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Worthy of Song and Story
Stian the Viking Series
Book One
Neal Chase
Middle Grade Fantasy
Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing
Winter 2016
Book Description:
Twelve year-old Stian’s plans to be The Greatest Viking Ever appear to be over before they even begin. He’s captured by Dahlia—a dark elf and a girl. If that wasn’t bad enough, he discovers he may be the son of Loki, the greatest enemy of the Viking gods and the one foretold to bring about the end of the world.
Knowing he is meant to be extraordinary, Stian decides to discover the truth for himself and free Loki from the clutches of Odin. Only then, will he discover who he is and what he is meant to do.
Stian must out-think, misguide, and defeat Thor’s children. To do this he will need the power of Gram—a sword with magical powers. There is one catch, only one pure of heart with the desire to help others, is worthy of wielding it. If Stian succeeds, he will become the world’s most famous Viking, but if he fails he will fall victim to the gods’ merciless justice.
Interview with the Author:
What initially got you interested in writing?
I’ve been interested in writing since I was a kid. In third and fourth grade, I wrote the adventures of Joe Smoe. Creative name, I know, but what do you expect from a eight or nine year old? I probably wrote twenty or so stories and I’m sure my parents even have some of them somewhere. Parents are real good at keeping that kind of stuff. After that I moved onto poetry in my high school and early college years, and then back to short stories. When my kids were younger my short stories weren’t written but came in the form of bedtime stories. I’d thought about writing a novel for years, but finally, a few years ago, I sat down and wrote my first one. It wasn’t the best thing ever written, but it was a start. Now, much to my family’s sometimes annoyance, I write whenever I can.
How did you decide to make the move into being a published author?
I know some people write for themselves, but that isn’t me. When I decided to start writing novels it was with the intention of being published. I want to tell stories and entertain people. Give the readers a different world where they can see and experience things they can’t in their normal lives. That’s not possible if my books aren’t published. I guess I could stand on street corners and yell my stories at people as they pass by, but having them published is probably more effective, and little less annoying.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I want people who read my books to be entertained and hopefully develop a joy for reading. Too many people don’t read. I’d like to change that, even if it is only a few people at a time. To me, the best place to start is with the the middle grade crowd. This is a time where they have a lot of choices. If they don’t start liking to read now, they may never.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
I think the most rewarding part is being able to do something I love. Too much of life is spent doing things you have to do and not what you want to do. I’d love to become successful enough that I could write full-time. I have a so many ideas in my head that just want to come out and be put on paper.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Probably the most difficult thing is being committed. A writer needs to not only be dedicated to writing, but also dedicated to the story they are writing. Life happens and sometimes it’s hard to put aside the time to write. Once you start writing, you need to finish. I often have many different story ideas bouncing around in my head. Sometimes it’s hard to finish the one I am working on because I keep thinking about the next one.
What advice would you give to people want to enter the field?
One of the most important things for a writer to do is to read a lot. I write upper middle grade and lower young adult, so pretty much all I read are books designed for ten to thirteen year olds. Yes, I am one of those freaky guys you see reading books designed for fourth through seventh graders. But it is important that I do. Writers need to know what is out in the market, what sells, and what doesn’t. There’s no better way to know what works and doesn’t work in today’s market than reading recently published books.
It is also important to be involved with contests, conferences, and social media. Writing can be very solitary and it’s too easy to turn into a hermit, or one of those monks who sit alone for hours writing by candlelight. It’s nice to know you aren’t alone. They are also a great way for you to learn from others, make connections, share exciting news, and unfortunately, share rejections. Trust me, rejections will come, but if you fight through them, so will success.
What ways can readers connect with you?
The best ways are twitter (https://twitter.com/ncchase), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ncchase/) or my website (www.ncchase.com).
About the Author:
Neal Chase lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, two children, two dogs, and a bird, which strangely has the same name as his dad. He is a member of SCBWI and the Writers’ League of Texas. When he is not writing and reading, you can find Neal coaching football or adventuring with the help of his PlayStation.
Giveaway:
5 ebook copies Worthy of Song and Story