Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Thaine Chase, author of Tales From The Eastern Wind: A Collection of Short Stories, EMPIRE OF ONE: Volume One of the Wandering Invader Series and The Letters From Lincoln Bee.
Please tell us something about yourself.
I was born in Atlantic, Canada — my love for word-craft began early in my childhood years, manifesting in the form of short stories.
Even though I was repeatedly encouraged by both teachers and parents alike, I resisted the temptation to walk the road of the ‘writer,’ fearful an artistic life was too much of a risk in a world driven by job security and financial status. Instead, like others in my family, I chose a blue-collar career and the guaranteed paycheque.
Now, more than five decades later, I’ve finally surrendered to my fondness for storytelling. And, I’ve decided to take a serious stab at fictional writing.
How did you get into becoming an author? Please tell us more about your journey.
After I turned 50, I realized I wasn’t happy with what I was doing every day. I started to write short stories as a way to pass the time when I was bored or alone, and I realized how happy it made me create worlds and characters (like I did as a child).
After a few months, I realized I had a lot of short stories written, so I decided to put them all together into a collection and publish them. TALES FROM THE EASTERN WIND was so well received I decided to focus on writing full time, and I’ve never been happier.
Wow, that was an amazing journey! Would you like to share with our readers what inspires you?
The opportunity to entertain someone I’ve never met with my words inspires me. Just the thought of my writing, making someone laugh or cry really pushes me to write more – so I’m inspired by all those potential readers out there.
Who are your role models, and why?
James Patterson, Michael Moorcock, and JD Salinger are probably the three authors I look up to — Patterson for his unique individuality in his literary tone, Moorcock for his amazing world-building, and Salinger for his actual writing style.
Please tell us about your book.
EMPIRE OF ONE is an epic SciFi/Fantasy spanning over 5,000 years and evokes an ancient time of folklore and mysticism just out of reach of the naked eye.
I’ve written it in very lyrical prose and fluid first-person narrative, which provides a deeply sensory experience that is immediately absorbing to the reader. This novel is full of intense battle sequences and breathless chases through a well-crafted, intricate backdrop of layered arcana.
EMPIRE OF ONE, the first installment of my WANDERING INVADER series, which includes heroes and villains inspired by Irish mythology.
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What’s the story behind penning down this book?
This story was influenced by memories of my deceased father, who, when I was a child, would entertain me every night, telling me the stories of ancient Irish heroes and their amazing adventures. Those moments were just him and I. And, they’ve become sacred to me, so this book is a literary love-letter to the art of storytelling, which was introduced to me by my dad so many many years ago.
What’s your most memorable experience as an author?
I don’t think I’ve had one just yet… hopefully soon.
Which social media channels work best for promoting your work? What exactly do you do on the social media channel that makes it work for you?
I’m not super tech-savvy, so I tend just to promote my books on Twitter, and of course, I have a Goodreads page too.
Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you understood better before you ever got started?
Marketing. I love writing and building worlds and characters, but once you’ve published your book, getting it out there to the masses of readers seems quite difficult. I wish I had a better grasp of reaching those potential readers.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
I’m still learning — so no strategies just yet.
Any message for our readers.
Yes. Please, when you read a book from an indie author, leave a review — we need reviews to help promote our work. Every review helps. And also, to those who end up checking out EMPIRE OF ONE — thank you for the opportunity to entertain you, I truly hope you enjoy the adventure I’ve written.
How can people connect with you?
I’m on Twitter @BeastofChase and Instagram @thainechase_author. You can also check out my website and Goodreads page.
So, you can contact me there or email me at ThaineChase@writeme.com.
