Book Tour Q&A: The Forbidden Realms by H.C. Newell
- Fiction Fans
- Jun 11, 2023
- 4 min read
Today we're taking part in the book tour organized by Escapist Book Company for The Forbidden Realms by H.C. Newell! Continue reading for the book blurb and a Q&A with the author.
About the book
Nerana is a sorceress. An exile. The Child of Skye.
And she isn’t alone.
After a vicious attack against the Order of Saro, Nerana finds herself lost in the wastelands of Aragoth. Forbidden of humans or evae, the desert is a land teeming with fire and vengeance, and Nerana’s only hope for survival lies in the trust of another.
Aélla, a powerful evaesh sorceress, travels the desert on a pilgrimage of sacrifice and strength. Determined to enter the Realm of Elements and see her quest complete, she must survive the hardened warriors of the desert, the vaxros, who banished her kind from their land centuries ago.
But the vaxros aren’t the only threat, and the weight of such imbalance could shift the fate of the world.
On to the interview...!
Thank you so much for joining us for this Q&A! We’ll start off with one of our standard podcast opening questions–tell us something great that’s happened recently.
I entered SPFBO!
What are you currently reading or what’s up next on your TBR?
I’m working on book three of my series, Shadows of Nyn’Dira
How different is the final version of this book from the first draft?
It has changed TREMENDOUSLY. Tons of things changed while writing this book. Characters like Thallon weren’t in ANY of the first drafts – at all. Lots of scenes, cultures, backstory, and events never existed until the final draft.
Just for perspective, my first draft had one fight scene in it… if you’ve read the book you’ll know just how different that turned out lol!
When you started the series, did you have a clear idea in mind for how you wanted to continue it in subsequent books? How, if at all, has that changed while writing this book?
I had an overall view of what I wanted, and of course the end was planned from the beginning. A lot has changed, such as adding multiple POVs and novellas. Those were never an option in my head when starting the series, which is why book 1 only has Neer’s POV. I realized just how big this story is and decided to split it up.
How do you manage character growth vs consistency over a multi-book arc?
I don’t focus too much on arcs and things like that, otherwise things tend to feel forced. The characters are people and they grow/react in a way that’s natural for them. Of course, I’ll change things around if their actions don’t fit the story/narrative, but for the most part the story just comes alive as I write it, and things typically just fall into place.
If you could sit down to dinner with one of your characters, which one would it be?
Avelloch. 🥵
Which location that appears on the page in the book would you like to visit?
The magical realms. Probably the realm of wind.
Which do you find harder, starting a series or continuing a series?
Continuing it. I’m not a major plotter, so it’s much much harder to continue a series when things aren’t planned to a T from the beginning. I usually get into the groove, knock out 10 chapters in a week, and then I’ll get to a pivotal plot moment, take a week to figure it out, and continue.
Has your favorite character to write changed from book to book?
I don’t really have a favorite character to write. Gil and Reiman have always been my least favorite to write because Gil’s accent is very hard to keep consistent, plus he’s super witty, which I am not lol Reiman is difficult because he’s much more serious, wiser, and smarter than me.
Would you say that this book went through more or less extensive editing than your previous books? If yes, why do you think that is?
More. In terms of editing, I’m speaking of rewriting the drafts and getting things perfect before final editing happened. The desert, I found, is hard to write, especially if you want to bring something new and exciting to the table. Most desert themes are the same, and I’m never a fan of it. Balancing two antagonists is also very challenging.
If you had to swap the roles of two of your characters, which would be more disastrous to the story?
The only character I could trade places with and not have a disastrous effect on the story would be Loryk lmao
In your opinion, what kind of reader would like this book?
Someone who doesn’t have many triggers, enjoys darker themes, appreciates action sequences and a fast-paced plot, and someone who doesn’t need their hand held while reading. Things are explained and easy to follow, but I like readers to figure things out as they go. I try to avoid spelling things out for you if I can.
Do you have a favorite quote from this book that you can share with us? What about this quote in particular makes it your favorite?
“We are what we choose to be”
I like this quote because I want to remind the reader that there is no prophesied chosen one here. Some of the characters are born into extraordinary situations, but they know that they were not fated to be this way. They always have the option to choose their path and figure things out in another way.
Is there anything you can tell us about any current projects you’re working on?
I’m currently working on the third book in the series, which is projected to release later this summer!
Where to buy the book:
Author Direct (signed): https://www.hcnewell.com/store
