Tag: gratitude

The Eternal Curse Series Blog Presents an interview with author: Arthur Daigle.

So tell me, who is Arthur Daigle?

My name is Arthur Daigle.  In the past I have worked as a biologist, a test grader, and now as an author.  None of them paid very well.  In addition to writing, I enjoy drawing and gardening.  I like reading nature books, some biographies, and science fiction and fantasy when it’s good (that’s been a hard find lately).

Hi Arthur, I too enjoying drawing even though I’m not much good at it. I have no gardening skills to speak of, but I do adore a well-kept garden; I even write about them in my books.

So whacha got for me today?

William Bradshaw is tricked by lawyers in being the King of the Goblins on the world of Other Place.  His goblin followers are short, stupid and mildly crazy, and love setting traps.  Will can get home by finding a loophole in his king contract, but that’s the least of his worries when he accidentally starts a war with a human kingdom.  Will has to win the war with two troll bodyguards, an overactive fire scepter, an irritable magic mirror, and hordes of goblins.  But goblins haven’t won a war in recorded history, and they have no intention of starting now.

Huh…this sounds like one crazy read, but in a good way. I can already feel the laughter rolling from the pages.

So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read of William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins?

William Bradshaw is an unemployed business major saddled with heavy student debts.  The best word to describe him is ‘average’, as he is not very strong or fast and, while clever, he’s no genius.  He is a very reluctant hero and just wants to go home and avoid the potentially fatal excitement that comes his way.  Will is a fast thinker and can come up with good plans in a hurry.  He has a healthy dose of common sense and logic, which does less good than you might think when so few other people have these qualities.  He gets along well with people and looks for the best in them.

Will sounds like a pretty nice guy. It’s too bad he’s going to be pulled into all the chaos of Other Place, but that’s what makes a good story.

Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

I get book ideas from all kinds of sources.  These include other books, history, video game covers and dreams.  Sometimes they just sort of appear in my head with no idea where they came from.  Once I know what the book is about I take walks.  During these walks I picture scenes from my book in my head as if they were movie clips, each scene lasting between ten seconds and five minutes.  When I have enough scenes ready I mentally stitch them together and write them down.  I have no music, food or drink around when I write.  These things are distractions that keep me from working.

I am currently editing the sequel to my book and writing more Will Bradshaw stories.

I like the idea of putting a movie together with movie clips. Most animated movies are first put together in storyboard form anyway, so it must work. Glad to know you’re working to continue this story.

What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

I’m fond of Terry Pratchett’s Disc World series and Robert Asprin’s MYTH Series of books.  Both writers do very good humorous writing and have interesting characters.  I’ve learned from these men and others that you can discuss difficult topics with humor, and if you can get people to laugh long enough they might listen to what you have to say.

Good point. I think people spend too much time looking for things to critique or argue about. I’d much rather laugh…I haven’t actually read either of these, but the Disc World books have been on my TBR list. I guess I’ll add the Myth Series as well.

Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

I’ve been a fan of Jim Henson for years, and I’d love the chance to talk to him.  He created so many wonderful shows and movies.  I’d like the chance to ask him what it took to do this so one day maybe I can do the same.

Love this. I bet a conversation with Jim Henson would be informative and entertaining. When I think of him, I think of movie magic and child-like creativity. I adore the Muppets and it’s all thanks to this guy.

Who is so you and why?

The only character from TV that I was ever compared to was a character from a Korean historical drama.  The character (sorry, I don’t recall the name) was a good man born in bad times, and he did not put up with the evil and corruption around him.  I was compared to him once because I don’t put up with it when people do wrong or try to abuse my trust.

Well I think this comparison is a testament to your character. Too bad you can’t remember the character’s name.

What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

I generally lay on my bed when I’m reading.  There’s no food and no drinks, since I would have to put the book down to eat or drink.  I avoid music, too, as it distracts me from the book.  I read hardcover and softcover books, but no ebooks or audiobooks.  If I’m spending hard earned money for a book then I want paper in my hands, no exceptions.

As for what I’m reading, I’m sad to say not much.  Many of my old favorite authors aren’t as good as they once were (Piers Anthony), or are in declining health (Terry Pratchett).  They’re not the authors they used to be.  This is going to sound incredibly conceited, but I started writing in part because I had such a hard time finding books from other people that I like.

I guess if you like what you like, you can’t really change that, unless you really want to. I hope you don’t run out of things to read, but since you get your inspiration from multiple sources, I’ll guess you’ll be ok.

What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

I liked Piers Anthony’s Dragon on a Pedestal, part of the Xanth series of books.

That’s seem like a cool series…

There is more fun and insights to this interview, visit the Eternal Curse Series Blog for the full experience.  For more information about this author, Arthur Daigle, please visit the links below.

GoodReads: William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins

Facebook(s): Arthur Daigle

LinkedIn: Arthur Daigle, Author, Darien Illinois

William Bradshaw, King of the Goblins: Kindle, Paperback (re-release coming soon)

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords