Author Interview with the very talented author Eli Steele!
Hi, Eli Steele. Welcome to the Indie Publishing Group website!
Introduce yourself to us. Tell everyone who you are, where you’re from, what you enjoy doing, your hobbies and interests.
Hi! I’m Eli Steele. I’m a husband and father. By day, I work in the O&G industry. I also happen to write a little fantasy and sci-fi fiction. When I can, I haul my Hobie to the water and enjoy the peace and solitude that the ocean offers.
When did you start writing, and why?
About 2012. Writing helped me work through a death in the family, allowing me to focus my thoughts elsewhere. I’ve wanted to write fantasy since the beginning but spent time learning the craft in other genres (mainly speculative dystopic) before attempting what I had a passion for.
Which is your favorite book you have written, and what gave you the idea for it?
Blood & Iron, my current series, is my favorite by far. Fantasy stories have always been a part of my life, and I’ve always wanted to breathe my own world to life.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
Both blood and iron have some significance in the story and are still being discovered by the characters. There’s also a historical context, which I’m blending in with the threat of war.
Who helped you with the cover? Or did you design it yourself?
I developed the cover. My original cover was panned on Reddit, so I recycled it. With my current cover, I found inspiration from Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange cover. I’ve always found its simplicity to be pleasing.
What are some of the themes of your story?
How the last war always sets the board for the next, and reaching our true potential, and perhaps friendship.
What’s your process when you sit down and decide to start writing a book, and do you have a system?
I’m pantster hybrid. Most of my specifics are developed on the fly, but I do create a simple plot arc in the beginning. Sometimes, if I don’t have it plotted out completely, I’ll capture the plot as far forward as I can (say 7 or 8 chapters) and then revisit it as I write. The conclusion of Blood & Iron is still unwritten. I’m as excited to see where it goes as anyone.
Who are some of your favorite characters, and why?
Griffon and Kren are my favorites. Griffon is the son of a minor noble, relegated to a keep on the frontier. He’s grown up in a time of peace, so the looming war should impact his worldview.
Kren is the son of the chief of a mountain tribe, free and removed from the world below. Not quite the noble savage, he is an honorable one. Kren is a character type I’ve always wanted to explore.
Who are some of your favorite authors?
If you’ve got four letters in your name, I probably like you.
Have you got anything you’re working on now?
The second part of Blood & Iron. The target release is early November. (If you head to Amazon, Eli actually has several parts available now, so there’s a great series waiting for you to sink your teeth into ~ Clayton).
If you could have any superpowers, what would they be?
The ability to control my emotions and think before I speak!
Where do you hope to be in 5 years’ time?
I’m nearing a crossroads with my career. I have a lot of control over my days, but I want more. However, I also want to provide as best I can for my family. In addition, I’m tired of feeling like I’m giving away bits of my soul. Somehow, I have to reconcile these to become the future me I want to be. It’s a story I haven’t written yet…
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