ANOTHER SELF-INTERVIEW, THIS TIME AROUND: THE IRVING WISHBUTTON SAGA
Posted on February 23, 2019
Irving Wishbutton and the Domain of Sagas is an important book for you.
– In two ways, really. It brings the Irving Wishbutton saga to a close and is my 25th book available to readers.
Congratulations.
– Thanks. It feels good to know I have so many projects out there.
What has you excited about Irving's fourth volume?
– I'm really pleased with how well it ties up so many plotlines and delivers Irving and his cast the roles they were meant to play.
What else do you like about it?
– One of the cool aspects is that Irving gets thrown into the stories of three other characters and must find his cast in order to get out. He has to work through each story and try not to lose himself to the character he's stuck inside.
What do you mean?
– The dean throws him into the Domain of Sagas in the hopes that he will lose himself. And he almost does in the first adventure.
That's the one that reminded me a lot of the dragonriders of Pern.
– Yes, it was inspired by that. Kanu of the Blue Hinterlands is a very complex fantasy series, and Irving awakens within it unsure of who he is. He is bombarded with all the story details of Kanu's saga and must unearth his Irving self.
Don't say how he does it, but he eventually gets plopped into another story that reminded me of Inner Space and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
– And don't forget The Micronauts. Irving winds up in Hector Thimble In the Small Time and must perform a rescue in a subatomic world thanks to shrinking tech his parents developed. He also has to contend with being trapped in the mind of a boy genius.
And then the third saga he drops in on is definitely modeled after Harry Potter, isn't it?
– It is. Really, the trope of having a school for magic has been around for a long time. I had fun with it and Conrad Wordsmith and the Coat of Arms is where he finds his true cast.
True cast?
– I can't say anything else about it. I don't want to spoil the surprise.
One of the things I adore about this series is the sheer number of inventive characters you seem to conjure up with ease. They're all so fully realized and unique. Cocoon Boy is still my favorite, but I really liked quite a few of the new characters you introduced in Kanu, Hector, and Conrad's story settings.
– I think that's one of the strengths of the Irving Wishbutton series. It has so many memorable characters.
And it also speaks about the human condition, finding your place in the world, and the behind-the-scenes POV of how a story is written. I especially liked that you guest starred in your own book.
– Yes, I've been there in all four books. It's in this final volume where I get pulled into the thick of things. I wrote my character as a little too eager and frantic, traits that definitely are a part of me.
Well, it would be a little freaky to be thrust into a story you crafted and interact with characters you breathed life into.
– Almost as freaky as doing these self-interviews.
Oh, c'mon. These aren't that bad.
– Well, it's a little odd. I mean, I'm basically tooting my own horn.
But you deserve to. You've worked very hard. I don't know many people who have written three books a year for the past eight years. You've really come into your own as a writer.
– You're so kind. Biased, but kind.
Thanks for the fun interview. Before we go, what are you working on now?
– The God Wheel. It's a science fiction/fantasy novel that posits the idea that each of us are guided by a personal pantheon of quirky deities. Oh, and it's about preventing the world and the universe from ending. Felix has to figure out how to work with his gods and defeat the Entropy Queen at the same time. It's wild, witty stuff. I'm 26,000 words into it and love where the story is going.
Sounds like another winner. Have a great weekend.
-You too. Feel up to sushi today?
You know it.