Author Interview: Byron Wells on "Amalgam"

Ana: Today we have Byron Wells introducing their book, Amalgam, The Valaran Chronicles: Book 1. I haven't read this book myself, but Byron was kind enough to agree to guest blog about their book to any readers who might be interested in the subject. Byron, how would you describe your book to your prospective readers? In broad terms, what is your book about?

Byron: My book follows a young man named Hobs, who through a tragic accident meets Archon, a relic of the Valaran Empire. Everything he believes is challenged as a result of this encounter and he must rise above who he was to save his planet.

Ana: What themes does your book explore and what do you hope the reader will take away from the experience? Is there a particular feeling or experience that you hope to evoke in the reader? Essentially, do you hope your book will mean to a reader?

Byron: The book covers a wide range of conflicts, one of which is bullying - which every young adult can relate to in one form or another. Another theme is challenging who you are, and willingness to learn new things. Finally, we take a look at how Hobs manages anger in the face of critical challenges.

Ana: What prompted you to write this book and did you have a specific inspiration in mind? Were you influenced by a certain author or work that inspired you to add your voice to this genre? Besides the boatloads of money and rockstar fame, what motivated you to write this book? 

Byron: My favorite authors would include JRR Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey and Tom Clancey. While not directly an influence on my book, they fueled my love of reading. This book is the product of 8 years of reviewing over and over in my mind; it reached the point where I finally had to commit it to paper, and I am glad I did.

Ana: If you could compare your book to any other existing works, which ones would it be and why? If the one thing you could say to a prospective reader was, "If you like X, you'll love my book!", which work would be invoked so that a reader could judge whether or not your book is their cup of tea?

Byron: Wow, this is a tough question since I want my story to be unique and different...there could be flavors of matrix, and yes I know that is not a book, but is true. I love Ann McCaffrey, so the low-tech nature of my story may come from her writings.

Ana: Is this your first or only published work, or have you published other books? If you have published other books, how do they compare to this one? Do you have any more books planned, either as a follow-up to this one, or as a completely different book or genre?

Byron: This is my debut novel, and I have two more to follow.

Ana: Where can readers obtain a copy of your book for them to enjoy? How can they contact you with any thoughts or questions? And do you have a means by which they can "sign up" to be notified when your next book comes available?

Byron: My book is available in paperback and all major resellers (i.e., Barnes and Nobles, Chapters, Indigo, etc.). It is also available on Kindle and from Smashwords. Within the next few weeks you will also be able to get it from Kobo, Nook and iBooks. They can also purchase the eBook (pdf, epub or mobi) from me directly using my website.

As far as a "sign up" list, they can request that from the contact form of my Website (http://www.w3-innovations.com)

Ana: Thank you. I understand you have the first chapter of your book available as an excerpt for interested readers? Is there anything else you wish to add for our readers?

Byron: Just that I hope that they enjoy my book, and that they would be willing to write a review on Amazon or Smashwords. (They can also preview at either of the previous links.)

Thank you Ana.

If you are an indie author interested in being interviewed, please read the interview policy here.