Ask the Author: R.J. Gilbert
Answered Questions (5)
R.J. Gilbert
I actually wrote a book about a mystery in my own life, but because it was about my own life, I had to use a pen name.
Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose that pen name or the nature of that mystery.
Sorry.
Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to disclose that pen name or the nature of that mystery.
Sorry.
R.J. Gilbert
I assume this question is geared toward the vast stock of fictional couples found in romance novels, but the main question that always comes to me when I read romance is what kind of personal experience the author has in long-term relationships. Romance books always start at the beginning of the relationship, and the story usually leaves off with the couple only a year or two—at best—into a relationship we all hope will last until death parts them.
In his book, Illusion, Frank Peretti created a very different kind of romance when he started it at the end. Mandy is dead on page one, and we join Dane in what he thinks is the finale of a wonderful, long-term relationship. Then, as the story progresses, we get a taste of all the wonderful years of romance they shared between their first, amorous meeting and the final, tragic parting. Of course, as the plot unfolds, the reader is left hoping that their relationship is not really over after all.
Peretti based this story on his own long-term marriage and his own appreciation for his wife through the years. That being said, Illusion is the kind of story that makes you want what they have—not those first few days of romance, but all the years to come.
In his book, Illusion, Frank Peretti created a very different kind of romance when he started it at the end. Mandy is dead on page one, and we join Dane in what he thinks is the finale of a wonderful, long-term relationship. Then, as the story progresses, we get a taste of all the wonderful years of romance they shared between their first, amorous meeting and the final, tragic parting. Of course, as the plot unfolds, the reader is left hoping that their relationship is not really over after all.
Peretti based this story on his own long-term marriage and his own appreciation for his wife through the years. That being said, Illusion is the kind of story that makes you want what they have—not those first few days of romance, but all the years to come.
R.J. Gilbert
I’ve finally finished book 3 of the Tales of Vantoria project. It has taken me about three years to finish, mainly because I started two other books of the series before inspiration hit me for this one and I decided it was going to be the next adventure to happen. If you’ve already read The Lucky and the Strong to the end, you’ll notice that the teaser lists book three as “The Wizard’s Credentials”. That is no longer the case (and that wedding sequence may not be accurate). I hope to have “The Dungeon of Illusion” out this spring or summer, depending on how long it takes for my wife and I to edit the writing and come up with cover art.
R.J. Gilbert
Unfortunately, I have no control over whether I get inspired or not. That’s the truth of it. I credit the Holy Spirit with my inspiration; about once every few days I feel it building up in me and I have to sit down and let it out. This is easier said than done in a crowded house full of children and a ringing phone. In the warmer months, I have my favorite reading chair on the back porch where I can write. It’s a bit harder to handle in the winter, which often leads me frustration and more editing.
R.J. Gilbert
The idea for my most recent book, the Lucky and the Strong, came from personal experiences with self-destructive people. I’ve always been the “Renaud” type character who charges into a fight and tries to protect people. Sadly, I’ve had several experiences where I could not protect people from themselves. About ten years ago, an employee in my company, whom the management described as “extra grace required”, got herself killed in a tragic accident that could have been prevented had only a little less grace been applied to her alcoholism. That, and other tragedies like it, got me thinking.
At the same time, I had these two un-developed characters, O’Mary and Renaud, that I had invented only as a side-story during my youth. As a kid, I was focused on the adventures of their child, born with the strength and toughness of his father and the uncanny luck of his mother. As an adult, as a frustrated paladin myself, I began to wonder just how well the parents’ relationship could have gone. I pondered the idea for a few years before putting the basic story-line together. I did not get started with writing it, however, until after I was inspired to write the Sarian’s Sword as book one of the series.
At the same time, I had these two un-developed characters, O’Mary and Renaud, that I had invented only as a side-story during my youth. As a kid, I was focused on the adventures of their child, born with the strength and toughness of his father and the uncanny luck of his mother. As an adult, as a frustrated paladin myself, I began to wonder just how well the parents’ relationship could have gone. I pondered the idea for a few years before putting the basic story-line together. I did not get started with writing it, however, until after I was inspired to write the Sarian’s Sword as book one of the series.
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