Author Timothy L. Cerepaka joins me today to discuss ‘Kingdom of Magicians’ and writing in general. Thank you, Timothy, for taking the time to chat to me. Please sit down, get comfortable and let’s begin.
About Timothy L. Cerepaka
Timothy L. Cerepaka writes fantasy as an indie author. He is the author of the Mages of Martir fantasy novels, the Two Worlds science-fantasy series, and the Tournament of the Gods fantasy novels. He lives in Texas.
What’s the name of your new book?
Kingdom of Magicians
Tell us a bit about your book
A thousand years ago, the Good King rose and defeated the demons that had oppressed his people for centuries. After his final victory, he imprisoned the demons deep beneath the earth with a seal that will hold so long as his descendents hold the throne. Unfortunately, every dynasty comes to an end.
And as time went on, people forgot about the demons, treating them as nothing more than scary tales meant to frighten disobedient children. And when the last king was killed and left no heir to succeed him, the once-proud Kingdom of Lamaira splintered into three factions that have fought for decades in their attempt to conquer what is left of the kingdom.
Without a king on the throne, the demons will rise again and destroy the people of Lamaira. And when twenty-three-year-old swordsman Keo kills a demon in the woods, he realizes that the demons are returning. To prevent the demons’ return, Keo must travel to the capital of his country to show the country’s rulers the proof of the demons’ return so they can prepare for the ancient threat. Keo must fight robbers, demons, and other threats on his way to the capital, but little does he know that there exists a traitor among the leaders who threatens to destroy the country from the inside.
How important are character names to you in your books? Is there a special meaning to any of the names?
Character names are very important to me. As a fantasy author, I need to make them sound unique and foreign, but fitting for the world in which I am writing. Yet I can’t go too overboard with that, because if they are too complicated to spell or pronounce, it can get really annoying.
There usually isn’t any special meaning to my characters’ names. I usually just go with whatever looks and sounds good. I try to keep the names of major characters simple to spell and pronounce while giving minor characters slightly more complicated or obscure names.
A good example is the main character of “Kingdom of Magicians,” Keo. His name is short (three letters long), easy to spell, and easy to remember. Since he’s the main character, that’s good, because if his name was impossible to spell or pronounce or remember, I think the book would be significantly less enjoyable for readers, especially since its a fairly long read at 108,000 words.
What do you think of book trailers? Do you have a trailer or do you intend to create one for your own book?
I don’t do book trailers, mostly because they seem to be more work than they’re worth. Other authors I know have said they aren’t really worth it, so I don’t see any point in making them myself.
Does that mean I will NEVER make one or, more likely, pay someone to make one for me? No. It’s just that making a book trailer is very low on my list of things I want to do and probably won’t get done unless I write a book that I think would benefit from one. Right now I’m not sure that any of my books would benefit from having a book trailer, so I’m not going to make one or shell out the money to have one done for me.
What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
Hitting the top ten bestselling superhero novels on Amazon with my superhero novel, “The Superhero’s Test,” under the pen name Lucas Flint. First time I ever hit the top ten of any paid category, so I consider it my best accomplishment at the moment.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Being a full-time writer, married and with kids, using my writing to support me and my family.
Have you always liked to write?
Actually, I really hated reading and writing until I turned 12. I started reading the Bionicle books by Greg Farshtey, which really captured my imagination in a way other books hadn’t. Then I started writing my own Bionicle fanfiction and decided to become a full-time fiction writer sometime after that.
If you’re an indie author, what’s the best thing about being an indie author?
The best thing about being an indie writer is the flexibility. If necessary, I could drop everything I’m doing and focus on something else completely. I can write and publish as many books as I want, experiment with different marketing and promotional techniques, and never have to worry about a publisher dropping me because my sales didn’t match their expectations.
In my opinion, the best way for someone to make a living off their writing today is to go indie. That is why I am an indie, because I figured my best chances at making a full-time income with my books was this way, though I’d be willing to consider an offer from a traditional publisher if it was really good.
Where can readers go to discover more about you and your books?
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords | Goodreads
Available formats: ebook and paperback
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