The way I write means I try to put myself into the place of my characters and putting myself into such a dark headspace is challenging, to say the least.

Joseph P Macolino – 20 February 2024

The Back Flap

Enjoying the time without strife, Irontail works to spread peace and unity throughout the forest of Erathal. Organizing the first ever Festival of Gratitude, he finally feels he is fulfilling his calling as the leader of his centaur village. But his plans are once again hijacked when a familiar villain escapes from imprisonment.

The felite warrior, Tel’ Shira, joins Irontail and the other heroes of Erathal as they plan their counter-offensive. But even her gift of foresight is not enough to prepare her for the upcoming battle against this malevolent foe.

With the future of Erathal on the line, will anyone survive to tell the tale? The Battle for Erathal is the thrilling conclusion to the Evorath epic fantasy series. If you like expansive world-building, heart-pounding battle scenes, and heroic fantasy, you won’t want to miss Joseph P Macolino’s epic finale adventure.

About the book

What is the book about?

Good, evil, hope, love, loss, friendship, and of course a dose of magic. I can’t talk about one book in the trilogy without talking about the whole trilogy. And in its simplest form, Evorath is about people who recognize injustice in the world and look to solve it. They aren’t larger-than-life, perfect heroes -but they do happen to be elves, centaurs, felite (catfolk), and other fantastic creatures.

When did you start writing the book?

In my case, I think that’s a bit of a loaded question. I started building the world of Evorath in high school. A lot of the lore and world building has been crucial to writing each of this first trilogy. I didn’t start book 3 until July 2023 though.

How long did it take you to write it?

That would depend on when you consider the start to be. If we’re talking the entire first trilogy, it took about 10 years to really get it right. The good news is, the third book in this trilogy only took me about 3 months to write -and I’m about finished with another book in 3 months. So, if the question is how much time I need to write a novel, the answer is about 3 months.

Where did you get the idea from?

Is divine inspiration an appropriate answer? I grew up with a love for fantasy and by middle school when I read The Lord of the Rings trilogy, my love for reading was born. Without many real-life friends to interact with, I spent most of middle and high school roleplaying in online forums and building my own original world of Evorath. Throughout it all, I’ve had a love for games like Elder Scrolls, Final Fantasy, and other fantasy games and movies. Moreover, many ancient mythologies serve as continuing inspiration for further building the world of Evorath.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Speaking of the trilogy as a whole, book 2 was the most difficult because it relied heavily on telling the story from the villain’s perspective. The way I write means I try to put myself into the place of my characters and putting myself into such a dark headspace is challenging, to say the least.

What came easily?

Generally, writing the story. Because I spend so much time fleshing out the world, the details of the stories tend to flow naturally for me. No, it’s not all easy and there are details that can be challenging. But with the story outlined and the character personalities established, the main events tend to just unfold.

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

For the good guys at least, the only real-world person I can give any credit to is me. Many of these characters have aspects of me in them, and those who started out with less are the ones I tend to gravitate more towards. If anything, the main villain Yezurkstal takes inspiration from the most famous tyrants, but there is no conscious, single model for him or anyone else in this trilogy.

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?

I read more non-fiction than anything else. Growing up, I read a fair deal of fantasy. More notably among them are Tolkien, Lewis, and Rowling, of whose books I all drew great enjoyment. On the less popular end, I enjoyed reading quite a few Magic the Gathering novels (under-rated fantasy adventures in my humble opinion). In terms of overall influence though, I wouldn’t say my writing is quite like any of these, or anyone else I’ve read.

Do you have a target reader?

Is ‘myself’ a valid answer? Really, I write for all the dreamers who believe the world can be a better place. For those who want to escape to a land of magic and wonderment, or for those who simply want to explore a society where human greed and corruption is not just accepted as it is in our own world. I write for those who are outcasts, who need a friend, or who are just looking to enjoy a good fantasy adventure.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

I suppose so. The process itself is ever-evolving, but most of it stems from the world-building of Evorath. While there is still more lore I’m creating over time, the world is well fleshed out and has an extensive history, cultures, political systems, philosophies, etc. This all makes writing the stories much easier. In terms of the writing ritual, it starts with instrumental music to ensure I can better focus; it also helps evoke strong emotions.

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

Yes, but not too extensively. The foundation of my outlining is done for more than thirty stories. That is, I have series planned and tentative titles along with a paragraph or more for each of those titles to capture the essential plot elements. When I’m starting on an individual story, I usually flesh this out a bit more, adding in some chapters and putting what key events go where. But generally, I use that high-level outline to guide me and allow the stories to react to the events.

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

Yes. I will make little edits as I go. But I will also go back after to edit the entire thing from start to finish.

Did you hire a professional editor?

I do, and I wouldn’t recommend it any other way. The first step of editing is self-editing. I re-read the entire manuscript from start to finish and make edits for grammar. Then I re-read again and make any final content changes. I then send to my developmental editor, at which point there is typically a bit of back and forth as improvements are made. Finally, there is a round of copyediting and proof reading to ensure any pesky grammar mistakes don’t make it through. At a minimum, I’d recommend a few rounds of editing.

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

Without fail. I am one of those weird people who still listen to Pandora. I’ve curated a couple stations that include movie and video game soundtracks along with various instrumental music artists. At times, I’ll also pull up some YouTube performers and listen to their music while I write.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Nope. If you’re an agent reading this and want to represent me, please feel free to convince me why I could use your help. But my research seemed to suggest the juice wasn’t worth the squeeze on that front.

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

Like most things, I spent so much time researching the options that I could probably teach a class in it. For me, I just didn’t see traditional publishing making a lot of sense.

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

Professionally. I was thrilled to find my cover artist because I’m not at all a visual artist. He has a rare gift of taking my vague cover ideas and turning them into beautiful works of art!

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

Right now, I have a plan. I spent too long winging it and I didn’t see it getting me anywhere. You find readers who enjoy your book, but if you don’t have a strategy to get more at scale, writing becomes untenable in the professional sense.

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

You can’t fake passion. Not original, I know. But if you’re like me, the writing is easy, the stories flow like a rapid river. Committing to a career as a writer though…that’s hard. And if you don’t have a real passion for writing, I frankly don’t know how you would do it.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in St. Petersburg, FL.

Where do you live now?

A small, rural town in north-central Florida.

What would you like readers to know about you?

What would my readers want to know about me? I find it a bit awkward when people want to get to know me better because my stories tell you all you need to know. I’m just a normal person with a hyperactive imagination. But if there’s one thing to know, it’s my desire to see a world where kindness always wins out over coercion, intimidation, and bullying.

What are you working on now?

The next series in the Evorath universe, Legends of Evorath. I’ve got the series planned out and am currently editing book 1 and starting to write book 2.

End of Interview:

For more from Joseph P Macolino visit his website and follow him on Facebook.

Get your copy of The Battle for Erathal from Amazon US or Amazon UK.