Hugh B. Long's Blog, page 11
April 16, 2013
Interview with Storyweaver
Interview with Storyweaver
Here's an interview I did recently with Joe Sweeney of Storyweaver. It's part of a series of videos called "Sage Advice" that they're doing on writers, gamers and other experts in the field. In this interview, Joe and I talk about my latest novel, and my approach to writing, and lots more!
Storyweaver is an amazing company that produces high quality and rich role playing game supplements. Joe is also the Campaign Cartographer Guru! I've been watching his mapping videos for years!.
Here are some relevant Links:
Campaign Cartographer Videos - Mapping tools for RPG's, novels etc.
January 1, 2013
Q&A with the Author of Star Fury
Q&A With the Author of "Dawning of the Wolf Age", Hugh B. Long
Q: Why did you write this book?
A: "This is the book I wanted to read 25 years ago, but it didn't exist. I imagined a world in which Norse mythology was more than just the basis for epic stories. I wanted to see what a future might look like if the world had been formed as described in the old stories, and one tale in particular: Voluspa, which is part of the Poetic Edda, highlights the mythic beginnings of the world. I fantasized about what the world would look like with those beginnings, and projected that into the future."
Q: How did you become interested in the topic?
A: "Like any kid, I was fascinated by adventure. That included hard-boiled survival stories by the likes of Farley Mowat. Fantasy was also a big influence, starting with the Arthurian myths and continuing with the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, which is where I discovered the Runes. That lead me to Norse Mythology, which Tolkien borrowed from heavily. I've since written several non-fiction books on Norse Mythology and Norse culture. Then, because I was also fascinated by science and technology, I began reading science fiction. Vern, Heinlein and Asimov were some of my early influences. So, I wanted to write stories that had a sweeping epic feel, had Norse DNA, and were set in a future world."
Q: What did you hope to accomplish by publishing your book?
A: "All my non-fiction books were designed to educate people on the impact that Norse culture has on our present day lives - for example: Five days of the week are named for Norse Gods and Goddesses. Why did they not teach me that in school?
With my fiction, I want to continue to educate people on those times and culture, but mainly I want to entertain. I'm writing exactly what I would want to read."
Q: Who is your intended readership?
A: "People who love a mystery, adventure, and want to be emotionally invested in characters. I want to tell gripping tales, but also ensure that humanity is present in all it's raw and ugly glory. I expect people who love fantasy, science fiction, as well as historical fiction, will enjoy my books. I'm really blending those genres."
Q: When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: "From the time I was maybe 14, I knew it was my ultimate dream. I dabbled throughout my career in hi-tech, writing technical articles for a magazine, but only recently took the plunge and began writing full time. I was recently reading about Lee Child and how he started writing at 40, well I was 41 before I made the commitment."
Q: How did you research your book?
A: "The fiction is the easy part, with regards to research, but I did want much of my science to be at least based in reality. Sure, I digress from reality, but hey, it's science fiction! For example, worm-holes are really based on the theories of Einstein and Rosen, hence the Einstein-Rosen Bridge. And in my book we use microscopic bridges for instantaneous communications without a limitation on distance - The ERBT (Einstein-Rosen Bridge Transceiver), most folks just call it the stellar-comm. Other bits of technology like my starship power plants, use the concepts of Dark Matter and Dark Energy. My characters use a gadget called a Dark Matter Tap to pull that energy into phase with our Universe so we can use it to power hyperdrives."
Q: What surprised you about the process of writing your book?
A: "Although I plotted in great detail, many parts of the book just took off and wrote them selves! It was amazing! I've written several non-fiction books, so I'm used to dealing with a representation of facts, and organizing material, but when my story began to live and breath in front of me...that was simply awesome!"
Q: What do you like to do when you're not writing?
A: "I collect functional swords, enjoy Nordic Walking, and I read voraciously (2-3 books per week)."
Q: Are you working on another book?
A: "Absolutely. I have 9 books planned in the Tribes of Yggdrasil series, and I'm also writing a serialized story called "Draugr's Saga" which is about Viking Zombies. I release one episode a month (about 30 pages) and will be doing 12 episodes. After the 12'th serial, I'll publish a paperback Omnibus."
December 21, 2012
What’s in a Name? Aeronwen is now Saeran!
What's in a Name? Aeronwen is now Saeran!
Happy winter solstice and first day of Yule to all my readers and friends!
A quick update for you on my novel. I conducted a very successful Beta Reader program, where a few readers were given the early draft of the novel and asked to provide very detailed feedback on it. In exchange they go their name and website listed in my novel, and 3 autographed copies of the paperback when it's out.
It was a fruitful experiment, and I got many pages of amazingly insightful suggestions. This is going to make the novel that much better.
One of the changes, and the reason for this note, is that the name of one of the main characters is changing. Aeronwen, which a couple felt sounded too much like Arwen from LOTR, suggested I might consider changing it. Hmm, it had never occured to me, but I can see how it might be. So Aeronwen has now become Saeran.
The Alfar (or Ljossalfar) race in my book all have Welsh personal and place names. Each of the races in the Tribes of Yggdrasil have names based on particular cultures. I find this gives it a nice consistency without me having to invent weird words and names.
The Hrymar (the bad guys who live on Niflheim) are all based on Turkish names.
The Svartalfar (which means Dark elves, but which are really like Dwarves of Fantasy) all use Finnish names.
The Graal (you'll meet them in Book 2) use Hun and Mongol names.
Hope you find that interesting!
December 10, 2012
Dawning of the Wolf Age – 50% off Kindle through Dec!
Dawning of the Wolf Age - 50% off on Kindle through December!
DECEMBER SALE! - 50% OFF - Regular $5.99, now only $2.99 through December - Kindle Only
Dawning of the Wolf Age - The Tribes of Yggdrasil: Book 1
http://www.amazon.com/Dawning-Wolf-Tribes-Yggdrasil-ebook/dp/B00AKIF65Q/
“My name is Haldor Olsen. I was happy once. I had everything a man could want: a good job, a beautiful wife and an amazing son. In a flash it was ripped away. What remains is a raging ember of what I once was.
The Hrymar came without warning, hungry for slaves. At first attacking ships, and then our first colony on Epsilon Eridani. Now they’re coming for Earth. I have to stop them… somehow.”
Some doors should never be opened.
In 2013, two researchers decipher a puzzle on an ancient Scandinavian runestone leading to contact with an alien race, the Alfar, 600 light-years away; A century later, millions would wish they'd never unlocked that secret.
The benevolent Alfar uplift mankind technologically and teach them that,180,000 years ago, the Norse Gods seeded their world, as well as Earth.
The Gods instructed the Alfar to shepherd humanity to the stars once they'd advanced enough to unlock the secret on the runestones; this great gift became a curse. As man plied the stars and began colonization, they encountered other advanced races, including the Hrymar, depraved slave traders.
In 2128, Haldor Olsen, a government explorer and sometime spy, becomes a reluctant hero when his home is attacked, and he's faced with losing everything he loves. He travels hundreds of light-years in a frantic race to save mankind from enslavement by an inhuman enemy.
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Brothers will fight and kill each other,
sisters’ children will defile kinship.
It is harsh in the world,
whoredom rife an axe age,
a sword age shields are riven,
a wind age,
a wolf age before the world goes headlong.
No man will have mercy on another.
- Voluspa
A short note from the author on the book:
This is the book I wanted to read 25 years ago, but it didn't exist. This certainly isn't the first time the Norse Gods have ever been invoked in fiction, however, I think this will be the first time that an entire series has their presence as the backdrop.
The protagonist, Haldor Olsen, is a futuristic descendant of that lineage. I hope to highlight the virtues that modern Heathen’s and Pagan’s hold dear: a love of family, reverence for ancestors, a desire to live in harmony with nature, and tolerance of other faiths. Don’t get me wrong, this is not a Heathen book, or a Pagan book, it’s a gripping science fiction novel that has those currents flowing through it.
What’s the book about? The usual things: Love, Family, Deceit, Revenge, Honor, Betrayal and Passion. You’ll find an ample supply of the emotions that drive us everyday, but of course amped up a little for your reading pleasure!
This will be a sweeping epic, spanning thousands of light years, holding manifold mysteries. My plan is to write 9 books. As some know, 9 is a very significant number in the Northern Spiritual traditions. This first book is approximately 312 pages long – a proper book size, not a bloated paper-weight, as I see so many books today becoming. If you enjoy longer tales, that’s great, I’ll try to release a new volume every 6-8 months over the next several years. Some authors try to put out one titanic book every 5+ years. I was never that patient. I want a manageable, steady delivery of stories for my reading enjoyment, so that’s what I’ll offer you.
I hope you enjoy the book; I reveled in the writing of it, and planning the next books is very exciting.
If you enjoy the book, I would ask that you try to take the time to write a short review – 20 words is all it need be (on amazon.com). As an independent author and publisher, I don’t have a massive marketing machine behind me, I have you. And if you want to ensure I keep writing books, reviews will do just that. They will spread the word about my books, and encourage others to buy them. Writing is now my day job, and it pays the bills (just).
In celebration of Yule, the book is ½ price, at $2.99, through December. Enjoy the book, and tell your friends!
http://www.amazon.com/Dawning-Wolf-Tribes-Yggdrasil-ebook/dp/B00AKIF65Q/
December 7, 2012
Short Stories
December 2, 2012
Quick Update
I just wanted to let folks know that, yes, I am writing Book 2 now. While Book 1 is in the hands of Beta Readers and my Editors, I'm back to doing what I love to do - creating new stuff!
Book 2 in the Tribes of Yggdrasil series, is tentatively titled "From the fury of the Northmen, Deliver us!" that is an old saying heard in England during the Viking age, and was a plea to God to help them from the Northern Barbarians.
Interestingly, there is a superstition that lives to this day reflecting this distaste for Northerners: My grandmother will not let any fair-haired person cross her doorway on New Years day, until a dark haired person has. This goes back to when most fair-haired people in England were the Danes, Norse etc. It was a challenge in my family though - I'm dark haired, but my brother and sister are both fair-haired! So we had to time our arrival at Granny's house just right :)
Book 1 will be out in January, February at the latest. And I have no firm schedule for Book 2 – it will be done when I feel it’s good enough (the joys of being independent!) I am working on it full time though, so have no fear, I’m on the job!
Anyway, I'll get back to writing.
