A bit of a Q&A

ERIC ELMOOR AND THE GAUNTLET OF GODRIC

I came across Eric Elmoor somewhat by accident, via the newly established Fantasy-Faction Facebook group in fact. The author, Tommy A. Meyers, is part of the group and (via a roundabout route) I ended up with a free copy of the first installment in exchange for an honest review.

We ended up chatting a bit through social media as I was progressing through the tale and eventually decided on adding a quick Q&A session to the review; hopefully with the aim of spreading Tommy’s vision to a wider audience and also learning a bit about the process involved in getting from idea to end product.

 About the Author

Hailing from the Northeastern Texas town of Tyler, Tommy A. Meyers has somehow managed to fit his love of storytelling in around both his day job as a nurse and the ever-pressing demands of being a husband and father to two young children.

When not taking us through Eric’s adventures in Novogard he can be found enjoying himself both inside (where he is an avid video game enthusiast, bibliophile and movie watcher) and outside, indulging his love of hiking, biking, and hunting.

His first two novels in the Eric Elmoor Saga have been self-published and can be found in both paperback and e-book format.

 A quick Q&A with Tommy

Growing up you’ve stated that you didn’t really read that much. In fact, to quote you directly, “If I read anything without pictures in it, it was probably due to an assignment  I had in class”. So how did you go from a reluctant reader to a prolific storyteller?

I've always wanted to tell stories.  Even since my single digits.  I wrote a few non-sensical short stories for my mom and friends when I was a kid.  As I got older, I was interested in film and had planned on going to film school right after I finished high school.  Alas, life happened and I had a child at a young age.  My dreams had to take a back seat to my responsibilities.  Thus, the only other occupation I could see myself doing in life was something in healthcare.  So I became a nurse.  Once I had a stable, well-paid job, I returned to my dream.  But how to achieve it?  I couldn't afford, nor had the time, to go to film school so I turned to writing.  I wrote several screenplays over a number of years and not one has been put in front of a camera yet.  In writing those screenplays, I realized that only a few people ever got to read my work.  That didn't settle with me very well.  So, after having acquired a love of reading in my early 20's, I started working on a book series which became the Eric Elmoor Saga.

As you say, you started as a screenplay writer but it is your novels that are making the most headway at the moment. Is there anything you wished you had done a bit differently or has it all been a necessary part of the journey that has brought you to this point?

Hindsight, as they say, is always 20/20.  Could there have been things I would have done differently?  Possibly...at least in my late teen frame-of-mind.  Now, as I'm 29, I don't think I would have.  I was a bit of a wild child in my younger years so some of that may have been carried over into my 20's if I hadn't had a wake-up call from life.  It settled me down, taught me to love, and made me disciplined.  Plus my current occupation gives me a great insight into the human condition.  I get to see people at their best, worst, most vulnerable, most spiteful, etc.  It all helped inform the writing.  Perhaps without my time as a nurse, I wouldn't have as much of a grasp on people as I do.

The writing process differs for everyone, but as a full-time worker and parent how do you manage to find, and devote, the time to create a world like Abeodor?

You take any and every opportunity that you can.  Those are few and far between which is why book 1 and 2 were separated by a two year gap.  Book 3 looks to be on the same heading as well.  The parent situation is manageable.  The work situation, not so much.  Healthcare is a very mentally exhausting line of work and the last thing I want to do sometimes when I get home is think.  Thinking is essential to a writer.  That is the biggest hurtle.

The first two stories of the Eric Elmoor saga are, of course, self-published. There are plenty of us out there with a story to tell and we all know that it is a very tough world in which to thrive. Any advice for those out there hoping to follow a similar route? And what benefit(s) has self-publishing brought?

The biggest advantage, to me, is that no one can tell me "no."  I write what I want, how I want and there's no one behind me saying, "You can't put that in your book!"  For all intents and purposes, this is a Young Adult tale, but there are issues in the book that some publishers may have found too "complex" for young adults.  I tend to give people more credit than that.  If there's an issue that I write about that someone really has no experience with or knowledge of, hopefully they will be interested enough to study it.  I'm not necessarily trying to preach my point-of-view on anybody.  I just wanted to tell a compelling story that has more complicated issues beyond the rise of a "dark lord in the north."  I want the "good guys" to have shades of gray to them.  I wanted as much struggle as possible to be thrown at Eric.  As far as advice I have for those going the self-publishing route: Make sure you love your craft enough to keep chugging forward when things don't go your way.  Hopefully you have more time on your hands than I did to market your material.  Make sure you have a good support system around you because you WILL get disparaged at some point and you'll need that support to lift you out of those hard times.

So onto the Eric Elmoor novels themselves. A quick synopsis for those who haven’t been fortunate enough to stumble across these adventures. What are they missing out on?

The Eric Elmoor Saga is a coming-of-age tale set in a fantastical world that is besieged in a conflict between technology and tradition.

Eric himself is a fairly typical protagonist for this type of tale – young, unaware of his importance and generally disaffected with the life he currently leads. But, like all great protagonists, there is great potential (and a little mystery) there. If you were to describe Eric in five words, what would they be?

Loyal. Curious. Adventurous. Humorous. Fallible.

The world of Abeodor has many elements which are familiar to those of us who enjoy the fantasy genre such as magic, non-human races and a fair bit of swords-and-sorcery. But you have added a technological element to the mix which is fairly uncommon. How did this idea come about and how much thought went into the world before you began writing the stories? Did the world drive the story or was it more the other way around?

I wanted a coming-of-age tale to begin with.  I felt like the late teens are the years when you really start to formulate your opinion of the world around you.  It wasn't something I wanted to do to catch any particular marketing trend at the time.  But what kind of world would I set it in?  All the familiar genres crossed my mind and I struggled for a bit to find a (to me) original spot for this story to take place.  Then I asked myself this question: "What if Middle-earth had evolved technologically?  What would that look like?"  That was like opening Pandora's Box.  There's still sword and sorcery, which is a staple of the genre, but I also wanted to explore the relationship with technology the various races would have.  Our world is changing so much and it has various impacts on our culture.  It challenges our beliefs at times, it burdens us, it scares us, and in some ways makes us more isolated from each other.  Technology drives so much of our lives nowadays that it's hard to imagine a world without it.  How would these fantasy races deal with such advancements?  It ends up being the catalyst for the whole story.

There are themes of racism, social dysfunction and excessive government interference running through the stories, not unlike the world we inhabit ourselves. Even within a so-called “fantasy world” how important do you think it is to give readers elements of realism which can provide a link to their own lives and universe?

Art imitates life.  As the comic writer Alan Moore once said, "I use lies to tell the truth."  What I'm providing with these books is some escapism.  I want people to leave this world and go into mine for a little bit and enjoy their time there.  But I also wanted to give them something to chew on and discuss with their friends and family after they're done.  I find all great literature has some element to it that reflects the real world.  You can look at Lord of The Rings as a tale about the thirst for power, how it holds a grip over people, and how it corrupts us.  With my series, it's more about "the road to hell is paved with good intentions."  Hopefully it will get some people talking and looking at the potential consequences of our intended actions before we carry them out.  All stories, I think, should have some element to it that is worthy of discussion after people have consumed it.  Sometimes stories are all the exposure some have to life outside their own experiences.

You’ve said that the world on which this saga is set is much larger and grander than that shown in the books so far. What does the future hold for Eric, and in fact, all of Abeodor? Does it depend on the success of this series or is it a story you intend to tell regardless?

Eric's story will end after book 5.  I will finish it regardless of its success.  His story is only going to get more complicated and tumultuous as time goes by.  But yes, there is a much wider world out there.  I have ideas that extend beyond the five books (and perhaps even beyond that) but it really depends on what people want.  If they don't want any more of Abeodor, that's fine.  I have several tales floating around in my head that run through all different genres.  I want to write them all.

So, penultimate question. Somehow, miraculously and overnight, the world has become an ideal place and you can pick exactly what happens to your work over the next 3 to 5 years. Where do you see the ride taking you and what are you hoping to achieve along the way?

First I'd love to see more people reading and discussing these stories.  I'd like to think I have something interesting to say and I hope others think so too.  Several reviewers have commented that they'd want to see these books made into movies.  I'd love that as well!  If it does happen, I promise I won't let them milk it dry by splitting book 5 into multiple sequels ;-).  Then I would love to just be able to sit down and write the other stories that are crowding my brain.

Now the final question. How would someone find out more about Eric and his adventures? And when can we hopefully see the next tale hitting our shelves?

For all news and information you can check out the Eric Elmoor Facebook page (Facebook.com/EricElmoor) and you can follow me on Twitter @tommythescribe.  (I'd also like to point out that I do free short stories that take place between the books as well.  It's a 'thank you' from me to those who stick with me).  Book 2, ERIC ELMOOR AND THE CHALICE OF CAMERON, is now available on Amazon in both e-book and paperback.  As far as book three is concerned, as of now we're looking at least a year out before release.  If this series by some miracle can manage to go viral and all I have to do is write, perhaps it can be out sooner.

 The book itself

Imagine a world where swords-and-sorcery meets the modern age. A world where you can find Dwarves riding the tram through the city, part-elves living in apartment blocks and gnomes riding into battle aboard floating warships. This is the world of Abeodor, a mix of the fantastical and the technological.

Working from the premise of “What would Middle-Earth be like if it had evolved with technology alongside the supernatural?” Meyers has created something which is familiar yet different. At its heart are all the themes which proliferate through the fantasy genre (swords, magic, exotic races etc..), blended with a more modern twist coming from the high-rise skyscrapers and mass transit systems you’d see in any major city in our world.

The main character Eric is a microcosm of this world in that he is, similarly, both familiar and yet subtly different. I guess “The Gauntlet of Godric” could be described as your typical coming of age story, and Eric as your typical teen protagonist for one of these tales but that would be to do a disservice to Meyers and what he has created here.

It is early days in the saga but you feel that the good guys aren’t necessarily whiter-than-white; they suffer from the same issues and difficulties that we ourselves do. Similarly, the bad guys are far more than just, to quote the author himself, a “dark lord in the north”. There is complexity in the characters here, and a definite sense that there is more than meets the eye to most of the people we have met so far.

Similarly, the continent of Novogard (where the tale is set) is threatened by far more than just rampaging orcs or dark mages. Politics, racism, government intervention and social dysfunction are all themes that run throughout the story, themes that hold significant relevance to our world today. The first chapter, for example, bears many parallels to numerous events that have taken place across the globe in recent years (minus the presence of dark elves of course!)

I had seen a review of this series before I started which likened it to the Harry Potter books and I’d certainly agree that there are similarities with J. K. Rowling’s creation. The depth of the universes created shows that the authors had/have the majority of the key elements mapped out in advance. I feel compelled to pay attention to everything going on as I am convinced it will all have relevance later in the saga. Like Rowling, it has taken Meyers a long-time from concept to end product – and I think the book benefits from that. There is a maturity to the storytelling which can only have come from multiple rewrites and a slower, more organic, process.

Meyers doesn’t rush the story, nor is there an early-game information dump. The world and its inhabitants are brought in as and when they are needed, and given the correct amount of attention at the right time. Certain sections pace quicker than others but the key elements are well done. Eric’s training, the nefarious activities of Cerebus and his cohorts and the brewing carnage that we know is coming are combined nicely so that they meet in a crescendo that feels logical and not forced.

The further installments promise much, sweeping arcs have been set in motion and it feels likes there is plenty more for us to discover along our merry way. Meyers doesn’t seem afraid to get his hands dirty either, this isn’t going to be an easy journey for Eric and he will have his fair share of death and destruction to deal with along the way.

I should make note of the fact that Meyers has self-published these books and I think a pretty good job has been done by those involved. It can’t be an easy task to balance a stressful full-time job and a home life with trying to get a novel published yourself.

Overall verdict

You’ve probably worked out that I really enjoyed this book, and the world Meyers has created. As a stand-alone book it more than holds its own – but the sense of anticipation about the numerous possibilities for the series takes it to a whole new level. The concept is different enough to (hopefully) make it stand out from the packed crowd, but it retains enough of those elements (rich, deep worlds – interesting, somewhat flawed characters – big ideas and imagination) which will bring fantasy fans back time and again.

Score

Well nothing gets 10 out of 10 in my world, a function of always being taught that perfection is impossible and you should forever strive for more. But I’d have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone and everyone, and giving it a very impressive 9 out of 10.

Huge thanks to Tommy for taking part in the Q&A session and for sharing a little of his world with us.

Till next time,

DT