Fantasy
Date Published: 05-22-2024
Publisher: Evolved Publishing
If you had the chance to remake the world, what kind of world would you choose?
When tragedy strikes Lucas Mack's young life, he desperately yearns to escape its sorrow, and takes an improbable leap through the mythical maelstrom. Rather than splashing down on the far side like his neighbors, he's transported to a magical realm where he has the power to redefine not only who he is, but the world in which he resides.
As he stumbles about trying to find his way, he meets Mia, an equally troubled fellow pilgrim. With the help of a mystical guide and an aging wizard, they navigate the enchanted land while learning to control their newfound powers. Yet this realm is more complex than they expected, with seasoned sorcerers who've been corrupted by the sinister side of magic.
Limited by natural law and seduced by magic's power, they are tested as never before. Will the gift of magic bring renewed hope or drive them to the edge of the void?
Interview with David Litwack
What was your hardest scene to write?
Maybe chapter 23 Final Test. Lucas and Mia are on their own for the first time since their training completed, still unaware how much their powers have grown. But as their mentor taught them, magic is less about power but rather how one chooses to apply it. And that is the true test of character.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My first three books, The Seekers Series, was a dystopian trilogy. Since then, my books have been stand-alone but each with an alternate world/alternate reality. The primal challenge for my characters is to find their grounding in whatever reality they find themselves in.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
I wanted to explore how one copes when their world has been shattered. How do they recover and construct a new reality from the ashes?
What inspired you to write The Maker of Worlds?
This idea began when I’d gone for a walk to the Locks in Ballard, Washington. The locks allow boats to pass from Puget Sound to Lake Washington, adjusting for a water height difference that can be as much as thirty feet. I watched as a modest sailboat with a lone sailor on board entered. The massive iron gate closed behind him, and the water began to drain. The level lowered leaving him with four surrounding walls well above his head, obscuring the view of what lay beyond.
When the level had settled, the gate in front began to creak open. I imagined what might happen if he found on the other side, not the familiar lake, but a new and unexpected scene. What if he saw something more like a magical realm that let him leave his troubles behind and provide the opportunity to conjure a new world.
Can you tell us a little bit about the next books in The Maker of Worlds or what you have planned for the future?
My first three books were sci-fi, the next alternate world and lately I’ve moved into fantasy. I’ve loved my turn to fantasy and the freedom it gives me (anything is possible). With the Make of Worlds just completed. I’m tempted to return to SciFi.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Maker of Worlds?
Lucas and Mia have both experienced loss in their old world, their prior lives gone. The maelstrom only works as a portal for those desperate enough to want to create a new reality. In the Enchanted Lands, they are given the opportunity to redefine who they want to be. But despite the magic of the portal, they discover that they each still bring the burden of their old lives with them.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
An author’s job is to create a challenge for the characters and make them struggle to find resolution. In this case, two lost souls needed to rediscover the spark of hope that had been suppressed by events in order to move forward. To a certain extent, characters drive the plot. There were points in the story where I wasn’t sure they could overcome their pasts, but they proved me wrong. I’m proud of them.
About the Author
The urge to write first struck at age sixteen when working on a newsletter at a youth encampment in the woods of northern Maine. It may have been the wild night when lightning flashed at sunset followed by the northern lights rippling after dark. Or maybe it was the newsletter's editor, a girl with eyes the color of the ocean. But he was inspired to write about the blurry line between reality and the fantastic.
Using two fingers and lots of white-out, he religiously typed five pages a day throughout college and well into his twenties. Then life intervened. He paused to raise two sons and pursue a career, in the process -- and without prior plan -- becoming a well-known entrepreneur in the software industry, founding several successful companies. When he found time again to daydream, the urge to write returned.
David now lives in the Great Northwest. He no longer limits himself to five pages a day and is thankful every keystroke for the invention of the word processor.
Contact Links
Facebook: David Litwack - Author
Twitter: @DavidLitwack
1 comments:
The blurb and interview were good. Thanks for sharing.
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