- What inspired you to write?
Being an author wasn’t something I’d always dreamed of, but I’d always been creative and had stories in my head. I just didn’t feel the need to get them out. Then I was teaching I’m a part-time business professor), and I was telling my students about their second career. What would they want to do if money was no longer an object? Maybe a post-retirement gig. One student asked me what I would do, and on the spot, I said I’d like to be an author. It still took me years after that to finally do something about that.
I was visiting Florida, where my parents have a winter home, and I went for a walk in the hot Florida sun. An hour later, with no hat or sunscreen, dehydrated and delirious, a story had formed in my mind. When I came back to Toronto and told my staff this story (I’m a CEO of a non-profit association), one of them said, “when are you going to stop telling us these stories and actually write something?” So I wrote it to spite her. That was my first novel.
- Are you a reader? What are some of your favorites?
I find I am not reading as much as I used to. Damn devices and the internet have cut into my reading time. But as a kid, I was first drawn to the fantasy genre by Robert E. Howard’s Conan and J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. I also was an avid reader of the Hardy Boys, and still own all the original series.
Later, I branched out a bit more. I remember a YA book I read called Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom which helped cultivate an interest in China. Later series that spoke to me was David Eddings’ Belgariad and Malloreon. But I think Raymond A. Feist and Janny Wurtz’ Empire series are the books that really stand out for me.
I’ve also read Harry Potter more times than I can count.
Outside of the fantasy genre, I really enjoy Edward Rutherfurd’s books, like Paris, London and New York, historical novels which tell the tale of the history of these cities.
Lastly, H.P. Lovecraft is probably the most influential writer for me, if only because my first real published works as based on his Cthulhu Mythos. Currently I’m reading Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country which has parallels to my own work (if not written a little better than mine). I really enjoyed his take on the genre. Others I’ve read in this genre are Neil Gaiman (although my favourite book of his is Fortunately, the Milk) and some Stephen King. I’m not a huge fan of King, finding some of his stories meandering and repetitive, but I really enjoyed Carrie.
- What is your newest work, and what is going to happen in the future?
I just finished my overarching series The Other. The last story, In the Depths of R’lyeh, wraps up an 18 novelette/novella series. It is a series of linked stories (much like Lovecraft Country) the reader is expected to read in order that slowly reveals a large universe spanning event millennia in the making. All of reality either survives or is snuffed out.
I published each of the stories on their own, and once I got six written I’d unpublish them and repackage them into the larger book. Book three of the series will come out in September, 2021 and I’m considering publishing them as an Omnibus in December.
Out of this, since it is my most popular works, I’m publishing a series of related stories that flush out elements introduced in the original series. The first one is about a witch being hunted by the Freemasons in 1798. The characters were first introduced in The Curse of the Windsor Witch, set in 2019. There are a number of past events alluded to in my work, so now I’m going to be filling in those details with the historical telling of these tales.
I also have the third book in my sci-fi western series The Gunslinger’s Emancipation that I need to start. Busy, busy, busy.
4) Do you have advice or tips for Indie Authors?
Write, write and write some more. Look to groups on Facebook (like 20bookto50K) filled with authors supporting you and your work. Read as much as you can about the entire business (writing is the easy part) and treat it as a business (if you don’t it’s nothing but a hobby; that’s fine, but that’s all it will be unless you treat it like a business). I’d also recommend Mark Dawson’s course on advertising and invest in either Grammarly or ProWritingAid to help with editing (I have the pro version of both).
- What influenced you as a writer?
I’ve received most of my inspiration from the works of others. The Mandalorian inspired my sci-fi novel. Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book inspired the first thing I ever published, a four-page short story. And of course, H.P. Lovecraft inspired my cosmic horror series.
Stephen King’s On Writing was a huge help and an inspirational read for me.
I find though things fit into place for my when I go for a walk. Most of my initial plots form on a walk. If I’m having difficulty figuring where things are to go next, talk a walk. Walking clears my head and provides me with moments of clarity.
Links:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Troy-Young/e/B07QGKW4WH
Author website: www.floridamanthenovel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TroyYoungAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/TheOtherLovecraft
Twitter: @FloridaNovel
IG @troyyoung1971
Samantha Evans--Author 