Liz Has a Guy In The Bar…Again
Today I open up the bar to Ben Hennessy, fantasy author...
Welcome to my bar Ben, what can I pour for you to start?
Hmm… Quite the selection here! I’m usually a pretty straightforward lager drinker, but I’ll defer to your superior knowledge here. What would you recommend?
Lagers are my speciality some would say….let's see, how about this nice "big one" from Founder's Brewing in Grand Rapids Michigan: The Dissenter, it's a double IPL….
You and I "met" on Twitter. Is that a platform you use for promoting your books or do you find it a great way to interact with the world?
A little of both. I’m not a frequent Twitter user, but I understand the massive power it has for getting people to interact on various subjects. I’ve met a whole host of great writers there using various hashtags such as #amwriting or #writetip. Plenty of readers have contacted me through tweets as well, and it’s nice to chat with readers and get feedback about my books.
What are you reading right now and why?
Right now I’m actually reading a graphic novel, The Long Halloween by Jeff Loeb. It’s a Batman story in a very noir style, with artwork by Tim Sale who is one of my favourite artists. I’ve been a huge comic fan for as long as I can remember, and this graphic novel is one of the classics in my mind, up there with work by Frank Miller and Alan Moore. Definitely recommended!
Whoops! empty glass. You're a fast drinker. What can I pour for you next?
That was pretty good. I’d take a pale ale from your selection next, if you have one?
Well, then you must try this one: Luciérnaga, The Firefly from Jolly Pumpkin, an internationally famous brewery right here in Michigan. It's a Belgian style pale ale…
Tell me about your book Queen of the World (something not the blurb). What inspired you to write it? How was your publishing journey.
Queen of the World is a fantasy novel about a mute young girl, Sarene, who finds herself being pulled into an adventure that could potentially change her world. She’s been brought up to believe that a group named the Four, men of absolutely power with the ability to do anything they can think of, have forced the leaders of every nation to look after their people and ensure peace instead of wasting resources and lives on war and conflict. It’s been five centuries since the Four were last seen, however, and some nations are starting to think they are nothing more than legends. The risk of a nation breaking the rules is increasing. Sarene heads out on her own to see more of her country, Tamir, and it’s there that she discovers things aren’t quite as peaceful as she’s been led to understand.
As for inspiration, I’ve always wanted to write a full novel. It was one of life goals everyone has, and I was never convinced I had the patience to sit down and write a manuscript of this length. I started the thing on my travels, the first words being set to the page in Hanoi, Vietnam. Over the course of the next eight months I kept at it, with a few thousand words here and there, eventually completing the first draft in Porsgrunn, Norway. I grew up reading books my father owned, by writers like David Gemmell, Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, David Eddings and Robert E. Howard, and that’s the genre of fiction that I came to love. Fantasy is a great platform for expression, as you can get away with bending the rules of reality and science with a little bit of magic sprinkled through your words.
I was lucky enough to find my publisher, Inspired Quill, very early on after completing the manuscript. I got talking to the owner, Sara-Jayne, after a chance meeting on the literary website Litopia. We exchanged messages and I eventually submitted, and was delighted when they offered me a contract. They’re a small UK press, and they’ve been nothing but beneficial for both me and my work ever since.
What took you to all those exotic countries?
I quit my job in Ireland back in 2010, and left with my partner at the time to go exploring the world. We chose South East Asia, just for an entirely new experience. After spending several months working in Hanoi, we then travelled clockwise through Cambodia and Thailand. I think it’s important to broaden one’s horizons and see other cultures and landscapes. It’s a big world out there with so much to see, and I’ve have hated to feel like I missed out by spending all my time in my home town. I would definitely recommend travelling to anyone, even if it’s just for a week or two with a backpack and a tour guide. It’ll change your perception of the world, believe me.
Any new releases or fun writing projects on your horizon?
My second novel, The Whisper of Dreams, was released August 24th, so I’ve been handling the promotion of that during the past couple of weeks. I’m about to start work on the third novel in the series, which is intended to be four books long. Aside from that I’ve got a couple of shorter stories in the works, maybe a novella or something in a different setting that the Queen of the Worlduniverse. I’ve also been dabbling in a script with a friend of mine who writes screenplays, which is a new and interesting challenge. I guess we’ll see where that goes!
And now for a nightcap..what's your poison?
If it’s the last round of the night, definitely a single malt whiskey with ice. However, since we’re in a nice respectable beer establishment with polite company, I’ll let you suggest something good to send me off home.
Let's go with this, from New Holland Brewing, it's a "Beer Barrel Aged Bourbon" (you heard me correctly). They are one of the best craft distillers in the Great Beer State! And I am a bourbon connoisseur if I do say so myself, being a native Kentuckian and all….cheers!
Check Ben Out here:
Twitter: @HennessyWrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benhennessyauthorWebsite: http://www.hennessywrites.com
QotW sales link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-World-Ben-Hennessy-ebook/dp/B008G40DV8
WoD sales link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whisper-Dreams-Queen-World-Book-ebook/dp/B00MNWEJ4G/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=00ZJJAE2TCBJ58J3VT31
Welcome to my bar Ben, what can I pour for you to start?
Hmm… Quite the selection here! I’m usually a pretty straightforward lager drinker, but I’ll defer to your superior knowledge here. What would you recommend?
Lagers are my speciality some would say….let's see, how about this nice "big one" from Founder's Brewing in Grand Rapids Michigan: The Dissenter, it's a double IPL….You and I "met" on Twitter. Is that a platform you use for promoting your books or do you find it a great way to interact with the world?
A little of both. I’m not a frequent Twitter user, but I understand the massive power it has for getting people to interact on various subjects. I’ve met a whole host of great writers there using various hashtags such as #amwriting or #writetip. Plenty of readers have contacted me through tweets as well, and it’s nice to chat with readers and get feedback about my books.
What are you reading right now and why?
Right now I’m actually reading a graphic novel, The Long Halloween by Jeff Loeb. It’s a Batman story in a very noir style, with artwork by Tim Sale who is one of my favourite artists. I’ve been a huge comic fan for as long as I can remember, and this graphic novel is one of the classics in my mind, up there with work by Frank Miller and Alan Moore. Definitely recommended!
Whoops! empty glass. You're a fast drinker. What can I pour for you next?
That was pretty good. I’d take a pale ale from your selection next, if you have one?
Well, then you must try this one: Luciérnaga, The Firefly from Jolly Pumpkin, an internationally famous brewery right here in Michigan. It's a Belgian style pale ale…
Tell me about your book Queen of the World (something not the blurb). What inspired you to write it? How was your publishing journey.
Queen of the World is a fantasy novel about a mute young girl, Sarene, who finds herself being pulled into an adventure that could potentially change her world. She’s been brought up to believe that a group named the Four, men of absolutely power with the ability to do anything they can think of, have forced the leaders of every nation to look after their people and ensure peace instead of wasting resources and lives on war and conflict. It’s been five centuries since the Four were last seen, however, and some nations are starting to think they are nothing more than legends. The risk of a nation breaking the rules is increasing. Sarene heads out on her own to see more of her country, Tamir, and it’s there that she discovers things aren’t quite as peaceful as she’s been led to understand.
As for inspiration, I’ve always wanted to write a full novel. It was one of life goals everyone has, and I was never convinced I had the patience to sit down and write a manuscript of this length. I started the thing on my travels, the first words being set to the page in Hanoi, Vietnam. Over the course of the next eight months I kept at it, with a few thousand words here and there, eventually completing the first draft in Porsgrunn, Norway. I grew up reading books my father owned, by writers like David Gemmell, Terry Pratchett, Stephen King, David Eddings and Robert E. Howard, and that’s the genre of fiction that I came to love. Fantasy is a great platform for expression, as you can get away with bending the rules of reality and science with a little bit of magic sprinkled through your words.
I was lucky enough to find my publisher, Inspired Quill, very early on after completing the manuscript. I got talking to the owner, Sara-Jayne, after a chance meeting on the literary website Litopia. We exchanged messages and I eventually submitted, and was delighted when they offered me a contract. They’re a small UK press, and they’ve been nothing but beneficial for both me and my work ever since.
What took you to all those exotic countries?
I quit my job in Ireland back in 2010, and left with my partner at the time to go exploring the world. We chose South East Asia, just for an entirely new experience. After spending several months working in Hanoi, we then travelled clockwise through Cambodia and Thailand. I think it’s important to broaden one’s horizons and see other cultures and landscapes. It’s a big world out there with so much to see, and I’ve have hated to feel like I missed out by spending all my time in my home town. I would definitely recommend travelling to anyone, even if it’s just for a week or two with a backpack and a tour guide. It’ll change your perception of the world, believe me.
Any new releases or fun writing projects on your horizon?
My second novel, The Whisper of Dreams, was released August 24th, so I’ve been handling the promotion of that during the past couple of weeks. I’m about to start work on the third novel in the series, which is intended to be four books long. Aside from that I’ve got a couple of shorter stories in the works, maybe a novella or something in a different setting that the Queen of the Worlduniverse. I’ve also been dabbling in a script with a friend of mine who writes screenplays, which is a new and interesting challenge. I guess we’ll see where that goes!
And now for a nightcap..what's your poison?
If it’s the last round of the night, definitely a single malt whiskey with ice. However, since we’re in a nice respectable beer establishment with polite company, I’ll let you suggest something good to send me off home.
Let's go with this, from New Holland Brewing, it's a "Beer Barrel Aged Bourbon" (you heard me correctly). They are one of the best craft distillers in the Great Beer State! And I am a bourbon connoisseur if I do say so myself, being a native Kentuckian and all….cheers!Check Ben Out here:
Twitter: @HennessyWrites
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benhennessyauthorWebsite: http://www.hennessywrites.com
QotW sales link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-World-Ben-Hennessy-ebook/dp/B008G40DV8
WoD sales link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Whisper-Dreams-Queen-World-Book-ebook/dp/B00MNWEJ4G/ref=pd_sim_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=00ZJJAE2TCBJ58J3VT31
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