Science Fiction / Fantasy
Publisher: Space Wizard Science Fantasy
Date Published: November 2017
On a bright August day, the sun disappears.
Sam van Oen barely escapes freezing to death in his house, as his watch stops and fire ceases to burn. He is pulled into the Nether—a nexus between ten alien cultures—where he meets Rilan and Origon, two maji who can control the musical foundation of the universe. While coping with anxiety attacks prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to hear and change the Symphony, and thus reality, in order to discover what happened to his home.
But more freezing voids like the one that started his journey are appearing, and Sam’s chances of getting back are fading. The Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are being attacked by those they protect, while rumors grow of an ancient, shape-changing species of assassins, returning to wage war.
The Dissolution is coming.
Interview
What is the hardest part
of writing your books?
Revision. Getting the main story out
is a major effort, but it’s not nearly as hard as those last few changes to get
the sprinkling of fairy dust that really makes a story sparkle. Sometimes this
means adjusting character reactions just slightly, or adding reactions that didn’t
quite get out of my head and on the page. Doing this is nerve-wracking, because
I’m always scared I’m going to miss those one or two words that could turn a
good reaction from a reader into a great one!
What songs are most
played on your Ipod?
Loud fast songs without a lot of
words. Having a beat to keep me going propels me along when writing. I also
appreciate a good symphony, especially Beethoven, Dvorak, and Haydn. Depending
on what type of scene I’m writing, I may skip around to find something that
fits the mood better.
Do you have critique
partners or beta readers?
I have both. My first draft of a
chapter will go through a couple critique partners I work with on a regular
basis. They know my writing, and what things I usually miss. Once I’ve edited
in the feedback, I’ll send out a larger section to beta readers, to get remarks
on the larger arcs of the story to see what’s working well. I’ll usually go
through a couple rounds of beta readers on a full novel.
What book are you
reading now?
I just recently finished reading “A
Closed and Common Orbit” by Becky Chambers. This is the second book in her
Wayfarer’s universe. They are space operas, though driven by character, rather
than by plot, as a lot of space operas are. It’s a refreshing look at how
humans fit in with more powerful and older alien species.
How did you start your
writing career?
I’ve been writing since I was young.
My first story was in third grade, where Mario, Link, and Zelda had to stop an
evil wizard. Sadly, I never finished it. I wrote a few more stories in grade
school and as a teenager, but it wasn’t until after college when I really
started to make time to write on a daily basis. In the last ten years, I’ve
written about eight books, two of which I’ve self-published.
I’m running a Kickstarter in August
and September to help me add some great interior illustrations and other extras
to my next book, The Seeds of Dissolution. I’m working with a fantastic artist,
and his illustrations really bring life to my world. What is it about? Read on…
On a bright August day, the sun
disappears.
Sam van Oen barely escapes freezing to
death in his house, as his watch stops and fire ceases to burn. He is pulled
into the Nether—a nexus between ten alien cultures—where he meets Rilan and
Origon, two maji who can control the musical foundation of the universe. While
coping with anxiety attacks prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to
hear and change the Symphony, and thus reality, in order to discover what
happened to his home.
But more freezing voids like the one
that started his journey are appearing, and Sam’s chances of getting back are
fading. The Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are
being attacked by those they protect, while rumors grow of an ancient,
shape-changing species of assassins, returning to wage war.
The Dissolution is coming.
If you like the idea, please check out
the Kickstarter page, and let your friends know!
About the Author
William C. Tracy is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has two self-published novellas available: Tuning the Symphony, and Merchants and Maji, both set in his Dissolutionverse. The Kickstarter for the first novel, The Seeds of Dissolution, will run in August/September 2017.
He also has a masters in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and of course, a writer. He and his wife also cosplay, and he has appeared as Tenzin, Jafar, and in several steampunk outfits.
In his spare time, he wrangles three cats and a bald guinea pig, and his wife wrangles him (not an easy task). They both enjoy putting their pets in cute little costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card.
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