
Seth, welcome
to my blog. Tell us a little bit about yourself:
Lisa, thank you so much for having me!
I'm a 32-year-old father of three, married eleven years now
to the most wonderful lady. Prior to
picking up the pen, I was a store manager for Burger King in Atlanta, where I
had worked for nearly fifteen years and met my wife, Crystal.
Two years ago, Crystal was offered a spot at a medical
school in West Virginia and a U.S. Army scholarship to go with it. Not wanting to break up our family, we left
work, home, and family behind in Georgia to pursue her dream. As our youngest wasn't yet in school, I
stayed home and began writing. And it's
come to this...
I love storytelling, love the curveballs thrown by others,
whether it be on the page, stage, or screen.
Stories themselves are often simple and can be summarized in a paragraph
or two, but it's how the details are doled out that fascinates me. I liken it to a puzzle; one glance at the end
product and the picture is plain to see, but before that, the storyteller is
handing you a piece at a time, in no apparent order. Those 'aha' moments when a piece of the story
snaps into place, those are what I enjoy the most.
What is
your motivation to keep writing your series and why the Fantasy fiction genre?
My motivation is my wife, Crystal. She's been an avid reader as long as I've
known her. Glancing over my shoulder
just now, I see her collections of Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Dorothy Garloch
on our bookshelf. Not a week goes by
that she hasn't read or reread a book or two.
Reading has always been a passion we've shared, and though our tastes
are different, they occassionally converge and we'll read at night together.
Crystal believes in me.
She's told me she likes my books so much that even if no one else ever reads
my work (and let's hope that won't be the case), she'd still want me to keep
writing just for her. She's got my back
in this, just as I've got hers.
As for why I chose fantasy fiction, it goes back to my
thoughts on storytelling. I like the
freedom afforded me by the genre, that I can present my characters, locales,
and themes in my own way, without the reader bringing too much of their own
experiences with them. That said, I
consider my world fairly "grounded" for a fantasy series. Magic and monsters are all fine and dandy,
but any good story, regardless of genre, is really about people.
Do you
write full time or have to keep a ‘normal’ job too?
I would have to check 'C: None of the above'. When we moved to West Virginia, my full-time
job became housework, taking care of the kids, and providing logistical support
for my wife's studies. Writing was a
part-time passion. Now that the kids are
all in school, it's a little easier to find time to write, but I would still
list 'holding down the fort' as my main job.
I expect my mindset will change in the next two years after we've moved
wherever the Army sends us and my wife has started her residency. Until then, I'll continue to chip away at
this story.
I will add, however, that this project has turned out to be
a lot more work than I first anticipated.
Beyond the story, there are tons of little things to learn; typesetting,
formatting, copyright law, how ISBNs work, coding the books in HTML for Kindle,
setting up a website, Author's Page for Facebook, Twitter. Thank God I found an illustrator. I think it would have killed me, learning how
to draw.
Tell me
about the basis of your novels:
A tricky request, considering I try to run the gamut. Life and death. Mercy and revenge. Love, hate, and self-sacrifice. There are other themes, of course--faith and
science, discrimination and misconceptions, imperialism--but those are the main
ones.
The story takes place on a chain of islands referred to as
'The Keys' by the Iori Empire, which has ruled the world in its entirety for
several centuries. Technologically, the
Iori Empire has advanced to something resembling our own late 1800s; mankind
has steamengines, guns, and the telegraph.
Electric light is being tinkered with.
The first novel introduces the duke's youngest son, the
shepherdess whose brother was sent off to war, a drunken sailor, and a
mysterious artifact from the time that the Iori Empire first conquered the
Keys. I dare not say more.
What is
you favorite thing to do in your free time?
Hanging out with my wife, as sappy as that may sound. Whether we're watching our shows, reading,
walking at the park... just being in her company is what I like best. It's even true if we're simply in the same
room, doing our own thing.
My most peculiar guilty pleasure is probably getting
sidetracked while doing research for my books.
Yes, I do actual research for a fantasy fiction novel. I couldn't tell you how many mornings my plans
to finish a chapter have been derailed by Wikipedia and the rest of the Internet.
In no particular order, I like video games, playing with my
kids, singing and ringing handbells in church, a mug of Guinness at the local
Irish Pub, and watching the Atlanta Falcons.
And of course, reading. I'm
currently floating between the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb (Nora
Roberts) and waiting for the final "Wheel of Time" novel to come out.
How can
people contact you and order your books?
I love to get
feedback from readers, especially those who wouldn't typically consider picking
up a "fantasy novel". The best
way to reach me is through my website, www.sethhammons.com or email
me directly at theauthor@sethhammons.com.
As mentioned earlier, I can also be found on FB and Twitter.
The easiest way to order books would be through Amazon. As I mentioned, they're available in both
paperback as well as digital. Amazon
Prime members can borrow the first novel for free.
"Unheard Of" is the first novel in the series, and
the one you should start with. The
second novel is also published, and the third is completed and being released
December 1st of this year. The fourth is
tentatively slated for June 1st of 2013.
Would you
like to give us an excerpt of your work?
Certainly! We'll
start at the beginning of the beginning, book one, chapter one.
Troubles
There was something about the sound of his fist smashing
into the other boy's face that gnawed at Chastin, but not enough so that it
stopped him from throwing a second punch to the gut. He put his weight behind it, sending the
bigger, pasty-faced boy staggering backwards and holding his nose. The two-dozen or so classmates that formed a
ring around the combatants held their breaths. Jon Charl gasped for his
own. Even Mart and Doge, Jon's usual
cohorts, stood in slack-jawed shock, not bothering to lift a finger in defense
of their friend.
Chastin didn't care two spits that Jon's father was Minister
of Technology for the Keys. He wouldn't
have even cared if Jon had been the Vision of the Church. There were some things in this world you just
didn't say and expect to walk away unscathed.

The taunts and hoots of the schoolboys ended just as
abruptly as they had begun, but Chastin didn't bother to look for what had cut
short their jeering. He made certain to
get in one last shot at Jon's face—was satisfied when it struck true—before an
all too familiar hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and hoisted him to
his feet.
"Chastin Valroy," the headmaster said with a tone
that held no surprise. Chastin didn't
bother acknowledging his name, savoring the sight of Jon Charl whimpering on
the ground and trying to stem the flow of blood from his nose. A second vice of a hand snatched at
Chastin's shoulder and spun him around.
"Headmaster Laurens," Chastin replied
respectfully. The headmaster was a tall,
wiry man approaching sixty years, the golden hairs on his head being slowly
betrayed by strands of silver. Despite
his years and build, Chastin knew the headmaster was every bit as formidable as
the brick walls of the Radiant Academy.
With the corners of his mouth turned down in distaste,
Headmaster Laurens's eyes darted to the bleeding and now blubbering figure of
Jon. The headmaster let out a grave sigh
before his gaze shifted again to one of the other boys who had been watching
the fight. "Pocks."
Timidly, Pocks stepped forward. His dark-brownish hair made him stand out in
a crowd of other Iori boys, and his scrawny stature made him an easy mark
amongst his fellow classmates.
"Pocks, go fetch Master Kaust and have him tend to
Jon's injuries." A simple head-bob
of acknowledgment, and the boy darted off in the direction of one of the many
weathered brick buildings that made up the Radiant Academy.
"The rest of you," the headmaster continued in a
cool tone with eyes sweeping the rest of the boys, "had better find
yourselves heading home. The next
student I see lingering about the school grounds after session will receive a
demerit; beginning this moment."
There were a few respectful nods to the headmaster. There was a great deal more of sixteen-year-old
boys skittering away from the schoolyard like so many bugs from an overturned
stone. Even Mart and Doge had only
spared a moment's glance at their fallen friend before deciding it best not to
risk the headmaster's displeasure.
Chastin watched without envy as his classmates dispersed. He'd known what the fight would cost him and
had measured it worth the trouble.
Headmaster Laurens didn't bother to watch the scrambling lot
of boys as they fled in various directions towards their homes, his gaze already
returned to the fallen Jon Charl.
"You will wait here until Master Kaust arrives," the old
headmaster glowered. "And
you," he continued, gripping Chastin's shoulder so firmly it hurt,
"are coming with me to the office."
The piercing, bony fingers that dug into his shoulder were
quite unnecessary—Chastin would have marched with pride to the headmaster's
office—but he didn't complain as he was forcibly guided to one of the larger
brick structures on the campus. A
little imagination, and the headmaster became a loyal manservant, massaging his
aching shoulder instead of being the source of the pain. The delusion was helped all the more when the
headmaster opened the door for him, though the agitated shove ruined it some.
The waiting room outside the headmaster's office was
regrettably familiar. Without looking,
Chastin could have said what color the curtains were; green—purportedly the
shade of the jungles of the Greatlands.
He could have pointed to where the jar of sweets was on the secretary's
desk. He could have even named the
magazines that rested on the coffee table; The Vision's Sight, The Father's
Dilemma, and Modern Science. Chastin
didn't bother reaching for any of the printed material. He'd already read all three quite thoroughly,
and it would be another week or two before the March issues reached the Keys.
"Sit down on the bench," the headmaster ordered as
he released his grip and disappeared into his office, closing the door behind
him. Such a schoolyard brawl as had just
been witnessed on the grounds of the Radiant Academy would usually have
required a stern lecture by the headmaster to all parties involved, accompanied
perhaps by a switching from one of the more able-bodied instructors. Chastin was well beyond lectures and
switching, though.
Chastin could picture Headmaster Laurens preparing to use
the telegraph that sat by the miniature replica cannon on his desk. The technology of telegraphy had only reached
the Keys a year ago, and the Radiant Academy was proud to be one of the first
private institutions to utilize it. It
was unfortunate that there was another such machine in Chastin's own house.
"Again, Master Valroy?" whispered Anelia in a tone
of mock disbelief and sincere disappointment.
Of an age with Headmaster Laurens, his secretary was as much a part of
the institution as he was. The students
gossiped that she saw a stylist every week to keep her golden curls, though
Chastin didn't see the point himself.
One didn't stop being Iori with age, neither could all the hair dyes and
face powder in the world make you one if you weren't.
Chastin let his eyes shift from the headmaster's door to the
secretary, but didn't spare words. It
wasn't any business of hers, after all.
Thank you so much, Seth! I hope that you have success with your series! You are talented and you have a good heart, you deserve it in my book! Lisa
Great excerpt Seth! I can so relate to Chastin, was very much like him in school.
ReplyDeleteHi, I'm Robin Calkins (writing as RG Calkins) and I'm one of Lisa's critique partners. Thank you very much for sharing your writer's story. You have a lot in common with another writer friend of mine who is also a stay at home author/dad and his wife is in the medical profession. He's been where you are with the whole HTML, formatting, etc. stuff.
If you'd like to connect with him, his name is Kirkus MacGowen and I've just done a review of his second book on my blog. You can reach his website through the link on www.rgcalkinswrites.blogspot.com or www.rgcalkins.wordpress.com.
After that blatant self promotion, let me say that I'm very much looking forward to reading your first book. I wish you all the best with your series. Thank you again for letting us get to know you and I too, like a pint of Guinness especially at an Irish pub.
And, thank you, Lisa for having Seth on your blog today.
Robin
Thanks for your comments, Robin. I'll have to get in touch with Kirkus, it seems. He and I have quite a bit in common!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for your critique of my work, as well. I promise you're in for a treat.
Congratulations on having the fortitude to complete this series. One book is never enough when you're a writer. We come to love our characters so much, it's necessary to write a sequel so we can continue the friendship.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt from your book, Seth! I always like reading about the background of an author, and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about your day to day happenings. Good luck with your series! Sounds interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for your comments and support of Seth! I think he's a great guy and has a bright future ahead! Thank you for being a guest on my blog Seth and keep me informed on your progress!
ReplyDeleteI certainly will, and thanks for having me!
ReplyDelete