I was lucky to get an interview with Brand J. Alexander, the author of Rise of Tears, one of this year’s #SPFBO8 entries.
Please, tell us a bit about yourself…
I am an American author from a small town in Indiana, where I live with my husband and partner of nineteen years. I am a nature lover and dragon fanatic. When I’m not writing my universe into existence, I’m handcrafting nightmares and preparing to raise the darkness of my other written creation, Ravenfell Manor, into the real world for Halloween. This realm alone, among my creations, can be entered through both the pages of a book and the very gates of Ravenfell Manor for a few weeks each October.
“I am really focused on building my community ... I have found that it’s an important component of success.”
Why did you decide to take part in the SPFBO?
I discovered the SPFBO not long into my writing career and was determined to participate. Unfortunately, I caught it right at the end of submissions, so I couldn’t sign up. Life events prevented me the next year. But my mind was set, so I prepped my files and stayed focused on my goal. When the chance came this year, I was, at last, able to submit for the first time.
As for why, being a self-published author is a lot of work. Any opportunity to get my books out there is welcomed. I believe in my story and my writing. I have readers that believe in my writing and have encouraged me to enter. So, I shall toss the dice and see how they land. Even if I don’t win, the chance to gain even a few new readers is something I can’t pass up.
Why should we buy your SPFBO8 book?
That depends on the kind of books you enjoy. I bring what I love from the fantasy I grew up on into my writing. Jordan, Brooks, Eddings, Rawn. I was raised on the traditional fantasy of the 80s and 90s.
Rise of Tears is woven with my love of rich histories and descriptive worlds. Asahn’s journey treads the boundaries of two reflections of his world—the fallen divine paradise of the past and the withering wastes of the present. While Asahn contends with his new status of manhood and his responsibilities as heir to the chieftain, he is weighed with burdens he never imagined. A dying world, a hunted people, and a sacred ancestry that raises more questions than answers.
It is, at its heart, a traditional-styled fantasy adventure, but it explores the struggles of father and son as their roles change and their relationship is tested. Questions of faith and divinity.
The contentions of small tribe politics and the unwavering gift of friendship.
I also grew up with a love of awe-inspiring magic and battles. And I love the slow build of a series, with each installment’s climax growing more epic. I put a little of that in there too.
This was my first novel, and it tells more than just the beginning of a single story, but many. Rise of Tears opens with the genesis of my universe and every story that takes place within it. I invite you to take a step into the Universe of Brand J. Alexander, and what better place to start than at the very beginning of all things.
What got you into writing? And how long have you been doing it?
I’ve been creating stories before I even knew how to write them down. My mother’s bedtime stories were interactive, and I began my earliest imaginings about the adventures of my stuffed dragon, Dragodoon.
I was always telling stories. I would make up the grand quests in the woods with my friends. I was the Dungeon Master ninety percent of the time when I played Dungeons & Dragons, and I loved it. I loved creating a world and guiding people on an adventure through it. And that’s the path that led to me fulfilling my dream today of creating worlds and taking people on adventures.
Why did you choose to write fantasy? And why pick this particular fantasy subgenre?
Like writing, I have loved fantasy for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been enchanted by dragons and magic. My stuffed dragon, Dragodoon, was a present for my first Christmas. Many of the children’s books that I read were fantasy-inspired. My favorite cartoons were He-Man, She-Rah, Thundercats, Dungeons & Dragons, and Gummi Bears. If it was fantasy, I was into it.
And my father was an avid fantasy reader. He had a decent-sized collection and was happy to introduce it to me with The Hobbit. After that, he gave no additional suggestions. I dove into Shannara, Magician, The Belgariad, and the Wheel of Time and was lost to worlds of fantasy for all eternity.
I loved the epic scale of the books of that time. Huge volumes thick with lore spanning lifetimes and ages of greatness and magic. I hope that I have created a bit of that wonder within my own universe.
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
Being a god. Truly. I create worlds and lives and can obliterate them with a thought and a few taps of some keys. I wield the full magical potential of words, and with that power, I can weave a universe into creation and guide the lives of fantastic people and beings to fates and destinies unimagined in our own mundane world.
And even better than that, I can place a magical spell of words upon a page so that others who read them can see the world I created too. How great is that?
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Staying focused on only one project. It takes so long to write a story and then rewrite and edit. That whole time, new ideas are developing and screaming to be brought forth into existence. There are days I give in and work on some of those projects more than the notes I usually appease the urge with, and I write a bit about some of those other concepts. But the closer I get to publishing a book, the harder it is to stay focused on it. There are so many stories I still need to tell.
As for being an Indie author, I think the hardest part is figuring out the advertising and promotion part. Just finding readers.
Do you have a tip, app, tool, or resource you recommend to authors?
I admit that I am still learning. Always learning. That’s the foundation of being a writer, especially an indie author. Just when I think I have a handle on something, the industry changes. You must do it all. Unfortunately, that means either trusting someone’s suggestion or testing out options, one by one, until you find what works for you. With how individualized Indie fandoms are, I think the second option is the best. Find what works for you.
One thing I am noticing is that community appears to be important to success. Whether it is building a community of readers or building a community of fellow authors, those seem to be the arrangements that lead to the most consistent success.
As for programs, while I won’t swear this works, these are the programs I am using currently.
I use Grammarly for editing help. (Don’t trust everything it says. It will catch errors, but it will also cause some.)
Newsletter- (Having one helps. I get sales through it. You can too.) Currently using Mailchimp.
I use StoryOrigin to help build my newsletter subscribers. I am testing Bookfunnel to compare.
If you want a map, I occasionally dabble with a free trial of Inkarnate that allows me to build decent-looking maps.
What new projects are you working on?
I am split between several projects. My current focus is on my Guardians of the Tide series. I am completing a final rewrite of book two, Song of the Rising Deep, in preparation for release this year. The first initial cover sketches should be arriving any day.
I am also eight chapters into writing book three of Guardians, Whispers of the Shadow Sea, and several pages of notes and outlines for the prequel of the series.
Did I mention that all of this is going on amidst my random sprints to a notebook where I add to the outline for book three of Tears of Hatsunae, Tears of the Fallen?
Beyond that, I am really focused on building my community. As mentioned in an earlier answer, I have found that it’s an important component of success. So, I am creating online spaces to build my own. From my website where I sell autographed copies and Universe of Brand J. Alexander merchandise to my new Facebook group where we chat about fantasy and hold giveaways.
Anything else you would like to say before we close?
I just appreciate this opportunity. As an author, my greatest achievement is to have someone take the time to read what I’ve written. If you enjoyed my answers and are even the slightest bit curious to explore the Universe of Brand J. Alexander, then I invite you to check out my website for free reads and examples of my writing, follow me on Facebook and join my community, or here on Instagram or Twitter.
Best of luck with building up your audience further.
It’s always a pleasure to meet a fellow Robert Jordan fan. And I wish you the best of luck in the competition, Brand!
Thanks for doing the interview.
