Both J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin influenced me with their massive world building. The backgrounds, the histories, that they created are so impressive. They spent a lot of time on even the littlest of details and it made their books that much more enjoyable. 

Justin Enos – 9 April 2018

The Back Flap

In exile from his homeland… As a mercenary, Tijodrin has wandered far and wide, and now his travels have brought him to the great city of Hohvenlor, a city he knows well. He quickly finds himself caught up in a fierce rivalry that threatens to destroy two powerful merchant families and turn the streets of Hohvenlor into a battlefield. Within the city walls, Tijodrin will find danger in many forms. Can he survive the endless plots of the vengeful merchants and the swords of their bloodthirsty henchmen, as well as the lurking daggers of the shadowy assassin’s guild?

About the book

What is the book about?

The story follows the adventures of Tijodrin, a man who has been exiled from his homeland. He is a mercenary and in this story he has come to the city of Hohvenlor where he takes a job as a bodyguard for a wealthy merchant family. This family is feuding with another and the rivalry quickly spirals out of control. Tijodrin finds himself at odds with the merchant to whom he has sold his services, a man whose actions grow more and more violent and malicious. This is not epic fantasy, Tijodrin is not saving the world after all. He is just one man, a good man but certainly not a perfect one, trying to do get by in life and generally doing the right thing. From Wrath To Ruin is a gritty, action-packed book that reads more like a medieval adventure than a fantasy novel.

When did you start writing the book?

The basic idea of Tijodrin and details of the world have been swimming around in my head for over ten years, but it was only in early 2013 that I started actively writing the book.

How long did it take you to write it?

About three years.

Where did you get the idea from?

I have taken some inspiration from the Conan books written by Robert E. Howard and later by Robert Jordan. I liked that you could read a series of stories about the same character without worrying to much about reading them in order as each book was basically a stand-alone story. My book, and further books about Tijodrin, will all be stand-alone stories.

Specific ideas come from many places. Sometimes it is just a random thought during a brainstorming session, other times they are triggered by some detail from my surroundings. I have been influenced several times by architecture – another love of mine! The Grim Gate, a fortress which will figure prominently in a later Tijodrin book, was inspired by the Foster Building, now the Renaissance Hotel, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Cathedral of Learning, also in Pittsburgh, became The Spire, around which I designed another whole story line and world.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Surprisingly I think it was the fight scenes that gave me the most difficulties. Because I knew that this story was going to involve a lot of fighting, I wanted to make sure I got those scenes just right. I would play out the sequences in my head, and picture exactly how each character would move and react, but trying to translate those intricate actions into clear, concise passages was sometimes problematic. Another issue was verbs. Even a brief fight scene requires a lot of them and I wore out my thesaurus coming up with all the variations for “stab” and “cut”! I was also concerned about accidentally reusing a particularly good combat move performed by Tijodrin or the turn of phrase I used to describe it.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Mostly fictitious, though I think all writers borrow a little of themselves and others in their lives when creating characters. There is one eerie similarity that I share with Tijodrin actually, one I did not share when I initially came up with the idea of him and his backstory. No spoilers here, but something very profound that happened to him in the book, happened to me as well.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Both J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin influenced me with their massive world building. The backgrounds, the histories, that they created are so impressive. They spent a lot of time on even the littlest of details and it made their books that much more enjoyable. Bernard Cornwell impressed me with his research, how he visited all of the many places and battlefields about which he wrote. You always felt like you were there because he had walked the landscape and described it all so very well.

About Writing

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

No, I jot down thoughts and ideas beforehand, and as I go along, but certainly nothing as formal as an outline.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

A little of both. Editing was one of the harder aspects because there is the danger of over-editing. No matter how many times I read through my writing there was always something I would find that I thought maybe I should change.  At some point I just had to say enough and let it go.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I love to listen to music while I write, but I can’t concentrate if there are words, so symphonic music it is! I listen to soundtracks mostly and among my favorites are The Lord of the Rings, Conan the Barbarian, Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven and Braveheart.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I did research into all aspects of publishing, but ultimately chose self-publishing because I just wanted my book out there. From all that I heard and read about going the traditional publishing route it can take as much as a year or more to get your book in stores and online even once it is picked up by a publishing company. My book was done and I didn’t want to wait. A good friend of mine had also recently self-published and enjoyed the experience.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

I drew up the basic design, but Bookbaby, the company that printed my book, did the actual graphic work. Found a local artist on Craigslist to do the painting on the back cover of my book.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

Was pretty much winging it at first, but now I am working to correct that and making a concerted effort to get exposure through various social media outlets.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I think everyone has to chose what works best for them, but in this day and age there are so many opportunities in the indie market it is a great choice. Of course it costs money, but your work is out there almost immediately and let me tell you that is a wonderful feeling!

About You

Where did you grow up?

My father was in the army so I grew up all over the place. Two foreign countries and five different states.

Where do you live now?

Portland, Oregon.

What are you working on now?

The next book featuring Tijodrin titled Under A Shadow Of Sorcery as well as a couple of short stories that take place in the same world.

End of Interview:

For more from Justin, visit his website and like his Facebook page.

Get your copy of From Wrath to Ruin from Amazon US or Amazon UK.