Betrayer By Leslie D. Soule

6/15/2019

Multi-volume, multi-genre author, Leslie D. Soule introduces us to the third volume in The Fallenwood Chronicles, Betrayer:
With five crystals to destroy, in order to rob the dark lord Malegaunt of his power, Ash Kensington's path is set. She begins a quest with the talking cat, Greymalkin, and her wyvern, Slick. But when she meets up with the handsome dragon slayer, Draeon, her senses overwhelm her, and she becomes distracted. Will she be able to destroy the crystals in time to challenge Malegaunt?

This is a fascinating book on two levels. There is more than one story here, if you read the preface, you will see the second story by reading between the lines of prose.
I like the main character, Ashley, quite a bit. She comes across as a wounded person, like all of us are to one degree or another, trying to cope with the life she is in. Except, she has two lives, unlike most of us who live in one world rather than two.
Written in First Person POV, which I love, this story has a widely varying pace, just like real life. The scene-setting is good, the dialogue is nicely done also. The characters are nicely fleshed out, their personalities come through quite well.
I award 4.9 stars to “Betrayer”!

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Betrayer-Fallenwood-Chronicles-Book-3-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/betrayer
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/betrayer-leslie-d-soule

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/Falcondraco
http://www.lesliesoule.com
https://www.instagram.com/falcondraco
https://www.facebook.com/DarkSoules

Tags: fantasy, sword and sorcery, quest, unicorn, magic,

Copyright 2019 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

28 Comments

Leslie D. Soule link

6/16/2019 11:58:34 pm

Thanks for the excellent review, Mark! I really appreciate it.

Mark

6/17/2019 11:18:03 am

You are very welcome, Leslie.
Please, tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

6/17/2019 01:18:16 pm

Sure, Mark. Well, I love stories, and fantasy in particular. I love Tolkien. I’m a Game of Thrones fan - I would have loved to see Khal Drogo come back to life and take the Iron Throne. But beyond that, I feel like people need fantasy in their lives. It has the power to make the real world so much better and more palatable.

6/17/2019 01:37:18 pm

We have the love of Tolkien in common. I read the LOTR three times before graduating from high school. I also enjoy the writing of CS Lewis, Tolkiens writing buddy. Did you know Lewis wrote a science fiction trilogy with the protagonist patterned after Tolkien? The first volume is "Out of the Silent Planet", I enjoyed that series quite a bit. I certainly agree, a well-written story can make the life we live easier to cope with, it can inspire us to aim higher.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What inspired you to write this series, this book?

6/17/2019 03:21:57 pm

Ah - yes, C.S. Lewis is one of my favorites as well. I love the “Out of the Silent Planet” trilogy!
To answer your questions, I am a part-time writer. I have not yet found a way to make writing profitable enough for it to be a job. I think this is the case with most writers, as Orson Scott Card writes in his book - How To Write Sci-Fi & Fantasy. He says, “don’t quit your day job”. Most of us writers, I think, are still working our way up the mountain of success and trying to establish ourselves in a market saturated with talent.
As for what inspired me to write this series - I’ve always liked the idea of the quest story, and this series has developed over a decade of my life. I stopped writing for a while, and originally, I’d only planned to write one book and not 4. Each successive book has come along because of some idea I felt compelled to write about, and each book has its own theme. Book 1 is Death. Book 2 is Confusion/Identity. Book 3 is Betrayal. Book 4 is Revenge. But more than that, the series has also been a way for me to cope with the difficulties of life. In a world where there’s constant pressure to live perfectly, or at least portray an image of perfection, literature can provide a much-needed catharsis. Also, I’ve always believed that literature is where humanity hides its collective heart. Writing is a process that connects you to this idea in a profound way.

6/17/2019 03:46:46 pm

I think you are right, a lot of writers keep their day job. You have mentioned what is probably the biggest problem for most writers. How to stick out from the crowd of other talented writers. Getting your books noticed is the biggest nut to crack. It's a job that never ends. There are many different pieces to that puzzle.
I agree with you, writing is where the heart is kept and shared.
You are writing about issues almost everyone faces at some point in their life. They are all quite serious. How far along are you in book 4?
New questions.
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you? Couldn't you have written about these themes in a different genre?
Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?

6/17/2019 07:13:48 pm

So I’m in the editing phase of Book 4, currently. What that means is that I’ve pretty much gotten it all written, but now I’m going back and adding to it, taking out parts, and generally polishing it up. It’s difficult. I’ve added some new characters, so I have to write them in as well, and make sure everything flows like it should. I’ve been focusing on one chapter at a time, and taking it with me to the cafe’ & working on it.
As for the genre, I’ve always loved the fantasy genre, and having been born in the 80s means that we had some of the very best fantasy movies when I was a kid (The Dark Crystal, The Labyrinth, The Princess Bride, Flight of the Navigator, etc etc.) It was fuel for my young imagination, so I guess the genre chose me, really. I’ve always found it appealing.
For this book, choosing the title was easy as it gets. Usually it takes me much longer, but by now, I know that my main character is driven by an intense need for that one thing - Retribution. The question is, who or what is the subject of that need?

6/17/2019 07:17:55 pm

As far as adapting the material & using the theme but in a different genre, that’s always an option, and I’ve done that sort of thing before. I just have such a love of the fantasy genre, that I want to keep writing in it for as long as possible. I’ve also developed a bit of a soft spot for the steampunk genre. So I may adapt some of these themes to that style at some point.

6/17/2019 08:07:07 pm

Those were good movies, I enjoyed them as an adult. Flight of the Navigator was really good. The Princess Bride is a classic as far as I am concerned.
Retribution and revenge, tricky to accomplish in real life, because while trying to get that pound of flesh from another we lose something also. I look forward to seeing how you handle that.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book?
What do the elements on the cover represent?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

6/17/2019 10:46:12 pm

Thanks for your responses.
Stephanie Flint is the amazing cover designer who created all 4 covers for Fallenwood. I love her work.
On the Retribution cover, we can see Ash, in her leather armor that Draeon gives her. Draeon is on the right-hand side of the cover and looks incredibly similar to the person I based him on. In the center, we’ve got a dragon that he’s taken down and is preparing to finish off.
Ash is short for Ashley and it’s also a play on words, because she thinks her world’s been burned down around her, metaphorically. And Draeon was an actual name that I saw somewhere. I thought it sounded rather fantasy-like.

6/18/2019 11:56:11 am

The cover is very nice, lots of action.
I had a feeling that Ashley's name was symbolic. When she used her summoning power her arms would catch fire.
New questions.
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

6/18/2019 07:23:37 pm

Thanks for the questions! Yes, I’ve entered some writing competitions. I tried the NYC Midnight flash fiction competition, but found it to be pricey & also I didn’t fare too well in that one. I really like the competitions put on by Storyhouse.org, which publishes creative nonfiction. I’ve gotten a couple Honorable Mentions from them. I got an Honorable Mention from my college’s writing club, back when I was first writing Fallenwood. And my quirky little story “Speed Demons with Scales” scored 7th in the Firedrake Books writing contest. That’s it, so far. I hope to enter more contests. If anyone knows of a good one, let me know!

6/18/2019 07:42:32 pm

Anne R. Allen writes and hosts one of my favorite blogs. She always has a list of worthy and honorable contests. This is a recent blog she did about contests:
Beware Bogus Writing Contests! Look for These 8 Red Flags. https://annerallen.com/2019/05/beware-bogus-writing-contests/ via @annerallen
New questions.
Did you go through the query process or did you go straight to self-publishing, and why?
Was it hard to find a publisher?
How did you pick your publisher?

6/19/2019 02:10:46 am

Thanks for that link! Yeah, there are definitely scams out there, to be aware of & such. Well, I started out writing when ebooks had just sort of come on the scene. I started out with Decadent Publishing, which released book 1 of Fallenwood. But then Decadent shifted into being more of a romance publisher, and I shopped book 2 around to different publishers - which was an interesting experience for me, but shows that it can be done. I ended up with Melange Books, and they have been fantastic, and I’ve been delighted that they’ve offered the novels in paperback format. I remember taking a road trip vacation up to Portland and not having to be anywhere at any time, so I had time to hang out in the lobby of the hostel and check out a host of various publisher websites, online, as I drank coffee and waited for the friendly Canadian fellas who were staying there, to wake up and shyly emerge from the mens’ sleeping quarters. At the time, I felt like I’d needed to get away from Sacramento, and sometimes when I don’t know what to do, I find that as soon as I take to the road and start driving, those problems start to slowly but surely unravel themselves & find resolutions.

6/19/2019 11:22:38 am

Melange also published "Betrayal", I am glad to hear you are happy with them.
Road trips can be a lot of fun, and the change of scenery and responsibilities can bring a new perspective to situations that are bubbling just below the surface.
New questions.
Why did you have your book traditionally published instead of self-publishing?
How do you think your book compares to a book published by a major publisher?
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?

6/19/2019 09:53:37 pm

So, I chose to (just personally, tactics-wise) TRY and get my books picked up by a traditional publisher, knowing that if they rejected it, I could always self-publish. I’ve done that with a small ebook that I wrote & offered up on Amazon, called Greek Fire, which contains a bunch of my short stories that I’d struggled to find homes for. I do like going with a publisher when possible, because often they have great cover artists & are able to help you find resources & to network & such. Also, they take care of getting the work an ISBN number, which is nice. As for how I think my book compares to a book by a major publisher, I’d say it’s similar. I’ve seen some very fine writing out there, by indie authors and I think we’re giving the major publishers a run for their money.
As for unethical practices - I’ve always heard to beware of vanity publishers - publishers that charge you money, to publish your book. Thankfully, there are many great non-vanity (aka regular) publishers out there.

6/19/2019 10:03:28 pm

Your efforts paid off. It sounds like you didn't go through the process of querying publishers or agents.
New questions.
What kind of a process did you go through to find your publishers?
Do you have a favorite book by another author?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?

6/20/2019 01:33:21 pm

Great questions, Mark! Well, when I first wrote Fallenwood, I was lucky. Decadent Publishing had just started up. I queried them & my novel was accepted. So my query process wasn’t bad. It’s a real struggle to get anything picked up though, usually. It’s usually an endless stream of rejections, when I shop a piece out.
As for favorite book by another author, I’ll assume you mean indie authors. I love Aubrie Dionne’s work, and in particular, a novel called The Messenger In The Mist.
As a kid, I loved the Dr. Seuss books. :)

6/20/2019 04:01:11 pm

You were pretty lucky with the first publisher. Your querying experience matches that of most other authors.
New questions.
Which of your books is your favorite, and why?
Do you ever read a book more than once?
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?

6/21/2019 06:39:29 pm

Well, I don’t think my first book is the best-written or anything, but Fallenwood is my favorite by far. Maybe just because it’s the first, so it has a great amount of significance to me personally. It’s like your first kiss or something.
I do like to read a book more than once, because different things stand out to you each time, when you read it. But with so many books in the world and so little time, I rarely end up reading a book more than once.
Yes, writing does have a spiritual aspect to it, for me. I started writing a long time ago when I was very depressed and saw no hope for my future. So, writing is my “ex tenebris lux” - my light springing forth from the darkness. Energy-wise, it tends to energize me, initially. But, writing is hard work. I’m gonna steal a line from The Princess Bride and say, “Anyone who tells you differently, is selling something.” So the rewriting and editing and second-guessing what you wrote, that’s the part that makes you tired, eventually.

6/21/2019 07:10:14 pm

I use to reread books also. Now, there is no time, because just as you said there are so many books. I have a large quantity of books on my Kindle, the darn thing is getting heavy. ;-)
That is nice that you get a boost from writing, many authors don't. You are right the editing and rewriting can be tiring.
New questions.
Do you have a favorite book by another author?
Did you have a favorite book as a child?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?

6/22/2019 03:10:04 pm

Hmm...favorite book by another author - there are so many great ones. I've always loved the Chronicles of Narnia books, and that goes into question #2 - my favorite book as a child. I loved The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, as a child. I thought the movies were pretty good too - it would have been cool to see movies made of all of the books, though I don't think they would have been particularly popular. Some of the later books in the series are real jewels, but in more of an acquired-taste kinda way. They are the dark chocolate of the Chronicles of Narnia. The sushi of the series, really.
Let's see....why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of their characters...? Well, I would say that it's because authenticity is so important to the writing process. In order to really connect with people, I think they have to feel that the writing has value, or has a basis in reality. I believe a lot of writing has to do with understanding human nature. There's that famous Faulkner quote, that "the only thing worth writing about, is the human heart in conflict with itself". If you don't understand the emotion, then how your character reacts, will be out of step with reality, and it will seem contrived to your audience, I think.

6/22/2019 03:28:01 pm

The LIon, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is an amazing book. My whole family loves it. Have you read anything else by Lewis? He has written a lot of books. I really enjoyed his sci-fi trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet is the first one. The protagonist is patterned after his colleague, JRR Tolkien.
That is a good quote from Faulkner, it is very true. The impossible choices that must be made by a hero are what ,make a story come to life.
New questions.
Are you an under-writer or an over-writer? When the first draft is done, do you need to add more to it to flesh it out or do you have to cut material because there is too much there?
What do you do to flesh out the characters for your stories?
Have you ever used yourself or other acquaintances as a character for a starting point in a story? Would they recognize you or themselves in the story?

6/23/2019 05:50:57 pm

I would say that I’m an under-writer. It’s easy for me to see the big picture of things & hard to flesh them out sometimes. When the first draft is done, there is often too much of the wrong material. The first step is always to cut, where you can, and then add to what you’ve got left. For fleshing things out, it takes a while to come up with anything. I use these Sixth-Sense cards, which bring you back to the tactile sensations on things. Also, a fellow writer once suggested that when writing a character who is not similar to myself, to “get out of my element” a bit, and observe the conversations going on around me. Much of being a good writer, involves observation of those around you. I’ve used other people in my stories, but just as a loose basis - like I have a merman in one of my stories called “The Lady of the Deep-Swells” and he’s loosely based on the internet philosopher, Stephan Molyneux. My character Ash, in Fallenwood, is based on myself. It makes it easy that way, to figure out what Ash’s thoughts & motivations might be. I need only consult my own heart & mind.

6/23/2019 10:16:25 pm

Those Sixth-Sense cards sound interesting. I haven't heard of them.
Observing people and events around you is important. While all the characters come out of your head, most of them need to have thought processes different from your own. Their needs, wants, and desires are sometimes different and sometimes the same.
Last questions.
If you used a close friend or family member in a book would you tell them or make sure that they wouldn't recognize themselves in the story?
What is one thing you hate about your protagonist and one thing you love about the antagonist?
Which is more fun to write, the protagonist or the antagonist?

6/24/2019 09:54:40 am

Well, most of my friends and family (with the exception of a rare few, are not readers. I assume they will not read my work. So if I were going to base someone off of one of them, I would just do it, and see if they ever figure it out.
Let’s see - Ash is a fun character. I love that she’s up for the challenges that life presents her with. I hate that she is so kept in the dark, as to the things happening around her - that she’s not psychic, essentially. But such is life. It makes for a more interesting read, if the character isn’t omniscient.
Well, I always thought the protagonist would be the most interesting to write, but there are some really smart, badass villain writers on Twitter that I’ve met, and I think they know some secrets of writing great villains. Folks like @BigBadOverlord - so I’m starting to really like the idea of writing villains.
Thanks for the questions, Mark!

6/24/2019 10:34:21 am

They aren't readers for the most part? I have noticed that a lot of people are not readers. I ask people I come into contact with to look for potential clients. More than half say they don't read or they read when they can find the time, which they admit is not very often.
Well written characters are always a mix of good and bad, just like us. Every character in a book is the hero in their own eyes, even the villain.
Thank you, Leslie, for joining me in the interview. I have enjoyed getting to know you and wish you well in your writing journey. I have another week of promotion starting tomorrow that I must prepare for. Keep on writing, only you can tell the story within you.

6/24/2019 01:57:19 pm

Thank you, Mark! This has been great fun. I’ve enjoyed this interview & I wish you well in your endeavors.

Readers - I encourage you to check out my website at www.lesliesoule.com !!! Thank you for your time.

Betrayer By Leslie D. Soule

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