Check out this author spotlight for Brand J. Alexander, a writer of epic fantasy!
You can find all the links for where to find his furthest down the page, and don’t forget to check out his books!
1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!
Brand J. Alexander is an American author of Epic Fantasy from small-town Indiana. He grew up losing himself in the created worlds of Robert Jordan and Terry Brooks and dreaming of one day being an author in that same literary style and tradition. After the shock of Jordan’s death and a trying battle with stage four cancer, he quickly discovered the imperative of capturing one’s dreams now before time runs out. With that newfound wisdom, he got to work and, within a year, published the first two novels in his debut epic fantasy series Tears of Hatsunae. Rise of Tears and Fall of Tears. Emboldened by those successes, he has continued to create and develop new stories and series for the Universe of Brand J. Alexander, always pursuing his dream to share as many of his worlds and adventures as possible with the gift of time that fortune has granted him.
2. To get to know you just a little bit better, I’d like to ask you some this or that questions. Answer 5 of these and explain why you chose this or that, or maybe an entirely different alternative!
Winter, spring, summer or autumn?
Autumn. Honestly, I love the heat of summer and seeing the world filled with life. However, autumn is when I bring my worlds to life for others to experience. Every year, I spend three months designing and building scenes and props for my Halloween yard haunt, Ravenfell Manor. Autumn is the time when I can bring the dark enchantment of my stories into the real world. I can walk down the paths of Ravenfell Manor and invite others to join me.
Cat or dog? Dog. I love both cats and dogs, but I have always been more of a dog person. I love the close pack style relationship that dogs tend to develop.
Tea or coffee? Both. Coffee in the morning. Tea in the evening as I settle down after dinner.
Morning or evening? Evening. I have never been a morning person. Plus, I love the transformation of the world from day into night, especially in the summer. The song of nature changes as the sun sets. Birds are replaced by the calls of frogs and insects. The entire atmosphere just shifts to something more relaxed and subdued.
Standalone or series? I love a nice long series. If I am going to go for an adventure in a world and fall in love with the land and the characters, I want it to be a long trip. I like to experience as much of a world as possible, from the lands and cultures to the creatures and magic.
3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention?
I do not usually look for tropes. I go into a book with the intent to enjoy that story as its own experience. I do not like to define and box it in or compare it with others. When choosing, I look for powerful or unique forms of magic. Dragons are a big winner for me in almost any form. Diverse in-depth worlds filled with wonder, special environments, and cultures.
4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!
I mostly write epic fantasy, although I slip over into dark fantasy on occasion. I am currently writing book 3 of my epic fantasy series Tears of Hatsunae, Tears of the Fallen. That is my big project for the year. Although in between writing days, I am preparing book 2 of my Guardians of the Tide series, Call of the Rising Deep, for a summer release and combining my dark fantasy ebook series, Ravenfell Chronicles: Origins, into a paperback collection for Halloween season 2021.
5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
My most recent release was Dark Heart of Ravenfell, the series conclusion to Ravenfell Chronicles: Origins, back in December.
The gift of the Ravenfells allowed the family to pass through the veil between worlds at will, but the power came with unforeseen consequences. When a child of their line is born within the world of death, it sets in motion a battle that has been building since the veil’s creation. Not all spirits were pleased with the separation of worlds, and a faction has been working towards the veil’s undoing. The birth of Beaumont Ravenfell within the land of death has provided them the opportunity they need.
Once more, the Ravenfell family line is the only force powerful enough to stand before the breach between life and death and hold the spirits at bay.
6. What real-life inspiration do you draw from, and what are your primary fictional sources of inspiration (books, authors, films, music, etc.)? Name a few!
I like to draw from the natural world around me for different aspects of my books, but most of it comes from my imagination. The most real-world inspired creation of mine would have to be Guardians of the Tide, however. The entire series, including the characters, were all inspired by a few summers I spent at the local pool and the friendships I developed with the lifeguards that worked there.
As for fictional influences, the most significant would have to be Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time. I loved his world-building and in-depth cultures. His detailed worlds and their histories inspired me to make my own worlds reflect that kind of depth and detail.
7. What is your writing routine? If you have one, give us the run-down!
Shortly after breakfast, I fill my first cup of coffee and head back to my office. After scrolling through my social media sites to interact with my readers and checking my email, I open up the word program and get to work. I tend to write as long as my brain allows me to. Although, I have to take a few breaks to care for my numerous pets. In the summer, I usually take a break mid-afternoon to go for a walk and clear my mind, then I come back refreshed and get to work again.
As for brainstorming and plot development, I often do that during the evening. I grab my notebooks and a cup of tea, then head out to the couch. I find some fantasy derived movie or show to play in the background, and I get to work. Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter marathons are great for this.
8. If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as you started out on the path to become an author, what would it be?
Get it written. For so many years, I allowed self-doubt to stand in my way. I would begin writing a story, not like it, then tear the whole thing apart and start over. I also lost a lot of files to computer errors and file issues. When that happened, I tended to just give up. For those reasons, I spent a lot of wasted years never finishing a single book. It wasn’t until surviving stage 4 cancer instilled in me a determination to live my dreams that I actually pushed my way through to complete my first novel. Finally proving to myself that I could do it was the greatest gift I could give myself, and I haven’t stopped completing stories since. I just wish I had realized that earlier.
9. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandJAlexander
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrandJAlexander
Amazon Author Profile: https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B07KBDBRQC
Website: https://brandjalexander.wixsite.com/website
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/brand_j_alexander
