Interview with Dylan Doose Author of The Sword and Sorcery Series

Dylan Doose is the author of the ongoing dark fantasy series, Sword & Sorcery. He also pens the new weird western series, Red Harvest. His debut novel received honorable mention in Library Journal’s Indie Ebook Awards and was a Shelf Unbound Magazine Notable 100.

Website: https://www.dylandooseauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dylan_Doose

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dylandooseauthor

Welcome to Nuttin’ But Books.

 Thanks for having me.

Tell us a little about you and your writing background?

I’ve written seven books and a short story in the dark, gritty Sword and Sorcery series. And I’ve also written a weird western horror tale, book 1 in the Red Harvest series.

Tell us about your series?

Here are quick blurbs for all seven books in the series:

Fire and Sword: Monsters. Magic. Epic battles. A broken nation in need of a savior—ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic. Three reluctant heroes will rise to save the beleaguered land. But will they be enough? “An epic tale…” — Library Journal

Catacombs of Time: When Dr. Gaige De’Brouillard is called upon by the Lord Regent to cure a curse and save one of the damned, he must battle for his career, his faith in science, and even his life. "A gripping read in a beautifully dark world."—Amazon Reviewer Bungo

The Pyres: Monsters. Magic. Epic Battles. When the great white city of Brasov turns black with ash, when the sky goes red and the moon hangs like a dark void above, who will stand against the darkness? Three reluctant heroes return: Aldous Weaver, Theron Ward, and Kendrick the Cold.

Ice and Stone: After a storm, Therick—raider from the frozen north—lands on the wrong foreign shores. With axe in hand and violence in mind, he and his warriors seek out villages to pillage and plunder. But when a timeless evil rises, Therick is forced into a battle not his own, a battle of gods and monsters…a battle he cannot win.

As They Burn: Darkness Returns to Brynth. The shadow of a great invasion comes from the North, threatening to bring with it an oppressive new way of life, the way of the axe. A city recently saved now lies twisted and forever altered by a secret society within. Caught between these two wicked forces, the innocent citizens of Brynth need a savior…or three. 

Black Sun Moon: In the beginning there was madness and there was death. A string of occult murders leads veteran holy-man-with-a-big-sword Cullum Shrike to Wardbrook, a treacherous place of pagan practices, corrupt leaders, and sinister sorcery. As the clock ticks and evil closes in, will he survive? 

Embers on the Wind: The Contract: Get to the Tower, Kill the Beast. Simple enough? The problem is Theron, Aldous, and Kendrick are no longer in a world they know and between them and the tower are a few hundred miles of woods and waters infested with beasts and monsters. With a mutant and a dead man as their only guides, the three will have to rely on their trust for each other more than ever to get through.

What is a regular writing day like for you?

I get up a little before the sun and start writing right away. I don’t go back and reread; I just start in with new pages. I aim for at least four pages a day, but I can write as many as thirteen. I incorporate some form of exercise every day because that replenishes my creativity. Reading, video games, and shows are great sources of inspiration. And then there’s always the time that needs to be spent on the dry part—the business of writing. 

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

I finish the first draft in about 4-6 months. Then I have the book professionally edited. I do revisions for another 3-4 months. Then the book is off to the copy editor, with a final revision when it comes back. So it can be anywhere from 8 months to a year to write a finished book.

What is the usual response when you tell a new acquaintance that you’re an author?

Because I have a very playful, goofy, but intense personality, a writer is usually the last thing people take me for. Usually, when a new acquaintance finds out I’m an author they tell me that’s the last thing they expected.

What do you do on those days you don’t feel like writing? Do you force it or take a break?

Some days I force it, but more and more I’m learning to take a break because I usually end up deleting the pages that I forced. But if I’m stuck for more than a couple of days, then I know something is fundamentally wrong and I have to go back and figure out what it is.

What would you do if people around you didn’t take your writing seriously or see it as a hobby?

It happens all the time. I come from a family of artists and they are extremely supportive. But I’ve come across plenty of people who think it is a joke. It isn’t for me to change other people’s opinion. I just keep doing what I’m doing.

Some authors seem to have a love-hate relationship to writing. Can you relate?

Sometimes. There are times I feel that the words are fences getting in the way of what I’m trying to say. Other times, it feels like I’ve literally been taken to another place and time and I’m painting the outcome right before my eyes.

Do you think success as an author must be linked to money?

No. Impact on readers—not just how many people read the books but what they do with the information they take from the work—is what defines if a book is a success or failure. The final line is that the readers decide.

What has writing taught you?

The importance of relationships. No success in any field can replace successful relationships.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Readers can find me online: website (https://www.dylandooseauthor.com), Twitter (https://twitter.com/Dylan_Doose), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dylan.doose.author), and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/dylandooseauthor)

Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview. What’s next for you?

I’m currently working on the next full length novel in the Sword and Sorcery series, Graves of the Gods.

 

Title: FIRE AND SWORD (Book 1)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 366
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

“An epic tale…”—Library Journal

A broken nation in need of a savior.

Ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic, infiltrated by a foreign evil seeking to dominate from within, Brynth is on the eve of its dissolution. When all the good men are dead and gone, who is to answer the call and defy what is wicked for what is right?

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes.

Heretic monk turned Sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three.

“Gritty, fast-paced and compelling!” 

Honorable mention in Library Journal’s Indie Ebook Awards and a Shelf Unbound Magazine Notable 100!

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011H0JWCI

 

Title: CATACOMBS OF TIME (Book 2)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 120
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

“Dylan Doose is a master.”—Amazon reviewer

It’s going to be a long and bloody night.

The clock is ticking and Dr. De’Brouillard has a date. Dinner is at the Graves and a contract to cure one of the cursed is sitting on the plate. But when an old and dear friend reaches out from murky shadow for a helping hand, will the Doctor take it, risking all if he ends up being late?

New heroes join the fray. Are they friend or foe?

Dr. Gaige De’Brouillard believes science, not magic, conquers all. Even death is just an equation to be solved.

Malory “Butcher” Dahmer knows that life is but a dream, no wickedness, no sorcery too strange or obscene.

An Academic and a Gangster make for an interesting team.

Don’t miss the dark fantasy that reviewers are calling ‘visceral,’ ‘fantastic,’ and ‘intriguing’—get your copy of Catacombs of Time today!

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017WUOWPY

 

 

Title: THE PYRES (Book 3)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 317
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

Monsters. Magic. Epic Battles.

The mountains and valleys of Romaria echo with the calamitous sounds of civil war. A New Order challenges old gods and on the festival night of the Pyres, the tides of destruction are fully unleashed. 

When the great white city of Brasov turns black with ash, when the sky goes red and the moon hangs like a dark void above, who will stand against the darkness? 

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes.

Heretic monk turned Sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three.

Don’t miss the next thrilling instalment in the dark fantasy that reviewers are calling ‘gritty, fast-paced and compelling’—get your copy of The Pyres today!

“Grim, gritty, and good!” —Amazon Reviewer

 

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01J6C0VE2

 

Title: ICE AND STONE (Book 4)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 136
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

“Dark and excellent!”—Amazon Reviewer

Raise the sails! Blow the horns! It’s raiding season!

After a storm, Therick—raider from the frozen north—lands on the wrong foreign shores. With axe in hand and violence in mind, he and his warriors seek out villages to pillage and plunder. 

But when a timeless evil rises, Therick is forced into a battle not his own, a battle of gods and monsters…a battle he cannot win.

New heroes join the fray. Are they friend or foe?

Therick, son of ice, born with a serpent’s eye and a reptilian will to stay alive. 

Eona, daughter of stone, huntress of the great jungle. 

Will they unite, or fight as the world around them crumbles? 

 

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XJQP93D

 

Title: AS THEY BURN (Book 5)
Author: Dylyan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 334
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

“Addicted!”—Amazon Reviewer

Darkness Returns to Brynth.

The shadow of a great invasion comes from the North, threatening to bring with it an oppressive new way of life, the way of the axe. A city recently saved now lies twisted and forever altered by a secret society within. 

Caught between these two wicked forces, the innocent citizens of Brynth need a savior…or three. 

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes.

Heretic monk turned Sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three. 

 

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077CCP1RS

Title: BLACK SUN MOON (Book 6)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 296
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

In the beginning there was madness and there was death.

A string of occult murders leads veteran holy-man-with-a-big-sword, Cullum Shrike, to Wardbrook, a treacherous place of pagan practices, corrupt leaders, and sinister sorcery. 

Cullum must purge his beliefs as he is forced to face the evil within, for when all light dies, only darkness can kill a shadow.

New heroes join the fray. Are they friend or foe?

Cullum Shrike, warrior priest of the holy Order of Seekers. Haunted by the ghosts of his failures, he clings to his faith even as treachery and insidious betrayal are revealed.

Nyva, the witch, is bound to the black house on the hill. She is stronger than she could imagine, she just needs someone to unlock her latent power.

An unlikely pair, but a pair they do make and when the dancing starts, they might just bring the house down.

Don't miss this thrilling—and terrifying—stand-alone full-length novel in the dark and gritty Sword and Sorcery series! 

 

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JCX9SSL

 

Title: EMBERS ON THE WIND (Book 7)
Author: Dylan Doose
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 384
Genre: Epic Fantasy / Sword and Sorcery / Dark Fantasy

The Contract: Get to the Tower, Kill the Beast.

Simple enough? The problem is Theron, Aldous, and Kendrick are no longer in a world they know and between them and the tower are a few hundred miles of woods and waters infested with beasts and monsters. 

With a mutant and a dead man as their only guides, the three will have to rely on their trust for each other more than ever to get through. 

A Twisted Tale of Three Unlikely Heroes

Heretic monk turned sorcerer, Aldous Weaver. Infamous crusader turned fugitive, Kendrick the Cold. Aristocrat, rogue, monster hunter, and legend in his own mind, Theron Ward.

Three men condemned to die for their crimes find in each other both the will and the means to survive. A dark brotherhood with Sword and Sorcery is forged, and all monsters meek and mighty do fear the three. 

 

 

Amazon → https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08D8KCFRG