Welcome Brae Wyckoff author of "The Orb Of Truth"
Brea will gift one autographed copy of The Orb of Truth to one of commenting guests. So make sure you leave a comment with your contact info.
Please tell us about your writing. Can you
explain the title without giving too much away?
I’m an
epic fantasy author and grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons. D&D molded me
and really prepared me as an author to write The Orb of Truth.
The Orb
in the book is an artifact that suddenly appears from a dream the main
character has had his entire life. This happens in the first chapter and really
sets the stage for the adventurers. They won’t have access to the Orb until a
few chapters later, but in essence the main character, Bridazak, feels a shift
within himself that pushes him to find out all he can. He drags his friends
along with him.
Life is a
journey, that is for sure. The Orb has taken me over 20 years to write, with the
last 2 years being extremely diligent and serious. Writing a book, a good book,
is not for the light hearted. An author must endure criticism, sound critique,
from others and really push themselves to make the best book possible. This
requires a challenging critique group for your work, a really good editor, and
an extremely high imagination.
When I
lost my “regular” job 2 years ago, is when my journey really began. I sat down
and in 6 months finished The Orb of Truth, joined an amazing critique group with
published authors who really took my work through the ringer. Then I found an
editor after all the re-writes and then it was hammered some more. I remember
my editor telling me that she was going to apply extreme pressure to the coal
in order to form a diamond. At the time, all I could think about was her
calling my work “coal”. Well, suffice to say, with the Amazon reviews coming
in, the work is a “diamond”.
I am
inspired by authors like Arturo Perez Reverte, Jack Vance, Dan Simmons,
Beatrice Small, J.R.R Tolkien, C. S. Lewis. What writers inspire you?
My family is and will always be my greatest fans. They have
supported me all through this endeavor. My oldest daughter created and designed
the map inside the book. My wife helped tremendously in keeping me encouraged
and focused…she has been such an anchor for me over the years of me pouring
into my craft to make it the best it can be.
All social media works to a degree (Facebook, Twitter,
YouTube, LinkedIn, Goodreads, Google+, etc), but you need to build a
relationship with everyone. Don’t expect your sales to take off as soon as you
launch your novel. You can’t do it alone and you will need support and help
from friends and the contacts you have made. Build trust and be involved in
others interests. Find bloggers along with blogging about others on your own
site. Interact and always, always, always, be available to chat online.
Don’t expect the world to embrace your story overnight.
Build relationships and build the trust with your readers that you will NOT
sell them short. We have a savvy audience out there and they know a good read
when they read it. With the industry the way it is, things have changed
drastically. You will most likely have to self-publish, but there is nothing
wrong with that at all because you get most of the profit of your work and you
do the marketing regardless if you have a publisher or self-publish.
My wife and I ended up creating our own publishing firm…LR
Publishing. We plan to help other authors by lining up expert help at an
affordable cost.
I love to have music playing in the background. It is rare
to have complete silence. I remember writing a love scene for the second book,
The Dragon God, at Starbucks.
“It’s a cross between Lord of the Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.”—Brae Wyckoff
In the hundreds of years since the Holy
City disappeared, darkness has fallen over the land. Human kingdoms have seized
control of the realm, scattering the other races into hiding.
Bridazak, a skilled thief, and his
friends, a Dwarf and a fellow Ordakian, have dared to remain within the human
communities and live relatively quiet lives, until they discover a mysterious,
magical artifact. The three friends are thrust into an adventure that will
challenge their faith, their purpose, and their destiny as they chase a
forgotten and lost prophecy across the realm of Ruauck-El, where they hope to
discover the origins of the strange item and their place in its history.
An ancient, unknown enemy threatens the
completion of their journey at every turn. Bridazak is about to face the
biggest adventure of his life, one that may change the known realm, and answer
the questions he has carried all his life. Will they unlock the truth?
About
the Author:
Brae
Wyckoff was born and raised in San Diego, CA and is working toward a Psychology
degree. He has been married to his beautiful wife, Jill, for 19 years, and they
have three children; Tommy, Michelle, and Brittany. He has a beautiful grandson
named Avery. Brae has been an avid gamer since 1985. His passion for mysterious
realms and the supernatural inspired him to write The Orb of Truth, the first
in a series of fantasy action adventures. Brae describes The Orb of Truth as a cross between the Lord of the
Rings and the Wizard of OZ where you will be swept away into a magical land of
Dwarves, Elves, and Halflings.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theorboftruth
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16155612-the-orb-of-truth
Paperback Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orb-Truth-Volume-1/dp/1479313262/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353350627&sr=8-1&keywords=brae+wyckoff
E-Book Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Truth-Horn-King-Series-ebook/dp/B00AGIQYWO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354589810&sr=8-3
Thanks for having me as a guest on your blog! It was a great interview...
ReplyDeleteBlessings everyone!
Thank you for being my guest.
DeleteGreat interview! I loved The Orb of Truth and can't wait for the next book to come out =)
ReplyDeleteForgot my contact info...lol My email is flyerkat@verizon.net
DeleteHi Kathy! Thank you for your kind words...they warm this authors heart! Blessings...
DeleteBrae is an amazing author and I have enjoyed helping in getting the word out about The Orb of Truth. It was not a book that in normally in my reading genre but I took a chance and LOVED it. My son (12y) is now reading it and is also deeply involved in it. Look for his review on Amazon when he is done! I can not wait for more! Keep up the wonderful work and Thank you Firetulip for this post!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cheree! I am thankful to call you my friend.
DeleteI can't wait to get into his series! He inspires me. Thanks for a great review!.
ReplyDeleteSerenityseries@gmail.com
DeleteThis is not the kind of book I would have ever read, but after reading reviews and seeing the video on youtube. I am intrigue!!!!I find myself talking to friends and family telling them I can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!
ReplyDelete