Our SPFBOX interviews continue with Nikki McCormack, author of Child of Vanris.
SPFBO (the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off) is a free online contest run by author Mark Lawrence. 300 authors compete across ten judging teams to see who will be the winner! You can read more about the contest here.
INTERVIEW WITH NIKKI MCCORMACK
Tell us a little about yourself and let our readers know which blog you’ve been assigned to for SPFBOX!
Outside of my writing, I am an expert spider wrangler, animal lover, and devoted cat mom. Writing fantasy and science fiction stories has been a lifelong passion for me. I started my first book at the age of 11. Over the years, I have enjoyed a variety of activities including everything from wild cave exploration and horseback riding to practicing iaido and archery (some of which I initially started doing for book research). I also love reading, video games, and table-top rpgs.
My SPFBO book, Child of Vanris, the Warden’s Son Book one, is assigned to Philip Chase’s team.
What inspired you to write this book?
Interestingly, this book was inspired by the backstory I created for a table-top rpg character. The characters themselves are extremely different, and the story for the book diverges dramatically from that of my D&D character, but that is where it started.
Can you tell us a little bit about your writing or editing process? What’s most exciting to you about writing or editing?
I am very much a discovery writer. I usually have an idea of the important things, like goals, obstacles, overall plot, and maybe some side plots before I start writing. I love discovering new worlds through my characters and watching the story change a grow as they become more real and take over the narrative.
I also love the editing process that, for me, involves at least four edit passes intermixed with alpha and beta readers, reading it out loud, and a professional editor. Watching the story improve along the way is one of my favorite parts of the creative process.
One of the strongest aspects of the story comes in the connection between certain characters. I really hope that people fall in love with Kasiel and his companions the same way I did and just have a really fantastic time going on this adventure with them.
Who or what have been your major literary influences?
What makes your SPFBOX book unique?
Do you have a favourite character from your SPFBOX entry? Tell us about them!
Kasiel. He starts the story really knowing very little about the world outside his village. He finds courage to face betrayal and hardship in himself, but also in the people who support him along the way. He embraces what he learns about his changing world and his place in it and, despite how deeply he has been hurt, he holds onto the kindness that makes the people in his life want to help him succeed.
I love discovering new worlds through my characters and watching the story change a grow as they become more real and take over the narrative.
How does your work fit into (or challenge) its genre?
I think the story is very true to the epic fantasy genre in the extensive world-building and familiar elements like magic (though it is extremely limited) and fantasy creatures (though the creatures themselves are my own creations). It does deviate from some of the current popular genre trends such as cozy fantasy (nope, we’re real and gritty) and romantasy (there is a dash of romance, but it plays a very small role). I think it has a lot that will appeal to fans of traditional epic fantasy along with some strong friendship/found family themes.
What do you hope readers take away from your SPFBOX entry?
A desire to read the rest of the series?!
On a more serious note, I think one of the strongest aspects of the story comes in the connection between certain characters. I really hope that people fall in love with Kasiel and his companions the same way I did and just have a really fantastic time going on this adventure with them.
What are you currently working on?
Child of Vanris
At five years old, Kasiel was found with the pointed ends of his ears cut off. Despite that brutal start, he’s lived twelve peaceful years with the man who took him in. Keeping his hair long over his mutilated ears helps him hide the fact that he is Vanrian, a child of the enemy.
Everything changes when mercenaries arrive hunting for Kasiel. The last people he expects to come to his rescue are Vanrian soldiers, one of whom claims to be his spirit brother, whatever that means. They plan to take him across the war zone to deliver him to his real father, a man whose name strikes terror in his enemies.
With his secret exposed, Kasiel can’t return to his old home. This is his chance to find out who he was supposed to be. It means traveling to a foreign land where they have unusual psychic abilities he may share. It also means leaving behind everything he’s ever cared about. If he is to survive, he will need to learn their language and culture and earn his place in their society.
Meanwhile, the man who cut Kasiel’s ears will do anything to keep him out of his true father’s hands, even if it means killing him.
Add Child of Vanris on Goodreads.
Purchase Child of Vanris from Amazon.
Outside of my career as an author, I am a professional technical and creative writer, spider wrangler, animal lover, and devoted cat mom. Writing fantasy and science fiction stories has been a lifelong passion for me. I love to include in my work the diversity I see around me and draw upon my myriad life experiences doing everything from wild cave exploration and competitive horseback endurance riding to practicing iaido and archery.
Grand Prize Winner of 2015 Dante Rossetti Award for Young Adult Fiction for The Girl and the Clockwork Cat
Finalist in the 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards for The Keeper
Finalist in the 2016 Cygnus Award for Science Fiction and Speculative Fiction for Dissident
My short story, In Silence Waiting was a Writer’s of the Future finalist.
