Now that Maynard Trigg is out, we sat down with the author, David, to talk about what it's like to be a published author, and some of the most unexpected outcomes of the process.
Q: So, the book is out, what's it like to finally be a published author?
I think everyone expects you to have a clever answer to that - like "I woke up and everything had changed" - but honestly, it's just really cool to see it out there, and to be able to hold the book.
The most interesting thing has been handing people a business card at events - you know, networking things - and the business card has author written on it and the url to the website where they can buy the book. It's somehow surreal to point people to a storefront where they can find my work.
Q: I can imagine there's a follow-up when you hand them the card and they read that, what do you usually say when they ask what the book is about?
I'm still struggling to do that without being self-conscious, but I'm getting there. The main thing I say is that it's a young adult fiction dark fantasy story - but it's character driven and really focused on delivering a punchy, compelling mystery.
Q: Is there something about those conversations that surprises you?
It didn't surprise me, but I really surprised someone yesterday. We were talking about the book, and I mentioned that it was sort of like Firefly meets Fallout meets sky pirates, and they asked how I went with the world building. Which isn't something I'd thought about in a while, because the world and concepts have been around in my head and writing for a few years.
Q: That is kind of funny. Is there anything you'd want to say to people interested in the book?
Just that I'm really proud of what we've made, and I think it's really something I would've loved to read but couldn't find elsewhere. It's got a lot of character and heart, but it's also an adventure and a mystery.
If you want to learn more about the book, you can read the first chapter for free here: https://maynardtrigg.com/pages/Book-Preview