Today marks the official kickoff of the Voice of War Book Tour presented by Storytellers On Tour, and throughout the week we’ve got a great lineup helping us spotlight this incredible Epic Fantasy adventure! Voice of War is the first installment in Zack Argyle’s Threadlight series, and one I’m very much looking forward to reading. Zack was kind enough to stop by to have a chat about his book, his Bilbo Hobbit hole writing den (I reeeeally wish this was true), and his experiences with SPFBO, so keep scrolling for the tour schedule, more info about the book, and the interview.
We’ve enlisted a group of wonderful and talented bloggers and Bookstagrammers to help us feature Voice of War. This is what we have going on, so make sure to check out each and every one throughout the week for some brilliant content, including reviews, interviews, and more.
The Tour
JULY 12TH–THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder
—
JULY 13TH
The Sword Smith
Randi in Horrorland
@aliza_khan2627
—
JULY 14TH
Book Bustle
I Can Has Books?
Kerri McBookNerd
—
JULY 15TH
Susy’s Cozy World
@caitsbooksandbeats
An Antidote For Boredom
—
JULY 16TH
Foals, Fiction & Filigree
Cosmic Lattes and Books
@bibliophilesandcoffee
—
JULY 17TH
FanFiAddict
The Grimdragon
booksnbites
—
JULY 18TH–THE ENCORE
RockStarlit BookAsylum
For more about this tour visit Storytellers On Tour.
The Book
SERIES: Threadlight (#1)
PUBLISHED: March 19, 2020 (Self-published)
PAGES: 370
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
AVAILABLE AT
ALSO AVAILABLE ON
The Blurb
While preparing for the birth of his first child, Chrys Valerian is tasked with uncovering the group responsible for a series of missing threadweavers—those able to see and manipulate threadlight. With each failure, the dark voice in his head that began during the war grows louder, begging to be released.
Laurel lives in Zedalum, a secret city in the center of the Fairenwild. During her most recent messenger run, Laurel veered off course to explore the streets of Alchea. She never expected that her journey would end in chains.
When Chrys learns who is responsible for the missing threadweavers, they come for him and his family. He must do everything in his power to protect those he loves, even if it means trusting a strange girl or the dark voice in his mind.
Meet The Author
WEBSITE: https://www.zackargyle.com/
Zack Argyle was raised with a wonderful family motto: don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story. What better way than to write fiction? He spends his days writing code and his nights writing epic stories about family, love, loss, friendship, and pain all intermixed with a heavy dose of the fantastical.
Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat, Zack. Since we already have your official bio, care to tell us about yourself in ten words or less?
Author. Engineer. Consumer of Tillamook Chocolate Peanut-butter Ice-cream.
What’s a day of writing like in the shoes of Zack? Do you have any quirks, routines, or rituals?
We built an exact replica of Bilbo’s hobbit hole as a shed in our backyard which I use as my writing room (this is a lie). I spend all day in it, ignoring my children and my day job to write (definitely false). I even grew out my feet hair to elevate the inspiration (only partially untrue). Truth be told, I have a day job, so I write at night when the children are asleep 🙂
Give us an idea of how Voice of War came to fruition.
When I had my first kid, I looked at him and realized that I would do anything for that little turd. I’ve read so many stories about the “chosen one”; I’ve always wanted to hear about their parents. What if they knew? What if others knew and wanted to take the child? That is how Voice of War began. One man willing to do anything to protect his child from evil forces that want it for themselves.
Can you share with us something about Voice of War that isn’t in the blurb?
Fantastic creatures! I love animals, and so they naturally became an important part of the story. From Laurel’s “chromawolf” companion, to the absurdly dangerous “necrolyte” racing, and the swampland “átacan” in book two, the series will be filled with unique takes on fantasy creatures.
Was there any specific research you’ve done or inspiration you’ve pulled from for Voice of War?
With absolutely no context provided, a few interesting areas I remember studying about are: shallow-rooted vegetables, crystalline structures, and whether you can paraglide in the rain…
I see you’ve entered the nail-biting marathon of SPFBO! I know it’s still early in the competition, but how are you finding the experience so far?
It’s been a wonderful networking opportunity with all of the other great indie authors. I’ve been able to read nearly ten SPFBO books so far, and they’ve all been great in their own way. Looking forward to hearing Lynn’s Book Blog’s thoughts when she makes it around to VoW!
What comes first, the plot or the characters?
A combination. Ideally, they work in tandem to enhance each other. A plot not driven by its participants feels forced, and characters without an interesting predicament can be quite boring. So, I try not to lean too heavily on either.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? If so, who? What about them sets them apart from all the others?
I think Alverax has been my favorite to write. He’s so hopeful, and yet such a terrible judge of character, that nearly every situation I put him in is fun to write. His POV is more light-hearted than Chrys or Laurel, which I think balances well.
What do you think makes a good story?
Empathy. Without a shared sense of rapport between the character and the reader, it doesn’t matter how fantastical the story or world is.
Is there one particular book you hold dearest to your heart?
A shorter story, but Jonathan Livingston Seagull has always stayed with me. It’s a beautiful allegory about letting go of that which holds you back, and becoming the best version of yourself.
Writing can be a stressful pursuit. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?
Make sure you have at least one cheerleader in your corner, because the road to authorship is too long and arduous to walk alone. Whether it’s a loved one, or a writing group, or the #WritingCommunity on Twitter, you’ll most certainly need a motivational nudge more than once through the process.
Ok, let’s see what kind of person you truly are.
Coffee or Tea?
Neither!
–
Winter or Summer?
Winter! Anyone who says otherwise is chaotic-evil.
–
Physical books or Ebooks?
Ebooks for reading…then I buy the physical book if I loved it.
–
Mountains or Oceans?
Oceans.
–
Beer or Wine?
California Pizza Kitchen’s peach lemonade.
–
Books or Movies?
Books.
–
Cowboys or Aliens?
Aliens.
–
Pie or Cake?
Pie.
–
Rural or Urban?
Suburbs for lyfe!
–
Work hard or Play hard?
Both! For me, balance is key to sustainable joy.
Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, Zack. Do you have anything coming up in the future that you’d like the world to know about?
Two things! First, the audiobook for Voice of War will be available in only a few short weeks, narrated by the incredible Adam Gold. And let me tell you, his performance is out of this world. Second, book two of the Threadlight trilogy is available for preorder on Amazon. It is titled, Calm in the Shadows, and it is soooo good.
That’s all I got for ya! Be sure to keep an eye on the official Voice of War tour page over at Storytellers On Tour (https://storytellersontour.online/2020/06/09/tour-schedule-voice-of-war-by-zack-argyle/) to see what the other bloggers and Bookstagrammers have to say!
Find out more about Storytellers On Tour or join our team:
Become a Roadie | Book a Tour | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram
Happy Reading!
🖤