Strength of Conviction, by Will Hahn
Today on Meet the Author, please join me for an interview with Fantasy Science Fiction Network (FSFN) member, Will Hahn. Will stopped by to talk about writing his epic fantasy novel, Strength of Conviction.
Silverberry: Tell us a little about yourself.
Will Hahn: A little! For an epic fantasy guy, how cruel. I was born in the frozen barbarous north, and mistakenly placed with a family of five sisters. But I managed to escape these early challenges, and today I work from home on- naturally- high technology market research. I realized I was a chronicler about six years ago.
Silverberry: You have an enviable background teaching Ancient-Medieval history. How does that find its way into your writing?
Will Hahn: DEEP background! Seems a lifetime ago. Two things- first of all, it gave me some familiarity with what I was looking at in the Lands; things like the difficulties of a poor family making ends meet, the limitations imposed by distance, and of course I was always interested in the conduct of battles where melee weapons and horse-soldiers were so important. So it allowed me to understand more, from the beginning. But I also think that the activity of teaching got me thinking about telling good stories, trying to engage someone’s attention and show them the meaning behind events, especially how one person can have an important impact if they make the right decision. Everywhere I look I see people with choices to make.
Silverberry: What inspired you to write Judgement’s Tale?
Will Hahn: I won’t lie. He did: Solemn Judgement is the main character of the current saga, and I saw him right from the very beginning, before I ever saw the Lands of Hope or knew that I could chronicle his adventures there. How long ago? Let’s see- eight-track tapes were hot, disco was still happening. And Star Wars wasn’t. But as for “inspiration”, you have to know him to understand. Not much for talking, but the man is relentless.
Silverberry: What Solemn Judgement yearn for?
Will Hahn: Judgement knows he’ll never find out why his father had to flee with him when he was only 12. He doesn’t have any clue why the ocean journey took more than two years, or why his father taught him all day every single day during that time. But he is in the Lands of Hope now, and his father died to get him here safely. So Judgement wants to know his purpose, what his father intended and how he can live up to it. He especially wonders if death is the true end of life, for obvious reasons.
Silverberry: What’s the novel about and who would enjoy it?
Will Hahn: Judgement’s Tale, a story in four novellas coming out this year, concerns the end of the Age of Peace in the Lands of Hope. Several events, among them the arrival of this grey-clad youth, trigger the beginning of the Age of Adventure. I think classic epic fantasy fans would have a good time with this yarn.
Silverberry: What do you think makes for great fantasy fiction?
Will Hahn: If you see characters and situations that are far removed from what you think of as reality, but you still sympathize with the heroes and feel you would have done the same, you’re in the hands of an expert.
Silverberry: Who are some of your biggest influences as a writer?
Will Hahn: I’m from that first generation to really love JRR Tolkien, and I would also cite Ursula LeGuin and Stephen R. Donaldson as truly great authors of the heroic and epic fantasy genre.
Silverberry: How do you approach crafting a novel?
Will Hahn: Um, no. I’m not a writer, merely a chronicler. I’ve been watching the Lands of Hope for over thirty years, and most of that time never dreamed I’d be jotting it down in narrative format. Something happened to convince me otherwise on June 21-23 2008, and now I find myself with stacks of notes and other accoutrements and suddenly charged with getting it all down before the end of me. I know now, how Thucydides must have felt. There’s no end of material, but my ability to change it is zero.
Silverberry: What’s ahead for you?!
Will Hahn: Now that Judgement’s Tale Part One, “Games of Chance” has been released, I’m looking forward to Part Two, “Strength of Conviction”, coming September 28th. The next two parts of Judgement’s Tale arrive in 2015, followed by “The Eye of Kog”. I also am working on the third installment of my Shards of Light series, entitled “Perilous Embraces”. So much history yet to record!
Synopsis of Strength of Conviction – Judgement’s Tale Part Two:
As the central kingdom of the Lands of Hope languishes without rule or reason under a worsening pall of chaos, most Children of Hope stand by and do nothing. The few who would dare are outcasts, strangers, too high up, or too far inside, or still too young to help easily. Worse, all their scattered mysteries seem unconnected.
Treaman the Woodsman struggles to guide his companions through ensorcelled wildlands to safety. The poorest knight in the city prays by Conar’s statue for weeks without ceasing, as though his life depends on it. The young scribe Anteris copies histories for his master by day, dreams of adventure till sunset, and searches the stars by night for the riddle of his future. A noble Conarian heir seeks to join a lost legendary Order, putting his duty before his life. A gentle Elvish sage confronts the greatest of puzzles, the closed door barring the way to friendship with his greatest, and most dangerous pupil.
For Solemn Judgement, the Man in Grey, is learning that names are indeed important when he shows … Strength of Conviction.
Purchase Strength of Conviction (pre-orders are available):
NEW! Games of Chance, Part One of Judgement’s Tale- As a dread curse worsens over the Land of One Hundred Castles, an orphaned youth from across the sea must find his way in a strange world.
Will Hahn at Smashwords:
The Plane of Dreams– A band of adventuring companions finds their greatest challenge comes when the quest has ended. See the trailer!
The Ring and the Flag– Captain Justin races to save a rebellious barony from itself, with men who think he isn’t worthy to lead. Shards of Light Part One
Fencing Reputation– The renowned stealthic Feldspar tries to unearth a dangerous artifact, and still keep his identity hidden, perhaps even from himself. Shards of Light Part Two
Three Minutes to Midnight– If Trekelny is to steal the temple’s greatest treasure, he must take the love of its High Priestess with him. A brief tale of the early days.
The Book of Tales– A short illustrated tome of legends from the distant past of the Lands, featuring magical beasts and heroes.
The Compendium of the Landsand the Maps of Hope are freely available at his site.
About Will Hahn:
Will Hahn has been in love with heroic tales since age four, when his father read him the Lays of Ancient Rome and the Tales of King Arthur. He taught Ancient-Medieval History for years, but the line between this world and others has always been thin; the far reaches of fantasy, like the distant past, still bring him face to face with people like us, who have choices to make.
Will didn’t always make the right choices when he was young. Any stick or vaguely-stick-like object became a sword in his hands, to the great dismay of his five sisters. Everyone survived, in part by virtue of a rule forbidding him from handling umbrellas, ski poles, curtain rods and more.
Will has written about the Lands of Hope since his college days (which by now are also part of ancient history). You can find a free Compendium of information about the Lands, including maps of the Lands, on his website at www.WilliamLHahn.com).
Follow Will Hahn:
Website: Will Hahn is the chronicler of the Lands of Hope tales.
Facebook: The Lands of Hope Facebook Page has a chronology of events in the Lands.
The Fantasy & Science-Fiction Network (FSF Net) is dedicated to helping fans find the very best fantasy & sci-fi books for children and adults (both young and old) that do not exceed a PG-13 rating. FSF Net seeks to be a primary source for the latest G/PG/PG-13 fantasy/science-fiction (sci-fi) news. Follow them on Facebook.
Will Hahn, Author of STRENGTH OF CONVICTION
