Leonard D. Hilley II's Blog

Why I Write (Early Beginnings)

Since my class reunion, I’ve reflected a lot on those twelve years of school at Plainview High School. While I knew early in life that I wanted to write novels, some of my teachers shaped my mind and prepared me for what is now my profession.

In first grade, my teacher was Mrs. Brown. She was a wonderful, caring lady, and I loved being in her class. She noticed how much I loved reading and spelling. One day she showed me all the reading books in her closet from previous years. These were class books with numerous stories the former students had used during class, and like the publishers often do, they print new books every few years (nowadays, almost yearly) for the schools to buy for their classes to generate sales, even though the books the schools are using aren’t in poor condition. Mrs. Brown kept several books from each year and had tucked them on the shelves in her closet. She told me that if I promised to take care of the book, I could pick one to take home and read.

I chose one, took it home, read it immediately, and returned it the next day. I did this day after day until I had read each version (all with different stories) in her closet. She had knowingly expanded my vocabulary and imagination by allowing me the luxury of reading books I otherwise would never have had access to. She meant so much to me that I brought her Christmas cards each year, which always made her smile.

The more I read, the more I wanted to read. I had practically read all the books in our section of the library by fourth grade. On the CAT tests, my fourth grade results showed my reading level was equated to the first year of college. One day in the library, I noticed a book on Sea Monsters on the higher grade level shelves in the library. I wanted to read the book so badly that I asked the librarian, Mrs. Lynch, if I could check it out. She smiled and shook her head. “Those books are for the higher grades.” I told her that I could read it. She pulled the book off the shelf and opened it to a random page and asked me to read a paragraph. After I did, she seemed impressed and said, “Okay. you can check it out.” From then on, I could checkout any book from the upper grade section that I wanted.

When our class reached junior high, Mrs. Lynch became the librarian in the high school library. My senior year I worked in the library during my study hall, and I got to help her with the accession of new novels and how to categorize them. I learned a lot, but while preparing each novel, I skimmed through the opening chapters and found myself drawn into these worlds written by different authors. Places my mind wanted to experience. I had already written my first novel when I was eleven and realized how much I needed to improve my writing. Simply writing a story isn’t all an author needs to do. A great story sells because of how the words fall into place to create scenery, characters, dialogue, and suspense. I was a long way from being prepared to launch a novel out into the sea of readers.

However, I had learned the power of words through writing and how to captivate an audience in the sixth grade. Our teacher was Mrs. Etherton. One assignment we had been given was for each student to write a question that started with “Why doesn’t (don’t) …” These questions were folded and placed in a jar. Each of us had to take a question from the jar. I don’t remember the question I submitted, but I remember vividly the one I had drawn. The question I drew was: “Why Don’t Blackbirds Fight Like Game Chickens?” Lee Williams had submitted the question.

At first, I had no idea how to even start a story with this. I sat at the kitchen table that evening and wrote a story. We had to read these before the class, and I was a bit apprehensive about how others might view the story. As it turned out, they loved it. They were laughing so hard that I got tickled and almost couldn’t keep reading aloud. Even Mrs. Etherton was laughing. I tried to hand her the paper so she could finish it, but she shook her head and told me to continue. I did. Without realizing it, I had written something comedic and the listeners reacted in such a manner that I wanted to write material that registered with others and hoped to be able to develop worlds where others could find themselves lost in the stories.

In high school, the one teacher who taught me the basics and foundations of proper sentence structure was Ms. Tommie. Ms. Tommie was dear to my heart and I think of her often, even decades later. She was my English teacher for four years and acted like a counselor whenever I needed to ask for advice. She knew my home life, and she was always there.

I took her notes religiously and began working on another novel that I accidentally started in typing class. The opening sentences came unexpectedly and seemed magical in a sense. I asked her to read the first few pages, and she said that she liked what I had written thus far. During this time, I took a typing class because I wanted to be able to type faster and learn the proper mechanics to do so. I didn’t want to become a hen-pecking one or two finger typist. While some writers are able to do this efficiently, I found the process too cumbersome.

During my senior year, we had a guest teacher from NYC come to our class and lecture. I don’t recall the reason for the teacher’s visit now, but she was interesting. During a break between classes, Ms. Tommie told the lady about the book I was working on and she asked if she could read it. I had the first pages in my Trapper Keeper (remember those?). She read it and said that it was a great start. “Keep going.”

Without these great people prompting and encouraging me to improve my reading and writing, I might’ve had less incentive to pursue this vocation. Though I would’ve probably continued writing my stories, if only for myself, because creating worlds and characters is a part of how my mind operates. All my life I’ve asked, “What if?” questions. I try to understand why and how certain people act. I’m a people watcher. I evaluate. I’m skeptical, a critical thinker who asks, “Why?” far too often.

If you want adventure, get lost in a book. If you wish to escape reality, at least temporarily, submerge yourself in a book. There are so many worlds you can visit through reading. Yes, there’s television, but television numbs the mind, while reading activates it and broadens your vocabulary and outlook.

The post Why I Write (Early Beginnings) first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

Best Used Bookstore EVER: McKay’s

A couple of years before we moved from Alabama in 2007, we accidentally stumbled upon McKay’s Bookstore in Chattanooga, Tennessee. I’d never seen a bookstore the size of a college library with every book genre available. They also sell/trade CDs, DVDs, games, etc. We were in awe!

McKay’s also has a trade-in or you can sell your used books to them. We had boxes of books in our house and not enough shelves to set them on, so we took them to trade. You can either get cash for the books or a voucher for the same amount to ‘buy’ books from them. This was a good deal. We were able to trade for dozens of books we had never read but still didn’t have enough shelves for the ones we brought back.

They had a lot of used D&D books, fantasy art books, and sci-fi art books. I don’t play D&D, but I find some of the art inspirational for possible creatures in my novels. In the 2000s, these books were fairly priced, and I was able to buy some harder to find classic books.

2025 Knoxville store from upstairs

Back then, we traveled often between Alabama and Kentucky to visit family. During one trip, we noticed another McKay’s bookstore in Knoxville, Tennessee. We had to stop, only to find this store was even larger than the one in Chattanooga.

I’ll be honest. If you love books, you can lose track of time in both of these giant bookstores. If you collect comics, they now have a much larger selection of comics. Not rare ones to browse through, but behind the sales counter and in glass-enclosed shelves, they have some rarer comics and a lot of collectible statues and busts of superheroes.

This past weekend, being strapped for time, we forced ourselves to comb the shelves far faster than we would normally do. I looked forward to seeing what gaming books they had, but was sorely disappointed with their prices. Not that I think they should underprice themselves, but when I can get the same book in NEW condition on Ebay, Walmart, or Amazon, a used book shouldn’t be the same price or higher than a new one. Some of their trade paperbacks were priced at a high price.

One thing that impressed me at both bookstores was there are no shortages of people who want and are seeking to have physical books. People were buying them by the basket-loads. So book-lovers, if you’re ever in Chattanooga, Knoxville, or Nashville (They have other locations, too), plan to take the time to stop and check them out. If you have a stack of books you wish to part with, trade them in.

 

The post Best Used Bookstore EVER: McKay’s first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

The Hardest Part of Visiting Pleasant Hill

After driving around the area where I lived during my youth, I drove toward Old Hwy 35 along the brow road. The sky was heavy with gray clouds, cold, and a bit dismal as I relived memories. I slowed when we approached Memorial Gardens and without thinking, I turned into the cemetery.

My eyes heated with tears well before I came to the gravesite. Over the years, I stopped by many times, but never had I ached from such loss. Perhaps it was a combination of seeing the vast changes in the my former stomping grounds, getting to reminisce with my friends and classmates for the first time in years, and facing the fact that none of us are promised tomorrow. At the funeral, I was in too much shock to grieve. After all, none of our family expected his death.

In other blogs I’ve gone into great detail about the tragedy in July 1991 when my eight year old brother was shot and killed and how his death affected me. I couldn’t leave Alabama without saying goodbye to him.

In eight short years, Bubba, my little brother, touched the lives of so many. Not only did we grieve, but his teachers wept, his fellow students did, too. His best friend in school still returns to visit his grave. That’s how much this little guy meant to those in his life. His friend left a card one Christmas and inside the card it said: “I still miss you.” How touching is that? He left a teddy bear one year, and if you look on Bubba’s grave marker, you see two hot wheels cars.

Bubba was fearless. We attended Maranatha Baptist Church at the time, and he and his twin sisters were supposed to sing a song together that they’d rehearsed at home. When Sunday came, the twins backed out, but he ran to grab the microphone, and he sang the song boldly. I’ll never forget that. Such courage. At that age, I know I didn’t possess his confidence.

He died the day after our mother’s birthday, which also happened to be on my oldest brother Chris’ birthday. Even though Chris had never met Bubba, Chris came and was a pallbearer alongside me. That means the world to me.

As I visited his grave this past Sunday, so many memories washed through me. Good memories more than bad. The games we played. The times he went fishing with me. All good memories. Though he’s gone, these are what I carry with me and what lives inside me. Those will never die for as long as my life goes on.

The post The Hardest Part of Visiting Pleasant Hill first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

You Can’t Return Home …

Or, at least, the “home” you remember after you’ve moved away.

During our class reunion, my friend, Derrick, asked if I had gone by my old homestead yet. I had not. He said that it doesn’t look the same. “You’ll recognize it, but it’s not the same.” I told him that I’d go by tomorrow.

Tomorrow came.

Derrick was right. The place had changed since I had last seen it in 2011 after the tornado outbreak. The deep ditches my brother, Chris, and I once had a horrible time mowing had shallowed drastically over the years. Nothing steep about them anymore.

The giant Silver Maple that towered in the front yard was gone. My father had planted it in 1969. He ordered it from Michigan Bulb Company and said it was the size of a weed. Not seeing the tree was a loss, but its absence was only one reason the old homestead seemed alien.

Directly behind the house was a V-shaped maple that was over forty feet in height the last I visited. The neat thing about that tree was it prevented a large pine from falling directly onto the house in November 1992 when a late tornado had come through the yard. Because of the maple’s V shape, it caught the pine and saved the house from needing a new roof. It, too, is gone.

Did I expect everything to look the same? No, of course not. So much changes through the years, and the Pleasant Hill Community had become totally different. The dirt road that once went behind our house and cut through to another road on the other side of Boykin Farms had become a grove of large pines, oaks, and maples.

In the pasture behind my mother’s former house is the pond where I fished during my teens and early twenties. Midway across the pasture where a small stream trickled was a thick grove of trees, a barrier that did not exist a few decades earlier. Some of the massive oaks and maples that bordered the far side of the pond and along the barbed wire fence lie broken in hulkish, decaying sections.

Had I brought my hiking boots or a pair of old tennis shoes, I would’ve made the walk to the old pond; the pond where I had caught two six-pound bass. My friend and neighbor had later caught a ten pound bass and took it to a taxidermist. I have fond memories fishing there. It was a pleasant place where I fished with my friends, Tony Miller and Jerry Blanchett.

In July 1984, near the pond was a fence covered with honeysuckle where I caught my first and only Giant Swallowtail for my collection. I did a lot of insect collecting in those pastures and woods. But now, the place seems foreign. I understand these changes didn’t occur overnight. It was gradual, day by day, over two decades, and when you’ve not seen the area during that amount of time, it jolts the mind.

Down the hill from my childhood home were a line of newer houses, which had been a field. We drove past and turned right at the next road. When I was in elementary school, an old rundown house had been on the left. It has been gone for years, long before I moved away, and the foundation is now covered with tall trees.

The house is one I can’t forget. A family had lived in it for a short time, and a girl about a year older than I had once gotten on the school bus on the coldest day of winter. She had no shoes, no coat, and was shaking from the cold. Our bus driver, Mrs. Wright, asked her if she had any shoes or a coat. Ashamed, the girl shook her head. Though I’m not certain, I believe our bus driver and some of the teachers helped get her shoes and a coat. A few months later, they moved away.

Farther down this road, the houses I considered old when I was a teenager had collapsed, been removed, or were covered with pine trees. Some larger, luxurious houses are now along the bluff I loved to climb and hunt for arrowheads. Across the road and a few hundred yards from these houses is where the dirt road behind our house connected to this road. Had Boykin Farms not put a gate at the end of this road, I would’ve had a difficult time even recognizing the old dirt road. The pasture grass had spread across the road and claimed it, leaving little more than a scar of the former road.

Time’s passage has distorted various landmarks that my memory still recalls. The places where I explored, collected insects, and fished are no longer the places I remember. Areas I might’ve once stated that I knew as well as the back of my hand have changed, as have I. I’m okay with this. The strength of my memories remain. The fondest times of my youthful explorations are alive in my mind. Even though I can never revisit them physically, I can return to them in my mind.

Our 40th Class Reunion opened my eyes about a lot of things. The one thing we cannot escape is the hand of time. Time marches on, and no matter how desperate we are to slow its pace, it continues to pull us forward without hesitation. Time is limited. My goal is to make productive use of what time remains in my life, and it’s my hope that everyone else chooses to do the same.

The post You Can’t Return Home … first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

40th Class Reunion

On November 15th, 2025, Plainview’s Class of 1985 held their 40th Class Reunion at Toros Cantina and Grill in Rainsville, Alabama. I happened to notice the post on Facebook, and for us, it was almost last minute to make plans to attend, which turned out to be over nine hours of driving from our house to Rainsville. The time traveling on the road, however, was worth the trip, but overall, the weekend was somewhat a blur.

Seeing former classmates and friends, some I’ve not seen since graduation, was wonderful and bittersweet. In so many ways, it’s difficult to comprehend how forty years have passed in what seems a few blinks of the eyes. How fast time slips past us. How much we’ve changed, too, during that those four decades. Catching up, or listening, as others discussed what they’ve done during the years after graduation was exciting. Squeezing in all the information in only a couple of hours was impossible. Yet, unspoken memories returned between us during those two hours as well.

In elementary school, our class had over 120 classmates. As the years passed, the number became less and less. People moved away. Some dropped out in high school. By the time graduation came, we graduated with less than fifty students.

Because most of us were classmates from Head Start through our Senior year, we are like extended family. We grew up together, but after graduation, we drifted in different directions. Some, like myself, moved long distances away from our former childhood homes, and it’s rare that I get to return.

Several mentioned that they didn’t know if they could’ve traveled over nine hours to be there. But, this is the first class reunion I’ve attended, and I said that I’ve no idea how many more we’ll have, so I wanted to be there. I’m so glad I got to be there, too. It’s great to reconnect, though I wish the amount of time was longer than a couple of hours. Each member of our class holds a special place in my heart and memories. May God bless each and every one of you, and I hope to see you at the next reunion, if I’m unable to visit sooner.

The post 40th Class Reunion first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

Audio Books (Limited Time) for $0.99

Amazon has currently discounted some of my audio books at $0.99 for a limited time. Since I didn’t set these discounts, I have no idea how long they’ll be available, but based on the normal prices for the audio versions, it’s a great deal if you enjoy audio books.

To get these deals, you need to subscribe to Audible Premium Plus for three months at $0.99/month. After three months, the subscription is $14.95/month, and you can cancel at anytime online. If you’re a Prime member, you can listen to the books with your Prime membership without having an Audible subscription.

FORREST WOLLINSKY: VAMPIRE HUNTER (THE BEGINNING)

“Killing Vampires Since 1888.”

I was born in Bucharest in 1880, in the heart of the vampire population. At eight years old, I was considered a freak of nature, since I was already the size of an adult male. Other children my age, and some of my teachers, shunned me.

Being rejected by one’s peers cuts deeply. Then I met my first werewolf and discovered a master vampire was plotting to kill me because of what I am. From that moment, my destiny stole my future aspirations all men desire. This is how my destiny begins.

https://a.co/d/fXXCZsr

SHAWNDIREA (BOOK ONE OF THE AETHEAON CHRONICLES)

Often the smallest unexpected surprises garner the most demanding dilemmas, which proves to be the ordeal that entomologist Ben Whytten faces. While netting butterflies to add to his vast collection, he mistakenly sweeps what he thinks is the most spectacular butterfly he has ever seen into his net. Upon examining his catch, Ben is horrified to discover he has captured a faery and shredded her delicate wings into useless ribbons.

Devastated, Ben vows to take Shawndirea back to her realm, Aetheaon; but he discovers that doing so places their lives into immediate danger. To get to Aetheaon, they must pass through a portal rift deep inside the haunted cavern, Devils Den.

Once they cross the rift, Ben enters a world where mysteries, magic, betrayal, and power struggles await. He must adapt quickly or die because Aetheaon is filled with enchanted creatures and numerous races where chaos often dominates order. And since Shawndirea’s destined for the throne of Elvendale, opposing dark forces plot to prevent her from ever reaching her kingdom again. The faery’s magic isn’t enough to fully protect them, so he must trust other adventurers to aid them during their journey.

https://a.co/d/iST9FU8

 

LADY SQUIRE (BOOK TWO OF THE AETHEAON CHRONICLES)

To what end would a princess go to regain her rightful throne?

After Lord Waxxon’s coup kills Hoffnung’s beloved half-elf queen, Lady Dawn—the rightful heir—disguises herself as a lowly squire. One of Hoffnung’s Dragon Skull Knights, Sir Caen, chooses her as his new squire, not knowing her true identity. They search Aetheaon to gather forces to end Waxxon’s hostile takeover. She must keep her identity secret, even to the knight she serves.

https://a.co/d/iE4OSRa

 

FROSTHAMMER: THE DWARVES OF NAGDOR (BOOK THREE OF AETHEAON CHRONICLES)

FROM TREASURE HUNTER TO KING

During the Battle of Hoffnung, Boldair discovers his father’s secret betrayal and is declared Nagdor’s new king by the Northern Dwarven Alliance. Boldair and three of his fellow Dwarves begin their journey to Nagdor for his coronation.

Due to possible threats on his life in opposition to his taking the throne, he decides to take a longer route home by detouring through the autonomous, majestic city lost to legend and hidden deep beneath the Frosted Peaks.

The city is Frosthammer, which is occupied by an unusual Dwarven race that are untrusting to visitors, even new kings. The journey becomes fraught with more dangers than Boldair ever expected or imagined.

https://a.co/d/4yzWIBb

 

SHADOWFAE (BOOK FOUR OF THE AETHEAON CHRONICLES)

ALLEGIANCE COMES WITH A PRICE

The darker unmapped regions of Woodnog Swamps are shrouded by the dangerous and often magical mysteries of the Shadowfae. These swamps are where foolish travelers venture, never to be seen again.

Roble’s quest requires that he journey deep into the Woodnog Swamps to confront the god Lez’minx. Through trickery and temptation, Roble accepted Lez’minx’s gift of two magical rings, and soon learns of the deceitful enchantment, but not until after he finds the rings permanently attached to his fingers. Roble plans to meet the god and demand the spell binding him to Lez’minx be broken forever. But no one should ever order a god to do anything. Since such a confrontation would put Roble’s life at risk, Shawndirea and Lehrling insist on traveling with him. The dangers are too great for a human from the Overlands to undertake alone.

But the faery Shawndirea has secrets she’s not yet revealed to her human husband, Roble. Her secrets might cost her own life. After renouncing her right to the throne of Elvendale in the Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court has not extended a welcome to her into the Courts of Chaos. Shawndirea finds herself an outcast and possibly viewed as a potential enemy to both courts. Traveling deeper into the swamps means she’ll cross into Unseelie territory, and without a proper invite, she risks everything to help protect the man she loves.

https://a.co/d/8yLFrzo

 

The post Audio Books (Limited Time) for $0.99 first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

$0.99 Digital Books Deals

For a limited time, three of my novels (digital format) are available for $0.99.

 

“Killing Vampires Since 1888.”

Born in Bucharest in 1880, during the rise of the vampire population, I was considered a freak of nature at the age of eight because I was the size of an adult male. Children my age and my teachers shunned me. Being an outcast, rejected by my peers, cut me deeply. Then I met my first werewolf and discovered a master vampire was plotting to kill me because I was born a vampire hunter. From that moment, my destiny stole my future aspirations all men grow up wanting. This is how my destiny begins. https://a.co/d/aB3FTDO

 

 

AETHEAON CHRONICLES: BOXED SET (1744 PAGES)

SHAWNDIREA

What would you do if you were captured, injured, and near death in another realm?

How would you get home?

Such is the dilemma for the faery Shawndirea. After she crosses a magical rift into a human realm, she’s swept into an entomologist’s butterfly net by mistake. Severely damaging her wings, Ben Whytten vows to take her home without realizing the dark dangers they must endure to survive. Ben enters a magical world where mysteries, betrayal, and power struggles await. He must adapt or die because Aetheaon is filled with enchanted creatures and numerous races where chaos often dominates order. With Shawndirea destined for Elvendale’s throne, opposing dark forces plot to prevent her from ever reaching her kingdom again. Her magic’s not enough to fully protect them, so he must trust others to aid them during their journey.

LADY SQUIRE

To what end would a princess go to regain her rightful throne?

After Lord Waxxon’s coup kills the beloved half-elf queen of Hoffnung, the Queen’s daughter, Lady Dawn—the rightful heir—is forced to disguise as a lowly squire. Chosen by Caen—a faithful Hoffnung Dragon Skull Knight—they search Aetheaon to gather forces to end Waxxon’s hostile takeover. Her identity must remain secret, even to the knight she serves. Lord Waxxon has set a lucrative bounty for her head. His ruthless henchmen, thieves, and bounty hunters scour Aetheaon to find her. But Lady Dawn’s not without hope. Warriors, a wizard, and rulers from several races and kingdoms seek to find her before Waxxon’s bounty can be collected. And find her, they must, if ever she can rightfully reclaim Hoffnung’s throne.

FROM TREASURE HUNTER TO KING

During the Battle of Hoffnung, Boldair discovers his father’s secret betrayal and is declared Nagdor’s new king by the Northern Dwarven Alliance. Boldair and three of his fellow Dwarves begin their journey to Nagdor for his coronation. Due to possible threats on his life in opposition to his taking the throne, he decides to take a longer route home by detouring through the autonomous, majestic city lost to legend and hidden deep beneath the Frosted Peaks. The city is Frosthammer, which is occupied by an unusual Dwarven race that are untrusting to visitors, even new kings. The journey becomes fraught with more dangers than Boldair ever expected or imagined.

https://a.co/d/234j6PX

DEE’S MYSTERY SOLVERS: THE PIE-RATS OF THE CARIBBEAN (BOOK FOUR)

After entering the strange rainbow-swirled portal that opened near Papaw’s farm, the four Mystery Solvers are surprised to arrive in the Caribbean, which is a mystery in itself. Hoping to take a quick visit, buy a few souvenirs, and spend some time on the beach before returning home, a pie shop owner shares her ordeal. Each night, after she closes shop, someone’s stealing her pies without being seen. Due to the constant loss of money she’d earn from selling pies, she fears she’ll have to close her shop permanently, unless the mystery can be solved and the culprit is caught.

For Dee, the leader of the Mystery Solvers, just the word ‘mystery’ is all she needs to offer the help of her club investigators. So the Mystery Solvers get to work on finding clues. Clues they hope will reveal the thief. But what they discover is far more shocking than she or the shop owner ever expected.

 

https://a.co/d/ddaD8On

The post $0.99 Digital Books Deals first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

Author Interview with M.T. Ceres (Epic Fantasy)

I would like to welcome to M.T. Ceres, the author and creator of the Gaiadon Universe. Thank you for taking the time for an author interview and welcome to my blog.

Hi M.T.,

What authors influenced you the most early in life?

Very early influences would have been European folktales by The Brothers Grim, Hans Christian Anderson. I recall reading stories like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and being really annoyed at how the women could only become ‘something’ if a prince kissed them. I tend to invert that relationship dynamic in my writing especially in Sacral Shore, where the Witch Queen Pai, uses sexual energy as part of her magical rites.

Favorite authors?

Robin Hobb for the scale of her worlds, character arcs, but especially her imaginative and descriptive style of writing.
Ursula K Le Guin, for the exploration of human rights in her work.

As a college English professor, I often tell my students that anyone can choose to be a writer, but usually, (at least in my experience), it’s the other way around. An author, a creator of worlds and characters, is often tapped for the profession by her/his muse(s). It’s a driven need to write and get the words on the page. If we don’t write, we’re miserable. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It seems like always, but first and foremost, I always knew I wanted to tell stories, and that is primarily what I do. I tell stories that explore concepts. Gaiadon Lore is an exploration of the Laws and Lore, including cosmology, that enables a planet and its people to exist in a higher dimension.

Regardless of how folks say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” book covers are the readers’ first impression when they seek to discover new authors, and in a way, the initial handshake before gaining more insight about the adventure inside the book. Your intriguing covers definitely demand a closer look to your worlds and the adventures inside. Do you design your covers?

I do design my own covers. Initially the first components are hand drawn, digitally painted, photographed, and collaged. I really enjoy the artistic side of cover design. I don’t use AI or cover creator programs.
The whole idea around my writer’s journey is that I wanted to embrace and explore the experience of an indie author and creative fully. Therefore, I do everything myself.

What book are you currently reading?

I’m reading Robin Hobb, Realm of the Elderlings (again!). A dissertation on Veganism and the Killjoy in 1960’s French Film, a book on Witchcraft, another on Sacred Sites as well as Breverton’s Nautical Curiosities.

What inspired The Gaiadon Universe?

The Gaiadon Universe is a response to personal life events and their impacts as well as larger concepts and themes I wanted to explore. Shadow on The Other Shore began as a response to my late father’s battle with dementia. Dagger Path is a response to ideological extremism and what the price for that is. Black Void is an exploration of the field of manifestation and the concept of Time as an organic structure. Sacral Shore is about life-death-life. However, my novels are written following Genre styles, but they are personal spaces where I went to process inner turmoil through the act of writing.

Your descriptions for the scenes in your books are effectively visual. Please tell us about how you create such vividness?

When I am creating a scene in the book, the vividness is driven by an almost artistic portrayal of the scene, it’s like painting a picture with words, but I do understand that highly descriptive fantasy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

However, while the reading experience can be passive and I hope enjoyable, as an author, I am consciously describing, presenting, and layering signs, symbols, and archetypes within the scene. Fantasy readers, either consciously or unconsciously understand this language. Therefore, I align the signs, symbols and archetypes with relative colours, character mood or traits, even weather, and environment. For example, the descriptors for the (archetypal) Witch Queens are very much aligned with the chakra’s that inspired them. While I have not explicitly made the chakra correlation in Gaiadon Lore, the mountain Silver Tower (Hiriwa Pourewa), is representative of the third eye chakra so, the language I use to describe Silver Tower is a cipher for the third eye.

What time of the day is the best time for you to write? Do you have a set schedule?

I don’t have a set schedule. I imagine that my muse is flighty, and tardy, and visits only when they are passing. I know they are about when I start dreaming of Gaiadon.

How long does it typically take for you to write the first rough draft in the Gaiadon Universe Series?

It depends but usually the whole process takes a minimum of two years as I am not writing/creating in the same sense as other indie writers. I am writing for myself, experience, and the exploration of concepts and themes that mean a lot to me through the medium of fantasy literature. This means that my output is not the same as is generally expected from the indie author market.

Great writing comes from rewriting and editing. The editing process can be tedious at times. How many times do you revise a novel after you’ve finished writing it?

I generally go through 3 stages of editing, loosely, developmental, structure, and line. I can honestly say it takes however many iterations it takes. However, because Gaiadon Lore is about an evolving artistic exploration of concepts and theme, it has never been about product, the consumer market, and meeting the requirements of that space which are a construct of patriarchal systems. In fact, my writing and especially Gaiadon Lore is the opposite of that, in so much as it is intuitive, non-formulaic, fluid and therefore a conscious attempt at a more feminine approach to writing and creating.

Do you hire an editor or use beta readers and proofreaders?

I don’t and that is because the exploration of writing and creating is about a personal journey of self-discovery and the processing of events through the medium of fantasy literature.

Drink of choice while writing? (Coffee, tea, or other?)
I LOVE TEA

What do you love the most about writing?

The moment when you have completely engaged with the muse, you are in the world you have created, and the flow of creativity is a tangible thing. It is only after hours have passed that you know you have been somewhere else.

What do you dislike the most about writing?

External pressure to write, edit, produce, and format as well as publish in a certain way.

I have a wicked muse. Often, a phrase or a simple bit of conversation comes to me without warning, and after writing it down, a novel emerges. Do your ideas come to you in this fashion or differently?

Yes. Definitely. The intermittent downloads that become increasingly persistent. It can drive you quite mad. I have a lot of notebooks, everywhere. (Me, too!)

Do you listen to music to set the mood while writing? If so, what music do you prefer?

I don’t. I write in silence; it’s like a meditation of sorts.

What environment allows you to write more productively? (home, office, coffee shop, outdoors, etc.)

Home, and the comforts of hot tea.

Outline or no outline while writing a novel?

A loose outline, and the bare minimum of plot points otherwise I would veer into formulaic writing, and I am trying to avoid that medium of self-expression.

Have you ever had a character do something you didn’t expect her/him to do?

Yes, at the end of Black Void, Cassandra Novantae does something extraordinary, so much so that I couldn’t believe that I would then have to write around that. It was obvious in Dagger Path and Black Void that she was committed to the Light Flame, but I didn’t know how far she would take her extremism, and indeed how she had been lured into that state of being, nor what the price of her extremism cost her in the end. However, because of her action, a huge piece of the puzzle in the war between the Lords of the Light, and Dark Flames, falls into place. The cosmological war between the Light and the Dark is about extremes, the main concept in Dagger Path is about consciously taking the middle-way (the Dagger Path which is the way of the self-seeking warrior) and honoring your own sovereignty. Cassandra really made me work hard on plot and cosmology after the thing she did, which I can’t go into here as it’s a massive spoiler!

For the reading audience, could you please give us a brief overview of the Gaiadon Universe?

There are 5 books in the Universe, book trailers, and art.

The Bloods Bane series is two books set in the North of the planet.

In the Hall of Records, is a novella which introduces us to demon evolution in an off-world setting. I had a lot of fun writing this novella as I got to play with inner demonic voice.

Shadow on the Other Shore is the main story that is set in the North of Gaiadon. It is about a group of humans that have been kidnapped, from Earth, by the demon king and brought to the Gaiadon universe; in doing so, the demon has inadvertently activated a strand of DNA that gives the humans potential to access galactic power. To thwart and drain the power from the humans, the demons implant them with a nano device. The writing is in Russian style, so the themes are political corruption, social instability, the search for meaning, and the portrayal of complex, alienated characters with dark magic and rebellion aplenty. It was my first attempt at Dystopian/Gaslamp/Alchemical Fantasy, but it isn’t the entry point story to the Universe.

Gaiadon Lore is a 3-book series, Dagger Path is the entry point story, followed by Black Void, and Sacral Shore. The novels are more traditional, descriptive, high or epic fantasy, set on a world in another dimension with its own cosmology, history, geography, and distinct rules of physics and magic. It has a much more epic scope, with more focus on the war between good and evil, with questions around extremism, self-sovereignty, what makes something good or evil; Dagger Path does begin with a classic hero’s quest which I then go on to subvert when I put the characters through events that ensure that they are willing to walk the Dagger Path and therefore the path of the self-seeking warrior – they aren’t with catastrophic results in the battle between the Light and the Dark. There are different and extensive magic systems, fantastical creatures, elaborate worldbuilding and each book has a word count appropriate to the genre.

What is your favorite scene in Dagger Path, the first in your Gaiadon Universe Series?

Silas Al Seamist loses his berserker energy just when he needs it as he is fighting a dark-magicked creature called a Dread Entity, and the events that happen immediately afterwards. I wanted to create insurmountable odds, and the scene of a butcher’s yard as a backdrop to the battle between the three companions and the demons who attack them on the physical Dagger Path. This scene also illustrates that the Witch Queen, Marama Rawa, has demons on her isle, but she has done nothing to eradicate them which raises questions about her own allegiances and political maneuvering.

Please give us the rundown of the main character(s) for Dagger Path:

Isknot – the witch queen Mordeana Never Dead’s grandson and apprentice. He leaves the Gold Tower (Koura Pourewa) to find her after she has been taken by demons. However, by leaving the Gold Tower Isknot sets in motion the events that lead to the Eve of Destruction (a battle between the Light and the Dark).

Silas Al Seamist – the Captain of the Realta Sair, he is manipulated by the Witch Queen’s but has determined to free himself from their machinations when he captures a mythical creature that can bestow the gift of prescience, the Eternity Eel. However, he fails to follow the magical rite of eating the eel heart and in doing so he brings the price to be paid down on all who know him.

Cassandra Novantae – a fae seer of remarkable power, she is also the Eye of Hiriwa Pourewa, her favourite saying is, ‘I have seen it; therefore, it is already so.’ She has a tempestuous relationship with almost everyone, but especially Silas.

Have you ever had a secondary character try to steal the show in one of your novels?

I have a lot of characters in my work, but I always give Atarangi Hiriwa (a Moema warrior) voice, and Pouri Kanohi (a Prince who left the royal court to take his assassins vows). I also bridged Black Void and Sacral Shore with a secondary character, who accompanies Isknot, called Semi Sekura. I told her story because her species, magic, and culture were such interesting concepts to explore, her death was harrowing but explained more about the nature of magic on Gaiadon.

Are your books in Audio or in any other languages?

They aren’t.

What genre do you prefer to write in?

Epic Fantasy.

Do you have several works in progress or stick to writing one book at a time?

I have three WIPs now but tend to treat them singly.

If you had to sell your story based on one scene of dialogue, which scene would that be? (Entice us!)
This is from Sacral Shore. Chapter 4, Inola and Peggy, Parley. The scene is an exploration of oral traditions of sharing information particularly around the campfire. The Romarii care nothing for material gain but rely on ‘stories’ to aid them in their fight against the shadow. The telling of a decent tale as well as the content of the intel is equally valued.

Inola sat before her on a stumpy log he had rolled there to use as a seat. Between them a circle of stones held a small charcoal fire, it burned low, a sullen sort of red like gobbets of blood. It threw out a thin halo of warmth that was at once sucked into the vacuum of freezing air around them. An iron tripod held a kettle, and although it almost rested in the heart of the fire it would never fully boil, thin steam drifted from its spout like disintegrating, weak hope, then fell curling down its sides, exhausted. There would be no vaporous elevation where steam turned to cloud and was free to be on its way, only the heavy cloak of the night, and the word spoken softly, but true, within it.

It was several horas before dawn, she had drifted off at some point during the night, only coming awake when they took Silas to parley. Inola had cut her binds and told her he would let her escape if she so wished it. He would even give her a head start but then he would hunt and kill her like an animal. To clarify what he meant he told her he would be the ravenous wolf, and she would be the trembling rabbit who could not run but could only shit pellets of fear in the face of its own death.
The Hunger Moon had almost spun a full arc across the tapestry of the night but when she looked eastwards the sky was no lighter, even though she could smell the dawn approaching.

Inola took the kettle and poured warm water into a metal bowl, then he took a spoon and stirred the brew. ‘Ground barley and oatmeal mash,’ he said when he caught her look hungrily at it. He spooned some into his mouth and chewed slowly while he waited.

‘I don’t have anything to trade,’ she snapped.

He raised both his eyebrows, quizzically, before he tilted his head to one side while he continued to study her. She shuffled uncomfortably but did not drop her gaze from his, she was a Tree-wish, she did not owe the Romarii anything. Then, Inola, pulled a leather purse, the size of a large fist from behind his back and dropped it to his left. It clinked dully against the hard ground, heavy, and swollen with gold, full to the brim of guilt. He spooned some more food into his mouth and smacked his lips together while his amber-eyed gaze continued to pierce her like two crackling forks of lightning.

Peggy shifted her gaze towards the purse and feigned disinterest. It had been hers; she had given it to Brachtily Silver so the Colenoi could put all her gold in it. It should have been in Drydanward Forest, not here.

Inola continued to study her, a patient kind of waiting, a predator stalking, not prey of blood and bone, but sustenance non-the-less. Truth. She felt her resolve and her shoulders droop together. ‘Food first,’ Peggy said and was glad when the ranger nodded his ascent.

Inola busied himself making her a bowl of mash while he said in a voice hushed with caution, ‘When the parley is finished you must watch the rise for smuggler Seamist.’ He tilted his head to a mound of earth to his left. ‘If he crests it, then get ready to leave. If it is Rovander, then you must make your peace for he has failed and is already dead. Anyone else, and he has traded successfully for your life, and you are free to depart.’ He put a wooden spoon in the bowl then passed her it around the fire. He took his own bowl in one hand. ‘To successful trades.’ He raised his bowl.

‘Do you like stories?’ he asked.

She nodded while she stuffed the mash into her mouth.

Inola ran his spoon around his bowl, lifting it to his mouth he took the final mouthful, then put his bowl to one side, placing it carefully next to the purse of gold. The fire, weak as it was, still set his eyes aglow, and she fancied that this was what sharing a fire with a sleek black fox would be like. He cleared his throat and cast his glance towards the rise, then, satisfied they would not be disturbed he began.

‘Once, a Romarii sat where you sit now, silent like the night and just as dark, he saw a movement across the clearing, and so, he held himself still. Quiet, in the same way silence breathes, he became the eyes of the night, and the forest, and the air, for these are the things the Romarii call kin. Of all of the things he expected to see, animal, bird, or man, he saw none of those but saw instead a creature that has not been seen in these forests for an Age and a half. In one hand it held a portal stone, even rarer than the Colenoi Nympt, who, in full battle-cloth dropped out of the sky, carrying a stash of gold almost as big as it was. Below the roots of yonder wish-tree, that, is where the creature hid its hoard. Then, with words full of magical intent it said, “For Raweni, should he ever need it.” Then away it went back through the hole in the sky while the Romarii watched, and waited inside the night, until eventually, the dawn came and washed the silence held within the dark away.

‘The Romarii went to the stash and retrieved the purse. He opened it, then ran the gold through his fingers as if it were his own, but the metal felt wrong, it was sticky in his hand and left a strange taste on his tongue; on it the Romarii felt a curse, and he knew the gold was not for him. Gold that had once belonged to a Colenoi and was then intended for another would only bring him ill-luck. He had been born a Romarii; what then, did he need with more of the same? So, he put the gold back. The Romarii knew that one day he would know the story, and perhaps the weight of the words shared around the fire would be worth more than the weight of the Colenoi gold.’ He held out his hand and took her bowl, then busied himself making another portion of mash.

It was how she supposed horse-meal tasted, bland and gritty, but it was filling. Peggy looked at her hands while she gathered her thoughts, there were yellow-ish patches in her flesh, and her fingers were numb. The tips of each one, all the way to the first knuckles, were bright red. She pushed aside her worry while she wondered where she should begin. Wherever it was, she realised Romarii parley was undertaken in the way of telling a story about a campfire. Words and the telling of a good tale held value. She wished Semy was with her, studious wise Semy, would have told a tale worthy of their safety long ago with stories from her studies of Gaiadon Lore. She cleared her throat while she blinked away her grief.

‘Once, there was a tree-wish, a creature not made by biological means, but a being made from a desperate wish to have a child by lovers entwined beneath sacred trees…

What are you currently working on?

Book Four of Gaiadon Lore.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Book Three of Bloods Bane

Thank you, M.T., for taking the time for this interview and giving us insight into your writing process! I wish you much success in the future!

 

To learn more about M.T. Ceres, her books, and social media: http://M.T. Ceres Author Page

The post Author Interview with M.T. Ceres (Epic Fantasy) first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

My Interview with M.T. Ceres (Epic Fantasy Author)

I would like to welcome to M.T. Ceres, the author and creator of the Gaiadon Universe. Thank you for taking the time for an interview and welcome to my blog.

Hi M.T.,

What authors influenced you the most early in life?

Very early influences would have been European folktales by The Brothers Grim, Hans Christian Anderson. I recall reading stories like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella and being really annoyed at how the women could only become ‘something’ if a prince kissed them. I tend to invert that relationship dynamic in my writing especially in Sacral Shore, where the Witch Queen Pai, uses sexual energy as part of her magical rites.

Favorite authors?

Robin Hobb for the scale of her worlds, character arcs, but especially her imaginative and descriptive style of writing.
Ursula K Le Guin, for the exploration of human rights in her work.

As a college English professor, I often tell my students that anyone can choose to be a writer, but usually, (at least in my experience), it’s the other way around. An author, a creator of worlds and characters, is often tapped for the profession by her/his muse(s). It’s a driven need to write and get the words on the page. If we don’t write, we’re miserable. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

It seems like always, but first and foremost, I always knew I wanted to tell stories, and that is primarily what I do. I tell stories that explore concepts. Gaiadon Lore is an exploration of the Laws and Lore, including cosmology, that enables a planet and its people to exist in a higher dimension.

Regardless of how folks say, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” book covers are the readers’ first impression when they seek to discover new authors, and in a way, the initial handshake before gaining more insight about the adventure inside the book. Your intriguing covers definitely demand a closer look to your worlds and the adventures inside. Do you design your covers?

I do design my own covers. Initially the first components are hand drawn, digitally painted, photographed, and collaged. I really enjoy the artistic side of cover design. I don’t use AI or cover creator programs.
The whole idea around my writer’s journey is that I wanted to embrace and explore the experience of an indie author and creative fully. Therefore, I do everything myself.

What book are you currently reading?

I’m reading Robin Hobb, Realm of the Elderlings (again!). A dissertation on Veganism and the Killjoy in 1960’s French Film, a book on Witchcraft, another on Sacred Sites as well as Breverton’s Nautical Curiosities.

What inspired The Gaiadon Universe?

The Gaiadon Universe is a response to personal life events and their impacts as well as larger concepts and themes I wanted to explore. Shadow on The Other Shore began as a response to my late father’s battle with dementia. Dagger Path is a response to ideological extremism and what the price for that is. Black Void is an exploration of the field of manifestation and the concept of Time as an organic structure. Sacral Shore is about life-death-life. However, my novels are written following Genre styles, but they are personal spaces where I went to process inner turmoil through the act of writing.

Your descriptions for the scenes in your books are effectively visual. Please tell us about how you create such vividness?

When I am creating a scene in the book, the vividness is driven by an almost artistic portrayal of the scene, it’s like painting a picture with words, but I do understand that highly descriptive fantasy isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.

However, while the reading experience can be passive and I hope enjoyable, as an author, I am consciously describing, presenting, and layering signs, symbols, and archetypes within the scene. Fantasy readers, either consciously or unconsciously understand this language. Therefore, I align the signs, symbols and archetypes with relative colours, character mood or traits, even weather, and environment. For example, the descriptors for the (archetypal) Witch Queens are very much aligned with the chakra’s that inspired them. While I have not explicitly made the chakra correlation in Gaiadon Lore, the mountain Silver Tower (Hiriwa Pourewa), is representative of the third eye chakra so, the language I use to describe Silver Tower is a cipher for the third eye.

What time of the day is the best time for you to write? Do you have a set schedule?

I don’t have a set schedule. I imagine that my muse is flighty, and tardy, and visits only when they are passing. I know they are about when I start dreaming of Gaiadon.

How long does it typically take for you to write the first rough draft in the Gaiadon Universe Series?

It depends but usually the whole process takes a minimum of two years as I am not writing/creating in the same sense as other indie writers. I am writing for myself, experience, and the exploration of concepts and themes that mean a lot to me through the medium of fantasy literature. This means that my output is not the same as is generally expected from the indie author market.

Great writing comes from rewriting and editing. The editing process can be tedious at times. How many times do you revise a novel after you’ve finished writing it?

I generally go through 3 stages of editing, loosely, developmental, structure, and line. I can honestly say it takes however many iterations it takes. However, because Gaiadon Lore is about an evolving artistic exploration of concepts and theme, it has never been about product, the consumer market, and meeting the requirements of that space which are a construct of patriarchal systems. In fact, my writing and especially Gaiadon Lore is the opposite of that, in so much as it is intuitive, non-formulaic, fluid and therefore a conscious attempt at a more feminine approach to writing and creating.

Do you hire an editor or use beta readers and proofreaders?

I don’t and that is because the exploration of writing and creating is about a personal journey of self-discovery and the processing of events through the medium of fantasy literature.

Drink of choice while writing? (Coffee, tea, or other?)
I LOVE TEA

What do you love the most about writing?

The moment when you have completely engaged with the muse, you are in the world you have created, and the flow of creativity is a tangible thing. It is only after hours have passed that you know you have been somewhere else.

What do you dislike the most about writing?

External pressure to write, edit, produce, and format as well as publish in a certain way.

I have a wicked muse. Often, a phrase or a simple bit of conversation comes to me without warning, and after writing it down, a novel emerges. Do your ideas come to you in this fashion or differently?

Yes. Definitely. The intermittent downloads that become increasingly persistent. It can drive you quite mad. I have a lot of notebooks, everywhere. (Me, too!)

Do you listen to music to set the mood while writing? If so, what music do you prefer?

I don’t. I write in silence; it’s like a meditation of sorts.

What environment allows you to write more productively? (home, office, coffee shop, outdoors, etc.)

Home, and the comforts of hot tea.

Outline or no outline while writing a novel?

A loose outline, and the bare minimum of plot points otherwise I would veer into formulaic writing, and I am trying to avoid that medium of self-expression.

Have you ever had a character do something you didn’t expect her/him to do?

Yes, at the end of Black Void, Cassandra Novantae does something extraordinary, so much so that I couldn’t believe that I would then have to write around that. It was obvious in Dagger Path and Black Void that she was committed to the Light Flame, but I didn’t know how far she would take her extremism, and indeed how she had been lured into that state of being, nor what the price of her extremism cost her in the end. However, because of her action, a huge piece of the puzzle in the war between the Lords of the Light, and Dark Flames, falls into place. The cosmological war between the Light and the Dark is about extremes, the main concept in Dagger Path is about consciously taking the middle-way (the Dagger Path which is the way of the self-seeking warrior) and honoring your own sovereignty. Cassandra really made me work hard on plot and cosmology after the thing she did, which I can’t go into here as it’s a massive spoiler!

For the reading audience, could you please give us a brief overview of the Gaiadon Universe?

There are 5 books in the Universe, book trailers, and art.

The Bloods Bane series is two books set in the North of the planet.

In the Hall of Records, is a novella which introduces us to demon evolution in an off-world setting. I had a lot of fun writing this novella as I got to play with inner demonic voice.

Shadow on the Other Shore is the main story that is set in the North of Gaiadon. It is about a group of humans that have been kidnapped, from Earth, by the demon king and brought to the Gaiadon universe; in doing so, the demon has inadvertently activated a strand of DNA that gives the humans potential to access galactic power. To thwart and drain the power from the humans, the demons implant them with a nano device. The writing is in Russian style, so the themes are political corruption, social instability, the search for meaning, and the portrayal of complex, alienated characters with dark magic and rebellion aplenty. It was my first attempt at Dystopian/Gaslamp/Alchemical Fantasy, but it isn’t the entry point story to the Universe.

Gaiadon Lore is a 3-book series, Dagger Path is the entry point story, followed by Black Void, and Sacral Shore. The novels are more traditional, descriptive, high or epic fantasy, set on a world in another dimension with its own cosmology, history, geography, and distinct rules of physics and magic. It has a much more epic scope, with more focus on the war between good and evil, with questions around extremism, self-sovereignty, what makes something good or evil; Dagger Path does begin with a classic hero’s quest which I then go on to subvert when I put the characters through events that ensure that they are willing to walk the Dagger Path and therefore the path of the self-seeking warrior – they aren’t with catastrophic results in the battle between the Light and the Dark. There are different and extensive magic systems, fantastical creatures, elaborate worldbuilding and each book has a word count appropriate to the genre.

What is your favorite scene in Dagger Path, the first in your Gaiadon Universe Series?

Silas Al Seamist loses his berserker energy just when he needs it as he is fighting a dark-magicked creature called a Dread Entity, and the events that happen immediately afterwards. I wanted to create insurmountable odds, and the scene of a butcher’s yard as a backdrop to the battle between the three companions and the demons who attack them on the physical Dagger Path. This scene also illustrates that the Witch Queen, Marama Rawa, has demons on her isle, but she has done nothing to eradicate them which raises questions about her own allegiances and political maneuvering.

Please give us the rundown of the main character(s) for Dagger Path:

Isknot – the witch queen Mordeana Never Dead’s grandson and apprentice. He leaves the Gold Tower (Koura Pourewa) to find her after she has been taken by demons. However, by leaving the Gold Tower Isknot sets in motion the events that lead to the Eve of Destruction (a battle between the Light and the Dark).

Silas Al Seamist – the Captain of the Realta Sair, he is manipulated by the Witch Queen’s but has determined to free himself from their machinations when he captures a mythical creature that can bestow the gift of prescience, the Eternity Eel. However, he fails to follow the magical rite of eating the eel heart and in doing so he brings the price to be paid down on all who know him.

Cassandra Novantae – a fae seer of remarkable power, she is also the Eye of Hiriwa Pourewa, her favourite saying is, ‘I have seen it; therefore, it is already so.’ She has a tempestuous relationship with almost everyone, but especially Silas.

Have you ever had a secondary character try to steal the show in one of your novels?

I have a lot of characters in my work, but I always give Atarangi Hiriwa (a Moema warrior) voice, and Pouri Kanohi (a Prince who left the royal court to take his assassins vows). I also bridged Black Void and Sacral Shore with a secondary character, who accompanies Isknot, called Semi Sekura. I told her story because her species, magic, and culture were such interesting concepts to explore, her death was harrowing but explained more about the nature of magic on Gaiadon.

Are your books in Audio or in any other languages?

They aren’t.

What genre do you prefer to write in?

Epic Fantasy.

Do you have several works in progress or stick to writing one book at a time?

I have three WIPs now but tend to treat them singly.

If you had to sell your story based on one scene of dialogue, which scene would that be? (Entice us!)
This is from Sacral Shore. Chapter 4, Inola and Peggy, Parley. The scene is an exploration of oral traditions of sharing information particularly around the campfire. The Romarii care nothing for material gain but rely on ‘stories’ to aid them in their fight against the shadow. The telling of a decent tale as well as the content of the intel is equally valued.

Inola sat before her on a stumpy log he had rolled there to use as a seat. Between them a circle of stones held a small charcoal fire, it burned low, a sullen sort of red like gobbets of blood. It threw out a thin halo of warmth that was at once sucked into the vacuum of freezing air around them. An iron tripod held a kettle, and although it almost rested in the heart of the fire it would never fully boil, thin steam drifted from its spout like disintegrating, weak hope, then fell curling down its sides, exhausted. There would be no vaporous elevation where steam turned to cloud and was free to be on its way, only the heavy cloak of the night, and the word spoken softly, but true, within it.

It was several horas before dawn, she had drifted off at some point during the night, only coming awake when they took Silas to parley. Inola had cut her binds and told her he would let her escape if she so wished it. He would even give her a head start but then he would hunt and kill her like an animal. To clarify what he meant he told her he would be the ravenous wolf, and she would be the trembling rabbit who could not run but could only shit pellets of fear in the face of its own death.
The Hunger Moon had almost spun a full arc across the tapestry of the night but when she looked eastwards the sky was no lighter, even though she could smell the dawn approaching.

Inola took the kettle and poured warm water into a metal bowl, then he took a spoon and stirred the brew. ‘Ground barley and oatmeal mash,’ he said when he caught her look hungrily at it. He spooned some into his mouth and chewed slowly while he waited.

‘I don’t have anything to trade,’ she snapped.

He raised both his eyebrows, quizzically, before he tilted his head to one side while he continued to study her. She shuffled uncomfortably but did not drop her gaze from his, she was a Tree-wish, she did not owe the Romarii anything. Then, Inola, pulled a leather purse, the size of a large fist from behind his back and dropped it to his left. It clinked dully against the hard ground, heavy, and swollen with gold, full to the brim of guilt. He spooned some more food into his mouth and smacked his lips together while his amber-eyed gaze continued to pierce her like two crackling forks of lightning.

Peggy shifted her gaze towards the purse and feigned disinterest. It had been hers; she had given it to Brachtily Silver so the Colenoi could put all her gold in it. It should have been in Drydanward Forest, not here.

Inola continued to study her, a patient kind of waiting, a predator stalking, not prey of blood and bone, but sustenance non-the-less. Truth. She felt her resolve and her shoulders droop together. ‘Food first,’ Peggy said and was glad when the ranger nodded his ascent.

Inola busied himself making her a bowl of mash while he said in a voice hushed with caution, ‘When the parley is finished you must watch the rise for smuggler Seamist.’ He tilted his head to a mound of earth to his left. ‘If he crests it, then get ready to leave. If it is Rovander, then you must make your peace for he has failed and is already dead. Anyone else, and he has traded successfully for your life, and you are free to depart.’ He put a wooden spoon in the bowl then passed her it around the fire. He took his own bowl in one hand. ‘To successful trades.’ He raised his bowl.

‘Do you like stories?’ he asked.

She nodded while she stuffed the mash into her mouth.

Inola ran his spoon around his bowl, lifting it to his mouth he took the final mouthful, then put his bowl to one side, placing it carefully next to the purse of gold. The fire, weak as it was, still set his eyes aglow, and she fancied that this was what sharing a fire with a sleek black fox would be like. He cleared his throat and cast his glance towards the rise, then, satisfied they would not be disturbed he began.

‘Once, a Romarii sat where you sit now, silent like the night and just as dark, he saw a movement across the clearing, and so, he held himself still. Quiet, in the same way silence breathes, he became the eyes of the night, and the forest, and the air, for these are the things the Romarii call kin. Of all of the things he expected to see, animal, bird, or man, he saw none of those but saw instead a creature that has not been seen in these forests for an Age and a half. In one hand it held a portal stone, even rarer than the Colenoi Nympt, who, in full battle-cloth dropped out of the sky, carrying a stash of gold almost as big as it was. Below the roots of yonder wish-tree, that, is where the creature hid its hoard. Then, with words full of magical intent it said, “For Raweni, should he ever need it.” Then away it went back through the hole in the sky while the Romarii watched, and waited inside the night, until eventually, the dawn came and washed the silence held within the dark away.

‘The Romarii went to the stash and retrieved the purse. He opened it, then ran the gold through his fingers as if it were his own, but the metal felt wrong, it was sticky in his hand and left a strange taste on his tongue; on it the Romarii felt a curse, and he knew the gold was not for him. Gold that had once belonged to a Colenoi and was then intended for another would only bring him ill-luck. He had been born a Romarii; what then, did he need with more of the same? So, he put the gold back. The Romarii knew that one day he would know the story, and perhaps the weight of the words shared around the fire would be worth more than the weight of the Colenoi gold.’ He held out his hand and took her bowl, then busied himself making another portion of mash.

It was how she supposed horse-meal tasted, bland and gritty, but it was filling. Peggy looked at her hands while she gathered her thoughts, there were yellow-ish patches in her flesh, and her fingers were numb. The tips of each one, all the way to the first knuckles, were bright red. She pushed aside her worry while she wondered where she should begin. Wherever it was, she realised Romarii parley was undertaken in the way of telling a story about a campfire. Words and the telling of a good tale held value. She wished Semy was with her, studious wise Semy, would have told a tale worthy of their safety long ago with stories from her studies of Gaiadon Lore. She cleared her throat while she blinked away her grief.

‘Once, there was a tree-wish, a creature not made by biological means, but a being made from a desperate wish to have a child by lovers entwined beneath sacred trees…

What are you currently working on?

Book Four of Gaiadon Lore.

What can we expect from you in the future?

Book Three of Bloods Bane

Thank you, M.T., for taking the time for this interview and giving us insight into your writing process! I wish you much success in the future!

 

To learn more about M.T. Ceres, her books, and social media: http://M.T. Ceres Author Page

The post My Interview with M.T. Ceres (Epic Fantasy Author) first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.

Crukas: Thief of Shadows (Book 5 Aetheaon Chronicles) September 2nd, 2025 Release Date

The ebook for Crukas: Thief of Shadows releases tomorrow: September 2nd, 2025.

This is the fifth epic installment in the Aetheaon Chronicles. The ebook is $3.99 and is in #KindleUnlimited. The paperback will be released September 6th, 2025.

AETHEAON’S FATE LIES IN THE HANDS OF A MASTER THIEF

As the power of Aetheaon’s necromancer, Mors, who’s known as the Plague-bringer, increases, Crukas makes an incredible surprising decision that no one, including himself, ever expected. Using his master thieving skills, he sets out to steal magical relics for the purpose of defeating the Plague-bringer before Mors’ amassing undead army overtakes the kingdoms of Aetheaon. Unless Crukas succeeds, all the kingdoms fall under Mors’ control.

To make matters even more difficult, a female halfling bounty hunter (Sparrow Birme) stubbornly pursues Crukas with the hope of capturing him and collecting the vast bounty on the renowned thief’s head. But each time she’s close enough to attempt capture, Crukas eludes her and she loses his trail. Frustrated, she teams with four greedy bounty hunters who are also actively searching for the thief. One of these bounty hunters, however, would rather turn in Crukas’ corpse to claim half the reward than struggle with a live thief who might possibly escape custody.

Worse yet, Crukas and a traveling companion are cursed by an item he steals. Without a way to break the curse, Crukas continues his thieving journey in the hope of finding someone who can magically break the curse before his life ends. Should he fail in getting the items, he figures he’s lost nothing, as Aetheaon will become a land of the undead ruled by a necromancer, and Crukas would rather be dead than undead. Should he succeed, though, he could die and be known as a hero, which isn’t a title he desires.

https://a.co/d/7lCDdsQ

 

The post Crukas: Thief of Shadows (Book 5 Aetheaon Chronicles) September 2nd, 2025 Release Date first appeared on Leonard D Hilley II.