The Wolf We Feed By P A Sheppard

9/7/2019

Debut author Paul A. Sheppard introduces us to his gritty, fantasy adventure “The Wolf We Feed”:
"Set in Amleth, a rugged land divided by decades of bitter strife with a landscape and belief system heavily influenced by my time in Scandinavia. The Wolf We Feed is an action-packed fantasy adventure."
Tirith's life is turned upside-down when Drake, her twin brother, abandons her after they were raised and trained in isolation. Unable to live under the perceived tyranny of their grandfather, Drake sets off into the world looking forward to an adventure. Arriving in the dystopian city of Náströnd, Drake finds a new mentor and becomes involved in a bloody coup to eliminate the city's ruling class. Amid plots and counterplots, conflict and betrayal a determined but uncertain young woman undertakes a treacherous journey to meet her father for the first time, overcomes racial bias in a foreign land, and learns the truth about her family's sinister past. What she discovers leaves her with no choice but to find her brother and attempt to save him from the violent life he has chosen. But does he want to be saved? THE WOLF WE FEED, a coming-of-age story about two siblings that face hard truths about where their loyalties lie...

I was ready for a good fantasy story, elves, dwarves, perhaps a dragon and a prince without a kingdom. That is not what I found after reading a few pages in this book.
The story starts in the middle of a skills trial that would cause any modern-day, special forces member spend some time in planning, which is what the brother and sister team did to defeat their expert teacher.
This story explores so many powerful themes and brings them all to life quite credibly, faithfulness and treachery, family and enemies, acceptance and prejudice among others. I found the writing to be exemplary; the characters really come to life and are filled with plots and schemes. The scene-setting is well done in every environment, the dialogue gave me many chuckles.
This story was so much fun, I hope there is going to be more.
I award 4.8 stars to “The Wolf We Feed”.

You can buy this book:
https://smile.amazon.com/Wolf-We-Feed-P-Sheppard-ebook
https://www.goodreads.com/-the-wolf-we-feed

You can follow the author:
https://twitter.com/writingnomad999
http://www.paulsheppardwrites.com/
https://www.instagram.com/thewritingnomad999

Tags: action, adventure, war, mountains, desert, swords, bow and arrow, weapons, spies, politics,

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

24 Comments

Paul Sheppard link

9/8/2019 07:25:04 am

Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Your opening sentence touched on a subject I think about often; how will people react to a fantasy adventure story that doesn't have magic, dwarves, and dragons?

Inspired by Norse mythology and folklore, I tried to keep my fantasy world as close to that reality as I could.

Mark

9/8/2019 10:03:41 am

Your story was a pleasant surprise. I really enjoyed it. Please, tell us a little about yourself. Perhaps something a little bit beyond your bio.

9/8/2019 10:55:46 am

Well, my bio mentions that I'm an avid traveler, but I suppose that's something of an understatement. I'm currently based in Thailand, with plans to move to Bulgaria, but before that, I lived on a 32ft riverboat and traveled the British waterways. I wrote the majority of my book on that little boat - it was a very relaxing way of life.

I also love poetry and nature, and I find that these two things inspire my writing more than anything else.

9/8/2019 11:02:04 am

Travel is fun and the houseboat sounds very interesting.
New questions.
Are you a full-time or part-time writer?
What inspired you to write this book?
Why did you choose this genre, or do you feel the genre chose you?

9/8/2019 01:04:13 pm

I'm a full-time writer, but at the moment the bulk of my work is content/copy writing for various companies. I plan to become a full-time novelist over the next few years. That's the dream anyway. I also homeschool my son.

The inspiration for The Wolf We Feed was one of the lesser-known Norse Sagas. I won't say which one because it will spoil a big surprise that's coming in the sequel.

I didn't choose to write in a specific genre, I just started writing and the story developed over time. I found it quite difficult to pick a label for the story once it was complete, but I needed to describe it to publishers somehow, so I pitched it as a Fantasy/Action-Adventure with dystopian themes. But, I think it's also a Coming of Age story as well.

9/8/2019 03:23:35 pm

I read some of the major Norse myths in junior high school. I didn’t recognize any in your story. That didn’t detract from my pleasure at all.
New questions.
Who designed the cover of your book? Feel free to drop a link if appropriate.

What do the elements on the cover represent?

Was it hard to come up with the title? What was the process?

9/9/2019 02:41:38 am

That's good to hear. The more recognizable aspects of the myth will appear in the second book, but the place names and deities involved are subtle hints.

The cover image was designed by a gentleman on Fiverr who is no longer on the site, so I can't provide an up to date link. I commissioned the design while I was still writing the book as motivation to keep going. I originally planned to self publish, but writer friend convinced me to follow the traditional route. My publisher, Prodigy Gold Books, has their own team of designers, but I loved this cover so much that I asked them to consider using it.

The wolf's eyes are a symbol of the main characters inner wolves, one of the main themes within the story. The mountains and the burning city represent two of the major settings.

The title came before the story, and I wish the title for the second book was so easy to come up with. I've always liked the idea of inner duality and the idea that everyone is capable of good or evil. I think the story of 'The Two Wolves' captures this inner conflict perfectly. The earliest version of the story I have found comes from Reverend Billy Graham's book 'The Holy Spirit: Activating God's Power in Your Life' published in 1978.

The story is often attributed to Native American culture, so I thought it would be an interesting twist to apply the themes to Norse mythology and use Odin's wolves.

9/9/2019 09:49:48 am

It's a beautiful cover. Wolves have a big place in the mythology of many countries and peoples. They seem to be so intelligent also.
The second title could be difficult.
I thought the story would be traceable much further than that, interesting.
New questions.
Was it hard to find a publisher?
How did you pick your publisher or did they pick you?
Will you stick with this publisher for your next books?
Were the character names difficult to develop? How did you choose them?

9/9/2019 11:48:31 pm

I was extremely lucky when it came to finding a publisher. I only sent out ten query letters, and I received full requests from four of them. Prodigy Gold was my number one choice, so when they offered me a contract, I jumped at the chance. They've been great to work with.

Like the place names, most of the Hofarian character names come directly from Scandinavian history. During the editing process, some of the characters had name changes, but most stayed the same. For the characters based in Náströnd, I searched the internet for interesting baby names and chose the ones I liked the most.

Mark Schultz

9/10/2019 12:21:31 am

You were very lucky, or perhaps you were careful about who you queried. Good planning can pay off.
New questions.
There are many unethical practices in publishing, which one is the most unbearable in your mind?
Do you have a favorite book by another author?
Have you entered any writing contests?
Have you won awards of any kind for your writing?

9/11/2019 12:20:07 am

I haven't encountered any underhand practices in the publishing industry. Well, not yet anyway. As I said, I've been very lucky with my writing career.

My favorite work of fiction is a novella titled 'The slow regard of silent things' by Patrick Rothfuss. I love that book so much! It's one of the companion tales in The Kingkiller Chronicles.

My writing hasn't been put forward for any awards as yet, but I have won a couple of competitions. One of my short stories is due to be produced as an audio drama and released in May 2020 by The Grey Rooms. Two more of my short stories have been selected for publication elsewhere, but I have been asked not to reveal anything about them until the publishers have made their announcements.

9/11/2019 09:40:31 am

Congratulations on the competitions. That is pretty nice.
New questions.
Does writing have a spiritual or healing component for you, does it energize you or make you feel tired?
Why is it important for writers to tap into the emotions of the characters?
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?

9/12/2019 02:37:38 am

No spiritual or healing component, but I suppose it does energize me... when it's going well.

I think it's important for writers to tap into emotions to engage the reader. People become far more invested in a story if they can feel what the character is feeling. Familiar emotions are a great way of pulling the reader in and strengthening their suspension of disbelief. Fantastical events become more believable when the reader shares an emotional connection with the characters.

I try not to use myself or acquaintances as characters, but I do draw upon real-life experiences and amplify the risks. I'm a keen mountaineer, so most of my characters get to relive some of my more interesting climbs. I do the same thing with martial arts.

9/12/2019 09:43:55 am

Reinforcing the suspension of disbelief is important in all genres, especially sci-fi and fantasy. Using emotional hooks are a great way of doing that.
Using the "write what you know" in smaller parts is another great way of keeping a reader turning the page.
New questions.
This is your first book and you are working on the sequel. How many books will be in the series? Will there be a prequel, perhaps about Tirith's parents?
Why did you have a book traditionally published instead of self-publishing?

9/12/2019 01:01:30 pm

The Wolves of Amleth is a planned trilogy. The first draft of the sequel is complete, and I hope to have it ready for release within the next six months.

I would love to write a prequel about Tirith's parents, and I'm amazed at how many readers have asked that question. I put a lot into the back story, and it looks like people are enjoying it. It wasn't part of my original plan, but it's certainly something to consider.

I have massive respect for self-published authors, and it's definitely something I plan to do in the future. The main reason wanted to follow the traditional route for my first book was increased distribution. As a new author, I want my book to be seen and read by as many people as possible. Also, I think it's important for me to work with as many industry professionals as possible. They have a lot of knowledge that I can benefit from as I learn the business side of being a writer.

9/12/2019 05:14:35 pm

Your back story of the parents is quite detailed and that work paid off. Did I say prequel? It could be its own series. What if it was published alongside "The Wolves of Amleth"?
There are tradeoffs for every choice. I think it's a good idea to work both sides of the business.
New questions.
What kind of publisher is Prodigy Gold?
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?
Are you talking about sentences, paragraphs or a chapter that didn't survive the final cut?
Do you save the parts that didn't make it into the final version?

9/13/2019 12:45:45 am

Prodigy Gold Books is a small independent press with an impressive line up of books. I first heard about them during a Twitter conversation with one of their authors. The writing community on Twitter is a wealth of knowledge, and people on there have been very supportive.

I'm an overwriter, and I find myself cutting so many scenes during edits. I also write my first drafts by hand. I think using a pen and paper helps with creativity, but it also leads to increased word counts. The first draft of The Wolf We Feed was approximately 120k, and the finished book came out at 84k. It's fair to say that I'm a pretty ruthless editor. I'm sure that some parts will find their way into the next book.

9/13/2019 12:55:14 am

Being an over-writer is not all bad, you get to pick the best and save the rest.
New questions.
Is Prodigy a traditional publisher or a hybrid, where you can pick and choose the services you want?
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, and why?
What is your writing routine when you sit down to write?

9/13/2019 01:49:31 am

They're a traditional publisher. I was lucky that they considered a cover that I had already commissioned, but they do everything, I didn't get to pick and choose services.

If Tirith was a real person, I think she would be difficult to spend time with because of her habit of sitting in silence while working things out. Not really a bad habit, she just likes to be alone sometimes. There are multiple antagonists, but my favorite is Beth. She's intelligent, manipulative, and she doesn't care how many lives she destroys as long as she gets what she wants.

I enjoy writing the antagonists, through the eyes of the other characters so that I can show how evil they are. Then I like to show the bad guys point of view so the reader can understand their motives.

My writing process sounds chaotic at first, but it works well with my lifestyle. I try to get all my content/copywriting done in the morning before my son gets up. He's homeschooled and his lessons take up most of the day. Then in the evening, we go to a cafe where I work on The Wolves of Amleth books. I'm also writing a second series, but I generally work on that after everyone else has gone to bed. All my writing sessions start with an espresso and a game of online chess to get my brain working.

9/13/2019 09:58:56 am

Tirith exemplifies the old saw, still water runs deep.
I was a little surprised when she announced her intention to see the ocean, rather than go to the island. I was thinking her journey to the island would make a great second volume. Then the traitor told Beth he wanted the island. It's going to be interesting.
Every antagonist is the hero in their story, you pulled that off so well with Beth.
New questions.
Do you write in a straight line or do you write whatever the muse provides for you at a given moment?
Now that your book is published, is there anything about it you would like to change?
How do you think your book relates to the world we live in today?
What is the one thing you hope readers will remember from your book?

Paul Sheppard

9/15/2019 04:40:50 am

My writing is fairly linear, occasionally I will jump back and forth if I think an idea is good enough to write down. But I try not to do that too often.

There's nothing I want to change now that it's been published. I think is good to move on and put all my effort into the next book. There were a few typos that slipped through the editing process, but they've been fixed now, so I'm happy.

Although my book is set in a fantasy world, I believe the interactions between characters relate to the real world. I tried to show how peoples actions can influence events and decisions made by others.

What's the one thing I hope readers will remember from my book? I would be happy if people could read my book and realize that they are in control of their own lives. In the beginning, Tirith is quite a meek character. Yes, she's capable, but she's also passive. During the book, she becomes far more assertive and starts making her own decisions.

9/15/2019 08:41:10 am

Our thoughts do translate into actions, no doubt about that. Though we can't always control what happens around us, we can control our response. I enjoyed watching Tirith and other characters grow.
I have enjoyed our conversation, thank you for sharing a bit about your writing and publishing journey. Until next time, farewell.

Brandi

9/15/2019 10:19:10 pm

Hi Mark and Paul! I came to join the conversation but I can join y’all tomorrow because tonight I am busy. So when you guys get this. Just know I respect the both of you two guys a lot.

9/15/2019 10:33:22 pm

That would be perfectly fine. We can talk more tomorrow.

The Wolf We Feed By P A Sheppard

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