What feels like thousands
of moons ago, I was once a high school English teacher. During the ten years I
spent trying to teach teenagers a thing or two, I met lots of incredible young
people who have turned out to be even more amazing adults.
 |
| Pictured: Author Chad Ballard |
One such former
student of mine is Chad Ballard. Chad and I share a great passion: writing.
When I was working on my horror novel,
Rabbit in Red, he helped me out with the
live-action trailer. See him play the great Hannibal while enjoying a
piece of brain in this
video!
Chad and I talked
about writing and publishing. I got to preview his novel, Sentinel, while he
was shopping it around to publishers. I knew from the very first chapter that
he’d find a publisher and success. His writing is crisp and fresh. His voice is
that of a matured, professional writer, not the voice I would have pictured coming
out of a twenty-something. He’s got talent way beyond his years, and I’m happy
to know him.
Let me tell you a
bit about Chad and his first book,
Sentinel.
Chad Ballard is 23
years old and lives just outside of Peoria, IL. He’s a graduate of Illinois
State University with a degree in broadcast journalism and a minor in creative
writing (ISU should be proud—be sure you contact them to do an author event!). He
has a cat named Stark and lives with a small menagerie, courtesy of his
roommate. His debut novel,
Sentinel,
was released on December 8th through
Realmwalker Publishing Group.
I sent Chad a bunch
of questions so that my readers could get to know him, too.
Tell us about your book:
Title: Sentinel
Genre: Fantasy
Back-of-the-book blurb:
Aelathil is on the brink of
civil war! Once pampered and spoiled as the only heir to one of Aelathil's most
powerful lordlings, Callan's world has been tipped upside down by Kin Ramsey
and his mighty dragons. Now he must join the growing resistance or watch as
everything his family stood for crumbles away to nothing.
After her father is
mauled by one of the massive lion-men of the frozen north, Pyra must do her
best to hold his seat as Lord until he recovers - all while teaching herself to
control the magical spark smoldering inside her.
Together, Callan and
Pyra will shape Aelathil's future. For better or worse, they will stand
Sentinel over the people that the King as targeted for destruction. Should they
fail, Pyra's people will be buried in the northern wastes and Callan's family
legacy will be turned to ash.
Where can we get a copy of Sentinel?
What kind of writing (genre) do you enjoy
the most?
Fantasy, without
question. I've never been good at writing non-fiction and I've always felt like
writing fantasy was an escape from real-world problems. Besides that, it lets
you express yourself in literally any way that makes sense. Sentinel has 8-foot
tall, talking lion-men in it and nobody questions it! And I think that's
awesome.
What kind of literature (genre) do you
enjoy reading the most?
Again, fantasy. For
the escape from life. I don't have to read about people who are stressing out
about work or paying bills or wondering what their grocery budget is going to
be for the next month. I get to read about guys and girls whose biggest issue is
the dragon that just burned their castle to the ground or the tribe of trolls
that just moved in next door and are eating anyone who walks out of their
house.
Favorite author? Favorite reads?
Ever? J.K Rowling. Harry Potter was
my favorite book series growing up and I attribute my love of reading and
writing to the time that I spent at Hogwarts in those books.
Currently?
Anything that Brandon Sanderson puts out is gold. The Way of Kings might be my favorite book ever. I've also been
reading a lot of books by my fellow Realmwalker authors. The Shadows Dance by Patch Middleton, The Summerlark Elf by Brandon Draga, and The Realmwalker Chronicles by Lee Aarons are the ones I've read so
far. I've enjoyed every one of them. There are plenty more for me to sink my
teeth into, though. I just have to find time to get to them.
Write a favorite line or two from your
book:
I don't know that I
have a favorite. It's hard for me to be complimentary of my own writing. So I'm
going to open up the book and read the first couple of lines that I see.
“Callan would never
know who it was that screamed first, but before long the air was filled with
nothing but terrified cries and prayers to the gods.”
Oh, good. I grabbed
a nice, happy line for you.
What are you currently working on?
Book 2 of The Ashen Court! I have a few titles in
mind, but nothing concrete yet. I'm working on finishing it as quickly as
possible.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Write for you. Not
for anyone else, not to get published, not because you think that someone else
will like it. Do it because it's what you love to do. The rest will come.
What advice do you have for those who
wish to be published someday?
Be ready to work
hard. Not only on your writing, but on editing and finding an agent or
publisher. It's not an easy road and it has its ups and downs. Stick through
the pain, though, and it can be incredibly rewarding.
What’s next on your to-read list?
The Hunger by Dave Atwell
What motivates or inspires you to write?
I try to find
inspiration in anything. Movies, TV, comics, other books. When i'm writing,
it's usually rock music. It helps me get in the zone and start getting words on
the page.
What other passions do you have besides writing?
Lots, but the big
one is baseball. I love the history and the pageantry of the sport. I'm a stats
nut and I could tell you just about anything regarding baseball from the last
hundred years. The Cubs are my favorite, but I'll talk any team for hours and
hours.
What’s the hardest or most challenging thing about writing?
Getting motivated. I
have a hard time convincing myself that what I write is any good, even after
I've been published and sold a bunch of copies. So for me, sitting down to
write, whether I'm happy with what I'm writing or not, is the toughest
part.
Also, having a cat.
His name is Stark and he likes to sit on my keyboard. That's not easy.
What’s the most rewarding thing about
writing?
A few months ago, I don't know that I would have had a good answer. Now,
though? Seeing my cover for the first time. The fact that someone visualized
what I had written and done such a fantastic job with it blew me away. It made
the whole experience feel real.
Do you have a favorite character that
you’ve written? Tell us about him/her.
Callan is probably
my favorite. He's got the most of me in him of any character that I've written.
Not so much in that he's a big hero. But the fact that he's not super confident
in himself and thinks similarly to me really makes the two of us similar. I had
a lot of fun writing all of my characters, but I'm really looking forward to
continuing Callan's story in the next book.
If you had a superpower, what would it
be?
Super strength. It's
lame, but I don't want to be able to fly or run really fast. Just give me a
slightly more chiseled body and the ability to throw a truck across the country
and I'll be happy.
Where can we find you and/or your books?
Thanks, Chad, for
taking time to answer my questions. I look forward to finishing Sentinel, especially
since what I read was last year, back before it found its publishing home!
Thank you to my
readers for supporting other authors and artists! Be sure to get a copy of Sentinel.
About me:
Joe Chianakas is the author of the novel Rabbit in Red and is a professor of communication at Illinois Central College. Follow him on Facebook here.
