The medical community still hadn’t come to grips with how the virus was spread. I wanted to stay away from my family so I didn’t put them at risk, so my wife suggested I use my downtime to finish writing this book, escaping into a fantasy world I had created.
28 October 2022
The Back Flap
The sweat pours from his brow. . . as Iggy forges a sword from a meteorite.
Will it be the weapon to save them?
As the evil and obsessed Emperor Mallak plans to kill Iggy for his crystal amulet, Iggy is distracted by Rareasa. His crush makes it hard to focus, but he’s becoming a master smith. With that comes the muscles that will make him a great fighter, too.
There’s just one problem.
A dark wizard, a Death Knight, and five thousand soldiers have been tasked with hunting him down.
Where will he hide?
The mysteries of the Nostaw Warrior still haunt Iggy. There must be a reason he was given the sword and he prays it will help him return to his place and time, but Pennsylvania seems far off.
Is the answer on the Island of Cambria?
You’ll love this second book in this YA, coming of age fantasy, because the looming battle could be epic, and might change Iggy’s life.
About the book
What is the book about?
In Book 1 of the Ignatius series, Iggy finds himself magically transported to medieval times just days into the start of high school. He then survived a quest making the Nostaw Swords gifted to him invincible, but still does not know how to properly fight with them.
In Book 2, now nine months later struggling for anonymity in the Isle of Skye, Iggy is forging a sword from a meteorite while apprenticed to a blacksmith. Will this weapon help save the kingdom from the evilness around them?
As the evil and obsessed Emperor Mallak plans to kill Iggy for his crystal amulet, Iggy is distracted by Rareasa. His crush makes it hard to focus, but he’s becoming a master smith. With that comes the muscles that will make him a great fighter, too.
There’s just one problem.
A dark wizard, a Death Knight, and five thousand soldiers have been tasked with hunting him down.
Where will he hide?
The mysteries of the Nostaw Warrior still haunt Iggy. There must be a reason he was given the Nostaw swords and he prays it will help him return to his place and time, but Pennsylvania seems far off.
Is the answer on the Island of Cambria where the Nostaws’ dwell?
You’ll love this second book in this YA, coming of age fantasy, because the looming battle could be epic, and might change Iggy’s life.
When did you start writing the book?
The Ignatius series was an idea I had brewing in my head for years. I sketched out part of the story asking some developmental editors for ideas as I began to lay out the story. I really began writing the Ignatius series about a month after the Pandemic hit in May, 2020. The pandemic was particularly memorable for me, being an Emergency Room physician in a Connecticut hospital close to the pandemic hot-spot NYC. The medical community still hadn’t come to grips with how the virus was spread. I wanted to stay away from my family so I didn’t put them at risk, so my wife suggested I use my downtime to finish writing this book, escaping into a fantasy world I had created.
How long did it take you to write it?
The first book took about nine months to write and a few months of editing. I was fortunate to find a fabulous editor, Theodora Bryant, that helped polish my writing style enough to make the first book award winning. Awards have been received from Independent Press, Readers Favorites and NYC Big Book Awards, as well as the Audiobook winning a Readers Favorite silver medal for Fiction. The second book in the Ignatius series, Ignatius and the Battle at Dinas Affaraon, took about 6 months to write and a couple months of editing, with an October 2022 release date.
Where did you get the idea from?
As I watched my young adult children grow in a time with fast-paced technology innovations, I often wondered how a teen in modern times would fare when they found themselves in a world without technology. This inspired the idea for the Ignatius series. This idea particularly rang true for me during the pandemic. As an emergency room physician, I’m used to applying my knowledge and experiences to save lives or manage urgent health situations – the pandemic turned all that upside down as we had no experience with this type of virus to base recommended treatments on. So the plotline morphed into a story of an impossible mission led by an unlikely hero, a relatable feeling for many figuring out how to survive the unprecedented circumstances of 2020. As my manuscript developed, it was inspired by challenges, resilience, and compassion I experienced and witnessed through those first few months of the pandemic.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Writing Book 2 of a series means making sure the plot flowed seamlessly from Book 1, while readers beginning the series in Book 2 understood what has happened previously to the characters. I had to make sure the Book 2 plot addressed some of the unanswered questions the reader has from Book 1 but does not answer all the questions so the series can effectively continue. In addition, each of the characters cannot remain static, having to reflect growth to continue to be interesting. Addressing all this though, helps make the next book in a series more successful.
What came easily?
I found that writing how each character reacts in the situations they are confronted with is an exciting challenge for me. I try to put myself in the character’s shoes before committing their response to the manuscript, which helps me make the characters more believable. When the first manuscript was crafted, I used my early pandemic situation to craft a main character that has to learn who to trust as he encounters new situations alongside a diverse set of characters of varying ages, ethnicities and experiences. It resulted in a story where the main character Iggy must also learn to believe in himself and grow along the way – a lesson we can all learn from. Sometimes real-life experiences can mold some wonderful stories.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Being an emergency room physician, I meet all kinds of people. My exposure to different personalities provides a plethora of ideas for characters. And then during the pandemic I worked with all kinds of heroes displaying wonderful strength in character in the Emergency Room. I infused this strength into many of the characters in the story. This story line is filled with all kinds of unlikely heroes.
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?
The fantasy genre is favored by my children. As they grew, we would have audiobooks playing in the car for any trip 30 minutes or longer, as well as for listening together as a family before their bedtime. The stories most popular when they were tweens were Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. This love of theirs helped me lean into reading Fantasy instead of just Tom Clancy and Clive Cussler action adventures. The adult fantasy story I particularly like is Neil Gaiman’s book Neverwhere, and how this story idea was based upon the homeless population going unnoticed by so many.
Do you have a target reader?
With Iggy being a 15-year-old turning 16 in Book 2, the story line naturally appeals to readers of that age or a bit younger. I have found though, most of my readers are over the age of 50, looking for a fun story that helps them escape from the stressors of their day when they finally get to sit down and enjoy a good book. This readership does not want to face serious topics arising from the world around them. They are just looking for some time to relax and escape. Many of the readers are also not typically fantasy readers, and have found this story one they are looking forward to see what comes next for Iggy and his adventures.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
My writing process daily is to write during the morning before I tackle the rest of my day.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I come up with an outline of what is going on in the book, the multiple story lines that will take place. As I write, I find I come up with additional ideas that get incorporated into each story line that fits into the overall plot, so I don’t outline in detail.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
My wife is often first line of editing, to ensure my writing reflects the fantasy map plan and my characters’ personalities are described
Did you hire a professional editor?
I believe working with a professional editor is essential. The small press company that is run by my wife contracts a professional editor, website designer, illustrators, cover designer, and publicists. Having a team of people behind you helps free up my time for writing.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Music is typically not part of my writing process. I love music so much, having played in a rock band rom grades 6-12, that music would distract me from my creative writing process as I spend energy thinking about the instrumental aspects of the music I’m listening to.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
Years ago I submitted my work to Agents and found that the agent that took me had me do rewrites, and still did not get a publisher to bid on my book.
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 family member of my sister-in-law became a very successful writer after scrapping the agent and publisher and starting up a small press label of his own. I used his experience as a model for this book series.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I use Damonza to design my book covers. The Damonza team provides a couple of cover ideas, and then I use a focus group of family and friends to give feedback on what they like and don’t like about each cover. Then, I request that the two cover ideas be combined in a specific manner to reflect what the focus groups have identified they like best.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Having a marketing plan is critical if you plan to sell books. Books Forward is my publicity group that assist with reaching out to book influencers and bloggers. I handle my own social media posting, to stay in touch with my readers on many levels. And I have someone design ads to run on Facebook and Amazon.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Every new potential author needs to decide what their goal is when writing a book. Do you want to get your story just recorded in print for others to read? Do you want your story to be appraised for an award? Do you want to sell books to make money? First figure out what your goal is when writing a book. That will help point you in the direction of what to do with your finished manuscript. If you want to be award winning, hire the editor that has helped produce award winning books. If you want to story to just be available for others to read, then self-publish. If you want to make money off your story, plan to write a series and look for the right team to help you make it happen and don’t expect to be profitable right away.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in a suburb just north of Boston and still love spending time in Boston.
Where do you live now?
I share time between my Connecticut and Florida home with my wife and puppy dog. I do my best writing in my Florida home, away from the stresses of where I work in the Emergency Room.
What would you like readers to know about you?
You are never too old to write a book. At 68 years old I’m writing a YA Fantasy series that is being well received by readers across all ages.
What are you working on now?
Book three of the Ignatius series is underway. I’m looking forward to sharing with my readers how my main character Iggy is progressing through his adventures.
End of Interview:
For more from D.A. Mucci visit his website as well as follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
Get your copy of Ignatius and the Battle at Dinas Affaraon from Amazon US or Amazon UK.