I've known Nik Stanosheck since the early days when the web was rife with fan-made websites for comics. Yep, that long. Long before he became such an amazing fantasy writer. I figure it's time for you to get to know him too. Tell us a bit about your latest work.
Vhaidra & the DRAGON of Temple Mount is the sequel to Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos. It is the second novel in the Vhaidra Saga. Here is the blurb:
The War of the Dragons begins here...
What secrets lie in Sicyon's mysterious Temple Mount? Who are ATHIE, DAMIANOS, and KOSMAS, and what is their connection to the orphaned half-dragon MIKHAIL? Are the forces that are purportedly working for a better tomorrow in Sicyon truly what they say they are?
After the devastating Battle of Sicyon in Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos, House Iroas ascends as VHAIDRA the dark elf monk and NIKODEMOS the human cleric raise a powerful house of half-drow warriors in the overworld. Meanwhile, the young half-dragon, MIKHAIL, his human milkmaid and astonishing ranger, MIRIAM, and the flirtatious dwelf dancer, TI'ERRA, change the ascetic half-orc wizard, ELDER DIONYSIOS, forever, as his hidden history intersects with his future, whether he likes it or not.
The obsidian half-dragon grows from a baby to Sicyon’s powerful stylite and protector, but will his abilities be enough to stave off both the imminent threat of the mighty white dragon from the north or will Sicyon get a long cold winter that it can never wake from? Will the diabolical forces within Sicyon that conspire against ARCHON JUSTINIAN and his allies be able to exploit VHAIDRA, NIKODEMOS, TI'ERRA, ELDER DIONYSIOS, MIRIAM, and MIKHAIL to create the civil war that they so desire? Find out the answers to these questions and more in the exciting adventures of Vhaidra & the DRAGON of Temple Mount!
Just like my previous novel, the cover art is by the amazing team of Stan Saint Yak and Robert Nugent.
What happened in your life that prompted you to become a writer?
I had a story in my head and when I got injured at work and had the time, I wrote it down. But the characters kept telling me their stories and this became a novel and then a series! Once the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic hit, I found myself unemployed and had the time to finally sign with one of the publishers that had been pestering me to sign with them.
What inspires you to write?
I have to write to get the ideas out on paper. I enjoy the process, as the story does not always end up going like I thought it would.
What are the themes and subjects you tend to revisit in your work?
I obviously am a fan of the Drow (dark elves) they intrigue me. However let me share what my editor had to say in the forward to my most recent novel, as he says that I bring the light and darkness of our world and explore it through the vein of the fantasy genre.
Nik, as an author, is incredibly skilled at writing fantasy fiction that is highly relevant to the present day. The experience the author has gained through the various roles he had taken professionally in his life have enriched the book immensely. ...
Nik’s writing skills are spectacular, and I believe that it would keep the readers hooked until the last page. This was evident even in his first novel, Vhaidra and The Destiny of Nikodemos, and if anything, his skills have only gotten better in this book. The book, while being incredibly enjoyable for hardcore fantasy readers, it makes a great children’s book and is fascinating for the video-game oriented teenagers of today. This, I believe, is the author’s greatest strength – to write literature that is relevant and enjoyable for every reader.
What would be your dream project?
Honestly, making the Vhaidra Saga into a movie or series would be a dream come true.
What writers have influenced your style and technique?
Writers would be Neil Gaiman, Peter David, John Byrne, Karl Kesel, Elaine Cunnighman, Sarah Hawke, R Scott Taylor, Scott McCullar, Ryan A Brandt, and Sean Taylor [Editor's note: Awwww...]. Also, as I mentioned in my first novel, my childhood DM, Keith Penewit and my Sophomore and Junior year ELA teacher Mrs. Fornoff were people who really helped me become a writer of epic fantasy.
If you have any former project to do over to make it better, which one would it be, and what would you do?
I wrote, but never had published, some Superboy scripts that would be fun to do over knowing what I know now.
Where would you rank writing on the "Is it an art or it is a science continuum?" Why?
It is an art, it is a flow of creativity. Are there rules? Yes. Are they sometimes broken? Definitely. That doesn't happen in true science. That being said I use a methodology based on the scientific principal, called The Lean Startup. Build, Learn, Measure (Repeat).
What is the most difficult part of your artistic process?
Getting past writer's block and writing the next chronological book. I have to keep reminding myself to finish book 3 before finishing books 4 & 5, which are halfway complete.
How do your writer friends help you become a better writer? Or do they not?
Reading the great works of my writer friends helps me to become a better writer. But also I have become friends with my editor, Obed Joshua, and he has made me such a better writer with his suggested tweaks, additions, etc..
What does literary success look like to you?
Literary success is getting a product to market and finding people interested in it. I'd love to sell millions of copies, but if people find it, like it, and enjoy reading, that is true success to me.
Any other upcoming projects you would like to plug?
February 1st 2021 Vhaidra & the DRAGON of Temple Mount came out in paperback. It is also available to pre-order as an eBook for those who might be interested. The Amazon link is https://amzn.to/3rgsirc but it is also available at Barnes & Noble, Half Price Books, Thrift Books, Better World Books, and more bookstores. It will be on Apple Books, Google Play, Nook, Rakuten Kobo, Wal-mart eBooks, Kindle, and more very soon. My original novel, Vhaidra & the DESTINY of Nikodemos is available in more than 50 book stores in the USA and in more than 20 countries.
I would also like to plug a project by someone else, if I may. The Heroes & Treasure expansion game, Ice & Flame by Davis & Daughters. Vhaidra and Nikodemos will be characters in this expansion and be part of a very important quest. It is amazing to see my characters drawn in the manga stylings of artist Xin Ye.
Thank you so much, Sean!
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