I was deeply invested in large-cast multi-pov books/series like George RR Martin’s “A Song of Ice and Fire” and Brandon Sanderson’s “The Stormlight Archive” because I loved how with so many perspectives you could truly explore the same fictional events through different lenses.
Tim Facciola – 27 October 2023
The Back Flap
Peace bought by blood seldom lasts, for vengeance knows no end. The same is true for mortals and Gods alike. Decades, centuries, eras may pass, but the cycle remains. As war and revolution rise again, Zephyrus finds himself at the center of it all. Chosen by the Gods, hailed as a prophet of liberation, and forged as a weapon to break the kingdom and restore balance to the realm, hope rests squarely on his shoulders.
If only he could remember…
Enslaved as a gladiator and thrust into a prince’s game of espionage, Zephyrus has only two clues to help unlock his shattered past: a prophecy foretelling destruction, and a letter to the enemy king, promising peace. Now Zephyrus must survive the dangers of the gladiatorial arena, the cunning fury of the Prince’s enemies, and the Gods’ torment if he is to find the truth of his identity and fulfill his fate. But to have any hope of breaking the cycle, first he must secure his freedom—and not just from his slavers.
Within this vengeful realm, a queen protecting her kingdom, a prince defending his father, and a gladiator slave haunted by a prophecy each contend for their own brand of freedom. But the Gods have an agenda of their own, and they’ll use any vessel—patrician, plebeian, or slave—to see it done.
The scales must be balanced. By peace. Or by blood.
About the book
What is the book about?
A Vengeful Realm is an exploration of the human condition revolving around themes of justice—what is fair, what should be, and what could be. Sure, there’s some gladiator battles, court politics, and divinely bestowed magics, but at the end of the day, this story investigates the need for understanding what justice means and attempts to discover the balance between the lengths one would go to achieve it. I believe when one is secure in their identity, they can act from a stance of hope instead of operating from a place of fear. Once grounded in that sense of self, they are more willing to choose mercy over vengeance, and others over themselves regardless of what is just.
When did you start writing the book?
I began writing A Vengeful Realm in 2013, about ten years ago.
How long did it take you to write it?
This is a loaded question that makes me sweat a bit. I was working about 80 hours/week when I first started writing. That first year was more just idea formation, taking notes, and compiling elements that I thought would make up a story. Thought being the operative word. From there It took another 2-3 years to finish the first draft. Sent it to a developmental editor (Chersti Nieveen at Writertherapy.com). Rewrote the book. Revised the book (several times). Then after some time in the query trenches and working on other projects, I decided I wanted to finish the trilogy before releasing book 1. Having found my process (and had some help from the pandemic changing my work schedule) I wrote books 2 and three in the same year!
Where did you get the idea from?
The ideas were an amalgamation of the things I felt drawn to. A combination of my favorites boiled into one story. I always enjoyed learning about Ancient Roman culture and mythology. I was deeply invested in large-cast multi-pov books/series like George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Brandon Sanderson’s The Stormlight Archive because I loved how with so many perspectives you could truly explore the same fictional events through different lenses. I also wanted to include some sort of “end of days” type of supernatural apocalyptic threat that was tied to the mythology and entwined with the characters. Those were the three seeds the world of A Vengeful Realm was born from.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
The season of every newbie writer’s career that I have come to call “The Revision Loop.” It’s a terrible stage where you’ve learned you need feedback from others but have yet to set the boundaries of implementation. I think feedback is vital, especially when that feedback is constructive, educational, and aligned with your vision for your own story. However, it rarely is… through no fault of beta readers, critique partners, writing groups, etc. it is just the nature of creativity. Getting caught in the Revision Loop is more about the creator’s need for validation as opposed to focusing on what is best for the story. Having a boundary to filter and process feedback through the lens of “is this best for my story?” was not only imperative to finishing the book, but also a huge boon for my own mental health.
What came easily?
For me, the easiest part is being consistent. I’m a grinder. I can show up for myself even when I don’t feel like it. That steady dedication is something I know a lot of writers struggle with. But like anything, it’s a practice. I had a lot of help along the way to help me find and create what I needed to make my practice productive and fulfilling.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I promised myself when I began writing that I would not base any character on any person in my life, but as I’ve written, revised, edited, not just my own books but others’, I’ve come to realize that that’s not exactly how it goes down. I believe every writer imparts pieces of themselves into their works no matter how hard they try not to. What I came to realize over the course of the writing, editing, and publishing process is that each of my characters is a part of me in some way: My desire to be understood. My longing for equity. The inter-character relationships—in some way, shape, or form my “me-ness” is imprinted into those characters.
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?
Brandon Sanderson has probably been the most formative in helping me to develop my process and find my writing voice. His simple prose, character-focused stories, and the uplifting and hopeful themes of his tales always keep me coming back. I hope fans of his will find a similar tenor and tone in my stories—this idea of finding the light through the darkness.
George RR Martin will always have a special place in my heart because ASOIAF got me back into reading. The degree of his world building astounds me. I love a world that feels so immersive you could live in it (though you may not want to… especially if you’re invited to a wedding). It’s my goal to invoke the same depth and breadth of a world with perhaps half the number of pages. Also, perhaps in a negative way, the current twelve year gap between the release of A Dance with Dragons and The Winds of Winter inspired me to finish my trilogy before releasing it.
Thirdly, Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series has been a world I love escaping into. There are several homages to his series embedded into A Vengeful Realm that serve as little easter eggs for his fans and my fellow Howlers.
Another that I would be remiss to leave off this list is Michael J Sullivan. His writing journey and decision to self-publish the Riyria Revelations after he had finished writing the series greatly influenced me. The end of that series left me floored. Having the ability to go back to book 1 and plant seeds to foreshadow what would be to come in book 3 was super fun for me and what I hope will be super cathartic for my readers.
Do you have a target reader?
I feel like the readers of epic fantasy are a very dedicated bunch, but to say these are my readers is a cop-out to the question. My target reader is someone willing to be immersed in an expansive world. Someone who wants to invest in the characters, for they are the vessels through which the story will unfold. My target readers are those who identify that there is a lot wrong in the world, but there is still hope worth fighting for. A Vengeful Realm is not a cozy-feel good story. It was written to challenge readers to ask themselves questions and think critically about difficult real-world issues in the hopes of stimulating conversation and growth.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
Morgan Gist MacDonald at Paper Raven Books helped me to find my process. I’ve written myself a little author mission statement—something that keeps me accountable, centered, and focused on my identity as a writer. Quite simply, I write 5k+ words per week/spend 10+ hours per week to work on epic fantasy stories that have a light at the end of the darkness to inspire readers. Having these minimums set for myself gives me the consistency I need not to put the cart before the horse. I often write more—significantly more—but having the minimums for myself has been really helpful for my writing identity. As for a process, yes, I have a process that affords me a degree of flexibility and adaptability that I’ll describe below.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes. I outline quite a bit. Not just the plot either. I have spreadsheets that focus on world-building details, character dossiers, plot outlines, and thematic development before I even begin writing. The way I see it, the world building is like an ocean—it’s vast and expansive, seemingly limitless. Characters are the vessels through which that ocean is explored. The path those vessels take to explore the ocean is the plot. And the land that those vessels arrive at after traversing the ocean by following the path is the theme. I like to have all of that mapped out as in-depth and succinctly as possible. Following Deborah Chester’s Fantasy Fiction Formula I use the SPOOC method to distill my story down to 2-3 sentences (the Situation, Protagonist, Objective, Obstacle/Opponent, and the Climax). With that I also write a thematic statement to make sure I know what point I’m guiding my readers to—begin with the end in mind.
So, yes, I plot. However, I really focus on character plot outlines. I begin with each character’s individual SPOOC, then expand upon that using a 7-point plot structure (7-10 sentences). Then I look at each character’s individual arcs and ask myself how and why they will intersect each other, then revise based on that. Once I have each character’s 7-plot outline mapped out, then I figure out the order of operations and make a chapter by chapter outline to determine when they occur both in chronology and story presentation. The chapter by chapter outlines I’m flexible with. Sometimes all I need is a few sentences. Other times I might have several paragraphs outlining how I envision something. By the time I get to drafting, I feel as if I already know my world, character, and big picture plot extensively as if it’s actually a 3rd or 4th draft instead of a first. This allows me to focus on the details and how I present them even during a first draft. However, I will say, when characters decide to stray from the outline (usually in small, scene-contained ways), I have to trust them that at this point, they know what is best for the story. If it creates ripple effects, I may have to go back to the outline and make adjustments, but those ripples almost always make the story better. So I’ve learned to embrace that!
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I try my best not to switch back and forth between the creative half of my brain and the analytical side. When drafting, I’m fully in my creative space. The moment I look back at what I’ve read, I have to switch hemispheres to the analytical half of my brain. Unless there is something plot or character-wise that is so radically different that I need to change it to solidify it in my mind, I wait until the end to go back and edit .
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes, I started working with Chersti Nieveen of Writer Therapy several years ago. She was extremely helpful in my formative writing years in teaching me to see and understand how story works. You can only see what the mind knows, and she enlightened me to how the art and science of story work together.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
It depends. If I do listen while I write, I often will listen to boss-battle video game music or instrumental tracks. As long as it doesn’t have lyrics, it’ll work. The moment there are words I find it distracting.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did. The year was 2020 and I like to think the upheaval of life itself was the reason I didn’t garner more attention in the querying trenches, but I just don’t think the process was 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?
There was a pitch event in the virtual Writer’s Digest Convention in the fall of 2020. I was approached by a small press and asked to submit to them. I did. By December they came back to me with a contract offer. Though everything was by the books (pun intended) and nothing seemed nefarious, something didn’t feel right to me. Signing away the rights, being on a deadline, relinquishing a degree of creative control—I didn’t feel that it was a) best for the story, or b) the best long-term career choice. At the end of the day, I wanted to finish the trilogy on my own time, on my own accord. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was the right one for me. Since, I have partnered with Paper Raven Books, a self-publishing service company, and Books Forward, a PR company for authors so I could retain the rights and put out a product of comparable quality to a traditional-publishing book.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
I found Lunaris Falcon Studio on TikTok and worked with Freya, a very talented designer. I’ve since worked with her on other bookish artwork and illustrations. I love my covers and couldn’t be happier with how they came out.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Winging it was never an option for me. That was my hesitancy with self-publishing—I wanted a team, I wanted a plan, I wanted to work with people who knew what they were doing and had a plan since I knew I certainly didn’t.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
I’m very fortunate. I have my own virtual fitness business that affords me both the time and finances to invest in my writing. I’ve had the privilege of keeping my creative integrity without having to make business decisions based on my creativity. I write what I want to write regardless of the market. That was something that was important to me. I’m the first to identify that my circumstances are unique, but the first thing I’d advise new indie authors to do is ask for help. It really does take a community because it’s a long journey. Find people worth adventuring with, whether they be social media friends or paid relationships like working with an editor or author coach. It’s important to have people in your corner.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in the suburbs outside of Manhattan.
Where do you live now?
I live in the mountains outside of Phoenix, Arizona.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’m a virtual personal trainer who incorporates maces, clubs, staves, and swords into my training to give that fun fantasy feel. Fitness should be as fun as the stories we love!
What are you working on now?
I’m currently working on two projects. With book 2 coming out in January and book 3 set to release in April, I’m currently drafting the stand-alone prequel to A Vengeful Realm that follows one of the characters (Threyna) and their journey to escape that end of days, apocalyptic-inducing villain I mentioned earlier. It could be read before or after the A Vengeful Realm trilogy. The second project I’m working on is actually a board game based on the gladiator aesthetic of the series that combines the strategy of chess and the luck of dice (similar to the game of Reign found in the trilogy).
End of Interview:
For more from Tim Facciola visit his website and follow him on Instagram and Tik Tok.
Get your copy of Vengeful Realm from Amazon US or Amazon UK.