Tell us a little
about yourself.
I am an author who is diagnosed with high
functioning autism. I am a connoisseur of the science fiction, fantasy, and
superhero genres. In addition, I am an autism ambassador, hoping to demonstrate
the potential benefits one can gain from being autistic.
As a writer, I utilize my autism to visualize
the story taking place inside of my head like a movie. Also, I have a very
strong memory, allowing me to store information about my characters and stories
in my brain as though it were a computer hard-drive.
I am also a passionate pit bull lover and owns
a pair of sweet and loving pit bulls named Wally and Fitch.
What got you into
writing?
Ever since I was a
small child, I always had a story to tell. I started with drawing pictures on
yellow tablets. Then I graduated to telling stories in words and first
developed the ambition of becoming an author when I was in sixth grade.
Wow 6th grade, that is young to know what you wanted to do with your life. It took me a little longer. Share a short
excerpt from your novel.
"Ten thousand years after the extinction of the
elves the realm of Gradaia was divided into nine turbulent kingdoms. In the
mountains of Gaena, the wealthiest of these kingdoms, a lone blacksmith was
laboring on his greatest masterpiece. The locals called him Vaegar the Mad due
to his unorthodox and sometimes outrageous craftsmanship. Due to the location
of his forge, there may have been truth in his title.
Vaegar set up his workshop in the heart of a
volcano along the edge of a cliff that overlooked a pool of magma. He chanted
in an otherworldly language as he worked on his relic for Vaegar the Mad was
not just a mere blacksmith. It had been widely known throughout the kingdom
that Vaegar was also a Druid or a sorcerer who delved in the most ancient
magic.
Always Vaegar sang and chanted from when he
melted a black reptilian scale the size of his bulky sternum to when he
hammered the organic ore into the shape of a double-edged sword. The heat of
the magma and hot metal was so intense that Vaegar was on the verge of overheating
countless times. Every breath he took was filled with smoke and sulfur and his
arms and back ached from his endless exertion. His ears rang from the clanging
of steel on steel until he was nearly deaf. Still, despite these discomforts,
Vaegar relentlessly continued to make his sword."
Currently, what are
you working on?
I am working on an
ongoing fantasy trilogy called the Magnus Dynasty Saga. I just released the
first edition of the first volume, Numen the Slayer.
Tell us a little
bit about your main characters
Numen the Slayer
revolves around a young, exiled baron who lost his family and castle. Now he is
on the run from the king who took everything from him. Numen must fight to
survive in the untamed wilderness and gradually build a power base to avenge
his family. Numen is the ultimate fantasy underdog because he lost everything
and has to work from the ground up to become someone powerful. I drew
inspiration from mythical characters such as King Arthur and Beowulf as well as
historical figures such as Henry Tudor and William the Conqueror.
That sounds exciting! How did you
decide on what to title each book?
I chose Numen
because it is one of the Latin words for "God". Also, Numen is called
the Slayer because during his time in the wilderness made him a hardened killer
of both men and monsters.
Share something
with us not a lot of people know about you.
I am good at
impersonations. In fact, I can reenact Young Frankenstein and Monty Python
and the Holy Grail word for word. Sometime, I should do a video of my impersonation
of the Black Knight scene. "T'is but a scratch."
Is this a
stand-alone novel or part of a series?
Numen the Slayer is
the first volume in a trilogy known as the Magnus Dynasty Saga.
Grady, what is the easiest
part of the writing process? What is the hardest?
The easiest part is
coming up with the ideas and inspiration for stories. The hard part is trying
to overcome writer's block when it comes up. When I get writer's block, my
writing process would be stalled for months on end.
Is there something
you learned from writing your first book?
The journey to
write a whole book is long, but the rewards are worthwhile and you get an
overwhelming sense of accomplishment from it.
I agree. There aren't the words to describe how fantastic it feels when you are finished and have the actual book in your hand. What are your
hobbies aside from writing, if any?
I like watching
films, television shows, and anime. I also like to read manga, Star Wars
Comics, and going to comic book conventions.
I love the Star Wars movies! I've never picked up a comic. Someday I may venture into Sci-Fi. In your novels,
which character is your favorite?
So far, Numen
Magnus is my favorite of my characters because he is the most complex and
morally ambiguous character I ever created.
Thanks for sharing. Don't forget to check out all Grady's pages. Happy Reading!!
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