A
Whisper of Death
The
Necromancer Series
Book
1
Paul
Barrett
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy
Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing,
LLC
Date of Publication: December 22, 2015
Cover Artist: Jess Small
Book Description:
Born with the power of ultimate
evil, he is the world’s only chance at survival.
Erick Darvaul is a Necromancer, a
descendant of the original sorcerers who turned against their dark masters and
exiled them. Now these beings have returned, it falls upon Erick and a cadre of
newfound allies to rally against these powerful entities and defeat them again.
Through fire, ambush, and betrayal,
Erick and his companions claw their way to Broken Mountain to reunite with
others who share his ability. There, Erick battles the mortal foe of his
ancestors pushing the limits of his Necromantic magic, a force that seeks to
corrupt him every time he summons it.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/-Bl3pr4javI
Teaser Video: https://youtu.be/fxcuoyDwGDk
About
the Author:
Paul has lived a varied life full
of excitement and adventure. Not really, but it sounds good as an opening line.
Paul’s multiple careers have
included: rock and roll roadie, children’s theater stage manager, television
camera operator, mortgage banker, and support specialist for Microsoft Excel.
This eclectic mix prepared him to
go into his true love: motion picture production. He has produced two motion
pictures and two documentaries: His film Night Feeders released on DVD in 2007,
and Cold Storage was released by Lionsgate in 2010
Amidst all this, Paul has worked on
his writing, starting with his first short story, about Ziggy Stardust and the
Spiders from Mars, at age 8. Paul has written and produced numerous commercial
and industrial video scripts in his tenure with his forcreative agency,
Indievision. He has two published short stories (As You Sow and Double Cross)
and one self-published novel (Godchild). He lives with his filmmaker/graphic
artist partner and their three cats.
Interview
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Charlotte NC, but have lived
in Atlanta, GA and Smithfield, VA at various points in my life.
Tell us your latest news?
My book A
Whisper of Death has been released and I’m currently working on the sequel,
tentatively titled A Shout of Decay.
I also have a TV pilot screenplay currently making the rounds to production
companies, and two other novels being considered for publication. And my cats
continue to drive me crazy.
When and why did you begin writing?
The first story I remember writing was when I was 8
years old. It was called Ziggy and the
Spiders from Mars, which was obviously taken from the David Bowie song that
was popular at the time (yes, I’m old) but was about the comic character Ziggy
and his hapless attempts to deal with Martian spiders that landed in his yard.
As for why I did it, it just seemed like a fun way to be creative. I was always
a storyteller, even if it was someone else’s material. I memorized Richard
Pryor and Cheech and Chong albums (my parents were very progressive) and would
recite them for friends. At some point, I figured it was time to try and make
up my own stories.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I considered myself a writer as early as 16, when I
was writing articles for the school newspaper while also trying my hand at
short stories, none of which were very good. So it’s taken me really, 34 years
to go from writer to published author. Of course, there were periods within
those years when the writing took a major backseat, so it hasn’t been an
uninterrupted 34 years.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Back in 1982, a friend of mine also wanted to write,
and we decided a short story wasn’t worth doing for two people, so we came up
with a story based on a character he had created for the sci-fi role playing
game Traveler. Our book ended up being way more space opera and less hard
sci-fi, and it still hasn’t seen the light of day. But one of my ongoing
projects is polishing and rewriting it, hoping for it to someday gain the glory
of publication
Do you have a specific writing style?
If you ask my copy editor, my style is to use the
words “but” and “smile” too much, but I don’t know that I have really developed
a “style” yet. I have certain things that seem to happen in my stories. There’s
usually traveling, the groups tend to be five or so people, and at least one of
them in a complete smartass. Other than that, I just try to tell a story in an
economical manner while still putting across as much world building detail as
possible. And, according to a friend who reads my stuff, my worlds seem to be
populated with unpleasant odors.
How did you come up with the title?
The title A
Whisper of Death refers to both the magic used by my hero and the evil
entity that attempts to corrupt him along the way. The magic whispers to him of
the power he could have if he was let himself go and embrace the magic fully.
It’s a temptation he has to fight every time he uses it. And the evil entity
that becomes his nemesis literally whispers in the hero’s mind, slowly making
the magic harder to resist.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers
to grasp?
There’s no message I really set out to tell with the
story, I just wanted to explore the idea of a character in a traditionally
“evil” profession actually being a good person, and what he would do if called
upon to use his evil in the service of saving a world that despises him. So I
guess if there’s any message, it would be that you aren’t constrained by what
people say about you or expect you to be.
How much of the book is realistic?
It’s a fantasy novel, so not much. I mean, I kept it
realistic in terms of the fighting and what characters of this age could
reasonably do. They aren’t superheroes, and they get hurt. But they also having
healing methods far beyond anything we have in the real world. And the world
isn’t overwhelmed with magic. There are really only two specific forms of
magic: necromancy and healing. So there won’t be anybody flying on carpets or
casting fireballs. But there will be lots of undead.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events
in your own life?
I have often raised the dead, so this book is
practically autobiographical. Seriously, though, Gert, an innkeeper the group
meets, is based on my friend Pamela. Other than that, it’s pretty much a cut
from whole cloth scenario. The whole idea came about as some friends and I were
discussing necromancers during a session of the role-playing game Rolemaster.
There have been a lot of role-playing games in my life.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Lord
of the Rings, of course, because it informed my love
of fantasy. A great number of Robert Heinlein’s novels had a big impact on me.
And the Stephen King book On Writing
was a godsend when I was struggling to get myself motivated to write again.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider
a mentor?
Tough call, but it would be either Pat Conroy or Robin
Hobb. Conroy’s mastery of language is a standard for what I would love to
achieve someday. And Hobb’s ability to build complex characters and intertwine
them in intricate narrative is nothing short of amazing.
What book are you reading now?
I’m currently reading From the Stone by John Hartness, who is another North Carolina guy
that I recently met.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your
interest?
Most recently, I’ve been downing the work of Chuck
Wendig and Delilah S. Dawson. They are both fabulous writers and have both
become dear friends. Chuck has a blog on writing at terribleminds.com that is a
must for any upcoming writer to read and study.
What are your current projects?
As I mentioned above, I’m currently working on the
sequel to Whisper of Death, and I’m
also doing the groundwork for an idea about three magical factions going to
war.
What would you like my readers to know?
I would like them to know my blog is
www.paulbarrettonline.com, my Twitter account is @producerpaul and I have an
Amazon author page where I would be happy to answer any other questions they
might have. I also have three cats, so please buy my book so I can feed them or
they will probably eat me some night while I’m asleep.
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