📚 A Bookish Chat with 'PROPHECY OF THE GUARDIAN' Author J.W. Baccaro & Book Giveaway! @jwbaccaro #Interview

J.W. Baccaro is the author of Prophecy of the Guardian, The Coming of the Light and Blood Dreams. Always a lover of creativity, from works of literature to writing music with his electric guitar; even baking and cooking. When not working on his next story or lost in a good book, J.W. enjoys kicking back with a couple of tasty craft beers and binging on Kaiju movies, 80’s action flicks, Japanese animation and slasher films (particularly the one involving a hockey mask). Heck, he even enjoys a good romantic comedy. Feel free to email him at jwbaccaro@yahoo.com. He lives in upstate NY with his wife Melissa, his son Alexander, his German Shepherd and his three cats.

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Welcome to The Writer's Life! How did you come up with the idea to write your book?

Thank you! Well see…creative writing has always been a love of mine. I never had much interest in sports or automobiles. Sure, I know a little bit, but I couldn’t tell you the names of famous quarterbacks or talk for hours about rebuilding an engine block. Creativity has always been my thing in both literature and music. Inspired by authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (to name a few), I too decided I wanted to create my own vivid world within the imagination…and on paper of course.

I didn’t look around at what genre was most popular in hopes to make a quick buck. I just wanted to write a story that I personally would love to read. A story with not only tons of action and warrior battles, but also filled with heavy emotion. A world where you feel like you’ve made friends with the characters and are a bit sad when the book comes to an end. You miss them!

I’ve always loved classic Good versus Evil tales. True they are a dime a dozen, filled with similar tropes and sometimes a bit cliché. You know, light versus darkness, one chosen character to rid the world of this monstrous evil, magical items, etc. etc. However, just when you think you’ve read something like this before, as soon as you’re enveloped into the story, you see how the tale carries its own uniqueness. Of course, there will be similarities, I can find that in just about every bestselling epic fantasy/sci-fi I read, but each story carries its own flair.

I love when a villain or even a hero begins to question their path, wondering if the task they are trying to accomplish is the right thing to do. Perhaps the Light has a point? Perhaps the Darkness has a point, and looking a little deeper, maybe, just maybe the Light (or whom we call our heroes), isn’t so perfect after all. Besides, all of us know the world is far beyond mere black and white. So, I took all my thoughts, likes and influences and molded them together and out came my book Prophecy of the Guardian: Book One, Guardian Trilogy.

Magic in epic fantasy is a must. It is beautiful, vivid. However, I wanted to create a story where there is an equal amount of emotion. Instead of the focus being entirely on how many spells can this wizard or that sorceress cast, how about also seeing these mythical races put aside their differences and ban together to defeat a terrible enemy? That’s when the magic is made even stronger! Perhaps another trope, but it is an endless and lovely one, and I think teaches the importance of working together.

Dire circumstances is another favorite of mine. When you see a villain who is incredibly powerful, recking havoc across the land, against any hero who challenges him or her, and you think…how in the world is the protagonist going to defeat him? I love that! It builds such excitement in one’s mind. I wanted to create a story where the main antagonist is an enemy seemingly impossible to defeat. I also love it when a particular hero is one to be feared as well, after many trials and tribulations he’s gone through, along with immense training of the body and mind. So, for once…let the antagonist be the one who is afraid. One of my favorite quotes from The Coming of the Light, book two in my Guardian Trilogy is where the main character, Darshun, says this:

…a sign to tell this overruling darkness that the Light is coming. Let them be the ones to try and pass through us for once. Their ungodly Rule and ways of cruelty has gone on far too long. Let them feel the terror they love to inflict in others…just this once…

How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?

If you love classic good versus evil epic tales but you’re also hoping for something different? Please, give my series a try! I have my own take on demons and wizards, and I’ve created my own race—the Nasharin race, a people who are accursed by the Light and feared by the Dark.

What part of the book was the most fun to write?

That’s a tough one… There are plenty of emotional segments between a few men and warrior women, battle deaths, comedic sections as well. There is some drama and even suspense where one might be afraid to open their curtains at night in fear of coming face to face with the Dream Assassin, ha!

But the most fun? I think probably writing about the Nasharin warrior race. See, the old races of Light despise them because they are considered a curse upon the earth, due to their origins. And the Dark…well, they often fear the very name Nasharin because these warrior humanoids have been known to surpass even the greatest of wizards and are also incredibly lethal in the martial arts. Each Nasharin is born with his or her own element. Once mastered, the glow they produce when calling out this power is something to be feared. It goes beyond mere magic. Everything about them changes.

Would you like to know a secret? Most believe Nasharins are a thing of the past, extinct. Fortunately, that line of thinking is wrong!

How did you come up with the title?

Prophecy sounds cool, doesn’t it? Guardian also sounds intriguing, even if it’s overused. I thought about my world, my story…and Prophecy of the Guardian it became.

What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?

Chapter Ten: Temptation. There’s a section where our main protagonist and his newfound lady friend are traveling up a mountain. Darkness has fallen, the stars and moon clearly visible. Perhaps a beautiful night for a seduction. Yes, that lady friend is up to something no good it seems. Anyway, once they reach the mountain top, she tells our protagonist to turn around and witness the view. One can see almost the whole landscape, every bonfire lit, every light shinning within the villages far from them, even the great tree Merlin that illuminates at night.

The scene was influenced by a place my friends and I used to go to in our teens. You cross the railroad tracks out in the country, pass through a woodland, a wild meadow, another short woodland and finally you trot your way up one heck of a steep, grassy hillside until reaching its peak. At night you can see the whole town below, the city of Hudson, New York, even the lights on the bridges in Albany, New York. It’s spectacular! We called this place The Top of the World. Fun times…

What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?

I’m nobody famous. Perhaps one day, and that would be nice to earn a living off something you genuinely love and cherish. As of now I’m just an aspiring author. So, I’d tell someone to write about what they love. Write a book you personally would love to read. Perhaps you question things like religion, conflicting ideas, politics, or what is the right thing to do—and why? Well then, come up with characters having conflicting viewpoints and see where it leads. It’s kind of like arguing with yourself by using your imaginary characters. It’s fun and even therapeutic! And never write for the purpose of being famous, write because creative writing is something you love to do!

How do you use social media as an author?

I’m currently working on my website. It’s in the making. I also have a blogpost at https://jwbaccaro.medium.com/ I don’t visit facebook or twitter much anymore. But I suppose I could renew them to communicate with potential fans.

What other books are you working on and when will they be published?

Right now, I’m working on Piercing the Darkness: Book Three, Guardian Trilogy. This one is the finale of this tale. Afterward I will be writing/publishing a dark erotica/dark fantasy novel titled The Tree of Damnation. Yes, epic fantasy is not the only genre I love. I will read dark erotica, urban fantasy and even paranormal thrillers. I wrote a paranormal thriller by the way. It’s called Blood Dreams.

Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?

Besides have a fun, magical roller coaster ride of a journey, inspiration. Separation over skin color, creed or gender is never a wise thing. We can learn about our past, our mistakes, but you do not judge one by race, creed, or gender. You judge one by his or her content of character. Ban together, fight off evil and negativity. And experience the world! It is a journey, after all. Is it not?

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?

Probably Octavia Butler. She wrote a favorite stand-alone book of mine, a Sci-Fi titled Wild Seed. I have so many questions about the immortal African character Doro I wish I could ask her. Unfortunately, she passed away.

Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?

Thank you ever so much for this interview. I had a lot of fun answering your questions. And please, to all who read this, check out my book, Prophecy of the Guardian: Book One, Guardian Trilogy. It is available in both e-book and paperback on Amazon.

Title: PROPHECY OF THE GUARDIAN
Author: J.W. Baccaro
Publisher: JW Baccaro Publishing
Pages: 481
Genre: Epic Fantasy

BOOK BLURB:

“Not darkness, not light, perhaps something in between, and is claimed by the darkness…as theirs. Though being saved by the light, that which is saved must in turn save the world…”

Darshun Luthais has never experienced the Nasharin Frenzy—the unbending will to challenge a stronger opponent, no matter the cost. He doesn’t know what he will transform into, has never bonded with an elemental crystal and has never seen any of the unearthly creatures his father talks about. Even though he’s an infant in Nasharin years, his life consists of nothing but constant training, striving to unlock the sleeping power his so-called accursed race is born with.

But all that changes when he is pursued by a Dream Assassin in the dead of night. What he witnesses will forever change his outlook on life and lead him on a quest only the strongest can complete.

PRAISE

“This epic fantasy is action packed, all the way through. Definitely a powerhouse for fantasy lovers. It has plenty of dark magic, tons of bloody battles, and even some seductive tones.

The chosen one faces his destiny with tribulations that at times favor Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad. While reading I also felt it resembled Lord of the Rings especially due to its epic length. I can not stress enough how well detailed the story and characters are. Nothing is ever lost in the pages. The timeline is incredible and every aspect continues to build. Wonderful and fascinating!

It is involving, meeting the chosen one as a baby, watching him grow as a young boy into an adolescent, learning to fight, learning who he is, and learning to love. There are many secrets that unfold and characters to meet along the way. From witches to elves, to gnomes and trolls there is sorcery and magic around every turn. The creatures met along the way are descriptively colorful and incredibly likable. Even the darker ones! Well, there are some gross ones too as I think of it. You’ll see!

As a side note, the author does not hold back in his details of war and how brutal the effects are on the people and the land. He sets his world in a beautiful background, so exquisite and then details the destruction during bloodshed and battle.

I’m usually not into a lot of battle stuff. This series however carried so much with it, more than just a battle book. The action was absolutely a big part of the story and without it, the fantasy would not be the epic level that it is, of course! But, there is also the magical side, the mythical and mysterious wonderment. The creatures are so desirable and they stayed with me as I read the story. The colors of the world are so vivid. And actually the magical aspects are my favorite parts of all.”

~Cynthia Ellen Jones~ A Hippie’s Bookshelf: Reading, Reviewing and Bookish Vibes