Hey there friends.

We’ve made it to the weekend again – hallelujah!

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For tonight’s interview with yet another fantastic author in the ongoing Author Interviews series, I’m ecstatic to be introducing you all to RobRoy McCandless and his fabulous fantasy fiction world.

Enjoy the show and have a relaxing one folks 🙂

 

Hi there Rob, thank you for joining us to chat about your written works and helping us to get to know you a little better, along with sharing your writing passions and influences.

Thanks David. I really appreciate your time and the opportunity.

Let’s start with your urban fantasy debut novel “TEARS OF HEAVEN”, which you just recently re-released last month. Please tell us more about the paranormal themes behind your novel, the background behind your lead characters and what conflicts they will face across the course of their adventures.

People think they want to meet an angel, but they really don’t. The awful truth is that meeting an angel would be the scariest, most life-altering moment of any mortal’s short existence. How much worse, then, would it be to be a half-angel, Nephilim, and have to interact with angels on a regular basis. According to Biblical myths, the Nephilim were great, terrible heroes who proved too strong, and too ambitious. TEARS OF HEAVEN explores what happens after the Nephilim, specifically Del and her partner Marrin are taken in hand, and given the task of keeping the world safe from demons.

You also have had short stories published in “Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy”, “In Shambles” and “Gears, Gadgets and Steam”. Can you tell us more about the nature of these publications and where your particular stories fit in them, along with their own themes/premises?

We like to think that our protectors, our soldiers and law enforcement, are superhuman heroes, but it turns out they are just as fragile as any of us. THROUGH THE STING OF FAIRY SMOKE found in “Nine Heroes” is a fantasy story where one such Servant is drowning his heartache, while another Servant is trying to keep the world around her from falling apart. The question is can they overcome their own issues and rise to the occasion?

Steampunk is more than corsets and watch gears glued onto a top hat. It’s speculative fiction at its finest. Mixing elements of Victorian-era technology with a war hero who has become constable in a small community is the basis for both stories in “Gears, Gadgets and Steam” and “In Shambles”. GRENADIERS AND DRAGON’S FIRE introduces Lieutenant Aubrey Hartmann in a desperate charge, while AND INTO A WATERY GRAVE presents her with a serial killer unlike anything she’s ever confronted.

If your novel was to be made into a film (or even a TV series), who would you cast in the lead roles?

Del is a unique combination of capability, charm and sarcasm that Natalie Morales would be perfect for. Morales’ characters have always been strong individuals who can put you in your place with the quirk of an eyebrow. I’ve follower her since the tragically short-lived THE MIDDLE MEN, PARKS AND RECREATION and the also tragically short THE GRINDER.

Marrin is that easy-going, uber-friendly, unfairly attractive guy that we all know and love to hang out with. He knows everyone, and everyone knows him. He has those Gannicus (from Spartacus: Gods of the Arena) qualities, and that same wide, loose smile, that make him very likable. Jai Courtney or maybe one of the Hemsworth brothers would be ideal for Marrin.

What do you find the most difficult thing about writing? And what do you find the easiest?

Telling a good story well and hitting some epic high note moments while not getting carried away from the reality of, say, a sword fight or a battle scene, into the unrealistic. Star Wars is a great example: Episodes IV, V, VI and even VII present the fights in a way that an audience can relate to—we don’t have the Force, per se, but we get the general idea of swinging a sword against another sword. On the other hand, Episodes I, II and III present the Jedi as nearly godlike and completely unrelateable in their fight sequences. Not only do you have to tap into the mystic powers, you have to become superhuman just to keep up. Keeping the physics of actions and reactions on target is something I really strive for and enjoy. This is especially enjoyable when readers catch the effort that went into making a fight scene exciting, but still within the realm of the real.

Dialogue and relationships are some of my favorite elements. I have to say that I love when a reader comes to me and says, “You bastard, I can’t believe you killed this character. He was my favorite.” They really aren’t mad at me, they’ve connected in a very real way with those characters, and that means I’ve achieved a realism of life between their mind and the story. That’s magic right there.

Who are some of the authors and historical figures that inspire you?

Elizabeth A. Lynn is my hero. No one has heard of her, but her prose, especially in A DIFFERENT LIGHT is unparalleled. Everyone should read that novella. Patrick Rothfuss makes a strong second. I’d love to develop a hate-hate relationship with him, but he won’t return my calls . . . or give me his real phone number. Bernard Cornwell, and Joe Abercrombie are great. I love history and fantasy with grit between the pages.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

GRENADIERS AND DRAGON’S FIRE which was published in “Gears, Gadgets and Steam”, was a wonderful research project. Military innovations are almost always a war ahead, while the tactics are usually a war behind. During the American Civil War and the Crimean War were misused because tactics hadn’t caught up to the technology. Despite the advent of repeating rifles and increased range of ammunition, most of the strategy was still based on putting soldiers in a line and marching them toward the enemy position, then slugging it out. They were caught up in their own experience and training, and, as with all humans, had a tough time moving past and innovating.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

Fiction and fantasy are really reflections of our world, only better. Even dark fiction or dystopias tend to hand us heroes that rise up above the blackness and are able to make choices that sort out the good guys from the bad guys—they can decipher good and evil, right from wrong. That’s not always true in our own world, and so it’s quite a relief to sit back and be transported to place where considerations over extremism, and Ebola and politics aren’t realities. Or, if they are realities, they’re going to be handled, in one way or another, by the characters.

We also learn the most from stories, as examples of how to behave, or how we want to behave. When confronted with similar situations, while we can’t use magic, and probably shouldn’t use violence, we still look to our heroes for a means for how to act.

How would Kvothe or Aragorn, or Katniss, or Dumbledore deal with this particular scenario. Fantasy and fiction provide us with multiple perspectives for dealing with the realities of our own day-to-day lives.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

The fans and the readers are incredible motivators. Having touched someone’s imagination with a character, or a scene, or even a single line of dialogue is an incredibly worthwhile success. Further, most authors are motivated by the characters, stories or worlds that they’ve created. They like to visit the place again and again, see how things have changed and take notes. I’m compelled by any world where dragons can make an appearance. They don’t have to show up, but the idea that they can? Please and thank you!

You have access to a time machine. What advice would you give to your younger self?

Buy Amazon and Netflix stock? Make friends with Joe Abercrombie and Hugh Howey?

Probably the best advice is to do and to learn. The best writing is when it feels plausible and real, even if it’s not. The worst is when the reader knows for fact that the events couldn’t happen the way the author is describing. Experience is the best teacher, and barring that (like sharing wine with a centaur) research into

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

Writing is night job/break job/squeeze-it-in-at-the-scenes job. The worst part of being a writer is that you don’t ever actually stop writing—on a run, mowing the lawn, battling sprinklers—dialogue and plot points and bits of inspiration keep coming.

I do, however, make time to read, a little bit each day. Every writer should read, even if it’s not their own genre. It’s great to see what other authors are working on, sending out there, and how it can impact your writing. I also volunteer coach a high school speech and debate team, and occasionally wrestle with my three sons.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

This year is going to be big. Huge. Re-releases with new cover art will be available for TEARS OF HEAVEN and its sequel HELL BECOMES HER. In addition, the third and final volume of the series, COMPANY OF THE DAMNED, will also be available. I’m working on the edits right now and I can tell you it’s good. Really good. Additionally, I’m pitching my historical fiction novel set in early Feudal Japan, THE SECOND CUT, and my steampunk series CONSTABLE OF AQUALINNE, to a couple of interested publishers. It will be a shift from the urban fantasy with wholly new characters, but they’re all related, on a genetic level, to each other. If you’ve enjoyed Del and her world, you’re going to love Tomoe Gozen and Aubrey Hartmann!

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

No one gets out of this life alive. The friendships and relationships that you create should be the biggest and most important portion of your life. Draw from that. The themes of friendship, family bonds, treating others, and overcoming problems are what this life is all about. Make those the themes that become part of the motivation for your characters.

And that’s a wrap! Thank you for setting us up for an enjoyable weekend, we look forward to checking out your latest release (and when they are ready) more besides 🙂

Thank you again, David. I really enjoyed your excellent questions.

Bio:-

R.A. McCandless has been a writer both professionally and creatively for over two decades. He was born under a wandering star that led to a degree in Communication and English with a focus on creative writing. He’s the author of the urban fantasy TEARS OF HEAVEN winner of the 2014 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll and a 2015 EPIC eBook finalist, and HELL BECOMES HER. His shorts have appeared in IN SHAMBLES (with Kevin J. Anderson) NINE HEROES, and GEARS, GADGETS AND STEAM. He continues to research and write historical and genre fiction, battle sprinklers, and play with his three boys.

You can connect with him via the following Social Media channels:-

Blog:- The Blog of Author R.A. McCandless
Facebook:- RobRoy McCandless – Author (FB)
Twitter:- @RobRoyMcCandles (Twitter)
Website:- The Website of R.A. McCandless – Fantasy & Historic Fiction

You can buy his books here:-

Buy RobRoy McCandless books in the UK/Europe

Buy RobRoy McCandless books in the US/Rest of the World

If you too would like to be interviewed on my blog at TooFullToWrite and you have a book or a series of books that you would like us to chat about then fill out the Contact Me form here with your details and we can arrange a future interview slot.

Still want more? Well, Rob infuses his books with a wide variety of fantastical elements, whilst keeping his heroes grounded in their ability to take relatable emotional action when the right time comes. For more articles on the theme of ‘Infuse’ then check out the links below:-

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2. The Prohibited… – Life After Fifty
3. Poetry Out West – Murder & Mayhem
4. Antelope Canyon – Wind Kisses
5. MULIEBRAL VIEWPOINT – WHAT MAKES THE NEWS?
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7. Water for Weight Loss – Whole, Hearty, Happy
8. Le Drake Noir – Eight days a week
9. infuse – erintypes
10. shame – Newborn
11. I Decim-Ate It All – Rhyme In Time
12. if i am to survive this – jacey caitlyn speaks
13. Abundant Advice – Focal Breeze
14. Why Even an Art I fused Air BnB Rental Can be Dicey – Shelby’s Starlit Crossing
15. Call 911 – Girl Writing
16. WPC: Glaciers – Flying Solo
17. Antelope Canyons – Wind Kisses
18. Infuse – Angelic Hands
19. Prettier gardens – awesomeloopy
20. Smiles – Positively Un-broken
21. Be One With The Flames – The Icognito Writer
22. Tolerance Radiates, Intolerance does too! – thinkinkadia
23. Super Short Story- 6 Word Prompts – Margaret writes about life and everything else
24. Magical Life – Debbie Gravett
25. Blossoms Infuse! – San Speaks
26. Be a Star! – Kaleidoscope of my life
27. kwesi – infuse
28. Infuse – The Inkwell
29. Fluffy Pool – Swedish Rock and Roll
30. Making it write – Leaves
31. Books- Find out 4 simple reasons to make them our best friend
32. Teavana Perfectea Infuser – ENVISION REVISION
33. frankly, my dear – Tiny Fawns Writings
34. Till death parts us – The Chaos Within
35. Dogwood Original Photo Challenge (Week 11) – Melinda J. Irvine
36. Slowing Down and Inhaling the Blues – mokita dreams
37. Infusion.. – Dramatisch Gemini
38. Invisible Illnesses – Infuse – Daily Prompt
39. Giggles & Tales – Fragility of the Heart…
40. Infuse the Grapes and make Wine – Le Marche Magic
41. My Joke Bag – Write Away
42. Infuse – all life is yoga
43. Insanity – THEGIRLVERSUSWORLD
44. Infuse strength… – Run and Travel
45. Fifty Reasons Why – Day 86: Labels Just Aren’t Good Enough
46. What Is The Meaning Of It All? – Lifes Journey
47. Over Indulge – Leigha Robbins
48. Life On The Skinny Branches – Punch Drunk
49. Sun and Warmth…Infused – Random Daily Thoughts
50. Infuse a Little Pineapple and Cut a Couple Calories – The Hockey Mom Fit Life
51. Sana’a, a Week in Pictures – America For Yemen
52. One-Pot Cooking…Dinner by 7:00? No Problem At All! – kindergartenknowledge.com
53. Tea Leaves Shop in Sassafras…www.tealeaves.com.au – Mum’s the Word Blog
54. The Killer Back Button… – Mum’s the Word Blog
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56. Tangled Webs – Oil and Weeds
57. My Simple Blog – Infuse
58. Infuse to Diffuse! – Pebbles
59. In a Perfect World…. – They Once Called Her Pumpkin…
60. INFUSE….AND MAKE THE WORLD HAPPY AGAIN – breathingpark
61. My Mixed Blog – Infuse Bone Grafting
62. How Money makes you weak!! – I Can Feel Around
63. A jolly German baker – By Sarah
64. Infuse – Book Meets Girl
65. Daily Post Infuse – All About Writing and more
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72. Harboring Darkness – A Look into Me
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74. BE A FLOWER – Rainbow
75. Collages – Season change
76. Candles on the Front Porch – Infuse
77. Poetry Inspired – Infuse
78. Steps Times Two – Nostalgia
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81. Purple? It’s not Purple? – 5 Books A Year By: This One’s For You!
82. Christine’s Collection – A Classic Bait-and-Switch
83. The Showers of Blessing – Jade – Genuine or Fake
84. Out to Lunch! – Inner Whispers
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108. Swell Time – Tonight’s Special
109. Towards Home – Wings Of Poetry
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123. The Abject Muse – Feeling Sapphire
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129. Ode to a Pineapple Ginger Muffin – The Introspection Connection
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132. teleportingweena – INFUSED / SMELL
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134. I. N. F. U. S. E – Dream Desire Achieve
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154. Gaping Chasm – ikataki
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156. Cuneiform Records Preserve Babylonian Astronomy – Site Title
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168. Finest Fusion – Reactionary Tales
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174. Dronstad – Dog Fight II
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178. Science Traveler – G’day Mate…Drinking tea in Argentina
179. Hot White Snow – Cultural Infusion
180. Fear and hope – CD-W, Author Flawed to Perfection
181. The Butterflies’ Fairy – Invite quotidienne : Infuse
182. Giggles & Tales – The Daily Prompt – Infuse!
183. Tea – Don’t hold your breath
184. My Mother’s Ice Tea: Infused with Grace – As I was saying…
185. Spice up your world with these blistered Shishito peppers – art of being fabulous
186. Haiku thoughts of possible preponderance – Zachary W Gilbert, Author
187. The magic of the stars… /Suzhalgal
188. Haiku: Energy Fountains – whippetwisdom.com
189. Ghosts Of The Kilburn High Road – whippetwisdom.com
190. Walk with God – The Choice
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192. An Upturned Soul – Living in a David Lynch World
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195. Infused With Coffee – Jittery Goat
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199. Poems and Petals – My Grandfather
200. Infuse – What Wendy Writes
201. RI feel like a million bucks today! – Piercing the Mundane
202. sonja benskin mesher – .. an tique kent toothbrush*..
203. The View From My Window – Infuse A Deeper Meaning
204. LadyLebz – Being in an Interracial Relationship
205. Pirates of the Caribbean : Dead Men Tell No Tales – Review – shivamt25
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209. Infusing joy – wish you more
210. CopyCat Cafe: Coffee With Simon – Redux Of Rex
211. Infuse – wordsareallihavesite
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213. Original-Dante – Ba/ance.
214. Frank Prem – rising blue
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