Author Interview - Jason Wiley
Jason Wylie is an
Australian author who lives in the semi-rural town of Dayboro in Queensland,
Australia. Jason is a qualified process and project engineer whose hobbies
include writing, reading, fabrication and working on cars in the shed.
Jason has a beautiful wife, Abbi, and two gorgeous children named Aria and Noah.
Genre: Fantasy
Q&A
Q1: What is the name of your latest book and what is it about?
The Oracle of Malcontent is a Fantasy novel that
follows the adventure of a young man “chosen” to be an apprentice of sorts to
the Order-Master of Death. You join him as he explores the world of Azarth,
learns about the four clandestine orders which secretly impose their will upon
the world, and makes an unlikely companionship with an acid-spraying dragon!
His journey also involves a little bit of well-intentioned necromancy, which
might cause a bit of a headache for him. The book is set in a new world with
fantastic beasts and more than a few species of poisonous flora.
Q2: How long does it take you to write a
book? How long does each stage of the process usually take?
The Oracle of Malcontent is my
debut novel, but I do have others completed/in the works. This one took me
about three months to write the first draft (125k words), and then almost three
years to get it completed. Part of the delay was waiting for a development edit
to be completed. After my experience with getting this book to the printers, I
think I can bring it down closer to a 12 month cycle for writing and
publishing.
Q3: What is your favourite type of character to write?
Being a reasonably
sarcastic person myself, I find great pleasure in writing a smart arse. The
problem with writing a character like that is they tend to get themselves into
trouble, and then it is up to me to work out how to get them out of their
situation.
Q4: Do you mine your own life for ideas,
settings and/or characters?
I have an example of
this in The Oracle of Malcontent where my character arrives in a new
location and finds a vendor selling a very simple meal, the equivalent of chicken
and rice. The main character, Pthorn, believes he may have just stumbled upon
the greatest meal of all time and thinks he could make a career out of selling
it back home. I had a similar experience when I visited Turkey many years ago
at a market stall in Kalkan. While I had certainly had chicken, rice and salad
before many times, there was something amazing about whatever they had done to
prepare it.
Q5: What is something you wish you had
known earlier on it your writing career?
I have been writing
for a long time, but this is my first published book. I wish that I had known
earlier that I could do it and not to give up on that first draft. Whenever you
get an idea for a book, write it down; do not delete it! The Oracle of Malcontent was started, with just three random chapters written, while I
was on leave when my daughter was born, and it was months later that I picked
it back up and kept writing.
Q6: What do you do when you find yourself in a bit of a writing rut? Is
there any strategy you find works for you to help the words start flowing
again?
I have recently
joined a writing group where we are set a homework task. I intentionally try to
write something different to my usual genre or perspective. I write in the
third person, past tense in The Oracle of Malcontent, but to give my
most recent writing task a more personal feel, I switched to first person and
set it in a contemporary, real-world situation. This change in thinking helped
me get out of the rut and keep writing, even if it wasn’t on my main project
(Book 2 of the series).
Q7: It looked like you had a really
successful pre-order campaign for The Oracle of Malcontent. Do you have
any tips for anyone wanting to organise a pre-order campaign for their own
books?
I created three
versions of my book to appeal to a variety of readers. Most people who don’t
know me from a bar of soap would probably go for my e-book. I ran an ad that marketed
the e-book front and centre, with Kobo and Amazon prominently displayed.
I also created a
paperback and a hardcover edition, each with a different cover and the
hardcover features art from a local artist, Riss Gibson. These were marketed
through my own channels, for sale through my website, and at local bookshops (www.blacklabelbooks
and available to Australia). I purchased 36 paperbacks and 32 hardcovers and it
looks like I am up for another order very soon.
Q8: How would you describe your book’s
ideal reader?
The ideal reader for The Oracle of Malcontent is probably someone like me. Someone who loves the
creativity and lack of real-world boundaries that comes with a fantasy world. They
would also be someone with a sense of humour who doesn’t take themselves too
seriously; you may find some relatable characters in this sense. Someone who
also has an interest in science, as a process (chemical) engineer, I couldn’t
help but throw in some scientific world-building just for fun – Don’t worry, I
don’t write novels the same way that I write technical reports.
Q9: What authors or books inspire you the most?
I am an avid
Sanderson fan, and I love the world-building from his Cosmere. I was undoubtedly
inspired by the elegant prose of Patrick Rothfuss, although I write in a far
more clear-view fashion than he does. Of all the books I have read, The Oracle
of Malcontent is probably most similar to the Lightbringer series by Brent
Weeks, although I must admit that the last two books of that series are still
awaiting patiently for their turn in my TBR. In the last few years, I have
turned my attention to indie authors; I have really enjoyed the works of Logan
Leshane with her Into Ebanmoor series and I have recently discovered JA Andrews’
Keeper Chronicles. These are just two examples of the many great indie authors
out there inspiring both myself and many others.
Q10: What are you currently reading?
I am on the final few chapters of Book 3 of the Keeper Chronicles by JA Andrews and will be returning to my Kindle momentarily to continue.
The Oracle of Malcontent is now available in ebook, paperback and hardback.
The Oracle of Malcontent – Book 1 of the Athenaeum of Assierium series
"You
will be the balance to life, the bringer of difficult times to those who
require strengthening, the final word in relieving the world of the pain of
life and failure"
It's
been forty years since the last Choosing in the world of Azarth. After years
living as a poor farmer's son, Pthorn leaves his home, destined to be one of
Assier's Chosen Four to cross the seas and discover the truth known only to a
select few.
The
truth is far different than that believed by the rest of Azarth and, under the
guidance of the Oracle of Malcontent, Pthorn leaves as a boy and becomes an
unlikely scholar. He emerges as one of the most powerful figures in Azarth with
abilities and knowledge beyond his wildest imagination.
Will he
use this power for good when he ventures out into the world, or will good
intentions and poor decisions lead to devastating consequences?
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