Author Interview - Charles E. Yallowitz, Author of Beginning of a Hero

Hi everyone! Here's an interview with Charles E. Yallowitz, he's the author of fantasy novel, Beginning of a Hero, which is currently almost FREE on Amazon and he's also a mighty fine poet. The sequel to Charles' book has an AWESOME cover. You can see it at the end of this interview. As for now, read on — there's really great advice below.

1. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE?

 

I’ve always enjoyed telling stories since I was a child. I never thought much of this interest or ability until I reached high school. I had read a book series called The Book of Lost Swords by Fred Saberhagen and something clicked. The world and characters he created were so mesmerizing that I thought about them long after I finished the books. Realizing that I had a love for storytelling and a child-like imagination, I decided to become an author.

Note: The deciding to become an author was the easy part. The actual act of becoming an author is a path of glass shards and brambles that you have to crawl through. Rejection letters, critical criticism, and a lot of learning by failure will happen when you try to become an author. The key part here is that you will learn.

2. CAN WRITERS CHANGE THE WORLD?

Of course. A written word has the power to ignite revolutions, create peace treaties, and cause massive social change. Even a fiction author can change the world with their words if they hit on a social nerve at the right time. 

In regards to my own books, I aim for entertainment and helping people escape reality for a bit. Yet, I do know that there are lessons about courage, friendship, and loyalty in my stories. These lessons do have the power to positively influence a person if the timing is right.

3. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BOOK AND WHY?

I always find it hard to choose a favorite book because I love so many of them. I love Ranger’s Apprentice because it is a great series in a non-magical fantasy world. I love Lord of the Rings for setting the standards of fantasy and epic storytelling. I love Ender’s Game for being a great book in terms of character development and psychology. The list can keep going and my favorite definitely depends on my mood at the time.

4. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR NEW AND UP-AND-COMING WRITERS?

• Make friends with other authors who are at your level and slightly ahead. You can do this through blogging. Contrary to some beliefs, authors are very friendly and most are always willing to help new authors.
• Never stop learning your trade. Attend writing workshops or read for the purpose of enhancing your style. As a new author, you’re going to have rough edges, so don’t come in thinking your style is perfect. Honestly, a perfect style is one that is always evolving.
• Buy a suit of armor. You’re going to get criticism and it’s going to hurt. You put your heart and soul into a world where some people live to crush others. Always keep in mind that a negative review might have some nuggets of wisdom that you can use to improve. A negative review can also be chalked up to your book not being the critic’s favored type of book. Armor will help you minimize the damage and carry on. 
• Set goals of various levels. How much do you want to write in a day? Maybe set a goal for the week like write one chapter or design 3 characters. Goals will help you focus in a career that is rife with distractions. 
• Keep looking ahead and writing. Once you get your first book out, don’t sit on your butt for very long. Take time to do advertising and relax, but the key to a successful first book is the promise of a second book.

5. IF YOUR BOOK WAS TURNED INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD DIRECT IT? WHO WOULD STAR IN IT?

Director: Bryan Singer? I’m not very knowledgeable about directors.

As for the characters:

Luke Callindor: For the life of me, I can never decide on someone for this.

Nimby the Halfling Thief: Joe Gnoffo (Grub from Mirror, Mirror)

Aedyn Karwyn the Priest: Logan Lerman

Logan Lerman played the younger version of Mel Gibson's character in the timeless, paradigm-changing masterpiece, What Women Want.

Fritz Warrenberg the Gnome Inventor: Peter Dinklage

Fizzle: Michael Nichols (friend from college who did the original voice in the game. I promised him an audition at least.)

The Lich: Rhys Ifans

The Hellfire Elf: Adam Copeland (Edge from WWE)

Trinity: Laura Wiggins

Nyx: Kristen Stewart

Little known facts:
Chances of seeing Bigfoot = 30%
Chances of seeing the Loch Ness Monster = 15%
Chances of seeing Kristen Stewart smile = 0%

6. IF YOU WEREN'T A WRITER, WHAT WOULD YOU BE DOING NOW?

I would either be teaching English at a local high school or working in a cubicle. I had dreams of becoming a zoologist when I was younger, but I dropped that after I learned that I would have to deal with blood. Not a fan of blood and needles, so I chose the path of papercuts.

7. IF THE WORLD ENDED TOMORROW, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TODAY?

I’m always working hard on my stories and rushing around. If the world was going to end, I’d like to end it with a lazy smile. Spend time with my family, say my good-byes, and sit back with a cold drink. I say this, but I would probably be trying to finish the notes for all of my series on the off-chance that my notebooks survive. Then a future species or alien visitors can find them and mistake them for religious texts.

Tuan says: Thanks for stopping by, Charles. 

Charles' first novel in the Legends of Windemere series will be 0.99 cents for the month of August. Go on and buy it! I said so.

And this is the sequel which was just released today/yesterday. What a fucking great cover! I love it! This is the kind of book cover I like. Why? Because it's art -- plain and simple. It's not that clean-cut, sanitized, overly photoshopped bullshit you see on a lot of traditionally-published books these days where the author's name is in size 3000 font.

Go on! Grab a copy of Prodigy of Rainbow Tower now!
 

You can connect with Charles via the links below:

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CharlesYallowitz
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6965804.Charles_E_Yallowitz
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17447896-beginning-of-a-hero
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18171173-prodigy-of-rainbow-tower
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/107849489939227507620/about
Tumblr: http://cyallowitz.tumblr.com/

Thanks for reading!

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Until next time, something wonderful awaits!

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