Hello! As a three-times SPFBO entrant, I’m doing spotlights on the blog for other Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off authors and books! Come, have fun, and catch up if you haven’t been here already. This is the 11nth book to feature this year, so I just thought was a cool number. 1st of the 2nd 10. lol.
Well, enough about that. Let’s get on with this! Today we’ve got Steve with us, whose creativity started with drawings of his own superheros! Yeah, for another author who’s been an artist for just as long (longer, actually)! Now, let’s introduce you to his book, The Way of Renegades, since that’s what really matters here, right?
The Way of Renegades
Ulric, former war hero, has been living a quiet life of exile in the frontier city of Quinport and wants only to continue hiding from the mistakes of his past. But then he discovers the invention of a revolutionary new kind of rifle, and worse, the ruling Coalition discovers his identity. Rather than be blackmailed into service, Ulric goes to leave the city with the new rifles, but first he will need more money, or more help.
Enter Dellioph, no mere bard, who just arrived to Quinport and wants only to play his music and to keep his secrets. But trying to do both lands him directly in the path of one of the Coalition Chancellors, who wants to use Dellioph, and his secrets, for himself. Unable to scheme his way out entirely, Dellioph must choose to keep his secrets, his freedom, or his music. But when the choice is between anything and his music, it’s no choice at all.
And Gali, future chief of the Odagna, who wants nothing more than to save her people, even if that means forcing them to change. She disobeys her father, lies to her people, and travels to the Coalition city to learn how to do some of the things they do— making and using muskets foremost among them. But the people of the Coalition are not ready to accept the Teo, and Gali will be forced to learn the hard way that a renegade’s only friend is another renegade.
Meanwhile, two mysterious strangers from opposite sides of the world come hunting a sorcerer who has unbelievable power, a hunger for more, and dragons… but they are nothing like the stories.
Do I spy a musical instrument on the cover! Nice! – And fitting!
The Questions Now!
As a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Entrant, you’re not just independently published, but self-published. Can you start by explaining a bit about why you chose that route and how it’s been for you?
I chose self-publishing for lots of reasons. You have more control, make more money, and by all the research I’ve done, you end up doing about the same amount of work (Especially as a debut novelist). But most importantly, I am already a writer and a storyteller. I know that. I don’t need a publishing house to confirm it for me, and so I wanted to live that reality. I didn’t want to wait around for a publisher to take a chance on me, even if that means the road is a little longer or tougher to travel. As a debut novelist, you really are betting on yourself no matter what route you choose, so I think it makes the most sense to bet on yourself in the space where you can best control the outcome and reap the most benefit.
The process has been educational, to say the least. I’ve learned Fiverr is a great spot for affordable services, that the book community on Twitter is probably the best online space to connect with other people in the industry, and that it’s all just a learning experience. I often say that even though it sometimes feels like I’m falling downhill, that’s okay because it means I’m still moving forward. And I really believe that’s the mentality one needs if trying to make a career as an author.
Thank you! I do so love the way you put all of this! So much! ‘If I’m falling downhill, that’s okay because it means I’m still moving forward.’ lol.
On a related note, why did you enter the SPFBO contest? How do you expect to find it? Refreshing your blog’s page every five minutes, or sit back and chill?
I want to make a career of writing my stories, so a huge reason is publicity. And even if I don’t advance any further that submitting my book into the first pool of 300, it has already been an awesome and productive experience which has allowed me to meet other indie authors and consume a lot of cool stories.
The other reason is to grow and improve. There is a lot of great competition in this contest every year, and so I don’t doubt that my writing will improve just by reading some of the entries and hearing some of the feedback I get on the Way of Renegades.
I definitely won’t be refreshing every five minutes because I already have bad enough anxiety lol. I can’t lean into it like that.
LOL, yeah. I bet anyone who tried refreshing every five minutes would find that doesn’t work so well – you still have to take care of bodily necessities at least! I love the positive atmosphere so many people seem to be bringing to the SPFBO this year!
Book titles. Why did you choose The Way of Renegades?
The Way of Renegades is about three individuals who have each turned renegade from different groups, for different reasons, at differing times in their lives. And they all have their own motivations, but each will be forced to learn that a renegade’s only other friend is another renegade. It is literally about the way of Renegades.
Personally, I don’t think names matter all that much. Like how Jim Butcher famously argued that you don’t have to have a “good” idea to make a good story, the same pertains to names. Game of Thrones is a great title, but that book was going to be a phenomenal story no matter what title G.R.R Martin used.
Neat! Precise and exact! (Good by what definition, lol? – It’s just so interesting to hear about different people’s processes, though!)
I won’t ask for your favourite scene since I know some people don’t have those (like me; I never have favourites), but can you share a (non-spoiler) scene you really love every time you go back to re-read it?
In this story, I combined magic and music, and one of my main characters is a bard. There’s one scene where he is using his magic, and it is just awesome. I can’t go into it because of spoilers, but I will say this:
I think music is the greatest creation in human history, and one of the closest things we have in the real world to experiencing “magic.”
It has been proven that listening to music can produce the same brain waves as an orgasm, and that listening to music while working out helps produce more strength. Think about the very first time you heard your all-time favorite song, and how it just took you over.
It really is like magic, and so I wanted to convey that idea through my story.
That’s wonderful! I do agree – music really can be magical, and I LOVE seeing magic and music/song combined in stories! Awesome!
What are some elements or themes, or combinations thereof, that really make your book stand out to you?
I have always been a huge fan of Found Family, so that is definitely present in my book. It also looks at colonialism and its effects, though not too deeply.
But I think the coolest part of the story is the setting. Most fantasy takes place before the rise of gunpowder and industry, so I wanted to tell a story that could explore how a fantasy world would be affected by such a rise in technology.
Neat! Fantasy is just branching out in so many directions that, until now, were little explored, right?
Thank you for sharing all of that! Would you share a little bit about yourself with us?
I am the author of The Way of Renegades, book 1 of the Bards and Dragons Saga. I was born and raised in a tiny town in the Texas countryside where it was imperative I developed a powerful imagination, as I mostly had to play outside in the woods, on my own. From a young age, I loved to read and I loved to create. It started with drawings of my own versions of superheroes, monsters, and pokemon, and as I grew older, I started writing and creating my own kingdoms and governments. During these formative years, some of my favorite books were the Redwall series, the Animorphs, the Wheel of Time, and Harry Potter. And it’s always been the Fantasy genre above all others for me.
After a few directionless semesters in college, I decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, and it was there I met my wife and and where I really discovered a passion for writing and storytelling. But it was still just a hobby at that point. It wasn’t until COVID hit and I lost my job that I dedicated myself to creating a full story. It took almost three years for me to finally complete The Way of Renegades— because writing is hard, you guys— but it was during that time I truly found myself as a storyteller.
You can find Steve D Wall on his Website, or connect on Social Media via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.
You can find his book, The Way of Renegades, on Goodreads or Amazon.
Enthralled By Love 