“Not darkness, not light, perhaps something in between, and is claimed by the darkness…as theirs. Though being saved by the light, that which is saved must in turn save the world…”
Darshun Luthais has never experienced the Nasharin Frenzy—the unbending will to challenge a stronger opponent, no matter the cost. He doesn’t know what he will transform into, has never bonded with an elemental crystal and has never seen any of the unearthly creatures his father talks about. Even though he’s an infant in Nasharin years, his life consists of nothing but constant training, striving to unlock the sleeping power his so-called accursed race is born with.
But all that changes when he is pursued by a Dream Assassin in the dead of night. What he witnesses will forever change his outlook on life and lead him on a quest only the strongest can complete.
The clashing of swords began to fade as more and more men fell victim to the army of Asgoth. Outnumbered and outmatched, Asgoth had taken the peaceful city of Zithel by surprise. Human blood now painted the once beautiful infirmary gardens, vineyards, and cemetery orchards. Even the manmade fountain, where the people would cast in gemstones—a different stone for a different wish—now contained the heads of Zithelian fighters. The decapitated heads turned the water crimson as they bobbled within the pool.
Lord Adeleric and his wife
remained trapped in the upper chamber of the tower, having no choice but to
witness their people slaughtered. Heavy footsteps from outside of the chamber
door neared as the enemy stormed up the stairway.
The first page
is perhaps one of the most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the
reader into the story. Why did you choose to begin your book this way?
Speaking for myself here, I usually
read a couple of pages before I determine whether I will continue with the book,
sometimes even the whole first chapter. The prologue in Prophecy of the Guardian
immediately shows us a defeated people, and how the Dark forces are searching
for the lost ancient Elemental Crystals. You ask yourself…why? What will they
do with them? Then comes one of the main characters of this tale, Queen
Talvenya. Her horrid actions against Adeleric’s wife and choice of words to
Adeleric after she kills his wife in such a helpless, humiliating way makes one
ask a question…what happened to this Talvenya in the past?
In the course of writing your book,
how many times would you say that first page changed and for what reasons?
Only a few times, but nothing
drastic. I had a strict idea of how I wanted to begin.
Was there ever a time after the
book was published that you wished you had changed something on the first page?
Yes, a typo I noticed; a quotation
mark placed where it should not be! Ha ha. As far as I’m aware, that is the
only typo.
What advice can you give to
aspiring authors to stress how important the first page is?
See, now this is a bit difficult
here. Opinions vary. Let me give you an example. When I first began reading J.R.R
Tolkien’s classic Lord of the Rings trilogy I was bored to death! I knew I had
to keep going though because fantasy readers consider it a classic. And I loved
Tolkien’s the Hobbit book so much. LOTR had to get better, right? About 6 or 7
chapters in I was hooked. The book became amazing to me. Likewise, I once read
an urban fantasy series that I thought started well. Fast paced, good writing.
However, there came a point in the series where it just began to drag. Chapter
after chapter continued to drag. The action was predictable, and overall, it
was plain old boring. My opinion, of course, but I never completed the series.
So, you see my point here? I’d
suggest go with your heart. How would YOU like a story to start? What would
inspire YOU to keep reading? One could say start off slow, build, or begin with
a battle, or perhaps a death scene of some sort, or an apocalyptic visionary
warning. All intriguing, but again, what would keep YOU reading this story of
yours if someone else had written it?
Thanks for this interview. It was fun!
J.W. Baccaro is the author of Prophecy of the Guardian, The Coming of the Light and Blood Dreams. Always a lover of creativity, from works of literature to writing music with his electric guitar; even baking and cooking. When not working on his next story or lost in a good book, J.W. enjoys kicking back with a couple of tasty craft beers and binging on Kaiju movies, 80’s action flicks, Japanese animation and slasher films (particularly the one involving a hockey mask). Heck, he even enjoys a good romantic comedy. Feel free to email him at jwbaccaro@yahoo.com. He lives in upstate NY with his wife Melissa, his son Alexander, his German Shepherd and his three cats.
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