the month.

As for my writing, not only have I edited the short story (after I sent it to the proofreader), I have also started on book 5 of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series. I'm going over the 20 some thousand words I had on it before I had to break to write The Shrinking Zone - which is still available for only 99 cents. I'm toying with an idea for science fiction story - and adding to it as I go. After that I'll outline the rest of the book.

In the meantime, perhaps you could benefit from this bit of wisdom.