Hello, my lovelies! Today we have a special guest interview. Big shout out to Ken Lange! Take it away, Ken...
Blurb
My name is Viktor Engel Warden, and I’m here to tell you that there’s more to this world than you might suspect.
There are things that slither and pass unseen through the night, and it’s my job to stop them. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. Twenty years ago, I ended a nightmare that would’ve brought the world to its knees. I thought it was over…but I was wrong.
The Cult of Fenrir has returned, and they’re stronger than ever. Now I’m in a race to find the survivors of that day so I can stop them again. Permanently. If I get things wrong…which I wont…but if I do…it might just bring about the apocalypse. But, hey, no pain, no gain, and all that BS. Right? Yeah, I’m not buying it either.
Interview Questions
What is your main character’s motivation?
Viktor is a complicated guy, but his main motivation would have to be putting one foot in front of the other to get the job done. He’s a fighter in every sense of the word. The man is unwilling to give up, he’s incapable of compromising his core beliefs, and he’ll stand up for what he thinks is right. Of course, ‘what he thinks is right’ isn’t always what’s legal or currently socially acceptable. Don’t expect that to stand in the way of doing what needs to be done.
Then there’s the choice aspect of his personality. He’s a strong believer that everything is choice. While every situation is different and has the ability to limit a person’s choices, it never prevents them from making one. There are times when none of the available options are good, but there’s always a choice, and it’s up to the individual to do the right thing. His entire life is a constant reminder that we are free to make any choice we desire, but we are not free of the consequences.
What is his secret strength/weakness?
The simple answer to both: his moral code. First and foremost, he won’t interfere in certain situations, even if doing so would make his life easier. He’s exceptionally inflexible here, which is why it’s both a strength and a weakness.
If he says he’ll do a thing, he’ll do it, no matter the cost to him personally. There’s a long list of other ethical things he believes in, but those will be touched on throughout the series. Long and short of it is this: he’s willing to fight and die for those beliefs. That’s what makes him a very dangerous man, and at times predictable, but not in the ways his adversaries would hope.
Any philosophical issues in this story?
The story is meant to entertain, but it also shows a man who’s trying to do right, even if it isn’t the easy or polite thing to do. He won’t ignore a problem, he won’t shy away from his responsibilities, and he fully accepts who he really is…not the person others think him to be.
I touch on issues of tolerance and acceptance a few times, but not for the reason you might think. I’m not making a conscious decision to put it in there…it’s just how I see the world.
It doesn’t matter to me what label is placed on you. What matters to me is: are you a decent human being? If the answer to that is yes, we can be friends. That being the case, I know a wide range of people. That’s why I use a diverse set of characters that span the gambit of human nature. I feel that it comes closer to accurately representing the world as it is, and keeps me from confining myself to a narrow margin of the population.
When did you start to write this one and why?
That’s a tough one. It’s been rumbling around for well over two decades in one form or another, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I got serious about it. That’s when I put a lot of it to paper and shared it with friends…it was terrible. The good thing is, all that research, note-taking, and terribleness led to figuring out different elements of the story and retooling the book to actually make sense.
Now as to the why. I’m fascinated with Norse mythology. The description of Odin’s palace, and the other gods’ homes are fantastic. They describe them as gleaming metal palaces that roar through the skies...kind of sounds like the way primitive man would describe a spacecraft.
No, I’m not an ancient alien kind of guy, but I won’t deny that the idea of them not being gods and possibly something extra-terrestrial in nature helped the concept along.
When will it be available?
15 November.
What’s next in this series or in your next book?
Galen’s Peace should be next in the Warden Global Novels. Of course, the title is subject to change, this one’s did. I’m also working on the follow up to my first novel, Accession of the Stone Born…Yes there’s a title, but I’m not sharing it yet since it’s going to take place after Galen’s Peace. Don’t fret, it’s not far off.
Where do you get your ideas?
Reading, art, and music. The reading gets me out of my own head and expands my viewpoint, not to mention the fact that I love it. The artwork can be almost anything, a photo, painting, even a well-done font can trigger an idea. At other times, it’s music that gives me that spark. Once it’s there, it doesn’t go away and rattles around in my head until I do something about it.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always been fascinated by a great story; it’s my escape from reality into the magical realms of the written word. It’s always intrigued me how scratches made on clay, stone, wood or paper can touch people so deeply. I’m truly an introvert, and this is my way of sharing the worlds spinning in my head with others.
For me, writing heals the heart, rebuilds a broken soul, and gives hope to a failing body. It allows me to walk amongst the stars and go places that otherwise I couldn't, and it gives me the humanity that I've lost along the way.
What is the hardest part about being a writer?
Trying not to ‘good idea’ myself into oblivion. Sometimes, I’m plagued by what I think are fantastic ideas then I write them down and run with it, only to realize that maybe it wasn’t as good as I’d thought. Well, at least not yet. That’s the thing about ideas—they can be used at a later date.
Where did you get the premise for this book?
I was reading a lot of Norse mythos, and because a lot of it has been destroyed over the centuries, I had questions…so this is me filling in the blanks, and retelling some of their stories, along with my own.
Was there a part of the story that was difficult to write?
The opening for this book was the trickiest. I actually removed the prologue—you can find it on my blog if you want to see what it originally sounded like—and finished the book, never fixing the part where I actually introduce the character. So that’s why there’s a journal entry now instead of having to wait for several chapters to get the character’s name.
What advice would you give to other writers?
To be themselves and not try to be someone else. It’s a lot easier that way.
Then there’s the choice aspect of his personality. He’s a strong believer that everything is choice. While every situation is different and has the ability to limit a person’s choices, it never prevents them from making one. There are times when none of the available options are good, but there’s always a choice, and it’s up to the individual to do the right thing. His entire life is a constant reminder that we are free to make any choice we desire, but we are not free of the consequences.
What is his secret strength/weakness?
The simple answer to both: his moral code. First and foremost, he won’t interfere in certain situations, even if doing so would make his life easier. He’s exceptionally inflexible here, which is why it’s both a strength and a weakness.
If he says he’ll do a thing, he’ll do it, no matter the cost to him personally. There’s a long list of other ethical things he believes in, but those will be touched on throughout the series. Long and short of it is this: he’s willing to fight and die for those beliefs. That’s what makes him a very dangerous man, and at times predictable, but not in the ways his adversaries would hope.
Any philosophical issues in this story?
The story is meant to entertain, but it also shows a man who’s trying to do right, even if it isn’t the easy or polite thing to do. He won’t ignore a problem, he won’t shy away from his responsibilities, and he fully accepts who he really is…not the person others think him to be.
I touch on issues of tolerance and acceptance a few times, but not for the reason you might think. I’m not making a conscious decision to put it in there…it’s just how I see the world.
It doesn’t matter to me what label is placed on you. What matters to me is: are you a decent human being? If the answer to that is yes, we can be friends. That being the case, I know a wide range of people. That’s why I use a diverse set of characters that span the gambit of human nature. I feel that it comes closer to accurately representing the world as it is, and keeps me from confining myself to a narrow margin of the population.
When did you start to write this one and why?
That’s a tough one. It’s been rumbling around for well over two decades in one form or another, but it wasn’t until 2010 that I got serious about it. That’s when I put a lot of it to paper and shared it with friends…it was terrible. The good thing is, all that research, note-taking, and terribleness led to figuring out different elements of the story and retooling the book to actually make sense.
Now as to the why. I’m fascinated with Norse mythology. The description of Odin’s palace, and the other gods’ homes are fantastic. They describe them as gleaming metal palaces that roar through the skies...kind of sounds like the way primitive man would describe a spacecraft.
No, I’m not an ancient alien kind of guy, but I won’t deny that the idea of them not being gods and possibly something extra-terrestrial in nature helped the concept along.
When will it be available?
15 November.
What’s next in this series or in your next book?
Galen’s Peace should be next in the Warden Global Novels. Of course, the title is subject to change, this one’s did. I’m also working on the follow up to my first novel, Accession of the Stone Born…Yes there’s a title, but I’m not sharing it yet since it’s going to take place after Galen’s Peace. Don’t fret, it’s not far off.
Where do you get your ideas?
Reading, art, and music. The reading gets me out of my own head and expands my viewpoint, not to mention the fact that I love it. The artwork can be almost anything, a photo, painting, even a well-done font can trigger an idea. At other times, it’s music that gives me that spark. Once it’s there, it doesn’t go away and rattles around in my head until I do something about it.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve always been fascinated by a great story; it’s my escape from reality into the magical realms of the written word. It’s always intrigued me how scratches made on clay, stone, wood or paper can touch people so deeply. I’m truly an introvert, and this is my way of sharing the worlds spinning in my head with others.
For me, writing heals the heart, rebuilds a broken soul, and gives hope to a failing body. It allows me to walk amongst the stars and go places that otherwise I couldn't, and it gives me the humanity that I've lost along the way.
What is the hardest part about being a writer?
Trying not to ‘good idea’ myself into oblivion. Sometimes, I’m plagued by what I think are fantastic ideas then I write them down and run with it, only to realize that maybe it wasn’t as good as I’d thought. Well, at least not yet. That’s the thing about ideas—they can be used at a later date.
Where did you get the premise for this book?
I was reading a lot of Norse mythos, and because a lot of it has been destroyed over the centuries, I had questions…so this is me filling in the blanks, and retelling some of their stories, along with my own.
Was there a part of the story that was difficult to write?
The opening for this book was the trickiest. I actually removed the prologue—you can find it on my blog if you want to see what it originally sounded like—and finished the book, never fixing the part where I actually introduce the character. So that’s why there’s a journal entry now instead of having to wait for several chapters to get the character’s name.
What advice would you give to other writers?
To be themselves and not try to be someone else. It’s a lot easier that way.
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