I hate it when authors do that. I don’t want to have to buy a second book just to find out how the story ended, so I refuse to do that to someone else. I’d rather read a slightly longer story and get the full sense of satisfaction of everything being resolved than to have to buy two books
M. Ray Allen – 31 October 2013
The Back Flap
Soliere Forrester has a plan, and that plan is to get rich. However, the details of that plan are still a work in progress. His latest scheme involves him and his best friend, Oather, venturing down into the dangerous Ruins of Tyric Nor; where it is said there are riches beyond your dreams and death around every corner. His plan gets derailed when he bumps into an old friend, Serieve, who manages to get them swept away to another land. Suddenly, they are caught up in the middle of plot by the evil King Nicholas to assemble an ancient unholy artifact that will enable to destroy all life in the land. Now, they must work with the other unfortunate souls who have been stranded there –a strange wizard, an elf, a priest and a particularly irritating assassin named Andrea– to stop Nicholas before he destroys everything they hold dear. Sol knew he should have stayed in bed that morning, but alas, there’s just No Rest for the Wicked.
About the book
What is the book about?
The book about a couple guys (Sol & Oather) who are just simply trying to get rich….without working too hard. Sol’s latest scheme is for he and Oather to venture down into the forgotten ruin’s that lie underneath the city they live in, Tyric Nor. The ruins were built thousands of years ago and are rumored to store vast amounts of treasure but are also home to many vile monsters. Along the way they run into an old friend of Sol’s named Serieve who is also going down into the ruins. They team up and venture down and after a series of mishaps they manage to get swept into a magic portal that takes them to the far off land of Rhen Varr.
There they find that Rhen Varr is a dark land that is ruled by a maniacal king named Nicholas Devanya. Nicholas was a wicked king that ruled through fear and tyranny. For his cruel deeds, the gods cursed him and turned him into a demon and for the last three centuries he sought out the scattered pieces of an Ancient Artifact called the ‘Orb of Chaos’. Once he is able to assemble it, he plans to strike back at the gods by slaying every living creature in the world (the source of the god’s powers are their worshippers).
Sol, Oather and Serieve (along with several others they find that have been lured to this realm as well – a wizard, an elf, a priest and a female assassin named Andrea) must find a way to stop Nicholas to not only save their lives but the whole world.
When did you start writing the book?
I wrote the first draft in 1993, while in college. I didn’t get far with it and then picked it up again in 1999 when I told my friend Mark about it. After graduating and joining the ‘real world’ I set it down again and didn’t pick it up until 2003, when I wrote the third draft. The third draft got it mostly done but I again set it down until January of this year when I picked it up a fourth time and dedicated every spare minute I had to re-writing it again…and here we are.
How long did it take you to write it?
Off and on for about 12 years
Where did you get the idea from?
Fantasy stories I read growing up.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes, every chapter that has Andrea in it. I hated writing those chapters. It’s difficult because women think so much differently than men do. I constantly had to refer to my friends Crissy and Victoria for guidance on how she’d see things. Without them, Andrea could never have existed.
What came easily?
Everything except Andrea, but particularly Sol and Oather. I think the readers will see a stark contrast in how the chapters with Andrea are compared to the Sol and Oather ones.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Based on people I know. Usually multiple people I know are merged in each of the characters.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
Growing up, my favorite author was Terry Brooks (Shanara Series). I also read a lot of Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman. Those two came up with some amazing stories and the characters you just fell in love with. Now, I like reading a lot of different things. Frank Peretti, JK Rowling and Dan Brown to name a few.
Do you have a target reader?
It was originally written to be an adult novel, but in comparison to a lot of books out there right now, I think it would also be a good read for teens too.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Well, the plot was developed decades ago when I was a bored college student (pre-internet). Back then they were just notes jotted down in my notebook when I wasn’t paying attention to my professors. Since then I have come to use outlines heavily. I know points A and B from the outline, and then I sit down and fill in the blanks.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I do use an outline but it is composed mainly of the chapter title and then a couple of bullets of notable things that happen in the chapter
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do a quick edit after each chapter. Then I have a friend look it over (usually Victoria) for additional things I might have missed. Then, after the entire thing was done I hired an editor to do a final walkthrough of the story.
Did you hire a professional editor? (May skip if being published by a small press rather than self-publishing)
Yes, see above.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
At home, no music. However, generally I write in places like Starbucks and they play music. Fortunately, once I get into writing I generally tune it out.
When I’m not writing, there are a lot of songs that make me think of the story that I listen to quite a bit (because they remind me of the story). Those include Ozzy, Metallica, Nirvana and others
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Yes, and was negotiating an offer of representation but it fell through because we couldn’t settle on one issue. She wanted me to split the book into two smaller books, but that would have made a terrible story as there would be no climax in the first book, and no story development in the second. I hate it when authors do that. I don’t want to have to buy a second book just to find out how the story ended, so I refuse to do that to someone else. I’d rather read a slightly longer story and get the full sense of satisfaction of everything being resolved than to have to buy two books.
She told me if I wasn’t willing to split it up, then she wouldn’t be able to sell my book, so we parted ways.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
In general I find the publishing industry in its current form a morass of feeble old minds that are unwilling to do what is right for the authors and the readers. I think of them a lot like the Recording Industry. It’s just a matter of time until they either wake up and change with technology or they go away entirely. I like having control over what I produce and not having them dictate what I need to do.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I hired an artist named Mattijs Buma to do the artwork. He’s an amazingly talented artist and really nailed the images I was looking for.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I have a marketing plan, but that is classified information. If I were to tell you, I’d have to kill you and I’m sure neither of us would prefer that. Just kidding. I’m focusing my efforts on building reviews as well as a small facebook and google ad blitz.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Get back to me in 3-4 years after I’m done making all my mistakes and I might be able to answer that, but in short: DO IT. The scraps you would get from the traditional publishers are miniscule to what you can get by retaining the rights yourself. Here’s a comparison….if you sold 10k books as an Indie author, the publishers would need to sell 70k books in order for you to get the same amount. There are a finite number of people out there to sell to so do you really want to burn through your readership that quickly? I didn’t either, hence the decision to go Indie.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I was a navy brat so I lived all over. California, Bermuda, Oklahoma, etc
Where do you live now?
Texas
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m an average guy with a decent imagination and a mischievous streak. I have two cats (named Zaroth and Halistan….yes, from the story). I was struck by lightning in 2005 while jogging after work one day and now I’m not fond of lightning storms. My other hobby (when I’m not writing) is my Subaru SVX which is currently the garage queen at home. And finally, I’m married to a beautiful Indian girl named Navilla, who my world revolves around.
What are you working on now?
The Orb of Chaos Vol. 2: Fools Rush In
End of Interview:
For more from Ray, like his facebook page.
Special note: Today (10/31/2013) only, Ray has set the Kindle edition to free. Grab it while you can.
Get your copy of The Orb of Chaos Vol.1: No Rest for the Wicked from Amazon US (paper or ebook) or Amazon UK (paper or ebook).
