Journey of Seven Circles received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Russell Pike.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Journey of Seven Circles was published on June 24th of 2024.
What is the book’s first line?
“How did a man sign his own epitaph? In his many years of life, Kryn had never considered the question, and yet, that very task lay before him now.”
What is the book about?
Our story follows Kryn Darien, a wizard of unparalleled ability who is preparing to unleash the most powerful spell ever conceived in a desperate gambit to alter the course of the universe. He’s prepared for centuries, forged tools of terrifying arcane might, and honed skills beyond that of any other practitioner, but even so, the odds against him are so overwhelming it may not be enough.
He began life as a simple priest, never imagining such responsibility would fall to him. He only ever wished to live a life in service to those he loved. Unfortunately for Kryn, his life doesn’t offer him any easy choices. His unwillingness to abandon those he serves thrusts him into a maelstrom of war, treachery, and ancient lies.
Throughout his journey, Kryn must face bloody battlefields and foes wielding deadly magic all while attempting to unravel a conspiracy older than humanity itself. Every step of the way demands a price even higher than the last, but Kryn was never able to turn away from those in need.
But as the final confrontation nears, doubt gnaws at him. Will he succeed at last? Or will his countless sacrifices be in vain?
What inspired you to write the book?
I wanted to write a book about a genuinely good character who has to pay full price for his morality. What would such a life look like? How would such sacrifices change him? The only way to find out was to take poor Kryn and mercilessly shove him into the proverbial lions’ den. Only in this case, the lions take the form of hard situations and even harder choices. Naturally, I don’t let him off the hook easily, ensuring every turn only drags him deeper and deeper into trouble.
What is the main reason someone should really read this book?
If science fiction and fantasy have a superpower, it’s the ability to step away from reality and ask “what if?” By leaving behind our own world, authors and readers alike are free to indulge in metaphor and explore ideas with a freedom enjoyed by few other genres.
Journey of Seven Circles examines concepts such as duty, sacrifice, and compassion in (what I hope) is a thought-provoking manner while providing a gripping and fast-paced narrative to hold it all together. Readers who want to share this journey with the tale’s main character should check out the book.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who would you say the character reminds you of?
Kryn’s most distinctive trait is his compassion. He can’t turn his back on those in need, even when it costs him dearly to do so. I’ve been privileged to meet a few people like that, the kind who quietly and humbly help those around them. Most never receive any recognition for what they do, which was never the point for them, though they certainly make their communities a better place.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Many years ago I took one of those personality tests designed to help kids decide what they want to be when the grow up. My results said I’d be happiest as either a doctor or an author. I suppose the test had me pretty well pegged, though I didn’t realize it until much later.
While I played around with writing in junior high and high school, my first serious foray was during college. I needed money and thought I could turn a quick buck by entering a few writing contests that offered cash prizes. That was, without doubt, one of the dumbest things I’ve ever believed. If there’s such a thing as fast money in writing, I’ve yet to find it.
As you can well imagine, I didn’t win any of those contests, not by a mile. However, I did discover that old test was right. I loved writing. So I stuck with it, attending conferences, joining writing groups, developing my skills, and churning out words for years. Journey of Seven Circles is the first real fruit of my own personal journey.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Ha, ha, no. You should see the trunk full of old practice manuscripts I wrote to work on my skills. Actually, maybe you shouldn’t see them. In fact, I’m not going to tell you where they’re buried. However, Journey of Seven Circles is the first novel I wrote that I feel is worthy of publication. You’ll have to tell me whether or not I’m right.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I work for a company that compounds radioactive medicine, mostly for diagnostic imaging. Among other duties, I help handle the radioactive decay, making sure that nothing leaves for disposal before it’s been properly decayed out. In case you’re wondering, for these types of materials that usually means ten half-lives must have passed. Most of the isotopes we use have half-lives measured in hours or days, not years, which makes things a bit easier for me.
If anything, my job taught me to be detail oriented, to never skip steps, and always triple check my work. Oddly enough, that attitude is surprisingly useful when editing my writing.
How much time do you generally spend on writing?
As I still have a day job, I can’t devote full time hours to writing, though that is the dream. In the meantime, I try to give fifteen to twenty hours a week to writing. My backyard has certainly suffered over the years thanks to the attention siphoned away from the lawn and toward word count. At least my cats seem to appreciate the overgrown shrubs.
What’s the best and hardest part of being an indie?
An independent author is perforce a small business owner. So far as accounting, marketing, and organizing are concerned, the buck stops with you. Trouble is, everything I just mentioned are skills that people attend college to learn. As an author, you’re learning them in your spare time while mastering writing, which is a tricky enough skill on its own. While I’ve been fortunate to be able to afford professional help from time to time, I don’t have infinite cash to throw at the problem. Therefore, I’ve had to be quite strategic, spending money where it counted the most while learning to do what I could on my own.
What’s a great piece of advice you can share with fellow indie authors?
Beyond anything else, the best advertisement for your work is the work itself. Never stop learning, improving, and honing your skills. In the meantime, be involved in the writing community. Attend conferences and share your work with writing groups. You never know when an opportunity might present itself.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling?
At this point, I don’t think I would. Sure, there’s a lot to recommend traditional publishing, not the least of which are any number of accomplished editors, marketers, and publicists who work for the larger imprints. However, there’s a measure of freedom in independent publishing. Nobody cares about your career quite the same way you do, and you’re at liberty to guide your writing and creativity in whatever direction you feel is best. Honestly, I’m not sure I’d be willing to give that up.
Is there something in particular that motivates you?
I love fantasy and science fiction, especially intelligently written works which provoke thought, explore ideas, and perhaps grant us a little insight along the way. There have been a great many authors who have realized that idea, and I would love nothing better than to follow in their footsteps and perhaps add something of my own the body of fantasy literature.
Which writer (living or dead) do you most admire?
If there was one in particular, I’d say David Farland. Not only was the man an incredible author in his own right, but he was a fantastic educator as well. He possessed a gift for taking something so arcane as storytelling and breaking the subject down into easily digestible bites. The man spent as much time mentoring other authors as he did working on his own career. I considered it a privilege to have known him.