We have the pleasure of meeting Linvin Grithinshield, a character from Repercussions Abound.
We'll get a chance to talk to the author, Rival Gates, in a bit, but now we have on the stage...Linvin!
Interview
Marie Lavender: Hello, Linvin. Please have a seat.
Character Linvin Grithinshield: Hello, Marie.
Marie: We're going to start out with some simple questions, okay?
Linvin: All right.
Marie: So, what is your occupation? Are you any good at it? Do you like it?
Linvin: When
I am not off on one of my adventures I run the largest retail chain of stores
in Lavacia. I am among the richest men
alive. I excel at my work because I have
a firm understanding of accounting and can see through lies and deception. I like my work very much.
Marie: Interesting!
So, tell us...what is your family like?
Linvin: Both
of my parents were killed which basically leaves me with my twin cousins who I
only recently became on good terms with. That leaves my uncle Anvar who has
stepped in and been a father figure since mine died when I was a boy. I recently lost my memory and took a wife
during that time. My feelings on the
matter are unclear. It is something I
will have to work out after I hopefully save Anvar from his kidnappers.
Marie: All right. Sorry to hear about your parents. And I hope you find him too...
Let's try something else.
Linvin: I
lived in a small mansion when I was little. Then my father found out I was supposed to one
day be the master of the Red Sapphire.
For that I needed training. It
meant sleeping on the ground. I was sent
away to be taught warfare in Valia. When
I was old enough I joined the army and my career flowered from there.
Marie: Do you have any
hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?
Linvin: I am very skilled with a bow. I like to
shoot for practice and hunt as time permits.
Marie: Nice!
So, what is your greatest dream, Linvin?
Linvin: To save my uncle and never have problems with the Mandreans again.
Marie: Okay.
Let's try a different question.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you?
Linvin: I wish I could just be a man who raised his own family in peace. I could run my business full time and crest a House of Grithinshield in society. Sadly, I cannot commit to those things because the Red Sapphire is always going to pull me away to someone who needs my help. A family would not work.
Marie: Sorry to hear that... :(
If it's not too painful or personal, can you tell us one thing? Who was your first love?
Linvin: There
were women who came and left in my life but my first true love was Princess
Mirianna of Romadon. We were inseparable. It was our plan to marry but the Red Sapphire
reminded me of my responsibilities.
Marie: I see.
And what's the most terrible thing that ever happened to you, Linvin?
Linvin: Being struck on the head and losing my memory reroute to saving Anvar.
Marie: So sorry...
(Pauses.)
Let's try another question, shall we?
(Nods.)
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved that dream, why not?
Linvin: I
dreamt of being Commander of all Valia’s forces. During my time there I achieved that
goal. It was not as glamorous as I had
expected. It soon became one goblin
slaughter after another and after each one I was patted on the back and
congratulated. The blood…I could never
escape the black goblin blood.
Marie: Wow! Sounds terrifying.
So, who is your role model, Linvin?
Linvin: My father is my role model. He ran a world-class business and was a great warrior at the same time. Everyone loved him which facilitated his making deals in traditionally hard to negotiate areas.
Marie: He sounds like a great man.
So, is there someone you pretend to like but really dislike?
Linvin: All of Society in Sartan’s capital of Fraylic. Bluebloods make me sick.
Marie: All right.
What is your deepest desire then?
Linvin: My deepest desire is to raise a family without the specter of a Dark Age just around the corner.
Marie: I can't blame you there...
And what is your greatest fear?
Linvin: My fear is that the Dark Age will come and I won’t be able to stop it.
Marie: That's quite a burden on your shoulders. But I have no doubt you'll figure it out. :)
Well, it looks like we're running out of time, Linvin. Thank you for visiting us today.
It
was so interesting getting to know you. (Waves at her guest as he heads
off the stage.) Now, let's shift over and get the author's perspective.
We have Rival Gates on the stage today!
Hi, Rival!
Author Rival Gates: Hello! It's a pleasure to be here!
Marie: (Smiles.)
Welcome back to Writing in the Modern Age!
So,
we just got to talk to a male character from your story...Linvin. Quite an interesting character. Can you tell us a little about him?
Rival: Linvin is a muscular half-elf standing about 6’ tall with pointed
ears and the swarthy complexion of an elf.
He has superior skill with the sword or the bow. Linvin lives by a code of ethics and that,
along with his skills attracted the Red Sapphire to him.
Marie: Wow! He sounds awesome!
Let's
try a different question.
What
are your character's greatest strengths?
Rival: His skills in
battle as well as his ability to quickly think up a battle plan.
Marie: Okay.
So,
what are his greatest weaknesses?
Rival: He shows mercy when it could be argued he shouldn’t.
Marie: I see.
So,
what are some of his favorite foods?
Rival: Bread dipped in
honey.
Marie: Yummy!
What's a positive quality that your character is unaware he or she has?
Rival: Restraint.
Marie: (Laughs.) Well, I think we all could use a bit of that now and then.
So, will readers like or dislike this character, and why?
Rival: This is the protagonist and the
readers should love him. Whatever he
does has good intentions. He is no
pushover, though. Even when the odds are
stacked against him, he thinks of a way to prevail.
Marie: Nice!
Well, now that we have a real taste of Linvin Grithinshield, we have a few questions
for you as well as the author.
What first gave you the idea for Repercussions Abound?
Rival: I’m a happy ending kind of
person. But as the story took shape I
found the characters were losing in the end.
So I decided to have a book where everyone loses in some fashion in the
end. It is all the effect a couple of
people’s actions, so I called it Repercussions Abound.
Marie: Interesting!
What is your writing style like, Rival? Are you a pantster or a plotter?
Rival: I am definitely a plotter. Everything is planned to work together like a
symphony.
Marie: Great!
So...I'm throwing this one in for our aspiring writers.
Did
you come across any specific challenges in writing Repercussions Abound, or
getting it published? What would you do differently next time?
Rival: I would write a shorter first novel. My first work was nearly 1,000 pages long. I finally had to split it in half to sell it and even then it is long. Try to stay around 250 pages.
Marie: Wow! Thanks for the tips!
It
was such a pleasure having you on Writing in the Modern Age, Rival. We
hope you can come back sometime soon!
Rival:
Thank you for having me here.
Marie:
Of course! :)
Readers,
here is a blurb for Repercussions Abound.
Here is an excerpt from the book.
Mandrean was annoyed, but in control. “My subjects
have made do for the last two winters and shall do so again. The person who
should be most concerned about winter coming is you. I confess when I gave
Linvin until the first frost to arrive here, I thought I might have been too
generous in my timetable. After all, if the two of you are as close I am led to
believe, he should have moved with all haste to get here. Now the crops are
nearly harvested and the frost could arrive any night. Still there is no sign
of your nephew.
“I believe my information to be correct about the
two of you, so that leaves me with one explanation. Something or someone has
delayed or prevented Linvin from coming at this point in time. But who could
have stopped my worthy opponent? Surely no one under my command would impede
his progress. I want him here so I may have the pleasure of killing him myself.
I suspect others want him here as well for their own reasons. Regardless of
which, there is no obstruction coming from Marinhalk. So where is he?”
“Maybe the information about your bond was
exaggerated and he sees no reason to throw his life away on a fool’s errand. It
is logical. I certainly would not do it for anyone else.”
“Perhaps he is testing my resolve. He wants to see
if I will follow through with my threat. After all, if I killed you, I would
have nothing to hold over his head. Of course, if you were not the right
pressure point, I would kidnap his cousins, Bander and Rander, so I could start
this game all over again.”
“That would do you no good,” Anvar laughed. “While
they have made headway in their relationship these past few years, Linvin cares
nowhere near for them the amount he does for me. I doubt he would leave his
tree for them.”
Mandrean became flustered and stood in front of his
throne. “If he cares so much for you then where is Grithinshield?”
Anvar stood straight and tall in front of the
emperor. “You said it yourself. He must have been delayed in a manner of which
we are unaware. One thing I am certain of, though, is that Linvin will come if
there is breath in his body. He may not make it in time to save me, but he will
come. When he arrives, I would not want to be you. He will be sure to finish
you this time. Bringing Linvin here will be the last mistake you ever make.”
“This fight will be different. I have you as a
hostage.”
Anvar leaned forward and said, “Suppose he doesn’t
care. He knows you will kill me regardless. Why surrender to your threats? What
else do you have?”
Mandrean began to stammer and sat down. “I have the
Blue Sapphire.”
“You had it before and Linvin beat you. What else do
you have?”
“I have the staff for it now.”
“That only makes your magic equal to his and as you
know, they cancel each other out. Therefore, it doesn’t matter. What else do
you have?”
“I have an army.”
“Linvin killed nearly seven legions almost entirely
by himself last time you fought and still had strength to defeat you. What else
do you have?”
“I have my superior fighting skills.”
“The same skills Linvin faced while half dead and
still was able to stab you and leave you for the buzzards? That’s your last
line of defense? You had better make sure Linvin is more tired this
time.”
Purchase
Links:
Amazon
Universal link: http://bookgoodies.com/a/B01LX8VHGY
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/repercussions-abound-rival-gates/1124652957Publisher: http://sarahbookpublishing.com/product/repercussions-abound/
Sounds interesting! Readers,
don't forget to pick up a copy of Rival Gates' awesome new book, which just released this week! Get your copy today! :)
About Rival Gates:
I was born in
Port Huron, Michigan USA and moved to a suburb of Toronto, ON, Canada at age
five. My father was a technical writer
and magazine editor while my mother was a high school teacher. Always interested in creative writing, I
participated in many contests in grammar school which led me to start writing
my own short stories. At age thirteen I
began working on one, which kept developing and progressing until I had a
hand-written manuscript for Quest for the Red Sapphire at age fifteen. The project was shelved for many years
through high school and then returning to the USA to attend Michigan State
University. I graduated with a degree in
Communication and found that I had a gift and enthusiasm for speaking in
public. That led me to a career in
furniture store management and sales.
With my first PC
I dusted off my old story and began to revise it. Not a day had passed since I first created
the story that I did not consider some aspect of its outline. An entire series was planned and put in order
to be written. Backstories were formed
and the series was ready to produce.
After years of
refinement of the stories, my mother came to me with a terminal illness and
made me promise to publish the books. So
I did just that.
I found a wonderful
agent and published the first three books of my series, The Sapphire
Chronicles. They are Quest for the Red
Sapphire, The Sapphire Crucible, Mandrean Revenge and Repercussions Abound. The series keeps on growing.
Author
Links:
Website: http://www.rivalgates.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1qqrjiB
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rivalgates1
Amazon
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Rival-Gates/e/B00I3Q5YIG/
Rival's
Books:
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