Seven Star Singles Interview with Stephen Zimmer

I just want to say a quick thanks to Stephen Zimmer and to Seventh Star Press.  Thanks so much for coming on the blog today and agreeing to do this interview! Also thanks so much for the amazing books you publish at Seventh Star Press and for allowing me to read and review them.  

Alright so on with the interview... If you don't know Stephen Zimmer, you can find out more about him and his amazing books:  here

1.       How do you feel about your amazing books being available through ebooks?

Hi Ali!   Thank you very much for having me on your blog, and for calling my books amazing!  What a way to start an interview, LOL.   

There is nothing that compares to holding a beautiful hardcover in your hands of a book you wrote, but eBooks are here to stay, and I want my work to be available to all my readers in the format they prefer.  Fortunately, the eBook versions of my novels contain the wonderful interior artwork that Matt Perry did for them that is in the print versions, so everything is there.   With over fifty illustrations contained in my first five novels, readers get a nice art collection along with the books!

When it comes to the new Seventh Star Singles, with my new short stories in the Chronicles of Ave and Annals of the Rising Dawn Collection, eBook versions are the only viable option, as putting out shorter fiction in print would be entirely too expensive.   I am really excited about these short stories and can see myself always having these coming out for my reader to enjoy.  They give my readers much more to explore, and as stand-alone stories are nice introductions to my worlds and writing.  They are friendly on the budget too, at just 99 cents.

2.       How long have you been writing?

I have been writing seriously since  my college years, in terms of writing with a focus towards getting something published.  So it has been a little while, as I finished college back in the mid 90's, about the time that I began to write what would become the Fires in Eden series and the Rising Dawn Saga.  It took a long time to get to where I felt the material was good enough to take to an editor, but in the process I developed a ton of content and notes!   Now, all of those years of blood, sweat, and a few tears really pay off when it comes to these new eBook short stories, as I have a nice treasure trove to work from LOL!

3.       What made you pick the genre you write?

I blame my mother!  Haha!  Seriously, she read me the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Hobbit aloud, about a chapter a night, when I was close to seven.  She followed that up with buying me the Chronicles of Narnia books.  That set my love of fantasy into high gear, and I've never looked back. 

4.       Tell the readers a bit about your amazing books?

I have two primary novel series. 

One is the Fires in Eden series, which is large-scale epic fantasy that follows a group of characters from today's world that get taken into a fantastical world called Ave.  Once they are there, and the reader begins to meet the inhabitants of that world, some of my threads follow the characters in Ave as well as the modern day ones.  They find themselves in Ave at the brink of a major war, in two lands about to be invaded by an enigmatic figure called the Unifier.  The story will take the reader far across Ave as the events unfold, and the reasons for the modern day characters' presence is gradually revealed.   As it stands now, there are two titles available, the latest being Dream of Legends, and there will be about seven or eight books in all.   Book Three comes out in the spring.

The Chronicles of Ave eBook short stories fall into this world, covering various places, characters, and events from across Ave's history.

The Rising Dawn Saga is true epic-scale urban fantasy.  This one is steeped more heavily in myth and the supernatural, as the action takes place in a parallel world similar to our own and non-physical, or spiritual, realms both heavenly and hellish.  A movement called the Convergence is bringing the world together under a single political and economic order, while a cosmic war is taking place.   A diverse group of characters who find out about this struggle, and the existence of the Convergence and the ongoing war, begin to resist what is happening in their world.  This series takes on flavors of the dystopian and apocalyptic, and readers of urban fantasy will find something very different from what they typically find in this genre.   Three books are out now, the latest being The Seventh Throne which came out in August, with about seven projected.  Look for book four in the fall/early winter of 2012.

Annals of the Rising Dawn eBook short stories are derived from this world, in tales spanning across the history of the world and the conflict between Adonai and Diabolos. 

I also write the Harvey and Solomon stories in the steampunk genre, following a man in the Order of the Numinous who is accompanied by his cat, Harvey, as they confront the darker things of the world.  The first two tales are in Dreams of Steam and Dreams of Steam II: Brass and Bolts, both from Kerlak Publishing.  I plan on doing a lot more with Harvey and Solomon in the future.

5.       Where do you get the ideas for your books? What was your inspiration?

The Fires in Eden series derived from my own fantasy of stepping out of this world and into a magical, fantastical one.  So in a way, it is my personal fantasy, LOL!   The Rising Dawn Saga derived from the kinds of trends and things I've noticed across the course of history that tend to trouble me.  It is a fantastical tale, but in a lot of ways is an exploration of the things transpiring in our own world. 

6.       Are there any authors that inspire you?

Oh yes, many authors.  I have to salute J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, who were the first writers I looked up to.  I also have to salute writers such as Glen Cook, Clive Barker, R.A. Salvatore, Piers Anthony, Sir Walter Scott, George R.R. Martin, and others who have inspired me since.  Now that I am out on the convention circuit, I get inspired by many of my fellow authors, from the other Seventh Star Press writers, who have increasingly become like family to me, to individuals such as the hugely talented Eric Wilson.  Eric wrote the amazing Jerusalem Undead trilogy, which is a real gem to those who want a fresh vampire tale that is different from the million and five Twilight knockoffs out there.

7.       If you’re a reader also, what are you reading right now?

I just finished George R.R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons recently.  I'm finishing up Eric Wilson's trilogy, and also completed founding Kiss member Ace Frehley's  biography that was recently released.   Three quite different reads, but all immensely enjoyable! 

8.       Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers?

Thank you for reading this interview and letting me introduce myself.  Don't be a stranger, I strive to be highly accessible, so be sure to connect with me on facebook, email, or twitter, and let me know what you think, or ask me any questions you might have.  If you become one of my readers, know that I take my commitment to you very, very seriously, and that I put all my heart into bringing you the best books I can, and new adventures to enjoy.  Authors cannot exist without readers, something that many writers tend to forget sometimes, unfortunately.  I will not keep you waiting overlong for new books either! LOL   Know that I will work to bring you a range and depth of content with my series that is rarely found in the genre, another reflection of my commitment to you.  Let's take the journey together! 

Again, thank you for having me on your blog, Ali!  It was a great visit! :)