Guest Author Interview with Darren Boeck
I recently had an opportunity to interview fantasy author Darren Boeck about his series The FireNight Prophecies, and their related novellas. I hope you enjoy the Q&A!
Hi, Darren. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to interview you today. Can you introduce yourself and your book(s) to our readers?
Hello and thanks for this opportunity, I’m Darren Boeck, author of the FireNight Prophecies. Currently, three of the four books are published, along with a related novella. My books are Epic YA/Adult Fantasy, sword and sorcery. The books revolve around a cast of characters, some of which we meet right away and others that join in as the storyline develops. The storyline begins with the Fire Empire on the verge of civil war, with bloodline factions jockeying into position as the Empire starts to crumble. Book one revolves around a brother/sister duo who are becoming ever more embroiled in the whims of the bloodlines. They seek to stay connected as fate and the world conspire to tear them apart. As the story’s players become defined, the Empire is attacked by a new enemy from across the sea, throwing everything we thought we knew into a new direction. With book two, you are introduced to a third culture; with it, things only become more complicated.
The underlying theme of a world in a state of imbalance grows as we learn more about the Fire Empire and its desire to eliminate all traces of ice magic. The rules of magic, once thought rigid and defined, are changing. Magic itself is changing. Everything changes as the FireNight is heralded and the Battle of the Dark approaches.
My novella, The Godless Cleric, is the first of four planned novellas that take place in the past, building the foundation that has led us up to the present day. They are designed to be read after at least book one but mostly after book two. The fun thing is I give all the novellas away for free if you sign up for my newsletter (shameless plug).
Would you like to talk a little about your writing process?
My process style has morphed as I have progressed through this series. I started book one in a pure pantser style, but with each book along the way, I realized I needed some plotting guidance. Ultimately, I have ended up as what some call a Plantser (a hybrid of the two forms). When I talk about needing to start plotting my books, I’m not talking about the plotting I once did in a science fiction writing class where everything had to be laid out. My plotting is more like projecting the story forward. I will be writing a chapter, and then I will stop and title out the next five or more chapters and write a couple paragraphs on what important events must occur in those chapters. I will also project out the final chapters way ahead of where I am currently in the story.
If you’ve read any of my books (and more so in the books after book one) with my large cast of characters, it is important to remember who is where in the world. To track this, I use simple handwritten flow charts that I can reference as I write to ensure I’m not jumping out of the timeline. It’s simple but very effective for me. Beyond that, I already know where the story is going in my head; it’s already complete. I just need the time to get it all written down so that others can enjoy it.
I enjoy hearing from readers, though, as sometimes something they bring up becomes a piece of what I am already working on. I don’t actually change the story, but I do adjust it. A fun fact, when I was writing book one, I accidentally used the word ‘weary’ instead of ‘wary’ in the Prophecy of Fire at the beginning of the book. Little did I realize it until it was too late, but once a reader pointed it out, I realized what couldn’t be changed could enhance the storyline. If you happen to read the dedication to book one at the very beginning (in the newly released second edition), there is now a note telling the reader this wording is intentional. In fact, the prophecy itself is improved for the story by the simple oversight that has now been written into the books. So, if you’re reading my books and see something, please point it out. It may just become the next little piece of the story.
I’ve read Gifts of Fire and Ice, the first book in The FireNight Prophecies. It has a very interesting magic system with quite a few rules, which include dancing/movements, gifting vs gifted, and more. What inspired your ideas for the magic system?
I came up with the idea for the magic system like I did for most of the book’s storylines when I was on long drives for work. Staring at the road ahead, my mind wanders. As it tumbled through different thoughts, a storyline developed. I wrote some of that down after the first few times, and it just naturally built from there on subsequent drives.
For the magic system, I wanted something different. Not just all-powerful characters that could do anything with magic that could be dreamt up. I started with the known powers, six for each (for fire and ice). My goal was to limit the abilities and then find creative ways to use those abilities as the stories progressed, but I always had the forgotten powers in mind since the beginning. I also wanted the magic users in my books, not just to have the power. They needed a very specific way to gain access to their abilities, which in this case was a willing sacrifice (perhaps not always willing) of another (a gifter) to unlock those powers (for the gifted).
I love the idea of magic, but I also enjoy the idea of limiting what can be done with it. Then it becomes how creative a character can be in using the powers they have. Oh, and on the subject of magic, it’s changing. So, even though the powers aren’t changing, some long-dormant powers are starting to surface. Some forgotten and some never known before.
There were also a strict set of societal expectations, traditions, and rituals featured in your book. I was particularly interested in the role of the priestesses and how they fit into society. Can you elaborate a little on how you developed that aspect of your world?
Religion plays a prominent role in many of the fantasy books I have read over the years. I didn’t want my books to fall back on localized religion as a basis for story development, still all societies tend to develop religious beliefs to one degree or another. As a result, I produced the Church of the Flame. The Priestesses of the church do not worship a god or goddess, but more so the fire magic is holy. The fire magic embodies all that they see as good in the Empire and the ice magic all that is evil. They embody the only sanctioned religion of the Fire Empire and handle various tasks, the largest of which deals with death. Working hand-in-hand with the Death Watch (the Death Watch acts as an extension of the Priestesses), they are there when someone needs them. Sure, they perform marriages, council leaders (like the traditional role seen so often in fantasy novels), and test for those with magical abilities, but they shine in death. The Fire Empire gives over all death preparations to the Priestesses. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint, it is in working with death so closely that some of them tapped into another power. I don’t want to spoil it, so look for it as the series progresses.
I know you have some illustrated playing cards related to your series (and they’re very cool!) Can you tell the readers a little about them, and how they tie in to your books?
As you read the series, you will notice multiple references to everything being nothing more than a game of cards. Every character is just a player at the table, and “Time” is the dealer. Bad luck and good luck are manifestations of how each hand is played. To bring this part of the series to life, I have commissioned artwork as playing cards for many of the important characters in the series.
Currently, six of the planned twelve cards have been produced as artwork and as art stickers. When someone orders one of the books from my website, they receive one of them with the book (they can request any of the ones that have been produced). Unlike a traditional deck of cards, however, these cards are different. The traditional kings, queens, jacks, and aces do not exist. They are replaced with ‘E’ or Elemental cards for the aces, ‘R’ or Ruler cards for the kings and queens, and ‘H’ or Hero cards for the jacks. There are also only 12 instead of 16 (kings + queens + jacks + aces). In book four, the actual card game itself will be showcased briefly. The suits are also different, and some cards can have dual roles. As a fun part of a local author event I attended on October 1st of this year, I took the stickers that were done and put them onto the faces of a brand-new deck of cards to help showcase what they would look like.
Here is a sample:
Do you have any upcoming releases you’d like to talk about?
I am going back through the first three books and, if necessary, producing a more refined second edition of each. Book one, Gifts of Fire and Ice, just completed its second edition. It rereleased in mid-September 2022. It has new cover art, new chapter heading art, an expanded reference section, and some other changes. While the story remained the same, many technical fixes to the overall writing have been made. I will be re-releasing book two next. As of right now I don’t have a release date on this because it will depend on when I can fit into my new editor’s busy schedule.
What project(s) are you currently working on, and can you share anything about them?
I am currently working on book four, ‘Whisper of Hope’ and the second novella, ‘The Thief of Madness’. I do not yet have dates for either of these, but I expect the novella to be completed first. I’m excited to see the conclusion of the FireNight Prophecies. I think book four may take some readers by surprise. Some of my readers already think they know exactly what will happen, and while some may be correct, I will wait for early feedback once it is done to see if anyone guessed a few of the developments correctly. I am also kicking around a second series that will take place sometime in the future. I haven’t cemented this yet, but I do have ideas already written down.
On an odd side note, a friend has asked me to write a story for her. It has been a long time in the coming. I’m not sure where this story will land when done, horror, thriller, or maybe something else entirely, but not fantasy. I’m apprehensive about it, but I know the story will be excellent. It will be two to four years in the making, so there is nothing to shout about yet.
Besides being a writer, what do you like to do in your spare time?
Spare time? What’s that exactly? I have so little of that, but given some spare time, I will spend it at the lake, traveling, exploring, being with family, or roasting coffee. Yes, I roast my own coffee from green coffee beans. I find I’m partial to single-origin Kona and Java coffees. I enjoy others, but those two always make the top of the list. Drop me a line if you ever want to talk coffee roasting or good old fantasy and science fiction (author@darrenboeck.com).
Do you have any parting thoughts you’d like to share?
I’d like to give a shout-out to all the Indie authors out there. If you’re a reader and haven’t read many Indie authors, take the time to find some new ones and try them. Before I started writing, I had no idea this vast community existed, nor did I know how good some of these authors are in their writing. Take a chance. Try someone new. If you’re a writer, keep writing. Keep giving us those amazing works to read!
A huge thank you to Darren for taking the time for this interview! If you’d like to learn more about his books, you can do so at his website darrenboeck.com. Darren’s books are available on Amazon.com.