An interview with fantasy author J. Michael Radcliffe

Today, I'm very happy to be introducing you to one of the nicest authors I have had the pleasure to meet on the Internet. J. Michael Radcliffe a.k.a. "Alderdrache" (which means, Elder Dragon) is a fantasy author who joined BestsellerBound in October 2010, and he is one of our most active members on the forum. He also loves cats, which means that naturally he is one of my favourite people.

His novel (book one in the Beyond The Veil series) The Guardian's Apprentice is a wonderful, fantasy tale, for lovers of magic, dragons, wizards, curses, etc., etc. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Michael has also written many short stories based around the characters in the novel (and the forthcoming books in the series):Beyond the Veil Anthology - the world of The Guardian's Apprentice, Tears for Hesh, Forsaken, and Scale of a Dragon

Michael has very kindly agreed to give away one signed copy of The Guardian's Apprentice and a pdf copy to two lucky readers of my blog. All you have to do to enter is simply 'like' this blog post or leave a comment below. Winners will be picked on the 30th of December 2011.


Here's my recent interview with Michael:

Your novels and short stories are steeped in magic, curses, witchcraft and the like.  Do you believe in magic?  If so, do you have any interesting stories you could tell us to back up this belief?


Do I believe in magic – now that is an interesting question. There are so many things in this wondrous world of ours that are unexplained – so many mysteries for which science has no answers. I certainly believe there are many things beyond our comprehension – whether or not this qualifies as magic, I’m not certain. I’m inclined to believe there are such things as spirits – or some elevated state of being beyond the physical and I’ll offer this story as an illustration.
In 2002, my father suffered a pulmonary embolism and was placed on life support. After the neurologist had informed us my father was brain dead, my sister and I had to sign the orders to disconnect life support. Late in the evening of the 2nd day, his heart finally stopped and he passed from this world. I and my sister and a couple of others were gathered around the hospital bed as he took his last breath. The moment the heart monitor flat lined and he stopped breathing, the window behind me – previously latched – blew open and a cold night wind rushed through the room, disturbing everything. Was this a coincidence? Maybe; or was it a tortured soul escaping to its final resting place? I may never really know, but I can tell you just the memory of that event gives me chills to this day.
So I suppose that is a long way of saying that yes, I would like to believe there is more to this world than just the physical, everyday things around us. ϑ

In your novel, The Guardian’s Apprentice, the character, Nisha  says: “Names can be powerful things...  To know someone’s name, especially their true name, is to have power over them.”  That made me wonder, is that why you don’t reveal your first name, and go by J. Michael Radcliffe?  Is there an element of superstition involved?





I will let you (and your readers) in on a little known secret. My first name is one I’ve never been entirely fond of; although it was the one I went by as a child in grade school. In school I was overweight and wore glasses – I also read every book I could get my hands on and did not have very many friends. As you can imagine, my self-esteem was not very high.

As an adult, I lost weight, got contact lenses and became more confident in myself, and as I transformed I also started going by my middle name “Michael”. My first name, associated with the persona of an unpopular, introverted teenager, was relegated to the past – thus the initial instead.  My wonderful wife, who actually knew me in school, tells me that I am not the same person that I was when I went by that name. So in a way, I guess there is a bit of superstition involved – I avoid using my first name, because I don’t want to be that person any longer!



Nisha is one of the characters in your book who is cursed to remain in animal form for 23 hours a day.  Her animal form is a raven. The other character, the wizard, Acamar, is a cat for most of the day.  If you could choose to be an animal for some time, what animal would you choose and why?


I would have to say either a cat or (since we ARE talking magic here) a dragon. Ironically I picture both animals – the real and the mythical – as having some of the same traits. Both are fiercely independent, strong-willed and sometimes aloof. Not that I picture myself as having those traits, mind you. Ironically my astrological sign is Leo – a big cat! ϑ







You have four cats.  What do you think each of them would be like if they had a human form?


I regret to say we now have FIVE cats – so the humans are outnumbered at our house… Each of our cats has a very distinct personality. I will give you a brief comment about each, in order from oldest to youngest.

Cocoa




Our oldest cat, Cocoa is devious – no, she is evil. She would be the person who hides under the bed just so she could grab your ankle and scare the living daylights out of you. She definitely does NOT play well with others.

Cookie



Cookie would make a good princess or perhaps a queen. She is regal, aloof and will only tolerate you for a short period of time, and even then only on her own terms. She certainly does not view me as her owner – I’m more of a butler or valet whose sole purpose is to keep the food bowl full.

Jasmine




Jasmine would be the crazy cousin escaped from the asylum; the recluse who avoids going out in public. She is very clingy, and if you don’t pay attention to her you are promptly bitten.

Maddie



Maddie is fiercely independent, going wherever she wants, whenever she wants – even though she is missing a leg. She would be the strong willed adventurer that lets nothing stand in her way. She would also be the first one eaten by a dragon.

Mickey



The youngest of our feline army, Mickey would be the big goofy brother that loves to play ‘tag’ or ‘chase’. He loves to run, jump and pounce on the others, and gets a fair amount of abuse from them for it. The other cats definitely do not appreciate Mickey, but he doesn’t let that stop him and he remains as playful as ever, like a loveable little brother.



As well as writing a novel, you have written a few short stories, indeed one of them: Tears for Hesh, is featured in the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 1, and another:Scale of a Dragon is featured in the BestsellerBound Short Story Anthology Volume 3.  As a short story writer, myself, I know that it’s harder to sell short stories; some people seem to think that because there are fewer words in short stories they are somehow inferior to novels.  I have been trying to convince people for years that they are missing out on some great stories by only reading novels.  What would you say to encourage people to read more short stories?




I firmly believe it can be more difficult to write a short story than a novel. With a short story, you have very limited space to fully develop characters and plot. A novel may offer you the luxury of 100,000 words while a short story might just be 5,000! A well written short story is like an hors d’oeuvre – it is a little gem than can be savored quickly, while a novel is like a seven course meal that would take hours. Especially in today’s fast paced world where we all have so many demands on our time, a short story can offer the reader a little escape from reality that only lasts 30 minutes, but leaves them feeling satisfied and refreshed.





You’ve been a member at Bestsellerbound for some time and you are quite active on the board. Has having a forum like BestsellerBound helped you as an independent writer? If so, in what way?

Absolutely!! I cannot praise BestsellerBound enough. The site has allowed me to connect with such a wonderful group of people such as Darcia Helle, Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick,and of course, you! It is a great place to share ideas, concerns and seek advice. Jumping into the world of writing with no prior experience was a scary thing – this forum helped me find other authors that had the same questions I had when I first went Indie. One certainly will not get any advice or guidance from editors, agents or publishers unless you land a contract.


I know that you are working on the draft of the second book in your Beyond The Veil series.  It always interests me to hear how writers go about planning and writing a book series.  When you set out to write the story of Beyond The Veil, was it always going to be a series or is that something that you decided later in the process? If so, did you write the whole series before publishing the first one, or do you not yet know what will happen in book three?
 
I’m ashamed to admit that The Guardian’s Apprentice took me eight years to write. When I first sketched out my idea, I envisioned the story covering an arc of three books. The story has transformed over time however, and now I’m inclined to think it may conclude with two. I won’t say I’m ruling out a third book in the series or even a fourth, but I think all of the plot lines have been nicely resolved at this point. Although I had a definite idea of how the stories would progress, they are much different now than when I first started writing them.



When writing a series of books, does it put more pressure on you as a writer knowing that your audience are waiting for the next book in the series?


Yes, I believe it does. Speaking for myself, knowing there were people interested in Bloodstone definitely increased the pressure to write the story. My website has a nice analytical package that shows me how people find the site and what phrases they query to find it. Over the past year I have noticed more and more queries about book two, and I feel obligated to fulfill the promise I made to my readers. I certainly didn’t want to make them wait eight years, which is how long book one took to finish!


Who are your favourite authors and what is it about their writing that you like?


Oddly enough, I think most of my favorite authors are British. Among my top favorites:

Jonathan Stroud – author of the Bartimaeus Series, he imbues his main character – a demon – with a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor. His characters come alive in my imagination when I’m reading.
J.K. Rowling– I envy Ms. Rowling’s level of detail – she creates an entire world within her books that just draws the reader in.
Arthur Conan Doyle– I have always loved a good mystery. I love the fact that the Sherlock Holmes stories often hinge on the tiniest of clues for the solution.
James Clavell – author of two of my favorite novels: Noble House and Tai-Pan. Clavell fills his works with strong, believable characters that have depth. The dialogue is great as well.



What was the last book you read?


I am currently reading Darke the seventh book in the Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage. My reading seems to cover a wide range of genres ranging from science fiction to fantasy, naval history and YA fantasy. Perhaps ironically, since becoming a writer I have had much less time to read!



What do you think of ebooks as opposed to print?


I think ebooks have opened up a world of opportunities for independent authors to connect with readers. Before the advent of ebooks and the direct publishing route, my works would never have seen the light of day. I also think they have opened up a world of reading to the electronic generation. Although I still love the feel of turning the pages on a book, I must admit the convenience of purchasing and downloading a new book in a matter of seconds is wonderful.



Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?


Based on my experience, I would offer the following advice:

Join a writing group such as Bestsellerbound and connect with other authors

Join a critiquing group such as Critters.org where you critique the works of others and in turn have your works critiqued. It will help make your writing tighter.

Be open to criticism. I know it hurts, BELIEVE me I know. A two star review stings! But, if the reviewer is being honest (ignoring the occasional two star rant that just seems hateful) you can sometimes glean useful tips for improvement. If the reviewer says your book needs more editing – re-read your work and see if they are right. If someone says your dialogue is weak, read over it again and see if they might be right.

Keep writing. If you love to write, then DO it! Don’t let naysayers stop you from finishing a story.



How do you go about choosing a cover for your books?

Selecting and designing artwork for a cover is one of the hardest things for me. I consider it far more difficult than actually writing the story. It took me about four weeks of combing through images before I found one that was “just right” for my second book, Bloodstone – The Guardian’s Curse.



I usually start out with an idea of how I want the cover to look and the feelings I want it to evoke when someone sees it. The tough part is finding the image that fits with what is in my imagination!




Apart from the next book in the Beyond The Veil series, are you working on any other projects?


I do not have anything in the works at the moment, although I do have a rough outline for another book. This would be a departure from my current series and even from my current genre. This book would be more in the realm of science fiction, though I’m not sure yet if it will ever become a reality. I’ve also had an idea or two for another short story that touches upon characters from my current series.



Where can people buy your books?


My books are available at the following:
Amazon

Smashwords

Sony

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Do you have your own website or blog where people can read more about your work?

My website is theguardiansapprentice.com and contains a large section devoted to the various creatures and characters from the books and gives some background on them you won’t find in the novels.

I also have a blog at michaelradcliffe.wordpress.com

Thank you Michael!

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Remember, if you'd like to be in with a chance to win a signed print copy, or a pdf copy of The Guardian's Apprentice all you have to do to enter is 'like' this blog post or leave a comment for Michael below!
Good luck! :)