Author Interview with Talon Bard

Hey folks! How are you all? Merry Christmas! We had the pleasure of doing an author interview with our friend Talon, whom we met through the Rabbit Room site (would link it but we’re short on time).

So, he found us over there and we started reading each other’s books, then he joined Writers’ Vision and we decided to interview him and pick his brain a little. So here is the interview!

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1. Tell us a little about yourself.

I currently live in Las Vegas, Nevada. I am a current college student and am studying Marine Biology because I have always been fascinated with the creatures that live in the ocean. Sharks in particular I find very cool. In fact, I am the only member of my family to have actually gotten in the water with around 22 sharks; easily one of the best experiences of my life. I am also a huge geek and enjoy reading, building models/miniatures, and playing games (video game, board game, or tabletop game, I’m not too picky.)

2.  Why did you start writing? What’s the story behind it?

I started writing sometime during high school. I had read all kinds of stories at this point and simply just wanted to write my own. When I had started, it was for a story similar to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth as I was fascinated by the world-building and inspiration he took. As time went on, however, I wanted to expand my story-building to all the other genres I enjoyed, including superhero and sci-fi. I even got the idea to write some fanfictions featuring original characters in worlds I have come to know and love.

3.  What author inspires you the most and why?

Easy. J.R.R. Tolkien. He’s been one of my favorite writers for a long time. Now he’s not the only one. I also became inspired by Stan Lee when I made my superhero novel (I’m a huge Marvel fan).

4.  Do you have a favorite book? One that you go back to again and again. (It’s okay if it’s a book series 😊)

Well Lord of the Rings is definitely one of them. I also love Jurassic Park, Mortal Engines, and most Marvel comics when I can. I don’t really have one particular favorite book; there are so many enjoyable ones!

5.  Are you an outliner or a pantster? Or maybe a mix of both.

I started as an outliner, but as I wrote more and more, I found myself just winging it most of the time, and revising later. I mean, hey, it’s worked pretty well so far!

6.  Could you tell us about some of the projects you are working on?

I have so many stories in the works as of right now. One is a fanfiction series set in the Star Wars universe featuring mostly original characters. As for more original works, I have three. One is a fantasy novel series called The Highstar Trilogy. Next up is an original superhero series featuring a hero called Night Reaper. I do have a third series featuring monster hunters in the upper planning stages right now, so more on that later ;).

7.  What project are you most proud of, excited about, at the moment?

It’s really hard to say., but I’d have to say I’m most proud of The Highstar Trilogy as it was my first creation and has, so far, been received really well by those who have read it. I’m excited to see their reactions when the trilogy finally concludes!

8.  Do your books have lessons in them? Morals? Or do you just write fun and engaging stories?

I don’t have anything wrong with lessons hidden in stories, but the ones I create are simply designed for the purpose of entertaining readers and showing them the world I have created.

9.  Do your characters seem to take over the telling of the story or do you feel like you have complete control?

It’s a bit of both. I don’t want my characters to do something they normally wouldn’t do, but at the same time, I don’t want them to take full control and hinder the plot.

10.  What gives you inspiration for your stories? A good book? Music? Social interaction? A quiet place alone with your thoughts?

Anything and everything. I can get ideas for the plot or characters simply from just sitting in silence for a few minutes. However, when I started, I decided to take a page out of Tolkien’s book for where I looked for inspiration. For my superhero novel, I was inspired by the vigilante characters such as DC’s Batman and Marvel’s Moon Knight. For my fantasy novel, I was more inspired by Middle Earth as well as some aspects of the Bible for creating some of the characters. Music has also provided inspiration. For some of my fanfics, one song can help show a whole scene.

Thanks so much, Talon!!!

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We hope you guys enjoyed the interview, if you’re interested in Talon’s books you can find him on Writers’ Vision and WebNovel by searching for The Highstar Trilogy. But to make things easier here’s a link: https://www.webnovel.com/book/the-highstar-trilogy_18716803206872505

Have a great day and Merry Christmas!

Sisters Three