Hi I’m indie fantasy author, Melinda Kucsera, and today I’m speaking with Joao F. Silva, author of the gritty epic fantasy series The Smokesmiths, beginning with Seeds of War.
What’s it about?
In a harsh world of smoke magic and monsters, the seeds of war are being planted. Gimlore is a war veteran turned crime boss protecting her family. Orberesis is a petty thief pretending to be God. Rednow is the world’s feared mercenary with one job left. Allies and enemies are made where smoke magic stirs.
What’s in this episode:
Joao will share his journey to become an author, from first putting pen to paper as a teen to publishing his dark fantasy series. We’ll discuss his advice for aspiring writers.
We’ll explore how Joao developed a grim world of smoke magic and developed complex characters with difficult choices. Joao will reveal details about Gimlore, Orberesis, Rednow and what drives them.
With three POVs and mature content, Seeds of War is a gritty read. We’ll discuss how Joao created compelling yet flawed characters in a harsh world.
Themes of protecting what’s yours, surviving at all costs and the corrupting influence of power resonate. We’ll explore how these themes shape the characters’ motivations.
Find out what’s next for The Smokesmiths series. Joao will tease what’s to come without spoiling surprises!
Where to find Joao:
Website: https://joaofsilva.net
Newsletter: https://joaofsilva.net
Buy Seeds of War: https://books2read.com/SeedsOfWar
About your host, Melinda Kucsera:
I am Melinda Kucsera, an indie fantasy author who wrote and published 20+ books since 2016 across 5 series. I write epic fantasy adventures about families and magical creatures who’re just trying to survive in a world that hates and fears magic but is steeped in it.
My books are full of magic and mayhem, but somehow, even the darkest adventure always ends well. Join me every week for a new story.
What series do I write?
The Curse Breaker series chronicles the adventures of a reluctant mage (Sarn), his son, and the magical creatures they befriend as they fight to save their underground city from monsters, ancient evils, and a variety of magical threats.
The His Angelic Keeper series follows a ghost girl who just wants to save her still-living family, not stop a demon invasion or the literal apocalypse, but she’ll do that too if she must. (This is a humorous series that stars Sarn’s twin sister from the Curse Breaker series).
The Robin of Larkspur series follows Robin, a woman who just wants to save her daughter from the mythical creatures that kidnapped her baby. Sarn tries to help her.
The Divergent Heroes series is supposed to star two knights who are partially disabled but a younger version of Sarn keeps stealing the scenes.
The Curse Breaker’s Companion series which includes side quests, wacky what ifs, and stories from my newsletter of Sarn and his family in our world because they won’t stay inside the epic fantasy books they star in. They’d rather visit me through a portal conveniently located in their cave.
Why am I here?
I want to give you more fun adventures, more often, and create a community of fantasy readers to share ideas with, new stories, artwork, and have fun. So I’m taking the plunge and posting chapters of my upcoming books, bonus content, podcasts, videos, audiobooks, boxed sets, deleted scenes, alternate endings and beginnings, Patron-only stories, and more.
Become a patron now to read those stories.
About the interview:
I entered my book, Curse Breaker Enchanted, in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off 9 (SPFBO 9) this year and thought it might be cool to interview my fellow entrants. Only 300 books can enter the contest. 10 will advance to the semi-finals, and one will be crowned the winner of SPFBO 9 for 2023. I hope you're cheering for Curse Breaker Enchanted! You can grab a copy for free right now to celebrate.
Where to find your host, Melinda Kucsera:
Website: https://melindakucsera.com/
Sign up for my newsletter: https://www.mkucsera.com/welcomecharacters
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Fantasy, Lore, and More with Joao F. Silva