What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Red Occupation (The Book of Ruin Book 6)?
While traveling in lands with many more layers of history than those in the U.S., I often pondered what it would be like to live at those moments of upheaval, when one era ends and another begins, such as when the Roman Empire fell and medieval Europe began. Would our structures be turned into barns or quarries, like what happened to Roman buildings? My stories feature people living during a time when a new world is emerging.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
Though I read fiction and non-fiction, I’m drawn to books that provide a long sweep of time.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
Robert Harris’s Imperium, Paul Cooper’s Fall of Civilization, Mustafa Suleyman’s The Coming Wave, Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s Footfall.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
I do not believe history is made by the lone, rugged individual, but by a group of people—sometimes bound by blood, other times not who come together as a family. I enjoy writing about those moments.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
None.
Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?
Joseph Campbell said humans do not search for the meaning of life; they search to experience life.
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
We are social animals that must come together to survive.
W. G. Hladky is the author of the new book The Red Occupation (The Book of Ruin Book 6)
Connect with W. G. Hladky
Author Site
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