MEDIA KIT

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• Where did you come up with the idea for The Trials of Ildarwood?

  • The basic concept of kids with special powers was something I used to think about all the way back in middle school. Like, "wouldn't it be cool if I could do this? And you could do that?" And even back then, the characters were roughly the same, and there was an elemental component to their abilities. But it took almost twenty years for me to refine it as much as I needed to for this series.
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• Have you always wanted to be a writer?

  • I was never a big fan of reading growing up, so I never in a million years thought I'd grow up to be a writer. I always imagined I'd make video games, TV shows, or movies. That's actually why I went to college in Syracuse - to learn how to turn my ideas into TV shows or movies - but obviously that didn't work out.
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• What made you decide to self-publish?

  • I had always heard what a nightmare it was to get an agent and convince a publishing company to give you a chance, so it was just not an experience I ever wanted to subject myself to.
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• What books or stories did you try to emulate while writing The Trials of Ildarwood?

  • The only books I can actually recall reading through to completion are Harry Potter, The Hobbit, and The Lord of the Rings, so I don't exactly have a deep well of comparisons to pull from. I tried to read the Game of Thrones books, but I really struggled with how rich the detail in those stories are, so when I was writing, I just tried to write in a style that I thought was enjoyable to read, myself.
     

• What is your long-term vision for this series?

  • I can see this series having anywhere from six to nine books in it - I have rough plot outlines for either version - but ultimately, I just want to work with other aspiring authors and artists to expand the world of the Ildarwood with new stories, cultures, characters, and adventures. I really want to know what the Trials are like in other parts of this world, and there's really no one better suited to telling those stories than people from the parts of the real world that inspired the cultures in this series.
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• What makes The Trials of Ildarwood different from other young adult fantasy series out there today?

  • The way it makes people feel like they're actually in the story as they're reading it. Whether they relate to the kids and what they're going through, or they're looking at what's happening from the perspective of a parent, readers get emotionally attached to these characters and situations pretty much from page one. They also appreciate that this story has layers upon layers of hidden meanings, giving them the ability to read it and reread it over and over again and still find something new every single time.
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• When do you think the next book in the series will come out?

  • Now that most of the world building and trial-and-error involved in writing the first book is done, I'm pretty confident I can finish book two in less than two years. But in the process of creating book one, I ended up with so many interesting side stories that I've been considering releasing one or two novellas set in this world to bridge that gap.
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• Where did you find the time to write a book?

  • Part of the reason why it took me seven years to finish book one was because I couldn't find the time to write a book! A lot of that time was focused on building my career at a Boston tech company, so I had to use what little time I could at night, on weekends, during commutes, or on vacation to try and make even the slightest bit of progress.
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• Was writing a book hard?

  • Absolutely. For this book, I spent countless hours planning, researching, writing, rewriting, rewriting again, and again, and again. Some days, I spent hours trying to figure out how to word a single sentence! Then, once I was done, I had to address all of the editor's notes, then the proofreader's, then work with a designer -- all while working with the illustrators and trying to market the book. But even knowing how hard it all was, I still can't wait to do it all again. After all, this sort of work wouldn't be nearly as rewarding (or as interesting) if it was easy.​
     

• Where did you get all of the art you use on your website and on social media?

  • I really wanted the world of the Ildarwood to be as immersive as possible, so I went online and found about a dozen different artists from around the world - each with different styles - that way my readers and I could both see different interpretations of the characters and places and events from this book.