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Welcome lovelies! I hope you all had a safe, happy New Years! It's time for my very first interview of 2013 and we're starting it off with an epic bang :) I have Joe Russomonno here to talk about his epic fantasy, Sons of Titans: Rise of the Bloodwraiths.
Interview
Thank you so much for joining me on The Lindsay Show, Joe! When did you know you wanted to be a writer?Always.
Hahah, I love it! Short, sweet and to the point :) What has been the most difficult part about being a writer?
The uncertainty.
The uncertainty.
Yep, that can be very rough top cope with as an author. Who are your favorite authors?
R.E Howard, Stephen King, J.R.R Tolkien, Llyod Alexander, C.S Lewis, Terry Goodkind, John Grisham, Tom Clancy.
R.E Howard, Stephen King, J.R.R Tolkien, Llyod Alexander, C.S Lewis, Terry Goodkind, John Grisham, Tom Clancy.
Those are all fantastic authors :) What authors inspire you?
Definitely R.E Howard and Stephen King.
Definitely R.E Howard and Stephen King.
I'm not sure I've read anything by R.E. Howard so I'll definitely be adding him to my TBR pile. Do you like to plan your scenes out or do you just wing it?
Planning with some reenactment always helps.
Planning with some reenactment always helps.
You're lucky, I've never been able to plan much. What type of books do you like to read?
Anything that involves adventure or suspense.
Anything that involves adventure or suspense.
Me too! I love my books with plenty of action. What do you like to do in your free time?
Is there such a thing? lol Seriously either play with my kids or walk my dogs.
Is there such a thing? lol Seriously either play with my kids or walk my dogs.
Well there are rumors it exists but I think it's a fairy tale ;) Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Unfortunately my wife and I haven’t been able to vacation as much but the place I want to go to would be Italy to visit my relatives over there. The favorite vacation I’ve probably had was my honeymoon to Playa Del Carmen. While there we got to see the Mayan ruins of Chitinizia. Totally amazing to stand on pyramids from antiquity. Seeing those for the first time definitely gave me some perspective into the ancient world and deepened my appreciation for such things.
Unfortunately my wife and I haven’t been able to vacation as much but the place I want to go to would be Italy to visit my relatives over there. The favorite vacation I’ve probably had was my honeymoon to Playa Del Carmen. While there we got to see the Mayan ruins of Chitinizia. Totally amazing to stand on pyramids from antiquity. Seeing those for the first time definitely gave me some perspective into the ancient world and deepened my appreciation for such things.
I've always wanted to visit those ruins!! I will have to hit you up for pictures :) What’s your New Year’s Resolution?
To make a wholehearted effort to improve upon everything I do! From being a husband and father to writer and human being.
To make a wholehearted effort to improve upon everything I do! From being a husband and father to writer and human being.
I think that's a magnificent resolution :) I love how even your title sounds epic. Why did you choose to write an epic fantasy?
When I started out it seemed like fantasy would be so much easier because anything can happen. Say the hero or heroine is in trouble, well for all we know a dragon could swoop in to save them. The thing is then that opens a whole can of worms because then you have to go and explain what just happened, either right away or later on. However I’m still glad I chose fantasy, I can get lost in a whole other world and it really helps expand your mind.
When I started out it seemed like fantasy would be so much easier because anything can happen. Say the hero or heroine is in trouble, well for all we know a dragon could swoop in to save them. The thing is then that opens a whole can of worms because then you have to go and explain what just happened, either right away or later on. However I’m still glad I chose fantasy, I can get lost in a whole other world and it really helps expand your mind.
I thought the exact same thing lol. It definitely opens a new can of worms, but it's a blast. What has been the most fun about working on your books?
Playing God, lol! No seriously, I get to decide who lives who dies, who wins who loses, who falls in love, who gets their heart broken, who gets maimed or murdered etc.
Playing God, lol! No seriously, I get to decide who lives who dies, who wins who loses, who falls in love, who gets their heart broken, who gets maimed or murdered etc.
LOL that's an awesome way to put it :) What has been the hardest scene for you to write?
I’d have to say when one of the characters was almost raped in the story. I just couldn’t help but feel myself pulled into the suffering. That’s a very traumatic experience for someone, words really cannot describe it so I wanted to do be able to captivate the reader while being sensitive to not just the character in the story but those who might be reading it that have had that happen to them.
I’d have to say when one of the characters was almost raped in the story. I just couldn’t help but feel myself pulled into the suffering. That’s a very traumatic experience for someone, words really cannot describe it so I wanted to do be able to captivate the reader while being sensitive to not just the character in the story but those who might be reading it that have had that happen to them.
Oh wow, that would definitely be a rough scene to write! Do you have any favorite characters? If so, why?
The main character Giddeon, but there are some others quickly growing on me. Giddeon besides being the protagonist is my canvas or stone that I get to paint and sculpt. He’s given great power and but learns it’s not always enough to be powerful, sometimes you have to make sacrifice. In fact we always have to sacrifice something to succeed whether its time away from loved ones, to train or study.
The other character would have to be the wizard Dakros who starts out like a harry potter type but soon inherits the powers of a reformed necromancer. So he ends up becoming like an Ozzy Osborne but with magic abilities and demonic friends.
The main character Giddeon, but there are some others quickly growing on me. Giddeon besides being the protagonist is my canvas or stone that I get to paint and sculpt. He’s given great power and but learns it’s not always enough to be powerful, sometimes you have to make sacrifice. In fact we always have to sacrifice something to succeed whether its time away from loved ones, to train or study.
The other character would have to be the wizard Dakros who starts out like a harry potter type but soon inherits the powers of a reformed necromancer. So he ends up becoming like an Ozzy Osborne but with magic abilities and demonic friends.
Those sound like some great characters. I'm dying to read this :) How did you come up with the premise for Sons of Titan: Rise of the Bloodwraiths?
I’ve always been enamored with religious lore, mythology and the paranormal. So with this story I get to dabble in all of them.
I’ve always been enamored with religious lore, mythology and the paranormal. So with this story I get to dabble in all of them.
Same with me! What are Bloodwraiths? Are there any other unique races in your story?
The Bloodwraiths are reincarnated dead soldiers, warriors or anyone who dies in violence. Their only known weakness is an ability possessed by a fully trained Axendrei Knight, the Phoenix strike. In order to survive they must eat the flesh of intelligent life. They’re not zombies in that they stagger around craving brains moaning and groaning. Instead they appear normal all except for their glowing eyes, macabre gothic armor and pale cold skin.
The Bloodwraiths are reincarnated dead soldiers, warriors or anyone who dies in violence. Their only known weakness is an ability possessed by a fully trained Axendrei Knight, the Phoenix strike. In order to survive they must eat the flesh of intelligent life. They’re not zombies in that they stagger around craving brains moaning and groaning. Instead they appear normal all except for their glowing eyes, macabre gothic armor and pale cold skin.
I don't think I'd ever want to meet one of those Bloodwraiths! What’s the Axendrei Order?
The word Axendrei comes from the Titan language which means Ascended man. The Axendrei themselves are warriors with amazing abilities. They can project energy and channel it internally to do amazing things like dart across a distance of about twenty yards in the blink of an eye. These abilities also make them capable healers. They use training techniques like meditation and a form of hypnosis aside from their rigorous physical regime.
The word Axendrei comes from the Titan language which means Ascended man. The Axendrei themselves are warriors with amazing abilities. They can project energy and channel it internally to do amazing things like dart across a distance of about twenty yards in the blink of an eye. These abilities also make them capable healers. They use training techniques like meditation and a form of hypnosis aside from their rigorous physical regime.
*Sigh* You do realize you're making my TBR pile grow right? These concepts sound freaking amazing!! Tell us more about your protagonists and the lost race from which Giddeon is descended.
Giddeon is an adolescent male on the cusp of manhood. Unknown to him his father had a sorceress put a spell on him which prevents him from remembering his training sessions. This is because his father is a wanted fugitive but needs to train Giddeon for what is to come. However while he is not training he cannot lose his innocence by way of a sexual encounter or witnessing bloodshed. So he lives a very sheltered life before being thrust into his journey. Although very demure he does posses some dangerous abilities that are locked inside him. These abilities make him an excellent gladiator when he is captured and sold to a man who deals in such things.
The lost race Giddeon is descended from is the Titans. They are an all but extinct race which served as soldiers in heaven’s army in the war against hell at the beginning of time. As an award for their service they were given permission to occupy the world of mortals. Since they were extremely powerful some of these Titans decided to make themselves gods to be worshipped by the people. This caused catastrophic wars and strife which eventually wiped out the Titans. Or at least everyone thinks.
Giddeon is an adolescent male on the cusp of manhood. Unknown to him his father had a sorceress put a spell on him which prevents him from remembering his training sessions. This is because his father is a wanted fugitive but needs to train Giddeon for what is to come. However while he is not training he cannot lose his innocence by way of a sexual encounter or witnessing bloodshed. So he lives a very sheltered life before being thrust into his journey. Although very demure he does posses some dangerous abilities that are locked inside him. These abilities make him an excellent gladiator when he is captured and sold to a man who deals in such things.
The lost race Giddeon is descended from is the Titans. They are an all but extinct race which served as soldiers in heaven’s army in the war against hell at the beginning of time. As an award for their service they were given permission to occupy the world of mortals. Since they were extremely powerful some of these Titans decided to make themselves gods to be worshipped by the people. This caused catastrophic wars and strife which eventually wiped out the Titans. Or at least everyone thinks.
I adore your unique take on the lore of the Titans because typically we see them as the kinds from Greek mythology. Is this going to be part of a series? If so, what can we expect from future books?
Yes book two is in the works and there will be a book three. After book three I hope to do spinoff stories involving the characters from this saga in their own solo adventures.
Yes book two is in the works and there will be a book three. After book three I hope to do spinoff stories involving the characters from this saga in their own solo adventures.
Can't wait to see more of this series! I for one will be grabbing a copy of this book! What's next for you?
Sleep, lol! Actually I’m hoping to do a Science Fiction story in the future.
Sleep, lol! Actually I’m hoping to do a Science Fiction story in the future.
I vote for sleep! LOL :) Anything else you want your readers to know?
That due to the nature and content of my books they are not for everyone, but if they want something unique I think they have come to the right place. I will always strive to improve upon my weaknesses and strengths with each subsequent work. God Bless and Happy New Year!
That due to the nature and content of my books they are not for everyone, but if they want something unique I think they have come to the right place. I will always strive to improve upon my weaknesses and strengths with each subsequent work. God Bless and Happy New Year!
Thank you so much for joining me, Joe! I hope you have a blessed 2013!
Sons of Titans: Rise of the Bloodwraiths...Buy it Now!
A World Besieged, Lost in Darkness, Awaits a Champion…
Buy it!Bloodwraiths.
They are the most terrifying weapon at the command of King Arorahn: resurrected fallen soldiers, now undead, with superhuman abilities and an appetite for flesh. There is one defense against them – the Phoenix Strike, known only to the exiled Axendrei Knights. Giddeon, a blacksmith’s apprentice whose dreary life is illuminated by his devotion to his beloved, Crysta, has no idea what lies in wait for him when he is conscripted into King Arorahn’s army. He doesn’t know that his father, Hadrigahn, a fugitive Axendrei Knight, has been training him in secret, using a suppression spell to block Giddeon’s knowledge. On the eve of his conscription, Giddeon learns there is to be a battle that Crysta and the other villagers plan to watch. Hoping to see his beloved one last time, Giddeon sneaks away to watch … not knowing that once his innocence has been broken by witnessing acts of grotesque violence, the spell on his mind will also break. Captured by the Bloodwraiths, Giddeon is thrust into a world of gladiatorial combat. He must rediscover his true self, while guarding the secret of the Phoenix Strike, which has the ability to save his world. Will Giddeon remember the truth of who he is, and regain the power to combine all aspects of his essence, which will give him the superhuman strength of an Axendrei Knight? And will Hadrigahn succeed in training a group of fledgling Knights to battle the Bloodwraiths rampaging across the land? Sons of Titan: Rise of the Bloodwraiths is the stunning epic opening volume of a series that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Join Giddeon on his quest, and prepare to be enthralled from the first page to the last.
Meet Joe!
Joe grew up in the 80's and 90's. In the late 90's enlisted in the Army National Guard. In 2002 started a career in Law Enforcement as a Correctional Officer in a maximum security prison. In 2009 his career was cut short due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident. He currently lives with his wife and four children two of which are twin girls.
Thank you for another great interview and hello joe nice to meet you. cant wait to rad the book.
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