Hello Lovelies,
I’m excited to introduce you to David Wiley, an author of science fiction and fantasy stories, choosing to write the stories that he would love to read. His first fantasy novella, A Merchant in Oria, was published by OWS Ink, LLC. and is available now. His first novel, Monster Huntress, will be coming in 2018.
His short fiction has previously been published in Sci Phi Journal, OWS Ink, Mystic Signals and King Arthur anthologies by Uffda Press and 18th Wall Productions. David resides in central Iowa with his wife and their cats and spends his time reading, writing, and playing board games.
Let’s get to know more about this fun author!
Welcome, David. What is the current book you are promoting?
It is a fantasy novella titled “A Merchant in Oria”, which was just released in April. It is a short, humorous tale that got its start in 2012 as a collaborative “continue the tale” project. I liked the beginning I wrote so much that I felt compelled to go back and revisit the story, telling the tale I had intended from the onset as I wrote the opening scenes. Here is the blurb for the novella:
Firion is a young merchant descended from generations of merchants. His first big break comes along when he sets out to trade with the wealthy dwarven kingdom of Oria. He has always dreamed of visiting this grand kingdom, having heard his father describe it in detail a hundred times while he was younger. But when Firion arrives in Oria, he is jarred by the details present that contradict with the image etched into his mind. Something dark and sinister seems to be afoot in Oria, but Firion knows he is no hero. He is just a simple merchant, and what can an ordinary person do in the face of danger and deception?
Oooh, what a cool concept! Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
It would definitely have to be Firion. He is, in my mind, the perfect protagonist for this novella because he shares a lot of traits with myself. There is no way I could ever be a bold, brave, heroic person in real life. There are so many stories out there where the protagonist is either already skilled enough to be proficient at the hero business, or quick to jump in and save the day. I wanted to feature a protagonist who aligns a little closer to how many of us are: he sees the problem that needs to be solved but knows there are more qualified people to handle the problem than himself. It also allows for some real growth to happen by the end of the story as he gets forced out of his comfort zone.
But my favorite character ever appears at the very end of this novella, in the sneak peek at the first chapter of my upcoming novel. I don’t want to spoil anything, but Ava’s story is one that has stolen my mind and my heart for years and I can’t wait for her own tale to spread to readers!
Firion sounds a lot like my Gabe of Survivalist Bible. So much room for growth, and much more fun to write, am I right? What is your next project?
I’m currently in between projects, now that I have finished edits on my first novel, Monster Huntress, which should be coming out by 2018. Monster Huntress is a YA Fantasy novel about a young girl, Ava, who dreams of hunting monsters like her father. When their village falls under attack, her father believes he caught a glimpse of the monster who killed Ava’s mother years ago. He departs to track the monster and Ava disobeys his orders to stay behind, following after him. They both get swept up into adventures, intrigues, and some hunting of monsters along the way.
Pretty soon I will be starting to dive into the rough draft of the second book in Ava’s story, which will hopefully allow me to have that sequel written by the time the first book is published.
What one person from history would you like to meet and why?
This is an easy question: J.R.R. Tolkien, because he has inspired me in so many ways as a writer. His work is my favorite to read and reread, getting lost in the characters and creations that he dreamed up. A lot of what he wrote has influenced me over the years in my own development, and I would love nothing more than to merely shake his hand and thank him and then talk Anglo-Saxon literature and Icelandic Viking Sagas all afternoon.
Ha, ha, that would be the BEST conversation! If you could never write again, what would you do?
Great question! My other main hobby is playing and reviewing board games, so I would probably either transition toward making the reviewing and promoting aspect of that my focus, or else consider getting into designing a board game of my own. And who knows, maybe later down the line I’ll get a chance to design a game based on my own books!
That would be absolutely awesome sauce! My family loves board games, and I bet we would totally play that! We love Castle Panic!
Alright folks, I told you David was fun! Want to get to know him better? Follow him on:
Until next time,
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