Soothing Diaries: Published Author Interview | Fiction Novelist | Brae Wyckoff

20 April 2013

Published Author Interview | Fiction Novelist | Brae Wyckoff | The Orb of Truth

Hello writers, creators, friends, and audience. It's been a couple of weeks since I last published an author interview. I'm quite busy with Tales of Deborah, despite that I'm down. I hope you are all keeping up the dreams of conquering in your various fields just as I'm doing? If you find yourself wanting to buy a book by Brae Wyckoff, avoid thinking if it is going to be a good read, find out for yourself to see how prolific this writer is.

Join me to welcome on the blogs fiction novelist Brae Wyckoff.

DO: I'm pleased to have you on the blogs Brae. Welcome.

BW: Thank you for having me. I’m excited about this interview.

DO: Quickly tell us how your road to publication has been.

BW:I started writing full-time a little over two years ago when I was suddenly laid-off from my job. I wrote The Orb of Truth in six months, took the manuscript through a prestigious critique group, went through re-writes based off of their feedback, then took it to a professional editor, had the book cover professionally designed, and then created my own publishing company…LR Publishing. December of last year, The Orb of Truth was up on Amazon. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

DO: How did you identify your writing voice, nurtured and developed it?

BW: My dad always told me that it is better to be a “smart- a** than a dumb-sh*t”. I have taken this amazing wisdom (lol) and applied it to my life. I’m a smart-one and you will hear my voice through my characters. There is a little of me in each of them. My kids think I’m Dulgin (the dwarven hero) with some of his remarks and dislikes. I think they are right and I deeply connect with the main hero, Bridazak, on a more personal level.

An author’s voice comes through our experiences in life. We write what we know or what we have gone through and try to bring it out in such a way that it is entertaining to the reader. I don’t like to read boring stories so I make sure to keep the story moving along and have a good time along the way.

DO: Let's talk about the book The Orb of Truth that you are currently promoting. Is it your debut?

BW: The Orb of Truth is indeed my debut novel. It has been out since December 2012 and is getting great traction within the reading community. On Goodreads it has been voted #1 in several categories.

Voted #1 BestFantasy Book Under the Radar!

Voted #1 Best Christian Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book!

Voted #1 Best Indie Fantasy Book!

DO:Gathford. How much of the town is fictional?

BW: Completely fictional. It is a simple town that I created to introduce the main heroes and get the story going. Gathford to me is like Bethlehem. Nothing amazing but something special is birthed in this place.

DO: The Lady Birmham of the house of Urmthong, is that our protagonist?

BW: Lady Birmham is NOT the protagonist. Our heroes are Bridazak and Spilf (both coined in my story as ordakians) along with a grumpy dwarf named Dulgin.

DO: "It's common to mistake an ordakian for a child, Lady Birmham, but I'm almost three-hundred years of age." What sort sof species are the Ordakians?

BW:Ordakians are my spin of Halflings. Very similar in nature to what we see in Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. They range in height from three-and-a-half feet to four-and-a-half feet tall.

DO: Why are they mistaken for a child? And what's their importance to the story The Orb of Truth?

BW: From a distance, halflings/ordakians can easily be mistaken for children due to their height. They are a non-threatening race in most regards and their importance to the story is monumental. Bridazak was chosen to be the carrier of The Orb of Truth and this unfolds in the first few chapters that escalate each step of the way.

DO: Why did Lady Birmham search for the Varouche for so many years?

BW: Much like ourselves and all of our collections of things over the years, Lady Birmham has this insatiable desire to collect rare feathers across the realm. The Varouche is a rare specimen only found in the great Everwood forest. She has been looking for many years when low and behold she hears of a vendor having acquired one in the town of Gathford.

DO: What is the Varouche and its importance? Does it have some spiritual significance like Lady Birmham bodyguards thought?

BW: The Varouche has no importance in and of itself but I have woven this special bird to be the initial focal point of the opening chapter for our heroes to interact with the Lady Birmham. Our heroes are not full-fledged heroes yet and we are introduced instead to two thieves.

The spiritual significance of the feather is only perceived as such due to the length of time trying to acquire one. It was special and viewed with importance to the Lady and her bodyguards.

DO:'The Ordakian thief', the meeting at the market with Lady Birmham, and the Ordakian, was that planned out by the Ordakians to rip off her money? And the Varouche she paid so much to own was fake, right?

BW: Yes, it was completely planned out. Bridazak and Spilf faked the feather. They had the full intention of taking as much as they could from the rich noblewoman. She was their mark and it all happens in the first chapter. I love introducing my characters through action and dialogue as this is the best way to quickly bring the reader into the story. It is truly an epic adventure and once you finish the book, you will look back and reflect on where they started, the small town of Gathford, and where they end up.

DO: "I would make sure there is less of their kind in the world." I would say that was some goal there supplied by Thule with cruel clarity to the Ordakians. Why does he hate them that much? What is it they are denying him of in his land?

BW: Thule is a bully to say it bluntly. The realm of Ruauck-El is now controlled by humans so the other races have gone into hiding in the forests and mountains (Dwarves, Elves, Halflings, etc). Some have chosen to remain within the human communities and this is the conflict of the story to initially start things off. Thule is my way of introducing this prejudice mindset.

DO: Quickly tell us shortly the center conflict of the novel The Orb of Truth.

BW:What is my purpose in life and do I matter? These are the questions that my protagonist is struggling with. He is led on an adventure by supernatural forces beyond his imagination. With any story of good there is the antithesis, evil. The Orb of Truth is part of a prophecy unfolding in the heroes lives while at the same time the bad guys are trying to kill them. It is a classic of good vs evil.

DO: There is more to success in writing than people bear in mind. What routes do you think writers should take with their crafts to become listed success in the publishing field?

BW: I always tell everyone to make sure their story is the best it can be. You absolutely need to invest in yourself and make sure your work is professionally edited top to bottom. Take your manuscript through a critique group and get some feedback, do some re-writes, and then hand it off to someone you trust to edit it (but not your mom…lol). Get your cover professionally designed and make sure it is easy on the eyes while at the same time captivating and mysterious. First impressions matter and the cover need to grab someone to check it out.

Hire a PR Manager to help get the word out about your book. (Aileen Aroma is a great resource for authors and you can find her on Facebook)

Get your book professionally reviewed by some big names if you can. Keep working it.

Lastly, be professional in all you do. With your interviews, the ways you interact with people, your reviews of others work, etc, are important in creating your image. You are an author and there is a respect that comes naturally with this title so it requires respect to be given to it by yourself as well.

DO: Thanks for stopping at the blogs, I Am Darmie and Authors' Curtilage with Darmie Orem. I wish you success in your writing career and the book tour.

BW: Thank you so much for having me. It was an honor being here.

About Author: Brae Wyckoff was born and raised in San Diego, CA and is working toward a Psychology degree. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Jill, for 20 years, and they have three children; Tommy, Michelle, and Brittany. He has a beautiful grandson named Avery. Brae has been an avid gamer since 1985. His passion for mysterious realms and the supernatural inspired him to write The Orb of Truth, the first in a series of fantasy action adventures. Brae describes The Orb of Truth as a cross between the Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.

Book Short Blurb: In the hundreds of years since the Holy City disappeared, darkness has fallen over the land. Human kingdoms have seized control of the realm, scattering the other races into hiding.

Bridazak, a skilled thief, and his friends, a Dwarf and a fellow Ordakian, have dared to remain within the human communities and live relatively quiet lives, until they discover a mysterious, magical artifact. The three friends are thrust into an adventure that will challenge their faith, their purpose, and their destiny as they chase a forgotten and lost prophecy across the realm of Ruauck-El, where they hope to discover the origins of the strange item and their place in its history.

An ancient, unknown enemy threatens the completion of their journey at every turn. Bridazak is about to face the biggest adventure of his life, one that may change the known realm, and answer the questions he has carried all his life. Will they unlock the truth?