Interview with Richard Hacker, VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Six hundred years after a fifteenth century scryer gains the alchemical knowledge to create a dark future in his own image, Addison Shaw inherits a destiny: to fight this ancient war that threatens all he loves with extinction. Using an alchemical pen, he writes himself into past lives, leaving his body in the present. Upon completion of his mission, he must die in order to break the link and return home. Addison, and his inking partner, Jules, are members of the League, a secret alchemist society of Inkers who protect the time continuum. They believe they defeated their enemy, Cuthbert Grimwald, known to them as Kairos. When he resurfaces filled with vengeance, intent on destroying the League, and acquiring the Alchimeia, a book of such power the League has hidden it for millennia, Grimwald leaves a path of destruction across centuries. As he quests for absolute control of reality, Addison and Jules pursue him through time and death in a desperate struggle to save the world from his vengeance.

VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD is the second book in the Alchimeia series. The first book is entitled DIE BACK

Do you have a favorite character?

I’d go with my co-protagonist Jules. She is simply kick ass. And unlike Addison, who has lots of baggage, Jules has a clarity and a strength about her. She also goes through many changes, dying and then reappearing in an alternate timeline. The challenge of writing the character in several disparate worlds while maintaining a thread of continuity has been fun.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers? How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?

When I first started, I queried agents and publishers and was fortunate to be picked up by a small press, Champagne Books. They published my Nick Sibelius crime novels. After several years, I got the rights back and have republished them myself. For the Alchimeia series, I spent many months querying agents. You really have to get to an agent with just the right thing and just the right time. If an agent just represented three books with fairies, she’s probably not interested in your book with fairies—even if your book is better. (Mine doesn’t have fairies, btw!) Finally, I acquired an agent who then shopped the book around to publishers. And likewise, you have to get to a publisher with the right thing and the right time. After about a year, I took the book back, queried some small presses myself and formed a partnership with Del Sol Press. They have been very supportive and given a good home to my Alchimeia novels. I think one of the things I thought would happen with a publisher would be significant marketing support. I imagine when Tom Clancy publishes a new novel his publisher pulls out the marketing stops. But for the rest of us, the marketing support is minimal. It’s really up to you. So, if you’re already paying for editing and marketing, the publishing part is not technically difficult to achieve these days. I can see why many authors self-publish. My first novel won best science fiction novel at a writer’s conference back in 2010, but it really wasn’t ready for publishing. I’ve kept it in my back pocket, working on it and hope to publish it myself this year.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
I used to belong to a long-standing critique group which was very helpful at the time. And I think when you’re starting out, having a regular critique group provides a great discipline for writing and thinking about writing. However, there was a point when getting a critique on a few pages just wasn’t constructive. The issues became less about the writing in a scene and more about the overall structure of the novel—something difficult to get to in a typical critique group. I still rely on critique, but now I send large sections or manuscripts to trusted colleagues I know will give me solid critique in the context of the bigger picture.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
I would say my writing process is to not have a writing process. I’ve got writing friends who have to be in a certain place, with certain music, maybe a latte or a cup of tea, etc. in order to create the environment they need to be creative. I get it, and good for them for making a space for their creativity to flow. I decided early on I wanted to be capable of writing anywhere, anytime, under any conditions. I’ve written in silence, with jazz, classical, or rock playing, with children crying, at home, in a coffee shop, on an airplane, a train, a car—you get the idea. It works for me and allows for lots of flexibility. However, I’d say each person has to find their own path—what works for you.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’ve done it both ways. My crime novels, which are light, humorous stories along the lines of Elmore Leonard’s Get Shorty, were almost stream of consciousness—at least for the first draft! DIE BACK and VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD are more complex stories combining speculative and historical fiction, as well as being a fantasy/thriller. With so many details and twists and turns I had to work from an outline which got adjusted as I wrote. I also have a meta-structure in mind, which I think most novelist do. Maybe all not identical, but some key pegs to hang the story on. At the highest level I’ll know what my inciting incident will be, the first major plot point, the major reversal, the second major plot point, the climax, and the denouement. Of course, there’s lots more detail within those primary points.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Be persistent. When you’re writing a novel, edit, edit, edit. When you’re looking for an agent, pitch, pitch, pitch. When you’re marketing your book, sell, sell, sell. And of course, the nature of the beast is you have to do all of those things at the same time!

Be open to critique. Early on, I think it’s difficult for authors to hear critique because it feels so personal. I’ve just poured my heart onto the page and you’re telling me my protagonist is one-dimensional? Don’t take critique personally. Take a step back from it and see what truth there is for you.

Continually hone your craft by going to conferences and workshops, working with other writers

Write, write, write. Write what you love to write Write what jazzes you. I think it leads to better writing and it’s a lot more fun.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

Sure. These days I love to cook—I’m currently exploring baking artisan bread and French pastries. And I love to sing. I’m in a vocal jazz ensemble called The Offbeats.

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

Dogs –I’ve got a Springer Spaniel named Jazz

Chocolate, definitely

Coffee, absolutely. And I love a good espresso.

Talk –there’s a lot of information communicated in a conversation that gets missed in a text. And in person is better than on the phone. I guess Facetime or Skype is a compromise.

Night—I’m a late night person.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the next book in the Alchimeia series, as yet untitled. And I’ve got a humorous science fiction novel (think Tom Holt or Douglas Adams), THE BIFURCATION OF DUNGSTEN CREASE, I’m hoping to publish later this year.

I hope you’ll check out DIE BACK and now book 2 of the Alchimeia, VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD. Both are available on Amazon. And you can find me at www.richardhacker.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RWHacker

BLURB:

Addison and Jules, members of the League, a secret alchemist society of Inkers who protect the time continuum, believe they defeated their enemy, Cuthbert Grimwald, known to them as Kairos. When he resurfaces filled with vengeance, intent on destroying the League, and acquiring the Alchimeia, a book of such power the League has hidden it for millennia, Grimwald leaves a path of destruction across centuries. As he quests for absolute control of reality, Addison and Jules pursue him through time and death in a desperate struggle to save the world from his vengeance.

  

Amazon buy link:

https://www.amazon.com/Vengeance-Grimbald-Alchime%C3%ADa-Richard-Hacker/dp/0999842595/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Richard Hacker, lives and writes in Seattle, Washington after living many years in Austin, Texas. In addition to the science fiction/fantasy novels of The Alchimeía Series, his crime novels ride the thin line between fact and fiction in Texas.  

Along the way, his writing has been recognized by the Writer’s League of Texas and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association. As a judge in literary contests such as PNWA and ChicLit, and as a freelance development editor, he enjoys the opportunity to work with other writers. In addition, he is the Sci-Fi/Fantasy editor for the Del Sol Review. DIE BACK was his first novel in the Alchimeia series.

Del Sol Press books by Richard Hacker are available at Amazon

The Alchimeía Series

DIEBACK: Book One

VENGEANCE OF GRIMBALD: Book Two

Other books by Richard Hacker:

Nick Sibelius Crime Series

KILL’T DEAD OR WORSE

BUZZARD BAIT

ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE

Follow the author at www.richardhacker.com

Or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RWHacker

a Rafflecopter giveaway