Dark Legends Block Party!

J.T. Williams

Featured Book: Winemaker of the North

Thank you for the opportunity to give you a bit more info about myself. I've been crazy busy lately so it's nice to just answer a few questions!

Welcome, we are so glad to have you under the *H*O*T* Spotlight today!

How long have you been a writer and how did you come to writing? I have been a writer since around 3rd grade. I never cared for the "school required" state testing writing prompts and frequently got in trouble for not writing the assigned work my English teachers would give me. By middle school, I had learned I had to actually do what I was told but I started writing my own fantasy stories around this time.

How did you come up with this storyline?

Oddly enough, it was something I began writing out of a mix of love for fast paced sword and sorcery fantasy and history of religious persecutions of Nordic, Germanic, and otherwise "pagan" religions around the time of the Holy Roman Empire. In my book, peoples of magic (i.e. elves, dwarves, fairies) have been brought to near extinction by the empirical Grand Protectorate of Men. This story follows a man that learns that literally his entire life has been a lie and he is tied into the future of magic in the world by fate.

What are the best and the worst aspects of writing?

The best is the free flow of ideas as the story isn't a chore to write but literally a movie that I record what happens. I have an idea and know a few characters and they show me the story. The worst aspect is fact-checking and assuring books over a series stay consistent. As I am now writing the eight book in this world, I have a TON of history. It can be harrowing at times to keep all the events, gods, myths, etc. straight in my mind! I have a lot of notes!

What inspires you to write?

The desire to journey to worlds beyond my own and to create characters that people can relate to, cheer for, and hate... sometimes all at the same time.

How did you conduct your research for Winemaker of the North?

I studied winemaking, for one. The actual process and a way to twist it a bit for the "magical" properties I needed. I also looked up supposed alchemical devices and ingredients just to find a bit of inspiration. I already possessed a working knowledge of the historical events that this book is inspired from but I did a lot of background work that was just for me as I formed my own pantheon of gods, goddesses, and holy places for my stories.

Favorites from Winemaker of the North?

The interactions between two of my characters are some of my favorite parts of Winemaker of the North. Sviska, the main character, is an assassin that literally has never had a family and Brethor, the Lord of the city in the book, has lost all of his family due to a curse.

They become very close throughout the book which makes the ending of the book that much more difficult. No spoilers here, though.

What would your friends say is your best quality?

My loyalty. I have a small circle of those I would call my friends and for them, I would do almost anything.

Are reader reviews important to you?

Reviews are important to me because I like for other readers to know what, as a reader, the person liked about the story. I take the bad with the good, though. Not everyone loves everything but I do hope that people enjoy what I write. The reader is the most important person for my story. I want to entertain them!

What do you do when you don't write?

I have five kids so I stay really busy! Aside from that, I work as a Paramedic for a fairly busy 911 service. So you can use your imagination for that one! I also enjoy sword fighting (I used to fence and was quite good when I was doing it all the time), hiking, and archery.