This week on the blog I am interviewing the author the book series Heavenly Realms.
To start I am going to share each question I asked in bold text the answer will be in plain text.
1. How many books have you written?
2. What is your genre of books you write?
3. What made you want to be an author?
4. What is your big picture dream for your books? Ie. a super fan, do a book signing, doing press releases.
5. Do you want to be on the New York bestselling list?
6. Do you have any advice for someone writing a book series?
7. What inspires you to write your series?
8. Give advice for a new author?
9. What links do you want to share your links with me so I can put them in the blog post?
Now I am going to share each question with its correlating answer.
1. How many books have you written?
Eight, with two more in development. This did not happen overnight but over many, many nights, from 1999 to 2009. I started writing the Heavenly Realms novels in earnest when I was 16. I wrote all seven novels over the next decade. No one wanted to publish them, so in 2018, I saw Amazon's KDP option and revamped the series to publish through them. Five of the Heavenly Realms novels have been published through Amazon so far, with a Special Edition of the first novel published by Taurus Necrus Publising. I'm currently editing/revising the last two in the series. There are also some historical fiction novels as well as a bizarro fiction novel about the sasquatch apocalypse that I'm working on. So, great fun in the works....
2. What is your genre of books you write?
Epic Fantasy and Historical Fiction are my bread and butter. The Heavenly Realms series is technically "Christian Epic Fantasy Angelic War Fiction", but that's a mouthful.
3. What made you want to be an author?
I've been writing stories since I was old enough to write. My earliest attempt at a story was about a Roman Legion fighting some skeleton warriors. I was five. There were a lot of false starts throughout my childhood (which is to be expected) but in my junior year of high school, I wanted to attempt another novel. I thought something about the Crusades would be interesting, but I couldn't find the angle. Then, in my AP English class, we read Paradise Lost and, later, my friends and I snuck into the Kevin Smith film "Dogma". Those two elements combined to give my creative vessel a heading. Suddenly, I felt like I had a purpose. I've been hammering away at it ever since.
4. What is your big picture dream for your books? Ie. a super fan, do a book signing, doing press releases.
It's funny, during the 2000s, the most self-indulgent dream was going on a book tour and MAYBE having Peter Jackson direct your trilogy. Times have only slightly changed. I'm 38, so I was around before the Internet was a thing. I'd still love to sit at a table and talk to people about writing, characters, other authors, spiritual warfare, the Bible, and theorize on angelic cosmologies. But, if Peter Jackson ever came calling...hey, the door's unlocked. 😉
5. Do you want to be on the New York bestselling list?
Of course! I'm not very politically correct and I don't really do the marketing dance too well, so my exposure to that level of fame would probably ruffle some feathers, but I don't mind. I'm not perfect, nor do I pretend to be. Plus, most of your better authors are kind of weird anyway. I'd be more suspicious of the ones who are boring, you know? To be creative means to be at least a little bit on the edge, if not way off in the outfield (Go Braves) chewing on the fringe.
6. Do you have any advice for someone writing a book series?
Yes! I actually recommend you finish the entire series before seeking publication. Writing as you go is the more traditional, expected route, but it's rife with traps. What if you don't finish? What if you get a movie deal? What if someone's interpretation of your work causes you to change things midstream? What if you get farther into the series and decide to start retconning? It creates a lot of chaos. You can certainly do it that way and I'd never say to let the "What If's stop you, but you can cut out a lot of heartache and misery by focusing on your work in totality and THEN seeking publication. Plus, it's purer that way. After all, you're either an artist who's in it for the passion, or a hack who's in it for the paycheck. There is no middle ground because this is WAR, baby, and neither side is apt to be taking any prisoners.
7. What inspires you to write your series?
Paradise Lost and Dogma, primarily. I always liked writing battles, especially medieval or ancient battles. And I wanted to do something Christian, or honoring God, at the least. The Heavenly Realms series kind of unfolded before me. The first novel was a herculean undertaking. The first draft was 1,147 pages long! That's nearly three times the length of the paperback available on Amazon. But, as with all creative endeavors, more ideas sprang forth from the ether while the first novel was in production. So, before I knew it, I had a series on my hands. Later on, I wanted to explore some more esoteric concepts, like "Can angels be redeemed?" and "The Restitution of All Things", Biblical and Christian concepts that most people shied away from but which fascinated me and, to be honest, as a nonbeliever, it might fascinate you as well. One of the things that I heard repeatedly from Christian publishers and agents was that my Heavenly Realms series was too violent and too theologically challenging. In this series, we "go there" instead of shying away from controversial topics. It's not for everybody but, as long as it brings you closer to a walk with the Lord, that's the only thing that matters. Plus, my father was a Southern Gospel music producer and my mother was his right-hand (wo)man. I wanted to make them proud. I hope I did. Love you, Mom and Dad. Miss you both.
8. Give advice for a new author?
First of all, writing a single novel is a marathon, not a sprint. You might get lucky. I did. My third Heavenly Realms novel, "Sturm und Drang", was finished during the Season of Lent, circa 2007. That's 40 days and 40 nights. That book came vomiting out of me. But that's an anomaly. Most of the time it's a meandering grind, with the occasional Normandy D Day-style beach landings. The point being: Keep writing. Be patient. Compartmentalize your life. Set aside time for everything. Discipline will help you tremendously. My most productive times in life were when I wrote at a certain time of day, every day. That cobalt-washed magic hour in the predawn just before sunrise? The small hours between midnight and 3AM? Right before work? During your lunch break? Who cares. Make it work for you and stick to it. Also, read. Read everything that fascinates you and even the things that do not. If you want to be a writer, you can't get away with watching Netflix and Hulu. The act of reading centers you on the experience you're seeking to create; it grounds you in the nuts-and-bolts reality of writing. How is your writing going to look on the page? How do you WANT it to look? You won't know by staying up into the small hours staring at a screen. Also, read Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art". It's a great boot to the backside for your creativity. It will motivate and inspire you, like a writer's Parris Island for your soul. "The First Five Pages" is also really important, along with understanding Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey". Those concepts carry dividends for the writer who wants to get serious about crafting something that will stand the test of time. Remember, subversion changes with the tides, but archetypes exist for all time.
9. What links do you want to share your links with me so I can put them in the blog post?
You can buy my books in paperback, Kindle eBook, or Audible audiobook here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085S7J1QZ?ref_=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_tpbk&binding=paperback
You can get the Special Edition hardcover of my first Heavenly Realms novel, "Empyrean Falling", here: https://www.taurusnecrus.com/product/heavenly-realms-empyrean-falling
(Those guys worked really hard on that version of my book; they deserve the props more than I deserve the royalties). You can also find me every Sunday at 4:30pm CST livestreaming with my older brother and fellow author, Nick Goss, on our YouTube Channel, "The Gosslings": https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEqVjPxBNDgNRSG3KxDvMqA
And you can find me on social media at the following links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heavenlyrealmsnovelseries
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heavenlyrealmsnovels/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealmsHeavenly
Thank you for the interview! I'm honored and I hope something I said here was helpful to any aspiring authors!
REMEMBER: Don't give up. Life is a war. You can do it. And Jesus loves you...
Best Regards, J
Here are my links and my book.
Website: https://www.mariesartest2017.com
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561242115082060