Epic Fantasy
Date Published: July 12, 2018
The Provinces are falling. From the south, the immortal Knights of Galessern raid. From the north, the trees of the Kalen Woods have awoken, and are hungry for their second city. And from the east, Haydren Loren flees a childhood bully whose hate is now fully grown, and capable of murdering his way to becoming the Earl.
Haydren might find safety in the west. Or, he may find himself suddenly forced on a suicidal mission: face and defeat Lasserain, the strongest mage history has ever seen.
His quest is joined by a medley of friends foolish enough to think they might succeed: Geoffrey, a former knight of Rinc Na who betrayed his country and friends, and now seeks forgiveness through this final, desperate act; Sarah, a sorceress who will do anything to prove she is worthy; and Pladt, the famed archer whose only wish is to travel as far and wide as his name.
The God of All only knows the ways they must go - He, and a voice in Haydren’s head that is constantly growing louder.
Insanity. Capture. Death. All roads seem doomed for failure. But they must quickly choose a path, for Lasserain’s full fury is descending, and no one else has been able to stop it.
Interview with Daniel Dydek
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in By Ways Unseen?
Sure! So Haydren showed up one day covered
in blood, no idea who he is – but he’s really good with a sword. He’s also
considered a commoner, and suspected of not even being Cariste, so when his
skill lands him in the Royal Elite School of Swordsmen, he faces a little bit
of dissension. Geoffrey is a former knight, something happened to him too since
he has literally been chased by the authorities across the known world; he just
wants to find a place to live out the rest of his life in peace. Pladt is a
famous archer, but he’s not allowed to leave the city limits; so when Haydren
and Geoffrey come along looking for a companion to accompany them to the far
side of the country he’s got some decisions to make. Sarah is overlooked
because she’s not a wizard, and because she’s not a man; she just want a chance
to prove herself – but, when that chance finally comes, it seems like
everything goes wrong.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have
planned for the future?
They’re not too far behind this one
– my second book is out to Beta Readers already, and I’m about 30% done with
the first draft of 3. I should probably forewarn folks that we’re changing
characters and settings each book for a while, and you’ll see why as we go. So
for Book Two we’re with a young woman named Catie and a little revolution going
on in Andelen, a continent north of Burieng. Then, when this series is done, I
have two other worlds I want to work on as well. So, lots more to come!
How
long would you say it takes you to write a book?
Um, pass haha. Well, By Ways Unseen was rough; I started it back in 2002 and finished
the first draft in summer ’05; rewrote it from scratch once, let it sit for a
good minute, edited it some more, let it sit… Book Two took me something like
two years to write, with a little bit of time off in the middle of it as well.
Book Three is on track to take me less than a year – I started in earnest on
February 12, have it close to 25k words now, and I’m hoping to have it to Alpha
Readers this fall/winter.
What
is your favorite childhood book?
Hardy Boys. I haven’t read any of them
lately, but I devoured them when I was little. The originals, from like the
50’s; not the newer Casefiles. I actually didn’t start reading fantasy, really,
till after starting to write this book.
If
you could spend the day with one of the characters from By Ways Unseen who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this
particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Probably Pladt because he’s not as
downtrodden as any of the other characters haha. He’s still out to enjoy the
adventure and see new places. I’d probably have him show me around his
hometown, and if we could I’d like to go see the Cliffs of Ives – we don’t have
a chance to go there in the book but I think it would be fun. And Mount Thoret.
What
was the hardest scene from By Ways Unseen
to write?
The chapters in the Northern Forest/Kalen
Woods. As a writer, you want to express the fear and uncertainty that the
characters felt; but you’re physically only halfway through the book so – as a
reader – you kind of assume the book doesn’t end there. So I think you lose
some of that fear just because of that.
What
made you want to become a writer?
Oh, gee, I’ve just been writing forever. I
recently posted the first story I ever wrote on my blog, that I penned when I
was eight. I read a lot, growing up, but was never totally satisfied with the
stories – they didn’t go the way I
wanted them to. So yes, I’m one of those writers who decided to write the book
I wanted to read.
Just
for fun
(a
Favorite song: Django/Mountain Time – Joe Bonamassa Live at Beacon Theatre.
Also “I Am A Gummy Bear (English)” can always make me smile no matter what mood
I’m in.
(b
Favorite book: I would say the Bible, but it’s sort of a bunch of books –
same with The Deed of Paksenarrion.
So, probably book two of that series: “Divided Allegiance” by Elizabeth Moon. And
the epistle of James.
(c
Favorite movie: Wonder Boys with Michael Douglas, Tobey Maguire, Robert
Downey Jr., Katie Holmes, and Frances McDormand. I also can’t figure out why I
like the animated Dragons of Autumn Twilight.
(d
Favorite tv show: The Red Green Show
(e
Favorite Food: Casseroles, because they reheat so well and if you stir them
it doesn’t matter
(f
Favorite drink: Sweet ice tea
(g
Favorite website: Um, YouTube? Oh, and www.etymonline.com.
English is fascinating.
Thanks
so much for visiting with us today!
Thanks for having me!
About the Author
Daniel Dydek was born in Raccoon Township, PA, where he dreamed of living out west. So far, he’s made it to Ohio, where he lives with his wife. He began writing at age 8, and never really stopped. After three years with the US Army, he went to get his Bachelor’s degree in English Writing from Geneva College of Beaver Falls PA, and is currently finishing up a Master’s degree in Natural Resources from Virginia Tech. Besides writing, he also enjoys mountain biking, reading, coffee shops, book stores, and Durango Colorado.
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