Author's Corner with J. Rutger Madison

Hey Everyone! 

Today in Authors Corner I have the pleasure of interviewing J. Rutger Madison who is the Author of “A Curse upon the Saints” and it’s upcoming sequel “All Souls Betrayed”

Thank You J. Rutger Madison for being a part of my Author’s Corner post!

Now on to the interview!!!

Always my first question, Why do you write?

I enjoy creating new worlds and telling stories about fascinating characters.  When I was growing up, I scratched this itch through role-playing games. As I got older, it was harder to find people with time to play, so I applied those creative juices to fiction writing.

Do you mind telling us about what you are working on at the minute and what it is about?

I’m working on All Souls Betrayed, the sequel to A Curse upon the Saints.

What genre are your books?

Fantasy

What draws you to this genre?

I am not constrained by the rules of science (as I would be if I wrote science fiction) or history (as would be the case if I wrote historical fiction).  

So give us an insight into your main characters. What about them is so special?

A Curse upon the Saints is told from the point of view of several characters: Nurik, a soldier weary from fighting an eight-year religious war; his sister, Marisol, a priestess; Frederich, a solicitor-turned-soldier taken prisoner; and Renwick, a corrupt cardinal who makes a deal with a race of slavers.

Common among all the characters is they have been let down by authority figures, be they superior officers, their church, or their own family. The story is driven by how these characters respond to such betrayals.

How much research do you do for your books?

I try not get too bogged down in research, because it can be a time suck if you aren’t careful.  However, sometimes it’s necessary to get details right.  For example, I did some research on Renaissance-era fortifications for the climactic scene in A Curse upon the Saints.  I also found a great YouTube video from an English Civil War re-enactor on how to fire a seventeenth-century musket that inspired the shooting lessons scene.

When did you decide to become a writer?

I started writing fiction in 2011. 

What made you decide to sit down and actually start something?

I was visiting my parents and said something my mom found particularly funny. She said that with my wit I should try to write a book.  I signed up for a community enrichment class in writing short stories, and started writing my first novel a few months later.

Is this full-time or part-time?

Part-time.  I don’t expect I will be writing full-time until I am ready to retire from my day job. (I’m a web developer).

Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

I usually write after 10 pm. I’m more creative at night.

Do you work from an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I have a vague outline.  I need to have a general idea of where I am heading.  It is usually no more specific than “Frederich rides to the village of Ronwin where something bad happens.” 

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively as a writer?

When I first started, I tried to write perfectly the first time. I would write a chapter, edit it, write a second chapter, and then edit both of them.  It’s a wonder I ever finished the damn thing!

Now, I am more willing to just write first and edit later.

What do you find is the hardest thing about writing?

Ignoring the editor voice in my head until it’s time to edit.  I’m better about it, but I still I have to resist the urge.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?

So far reaction to my first book has been largely positive. It warms my heart to know that people loved the characters and world I created as much as I do. Now that I am writing my second book, I don’t want to disappoint my readers. That fear of letting them down makes it harder, but it also motivates me to be better.

What do you find to be the easiest thing about writing?

I’m not sure anything is easy about it.  I do find once I get into a writing session, the words flow off the page, but getting into the “zone” takes concentration.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

It took me 3 ½ years from the time I started A Curse upon the Saints until I finished it.  I took about six months off from writing it due to my father’s illness and some other personal issues.  I am hoping to have books number two and three released together by late 2016 or early 2017.

How do you market your books?

I’ve tried a few book promotion sites with limited success, but I am mainly focusing on writing the next book.

What do you do to get book reviews and how successful has your quest for reviews been so far?

I find the best way to get reviews is to hold giveaways on LibraryThing or Goodreads.  Getting reviews is even harder than getting sales!  So far between Amazon’s various sites and Goodreads I have ten unique written reviews.

If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why?

I hope this doesn’t sound arrogant, but I am not sure I would have wanted to write anything other than my own fiction.  I think that writing is so personal that had I been the one to write my favorite fantasy (Game of Thrones) or literary (The Grapes of Wrath) novels, the voices would have been quite different and they wouldn’t have been nearly as great.  While my own work doesn’t hold a candle to that of Martin, Tolkien, or Steinbach, it is mine and no one else could have written it but me.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write. Start now.  Don’t wait. I wish I had started earlier. Don’t let your age be a reason not to start. (I started at 42). Once you start, don’t stop. I regret letting real-life interrupt completion of my first book because I believe I would have had the second one finished by now had I kept going.

And Last Question, How can my readers discover more about you and your work?

Website:  www.jrutgermadison.com/content/books
Blog:  www.jrutgermadison.com/content/blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jrutgermadison
Twitter: @jrutgermadison
Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/J.-Rutger-Madison/e/B00PEC7E8U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/491584
Book Links: (* American, UK, etc.)  www.jrutgermadison.com/content/books
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24191497-a-curse-upon-the-saints

Make sure You show the author some love and check out their work!!!

-Andrea