Hello,
I’m pleased to bring you this interview with Nathan Ayersman, author for The Dragon’s Rising.
Please enjoy!
Interview:
1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?
I am Nathan Ayersman and I live in Maryland
2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?
My newest book is my debut novel The Dragon’s Rising. It’s a fantasy novel and the first book in a series.
3) What is the book about?
The book follows Falkier Inalumin, a royal court scribe who had been falsely imprisoned for several years. One night, a mysterious stranger appears to aid in his escape and he is informed that he has been chosen to wield a sword imbued with the power of the Dragon Ancient. He is tasked with locating other pieces of a suit of armor, each piece imbued with the power of another Ancient, which will allow him to defeat Rakar Gorxand, the Ancients’ chosen one from hundreds of years ago who became corrupted. During the course of The Dragon’s Rising, Falkier joins a mercenary guild, learns a style of swordsmanship which allows him to sense his surroundings, and challenges a key player in Rakar Gorxands forces.
4) Where did you come up with the idea?
The initial idea behind this story came from a doodle I drew on the back of a writing assignment in the seventh grade of a sword with a hilt in the shape of a black dragon’s head. From there, I expanded the idea of multiple weapons or pieces of armor with their own powers which need to be gathered together. The universe the whole series is meant to exist in was gradually developed over time and a few false-starts to write from middle school through high school.
5) How long did it take you to write it?
The first two to three chapters were originally written during the first year of my undergraduate education. However, I re-wrote them my first year of veterinary school and the rest of the story was written over my four years of veterinary school in Grenada and the first two-and-a-half years of my career as a veterinarian. There were many long pauses between chapters written. Hopefully, now that I’ve made the accomplishment of getting an entire book written and published, I will be able to write the next installment more quickly.
6) Did you learn anything from the project?
I learned that I was capable of writing a coherent story and the early feedback that I have been getting from people who have read my book seems to imply that I can also write a story that people enjoy. From a more mechanical aspect, I learned how to format a manuscript, deal with being rejected by a publisher, and learned how to motivate myself to write.
7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?
I have a Facebook page promoting my work (https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAyersman) and I also have a page on Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19475726.Nathan_Ayersman).
8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?
I think the main tip I would give to someone who intends to try to write a story is to be open to getting ideas from all sorts of places and write those ideas down as soon as you can to avoid forgetting them. I have a document on the flash drive where I keep my writing that is simply called ‘Miscellany’ where I write down various ideas for characters or events, objects that I might want to include, and speeches or phrases that I want to try to work in somewhere. The ideas behind these ideas have come from movies like The Man With The Iron Fists, television shows like Avatar The Last Airbender, classical literature, church sermons, and even a historical reenactment at Colonial Williamsburg. Another key to success would be ensuring you proofread your work and have someone else proofread your work. I had Cara Flannery at Fluky Fiction copyedit my novel for me and she did a great job picking out misused words and helping me address some ideas which were not fully fleshed out.
9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?
I read predominantly fantasy novels, though I have read and enjoyed memoirs (specifically All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot because everyone expects a veterinarian to have read that), historical fiction, the Bruce Cameron “Dog’s Purpose” books, and a few books relating to the research surrounding smells. The smelling books were predominantly due to me lacking the sense of smell, a condition called anosmia. I am open to reading new authors and giving my input on their work on things that could be either improved or expanded upon.
10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?
That’s a difficult choice for me to make since I have so many authors whose work I appreciate for different reasons. I think I would have to give some acknowledgment to The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (may he rest in peace) since it started one of my first forays into the realm of epic fantasy through the Wheel of Time series. I was drawn in by the diversity he gave his world, the idea of power slowly corrupting you, and the idea that the side characters can get to have their own adventures. You should not be surprised to find some themes from that series sprinkled about in my writing.
11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?
Yes, I have a cat named Ghost. She’s a white cat whom I adopted from the veterinary clinic where I work on Halloween and who has a tendency to disappear. I would have named her Geist but realized that Geist is a masculine noun in German. My significant other has her own cat, an orange tabby named Howard, but the two of them are not quite the most compatible housemates.
12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?
I do not. When I was in veterinary school, I did much of my pleasure reading via the Kindle app on my phone and tablet. It doesn’t compare to hold a physical book in my hand, but it was worth having the extra space and reduced weight in my suitcases which were being lugged back and forth to Grenada.
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Vincent
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