The Whisper King by Wil Radcliffe
Book Genre Dark Fantasy
Synopsis
There is a monster sleeping deep inside of you, and The Whisper King is coming to wake it up…and rip it out!
My name is David Kinder. And this is my story... every goddamn bloodstained word of it.
About 25 years ago when I was six my parents died in a car crash. I was bounced around a few state homes until they finally settled me at Meripitt Hill, an orphanage just outside of Lansing, Michigan. It was there that the shadows started visiting me. Not normal shadows. These shadows moved on their own accord, and whispered strange, alien things to me. Scared the piss out of me.
Wasn’t until Donna Elizondo moved to Meripitt Hill that my life started to actually become bearable. She became my best friend. Taught me to love music and to dance. That kept the shadows away. That kept me safe.
That year we were an epic story of two. We danced. We laughed. Hell, I suspect I was falling in love with her, if kids could really know what love is.
But then she was taken away from me. Adopted.
That’s when the shadows returned for me. That’s when they took me to the Shadow Mountains to serve the Whisper King.
For 25 years I learned how to fight. How to kill. I even learned how to transform myself into a Cuthach…a monster. There were thousands of us being trained there. Thousands of us learning to reach deep inside and unleash the monsters in our guts.
When a spot opened in the Whisper King’s elite guard, the Silent Heart, I was chosen to fill it. But first I had to take one final test. A test that would determine once and for all if I was destined to be man or monster.
BUY LINKS
Do you write every single day?
No. I probably shouldn’t admit that. I know good writers are supposed to write all the time. But I enjoy being sane.
It can be very difficult to not only find the time, but also to find the inspiration. I’m not talking about writer’s block. I’m simply talking about being human.
However, even though I might not “write” every day, that doesn’t mean I’m not working on my writing. I’m constantly thinking about my next book. Coming up with plots, dialogue, new character ideas. The inspiration is always there, running just beneath my conscious thoughts like an underground stream.
How hard is it to establish and maintain a career in fiction writing?
In today’s day and age it is incredibly easy… and unbelievably hard.
There are so many options open for writers these days. Websites that offer advice and information. Self-publishing. Writing groups and organizations. Contact lists for agents and publishers.
Ebooks in particular have opened the door for many aspiring writers. With the right marketing, a new small press or self published author has a decent chance of reaching the bestsellers lists right along side the likes of Stephen King and James Patterson.
But the hard part is getting your voice heard. Thanks to new self-publishing and ebook technologies, the publishing world is more crowded than ever.
The secret is to be unique, not only in what you write, but in how you sell it.
And even more than that, you need to keep at it. My manager is always asking me “What are you writing?” He knows that writers need to keep that momentum going… like a swimming shark. The most successful writers in the world are the ones who write, write, write, even after setbacks and failures.
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Shortly after opening my first comic book. I believe it was a giant sized treasury edition featuring the secret origins of several super villains. Reading these I started to realize that these fictional characters could be more than simply colorful costumes and super powers. They could have back-stories and motivations. They became more than just bad guys at that point. They became characters.
So I started creating my own super heroes and super villains. I gave them powers, costumes, secret identities, origins, and personalities.
And as I grew older and started reading short stories and novels by Robert E. Howard, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Ursula K. Le Guin, I learned the importance of world building. These writers were like gods, creating cultures, histories, and empires. It’s amazing when you think about it. Some people devote their lives to exploring and celebrating these fictional worlds.
If I can inspire my readers with even a fraction of that kind of passion, I’ll consider myself quite fortunate.
How long does it take you to write a book?
My young adult fantasy novel, Noggle Stones took ten years. The Whisper King took two months.
I can’t tell you why there is such a difference between the two novels. I suspect The Whisper King took less time because I found a voice and style with which I was extremely comfortable.
Noggle Stones was my first book, so I was constantly second guessing myself. Sometimes I’d get depressed or discouraged and simply give up for months, or years at a time.
But The Whisper King simply demanded to be written. There was no time for depression or discouragement. “Write!” David Kinder ordered. “Tell my story, or by God I’ll make you suffer!”
Well, it wasn’t quite that intense. But there was definitely a sense of inspired urgency that simply wasn’t there with Noggle Stones.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
I’ve had a handful of emails/fan letters. But most of my feedback comes through reviews or interactions on message boards.
Most readers are very complimentary, which makes the whole thing worthwhile. Writers are extremely needy when it comes to feedback, so any kind of comments or reviews/ratings are always appreciated.
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