Author Interview & Giveaway: Worthy of Song and Story by Neal Chase

Worthy of Song and Story

Stian the Viking Series

Book One

Neal Chase

Middle Grade Fantasy

Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing

Winter 2016

Book Description:

Twelve year-old Stian’s plans to be The Greatest Viking Ever appear to be over before they even begin. He’s captured by Dahlia—a dark elf and a girl. If that wasn’t bad enough, he discovers he may be the son of Loki, the greatest enemy of the Viking gods and the one foretold to bring about the end of the world.

Knowing he is meant to be extraordinary, Stian decides to discover the truth for himself and free Loki from the clutches of Odin. Only then, will he discover who he is and what he is meant to do.

Stian must out-think, misguide, and defeat Thor’s children. To do this he will need the power of Gram—a sword with magical powers. There is one catch, only one pure of heart with the desire to help others, is worthy of wielding it. If Stian succeeds, he will become the world’s most famous Viking, but if he fails he will fall victim to the gods’ merciless justice.

About the Author:

Neal Chase lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife, two children, two dogs, and a bird, which strangely has the same name as his dad. He is a member of SCBWI and the Writers’ League of Texas. When he is not writing and reading, you can find Neal coaching football or adventuring with the help of his PlayStation.

http://ncchase.com/

https://twitter.com/ncchase

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Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?

I do very little planning before I start writing. I come up with a general idea, the main characters, and maybe jot down some big things I want to happen. After that, I write and see where the story goes. The thing I love most about this approach, is I don’t know what will happen ahead of time, which makes writing the first draft fun.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story? 

All the time. I sit down, start typing and see what the characters do. Often, they do something late in the book that makes me change what they did earlier. Most of the time it works out well, unless someone turns into an axe wielding manic, then I have to put them in time out for a while. When they come back they’re normally well behaved. If not, and they're still an axe wielding manic, I just go with it. After all, it is the character’s story.
What is your favourite food?

I like simple foods, like pizza, hamburgers, and barbecue. I’d probably be exiled from San Antonio if I didn’t include breakfast tacos in my list of favorite foods. In case you didn’t know, you can put anything in a tortilla and it’s instantly good.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I am much more of a morning person than a night owl. I get more done in the morning than any other time of the day, plus the cartoons are normally better.
Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I’d like to travel to the Scandinavian countries and also to the St. Petersburg’s area. Why do you ask? Come on, Vikings, Norse gods, and Peter the Great, how do you beat that?
Do distant places feature in your books?

My debut novel is about the adventures of a young Viking and takes place mainly in Norway, but he also travels to Denmark and Germany. A different story I’m working on is situated in New Orleans.
Do you listen to music while writing?

No, I don’t. I’m way too ADD to do that. I’d wind up singing to the music or changing it all the time and not get any writing done. Being on a computer with instant access to the internet is bad enough. If I added music to it, look out.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?

Worthy of Song and Story is about twelve year old Stian’s quest to be the greatest Viking ever. However, his plans fall apart when he discovers that he could be the son of Loki. The only way he can find out the truth, is to free the person who is supposed to bring about the end of the world.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?

I learned it takes a lot more work to write a book than I thought. When I first sat down and started writing, I thought it was easy. I even thought my first draft was good. I expected any second to be swarmed by an army of agents ready to fight to the death to work with me. So I kicked back in my recliner, got some snacks, and prepared to film the battle royal. It didn’t take long for me to realize that wasn’t going to happen, and if I wanted to get published I needed to write a lot and be prepared for a lot of rejection.
Is there anything you would do differently?

The one thing I would do differently if I started over is to start writing novels sooner. I thought about it for years before I finally sat down and started. I’m sure all the thinking helped, but not as much as putting my fingers to the keyboard and typing would have.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?

My kids probably influenced my writing the most. It’s hard finding books aimed for ten to thirteen year olds that aren’t preachy and have a good story. With all the options available to kids, getting them to sit down and read a book is almost impossible. For them, reading ranks ups there with getting shots. The book has to be entertaining and grab their attention right away. If not, so long book and hello iPad.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?

Read a lot, especially in the genre or age category you want to write. Also, join contests, go to conferences, be active on social media. Writing can be very solitary and full of a lot of rejection. It’s nice to know that you aren’t the only one out there.
What are three words that describe you?

Sleepy, Dopey, and Bashful. Oh, sorry those are dwarves. How about creative, witty, and shy. If you don’t like those, I’ll let you think of your own, as long as they aren’t cuss words, I write middle grade after all.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?

I’m not really sure I have a favorite book or author, but there are a lot that I think are really good. It’s hard being a middle grade or lower young adult author and not to admire J.K. Rowling. The world she created and her ability to draw people into it is amazing. I also think the Magisterium series by Holly Black and Cassandra Clare is very good, as well as the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. In all of them, the authors create characters that readers care about while having a very entertaining story.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book

Twelve year-old Stian’s plans to be the greatest Viking ever appear to be over before they even begin when he’s captured by Dahlia—a dark elf and a girl. If being captured by a girl wasn’t bad enough, he discovers he may be the son of Loki. The same Loki who is the greatest enemy of the Viking gods and the one foretold to bring about the end of the world.

Knowing he is meant to do more than just be an ordinary Viking, Stian decides to discover the truth himself and free Loki from the clutches of Odin. Only then, will he know who he is and what he is meant to do, and maybe, put the so-called gods in their place. But first Stian must out-think, trick, and defeat Thor’s children. To do this he will need the power of Gram—a sword that can cut through anything from stone walls to dragon scales. Only one pure of heart, with the desire to help others, is worthy of wielding the mighty sword. If Stian succeeds, he will become the world’s most famous Viking and make others see him as a hero, but if he fails he will fall victim to the gods’ merciless justice.
List of previous books if any

None, Worthy of Song and Story is my debut novel

Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.

Yes, my website is www.ncchase.com. I can also be reached via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ncchase/ or twitter https://twitter.com/ncchase.

Giveaway:

5 ebook copies Worthy of Song and Story

a Rafflecopter giveaway