Book Spotlight
1.
What is the title of your
book?
Summer of Fire by LG Surgeson
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What is the story about?
·
Summer of Fire
was the summer of the year 1102, when two major catastrophic events occurred
almost simultaneously: a war among the Gods that spilled to the mortal plane, and
the rise of an evil overlord.
·
The novel tracks the events that lead to these two catastrophes,
and the paths of a group of adventurers who find themselves destined to
navigate them and try to fix them.
2.
Who is the main
character?
·
There isn't one main character – it's more of an ensemble cast.
·
They are a group of luckless adventurers who have found themselves
staring into the open jaws of fate with no choice but to act.
3.
What inspired this tale?
Ø
How did the story come to you?
·
For 12 years, I worked on a Live Action Roleplay game, called Aberddu Adventures. Summer of Fire, and the rest of the chronicles,
were inspired by the world and the story arcs that I – along with my team –
created for this game.
·
Many of the characters are based on characters played by friends of
mine.
Ø
Did you have to research for this novel, and if so,
why?
·
I did bits and pieces of research, but nothing that really springs
to mind.
4.
Do you relate to your character?
Ø
Is your protagonist anything like you personally?
·
In some senses, I do relate to some of my protagonists. Possibly, Sr Daisy is the one that I could
most relate to.
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If yes, then
how?
Daisy started
out shy and self-doubting. She didn't have much faith in her Temple or her own
abilities. Through the story she grows, thanks to the faith placed in her by
her friends. I can very much relate to that.
Ø
What made you write this character; were they based on
a real person or something that inspired you?
·
Sr Daisy is one of a pair of priestesses whose humility, faith and
friendship have an inordinate impact on the outcome of the Gods' war. Daisy and
her friend, Mori, are based on me and a friend of mine when we were eighteen.
They have the same hopes, fears and flaws as we did then – and the same naivety.
ü
What should readers know about this
character?
Daisy may seem
a bit like a wet blanket at times, but she's as solid as a rock underneath –
particularly, when she is protecting friends. Her loyalty is by far her
strongest quality.
ü
Why is this character important to you?
Daisy is a
character that changes the world through sheer force of faith, loyalty and
persistence. She gives me hope that simple souls, with faith and loyalty, can
actually effect change.
Ø
Do you consider the main character of your story to be
good or bad, and why?
·
The characters from the Adventurers Guild are mostly good. They are
not always nice, or right, but they are generally on the side that is pitted
against evil. Some of them have self-serving tendencies, but in a pinch, most
of them could be trusted to do near enough the right thing.
5.
Is there anything you
specific want readers to know about this piece of work?
Summer of Fire
is a bit like a 'prequel' to the rest of the series.
It is far wider ranging than the other stories in the series,
and takes place over a much longer period of time. It's much more epic in
scale. However, I hope it has the same comfortable readability and relatable
characters as the others.
Ø
Is there a particular idea or morale you are trying to
convey?
·
There are probably plenty of moral ideas in this story, but I
didn't deliberately set out to put one across. I just wanted to make sure that
when the characters in later stories talked about the Summer of Fire
or the time before it that readers had some idea of the scale and impact that
it had on the whole world.
6.
Is this book part of a
series, and if so, what’s the series name?
Summer of Fire is the first of The Black River Chronicles.
Ø
If it is the first in a series, when can we expect to
see the next book published?
·
This is the first novel in the series. There are currently 3 novels
available in The Black River Chronicles: Summer of Fire, The Winter That Follows
& The Freetown Bridge.
·
There will be another 3
released soon.
Ø
If it is a part of a book series, can it be read as a
standalone or do you need to read the entire series to experience the full
realm of the tale?
·
Yes, it can be read as a standalone.
7.
Where can readers connect
with you?
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