1st Author Interview

Book Title: A Dream of Storms
Publisher: Self-published
Author: William Kenney
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Storms-Shadow-Black-ebook/dp/B005D24SN0
B&N link:
Smashwords link:
Author's website OR blog URL: https://www.facebook.com/A.Dream.of.Storms, http://williamkenney.tumblr.com/, https://twitter.com/#!/WilliamJKenney

Brief summary:

    The leaves were falling in Elfwhere, but autumn had never come to the land of the Elves. It was a sign. The dark one, Mournenhile had returned, reborn into the world of Kirkaldin. He was thought destroyed years ago during the Battle of the Black Sun.
Hagan Marindel had emerged from that battle a hero, showered with praise. He had rejected it all, instead went into a drunken seclusion. He had become a hollow, wretched shell of his former self.

    Until now.

    The Stone Troll, Gorin, was sent to retrieve Hagan and return him to Harquinn, where the mages rule.

    Reluctantly, Hagan is pulled back into the life he had vowed to forget. This time, he has his younger, inexperienced brother D'Pharin to protect and a small group of companions: Windenn, the Woodwarden, Vasparian, Wood Elven General and Shindire, arrogant High Elf from across the Sleeping Sea.


Excerpt:
     D’Pharin was pulled toward the ancient city like a child to a willowisp. It dragged him forward with wide eyes and thumping chest. Clouds drowned most of the moonlight and he had to pick his way carefully. Soon, he stood atop a high, grass-covered hill that overlooked what was once the entry garden. Tall walls, now mostly fallen, had surrounded the cobbled walkways and shrubbery. From here, he could see that the iron gate had been nearly blown off of its great hinges. He could see the dark forms of what he assumed were statues beyond the fallen gate.
    And beyond that-the towers.
    Three of the foremost still stood. Leafless now and blackened by long dead flame, but somehow still majestic. Reaching nearly to the clouds themselves, he could not make out their tops. The darkness of their bark was dotted at regular intervals with windows even darker still. Scattered remnants of wooden scaffolding and catwalks littered the ground beneath, only a handful still attached to their original moorings.
    Some such dangling pieces swayed in the night breeze producing a steady knocking noise from above, a hollow sound that served to remind D’Pharin of the utter emptiness of this place.
Directly below the hill on which he stood there stretched a flat field. Several hundred yards of level ground dotted with many large low-lying stones. He would have to carefully pass through these to finally reach the gates. With a deep breath, he began to descend, sword in hand. A touch of fear crept in as he reached the base of the hill. The boulders resembled large flat tombstones, he thought, the moon beginning to show its face from above.
    As he made his way around the first, he halted. He scanned the ground in front of him and then looked to the boulder directly to his right.
    Was that a helmet? A rounded shoulder and arm? He jumped back, gasping.
    What ... ?
    He knelt and reached out with the tip of his sword. It was stone, not flesh. He breathed easier and moved close.
    Wind ...
    As he leaned over the rocky shape, the moonlight caught the chiseled features.
    It was the body of a Troll.


THE INTERVIEW:

Question: Why did you write this book?
    In school, many teachers complimented me on my writing and suggested that I continue doing so on my own. I've always enjoyed storytelling and thought it was time to do something substantial. I have many outlines for different stories, but I wanted to finish my epic fantasy story first.

Question: How did you come up with the title?
    The title comes straight out of the book. The characters are discussing their dreams and nightmares. One character describes how every dream she has involves rolling thunder and ominous clouds.

Question: How did you choose your genre?
    Since childhood, I've loved fantasy. At around age eleven, I read The Hobbit and that sealed my fate. I searched out new fantasy stories at the bookstore every weekend. With fantasy, you can create an entirely new world and all of its inhabitants. This gives you a lot of freedom to be as creative as you like.

Question: What inspired you to be a writer?
    Probably the writings of Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Michael Moorcock, etc.The worlds that they created were so vast and amazing, I wanted to have my own.

Question: Who do you think your book(s) would appeal to?
    Those who want an epic story in which several characters from different cultures and backgrounds come together to achieve a common goal. Readers who want to explore a world where unbelievable magic exists and unimaginable horror. Most importantly, those who believe the characters and their development are the true heart of a story.

Question: What kind of information can readers find on your website or blog?
    Updates on the next book in the series: Shards of S'Darin, In the Shadow of the Black Sun - Book Two. I am also an artist, so I will be posting maps and sketches of the prominent characters on one or more of my websites. I think readers would be very interested to see what these characters and places look like. I always try to respond to any comments or questions that I receive. I want people to feel like they are part of this story as well.