AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Stephen Zimmer talks new Epic Fantasy HEART OF A LION

By Peter Welmerink

 

 



Rayden Valkyrie. She walks alone, serving no king, emperor, or master. Forged in the fires of tragedy, she has no place she truly calls home.

A deadly warrior wielding both blade and axe, Rayden is the bane of the wicked and corrupt. To many others, she is the most loyal and dedicated of friends, an ally who is unyielding in the most dangerous of circumstances.

The people of the far southern lands she has just aided claim that she has the heart of a lion. For Rayden, a long journey to the lands of the far northern tribes who adopted her as a child beckons, with an ocean lying in between.

Her path will lead her once more into the center of a maelstrom, one involving a rising empire that is said to be making use of the darkest kinds of sorcery to grow its power. Making new friends and discoveries amid tremendous peril, Rayden makes her way to the north.

Monstrous beasts, supernatural powers, and the bloody specter of war have been a part of her world for a long time and this journey will be no different. Rayden chooses the battles that she will fight, whether she takes up the cause of one individual or an entire people.

Both friends and enemies alike will swiftly learn that the people of the far southern lands spoke truly. Rayden Valkyrie has the heart of a lion.

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CREATIVE HELP BOARD: Where did you come up with the character Rayden Valkyrie? Does her name mean anything significant fictionally or non-fictionally?

STEPHEN ZIMMER: The name Rayden truly popped up in my head when I first envisioned her.  To me, she was (and is) a ray of light and maybe that's part of it. 

The Valkyrie part of it is kind of title that she has come to be called over time as her reputation grew in her world.  The Valkyrie name is certainly a salute to her abilities, character and heart, as the supernatural female warriors do exist in her world too. 

Rayden may or may not encounter them at some point.  I'm not telling!  Haha!

CHB: Why a strong, sword-toting, take-no-shit lead female character versus a strong, sword-toting, take-no-shit lead male character?

SZ: It's just the way things went, in terms of the character coming to me.  At the time I had my first vision of Rayden I was enduring a very difficult period personally, and I had an image of a golden-haired female warrior, with piercing blue eyes, standing tall, with a very defiant air. 

From the outset I understood that she had been through great tragedy and heartache, and still persevered in a way that had not hardened her to a point where she became indifferent to others.  She inspired me at a time when I needed it, and surged to inspire me again during other personal storms, and has become a very, very special character to me. 

So there wasn't a “conscious decision” on gender.   She truly manifested. :)

CHB: Do we need more strong, bad ass female character storylines in the realms of Epic Fantasy? Why?

SZ: I think we need more well-rounded, fully-developed female character storylines in epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, horror, and many other genres, especially when it comes to heroines.  Being a heroine involves so much more than beating people up and uttering a few snarky one-liners.  I see that kind of heroine out there all too often, a heroine that might be entertaining but if the reader were actually living around that character they would quickly find them obnoxious, at the least.

The requirements all too often seem to center on just a sexy look and ability to fight (and going around with a snarky chip on the shoulder attitude).  Good looks only last a short time before the rest of a person's attributes comes to the forefront.  I have a hunch that if a reader actually came to know a lot of the highly self-absorbed sexy heroines that are very common to the book and movie world,  they'd find them far less attractive after a short time. 

Additionally, there is nothing weak about feminine qualities, and I think we need to see feminine qualities presented as true strengths more often in genre fiction, movies, and other spheres.  There really is much more to being strong and being heroic than being able to kill or beat up someone.

In my opinion, a truly badass female character can fight well, be assertive, AND show compassion, be nurturing, and display generosity toward others  True strength of character is shown in areas that often do not involve physical combat.

CHB: All characters have flaws, what would you say is Rayden’s? Will it cause her problems in forthcoming storylines?

SZ: Rayden has no sense of having a place to call home and this really eats at her.  Yes, it does cause her problems, as it underlies her great restlessness and lack of inner peace.  She is, in a sense, a drifter, and the lack of a true anchor is a tough thing to overcome and leads her toward more and more dangerous situations.  At her core is a real yearning and that can be problematic.

Yet I am very sympathetic to her, as I can relate to that kind of dynamic very intimately.  It is a very difficult burden to carry.

CHB: What do you like most about writing Epic Fantasy tales?

SZ: As far as Epic Fantasy tales, such as my Fires in Eden Series, I enjoy the room to really develop an ensemble of characters and execute a story containing a number of compelling subplots surrounding a core story.  Planting seeds in the first or second book of a series that won't grow and bloom until much later in the series is great fun!

Having the room to extensively develop an ensemble cast, and the relationships between them, is another thing I love about epic fantasy.  It simply gives you a bigger canvas to work with, which can be a challenge in itself as you don't want things to bog down pace-wise, or lose cohesion on the main storyline with things going off on various tangents.  It is a challenge as a writer to keep the plots and subplots tight, consistent and flowing over such a large territory.  But when that is achieved, such as in the great epic fantasy series like those of J.R.R. Tolkien, the results are magical.

CHB: It has been said nothing truly new has been written. I find writers who write in their favorite genre usually have READ and/or quite learned in the specific genre. What are your thoughts on that beginning statement, and writing within a genre that you also enjoy reading?

SZ: There really is nothing new under the sun, to paraphrase the old saying.  There are many variations and shades of archetype characters, and there are many shades and variations on a theme or plot.  But each writer is a unique individual, informed by their own path and experience, and the potential is always there to put your own stamp, twist, or flavor to a kind of character, theme, or plot. 
To write well in a genre requires a passion for that genre, which means that there has been some sort of foundation that has kindled that passion inside of you.  My own road started early at age 7 with Tolkien and the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit.  The more my love for the genre grew the more my desire to create within it deepened.  Reading inspires, and this is certainly true of a writer in a given genre.

CHB: What is your writing routine? When is the best time for you to unleash your muse?

SZ: When I'm not too fatigued, I can write at any time of the day.   I used to write often at night, but now tend to be more of an early morning writer.  I write on a computer that is in a separate room from my home office, I listen to music when I write, and that computer is not connected to the internet (so I have no distractions or urge to check messages and things like that). 

This dedicated space and the use of music to create an atmosphere that keeps out sounds from the neightborhood has, in time, gotten me to a point where my thoughts focus on writing when I sit down on that computer.  It's kinda Pavlovian!

CHB: For anyone interested in getting into the writing business as a writer, what would you say to them?

SZ: If we are talking about getting into the business of being a writer, I would say to at least gain an understanding of the publishing process, media, social, media, and publicity.  Even if you are with a major press you'll need to understand these things.  It is a business, not a charity, and an is an extremely difficult one.  You have to approach it professionally, like a business.

Once you gain an understanding of these kinds of things you'll be better informed for choosing the path you want to take, whether that might be self-publishing, small press, or going for a major press.  There are many more options for writers today, but there is also a tidal wave of content and a constant need for making sure you don't fall off the radar and are able to raise awareness.  It's not easy, but then again, the best things don't come easy.

CHB: Rayden Valkyrie’s story appears in the Dark Sun Dawn trilogy, which HEART OF A LION is the first novel. What can we expect next in Rayden’s ventures?

SZ: My plans are to reveal the full Rayden Valkyrie story through novels in story arcs like the Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy, though it could be a two or even four book story arc at some point.  There may also be stand-alone novels.  There definitely will be more short stories too.

At the moment I'm working on the follow-up to Heart of a Lion and that will be the next novel she is featured in, but there could be another short story or two popping up in the same time frame as well.
Expect to see her full story being revealed, including more about her back story and her journeys.  The journeys will reveal more about the world she inhabits. 

CHB: And final words on the HEART OF A LION and Rayden Valkyrie? 

SZ: Rayden Valkyrie has become a very special character to me and Heart of a Lion shows the core of what she is about.  It shows a lot about her honor code and the strengths she possesses beyond her fighting skills.  I am confident that readers of fantasy, dark fantasy and sword and sorcery will love meeting her and exploring the world she inhabits.

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About the Author
Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based in Lexington Kentucky.  His work includes the cross-genre Rising Dawn Saga, the epic fantasy Fires in Eden series, the sword and sorcery Dark Sun Dawn Trilogy, featuring Rayden Valkyrie, the Harvey and Solomon Steampunk tales and the Hellscapes and Chronicles of Ave short story collections.

Author Links
Website: http://www.stephenzimmer.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7
Twitter: @sgzimmer
Instagram: @stephenzimmer7

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Book Links
Amazon
Print Version
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Lion-Stephen-Zimmer/dp/1941706215
Kindle Version
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Lion-Dark-Dawn-Book-ebook/dp/B00T44R6LE

B&Nhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-a-lion-stephen-zimmer/1121113044?ean=9781941706213

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Heart of a Lion Virtual Tour Info and Schedule

11/2  Beauty In Ruins Guest Post
11/2 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape Interview
11/2 Kentucky Geek Girl Guest Post
11/2 SwillBlog Review
11/2 Kylie Jude Blog Top Ten List
11/3 Kylie Jude Blog Interview
11/4 Book in the Bag Interview
11/4 Azure Dwarf Review
11/4/ Novel-Ties Guest Post
11/4 Sheila's Blog Guest Post
11/4 The Star Chamber Show Podcast (Show is live at 9pm EST)
11/5 Creatives Help Board. How may I direct your call? Interview
11/6 WebbWeaver Reviews Guest Post
11/7 Sapphyria's Book Reviews Top Ten's List
11/8 Armand Rosamilia, Horror Author Guest Post
11/8  Anasazi Dreams Review

Tour Page URL:

http://www.tomorrowcomesmedia.com/stephen-zimmers-heart-of-a-lion-virtual-tour/

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: John F Allen talks about CODE NAME: KNIGHT RANGER

By Peter Welmerink

Captain Alexandre Cornelius “Neal” Du Bois is a US Army Ranger and decorated war hero. When his unit is ambushed by supernatural hostile forces while in Afghanistan, only Neal survives. When he wakes up in a secret government facility, Neal discovers that his whole life has changed forever.

A shadowy government agent named Elijah Bishop arranges for Neal’s brain to be transplanted, without his permission, into a bio-engineered body capable of amazing feats. Armed with advanced body armor and weaponry, he becomes the epitome of the Ultra Soldier.

To protect his family and those closest to him, he must let the world and everyone he loves believe he is dead. With assistance from Dr. Avery Clarkson–the scientist responsible for his new body–Neal reluctantly utilizes his superhuman abilities to work for Bishop and his organization called G.E.N.E.S.I.S. (Global Espionage Network of Elite Supernatural Intelligence and Surveillance), in order to track down those responsible for the slaughter of his unit and keep the world safe from supernatural terrorist forces.

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CREATIVE HELP BOARD: Where did you come up with the character Captain “Neal” Du Bois and the KNIGHT RANGER storyline?

JOHN F ALLEN: I was reading an article on U.S. soldiers who returned to life after suffering severe injuries while serving abroad. It also alluded to the breakthroughs in bionics/prosthetics. I did some research on those modern technological advances and recalled my childhood fascination with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Captain America and Iron Man from Marvel Comics, James Bond and the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man, based off of the Cyborg novel series by author Martin Caidin. Thus, Captain Alexandre “Neal” Du Bois aka Knight Ranger was born.

CHB: With your military background, how much research, if any, did you put into KNIGHT RANGER? Are there elements and/or knowledge from your time spent in the USAF that intermingle with the elements within the novel and characters?

JFA: To be totally honest, I was only an enlisted Airman through tech school. I got a medical discharge early on and although I didn’t actually serve a full term. However, I’m still a registered veteran because I was active duty for at least one day.  That said, my time in the military didn’t contribute to any research directly, but it certainly did inspire me to create this character and write the novella. I’ve talked with other veterans and conducted research via the internet, interviews and the VA to compile the data I used to write Codename: Knight Ranger.

CHB: Did you already “know” the KNIGHT RANGER characters before you started writing the story, or did Captain Du Bois, Elijah Bishop and Avery Clarkson write their own story and identities as you wrote the novel?

JFA: Elijah Bishop was first introduced in my debut novel, The God Killers, which features my urban fantasy heroine, Ivory Blaque. Also, Captain Alexandre “Neal” Du Bois aka Knight Ranger made a cameo in the novel as well. It was from there that I decided to tell Du Bois’ story and in the course of writing it, I wanted to develop Dr. Avery Clarkson as a character prior to getting into Neal’s journey. I felt it was an important aspect of Knight Ranger’s origin which helped to solidify the bond between the two characters. Since I’d already written Bishop, I knew he was a butthead and that part came easy.

CHB: Is it important to know the full background, quirks, etc., of each character when writing a story about/around them? Why and/or why not?

JFA: I keep a wiki site where I write out the histories and statistical data for each character and storyline which appears in my writings. I suppose you could look at this as reverse outlining, as most times the stories are already written or at least started before any wiki entries are made. The wiki also helps me keep the timelines and continuity for the characters/stories straight in my mind.  I don’t necessarily think having all of this data prior to writing the stories and developing the characters in important, at least for me. I like for things to develop organically through storytelling, so any background info is shown in the writings themselves.

CHB: What do you like most about writing Paranormal and/or Urban Fantasy tales?

JFA: In writing Paranormal/Urban Fantasy stories, I enjoy the freedom in such story telling which allows me to use a familiar, modern setting and its history, to spin tales of fantasy adventure. Anytime I can incorporate real history into my writing I’m on cloud nine, as those are two areas I thoroughly enjoy researching. I also enjoy using the urban setting as a character in and of itself.

CHB: What do you like most about writing in general?

JFA: I enjoy world building first and foremost. I equally enjoy storytelling in general, as it allows me to live vicariously through my characters and incorporate actual history and real life world scenarios into my writing.

CHB: What do you like least about writing?

JFA: The thing I like least about writing is that I can’t write fast enough to keep up with the voices in my head and story ideas which I come up with. If I could extract my stories from my brain digitally, I’d have about a dozen novels, fifty stories coming out each year.

CHB: It has been said nothing truly new has been written. I find writers who write in their favorite genre usually have READ and/or quite learned in the specific genre. What are your thoughts on that beginning statement, and writing within a genre that you also enjoy reading?

JFA: I wrote a guest blog post on this blog tour which directly addresses your initial statement. I believe that essentially there are no entirely new stories. What separates each story is the life experiences and unique creativity of the author which is derived from those experiences. For those interested in a more detailed assessment of my position, please read the post.

(Note: The link to John's more in-depth comments on the subject above has been linked.)

CHB: What is your writing routine? When is the best time for you to unleash your muse?

JFA: I generally write in the early morning or late at night, both are times when my family is gone for the day or asleep. I usually have music playing while I write as well. I have an eclectic playlist which consists of: R&B/Soul (1960’s through now), Old School Rock (1950’s through now. Some Hard, but no Heavy Metal), Pop (70’s & 80’s), Jazz (1930’s through now), Old School Hip Hop (late 1970’s through mid-1990’s), World Music, some Classical and instrumental movie soundtracks. This helps me to relax and sometimes I play specific songs which inspire the muse for certain characters and/or settings.

CHB: For anyone interested in getting into the writing business as a writer, what would you say to them?

JFA: I immediately think of two quotes from two authors I admire.

"If you can quit, then quit. If you can't quit, then you're a writer."
~ R. A. Salvatore

“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.”
~ Toni Morrison

CHB: Can we expect more stories and/or novels involving Captain Du Bois or is this a standalone novel? If so, anything on the literary horizon from the mind of John F. Allen?

JFA: Yes, this is Book One in a series of novellas featuring Captain Du Bois. He will also appear in various other works I have planned throughout the coming year(s). One is a trilogy of epic length thrillers which utilizes every current character in the Ivoryverse to some degree.

CHB: And final words on the CODE NAME: KNIGHT RANGER?

JFA: I’m looking forward to writing the expanded adventures of Knight Ranger and further integrating him and the other characters surrounding him, into the Ivoryverse. I will be tackling real world issues such as terrorism, fallout from the Cold War, emerging weapons technology and domestic/international political intrigue.

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About the Author
John F. Allen is an American writer born in Indianapolis, IN. He is a member of the Speculative Fiction Guild and the Indiana Writers Center. He began writing stories as early as the second grade and pursued all forms of writing at some point, throughout his career. John studied Liberal Arts at IUPUI with a focus in Creative Writing, received an honorable discharge from the United States Air Force and is a current member of the American Legion. John’s debut novel, The God Killers was published in 2013 by Seventh Star Press.

John currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana with his wife, son and daughter.

Author Links
Website: www.johnfallenwriter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnfallenauthorwriter
Twitter: @johnfallen1970

Code Name: Knight Ranger Book Links
Amazon
Print Version:
http://www.amazon.com/Codename-Knight-Ranger-John-Allen/dp/1511496533
Kindle Version
http://www.amazon.com/Codename-Knight-John-F-Allen-ebook/dp/B00YG3NJZK
B&Nhttp://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/codename-john-f-allen/1122019036?ean=2940151360548
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CODE NAME: KNIGHT RANGER VIRTUAL TOUR

Tour Schedule and Activities

11/2  On Cloud Eight-and-a-Half Guest Post
11/2 A Charmed Life Review
11/3 Creatives Help Board. How may I direct your call? Author Interview
11/4 Armand Rosamilia, Horror Author Guest Post
11/4 Book in the Bag Interview
11/4 RJ Sullivan Top 5 List
11/5 Darkling Delights Interview
11/6 Beauty in Ruins Guest Post
11/6 Sheila's Blog Guest Post
11/6 Bee's Knees Reviews Review
11/7 The Infamous Scribbler Review/Interview
11/7 Vampires, Witches, & Me Oh My! Top Ten List
11/8 Sapphyria's Book Reviews Guest Post

 Tour Page URL:

 http://www.tomorrowcomesmedia.com/john-f-allens-codename-knight-ranger-virtual-tour/