AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 

What is the name of the book and when was it published?

HALF A LION by PALLE E.K. OSWALD published on January 27, 2022.

What’s the book’s first line?

Dying is easy, dying well is hard.

What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.

Apocalypto meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster debut about a land trapped in eternal warfare and a young warrior who must rise above the clash of princes to bring a new age.

What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?

The stories that I am. I have always been an avid reader. As a kid growing up in a small town and a lowly neighborhood, I never knew we were poor, even though my mother constantly reminded me of it. How could I be poor when I had magical powers going to a boarding school for the gifted (Harry Potter), or a mysterious man who recently came into some fortune and seeks revenge (The Count of Monte Cristo)? I sought refuge in those stories. Even more, I would listen to my grandfather tell stories of our tribe and family, of personal legends (like an ancestor who fought off a tiger with bare hands and earned the moniker HAND OF A TIGER, a name I inherited), and gruesome battles (like magically burying the raiders of a rival army and allowing one survivor to return with the demoralizing news that stopped further incursions). The stories never left me. It was my name after all. Half A Lion is inspired by, and taps into, that rich vein of legends and folklore.

What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?

To those looking for a refreshing setting and culture, a mythical tale of conflicted heroes, intricate plotting, and blockbuster action. The story will show you the power of unconditional love and only break your heart when it matters. You will bathe in a storm and find warmth in a blazing bushfire. You will taste betrayal and wash it down with a sip of vengeance. You will ride wildebeests through haunted jungles and live a dozen lives. You will dance with giant wolves under a red sun, and rest on the beast throne. If that is your kind of adventure, you have found a LION to run with.

What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character?

Love. Not the romantic love that is a staple of the genre. My main character has immense loyalty and is ready to die a hundred thousand times if only to protect those he loves. He abandons all safety and comfort to journey into a brutal, unforgiving world for a chance to prove his love.

And he speaks to the dead.

Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?

Karsa Orlong (Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson). Uncompromising loyalty and ragged determination. A character naïve and pure in spirit, and whose justice might be savage, but it is just.

When did you first decide to become an author?

When I traveled to Sweden for Undergraduate Studies. At seventeen, being alone in a foreign country, studying and working full-time was hard. It was difficult balancing all of that and having time for any social life. I struggled with an emotional storm. For me, reading had been an escape. I began writing as a release, and it helped me ride the storm.

Is this the first book you’ve written?

Yes, this is my first novel. I have written short stories. But HALF A LION is my debut novel.

What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?

It is great to see characters come alive just as I imagined them, and the creative freedom of telling their story. To create pages laced with magic and dreams trapped in ink. Though the input from beta readers and editors are important, the indie author dictates. Also, the control over the publication process (book design, cover, release date, etc.). In a way, the book is my Horcrux, and it feels nice to have shaped it as I wish.

However, as a relative unknown, it is hard to break out as an indie author. I lack the established machinery (budget and tried-and-trusted processes) and relationships enjoyed by traditional publishers or well-known indie authors. Nonetheless, it is sweet pain.

What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?

Writing can be a lonely road, relatable only to those who have walked it. The writing community is littered with both great authors (traditional and indie) and fine individuals. The bond between authors has been beautiful to experience. For whatever it’s worth, I’ll tell fellow indie authors to support and celebrate each other’s success as frequently and proudly as if it’s theirs. When your neighbor receives gifts, it means Santa is in your neighborhood.

Is there something in particular that motivates you?

Immortality. I know that sounds pretentious. I fancy the idea though. Long when I’m gone, on chilly November night, I wish somebody will close a book and as they set it down beside a cup of tea, they would wonder, “Who is this PALLE E.K. OSWALD fellow? Good author.”

Paying the bills would be nice too.

 

Which book do you wish you could have written?

None. All the books that I love are so because they were well-done. But someday, I wish to write a canon that exports African gods and legends to the world. Something to entertain and educate, like an African Iliad.

***

Interested in reading HALF A LION? Here is an excerpt| Excerpt 2

OR

Buy HALF A LION