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Author Bio
Hi there, my name is Allen Stanfill. I am the author of Inside The Midnight Hour, Killer In The Woods and of course Children Of The Cursed. I live in Powell, Wyoming with my wife and two kids. Every once in a while I go fishing and hiking when it’s not too cold or hot outside. Though my passion is reading and writing books. My goal is to grow my audience for my books. Right now Children Of The Cursed has been a hit. Hoping to get my horror book and murder mystery book on the same track.
How did you get into writing?
I was always into writing from a very young age. I believe I wrote my first short story when I was thirteen. But it was later in life when I decided to write my first novel.
What can you tell us about your daily routines that help you focus and your creative habits? So, for example how do you come up with some of your ideas and inspiration for your book?
I can’t say that I have any routines that help me focus, it’s just when I write I get lost in my work. Or you could say I get lost in the worlds and characters that I am creating. For Children Of The Cursed, it was my kids that gave me the idea for that book. Other than that ideas seem to come to me out of nowhere, and I will be like I can write that and I usually do.
Is this book very personal for you? If so, how?
Yes actually. Because it was my kids that helped create this book. They both wanted me to write something they would be interested in like a good fantasy book. And at the time I was writing horror and murder mysteries. It took me three years to write this and I hope it is enjoyed by all that purchase a copy.
Children Of The Cursed
Tell how you created your characters, and how did you name them? How do you create your world?
It was actually fun to create the characters I knew exactly how I wanted them to be. From their looks to their attitudes and how they will grow and change through the series as it progresses. The names took me some time to come up with, I wanted the names to fit the characters. Leon, was a name from one of my favorite video games. As far as Ellyn, Gawain, Ulrich, those names just kind of came to me out of the blue.
The world of Todran was well thought out, took me almost a year to perfect how I wanted the world to be. From the history to the lands, monsters, dragons, and other creatures I came up with. I mapped it all out and slowly brought it all together.
How did you come up with the book title?
Children Of The Cursed seemed to fit the story perfectly. You will find out why once you start reading the book.
Plot and Synopsis
Can you describe what the book plot and give a detailed synopsis of the book, of course without any spoilers.
The story revolves around two young men that train at the Academy to become Knights Of Valor. It takes an unexpected twist and they are sent on a mission with their teacher, Master Gawain. To retrieve pieces of a legendary blade, this is when both young men find out about the powers that dwell within them. As they battle all kinds of mysterious monsters. Deal with deadly traps and even get to fly on a dragon, until the last piece is found. One young man will lean towards the light while the other will fall into the darkness. It will test their friendship until the very end.
Is there any movie, book, or television series that you can somewhat liken your story to? So for example, some books you can say are like Game of Thrones or Star Wars, what mainstream and popular movie do you think your book somewhat “feels” like? Did you want this to be the case?
If I had to choose, I would say this book will feel like a clash between Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter movies. No, but it just kind of happened that way. Perhaps it’s just because I am a huge fan of the books and the movies.
Themes or Messages
What themes and deeper meanings or messages can we expect to find in this book if any? Is there any deep meanings or philosophical questions being explored in the book?
There is a hidden message about friendship, but I will leave that to the reader to decipher on their own. The philosophical question of good versus evil and who would actually win.
Off the wall question, but would some of the issues being explored in the book relate to us here in the real world?
Not really. It depends on the reader if they feel that connection between my book and the real world. To be honest I want people to pick up my book and take a break from the real world, not looking for comparisons.
Setting
What can you tell us about the setting that we will be seeing in this book?
This book will be set in the days of old, where Kings and Queens ruled the lands. Where Knights protected the weak, and for some honor means everything. Others wish for nothing but power and greed which will cause great wars to break out among neighboring kingdoms. And godly powers will reawaken.
What cultures or societies can we expect to see and can you tell us about how you came up with creating these societies? Was it difficult to get deep into how the societies function?
There is the infamous bandit kingdom, where the new King Of Thieves made a new law. No stealing unless necessary, which brings in a diverse group of people you will read about. I wrote this with the idea of putting a new spin on how bandits are portrayed in most books. It was difficult to make this society seem believable, but I think it came along nicely.
Tell us about the history of the land or world or worlds that we will be exploring throughout the book?
The land has a rich history. A great war broke out many years ago, between a powerful mage that became king. That created the Dark Knights and plunged the world into darkness. It was believed the gods needed help and enlisted the aid of four heroes and gave them weapons infused with the power of the gods themselves. The four heroes defeated the evil king and peace was restored to the world. This history plays an important role in the story of the two main characters.
Characters
What can you tell us about some of the main characters and villains in this book?
Leon and Ulrich are the two main characters of my book. Leon is a good kid he’s just a little headstrong. Always wanting to prove himself as the better half to Ulrich which makes them friends and rivals. He always sees the good in everyone and struggles with how most treat him differently from the others.
Ulrich on the other hand embraces the darkness, shows no mercy towards anyone but Leon. Wants to have the power to change the world as he sees fit and nothing will stop him from his goal. But these aren’t the only characters you will read about, there are many more in Children Of The Cursed.
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