Today the blog joins the tour for the new YA fantasy book release,
Monster Huntress by David Wiley. The book is a YA fantasy, and the first in
The Young Huntress series. I have a look at the book, plus an interview with the author. Enjoy!
Monster Huntress (The Young Huntress Series Book 1) by David Wiley
Consecrated with her mother’s blood and blessing.
The world tells Ava she’s just a little girl who should know her place, but Ava wants a sword not a crown.
Ava and her father are following in her mother’s footsteps, hunting monsters in the 13 Kingdoms, seeking revenge for her mother’s untimely death. Little do they know that the monster responsible is building up a dangerous force. When The King requests the help of Ava’s father in exchange for her becoming a princess, Ava is not pleased. Can Ava escape her fate and the obnoxious prince of Harborg to live the life she’s always known, or will the dark plans of the monster catch her in his trap.
David Wiley combines the action of Tomb Raider with the fantastical elements of The Witcher to create the exciting world of The Young Huntress high fantasy series.
Track down Monster Huntress today and slay your need for good fantasy.
Monster Huntress is available on Amazon
An Interview with Author David Wiley
Why
don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.
I grew up around
stories. I would frequently bring stacks of books to his mother at bedtime,
always eager to have another book read before bed. Several decades have passed
since those days, but little has changed: I still have a passion for stories. I am
a complete and total storyteller at heart, and that is always where I find my
enjoyment. I would still tell stories even if I knew no one would ever read
them because that is the way I am wired.
When I’m not writing, I
can often be found enjoying the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Robert
Jordan, Brandon Sanderson, Sarah J. Maas, and many others. I also like to delve
into the literature of the Anglo-Saxons, such as Beowulf, and the Icelandic
Sagas.
During my free time I
also like to sit around a table with others, pulling out modern board games
such as War of the Ring, Mage Knight, Lignum, A Feast for Odin, and many other
games.
Could
you tell us a bit about your latest book?
The world tells Ava she’s just a
little girl who should know her place, but Ava wants a sword not a crown.
Ava and her father are following
in her mother’s footsteps, hunting monsters in the 13 Kingdoms, seeking revenge
for her mother’s untimely death. Little do they know that the monster
responsible is building up a dangerous force. When The King requests the help
of Ava’s father in exchange for her becoming a princess, Ava is not pleased.
Can Ava escape her fate and the obnoxious prince of Harborg to live the life she’s
always known, or will the dark plans of the monster catch her in his trap.
Do
you have a favourite character? If so, why?
Ava, for sure. I fell in love with her character
when I first penned her to life in Ogre Hunt. My heart and soul has poured into
her story, and I hope to someday have my own little girl who can be inspired by
the fiery young protagonist. She is not so much a reflection of who I am, but
rather a picture of what I hope my daughters would be: bold, strong,
persistent, motivated.
Why
did you write this book? What was your inspiration?
There are so many great
stories out there now with female protagonists, so I’m not breaking new ground
here, but there can never be too many books featuring a strong female lead. My
son can walk into any library or bookstore and grab a fantasy book that has a
hero he can identify with and strive to be like. I wanted to make sure my
daughter, should God bless me with one, will have that same opportunity.
So really, in a way,
this book has always been for her. The little girl I’ve dreamed of being a
father to, bonding together in a way that only a father and a daughter can
bond. I wanted to make sure she could find those books that she could fantasize
about and reenact with her friends much like I used to do with the Star Wars
movies. If she wants to hunt down monsters, I’ll happily provide her with the
sword and let her imagination take her places that I’ve dreamed up in print.
What did you hope to accomplish by
publishing your book?
Honestly, to spread the story I love to readers. If one person
reads and loves the story, then I’ve been successful at my mission. Obviously,
I’d love to reach a larger audience but it isn’t about becoming rich and famous
for me. I want to find readers who love the type of stories that I enjoy
writing. My sincere hope is that this story reaches those people, and that they
would find ways to contact me and let me know their reaction to this book.
Can
you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you
have a certain writing routine?
Writing time is a premium for me most days. A lot of my focus,
lately, has been more on revisions and marketing – both important tasks but far
from what I want to do. I like to go on walks to generate ideas, as there is
something inspiring about being outdoors. I also am a huge fan of writing
prompts, as they often form little nuggets of ideas that can roll into larger
plot points later. At worst, I can flesh out some worldbuilding that takes
place in another place or time from my main series.
Do
you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?
It would be Tolkien, particularly inspired by his
main trio of books: The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. At
this point in time I don’t even know which one is more of an impact, but I am
continually rereading and diving into everything Tolkien created. While they
come through in more subtle flavors in a work like Monster Huntress, you can
see some of the narrator humor from The Hobbit layered into a shorter work of
mine: A Merchant in Oria.
What
advice would you give beginning writers?
Just write. Your first draft doesn't have to be perfect. Stopping
to clean up every detail in Chapter One until it is perfect will prevent you
from ever reaching Chapter Two. Power through the story while it is fresh in
your mind and the creativity is flowing. The rest can be added, subtracted, or
fixed later. After it is finished.
What do you like to do when you're not
writing? Any hobbies?
I play a lot of board games. Not your Monopoly or Clue or Risk,
but the modern era of board games. We're in a renaissance of gaming right now,
and there are few things I enjoy more than sitting at a table with other people
and playing a game like War of the Ring, Castles of Burgundy, Kingdom Builder,
or Mystic Vale (to name a few).
About the Author
David Wiley is an author of science fiction and fantasy stories, choosing to write the stories that he would love to read. His first fantasy novel, Monster Huntress, will be published by OWS Ink, LLC. in April 2018. His novella, A Merchant in Oria, is set in the same fantasy world but follows a different cast of characters on an adventure that challenges the notion of what it takes to be a hero.
His short fiction has previously been published in Sci Phi Journal, OWS Ink, and King Arthur anthologies by Uffda Press and 18th Wall Productions. David resides in central Iowa with his wife and son, and spends his time reading, writing, and playing board games.
