Check out this author spotlight for J. V. Hilliard!
You can find all his links 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!
ABOUT J. V. HILLIARD
Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.
His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.
Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. HIs uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.
Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horsehounds, Thor and MacLeod, and resides there to this day.
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? By far autumn. Great horizons ablaze in a spectrum of colors, the return of hot apple cider and the approach of my favorite holiday, Halloween.
Cat or dog? Dogs… Have two now, a Siberian husky named Thor (from the Norse mythos) and a Red Fox Labrador Retriever named MacLeod (and yes, after Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod from the Highlander series).
Tea or coffee? Tea… My grandfather was British, so it was always tea. Always 🙂
Morning or evening? Evening, as I have always been a night person. I do my best work at night, and I get a second wind in the evenings.
Library or museums? Libraries, but museums are a close second. I think I can get lost in each but in different ways. I am a history buff, so museums appeal to me naturally but a library contains a different story in each book. You can spend a lifetime there and not read the same story twice.
Plotter or pantser? I am an undeniable plotter. I cannot write without knowing exactly where I am going and why, and I think that makes for a buttoned-up story. I even have a wall-length white board in my writing den to do my plotting in color codes, timelines and arc intersections. Sad, but true.
3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention? I am partial to epic fantasy, so stories steeped in sword and sorcery, big war scenes and political intrigue will always draw me in. And I love the idea of unrequited love, or a forbidden romance. The thought of that woven into any story makes for a supercharged character arc, for which I am a fool.
4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!
I write primarily for the fantasy-adventure and epic fantasy genre, but I do dabble in horror and anything gothic.
My first novel, The Last Keeper, is book one in the Warminster series, and is currently available through most distributors (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, etc.) in eBook and paperback and the audio book will be available through the traditional vendors (Audible, etc.) by the end of January 2022, if not sooner. It is narrated by Victor Bevine. I also write a monthly serial called The Element of Time, published by Altered Reality Magazine online. The story takes you to the village of Ashray Cove, where young Taja Flynne discovers she has special powers to charm with her songs, and is soon aided by a mysterious patron, the enigmatic Lady Tarot Ranseur.
5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
As I mentioned, my first novel, the Last Keeper is now available. Here are some of the details attached below.
Short Presentation:
A young boy’s prophetic visions.
Blind at birth, Daemus Alaric is blessed with the gift of prophetic Sight. Now, as a Keeper of the Forbidden, he must use his powers of the Sight to foil the plans of a fallen Keeper, Graytorris the Mad.
An elven Princess with a horrifying secret.
Princess Addilyn Elspeth travels from Eldwal, the magically hidden home of the Vermilion elves, to begin her life as a diplomat to the human capital of Castleshire. During her journey, she stumbles upon a mystical creature foretelling ill tidings.
A terrifying force of evil.
Daemus’ recurring nightmare vision threatens to catapult him into a terrifying struggle that will leave the fate of the Keepers—and the realm—hanging in the balance. Daemus and Princess Addilyn must set out to face the menace that threatens their very existence.
Will the entire realm fall to its knees?
The Last Keeper is the first book in The Warminster Series. With gripping, epic action and heart-pounding adventure, you’ll love this new adventure series.
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!
Some of my main characters are generated from years of playing Dungeons & Dragons with family and friends, or other table-top RPG’s like Robotech, Aliens or old school TSR games.
But the best characters are ones that are derived from adaptations of real life. For example, Lord Kester Alaric in The Last Keeper was a derivative of my own Uncle Joe Hilliard, who was paralyzed in the Vietnam War. I grew up in his house in many respects and he was like a second father to me, in the same way Kester is to the main character, Daemus Alaric.
Also, I truly believe that good authors are great observers, taking parts of various life experiences and sprinkling them into their stories when the right moment arrives.
7. What is your writing routine? If you have one, give us the run-down!
I usually grab a tea (hot or iced) and throw in my ear buds. The usual play list starts out with a little Anvil of Crom from Conan the Barbarian or The Imperial March from Star Wars, which transports me into the realm of Warminster and away from reality. Then my fingers meet the keyboard, and I am off to creating high adventure!
8. If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as you started out on the path to becoming an author, what would it be?
Simply stated—start earlier! I have always loved to write and put it off for various reasons over the years. But when COVID hit, the opportunity to start down the path to becoming a serious writer opened, and I regret the time I spent wishing I would write and now plan to make up for it. I have years of story ideas rattling around in my head and it’s time to share them.
9. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Instagram: JVHilliardbooks
Facebook: J.V. Hilliard
Twitter: @JVHilliardbooks
Website: www.jvhilliard.com
