The Legends of Astorynia: War of Wars Ending follows a young elf hunter who gets pulled out of his quiet life in Edengrove and dropped into the middle of a world-ending war. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I actually began writing my book on a whim. What inspired me to write fantasy was everything fantasy, I guess (LOTR, Elder Scrolls, Dragonlance Chronicles, D&D, etc., etc.). I’m a huge, huge fan of the genre.

What made me want to write an actual full-length book would have to be The Hobbit by Tolkien. It was the first novel I had ever read from cover to cover, and I fell in love instantly. It wasn’t even so much the story itself, but how it was written, that I loved so much. I must have read it a dozen times by now. I sometimes still crack it open randomly and read passages or excerpts just to appreciate how well-crafted it truly is. 

I started my story much like Tolkien started The Hobbit. I just wrote the first sentence off the top of my head without any plan or idea of what it would become, and then just rolled with it.

I began writing my book when I was 24, though I treated it more like a hobby than anything serious. I would write a paragraph or two here and there, sometimes several months apart. And on very rare occasions, an entire page! This went on for about 12 years, resulting in a mere 6 chapters. 

A few years back, when I was between jobs, I decided to finally finish my book with the free time I had available. I would start at 6 am and grind away at the thing until midnight. I did this for 14 days straight. The result was a novel (War of Wars Ending) and 6 prequel novellas—approx. 140K words total (5 days on the novel and 9 on the prequels). I didn’t even mean to write any more than the main novel, but once I got started, I just couldn’t stop until the entire thing was out of my system.

It was a lot of fun to write!

Keagle begins as a quiet hunter and ends as a central figure in a world-altering conflict. What defines his growth?

Determination, courage, and persistence. 

The story emphasizes loyalty across races and backgrounds. Why was chosen family such a central theme?

I just like the idea that no matter who you are, or where you’re from, there is a significant purpose for you somewhere in the world, even if you’re completely oblivious to it. 

What lessons or values do you hope younger readers especially take away?

That anyone from anywhere can make a difference that truly matters. It’s not about where you’re from but how far you’re willing to go that defines you. 
 
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