AUTHOR INTERVIEW: ANDY PELOQUIN SCI-FI AUTHOR OF: Blade of the Destroyer CONTEST ENDS 12 MIDNIGHT FOR CHANCE FOR 2 EBOOKS AND 1 AUTOGRAPHED BOOK

LET’S WELCOME

ANDY PELOQUIN AUTHOR OF:

Rad-Reader:  What was your inspiration for the character the Hunter?

Andy:  It all started out as a short piece of prose where a prisoner was fleeing a monster, absolutely terrified of the thing hunting him. When I was looking for a new idea of something to write, I loved the thought of writing a story from the monster's perspective. I tried to think of what would drive someone to pants-pissing terror, and pretty much the only thing that came to mind was a killer. Thus, was born the legendary assassin of Voramis.

Rad-Reader:  Did you come up with the City Voramis before Writing

Andy:  My world-building is mostly spur-of-the-moment. I spend a lot of time thinking about characters, but the world sort of paints itself into my head as I write. There are some elements that were created before the writing, but for the most part it all came together in the moment.

Rad-Reader:  :  The character "the First of the Bloody Hand", did you come up with him when you thought of the Hunter?  Or did he evolve during the writing of the book?

Andy:  He was always going to be the antagonist, but I wasn't certain what would make him a worthy foe for the Hunter. I had written about 10 chapters before I realized what would be the perfect way to set him as the ultimate antagonist. I'm very happy with the way it came out (no spoilers!). 

Rad-Reader:  Was the Soulhunter that the Hunter carried something you always had with the early rough draft? Or added?

Andy:  You know, it's been so long (three years can fly by) that I don't remember. Heh. I think I did have Soulhunger as the something that made him so terrifying. After all, what's more horrific than not only dying, but losing your soul? Plus, it was the Hunter's tool that made him an even more effective killer.

Rad-Reader:  Were you Planning on the underlying of good and evil when you began the story or did that just happen?

Andy:  It kind of just happened. I wanted to write a story from the perspective of a more villainous character--an anti-hero, really. So, I knew I had to make it very clear that this world isn't about black and white, but it's more about shades of grey. But the true depth of the characters didn't come out until the second or third draft.

Rad-Reader:  Did you come up with the friends of the Hunter before or during writing of the story?  As you can tell the process always amazes me on a book this entrenched in a fantasy world.

Andy:  The friends of the Hunter actually didn't exist on the first draft, only Farida. But when my beta readers said the Hunter was too cold, too "bad-ass". So, I delved into researching the psyche of an assassin, and found that one of the basic motivations for killing was "vengeance". I also needed to give the Hunter more human traits, and his concern for the beggars tied in nicely to both his humanity and his ultimate desire for vengeance.

Rad-Reader:  What was your reasoning to having all of his friends die?

Andy:    Spoilers! It set him down the path of vengeance, and it deprived him of any semblance of "safety". That was very important for what came next for the Hunter.

Rad-Reader:  Did you ever think of having the female (Fourth of the Bloody Hand) and the Hunter become love interests?

Andy:  I did and I didn't. I knew there had to be something there, but it didn't need to go deeper than basic interest and attraction. I didn't want genuine love interests in this book, as that would have detracted from the mystery of the woman from his dreams/memories. Every woman he's with is basically filling the void left by Her. We find out more about her in later books.

Rad-Reader:  How did you come up with Iron being the weakness for him and the others? 

Andy:    A character who couldn't die is no fun to write or read, so I knew I had to give him a vulnerability to avoid making him "overpowered" a la Superman. In the Wiccan beliefs, iron is believed to have the ability to "warn off malevolent spirits", and in other cultures it's believed to be a metal of purity. It seemed fitting that it would be used to drive off demons and those with demonic blood.

Rad-Reader:  This book genre is Sci-Fi/Fantasy but while I was reading your book I really didn’t feel that.  It was intense, suspenseful, and mysterious.  All of those.  Did you know that after writing it?  That it fit more than your two genres?

Andy:  It's a fantasy book at its core, but it brings in elements of horror, suspense, and mystery because that's what makes for a good story. You have to have it all to keep people interested.

Rad-Reader:  How long did you work on the lead character The Hunter until you like the character?

Andy:   I spent about 4-5 months writing the story, editing it, and redrafting until I was happy with the character. I went way too far into the "bad-ass" territory at first, so I had to make sure I added the human elements to make him a more relatable character. It's funny to think of a half-demon assassin as an "everyman", but a lot about him are things we can all relate to: feeling like an outsider, the pain of loss, a desire for control, and so on.

Rad-Reader:  Normally we would ask about actors portraying the characters for a movie.  I think this would make for a great video game with all of the different disguises, the town, weapons, etc.… Your thoughts?

Andy:   I would LOVE to see this as a video game, but I can't think of how to differentiate it from Assassin's Creed. I think it would be a killer TV show on a network like Netflix or HBO, the networks that focus on the quality of the story rather than simply serializing it to engage with the audience. Plus, the dark, gritty nature of the Hunter wouldn't come across well on the more upbeat, sitcom-heavy channels like NBC or ABC.

Rad-Reader:  How long have you known you wanted to be a writer?

Andy:  I sort of stumbled into it by accident. How many writers say that?! I come from a family of artists, but I have no skill with paintbrush, graphic design, or pencil. So finding that I was able to paint a picture with words gave me a way to tap into my creative side. It opened a whole new world for me. When I started writing at the age of 15, I felt like a whole new person. It was a truly liberating experience!

Rad-Reader:  Was your family always supportive of the idea of you being a writer or did they say you need a real job?

Andy:  They've always been very supportive. My wife helps me to fit it into my schedule, and my kids are very understanding of my need for time to write. One of my brothers is actually one of my most critical (in a good way) alpha readers, and my sister is the one who designed the covers.
Rad-Reader:  Bravo sister.  Great Cover!

Rad-Reader:  What 3 pieces of advice would you give to an up and coming youth who wants to be a writer?

Andy:  Keep writing, even when it feels like "work". The main thing that separates real authors from hobby writers is the attitude: real authors treat it like a profession, something they do no matter how little they "feel it".

Prepare for a lot more work than just the thrill of writing. The creative side of things only takes up about 20% of the process. The rest is editing, marketing, and eternally striving to improve.

Don't let anyone stop you from doing it. If you want to write, write.  

Rad-Reader:  What is your three favorite things?  Anything?

Andy:   Hot wings, a long nap, and an awesome comic book.

Rad-Reader:  What is your next project and when is it coming out?

Andy:  The second book in The Last Bucelarii series already published in August 2016, and Book 3 is due to release in early 2017. The fourth book is about 60% done. However, I'm also releasing another trilogy set in the same world, but different characters. The title of the first book is "Child of the Night Guild", and it follows a young girl sold to the thieves' guild. That one is also scheduled for release in early 2017.

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers buy your books?

Andy:  Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book-ebook/dp/B012EI9M4A/

Amazon Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blade-Destroyer-Last-Bucelarii-Book/dp/1515038955/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25269614-blade-of-the-destroyer

Rad-Reader:  Where can our readers find you on the Web?

Andy:  Website: http://www.andypeloquin.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyPeloquin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andyqpeloquin

www.linkedin.com/in/andypeloquin/

https://plus.google.com/100885994638914122147/about

https://www.amazon.com/author/andypeloquin

https://www.facebook.com/andrew.peloquin.1

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYAKG5k06vcmc02Uy4fGLfA

http://andypeloquin.com/join-the-club/

Here is your chance to win.  Go to Andy Peloquin’s and our Facebook which I will see links below.  Click follow for on both sites and then add in the comment section these words: “Andy Rocks!”  When you do we will put your name in a hat and on Sat. at Noonish Facebook live we will announce three winners.  There will be two e-books directly from the author and our copy of the autographed, the one we got at The InD’Scribe Conference. You must be in the USA for the large paperback to be shipped I am so sorry.  The cut off time to enter will be 12 midnight Sat. PST.

Good Luck!

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