Randomize ME

The Circle of Sorcerers: a fantasy tale of a young mage and ideological war.

I was thinking about what had been done in fantasy, really. I’ve written several books, so when I set my mind on doing a fantasy novel, I had to consider what sort of angle I thought might be interesting.

I ended up deciding on a story about sorcerers (of an older religion and ideology) struggling against a powerful church. I’ve seen wars between mages done before, and though this story has some similarities with the premise, I wanted to take it in a different direction that, as far as I know, hasn’t been taken before or that has been done so little as to not be cliche.

My favorite part of the story from the first book was a scene close to the end. I enjoyed writing the whole thing, but that scene really is a strong moment in the story. I can’t explain it completely because I don’t like spoilers, but it’s a series of realizations by several characters, and if those realizations hadn’t been made, things could have gone horribly wrong for everyone involved.

Yes, of course. What writer doesn’t?

I’m an emergency dispatcher. Basically, if you dial 9-1-1 in my area, I’ll be one of the people answering. The work is high pressure, keeps me thinking, and keeps my imagination running; good dispatchers are always thinking about what could come in, and they’re constantly preparing themselves for the calls for which there is no preparation. I guess that’s why I enjoy writing speculative fiction so much.

The third book in my fantasy series will be released soon, and it took a lot out of me. It was a hard book to finish–the hardest yet–and I learned a great deal about myself, my writing, and the characters while writing it. It’s arguably my best story yet, but there’s the potential for some strong emotions, especially toward the end. I’m not going to spoil it, though. It was too hard to write to throw it all away now.

I can really only say that I rely on my fans and the book’s reviewers to really make such connections. I’ve been compared to lots of authors (as being just as good), such as Anne Rice, Raymond Feist, Ann Bishop, Jennifer Fallon, and David Eddings. By people saying that, I don’t think they’re necessarily comparing styles, writing abilities, or any other traits unless they specifically state such.

I believe, instead, that when they mention these comparisons, they’re stating that I have a unique style that they’d enjoyed, and they’ve enjoyed my stories as much as those other writers, just in different ways. Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, after all, and a writer can only tell the best story possible and hope that his readers enjoy it.