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Thursday, January 10, 2013

Author Interview and Book Spotlight: Brae Wyckoff!



“It’s a cross between Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.”
—Brae Wyckoff

Voted #1 for BEST fantasy book under the radar!

The Orb of Truth Book Synopsis:
In the hundreds of years since the Holy City disappeared, darkness has fallen over the land. Human kingdoms have seized control of the realm, scattering the other races into hiding.
Bridazak, a skilled thief, and his friends, a Dwarf and a fellow Ordakian, have dared to remain within the human communities and live relatively quiet lives, until they discover a mysterious, magical artifact. The three friends are thrust into an adventure that will challenge their faith, their purpose, and their destiny as they chase a forgotten and lost prophecy across the realm of Ruauck-El, where they hope to discover the origins of the strange item and their place in its history.
An ancient, unknown enemy threatens the completion of their journey at every turn. Bridazak is about to face the biggest adventure of his life, one that may change the known realm, and answer the questions he has carried all his life. Will they unlock the truth?


About the Author:
Brae Wyckoff was born and raised in San Diego, CA and is working toward a Psychology degree. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Jill, for 19 years, and they have three children; Tommy, Michelle, and Brittany. He has a beautiful grandson named Avery. Brae has been an avid gamer since 1985. His passion for mysterious realms and the supernatural inspired him to write The Orb of Truth, the first in a series of fantasy action adventures. Brae describes The Orb of Truth as a cross between the Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.


Interview:

Tell my fans a little bit about yourself and your books.

I’m an Epic Fantasy writer, so what that means is when you see a bird in the natural, I see a dragon instead and I’m always wearing full-plate armor and carry a sword while in the natural you see me wearing jeans.

I have been happily married for 19 years, have three beautiful children, and have been a Grandpa for 3 years now. Dedicated family man, but I have a dark secret to share. I am a Christian that also loves the epic fantasy genre like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and so many others. Well, it is not a dark secret. I have been an avid Dungeons and Dragons gamer since the 80’s and contribute my writing to that style of storytelling.

How would you introduce your books to someone that has yet to read them?

“It’s a cross between Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.”


What inspired you to start writing? What age did you start?

I started writing short stories in 6th grade. I have always been fascinated with words and how you can weave them to tell a story. Books always got me hooked and eventually I thought that I could do this too. The adventure begins…

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?

Love to spend time with family. Our grandson, Avery, lives with us and it is so awesome to have him come home after daycare. I turn my attention toward him and living in his world of super heroes. I’m Spiderman and he is usually Ironman.


What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Don’t expect the world to embrace your story overnight. Build relationships and build the trust with your readers that you will NOT sell them short. We have a savvy audience out there and they know a good read when they read it. With the industry the way it is, things have changed drastically. You will most likely have to self-publish, but there is nothing wrong with that at all because you get most of the profit of your work and you do the marketing regardless if you have a publisher or self-publish.
My wife and I ended up creating our own publishing firm…LR Publishing. We plan to help other authors by lining up expert help at an affordable cost.


What’s your favorite scene/line from your works?

I will do better than that…here is a short excerpt revealing some of the characters for the 2nd book, The Dragon God. There is a special gnome in the 2nd book named Trillius. He will be a fan favorite. Remember, this is un-edited material you are reading.

            “You’ve brought guests to Pirates Belly,” a mysterious smooth voice came from behind the adventurers.  Startled, the heroes turned.
            They saw an impressive pirate who wore dark blue pants, black leather boots and belt, a white billowy long sleeved shirt with frills around the cuffs and collar, and a beautiful maroon hat with a large brim.  A yellow frazzled feather adorned his cap.  His headwear and the downward tilt of his head concealed his face from view.
            “May I introduce to you the ones who brought down King Manasseh,” said Elsbeth.
            “We are honored to have such heroes among us.  My name is Romann de Beaux.  Welcome to my humble home.”  He pulled off his hat and bowed elegantly.  The swashbuckler stood back up, his face pale white with eyes that swirled red and blue like a whirlpool.  His smile revealed pearly white teeth with two prominent fangs.
            The group of heroes were wise enough not to insult the creature by saying aloud that he was a vampire.  That is, all of them, except one.
            “You’re a vampire,” Trillius chimed in awe.
            “Forgive—,” Elsbeth began but Romann held up his hand to stop her.
            “And what is your name?” he asked.  He kneeled down as if talking to a child.
            The gnome answered tremulously, “My name is Trillius.”
            “Ah, yes, of course.  Well little-one, since we are being candid, I will call you ‘Snack’.”  Romann lifted his lip slightly to reveal one of his fangs while emphasizing his last word.  Trillius back peddled away and clung to El’Korr.  The dwarf was pleased as he knew this encounter would keep the gnome on board the ship.

What's the hardest thing about writing?

Well, the only great challenge is finally getting it published after all the steps are taken. What I mean is, the story was written in 6 months, but then it went an entire year running it through a critique group of other authors, where re-writes occurred after their take. Then it was handed off to the editor who took it a part some more and we made the tweaks and changes necessary to strengthen it even more. So 2 years later it is finally here, what a process, but so worth it. My wife told me, “Don’t let it out until it is ready to be released.” A professional cover was designed and it was professionally edited…two areas that indie authors seem to skimp on unfortunately.

What are you currently reading?

Several books currently. I love to pick up Indie authors and give them a whirl…unfortunately, there is a lot of frogs out there before you find a prince if you know what I mean.

What are you currently working on?

The Dragon God is book #2 and follows immediately after the ending of The Orb of Truth. I actually leave a teaser chapter at the end of The Orb and will continue that model for each of my books. A gnome named Trillius is introduced in The Dragon God and the heroes revolve around how this character stumbles into a powerful dragon entity that wants to be released back into the world. I also introduce a swashbuckling, pirate Vampire named Romann de Beaux. (x is silent)

The Dragon God is finished in the rough draft form and is in re-writes before being whisked off by my editor.
I have outlined book #3 and have started writing it. It is called The Vampire King.

What books did you read as a child?

You know, the classics, Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit…

How has your life changed since you began writing? 

My confidence is higher, not because of writing but because I set out and finished something from beginning to the end. A lot of us start but don’t finish. My message to everyone and it is the theme of The Orb of Truth… “IT IS TIME!”

Do you listen to music while you write?

Yes, love having music playing in the background. I tap into the essence and creativity that is being harnessed through music to really open up my imagination. Of course I can write in pure silence or at Starbucks. A writer writes no matter the location.

What's been your favorite moment as an author?

I have had a couple special moments as an author.
1.      Finishing the book
2.      Getting the physical copy of the book in the mail (that was an emotional moment because I have only seen it on my computer or a print out on regular copy paper)
3.      Getting wonderful reviews from people I don’t know on Amazon (very humbling)

Out of all of your characters, who is your favorite?

A piece of me is inside each of my characters but two stand out prominently, Bridazak and Dulgin. Bridazak is a Halfling, which in my novels, I have coined as Ordakians. He is a thief and master bower, but deep down longs for something more in life, to understand his purpose.
Dulgin is pure Dwarf and has that gruff battle-hardened attitude, always looking for the next fight and Dwarven Ale, but underneath you get glimpses of his softness as his loyalty for his friends is beyond measure.

What do you want readers to take away from your books?

The message is clear…everyone has a purpose in life, everyone has a destiny, but are we hearing what it is clearly or is the world overwhelming us with the haunts of strife, with self-worth, with comparison to each other? My books are clearly defined as good vs evil with an epic storyline that brings you along for the ride. It will capture you and whisk you away into a magical land where you will connect with the many characters laced throughout. My hope is, even though it is fantasy, that the reader will be changed and reflect on their own life…that the reader will reach for their purpose and destiny with everything they have.

What is your dream vacation destination?

I would love to visit several castles around the world…you know, a Castle Tour! They are so rich with history and to walk the halls of those ancient times would be grand.

Do you have any interesting dreams or goals?

Yes, I would like the change the world! My books are pure fun but deep down inside the words is a message of hope and my HOPE is to leave my mark behind and give people this message.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I see myself traveling quite a bit. One revolving around my books and the other in helping people in need. Everyone needs a miracle and most feel they are out of reach, but it would be nice to be that miracle for someone.

Where can fans find you?

All my stalkers can find me here:











Thank you for allowing me to interview you, Brae!

Happy Reading!
Kristina

3 comments:

  1. Thank you for having me...it was great fun!

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  2. Great interview! And I loved the excerpt from The Dragon God...I can't wait for it to be released :-)
    (I'm blog-stalking you today...lol)

    ReplyDelete
  3. This was a really good interview. Loved excerpts, looking forward to more releases x

    ReplyDelete