About the Book:
Someone who didn’t know Pavel might mistake his heroic bravery for a death wish, and there’s no better place for either than the world’s first fully immersive game. Sure enough, the competitors are intimidating, and the monsters terrifying — though neither more so than blossoming friendships with two determined swordswomen.
Spurred by pure-hearted altruism alone, Pavel joins their quest to find the Storm’s Breath: an artifact that bestows magic powers — and real-world riches — upon the first player to find it. And with a ruthless mage on their heels, he’ll find plenty of opportunities for bravery.
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Excerpt:
The path twisted ahead, but I made out what was happening between the trees. The man and woman from before were standing in the middle of the path, hands raised. I caught glimpses of four others, all with swords glinting.
Paranoia vindicated. I ducked back into the cover of the forest. “They’re getting robbed! There’s four of them!” I told Farrukh, who had laid out his tarp in a clear patch.
I heard a wail and peeked out. The guy was full-on crying. His companion was trembling, though with sobs or rage, I couldn’t tell.
Not hard to see why. People were worth points. Those poor saps were moments from game over, not even half a day in.
“We should go around,” Farrukh said, folding up his tarp.
He was right. The smart thing to do would be to head uphill, circle around, and find the river again past the bandits.
The smart thing, the safe thing. Like leaving that woman in the tavern to the mercy of vultures. I had sixteen years’ experience of looking the other way.
My words came out choked. “I thought you were in it for the points. No risk, no reward.”
“I weigh my risks. There’s no loot in killing four newbies.”
If I went in there alone, I’d be butchered like a lamb. What a waste that would be. I checked quickly — still 3 viewers.
“Come on,” Farrukh said, “while they’re distracted. There’s no reason to get yourself killed.”
My scabbard rasped. Consequences be damned, me along with them. “See you.” I broke into a sprint, sword raised high.
Author Interview:
1: Tell us a little about yourself and what got you in to writing?
I’ve been writing since I was a kid and got more involved trying different styles and mediums in High School. I sought guidance from my English teachers, but they were all either disinterested or jailed.
One university summer, a job I had lined up fell through, and I decided to write a novel so I wouldn’t get bored. I turned to Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube lectures for guidance and smashed a novel out. I learned a lot from the experience, and my next novel was better, and the one after that, Storm’s Breath, good enough for me to self-publish.
2: Do you have a favourite time and place where you write?
I wrote most of Storm’s Breath on lunch breaks at my old software engineering job or on Monday evenings at my home desk. Being confined by work hours really spurred my productivity.
I quit that job to go traveling – that didn’t work out – but now I have more time than ever at my home desk to focus on whatever creative projects strike my fancy. Right now I’m focusing on releasing Storm’s Breath, but I’m really looking forward to being able to sink my teeth into the first draft of the final book in the trilogy.
3: Where do your ideas come from?
On a physical level, I take inspiration from pretty much everything I read, watch, or play – I always try to analyze art to figure out why I like or dislike it. Once I understand what I like and dislike about a plot, character, or trope, I have a better understanding of how I can build a story my way.
On a more abstract level, I take most of my themes and symbols straight out of my worldview. The same way I analyze art, I analyze my own feelings to try to understand what themes I most want to bake into my work.
4: Do you have a plan in your head of where the story is going before you start writing or do you let it carry you along as you go?
I usually start with a vague outline and try to keep the characters “in character”. It normally takes me about half the book to figure out where their character arcs are taking them, then I reshape the plot around that.
5: What genre are your books and what drew you to that genre?
Storm’s Breath is YA “GameLit” Fantasy, GameLit being literature which takes place in a game or a game-like world. When I first discovered the genre, I immediately recognized it as an amazing way to explore themes not often found in traditional literature but that I have experienced as an avid gamer. Storm’s Breath in particular deals with the uncertainty of forming friendships which may not last longer than the lifespan of the video game where they were formed.
6: What dream cast would you like to see playing the characters in your latest book?
I’m not sure how good Hollywood is at making people seem young. The main cast in Storm’s Breath is all 16-17 but these actors are all older than that. They’d probably be better served finding up-and-coming young talent (or even better, animating it!), but if it’s a dream cast…
- Miles Heizer as Pavel, the protagonist, an inexperienced young man who yearns to be a hero.
- Chloë Grace Moretz as Heather, a timid young woman determined to become strong enough to protect herself and her friends.
- Emma Stone as Ana, a brash swordswoman who takes Pavel and Heather under her wing.
- Farhan Akhtar as Farrukh, a pragmatic ranger hoping to score enough points to win some real-world cash.
7: Do you read much and if so who are your favourite authors?
I mostly listen to audiobooks nowadays. My favorite authors out of traditional fantasy are:
- Glen Cook, who has the most addictive writing style I’ve ever read
- Sebastien De Castell, for his aesthetics and themes
- Joe Abercrombie, whose wit is like a dry razor
- And Brandon Sanderson, partially because of his free lectures, partially because his books are rock-solid, partially because I envy his monstrous productivity
Out of the GameLit/LitRPG (Role-Playing Game Literature) space:
- Luke Chilmenko, for his tight plots and sub-plots
- Travis Bagwell, whose books know how to have fun
- And I have my eye on Oliver Mayes, whose debut I loved for how well he tapped into the fantasy of becoming a big-time streamer
8: What book/s are you reading at present?
The Crafting of Chess, by Kit Falbo. It’s a LitRPG about a young man who enters an immersive game with the intention of becoming a master craftsman and earn enough real-world money to support himself and his grandfather. It really scratches the itch of watching someone work towards a goal and deal with all the hassle that comes with becoming a renowned player.
9: What is your favourite book and why?
Storm’s Breath, of course. They say write what you want to read, and even after countless re-reads, there are still moments that get my blood pumping.
10: What advice would you give for someone thinking about becoming a writer?
Write because you like writing. If you don’t like it, why are you doing it?
11: What are the best Social Media Sites for people to find out about you and your work?
I have my own website, https://authorjrford.com, but I’ll also post updates to my Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/AuthorJRFord. I use my Twitter for more than just writing, but feel free to follow me: @YaBoyJayMoney.
About the Author:
Jacob R Ford discovered his passion for writing in high school despite dreadful English teachers and completed his first novel when he found himself surprisingly unemployed one university summer. Since then he has worked tirelessly (and sometimes tiredly) to craft a novel worth selling. With Storm’s Breath, he believes he has succeeded.
When not writing, he can be found engineering software, making music, or teaching Historical European Martial Arts.
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