Storytellers On Tour Presents: In the Orbit of Sirens by T. A. Bruno

Today marks the official kickoff of the In the Orbit of Sirens Book Tour presented by Storytellers On Tour, and we’re thrilled to welcome T. A. Bruno as we showcase the first novel in his Sci-Fi Adventure series, The Song of Kamaria! I’m excited to hear what our hosts have to say about In the Orbit of Sirens in the coming days, so stay tuned for a fantastic week ahead.

T. A. stopped by to have a chat about what led to the creation of this book of his, how his professional career has aided in his storytelling, what lies ahead, and more! Keep scrolling for the complete tour schedule, learn more about the book and author, check out the fantastic interview, and enter a giveaway to win yourself a copy of In the Orbit of Sirens!

The Tour

We’ve enlisted a group of wonderful and talented bloggers and Bookstagrammers to help us feature In the Orbit of Sirens. 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 and more.

MARCH 21ST – THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder (IG: @whispersandwonder)
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MARCH 22ND
Cosmic Lattes and Books
@beatrizfayereads_
@genericbooks
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MARCH 23RD
Fantasy Book Critic
Beneath A Thousand Skies
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MARCH 24TH
OllieSpot SFF Book Reviews & Interviews
@dj_jea
Through Novel Time and Distance
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MARCH 25TH
FanFiAddict
@theenchantedshelf
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MARCH 26TH
Sue’s Musings
One Reading Nurse (IG: @onereadingnurse)
Book and Nature Professor
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MARCH 27TH – THE ENCORE
Queen’s Book Asylum

For more about this tour visit Storytellers On Tour.

AVAILABLE AT

The Blurb

THE LAST FRAGMENTS OF THE HUMAN RACE ARE FORCED TO ADAPT TO A DANGEROUS NEW WORLD OR FACE EXTINCTION.

When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity—the Sirens—mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.

Meet the Author

T. A. BRUNO grew up in Chicago and moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the film industry. Since then, he has brought stories to life for over a decade as a previsualization artist. At home, he is a proud father of two boys and a husband to a wonderful wife. IN THE ORBIT OF SIRENS is his debut science fiction novel.

WEBSITE: www.tabruno.com

Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat, T. A. Since we already have your official bio, care to tell us about yourself in ten words or less?

Thanks for having me! I’m a sci-fi author working in film, father of two.

Give us an idea of how In the Orbit of Sirens came to fruition.

I have always wanted to write an epic sci-fi trilogy, but I needed the right story. For years, I had made attempts that sort of sputtered out, starting with a comic book I drew in third grade. I tried another graphic novel in College, but it didn’t go anywhere. Then, I thought I’d adapt it into a short animated film, but as I was creating assets and animating, I realized my story was too big for only a 5-minute self-made short. I needed time to grow, room to spread out, and so it was finally time to write a long-form science fiction novel, as I had always wanted to do.

Can you share with us something about In the Orbit of Sirens that isn’t in the blurb?

The auk’nai are an intelligent race of bird humanoids that are native to Kamaria. They are highly advanced and telepathic. They hold the key to humanity’s survival but will need to be convinced to share it with them.

Was there any specific research you’ve done or inspiration you’ve pulled from for this story of yours?

I work as a previz artist in the film industry, where I specialized in bringing big-budget action scenes to life. This has benefitted the action scenes in my novel. I try to make them as epic as the films I’ve worked on (I would say even better than some of the stuff I’ve done. I saved the best ideas for myself!) The teams I have been on work side by side with big-name directors, and working with such talented storytellers helped me develop my storytelling skills. Translating what I knew about film to novels was supported by taking Neil Gaiman’s masterclass on storytelling (excellent class, highly recommended!).

What do you hope your readers take away from In the Orbit of Sirens?

I hope, first and foremost, readers are thoroughly entertained. If I’ve hit that mark, I’ll consider the book successful. If they dig a little deeper, I hope they find a story about “how people react to loss.” In the Orbit of Sirens takes a few dark turns, but there’s always light at the end of the tunnel. My characters, like me, are optimistic even when their situation is dire. I feel like the world needs a little more optimism.

What comes first, the plot or the characters?

For me, it starts with the plot. I might be vague about it at first, thinking of an overall arc, but I always start there. Once that little seed is planted, I discover my main characters and learn how they change in the arc. After that, I make an outline and find more characters along the way.

Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? If so, who? What about them sets them apart from all the others?

I love all of my characters, so I’ll keep it to non-main characters. I loved writing Major Pavel Volkov. Initially, He was supposed to be a foil to Denton, but it just didn’t work out. So I changed him. He becomes a mentor to Denton instead. He’s so fun to hang out with. Side characters that evolve beyond their intended role are always fun to write. The scene where Pavel and Denton are camping in the wilderness is still one of my favorites.

What do you think makes a good story?

A few things, and they don’t all have to apply to the same story. The entertainment factor is important to me, but not the end-all-be-all. Mostly, I love unique ideas. It’s fine if a story handles a theme I’ve seen before, say time travel, for instance, but do something new with it, something that’s unique to the story around it. Also, if you can make me feel a few emotions throughout, make me laugh, cry, and scare me, you’ve hooked me.

Writing can be a stressful pursuit. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?

Allow yourselves to make mistakes in your first draft. Understand that you will edit this draft, but know that you don’t fully know your story until it has an ending. Once you finish that first draft, go back to the start. I’ll paraphrase Neil Gaiman’s masterclass, where he says, “Editing is where you make it look like you knew what you were doing the whole time.” 

Ok, let’s see what kind of person you truly are.

Coffee or Tea?
Coffee.
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Winter or Summer?
Summer.
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Physical books or Ebooks?
Physical.
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Mountains or Oceans?
Oceans.
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Beer or Wine?
Beer.
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Books or Movies?
(I feel like my career wants me to say Movies… but…) Books.
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Cowboys or Aliens?
Aliens.
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Pie or Cake?
Pie.
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Rural or Urban?
Rural.
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Work hard or Play hard?
Work hard.

Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, T. A. Tell us what lies ahead for you!

Thanks again for having me. I enjoyed these questions! I’m about to jump into the editing phases for the sequel to In the Orbit of Sirens while simultaneously writing the third novel, the trilogy’s conclusion. I just received the cover art for book 2 recently, and I intend to reveal it sometime in mid-April. It’s been an exciting year, and I can’t wait to bring more of my world to readers soon!

The Giveaway

Enter to win your choice of a paperback, hardcover, or audiobook copy of In the Orbit of Sirens! Five copies are looking to find their forever homes!
US Only • Ends 3/28

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That’s all I got for ya! Be sure to keep an eye on the official In the Orbit of Sirens tour page over at Storytellers On Tour (https://www.storytellersontour.online/2021/02/20/tour-schedule-in-the-orbit-of-sirens-by-t-a-bruno/) to see what the other bloggers and Bookstagrammers have to say!

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Happy Reading!
🖤