The Phantom Seer by J. D. Edwards

9/24/2022

Multi-genre, multi-volume author, J. D. Edwards introduces us to his science fiction story, “The Phantom Seer”:
Sam’s future lies in the past but like Sisyphus, changing history is a punishment he must continue to pay. When Sam discovers a timepod containing a cryptic note from the future, he chooses to fulfill his destiny and restore the timeline rather than allowing the government to confiscate his discovery. After failing to change the course of human events on a grand scale, Sam crisscrosses time to modify historical events on a smaller scale. Earning the moniker of “The Phantom Seer”, Sam discovers that even the smallest stone can create a broad ripple in the ocean of time. For Sam, a single choice can save the lives of millions but endanger his own. How much is a single life worth?

Science fiction is my favorite genre, stories about time travel are at the top of that list also. This story was completely entertaining and dealt with historical events in a gentle manner. The author did a marvelous job of incorporating events and themes from the Bible. No spoilers from me! I give this story 4.9 stars.

You can buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Seer-J-D-Edwards-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/book/-the-phantom-seer

I reviewed another book by the author: Indomitable: The Story of Eliza Harris by J. D. Edwards - Word Refiner

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/FaerieRealms
https://www.facebook.com/FaerieRealms
https://www.linkedin.com/in/twyrch
https://www.wattpad.com/user/FaerieRealms
https://www.instagram.com/twyrch
https://www.pinterest.com/twyrch
https://www.tiktok.com/@faerierealms

Copyright © 2022 Mark L. Schultz except for the author’s introduction

49 Comments

Jeremy Edwards

9/26/2022 07:44:32 am

Thanks Mark! I'm glad you enjoyed the story. It's an example of how old creative writing papers in high school can be turned into something much more exciting.

Mark

9/26/2022 08:03:53 am

I love that, Jeremy! I didn't realize that the story went back that far.

New questions.

Where did the inspiration for this story come from?

Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.

Jeremy Edwards

9/26/2022 08:12:11 am

Yes, the story was originally a 5 page flash fiction I wrote in high school for Creative Writing class. I called it The Quest For Truth. Over the years, I wanted to expand on the original concept and explore more pivotal moments in history. So many times, I read stories where Hitler is stopped or the assassination of Lincoln or Kennedy is stopped. I wanted to take a fresh approach and start out with major events but show that minor events can lead to a large impact. In our own lives, so many want to change the world but don't realize they can do that with a single kind word or action.

The inspiration was drawn heavily from Quantum Leap and Sliders, but the story is unique and stands on its own. I actually designed the cover of my book. All of my self-published works utilize my own cover art.

Mark

9/26/2022 11:06:44 am

That story goes back a long way for you. I was not a writer in high school or any other time. All I wanted to do was read. I fulfilled the writing assignments as quickly as I could so I could get back to reading a book.

The idea of time travel has always intrigued me. Killing Adolf Hitler as a child or even preventing his conception, or a similar event is a recurring theme in sci-fi. Your book highlights quite well that every choice has consequences. Even now, I am trying to instill that concept and the benefits of kindness in our granddaughters.

New questions.

Did anything in the book come as a surprise while you were writing?

How long did the research process take before you started to write this book, or did you do the research as you wrote it?

Jeremy Edwards

9/26/2022 01:21:45 pm

I was surprised to learn how long ago paper was invented and used, but also the origins of Latin being fairly obscure until it became a dominant language. We still use Latin terms in science, medicine, and many of our English words are derived from Latin.

I went from research to finished product in 6 months allowing me to publish The Phantom Seer and The Priestess of Faerie in the same year I completed Indomitable.

Mark

9/26/2022 01:31:19 pm

Paper has been around for a long time, no doubt about that. I think even the ancient Egyptians made paper from the reeds that grew along the Nile, I think. Don't quote me, I didn't look it up.

Latin and many other languages have contributed to the English language we know and hate today.

That is good production, three books in one year. I loved Indomitable! It is reviewed elsewhere on my website, see the link above.

New questions.

How many drafts did you go through to have a ready-to-publish manuscript?

Do you write notes by hand or on the computer?

Jeremy Edwards

9/26/2022 08:23:32 pm

Yes, paper was originally made from reeds called "rag paper" in 104 A.D. in China. I think the multiple languages influencing English words is what causes so much of the problems in grammar, syntax and spelling.

For the Phantom Seer, my first draft was The Quest for Truth. I expanded it and called it A Matter of Time, but early beta readers felt the 3rd person POV was lacking in emotion, and they weren't drawn into the story. My 3rd and final rewrite of The Phantom Seer was written in 1st person POV. It's the first time I've ever written a story in that POV, so I was definitely outside of my comfort zone.

I typically write notes on my computer. I started in Notepad and later moved to MS Word. These days, I use Microsoft OneNote to keep track of my notes.

This Halloween, my publisher Editingle Indie House, will be publishing a horror anthology, and one of my short stories will be included in that anthology. Like The Phantom Seer, I wrote this story in 1st person POV and used OneNote for my notes.

Mark

9/27/2022 09:44:44 am

Thanks for that information.

That is so true about the English language. It has been influenced by so many other languages. You may have seen the meme, "The English language hangs around dark alleys, mugging other languages and riffling their pockets for spare vocabulary." I love it because it holds a grain of truth. Language keeps changing ever so slowly because people change, and the language authorities are very slow to adopt those changes. It takes years, sometimes decades for the changes to be widely adopted and officially accepted.

I love first person POV. It's very intense and personal to observe all of the action through only one person's eyes and ears. The limitation of not knowing the thoughts of others makes it seem more personal.

So many authors use MS Word for their writing and some other programs such as Scrivener integrate with it quite well. I have One Note on my laptop, but I have never used it. It's functionality mimics Scrivener but is probably easier to learn. While very powerful, I have heard that Scrivener has a steep learning curve. Those authors that conquer the learning summit love it and swear by it. Those that fail have different feelings. Now, I almost sound like I am shilling for them, but I am not. If I was a writer, I would want to use it.

The anthology sounds nice, what is the title? Do you know when it will be released?

More questions.

You wrote the original story in high school. How early was it that you realized how powerful words can be?

Have you ever participated in theater in some way?

Jeremy Edwards

9/27/2022 11:45:34 am

I love that meme! It's so true! I was like you with MS OneNote while writing The Faerie Chronicles but my boss suggested OneNote so I tried it and I found it easier to organize my thoughts. I'm a planster, so while I have lots of ideas and plans, I don't always use them all. Sometimes I steal the ideas from a previous book to use in a different book. OneNote helps me organize my random ideas better and I'm using it for the Faerie Chronicles special edition.

As for the Anthology, all of that will be revealed in the official announcement but my story's title is A Samhain Night's Scream. It's based on the real murders and disappearances in Dering Woods outside Pluckley, England.

I learned how powerful words could be in Business Law class. I used my words to elicit a specific response from a company and turned that ability into fictional writing and eliciting an emotional response from my readers.

As for theater, I had severe stage fright in high-school and preferred to operate the lights, sound or be a stage manager. Anything that was behind the scenes. In college, I took more risks and played the minor role of Snug The Joiner in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The title of my upcoming short story is a play off of that name. There is a connection between them but I don't want to give anything away.

Mark

9/27/2022 01:09:10 pm

It sounds like the OneNote is working well for you. I will try it out for organizing ideas sometime. I think using old ideas is wise, I believe in recycling.

Stories based on real-life events are usually very interesting. I look forward to reading your story.

I certainly didn't expect a business law class to be part of your answer, but it works well for me. Congratulations on getting a resolution to that problem.

High school and stage fright, I understand that very well. I had a pretty severe stammer throughout my school years, yet I wanted to be on stage. I tried creating funny movie clips and even wrote a one act play, in high school, around a realistic cap gun. Everyone in the play died. Did you know Quentin Tarantino went to my high school? ;-) Not really, but he may have channeled the same inner demon of destruction that I did, in his later years.

New questions.

Have you bought any advertising on Amazon, Facebook or other platforms?

What kind of marketing has worked the best and the least for you for this book?

Jeremy Edwards

9/27/2022 06:13:02 pm

I believe stage fright is more common than people believe but the key to overcoming stage fright is to face your fears.

I've paid for a little bit of advertising on Facebook but most of my advertising is on Twitter and word of mouth. The profit margins on this book are so slim I don't want to spend a lot of money on it. The best marketing results have been word of mouth. Facebook uses algorithms but there is no way to tell if someone will buy the book just because they see an ad on facebook. Many people keep scrolling when Facebook ads pop up because they are annoying. I have considered buying advertising on radio stations or placing Flyers at local eateries but I have not done that yet. One thing I have done is to print out small cards with the cover of my book and print the Amazon web link on the back. I can distribute these small cards like I would a business card at restaurants grocery stores and other retailers. Local bookstores also allow you to place these cards and flyers on their advertising desk.

Mark

9/27/2022 08:07:40 pm

Stage fright and public speaking are very commonly at the top of a list of fears for many people. I took a Dale Carnegie course in Public Speaking many years ago. I learned a lot that helped me overcome my fears. Probably the most important thing I learned is don't speak about something in public unless you are an expert.

Let me unpack that just a little bit. Most of the time when you are invited to speak in public the inviter respects your knowledge and considers you an expert on this topic. Naturally, the people, who may have paid money to hear you speak, are in agreement with the invitation or else they wouldn't bother to show up. The audience is eager to hear the pearls of wisdom that will roll off of your tongue. For an author, that means that the audience who is attending your reading from your book value the experience enough to show up and many will seek an autograph also. Also, for the author, no one knows the book better than you. Even if you have offered your time and presence to a bookstore, that is without being invited, people who love books are going to show up eager to hear what you have to say.

Your idea about the cards is brilliant. If you can't keep a box of books in the trunk of your car, the cards are a great idea.

One of my favorite blogs is about pursuing the local author angle. How to be a marketing star right where you live. Another copy-and-paste link or search the title in the box below: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/hometown-book-marketing/ I would add a few tips, seek out literature teachers at the high school and college level to share in their class and there might be a club in the school. Local newspapers are a good resource for an interview as well as local cable access. There might also be a broadcast arts curriculum and/or a club at the high school and college level. Have some questions ready to hand the interviewer, if they seem uncertain.

If there are tourist destinations, try and place your books with the local author angle. Museums, gift stores, motels, hotels, tourist attractions are all possibilities. Keep a box of books in your trunk. Get a counter-top holder for a few books, paste a picture of the cover on the holder behind the books and put re-ordering information on the back of the holder.

Consider renting a table at a comic convention, county fair, farmer's market or a flea market. Have free swag to hand out such as a bookmark and sell mugs or posters. There are so many ways to be the 'local author' I doubt I have exhausted the list of possibilities.

New questions.

Do you have alpha-readers and/or beta-readers to help you smooth out a lot of wrinkles before publishing?

If you don’t, why?

If you do, how did you find them?

Jeremy Edwards

9/27/2022 11:40:28 pm

Those are brilliant suggestions for local marketing and publicity. I'll have to add some of those into my new promotional marketing strategy.

My wife is my alpha-reader. She's very good at finding the tiny little details in a book. She's not at good as you, but she is a close second. My beta readers always include my parents because my mom was a teacher for 30 years, so she picks up on things my wife may miss. My dad gives me his honest opinion of how the book is received by a broad audience and where I can improve. Other beta readers come from Twitter, Facebook and those provided by my publisher.

Mark

9/28/2022 07:20:31 am

I am glad that some of those ideas will be useful for you. Some can be used at almost any time others restricted for one reason or another.

Not all authors can use family as alpha and beta readers, you are blessed in that way. Many authors trade that service with other writers and that can work well much of the time until someone gets their feelings hurt. It's difficult to accept criticism for some.

New questions.

At what stage in your writing process do you bring in the readers?

Do you give them an e-version like a PDF or a hard copy you printed?

Jeremy Edwards

9/28/2022 03:15:02 pm

I bring in the readers after I’ve finished all changes from the Beta readers feedback. My editing employs a 12 step process where Beta Readers are step 12. All beta readers receive an electronic copy of the book.

Mark

9/28/2022 03:43:28 pm

That is easy and well organized. I like it.

New questions.

Do you ask the beta readers questions seeking answers to specific issues or just let them comment on whatever they struggled with?

Do you reward the alpha/beta readers in any way particular?

Jeremy Edwards

9/28/2022 05:46:27 pm

For the beta readers, I look for honest feedback, so I don't ask them specific questions at first. I want their impressions without undue influence on my part. I don't normally compensate beta readers with anything but a finalized ebook.

Mark

9/28/2022 06:10:48 pm

Many authors do the same thing, they let the beta readers provide whatever feedback they want to. Many authors also provide a finished copy of the e-book to the beta readers, just like you.

New questions.

Do you have other writers you connect with, as in a critique group or support group?

How many critique group members show up for the meetings usually?

Jeremy Edwards

9/28/2022 08:42:00 pm

Unfortunately, I've never been involved in a writing or critique group. I was going to join one, but a mother in my son's Boy Scout troop blackballed me with the group because I wouldn't violate BSA rules to fast track her son's eagle rank. It's ok, though. I may not have a writer's critique circle but I still have my integrity.

Mark

9/29/2022 08:09:20 am

That was a frustrating experience. You made the right choice.

A writing group or critique group is subject to abuse. Anytime people are involved there can be problems. I read about a group where only the leader was published, and he sucked up as much admiration from the other members as possible. He kept making suggestions to the other members that delayed publication of their books. Most groups function well, though.

New questions.

What are common traps for beginning writers?

Do you think a strong ego is an asset or liability for a writer and why?

Jeremy Edwards

9/29/2022 12:56:35 pm

In my opinion, new writers should temper their expectations. So many times, new writers expect their first draft to be gold and find a prominent publisher immediately after they start querying. They expect to be famous, do book signings at premier locations and earn millions of dollars. That is a pope dream. New writers need to understand that writing a book is a marathon not a sprint.

A strong ego can be a benefit in marketing themselves to publishers and obtaining book store deals because they exude confidence but it can also be a detriment when that strong ego turns into narcissism and egomaniacal demands. Every writer should remember where they started and help other grow with them, not use others as a stepping stone to success.

Mark

9/29/2022 02:51:27 pm

You nailed that! Writers can have delusions of grandeur as easily as anyone else. Especially if their family and friends keep telling them how great the writing is when it is not in reality. We both know that a perfect first draft has never been written, nor will it ever be.

A writer's ego needs balance. Their ego needs to be strong enough to weather the bad reviews and ugly comments made by harsh friends and family. Their ego needs to be weak enough to evaluate criticism for usefulness. Writers should help other writers. A writer's real competition is found in the mirror only.

New questions.

Can you describe the demographic of your ideal reader?

Who is the person most likely to buy your book?

Jeremy Edwards

9/29/2022 04:54:40 pm

I write mainly YA fantasy but my Historical Fiction and sci-fi are more New Adults. I have a large vocabulary which many YA readers have issues with. For my fantasy novels, I thing teens and anyone who enjoys Fantasy would like it. For the Sci-fi, anyone who likes sci-fi adventures would be my target. For Historical Fiction, it's a mixed bag of readers. I can't please everyone and will kill myself trying so I go for Historical accuracy mixed with excitement and fast-moving scenes. I enjoy many different genres, so I end up writing in many different genres and I gear my book toward an audience based on the subject matter.

Mark

9/29/2022 06:52:12 pm

Very good, that makes sense. I have seen the term YA quite a bit, but NA is pretty recent for me. What is the difference in your mind between these two categories?

New questions.

Do you have an item or a routine you consider to be your writing lucky charm?

What is the biggest obstacle you face in writing?

Jeremy Edwards

9/29/2022 08:12:19 pm

I believe the YA is for ages 13 - 18 and the NA is for ages 18 - 25. Also, the NA group deals with more adult situations and themes.

Jessica Arnold breaks it down in this article from 2014. https://www.sheknows.com/entertainment/articles/1050671/new-adult-vs-young-adult-whats-the-difference/

I think my routine is to listen to music while I write. I have a wide range of music and I listen to certain genres based on the scenes I'm writing. It puts me in the right mindset.

ADHD is my biggest obstacle to writing. Although it helps with my imagination and creativity, it also sidetracks me and gets me off on a tangent easily. That's another reason I listen to music. It calms my mind to allow me to focus.

Mark

9/30/2022 08:15:21 am

Good article, that makes sense.

Many authors use music in a similar fashion. A few set up a playlist by chapter, scene or character and publish the playlist in the back of the book.

Music helps you focus, good to know.

New questions.

Have you thought about publishing a story on Vella, Radish, Wattpad or one of the other episode-based publishing platforms?

Do you struggle with writer's block, if so, how do you overcome it?

Jeremy Edwards

9/30/2022 10:24:28 am

Yes, I have published several pieces on Wattpad. I have two horror flash fictions: Satan Santa and Sister Axe. I also have a collection of my poetry on there as well.

https://www.wattpad.com/story/287814600-poetry-of-life
https://www.wattpad.com/story/287718494-satan-santa
https://www.wattpad.com/story/245793005-sister-axe

The Poetry of Life is the most popular of my Wattpad publications.

I do occasionally have writer's block but I use ADHD to overcome it. with ADHD you can never shut your mind off, so I focus on something else, like a Facebook game or mowing grass. Only when my mind is focused on something completely different will my subconscious come up with what I need to do to break the writer's block.

Mark

9/30/2022 02:23:07 pm

Congratulations on that success on Wattpad. That is wonderful.

There are some concerns about these websites and their contracts. I learned from this blog: The Predatory Contracts of Serial Reading/Writing Apps https://writerunboxed.com/2022/06/24/reading-between-the-lines-the-predatory-contracts-of-serial-reading-writing-apps copy and paste time or hit the search box below to get the hotlink. I don't know if this applies to your situation or not but forewarned is forearmed.

Your method for dealing with a creative writing block is precisely what I have recommended to writers for several years. I see two basic approaches to a block. First, like you do, the writer should get involved with a different activity or project. Having multiple writing projects makes it easy to jump to another when blocked on one. If blocked on more than one project, then seek a completely different activity, something that is easy, familiar and not involving the creative side of your mind. Second, explore why your creativity is blocked. Start writing about the block in free form. The writing doesn't have to be logical or make sense. This works for some writers but not all, it seems.

New questions.

Do you see an advantage of writing under a pseudonym, why or why not?

If you branch out into a different genre, will you use a pen name, why or why not?

Jeremy Edwards

9/30/2022 03:29:07 pm

I write under the pseudonym or nom de plume of J. D. Edwards because it's my initials. I did this for many reasons, but one main reason was the name familiarity with J. D. Edwards Financial Services. Another reason is many of my favorite authors use their initials: J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, J. K. Rowling, e. e. cummings, L. M. Montgomery. I also did it because, as a child, I loved the Dukes of Hazzard. While many people like the Duke boys, Daisy or Uncle Jesse as their favorite characters, I liked J. D. Hogg. It's something that stuck with me from a young age, and I knew if I ever wrote my imaginary stories into a book, I'd want to be J. D. like Boss Hogg.

I don't think I'd change my nom de plume. I already branch out into Historical Fiction, Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi. The only other genre that may interest me is Dystopian Fiction, but I don't see the need to change at this point.

Mark

9/30/2022 05:53:23 pm

Those sound like excellent reasons to me. Lewis and Tolkien are a couple of my favorite authors also. I haven't read the others. The Dukes of Hazzard was a fun show.

New questions.

Are there any issues that are peculiar to writing this genre that might not apply to other genres?

Are there any writing styles or genres that you disliked at first but came to like at some point?

Jeremy Edwards

10/1/2022 09:29:01 am

Last year, I helped Shenae Chase, a member of the Twitter Writing Community, with the editing of her novel. What I didn't realize was how different the rules were for Romance than they were for Fantasy. While many of my writing rules still applied, I quickly realized that some adverbs should be allowed in Romance. In fantasy, I take adverbs out of all narration. Also, in fantasy, you want to limit your narrative description to avoid data dumps and keep the action going in the story. In Romance, much of the action is in the narrative description. Working with Shenae, we found a way to tweak my editing rules to fit Romance.

I must say that the Romance genre is not for me. It's fine for those who enjoy that, but I like action and adventure, not reading about Reginald's quivering member. I do include some low-level romantic themes in my books, but I don't go into graphic detail. I leave it to the reader's imagination. Romance is certainly not a primary part of my books.

Mark

10/1/2022 11:45:22 am

You make a good point about readers' expectations in different genres. Romance does rely upon description pretty heavily, especially in the steamy and explicit stories.

I have enjoyed a number of romance stories; the quality of the writing makes a big difference for me. I don't enjoy really steamy and sexually explicit stories. Like you, I prefer to leave somethings to readers' imaginations.

New questions.

Do you think reading, watching movies or listening to music help you be a better writer?

At this time, do you read books for entertainment or just research homework?

Jeremy Edwards

10/1/2022 11:54:56 am

Reading and watching movies helps get the creative juices flowing, but music allows the words to flow without distraction. It allows me to quiet all the other ideas in my head and focus on a single task.

I do read books for entertainment, but not often. Maybe one book a year. I've been too busy writing and editing. I also don't want to be influenced too much by the books I read. Anyone who has read The Faerie Chronicles will see Terry Brooks's ideas woven throughout. And with the Phantom Seer, there's a lot of Quantum Leap influences in there, if people take the time to realize it. A main character named Sam who goes back in time to set right what once went wrong. His only guide is a hologram named ALICE who only Sam can see and hear. You get the idea.

Mark

10/1/2022 03:35:37 pm

Many writers concur that reading, watching TV or movies and listening to music help them in one way or another.

I have not read anything by Brooks though I know he is a popular author. I watched Quantum Leap for most of the first season, I enjoyed it but that was a long time ago. I didn't recognize the allusions. But I think it's fun that your story connected with that show.

New questions.

If time was not an issue, what type of book is your favorite guilty pleasure to read or listen to for fun?

Have you ever read a book that changed the way you look at writing?

Jeremy Edwards

10/1/2022 05:51:30 pm

I really enjoy reading Dystopian Fiction like The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner or The Divergent series. My guiltiest please though is vampire stories. Not just Anne Rice but Stephanie Meyer too.

There was a book by Terry Brooks called Sometimes rage Magic Works where he wrote about his writing journey. I found that book particularly insightful.

Mark

10/1/2022 07:02:47 pm

Dystopian fiction is interesting, like sci-fi there are many subsets within the genre. Not the first dystopian fiction but the one I remember the best is Divinity Bureau by Tessa Clare. I think it was the first book I had reviewed that was written in first person POV present. I enjoyed the book tremendously! I have reviewed a few vampire books, some were better than others. But they were all better than Abraham Stoker's Dracula. I read that a few years ago and it fell rather flat for me. I read Shelly's Frankenstein about the same time and it was much better than Dracula for me.

New questions.

Would you agree or disagree with the statement: suffering is a requirement to be a good writer, and why?

Do you ever brainstorm about book problems with non-writers and if so, is it effective?

Jeremy Edwards

10/1/2022 11:28:45 pm

Yes, I would agree that suffering makes a good writer. We suffer when we have to edit and delete parts, we thought were good but didn't resonate with readers. Some suffering is self-inflicted, like joining a vanity publisher, not reading contracts carefully, or querying a book when it's not ready. Even with those types of suffering, if you learn from it, it makes you a stronger writer.

I've tried to brainstorm with non-writers, and it works, but you have to sift through things that won't work for that one nugget of helpful advice that will work.

Mark

10/2/2022 08:22:30 am

If only suffering was fun, more people would embrace it. Suffering comes in many different forms and flavors, as you implied some of it is self-inflicted, whether voluntary or not.

That makes sense. When working on an issue with my wife, she frequently reaches a conclusion but cannot explain why. I have learned to respect her intuition.

New questions.

What was the best money you ever spent as a writer to enhance your career?

Do you subscribe to any magazines, newsletters, blogs or podcasts that enhance your writing career? Feel free to share as many as you would like.

Jeremy Edwards

10/2/2022 02:16:55 pm

The best money I ever spent to enhance my writing career was on Grammarly Pro. I would be lost without it. I actually don't have time for magazines, newsletters, blogs and podcasts, as a rule. As you can tell from our conversations in Twitter, I have a hard time keeping my head above water as it is these days. I do enjoy Revision Division, when I get a chance to listen to it.

https://revisiondivision.com/tips?blogcategory=Author+Interviews

Mark

10/2/2022 04:16:23 pm

Grammarly Pro is pretty good, but I am sure you know that any software is not even close to being right all of the time. The contextual subtleties of the English language are so wide and varied. When word processing software first came out for personal computers, I thought that my days as a proofreader were over. It didn't take me long to realize I had nothing to worry about back then. I still don't even today.

Artificial Intelligence is coming of age in a number of fields, including literature and audio books. With good AI software, a book can be turned into an audiobook in a matter of a few hours, I think. It sounds very humanlike according to reports. Some narrators are afraid of this development. As long as the audiobook is clearly marked as being machine narrated or human narrated, I think most narrators will do fine. Before too long, the human narrator can license his or her voice to the AI software manufacturer and offer multiple price points to the author. There are consumers who will always want to have the human touch. The lower price points will allow authors to turn more of their books into audio. Currently, it's very expensive to produce an audiobook.

I had the opportunity to interview a narrator in a promotion of an audiobook. Here is a copy-and-paste link or hit the search box below: https://www.wordrefiner.com/book-reviews/heir-to-a-prophecy-by-mercedes-rochelle-narrated-by-kevin-e-green

Thanks for the recommendation of Revision Division.

New questions.

What are your favorite reference books for grammar and writing?

Have you ever created a throw-away character that developed into a major player?

Jeremy Edwards

10/2/2022 05:06:00 pm

I would love to use a famous person's voice for a character. I can imagine James Earl Jones, or Morgan Freeman voicing parts of my book. They have distinctive voices.

I memorize most grammar and writing concepts and then develop my own cheat sheets. The only reference book I use is Evidence Explained, and I use that for citation of sources in genealogical papers.

When I wrote The Priestess of Faerie, I created minor characters based on people in the Twitter writing community as part of a dare. I didn't intend to give them major roles, but at least half of dozen of them became integral to the story. I was shocked at how much I needed those characters to develop the plot. In my opinion, The Priestess of Faerie is the crown jewel of the Faerie Chronicles series.

Mark

10/2/2022 07:24:20 pm

Both of those gentlemen have great voices. They have a large body of work so even if they pass away tomorrow, their estates could choose to license their voices and people would pay a premium for the opportunity.

I forgot about your genealogical work. That provided some of the underpinnings of Indomitable, I assume. Perhaps even the inspiration, in part.

Note to readers: If you haven't read that book you are missing out! It's an amazing story! The link is near the bottom of the review, above.

New questions.

Can a person read The Priestess of Faerie alone, if it is a series?

Why do most authors write in 3rd person POV instead of first and second POV?

Jeremy Edwards

10/2/2022 08:15:37 pm

Yes, my genealogical work was the foundation of Indomitable. In fact, it was through my genealogical research that I discovered Eliza's story and how my family assisted in her flight to freedom.

At the beginning of The Priestess of Faerie, I include a summary of what happened in each of the previous books, so the reader can have a general idea of what's going on without reading the entire series. That being said, I recommend reading them in order to appreciate the full depth of the story. The characters tend to discuss events from previous books, so the reader may find themselves confused about certain aspects.

I can't speak for most writers, but for me, writing in 3rd person is more natural. To write in 1st person, the author must put themselves not only in the mindset of that character, but they write the story as if it happened to them for it the reader to connect with the character. Certain stories work better in specific points of view. In fact, I re-wrote the first chapter of Indomitable at least 5 times jumping between different points of view to find the one that worked best. The Phantom Seer was originally 3rd person, but there was too much "telling" and not enough "showing". People weren't able to connect with Sam as much as I wanted them to.

Mark

10/3/2022 05:53:27 am

I love the sharing of Eliza's story.

Most books are written in third person POV. Authors are descended from a long line of unknown storytellers relying on oral tradition, long before stories were written down.

New questions.

Do you base your characters on people you know or have met, or is it easier to just invent them completely?

Some authors go to great lengths to get inside the heads of their characters. Some create a biography, find photos that match the picture in their head, fill out psychological profiles. What do you do in that regard, if anything?

Jeremy Edwards

10/3/2022 09:31:53 am

I base my characters on personality traits. When I did AD&D, we would fill out character sheets of strengths, abilities, attitudes and motivations. Every character had strengths and flaws. I do sometimes design a character like someone else though, as the need arises. For example, in the Scions of Faerie, Kai was modeled after Michael Dorn’s character, Worf, on Star Trek. Likewise, the character Deverell in the Sould Stones of Faerie was patterned after John De Lancie’s character, Q, on Star Trek.

I absolutely get inside the heads of the characters to make them more realistic. In the Priestess of Faerie, I have Kai say the phrase, “If you’re going to kill him, do it outside so you don’t get blood on the carpet.” Getting inside the character’s head allows that character to become realistic and allows the reader to connect with that character. When I kill a character, it makes it hard though. I use pictures of people when I can, mostly from my family so I don’t get in trouble. The pictures are of deceased family members, so their memory lives on.

When I was writing Indomitable, I was inside the head of Reason Downing when George Floyd was killed. I had to stop writing for 6 months because I was disgusted to be inside the head of a racist slave owner who was raping and beating his slaves. I just couldn’t do it. Eventually I was able to write those scenes and they are powerful because of the emotional state I was in when I wrote them.

Mark

10/3/2022 01:12:55 pm

I forgot about your background with Dungeons and Dragons. You have a lot of experience with character creation. You may not need this information but one of our visitors to the interview may find it useful. Rick Hall created a website that utilizes several different psychological tools and many examples from history and different forms storytelling to help authors develop characters that are true to their psychology: https://www.wordrefiner.com/guest-blogs/character-creation

That problem with Downing makes sense to me. I have encountered stories in the past that were hard to read because of the impact on me.

Last questions.

What is the message, moral, or takeaway that you hope people will get from reading your book? Is there more than one?

What is the biggest myth about writing that would help aspiring authors?

Jeremy Edwards

10/3/2022 08:02:39 pm

It depends on the book, but for Phantom Seer, I wanted to illustrate just how messed up our history is and where we could be if we worked with each other instead of against each other. The Faerie Chronicles deal with racism and breaking down cultural barriers and Indomitable shows us a perfect picture of love, forgiveness and redemption.

In my opinion, the biggest myth about writing is that anyone can do it. They can't. I hate to say that, but anyone can put words on a sheet of paper, but it takes a true storytelling to present a compelling story that draws people in and makes them care about your characters and storyline. It's not a knock on writers at all, but they should play to their strengths. Some people write better screenplays. Others write better textbooks. Some write better mysteries and some better romance. I am not a good romance writer. I have a mind and imagination for fantasy and sci-fi. I do good with historical fiction due to 35 years of genealogy research, but I wasn't good at writing articles overnight. That took 25 years to master. My advice is to find what they are good at and stick with it.

Mark

10/4/2022 08:41:40 am

If more people worked together this world would certainly be a different place.

I think you are right. A lot of people try to write a book, and many don't get past the first chapter or two. They compare their first draft to another's finished work and get very discouraged because they don't understand the process.

I have another promotion starting today so I must bring our chat to a close, now. Thank you, Jeremy, for being a fabulous guest and surviving hurricane Ian with me. Keep on writing and your many fans will be happy.

Thanks again for sharing your journey.

Jeremy Edwards

10/4/2022 08:43:41 am

Thanks for having me, Mark. It's been a pleasure, as always, and I look forward to our next interview together.

The Phantom Seer by J. D. Edwards

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