Romans, elves, dwarwes and bit magic. Marc Alan Edelheit is the author of the new military Fantasy, Stiger’s Tigers. If this sounds interesting yur should also check out our current Giveaway of Stiger’s Tigers.
First of all can you tell us a bit about your new novel, Stiger’s Tigers?
A nobleman from an infamous family, imperial legionary officer, fighter and a right proper bastard of a man… Captain Ben Stiger finds himself reassigned from a crack legion to the rebellion simmering in the South. Placed in command of a truly terrible company, the 85th Imperial Foot, he is unknowingly sent on a suicide mission to resupply an isolated outpost, the garrison of Vrell. Along the way he must rebuild his new company, gain the respect of the men he leads, survive an assassination attempt, fight bandits, rebels, and an agent of an evil god. His companions on this journey of discovery and adventure are one of the few remaining elven rangers and a paladin on a quest for the High Father. Warning: This is not your typical fantasy novel!
Can you give us some insight into your main character, Ben Stiger?
Stiger is a man who has been hardened by war, and the politics of the Mal’Zeelan Empire. He comes from a powerful, yet infamous imperial family. He takes his honor seriously, even though most of his peers question it. He has already been tested in the fires of combat and suffers as a result… at times running hot and others cool. He is a gifted fighter, a bastard of a man, master manipulator and as such a born leader of men. Though many would wish he had not, Stiger has made the legions and service to the empire his life.
The first book picks up in the middle of his story after the conclusion of a major campaign in the forests of Abath that dragged on for years. Think of the forests of Gaul with a more determined and organized enemy and you have some idea of what he has been through. (I plan on telling this story someday)
What goals might you have set for yourself when writing Stiger’s Tigers and how do you feel about the end result?
Writing Stiger’s Tigers was more of a personal experiment. I wanted to see if I could write a fantasy novel substantively different from others that have become the norm for the genre. After I wrote it, I was concerned that people would dislike Stiger’s Tigers because it was so different. Happily, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I really enjoy reading the reviews posted on Amazon and Goodreads. They motivate me to keep writing… seriously.
I feel pretty good about the end result. It has been both a very humbling and rewarding experience. My goal is to turn writing into a full time occupation. As long as people continue to enjoy and buy my books I will keep writing.
Romans with elves, dwarves and a bit of magic. How did you come up with the idea?
My family and I take an annual road trip to Florida. Imagine 3 little girls in a car for many… many hours. LoL We make the trip more about what we see and do along the way rather than just getting to the destination. It becomes quite the adventure!
I do nearly all of the driving and while I drive, I think. I have a very strong background in history and host a successful history podcast: 2centhistory. At the time, I had been reading and doing a great deal of research on Rome. This was in preparation for a show. I was also reading a fantasy novel and I thought… “Perhaps I should write a fictional book set around some of the roman wars! That could be fun!” Then it hit me. “What if I write a story about the roman legions and added in dwarves, elves, magic, etc.???”
In all of my reading, I could not ever recall it being done! That night I jotted down some basic notes. I knew that writing a novel would be a massive undertaking and before I began I wanted to be sure about it. I thought on it for a few more months, fleshing out ideas and thinking along various story lines. Finally, I made the decision to commit to the project and the serious work began.
From the beginning I intentionally set about to write a fantasy novel that was different from the norm and did not rehash much of what others have done. The story had to be fresh and far from predictable. It also had to include surprises and most important keep the reader guessing until the very end. To accomplish this I put my history show on hold and spent a great amount of time mapping out the world, cultures, history, etc. I then came up with a number of story lines taking place on this fantasy world. Some of those storylines are very cool and I plan to revisit them at a later date. In the end I elected to tell the tale of adventures belonging to Stiger and Eli. It was then that I realized I had more than just one book. I had the makings of a series!
What is it with the Roman Empire you find fascinating?
Pretty much everything, though I must admit I am particularly fascinated by the roman legions. The legions in Stiger’s world are extremely similar to the legions of Rome, and have a real historical root. They are made up of trained professionals, who are highly disciplined and able to stand strong under the most trying of circumstances. It is this historical root that I think helps to make the book so intriguing. I guess you could say that the legions in Stiger’s world are a tribute to those of Rome’s own.
Book 2 in the series, The Tiger is also being released soon. What can we expect?
You can expect much more action. I have built in major engagements, several additional surprises and a greater unfolding of the story. You also get to see a lot more of the other characters and Eli (elven ranger) in action. Stiger’s Tigers set the stage. The Tiger builds upon that and brings it home for more.
Can you tell us a bit about the process that led to the book being published?
At the time, I never considered seeking out a major publisher. It seemed so unobtainable. So I worked closely with my editor Winslow Eliot and my publisher Telemachus Press to bring forth the first of Stiger and Eli’s adventures. They were great and very easy to work with. However, with the success of Stiger’s Tigers it became abundantly clear that I needed additional help. Therefore I made the decision to sign with the Andrea Hurst & Associates literary agency. I believe that Andrea and her team can help me take Stiger and Eli to the next level, along with my other writing projects. (Sorry Spoilers)
Note: Stiger’s Tigers First edition is available in print… only for a limited run. Second Edition will be coming soon! A number of readers have requested signed copies of Stiger’s Tigers. To obtain a signed copy of the First Print Edition purchase it through Amazon and then message me. I will send you instructions on where to send it.
Can you tell us a bit about the cover and how it came about? Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
First let me say that Gianpiero Mangialardi is an incredible artist. He does Storyboarding for Hollywood movies and I was truly lucky that he was willing to work with me. It all started with a simple email. My philosophy is, “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.” He did the cover art for both Stiger’s Tigers and The Tiger.
I absolutely believe that cover art plays an important part in the buying process. It captures the prospective reader’s attention. However, from an author’s perspective I think it is also important to have a really great cover to compliment the time and effort you have put into your work. That is why I wanted to work with the best, to give a gripping visual that would catch the eye and immediately tell the prospective reader something about Stiger’s Tigers.
You can check out the cover art for The Tiger on my website. www.maenovels.com
How do you go about the marketing aspect and especially related to your online presence? Anything you’ve seen work better than other things?
I am learning a lot as I go. It is pretty much all new to me. When Stiger’s Tigers was first published there was no marketing in place… none. The success of the book was directly due to word of mouth. I was also reviewed by several blogs that helped to get the word out. Thank you!
Since that time, I now have a webpage (www.maenovels.com), Facebook Page (Stiger’s Tigers), Twitter (@MarcEdelheit), Newsletter, Author Page on Amazon and an Author page on Goodreads. It has almost become a full time job, but it is also fun and a great way to stay connected to my readers and get their direct feedback. I think that when it comes to marketing, you have to do it all if you want to get the word out to gain as wide an audience as possible.
How did you start writing? Was there a particular book or moment in your life that spurned you on?
As long as I can remember I have been a writer… though until recently no one has ever read my work. I am not sure if there was any particular book that spurred me on… perhaps Planet X (when I was a teen)… perhaps not. It was more of a compilation of great writers…. Dumas, Eddings, Duncan, Bova, Brin… the list goes on. They all motivate me to write.
Have you ever struggled between what you would like to happen to a character and what you considered more sensible to occur? Can you tell us when and what did you do at last?
Yes, I have struggled. When I come to a quandary like this… I usually agonize over it a bit and then do the more ‘sensible’ thing and rewrite it. I had this occur in The Tiger. I wrote it one way and really wanted to keep it that way but… it just did not seem right. I ended up scrapping the last 20% of the book and rewriting it. I believe, in the end, The Tiger became a better story as a result.
What is your favorite and least favorite part of the writing process, and why?
Favorite: Coming up with ideas for stories. I am constantly thinking about new stories, characters and strange worlds. It’s fun and if I am successful you may be able to read some of these stories.
Not so Favorite: Editing. I write my books from beginning to end. Only when I have a complete product do I then go back and work to edit, improve and add detail/content. This can be a painful and tedious process. It can take a week or more just to get a chapter to the point where it simply flows, is smooth and polished. It can be extremely frustrating but the end result is worth it.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I would say when it comes to reading for enjoyment I am hooked on my Kindle, though I still enjoy the occasional paperback. (particularly when the battery runs out) When I do hard research, historical in nature… it is a traditional hard back for me.
What kind of books do you read, any favorite authors?
For pleasure, I primarily read Science Fiction, Fantasy and Historical Fiction. Alexandre Dumas, David Brin, Tom Clancy, Weis and Hickman, Goodkind, Duncan, Christopher Nuttall, Ryk Brown, Bernard Cornwell…. The list goes on.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
Travel and leading a life of adventure with my family. (This can involve the occasional changing of a dirty diaper.) I enjoy the outdoors, hiking, kayaking, camping… exploring. I own a Harley and enjoy cruising around the back roads!
I am also hooked on a couple of computer games… World of Tanks and World of Warships. You can say those are my guilty pleasures.
What’s next, what are you working on now?
I am currently working to finalize book 2: The Tiger. After that, I plan on publishing a hard science fiction novel before going back to work on Book 3.
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Interview by Dag Rambraut – SFFWorld.com © 2015
