FEATURED: Interview with Author Wade Garret


Wade Garret is my second featured author on Geekritique, and he’s here to promote his new book Genesis: Book One of the Kingdom Come Series. It’s a book that merges multiple genres. Fantasy, science fiction, steampunk. But I’ll let him tell you all about it. Here’s the publisher’s blurb along with the full cover:

The true test for Man, is if he can stand naked before himself without blinking.

The same trial of existence for a God, however, even one created, is if when he blinks, will he change or the world?

Adventurous readers seeking a vast, yet strangely familiar world of intense action and strange magic woven between warring global powers and ancient spiritual corruption will be drawn to this epic blend of gritty Steam/Dieselpunk and realistic sword-wielding Dark Fantasy. And once caught in its exciting pages, you’ll quickly learn what really separates Man from what is Evolved.

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G: Tell us a little about yourself.
WG: I’m an Irish Joker. I’m a Student of History. I dabble in Beers and Whiskey. I’m a tattoo Enthusiast with eight of my own. I’m a lover of Comics and the Heroes who inspire. I’m a Gray Jedi caught in a Sith World. I’m Paper or Plastic wearing a Hairnet. I’m a Curmudgeon. I’m a Father to my beautiful Daughter, Talia. I’m a Husband to my amazing Wife, Elizabeth. I love long Naps. I’m a bearded Bastard who loves to read and write F/SF.

G: When did you begin writing, and is this your first published work?
WG: Sometime in High School, but I really didn’t take an interest in it till College—I was Gaming a lot and my writing came through that process of creating worlds and characters for my players to interact with while adventuring. Yes, this is my first published work.

G: Awesome, glad to hear it. So who is Jak, and why did you focus the story around him?
WG: Living on the outskirts of the civilized world between an ocean he’s never seen and a desert abandoned to fate, Jak Hartlen is the tragic protagonist but eventual Hero of my story. As such, he’s got a massive learning curve within this huge and dynamic world I’ve built. If I started out with Heroes already molded, it wouldn’t be nearly as interesting, fun or relatable for the reader. In this first installment of my Hero’s Journey, Jak’s more like a survivor. As it moves along, he gleans the purpose of his life, seeing and accepting the truth behind events and forging a path ahead. Once the train gets moving, hold on cause he’s not going to slow down.

G: I’m pretty useless myself, so I’ll definitely relate. Aside from him which characters would you say you love the most?
WG: Mr. Black. He’s my Batman-ish character. His name and actions are floated throughout the book and he’ll become a man figure in the sequel. Next is The Red Areht: Palomeer—his authority power and vast knowledge was exceedingly fun to write. Finally, I’ll say the Villains, big and small. I don’t want to name them for those still reading, but they were great terrible fun. I have to add my wife’s favorite characters: Ruddiger and Evangeline. Besides being Jak’s cohorts, they’re also the complicated romance of my novel and my wife can’t wait to see what happens next with them.

G: Very intriguing. I’ll be looking out for those characters. You’ve created an expansive fantasy world mixed in with some steampunk and Sci-Fi. How difficult was it to blend the genres naturally?
WG: As a fan of F/SF, when I was writing, I didn’t question why I couldn’t have both. I just wrote what felt cool and fun and exciting to write about. But because I know fans of F/SF also love details, I used the breakdown of my world to either specifically explain or subtly express why some areas are advanced, others less, why one group has “magic” and others don’t and so on. For those who want the answers, hopefully I’ve given enough. For those who like cool thing because they’re shiny and fun, hopefully I’ve given enough of those too.

G: What’s your writing/editing schedule like?
WG: Well, since I’m a new father, the word schedule is kinda absent from my life. However, when I did have one, it was mostly still w/e I could get time to plug away at the computer. Like most authors, I have a day job. I’ll say this though, besides a little rereading to keep the fire hot, editing comes last. It has to or you’ll never finish—wise words from my wife.

G: Ahh I see. Congratulations by the way, that’s wonderful. Which authors would you say most influenced your work?
WG: Herbert; Moorcock; Gaiman; Moore; Heinlein; Tolkien; Vonnegut and a dozen other names you know or should know—they’ve all influenced me one way or another. But there are a handful of authors today influencing me right now: Mark Hodder, Chris Wooding, Mark Lawrence, George Mann, Daniel Polansky, Jonathan Hickman, Brian K. Vaughan and Robert Venditti to name a few.

G: Oof, some serious influences! Very nice. Half those names are the reason I’m doing what I do! I’ve noticed this is only book one. Is book two in the works?
WG: Oh, yeah. Stay tuned.

G: Very cool. Thanks for your time Wade.
WG: Thank you.

Wade Garret is also letting me use this gorgeous world map from his series, Kingdom Come.
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You can find a Wade Garret on Twitter, Goodreads, or his personal blog.
Grab Genesis on Paperback | eBook or find it on Goodreads!

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