Tell
us something really interesting that has happened to you!
The question in itself is
interesting. It forces me to stop and think of what the word “interesting”
means. I have been in social settings where I’ve been asked about my work,
present and prior. I’ve divulged what I could, and would notice eyes slowly
moving toward phones or the door. Silence follows as there is no easy response.
In a sense, I lose my
audience because they cannot relate. I think that the further from “normal” the
story is, the harder it is to connect to. Ironically, and almost paradoxically,
the more extreme a story, the more entertaining it is in a book or on TV.
Some of the less relatable,
yet “interesting,” things that have “happened to” me are:
I have had people try to kill
me (whether by knife, gun, or vehicle), I’ve fallen off a cliff and survived,
I’ve been challenged by kung fu masters in China and won (although I did get
injured pretty badly in one bout), I’ve fast-roped out of helicopters, I’ve evaded
a search party in the mountains for days, I’ve interviewed terrorists and
garnered confessions, I’ve saved lives. These events have partially shaped me.
More importantly, these events allow me create more dynamic scenes in my books.
I draw upon my life experiences to breathe a sense of realism to conflict and
to the characters experiencing it (shameless plug: check out the “Kan Savasci
Cycle” to see what I mean).
More relatable and equally
interesting: I’ve scuba dived (diven, dove?) all over the world (I’ve
encountered sharks, had a dive partner rip my mask off as they ran out of air,
done wreck dives, deep water dives, night dives), I’ve driven a train in Cuba
because the conductor and I were bored and got to talking, I flew a plane over
the Caribbean for the same reasons, I have accidentally met some interesting
people while working as a catering bartender (Al Gore, Montel Williams, the
Kennedys), I’ve loved and lost, I’ve trained and raised a service dog (she was
lovely), and I’ve had the good fortune of traveling around the world meeting
new people and exploring some strange places.
Again, these events improve
my world-building and writing. They allow me to create a more vivid world.
An aside, the crux of
interesting. Often, interesting times are not peaceful times. They are not
always safe. They are rarely pleasant. They can be filled with conflict, which
is the essence of a writer’s tool bag. One cannot write a story with zero
conflict, no one would read it.
Daily life is different,
routine. I’ve met many fascinating people who haven’t done some of the asinine
things I’ve done, and I find them endlessly fascinating. I find them
interesting. It’s not necessarily what we’ve experienced, but what we’ve done,
and what we continue to do as we’re shaped by our experiences that define us.
It is the expression of the collection of one’s life experiences that I find
interesting.
Tears of a Heart
Kan Savasci Cycle Book 1
by Chase Blackwood
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Winner of John E Weaver Excellent Reads Award
#50
of 100 Best Fantasy Series Ever - reedsydiscovery
He's
been called the Scourge of Bodig, the Bane of Verold, but most know
him as the Kan Savasci. He's one of the most feared men alive. Chaos
and war have followed him like an angry shadow.
The
one problem, as the world faces the wrath of forgotten gods, Kan
Savasci is nowhere to be found.
The
annalist, a man trained in the ancient arts of the arkein, has been
tasked to uncover the whereabouts of the Kan Savasci at any cost. In
order to find the man, one must unmask the depths of his reclusive
history.
The
clock is ticking as Verold descends into darkness.
Delve
into an award-winning fantasy novel described as "epic,"
"beautiful," and "reminiscent of Rothfuss' work."
Tower of the Arkein
Kan Savasci Cycle Book 2
2017 Royal Dragonfly E-Book Award Winner, 1st Place
Kan Savasci Cycle Book 2
2017 Royal Dragonfly E-Book Award Winner, 1st Place
Beverley Hills
Book Award Finalist: Fantasy
2017 Best Book Awards Finalist:
Fantasy
#50
of 100 Best Fantasy Series Ever - reedsydiscovery
Trapped
as a slave, facing an impossible decision, Aeden must choose between
his friends and his soul...
The
clock is ticking as the world descends into darkness.
He's
been called the Scourge of Bodig, the Bane of Verold, but most know
him as the Kan Savasci. He's one of the most feared men alive. Chaos
and war have followed him like an angry shadow. The one problem, as
the world faces the wrath of forgotten gods, Kan Savasci is nowhere
to be found.
The annalist, a man trained in the ancient arts
of the arkein, has been tasked to uncover the whereabouts of the Kan
Savasci at any cost. In order to find the man, one must unmask the
depths of his reclusive history.
Into the Fold
Kan Savasci Cycle Book 3
Continue the Award Winning Saga...
Kan Savasci Cycle Book 3
Continue the Award Winning Saga...
For over a millennium The Fold has
been a carefully guarded secret, shrouded in mystery. Within its
shadowy depths the greatest of the old gods had carved a world unto
himself. A place unrivaled in its beauty, obscurity, and
danger.
Trapped within The Fold, under the tutelage of the
last arkeinists, Aeden must overcome his greatest obstacle, or die
trying.
Welcome
to Chase Blackwood's author bio, where he'll try to write something
interesting about his life that captures your attention.
Chase Blackwood's life has been defined by struggle the way a moth battles an insect zapping light. He's studied martial arts since childhood in an effort to overcome fear. He's lived in a half dozen countries in an effort to "find himself," traveled to over 60 countries in an effort to "find humanity," lived in nine states just for the hell of it, oh... and the military has had something to do with that too. Chase has enjoyed combating terrorism, working as a federal agent, and also really likes puppies.
His most recent passion, puppies aside, has been working on the Kan Savasci Cycle, a series of fantasy novels that pulls from his life experiences to make the most vivid world imaginable.
Chase Blackwood's life has been defined by struggle the way a moth battles an insect zapping light. He's studied martial arts since childhood in an effort to overcome fear. He's lived in a half dozen countries in an effort to "find himself," traveled to over 60 countries in an effort to "find humanity," lived in nine states just for the hell of it, oh... and the military has had something to do with that too. Chase has enjoyed combating terrorism, working as a federal agent, and also really likes puppies.
His most recent passion, puppies aside, has been working on the Kan Savasci Cycle, a series of fantasy novels that pulls from his life experiences to make the most vivid world imaginable.
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the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
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