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Return to Caer Lon
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RETURN TO CAER LON QA launch party
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Hi Claude:My question is: What drew you to writing fantasy?
Thanks,
Ethan Jones
Claude wrote: "RETURN TO CAER LON will make its official debut on Amazon on June 4th. It’s my second novel and my first fantasy. To celebrate the release, I’d like to share my passion for this story, or whatever ..."This is a chicken or an egg question, lol. Which comes first for you; the personalities/development of your characters, or the character's names?
Looking forward to the answer and the book release!
Thanks,
Connie
Ethan wrote: "What drew you to writing fantasy?"
I would say, the possibilities. About 70% of my favorite books/TV shows/movies are fantasy or science-fiction. It takes me away from the day-to-day life, or a early taste of the future (just think about Star Trek comlinks or Jules Vernes).
When writing contemporary fiction, you have a frame, known to everyone. So you have to stick with it. Research becomes a second nature, so every detail needs to fit with our reality. But with science-fiction/fantasy, you can invent your own. It's a new world you create, with its own rules, different paterns, and a different logic. And Magic is the solution to a lot of problems ha ha.
Claude Dancourt
Connieb wrote: "This is a chicken or an egg question, lol. Which comes first for you; the personalities/development of your characters, or the character's names?"
Oh God... I'm not sure I can give a satisfying answer to that. It depends. Most of my ideas come out as a piece of dialogue. For an example, the very first line I wrote for RETURN TO CAER LON was the beginning of chapter 1, when Derek bangs the door and complains. In that draft, some characters were named differently, and there is one that was renamed three times! Others just popped out right the first time. In my current WIP, the names came out first, except for one character, who I could picture in my head, but spent an afternoon naming.
So let's say 60% personalities/looks, 40% names.
Thanks for asking!
Claude Dancourt
Hello! My question would be : Where and how did you do your research on Camelot and Arthur and the whole story?Thank you,
Ana
Ana wrote: "Where and how did you do your research on Camelot and Arthur and the whole story?Writing about Arthur's legacy required only bits of informations, some that I twisted a little to fit my plotline.
But to answer your question, as long as I remember, I was fascinated with Arthur, in particular with the Grail and Excalibur.
I've read Chretien de Troyes, Geoffrey of Monmouth, Jean Markale, Sir Thomas Malory, etc. Of course I watched a lot of movies, some good, some not. I've been in England a few times, and I visited Tintagel and Glastonbury. I never went to Wales, but I hopefully will soon. Internet is also a powerful source of information, though you need to check and backcheck every note.
Claude Dancourt
PM from Thalia:"What made you want to write an Arthurian story?"
To answer this, I need to precise that RETURN TO CAER LON is inspired by the Arthurian Legend, but does not link directly to Arthur. The High King himself appears in the book only once. Nonetheless, what happened before and after his last battle is the heart of the plot.
Now, as I wrote earlier, the Arthurian Legend is the first tale I ever discovered by myself. It's enthralling to read about dragons, knights, kings and queens, love, treasons. All fantasy arts include an Arthurian element at some point, even the LORD OF THE RINGS.
The very first disney movie I saw was the SWORD IN THE STONE. When you see Merlin as a fat squirrel with glasses, and sparks coming out of metal, you can't forget it!
Thanks for asking!
Claude Dancourt
The winner for best question asked is:-Connieb
Congrats! :)
Jessica G.
Jessica wrote: "The winner for best question asked is:-Connieb
Congrats! :)
I won, I won, YAY!! Thank you!!
Jessica G."
Claude wrote: "Congratulations Connieb, I'll pm you to arrange the details :)Claude Dancourt"
Thank so much!! I'm really really looking forward to reading it!! Good luck and I'll drop you a review just as soon as I can ;)
Just a short word to let you all know that RETURN TO CAER LON will be free on Amazon on July 1st :)Also, if you are curious to know more about the greatest sorcerer of all times (says he), Wolfryth gave an interview to Mia Darien (read it here).
Thank you for making the day a success! More than 500 copies were downloaded. I hope you will enjoy the novel :DClaude Dancourt
The wonderful Jessica Gunter accepted to choose the most interesting/funny/difficult/unusual question posted before June 3rd (11:59 pm, EST). Its owner will receive a copy of the book via Amazon e-gift. If you prefer to email/PM me your questions, I will add them myself so you can still have a chance to win.
Check my website for an extract of RETURN TO CAER LON and thank you for your interest!
Thirty hundred years ago, Arthur Pendragon, High King of the Ten Kingdoms, was betrayed and the royal city of Caer Lon became a myth.
Fifteen years ago, the sorcerer Wolfryth killed King William Pendragon in his quest for power and usurped the throne of Camelot. Queen Ylianor and her five year old son fled the kingdom to take refuge in Haven at Duke Geraint’s court.
Today, Prince Derek follows Geraint’s beautiful daughter Sacha into a reckless mission to save her brother from Wolfryth. He will need to embrace his heritage and to trust magic if he wants to find his way back to Caer Lon and unlock its secrets before the sorcerer kills them all.