Ask the Author: Wayne Thomas Batson
Answered Questions (38)
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Kari! The Door Within came about by a collision of several elements, events, and sources. #1: God invaded my life, blew up my worldview, and inspired me to write for Him. #2: I was in my 2nd year teaching English and Reading in a local middle school. They had a very old book room, so there wasn't a ton to choose from, esp. for boys. This was "Pre Potter," you understand. So I figured I'd write something that would hopefully interest my students and get them reading. Long story short: wow, it worked! #3: I had a long talk about Christianity with my parents. They weren't harsh in reply, but rather thought I was going through some kind of phase. I had to go somewhere with the frustration I experienced that was in my mind equivalent of trying to share the cure for cancer, but no one wanted to listen.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Probably whatever book I'm working on. LOL The Myridian Constellation series I suspect will end up being my favorite. Alastair Coldhollow is my favorite overall.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Probably have to say The Door Within because it was my very first book. Captain Valithor is my favorite character.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hard to say. I think Robbie was very near and dear to me, but he was also kind of painful to write. I guess I had the most fun with Captain Valithor.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Carson! My favorite was Jett. I always loved his character arc, his altruism, and resilience.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Isaac, thanks so much for your faithful reading and keen interest. Book 5 is still on hold until I publish book 3 of Outcast. It was a marketing decision, NOT an indicator of abandonment. Book 5 sits at its current percentage, but I will be hopping back into the Myridian Constellation world to finish book 5 as soon as Outcast 3 is published.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Tirzah, I think book 2 The Errant King has first place in length right now, but I suspect the 6th book will end up the longest. Tentative title is The Sevenfold Curse. :-D Thanks for reading!
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Caleb! Thanks for the kind words. Outcast is in final proofreading. I should be posting a preorder early in October 2024. I am trying to have Outcast book 1 available in all formats by Halloween. :-D
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Tirzah, book 5 is still in progress, but is on hold for now. I've got a publishing opportunity that I cannot turn down that will cause the Myridian Constellation series to be delayed much longer than I wanted. It will still be 7 books, but I may not be able to get book 5 published until late 2025. Thanks for your patience. I think it will be worth the wait.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Evangelise, there's no set method. And, no matter what you do, you won't please everyone. Your allegory will always be too obvious for some and not enough for others. The big thing is, always respect the story itself. If the message within the allegory is precious and valuable, but the story built around it is superficial, it will fail. Tell a fantastic and meaningful story; respect the genre and the reader, and any allegory within will be that much more powerful.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hmmm. Book 5 spoiler, eh? Strylun and Xerk will have decent sized roles. :-D
Wayne Thomas Batson
In the newest editions of Books 1-4, there's a Myriad map. I'll likely continue to use that map, but I think I'll also need to add a new map sub section for book 5 as it takes us off of Myriad's mainland.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Dude, you ROCK. Thank you for the encouragement. Book 5 is 70%, but I have a deadline in between to finish up first. Hoping to release Book 5 in the Fall of 2024. Thanks for being such a dedicated reader.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Vanessa! Thanks for being patient with the series. Book 5 is about 60% complete, but... there have been some interesting developments that have pushed me to put the book on temporary hold. 1) I have a serious publisher who is reviewing the series to publish with their house... which would be fantastic for marketing and distribution. 2) I'm on a tight deadline for the first book in a new LitRPG series called "Outcast." Outcast Book 1 will be released in the spring of 2024 and hopefully book 5 of Myridian Constellation shortly after that, late summer or fall.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Susanna! Thanks for being patient with the series. Book 5 is about 60% complete, but... there have been some interesting developments that have pushed me to put the book on temporary hold. 1) I have a serious publisher who is reviewing the series to publish with their house... which would be fantastic for marketing and distribution. 2) I'm on a tight deadline for the first book in a new LitRPG series called "Outcast." Outcast Book 1 will be released in the spring of 2024 and hopefully book 5 of Myridian Constellation shortly after that, late summer or fall.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Same book but much improved. The Dark Sea Annals was the original series name, but I changed that, rewrote the books (mostly revising for language improvement), had new editing, new covers, etc.
Wayne Thomas Batson
I may have some new news for you soon regarding not just book 5 but the entire Myridian Constellation series. I'm hoping to get book 5 out by Christmas.
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Marie! I suppose physically, especially as I'm getting older and grayer, the good Captain might look a bit like me. I didn't base Valithor on a specific mentor but rather more of the type of mentor I thought a reluctant personality might need for authentic motivation. My son had a football coach who was a bit tough on his team, and some of the kids couldn't handle it and quit. My son, on the other hand, would have run through a wall for that coach. I wanted Valithor to be the relentless type who would forge heroes through fire. Oh, and I got most of his dialogue from a Shakespearian insult kit. lol
Wayne Thomas Batson
Hi, Isaiah, GHOST 2 is on hold for now. I know this is not the answer you were hoping for, but life has been so crazy of late that time has been too scarce. What little writing time I have, I need to use for The Myridian Constellation, which is hopefully going to be my flagship series (4 books so far with 3 more to come). I absolutely LOVE writing John Spector stories. I miss it dearly. When I retire from teaching, I should have more time to work on additional projects.
Wayne Thomas Batson
I'd probably bring The First One from the Myridian Constellation, if that was possible. He is the God figure in Myriad, and I'd take any chance I could get to have a vital / face-to-face conversation with the Maker of all things.
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