I seem to take macabre pleasure in describing gross situations. Horror is a fine thing and has its place, but there’s nothing that causes me to cackle evilly like dropping my protagonist in the sewers or describe the (historically accurate) food people ate.
Assaph Mehr – 16 December 2018
The Back Flap
This is a story of Togas, daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Hardboiled detectives, and Urban Fantasy.
A rich landlord finds tenants are abandoning his apartment buildings, spouting tales of horrific events and whispering that the old gods – the numina – came alive and cursed the buildings.
Enter Felix, a professional fox. Dressed in a toga and armed with a dagger, Felix is neither a traditional detective nor a traditional magician – but something in between. Whenever there is a foul business of bad magic, Felix is hired to sniff out the truth. Now he must separate fact from superstition – a hard task in a world where the old gods still roam the earth.
In Numina is set in a fantasy world. The city of Egretia borrows elements from a thousand years of ancient Roman culture, from the founding of Rome to the late empire, mixed with a judicious amount of magic. This is a story of a cynical, hardboiled detective dealing with anything from daily life to the old forces roaming the world.
About the book
What is the book about?
My latest release is titled In Numina: the second Story of Togas, Daggers, and Magic. My protagonist is an urban fantasy detective in a fantasy world based on ancient Rome (think Harry Dresden in a toga, or Lindsey Davis’ Falco as a paranormal investigator).
In his second major case, he is called upon to investigate what appears to be haunted apartment blocks (because size matters). It’s a story of dark magics and grim events, of wizards and villains, of politics and religion, that spills out to the law courts and the highest reaches of society.
When did you start writing the book?
I started to write it very soon after finishing writing my first novel, Murder In Absentia, about three years ago. I actually started to write while still working on editing and publishing MIA, as I wanted to keep writing creatively.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took three years from the moment I started writing till I finally published the book. Coincidentally, my son is also three years old. Murder In Absentia was done (drafted, edited, proofed, and published) in about a year. In Numina took longer because I was working in breaks. Once I really got into the rhythm, it took a year and a half to finish the draft, edit (repeatedly), proof, and publish. Some of it was due to forced breaks, outside of my control. I hope to be able to publish a full novel every year or so.
Where did you get the idea from?
The idea for In Numina came to me while working on Murder In Absentia. I jotted it down (amongst others) and am slowly working through the list, while continually adding to it. Ideas are easy – it’s the execution that takes time. (For comparison, the idea behind MIA was kicking a can around the back of my head for a decade before I sat down to start writing).
Generally speaking, though, the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic are simply the mash-up of my favourite genres to read: dark fantasy, Roman-era historical fiction, and detective mysteries.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
There were parts that were harder to write, and parts (not necessarily the same) that were harder to edit. That is par for the course with any book. While drafting In Numina, I put a hard problem to my protagonist and had no idea how he could possibly solve it. So, I gave him free rein.
He told me, ‘trust me, I got this’ – then walked into the nearest brothel… His solution was interesting, though effective. While I had to do some edits later about his chosen course of action (why it made sense), it led to some of the more memorable quotes:
It was the first time I had to wear a toga to a brothel. Most such establishments are quick in-and-out affairs — no affront meant for my male readers — where a tunic is preferred for ease of access.
What came easily?
I seem to take macabre pleasure in describing gross situations. Horror is a fine thing and has its place, but there’s nothing that causes me to cackle evilly like dropping my protagonist in the sewers or describe the (historically accurate) food people ate. In Murder In Absentia I had him investigate a garum (fish sauce) factory – all those fish guts fermenting in the warm sun for weeks were a joy to write. In Numina didn’t quite get there (except for his home-cooked meal of lamb-brains-and-pine-nuts sausages), but I promise there will be more odoriferous feasting in future books.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Most characters are entirely fictitious, with some are notable historical figures that I’ve borrowed (like Cicero). However, all characters are based on my experiences, observations of, and interactions with other people – not as a single entity, but in aggregate of the human condition. I think this it true for most authors.
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?
Many! While my fans have compared Felix (my protagonist) to Harry Dresden in a Toga, I only started reading Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files after I published my first novel. Love his work, and can only hope I’ll improve like he did from his first novel to the latest.
I grew up on detective stories, classic Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and have always loved ancient Rome. I’ve binge-read Lindsey Davis’ Falco series and Steven Saylor’s Gordianus, both Roman-era detectives, as well as Colleen McCullough’s excellent Masters of Rome series. Thus a Roman-esque world was a natural backdrop for my paranormal detective.
I would like to mention Barry Hughart’s Bridge of Birds (and sequels – my review here) as a historical-fantasy-detective mix (though set in a ‘China that never was’). These books have incredible charm and re-read value.
Do you have a target reader?
My stories are a cross between Roman era detectives (think Lindsey Davis, Steven Saylor, or Ruth Downie) and dark urban fantasy (by authors such as Jim Butcher). If you like any two out of Ancient Rome, Detective Mysteries, and Fantasy – give the stories a try. I even have free short stories on my website to entice readers and help them decide if my writing is for them.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Get on the train, open laptop, start typing. That’s the time I have with no distractions.
Oh, you mean a creative process. I am more of a discovery writer than a plotter, but when I start I usually know what the novel is about and the highlights (emotional and otherwise) I want to hit. So it’s about 25% foreknowledge and 75% discovery, wrapped around 1% unique inspiration and 99% sticking-to-it-ness.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
As above, only the major highlights. For each story, these include the mystery aspect (whodunit), the Roman culture (trivia for the background), the fantastical/paranormal twist, and the emotional payoff at the end. I discovery-write the bits in between, then edit to ensure proper flow and foreshadowing.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I do a little editing while drafting, but mostly it goes into ‘to-do’ notes in the margins about things I want to remember or revisit later. Most editing happens after the first draft is completed.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, definitely. I have my own publishing house, and besides guaranteeing myself a contract the rest is handled by professionals as a business. I have developmental editors, proofreaders, and an extremely talented cover designer. I do book layout & typography as well as marketing myself, because those are areas I’m proficient in from my day-job.
I cannot stress enough how working with professional editors (which requires a learning curve) has improved my writing. It’s also one of the most noticeable things when reading a book, and the one that separates amateurs from pros. While I admit that my tastes and skills have become more refined as I became an author and learnt to pay attention to errors and missed opportunities in writing, an ‘average’ reader would still notice the overall effect even if they couldn’t put a finger to specific issues.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Rarely. I like my peace and quiet when I write. At other times I listen to music styles the same as I read literary genres – anything that catches my fancy at the time, from classical, to 70’s progressive rock, to acid jazz.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Nope. Figured that as a first-time author my chances are close to nil, and – especially since I’m writing for the love of telling stories – I just wanted to get on with it.
My nefarious plan is to first build a successful platform and range of books (and with hundreds of positive reviews across Goodreads and Amazon I’m well on that path), and then apply to one of the premiere SFF publishers like TOR to pick up the series. It should be a no-brainer for them given the obvious success, and would open up bigger opportunities for me.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
A quick review of the publishing industry was enough. As above, a first-time author can take years to break through. I’d rather keep writing and publishing, building a fan base and growing my skills and craft as I go with intense feedback. I’m perfectly willing to work hard for a decade in order to then become an overnight success.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Professionally done, by a graphic designer that specializes in book covers. Nothing screams ‘amateur’ like a bad cover. For the curious, Ellie Augsburger from Creative Digital Studios is amazing and highly recommended.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Of course I have a plan. Detailed one, colour-coded with diagrams and charts. Any evil genius worth his salt has one, tucked away inside an impossible safe buried under an active volcano.
Seriously, it’s really simple:
- Write, publish, seek reviews. Repeat.
- With enough reviews, go after the premiere services like BookBub.
- Then write more.
The reality is that no one, no matter what they claim, knows which books will take off. If you go down the indie path, accept that you will be doing it as a hobby, especially in the beginning. Even with a traditional publisher, you will be both expected to contribute significantly to marketing while still writing more. So focus on continually writing, and market your books to reviewers and potential readers via (light) social media engagement and dedicated premium services. There’s no magic bullet, just a lot of hard work.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Whether you go indie or trad depends largely on your temperament and willingness to tackle tasks on a pro level. Either way, you’d find that you need to do a lot of marketing and getting out there (the days of the recluse author are over for the most part).
And, no matter what, you need to keep writing. Indie is more suitable for people who are not afraid to commit money and time to produce and market books (like me) and who can usually write quickly and release more than one book per year (unlike me). Traditional publishing usually moved at a slower pace of book releases (with exceptions, of course), and you trade control over your book in exchange for not doing (nor paying for) certain tasks.
Figure out what’s right for you, and persevere. Not matter what, keep writing and persevering.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Israel, where any place you dig you’re likely to find sacred historical relics. My favourite spot is in Jaffa. Excavation found layered settlements of Ottoman, Mamluk, Arab, Byzantine, Roman, Greek, Canaanite, and Egyptian origins.
If you stand on top of the hill and look out to the sea, you’ll note are a few rocks jutting out. They are known as Andromeda Rocks, because according to legend that is where Andromeda was chained to appease the sea monster, and where Perseus flew on Pegasus to save her.
Given that background, is it any surprise I’m a history buff?
Where do you live now?
I live in Sydney with my wife, kids, cats, and – this being Australia – some freakishly huge native spiders.
What would you like readers to know about you?
If you think the ideas that make it into the books are original and weird, you need to see the slush pile in my head. Always happy to talks books, though, so feel free to contact me with any question or comment.
What are you working on now?
I’ve just completed a stand-alone novella in the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic series and am currently working through my editor’s comments. It will only be available to subscribers of my mailing list, and by the time you read this you could get it for free here: https://www.subscribepage.com/AquaeEtIgnis
As a teaser:
The year’s senior consul came back from military campaign stark raving mad. His co-consul doesn’t want to go down in history as the ‘year of the crazy consuls’ – but the physicians can’t find the problem.
One name comes highly recommended for solving nutty cases. In a true Felix fashion, this is a story of Lunacy and Piracy, of Exile and Ghosts!
This is a novella of Togas, daggers, and Magic – for lovers of Ancient Rome, Murder Mysteries, and Urban Fantasy.
I’ve also started work on the next full volume in the series, In Victrix – a story of gladiators and womanly mysteries.
End of Interview:
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