Interview with O.S. Gill, Author of The Knights of Galaria

O.S. Gill grew up on the Caribbean island of Barbados. He was educated at The Lodge School, a 300-year-old former British boarding school and the second oldest learning institution on the island. A certified information technology professional, he has worked for The Banks Holdings Limited, a local conglomerate that owns the local brewery (Banks Beer) and Coca-Cola manufacturing plant for fourteen years. A Systems Analyst, he has been positioned in various capacities, primarily dealing with sales and distribution, as well as the sourcing and implementation of new technologies to further business efficiency. He always had a passion for writing and published his first novel, THE KNIGHTS OF GALARIA: THE CRYSTALS OF POWER, in 2012.

You can visit his website at www.osgill.com.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am a father of two. I have been working in the beverage industry for fourteen years. I love sci-fi and fantasy. And I try to play as many sports as I can, at least once.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on the Caribbean island of Barbados.

What is your fondest childhood memory?

My fondest childhood memory is flying kites on the pasture behind my home.

When did you begin writing?

I began writing in 2011.

Do you write during the day, at night or whenever you can sneak a few moments?

I write whenever I can.

What is this book about?

It is about a team of young knights on a distant world called Galaria. On the day of their graduation from the Knight Academy, there is an assassination attempt on the keynote speaker. This gives them their first assignment: to find out who is responsible. From there this leads to a much greater adventure that finds them travelling all across Galaria in pursuit of the main antagonist.

What inspired you to write it?

Well I knew I wanted to write a swashbuckling adventure set deep in space. That was my aim from the beginning. From there the characters and the world just started to take shape.

Who is your biggest supporter?

My friends definitely are!

Are you a member of a critique group? If no, who provides feedback on your work?

Informally. I had a few key people read my work and give me their notes before it was ready to be published.

Who is your favorite author?

J.R.R. Tolkien.

Do you have an agent or are you looking for one?

I don’t have one at this time. I haven’t actively tried looking for one for a while.

Was the road to publication smooth sailing or a bumpy ride?

Well, seeing that I am self-published, there was a lot more leg work involved in getting this novel to market. But it was worth it in the end.

If you knew then, what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently?

Not a single thing. It was fun all the way.

Where can readers purchase a copy of your book?

They can get the ebook here: http://www.amazon.com/Knights-Galaria-Crystals-Power-ebook/dp/B0075LZ5MA

Or the printed copy from here: - https://www.createspace.com/3793226

What is the best investment you have made in promoting your book?

I would have to say hiring a publicist. They have so much more experience in producing exposure.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with aspiring authors everywhere?

As cliché as it is, never give up. Always work hard and see your project through till the end.

What is up next for you?

The second novel in this series.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Only that this entire interview has been a pleasure. And I would encourage all of your readers to pick up a copy of The Knights of Galaria. They will totally love it!

Guest Blogger: Resa Nelson, Author of The Dragon's Egg

In the fourth and final book of the Dragonslayer series, Mandulane's army is poised to attack the Northlands in the name of a powerful god, but in truth Mandulane is using the act of spreading this new faith as a way to disguise his own personal greed and hunger for power. Astrid has succeeded in warning her beloved country of imminent danger, and the Northlanders scramble to set up a clever defense, never realizing a spy in their midst is poised to take critical information directly to Mandulane.

How Reading Mysteries Influences the Fantasy Novels I Write

by Resa Nelson

Although I write fantasy and science fiction novels, the mysteries I read for fun have a huge influence on my work. Ironically, I rarely read fantasy and science fiction, because I don’t want other authors’ work to seep into my brain and someday color my own work. It’s important to me to strive to be original, and that’s difficult for me to do when I read within my genre. Ironically, reading mysteries influences my work in a very positive way.

I fell in love with mysteries when I was a child. When I was in elementary school I fell in love with Sherlock Holmes. By the time I was in junior high school I was hooked on Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie, as well as movies directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In adulthood I became a fan of Hitchcock and Ellery Queen magazines. These days my favorite TV shows include Dexter, The Closer (so sad to see it end!), and Major Crimes. I’m a huge fan of Harlan Coben and Dennis Lehane and will read anything they write. I’m always on the lookout for mystery writers new to me, ready at the drop of a hat to become obsessed with their novels.

But how do they influence the fantasy and science fiction I write? One of my goals as a writer is to never bore my readers. I believe the greatest gift anyone can give is their time, and I’m deeply honored whenever anyone is willing to take a chance on my work and give their time to reading one of my novels. I respect every reader’s time as much as I want other people to respect my time. I gravitate to mysteries because they don’t bore me. I like books that make me think. I like novels that put questions in my head.

In a nutshell, I’ve always liked puzzles and trying to solve them.

For that reason, no matter what kind of novel I write, there’s always some kind of mystery at the heart of it. For example, I have a 4-book Dragonslayer series about Astrid, a female blacksmith who makes swords for dragonslayers. On a superficial level, it’s an epic fantasy modeled on the Viking era. But there’s a mystery within each book as well as a mystery that runs throughout the entire series. Astrid quickly discovers there are two different types of dragons: dangerous overgrown lizards that should be killed and shapeshifters who can take either dragon or human form. No one else in the world seems to know about the shapeshifting dragons that befriend Astrid and have a complicated relationship with her. The mystery that runs through the series revolves around what these dragons really are and why they want to know Astrid. Decades of being a mystery fan gave me a lot of ideas for how to shape each book’s mystery and the mystery that binds the series together.

I also have a standalone novel (Our Lady of the Absolute) about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt, which leans more toward being a mystery/thriller than a fantasy novel. While getting ready to write this novel, I was reading a Harlan Coben novel and was thrilled with the villain because he terrified me. I kept thinking I wish I could create a villain like this. Within a few days I had an idea for a female serial killer, and creating her is one of the most fun things I’ve ever done as a writer. She’s nothing like Coben’s scary villain – but being scared by his villain helped me create my own. This novel has four major characters whose lives interweave throughout the book, and it’s a mystery that ties them together.

Mysteries have influenced me to the point where the novel I’m currently writing is a present-day science fiction novel that I hope reads more like a mystery. One of the main characters is a small-town detective who is facing a mystery that appears to be a simple case of murder but that will ultimately have a global impact when he solves the case.

I love blending genres, and I can’t imagine writing any novel that doesn’t revolve around some kind of mystery.

Resa Nelson’s first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series, which also includes The Iron Maiden (Book 2), The Stone of Darkness (Book 3), and The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4).

Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."

Resa has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop. Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Resa lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website and blog at http://www.resanelson.com. You can find her books at http://www.amazon.com/Resa-Nelson/e/B002C78D2Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1