May 2019
Mike Chinakos
I'm looking at your book, Tales of the Ten Realms, from where did you draw your inspiration for this book?
I've always loved time travel and trains. When I moved to Snoq ualmie Valley, WA a decade This book came about from my desire to write in a shared world. My co-authors, Jonathan Larch, and Keenin Osborne found most of our inspiration sitting around a fire while enjoying a good cigar and a glass of whiskey! We wanted to establish a world with a unique magic system, and some different fantasy tropes. I think we accomplished both of those things, and couldn't be more pleased with the outcome..
Do you work from an outline or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ("pantster") kind of writer and why?
We all discussed our setting and our story ideas quite a bit before writing. Jonathan tends to be more of an outliner. Keenin is very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. I always have a solid idea of the beginning and end. Usually, I let the characters and story lead me in the middle.
What was the hardest part of writing this book and why?
To be honest, this was a very enjoyable writing experience! It flowed well and was very ego-free for the writers. The hardest part was being the task-master who kept everyone on schedule!
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
My favorite story to write in this anthology was "In the Cradle of the Night." This collection is my first foray into straight fantasy. With Cradle, I got the chance to infuse some horror elements into the anthology. It was an excellent opportunity to combine the two genres that I love so much.
We all love a hero. Was there a real-life inspiration behind your protagonist(s)? Please explain.
The story that Jonathan wrote, "Capital Crime," has a main character that very much resembles his wife in real life! I can't say that Keenin based any characters off of actual people. I wrote a piece called "The Black Rose." In that story, I based the main character on an amalgam of a few women in my life.
Is there a clear villain in your book and if so, how did you get in touch with your inner villain to write this book?
There are many villains, including some moving behind the scenes. I am always in touch with my inner villain!
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
The one thing that I learned is that co-writing can be a lot of fun! The nights we spent talking about our world and our fiction was extraordinarily eye-opening and helped me grow quite a bit as a writer.
If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Rock star!
What are your future project(s)?
I'm currently working on the final novel in the Hollywood Cowboys trilogy. Six months from now, I'll be getting together with the boys to start planning a full-blown novel set in the Ten Realms.
Is there a message in your novel you hope readers will grasp?
I never want to beat a reader over the head with a message. I think there are several we intended in our stories, but I also know that each reader will take away their own themes from everything you create as an author.
To learn more about Mike Chinakos visit his website: mikeloveswriting.com and on Facebook.
I've always loved time travel and trains. When I moved to Snoq ualmie Valley, WA a decade This book came about from my desire to write in a shared world. My co-authors, Jonathan Larch, and Keenin Osborne found most of our inspiration sitting around a fire while enjoying a good cigar and a glass of whiskey! We wanted to establish a world with a unique magic system, and some different fantasy tropes. I think we accomplished both of those things, and couldn't be more pleased with the outcome..
Do you work from an outline or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants ("pantster") kind of writer and why?
We all discussed our setting and our story ideas quite a bit before writing. Jonathan tends to be more of an outliner. Keenin is very fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants. I always have a solid idea of the beginning and end. Usually, I let the characters and story lead me in the middle.
What was the hardest part of writing this book and why?
To be honest, this was a very enjoyable writing experience! It flowed well and was very ego-free for the writers. The hardest part was being the task-master who kept everyone on schedule!
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
My favorite story to write in this anthology was "In the Cradle of the Night." This collection is my first foray into straight fantasy. With Cradle, I got the chance to infuse some horror elements into the anthology. It was an excellent opportunity to combine the two genres that I love so much.
We all love a hero. Was there a real-life inspiration behind your protagonist(s)? Please explain.
The story that Jonathan wrote, "Capital Crime," has a main character that very much resembles his wife in real life! I can't say that Keenin based any characters off of actual people. I wrote a piece called "The Black Rose." In that story, I based the main character on an amalgam of a few women in my life.
Is there a clear villain in your book and if so, how did you get in touch with your inner villain to write this book?
There are many villains, including some moving behind the scenes. I am always in touch with my inner villain!
Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?
The one thing that I learned is that co-writing can be a lot of fun! The nights we spent talking about our world and our fiction was extraordinarily eye-opening and helped me grow quite a bit as a writer.
If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Rock star!
What are your future project(s)?
I'm currently working on the final novel in the Hollywood Cowboys trilogy. Six months from now, I'll be getting together with the boys to start planning a full-blown novel set in the Ten Realms.
Is there a message in your novel you hope readers will grasp?
I never want to beat a reader over the head with a message. I think there are several we intended in our stories, but I also know that each reader will take away their own themes from everything you create as an author.
To learn more about Mike Chinakos visit his website: mikeloveswriting.com and on Facebook.
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