After I read my first Brett Salter book, I realized that he must be fascinating. It would take an exciting and imaginative person to craft such a unique story. Kindly, Brett agreed to answer a few questions for me. Here they are:
- Who is your favorite author and why? If I had to nail down one author that influenced my writing style and burgeoning personality, I would say that Piers Anthony was my idol author growing up. Of course, I LOVE the classics (Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, L’Engle, Carroll, etc), but The Xanth Series really opened my eyes to how writing could be full of humor, full of action, AND full of lore all at the same time. As for more modern authors, I love James Patterson, E.C. Meyers, Hunter S. Thompson, Kurt Vonnegut, and Brandon Sanderson.
- Do you have a routine you do to get into the writing frame of mind? Not really? I mean, I write whenever I find free time (which is very limited). I think if I had a better routine, maybe I would be able to churn out the books faster. (snaps finger) Darnit!
- What is your favorite unhealthy snack? I LIKE where this interview is going! So many to choose from…. Probably the Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos. You know, the ones that come in the purple bag? That bag color makes it impossible for me to hide it from my daughter who also would hurt someone for a bag of those little, crunchy, culinary delights!
- Who are you more like: Julian or Rome? Interesting question. Check this out. This is all available on the character section of Fandom Wiki Page which I will leave at the end, but the two main characters, Rome and Julian, are based on the two sides of my personality. Rome represents the levelheaded and introspective portion of me that wants to do the right thing but rarely jumps at the chance to be a leader. Despite his uneasiness about assuming a leadership role, he always has the best interests of his friends and family in mind. Rome’s internal dialogue and hesitant decision-making reflect how I feel about myself specifically during my teenage years. Julian, on the other hand, is brash and braggadocio. Not to mention loud, and most times, his mouth operates without properly consulting his brain first. Even the idea of him rebelling against his family’s ideals is indicative of my own brazen and defiant nature during my teenage years. Julian uses informal language with everyone other than his father to emphasize the fact that he tries to be “cool” with a “devil-may-care” attitude. Whereas Rome is more the internal example of how I felt as a teen, Julian more closely resembles my physical appearance during those years. Finally, the spatial linking that the two share as Synergist Knight and Master Dragon is a metaphor for how my two personalities differ and interact inside my head. LOL. Seems funny to really say it out loud, but the idea of splitting my two personalities into two characters was an idea I wanted to explore since the earliest days of my writing
- Do evil creatures have more fun than good guys? (Rubs hands together) I think in some instances, yes. (Think The Joker from Batman) But not in my books. The bad guys are just that…bad! They are not having a good time in our realm. They are trying to take it over. The good guys have all the fun in my series.
- Where did the idea for the three types of creatures in the Void come from? Probably from the cartoons I watched growing up. I knew I needed some foot soldier types (the Garms) that become easily dispensed of once our heroes get going. And I knew I wanted some thing to kind of “shepherd” the Garms. I’ve always loved the Minotaur of Crete mythology, so I figured that would be fun to do. And then, I wanted something at a higher level than both of those other two. And when I was young, I had a recurring nightmare where I was chased by something that resembled my Nocturns. So, I used that nightmare fuel to come up with the most dangerous and most evil of the Darkbrands.
- I know you have more books about Julian and Rome, are there any other books you are working on? I do have the humblest beginnings of a second series in the works. I have the plot of the first book and the “Legendarium” already put to paper (or hardrive). That series will be a work of portal fiction mixed with destiny fiction and entail more adult themes as compared to The Talisman Series. Trying to make it a pure YA series instead of the more MG adventures of Rome and Julian. There will be a heavy emphasis on mythology, colors, names, and elements. As well as some video game RPG fundamentals like summoning, weapons, and certain aspects of magic. I’m really excited to get a rough draft of book 1 or at least a solid foundation. I plan to get into that tasty experiment later this year, after I finish the initial rendering of book 11 for The Talisman Series
- Do you see yourself as strictly a fantasy author? Oh yes! It’s all I can write. I cannot write romance or historical or non-fiction at all! I have to go to made up worlds to find inspiration. And if I ever tried my hand at romance, I would probably be openly laughed at. It tickles my belly just thinking about how awkward it would be.
- Do you set a daily writing goal or write as much as you can? I just write as much as I can whenever I can. I wish I had more time, but I just do this part-time as I try to juggle working 9-5, be a good dad, and sleep.
- Were you tempted to set the location of your first Talisman book somewhere other than Georgia? Actually, yes. I try to go to the beach once a year to submerge myself in nature and relax. I originally thought I’d put them near a beach, but then I thought to myself, “Brett, you are going to be having all these fights on the beach and there are only so many ways to describe sand!” So, I figured I would have them visit beaches throughout the series for battles and such. But leave it in a small-town Georgia for the hometown. I love these questions. Very cool!
BIO:
My background in writing stems mostly from the inspiration I found as a kid when I read Fantasy and Sci-Fi books. These include The Chronicles of Narnia, The Xanth Novels, The Time Quintet, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, and everything from Shakespeare to Dr. Seuss. In my formative years, I joined several punk rock bands and wrote songs, poetry, and short stories aplenty. As an adult (?) I took on a dare and wrote the first book in my Talisman Series. I loved the feeling it gave me and the idea of inspiring others so much that I kept writing until I had an entire series.
@Talismanbrett
And now, a massive head’s up! I am NOT a professional writer. That’s why I write MG/YA instead of High, Epic Fantasy. I do all my own writing, my own editing, my own promoting, and my own stunts with my extremely limited free time. If you are okay overlooking a few typos and coma splices, then we can be friends. If you are expecting the next George R.R. Martin, then my apologies. I write for kids like my own and tell stories meant to entertain. Check out my books if you like action, dragons, and zany characters. Just remember everybody, it’s Middle Grade fiction, not Applied Mathematics or Epistemology, so just have fun with it and try not to be too serious.
Stay safe and keep a wary eye out for portals!