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What can you tell us about your new release, A Song Of Steel?

A Song Of Steel is an exploration of the question 'What if the Vikings had refused to convert to Christianity peacefully', told in the form of a Norse style saga of heroes and gods and a mythical sword. It's a book that has a bit more story and background to it than a typical Viking adventure, but there is all the raiding, shield shattering,  swashbuckling and Norse mythology that everyone loves to read in their Viking tales. This is a tale of two worlds, the Christian nations of Western Europe, and the Norse nations of Northern Europe, clashing in an ultimate contest of war, culture and religion to decide who will rule the North. A true epic confrontation at every level. The center of the story, and the threat that holds it together, is the mythical sword 'The Light of the North', for which the series is named. This is a saga that takes a lot of influence from the real Norse sagas and their themes and topics, to give a more satisfying and rounded tale than just Crusaders and Vikings engaging in giant battles (much fun though Crusaders and Vikings fighting giant battles is).

What or who inspired you to become an author?

I always wanted to be an author, I have been reading non-stop since I was first taught how, I was reading Bernard Cornwell from about six years old and never stopped. The final straw for me was reading a story about how a young girl named Saga had found a Norse sword in a lake in Sweden. I just really wanted to know what the story of that sword was, why was it in the lake, what had it seen in its lifetime, who owned it? Of course, we will never know and that is a shame but then the idea for a fictional story of its past just hit me. The name of the girl who pulled it from the lake was Saga, It just had to be done, a Norse saga about this sword just had to be written, and I was going to do it. Within a few days I had the entire main storyline planned out, and spent several years filling in the details to give the first book you see today, with four more to come.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

I have too many, but I'll do one for each of my 5 favorite authors.

HMS Ulysses, by Alistair Maclean. This was his first book, and much less famous than his later hits 'The guns of Navarone', 'Where Eagles dare' etc. But it's my favorite. The reason is that he was writing about something he really knew about. He was a Royal Navy sailor in WW2 on an arctic Convoy and his real experience shines through. This is a common theme for me in favorite books, real experience. It's also just a great 'against the odds' story of simple heroism.

Sharpe's Tiger, by Bernard Cornwell. Again, not his most famous book, but one that I loved as a kid. It took Sharpe, and me, away from the familiar world of pain and Europe, to India and all the exoticness that meant to a ten-year-old boy. It's a fascinating adventure, and the book of this great authors that sticks in my mind the most.

Wolf of the Plains, by Conn Iggulden. In my opinion his best work, a wonderful fictionalized story of the origin of Ghengis Khan. Everyone knows who he became, but this book shows you where he came from. The pinnacle of his writing career to me. He does good action, but his main strength here was the depth of the character and story.

Killer of Men, by Christian Cameron. Christian is the best historical fiction author of the 'military' genre, in my opinion. This is partly because he tells great stories about people we otherwise wouldn't know about, in this case Arimnestos of Platea, but also because he is a historical re-enactor, and he knows what it is to march in hoplite armor, to fight in the phalanx, to walk across the battlefields of Greece because he has done it all. Hands-on research is irreplaceable in authoring, and he is the king of it.

The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie. Joe's books and worldbuilding are great, but what sets him apart is his creation of characters. His first series has more great characters in than most authors make in a career. He is so good at giving them color and conviction and making us care about them and understand their motivations. He could write a book about Logen Nine Fingers playing a chess tournament and I would read it. Great characters are so important, and he is the king.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

I would want to invite GRR Martin on and ask him what HE thought of season 8. That would get people watching the show.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

The first draft. Editing and re-writing is a chore, but when you are in the flow and churning the story out in its basic form sometimes its glorious. I have sat down to a good session before for ten hours without really getting up, and it can feel like nothing as the story just pours out of you. Truly it's a unique experience of creativity.

What is a typical day like for you?

People imagine authors just sit and write. Writing is about 10% of authoring. The rest is admin, marketing, answering emails, editing, working on graphics and additional materials etc. Then, I am not a full-time author, so my day goes like most other peoples. I get up, am grumpy through a normal work day at my real job, and then I do my authoring in the evenings and on weekends. It's something I enjoy more than my real job, most of the time. If I'm not working or writing, I like films and strategy/building games with my friends. I have a little online geek brigade I game with. Am I supposed to admit to that? Probably not, but hey, it's 2021, there is no shame.

What scene from A Song Of Steel was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene in the book is right at the end, where the culmination of everything is coming together, and it's heart-pounding and exciting and people are dying and it was just exciting to write. I got it all out in one session and I barely touched it since. Some scenes do that, especially action. you see them in your head, in order, and you get them onto the page and fiddling with it later doesn't help, because it's all there from the first run through, as If I was there on that riverbank with them.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Don't think about doing stuff, just go and do stuff. Don't spend your life wishing you had done something. You want to write a book? go write a book. You want to learn to fight in Roman armor? Go do that. You want to become an expert basket weaver? Go do it. No one gets to 80 and thinks 'Damn, I'm glad I spent all that time doing nothing.'

James C. Duncan is the author of the new book A Song Of Steel

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What can you tell us about your new release, Sarana and The Dark King?

Sarana and the Dark King was inspired by the image of the Great Lakes–– the five connected bodies of water that run into the Atlantic Ocean. When I look at them on a map, I can visualize how, in an ancient fantasy world, empires could settle around them. I have a passion for a "man versus nature" theme and I came up with magical creatures, which I named Valomeres. Valomeres connect with one person and give him or her power. And, finally, I created my protagonist Sarana. She is a strong female character cast aside in the most egregious way by her father, a ruthless king. Sarana’s journey will inspire readers to believe that inner strength and just morals are fierce competitors when challenged by greed and discrimination.

What or who inspired you to become an author?

Nature inspires me to write. My first novel, Camouflage, was inspired by the New England landscape. I’d look into the dense forests and imagine what’s out there and what we haven’t discovered. A story came to me: what would happen if a deadly prehistoric creature was discovered in a local park? The beauty of our natural resources ignites my imagination and makes me wonder.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

Rather than just give you a list, let me tell you why I gravitate to two books.  My favorite novel is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It transcends writing. It’s my go to image of a terrifying character from a fantasy world. I also love Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. I marvel at her extraordinary imagination that enabled her to create a hideous monster imbued with human needs and emotions we can relate to. Both stories are almost plausible in a twisted sense. I am fascinated and terrified by the tales these authors created.

Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?

Using the two last examples, I would love to hear Bram Stoker talk about how he put together the quintessential vampire story. It would be a privilege to hear Mary Shelley tell us in her own words how she came to write Frankenstein. What a great opportunity it would be to let them both know the impact their books have had on our culture.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

My favorite thing about writing is creating characters with enough depth that, at a certain point, they can tell me what they would do. I love weaving a complex plot, following a main storyline with several subplots, and having it all come together in the end. Writing is like a wonderful crossword puzzle. I get to generate all the questions, and then I have to make certain all the answers connect under the common theme. If I can get my eyes to well or feel a lump in my throat, that’s a huge plus.

What is a typical day like for you?

On an average day, I take care of the things I must do first - such as any needs my family has. Or, I may be called into work—I’m an on-call therapist for two residential facilities. Next are the flexible chores. I work out if marketing is necessary, bill paying, any errands… After the day is mapped out, that’s when I see where my free time is to work on my next novel, promote my new release, or write a new blog post. I’m pretty good at organizing my time. I’m fascinated at the number of hours I can spend writing. I am not a patient person, and if someone told me I’d have to sit at a desk and work on a computer all day I’d say '"forget it." Somehow, when it comes to writing, my attention is limitless.

What scene from Sarana and The Dark King was your favorite to write?

I have three, but I’ll pick one to elaborate a little on and just mention the other two.There are twin sisters, Alani and Lahna. Alani is a powerful psychic who wants to see the evil king fall. Lahna is the king’s mistress. As the story develops, the king begins to mistreat Lahna, and she is desperate to escape his clutches and return to her kingdom. My favorite scene is what happens when Alani tries to save Lahna. Another favorite is the moment Sarana meets Cabe. I won’t elaborate because this could be a spoiler when reading the book. Of course, if the end wasn’t up there on my list of favorites, I think I’d have to go back and rewrite it.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Find a way” is one of my mottos. I believe we are all capable of reaching our goals. Sometimes we have to learn new skills, or network, or ask for help, but often there’s a path to reach our dreams. When I say, “find a way,” especially after something I’m working on doesn’t go as planned, it’s my way of saying, "You can do this. Think harder. Work harder. But, don’t stop…there’s an answer to what’s blocking you."

Ivy Keating is the author of the new book Sarana and The Dark King

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