TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK
Dead Man Walking is an urban fantasy/mystery set mostly in modern-day Anchorage, Alaska, with introductions to a wider fictional universe. It follows perpetually anxious library assistant/wannabe writer Isaac Falcone, who suddenly finds his world infested with monsters, both human and supernatural. His subsequent discovery of the lost history of an ancient, otherworldly species gets him caught in the center of a plot to unmake all of reality.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE TITLE FOR THIS BOOK?
The title was one among several other forgotten versions I considered in the years it took me to finish the book. When I was finally feeling something close to satisfaction about the plot, Dead Man Walking seemed like a catchy way to summarize it.
WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS BOOK?
When I was little I was always hooked on any fantasy adventure I could find, whether it was in books, movies & TV, or games. My long list of creative influences include The Dresden Files, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Doctor Who, and Kingdom Hearts, along with too many comic books and song lyrics to list. My fiction fixation, coupled with a limited social life and the occasional voices in my head, led me to the conclusion in my early teens that I could invent a fantasy world that functioned however I told it to, or so I thought. Most of my time since then has been spent arguing with made-up people about how their lives should happen. Dead Man Walking is the result of me emerging victorious from one of those arguments.
WHAT DRIVES YOUR CHARACTERS IN YOUR STORY?
The impending doom of all reality is a major motivator for most of them. Isaac must stumble and panic his way into saving the universe, and simultaneously find his own place in it.
IF YOUR BOOK WERE TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE, WHO WOULD BE YOUR CAST?
Isaac Falcone (protagonist) – Jason Ralph, ever since seeing him on The Magicians it’s been tough to picture anyone else.
L’æon (support) – David Tennant or Matt Smith, both based on their time on Doctor Who.
WHAT CRITERIA DID YOU USE WHEN SELECTING THE COVER FOR YOUR BOOK?
Quality and cost. My budget was limited, and I got lucky; the first artist I contacted on Fiverr.com (Touqeershahid95 for anyone interested in his work) offered a great deal and knocked it out of the park on the first try, with very few notes from me.
WAS THERE A MESSAGE IN YOUR BOOK THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO CONVEY?
To me, Dead Man Walking is about overcoming fear and self-doubt under dire circumstances, but if any reader finds a new meaning that I didn’t see, I think that’s valid as well.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A WRITER?
Motivation. It’s so much easier to just spend all day in bed with the lights off than get up and work. I live in a constant battle to trick myself into feeling the need to do things. And then, once I’m in front of the computer, it can take hours to translate plot notes into proper sentences. Hopefully, my next effort won’t take me the better part of a decade to get through. Maintaining a strict, borderline Sheldon Cooper-esque daily schedule has helped quite a bit.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR NEW WRITERS?
Wake up early every morning, eat a healthy breakfast, turn on your computer or open your notebook, change your name, move to a new state or country, and find something less frustrating to do with your time. If you still haven’t been deterred by then, start building your lead character, inside and out. Don’t stop until they’re a living, breathing person, capable of hopping off the page, assuming your identity, and embarking on a quest for global domination that must be stopped by a character created by the next new writer after you.
Seriously though, just try to devote at least an hour or two every day to seeing how many words you can get out and don’t stop until you can’t pay attention to the page anymore. Remember to take breaks often, because apparently it’s not healthy to stare at a screen and talk to your imaginary friends all day, according to some allegedly real people I know.
DO YOU HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE READERS CAN VISIT FOR UPDATES, EVENTS AND SPECIAL OFFERS?
www.adamsvalentine.com is the homepage of a musical/dramatic partnership I make up half of, where Dead Man Walking and all other future projects of mine will be available. Links to my social pages (Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube) as well as those of my creative accomplice Jon Valentine, can be found there.
Dead Man Walking available for pre-order on Amazon
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