Meet the Author: Tom Fallwell!
Todays featured author is one I'm sure you will love. He is intelligent, strong in his personal convictions, and one of those people who is always willing to offer advice and encouragement. I have had the chance to read excerpts of his writing from time to time, and he is a skilled and dynamic author who loves writing adventure and fantasy. I don't know him as well as some of the authors I have had the pleasure of working with, so I found his answers to my questions not only warm and insightful, but also at times, a delightful suprise.
Please welcome author Tom Fallwell!
Tell us a little about yourself. What made you choose to be a writer and who are you when you aren't writing?
Well, the truth is, I'm always me. Whether I'm writing or anything else. I'm still me. I have no desire to be anyone else. I like me. I like the people around me. I'm happy. Happy is good, don't you think? I'm 64 years old, and feel great. I'm divorced with one grown child, a son. I'm a survivor of a quintuple heart by-pass, several years ago, and while my joints may ache at times due to arthritis, I'm still happy.
I love movies and reading, gaming and music. I can play guitar, but it has been a long time since I have. I can sing, though I hate the sound of my own voice. I'm a born again Christian, avid church goer, and enjoy discussing and teaching the Word of God with others. I love chocolate and ice cream, but I'm diabetic (type 2), so I don't get much of either of those these days. I love my coffee, with a dash of Creme Burlee and a spoonful of Splenda, in the morning (more than one cup, actually). I like Dr. Pepper, diet of course, and I love the crisp air of winter, under a warm blanket.
As to how I started writing, it sort of just happened. Let me explain. I was (still am,
always will be) a computer software programmer. I'm what we in the industry would call, a coder. I loved writing logical code that creates software. But recently, in 2014, I decided to retire from that field and start taking things easy. So, I retired and persued my lifelong joy of RPG gaming. RPG meaning, in case anyone doesn't know, role-playing games.
I have always been facinated by such games, for many, many years, and when I used to play these games with friends at a table, such as Dungeons and Dragons, I would spend a lot of time as the DM, or Dungeon Master. The DM crated adventures for the other players to experience, and this led to me creating worlds and creatures. I enjoyed seeing others experience my creations.
On top of that, I was an avid fan of fantasy and science-fiction. My favorite author is, without a doubt, J.R.R. Tolkien. Though there are many great authors whose books I have thoroughly enjoyed, Tolkien is my favorite. The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are, by far, my favorite stories of all time, and I still remember the excitement and wonder I experienced when I read those books for the first time.
That is my inspiration. I want to create stories and adventures that encourage the same excitement and wonder in others when they read them. So, with the encouragement of great friends and family, I sat down and started to write. I have no idea if, or when, I will ever stop writing now.
What made you choose Indie publishing?
When I wrote my first short story, A Strong Tower, which can be found in the Awethology Light anthology that is available for free on Amazon, I realized I wanted to do more, so I started to write Dragon Rising. As I was writing that novel, I started researching publishing options and found it a daunting task, to say the least, to find a traditional publisher. Going through and agent, with no guarantee that I would even be read by the agent, seemed like a total waste of time. I felt I had no chance without being someone with already established noteriety.
So, I chose the Independent Publishing route. Found Amazon KDP and CreateSpace, and went on from their. Along the way I learned a great deal about the Indie Publishing world, and I'm still learning today, with 2 novels published and the third being released, hopefully, later this month.
Tell us about your books! Also, if you had to pick a character in one of your stories that you relate to the most, which one would it be and why?
The character I feel most close to, like an old friend, is Baric the Ranger, in the Rangers of Laerean series. He is a character I helped create a long time ago for, believe it or not, a
comic book. That is another story, though, so I won't go into all that here, but Baric is definitely my favorite character. I like his attitude and life outlook more than any other character I have created.
The first book of the Rangers of Laerean series is A Whisper In The Shadows. In this book, the Rangers must prevent a world-devastating event from happening by journying deep
under an active volcano, Mount Scorch. The story that begins in this book will continue through to Book #3. Book #2 is Where Shadows Fall, and will be published later this month. Book #3, which will likely be titled The Shadow of Narwyrm, is now in the works and should be released sometime in 2016. Just when, I can't say.
My efforts are mainly focused on this series. My first novel, Dragon Rising, was a stand alone novel and a great learning experience for me. Some have asked if I plan to write more about those characters, and I might, I just am not sure. But the thought is definitely in my mind, so who knows for sure? :)
Do you have any advice for new authors? Would you encourage them to look at self-publishing?
I think self-publishing is great and that it has a great future. I highly encourage anyone wishing to write to give it a try, but I will say this. I learned early on the importance of good editing and good artwork for the book covers. Self-publishing may not cost, but it is esssential that you have a good editor and that your book covers grab attention. This will cost, though the cost is minimal. Don't expect to make a lot of money when you start, if any. While it is possible, most likely, you will end up spending more on editing and artwork costs then what you will make. But don't give up. Keep writing. Be frugal spending money, and if your work is truly entertaining or informative, you will eventually be noticed by the public at large.
Also, support groups on Goodreads.com and Facebook.com are full of wonderful and helpful people, authors, artists and editors, that can be of great help. Use that help.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?
Just let me say this to those who feel the desire to write: Don't write only to make money. Write because you love to write, because you love to create. Your writing attitude will show through what you write, so write for the right reasons, and it will show. I write to entertain. Not to entertain everyone, just some. Find your place in the world of writing by writing what you love, and those readers who love what you love will find you, eventually.
Thanks for the interview, Tom! It was great to get to know you better. Good luck with your new release!
You can find updates on current and future titles by Tom Fallwell on his website. Many of his titles are also available on Amazon.com.
Tom Fallwell Biography:
Born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1951, Tom Fallwell spent much of his career as a software developer and programmer. Now retired from that field, he has taken up writing, which he had always loved to do, but did not have the time to indulge himself in. Now he is writing the stories he had always wanted to write. Still living in Oklahoma, Tom is active in church, running the sound system and sometimes teaching adult Sunday School. He has always had a love of fantasy and science fiction, both in reading and in movies. His love of story telling came as a result of playing table top role playing games with friends, in which he created adventures for the other players to experience.
Links
Web Site: http://tomfallwell.com
Facebook: http://fb.com/TomFallwellAuthor
Books
Dragon Rising
Rangers of Laerean
Where Shadows Fall (Coming Soon!)
