Tom Barczak: 9 Heroes: Interview 7

Tom Barczak
Nine Heroes: 9 Questions
(Exploring Heroic Fantasy’s Nine Heroes)   Art: Tom Barczak 
This interview not only gets us one step closer in wrapping up this run of Nine Heroes interviews, but also It arrives at a key time for Tom Barczak, our featured author.  Tom is no stranger to this blog, I interviewed him not long ago after I read and reviewed his novel Veil of the Dragon.  At that time, Tom’s novel was in the process of getting narrated for audiobook.  If you are so inclined, please give Veil of the Dragon a look if you like audiobooks.

Describe your hero, or heroes.

He is Tabula Rasa. He’s nothing, but who is suddenly offered the chance to be anything.
Purchase audiobook here .
Tell us about your character in 9 heroes.

A man with no name, who has just been raised from the dead. He has no idea who he is, only that he’s lost everything he ever was. He’s forced to choose whether or not a life without himself is something worth dying for.

What type of setting did you place your story in?

A tunnel beneath a gladiator’s arena.

What inspired your story?

That moment in between, when someone realizes what it is really they’re willing to fight for.

Is your story a part of a broader work or series?

It is. It’s a glimpse into my Prophecy of the Evarun series.
Book One, Veil of the Dragon is out, with the audio book of it coming out in the next week or so. The sequel, Mouth of the Dragon will be coming out soon.
Also available is my Kindle serial, Awakening Evarun, which is the prequel for the novels.

In four lines, tell us about your story.

A Hero’s Journey implies a transformation from one thing to another.
But what if everything the would-be hero was before was suddenly lost?
What motivation would there be to overcome the suffering that would come from the
Purchase here.journey?
What motivation would be enough to overcome the fear of having nothing left to live for?

Which, besides your own is your favorite story?

Black Sword by Janet and Chris Morris. I just love their writing. It’s epic poetry.

How many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read?
All of them.

Would you make another anthology with Heroic Fantasy? 

Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it. I really enjoyed getting to participate in this one. At first, I didn’t think that, with my schedule, that I’d actually get to. But fortunately it all worked out and I even got to illustrate the back cover / inside plate. That was almost as much fun as writing the story. Also, the quality of the people involved with this project is outstanding. And they write real good too.

It's FREE!
From horror to fantasy. Seven amazing short stories by Donny Swords. Sparks, Boots?, The Cleansing Bar, Sandra, Scotty, Dark Places, and Only a Dream Away.
 In closing, I would like to thank Tom for his insights on this, I feel, too overlooked
anthology.  I hope Douglas R. Brown comes forward to complete the set... we shall see. 

On a personal note, I recently put out a collection of short stories that has not received much attention called Seven Slices , it contains seven of my short stories, from fantasy to horror, including two from my Bitter Ends series.  I would love for you to read the eBook from Lulu, and post your reviews there, and under the paperback, (which sells for under $5) on Amazon.  I could really use some support with this title.  It's a short, varied, and entertaining read.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  Just click the word Free above to get yours.

Thanks for your consideration and for reading this article.

Donny Swords