Sorcery & Sin in the Second World follows a husband and wife who discover a portal that takes them from their New York home to a mystical world of magic. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Inspiration definitely came from elements of real life. I was in management in the government for quite a few years, where I tried to bring out people’s strengths and, at times, played mediator to achieve a work goal. There is actually an age difference of 18 years between my wife and me, so the perspectives of various things in life are sometimes different and fun. Like in one area, she is actually a gamer, whereas I’m old school with an Atari or Sega Genesis. While watching her play her fantasy games and explain them to me, I started thinking of what it would be like to really be thrown into those types of worlds. I know I would have a thousand questions and probably be sarcastic or funny about it.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from, and how did it change as you were writing?

I have always enjoyed sword and sorcery books and movies like Lord of the Rings or John Carter, especially ones where someone is thrown into a new world out of their element. I wanted to write my own fantasy book like that and turn things on their head, so you may have not read it before. For example, I changed it up wherein, in the typical fantasy story, everyone has a British accent and looks the same. There’s a reason why people speak English, with varying accents, and look like different cultures and mixes of different cultures in this second world. That’ll be fleshed out as the story continues. Another thing that I changed as I was writing was the landscape of the world. A few times, I mention in the book that it’s a warmer climate to give a reason for people wearing less clothing. The reasoning for that changed or even expanded and will also be further detailed in the next book. I really wanted to get the readers’ minds going in the why of it all.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

There are a few themes I attempted to tackle. One of the big themes is disillusionment from when you are younger, coming out of high school or college. I think a lot of people, including my wife and myself, expect to get the dream job immediately, and when it doesn’t turn out that way, you think you failed, and your life is terrible. You learn as you get older that things are not as bad as they seem, and it could actually be far worse, just as Rena learns in the story. It just takes some time when you start at the bottom. Try to excel with what you do get, then move up and possibly on from there. Most importantly, be grateful for what you do have and the people around you.

The other theme is not everyone is a Superman or Wonder Woman or some specially trained government operative who can take on the world by themselves. Most people, although they may have special skills, need help and that’s not only okay but a good thing. To me, it makes the story more real. For example, I would definitely relate to Pal in the way that he isn’t quite sure what is going on in this second world, but instead of busting heads, he uses his own head to think. I also tie it into Pal and Rena being married. That the bond between two married people goes deeper than just wearing a pair of rings. A married couple is a team who get things done together.

Can you tell us a little about where the story goes in book two and when the novel will be available?

The second book will delve more into what the second world is about. I didn’t want to overload readers with information about it in the first book where it felt like a history book, so I focused more on character development to make you care about them in this second world. The characters of Rena and Pal will grow further, but you will learn more about the character Kana, who is introduced in the beginning and at the very end of the first book. Her role will be pivotal to what happens with Rena and Pal. I am bringing back characters like Sego and Tonrah, while introducing some new ones who are briefly mentioned in the first book too. I also, have scenes that will make you want to reread the first book because you might have overlooked something that seemed insignificant but was actually a bigger part of the story that helps tie things together.

I have already started writing the second book. I am about a quarter of the way through it. I’m hoping to have it ready for some time in the spring. I love writing it and wish I could type faster. I hope my enjoyment in creating this story is seen by those who read it.

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