Author Interview: Zachary Pieper

Tell us something about your book.

It’s my debut novel, and a reflection of myself. If you read my book, you will, to one degree or another, know me as a person. So if you like wily, chaotic good, hopeless romantics, you’re gonna love my protagonist.

Who is the ideal reader for your book?

Lovers of fantasy and science fiction are going to be the ideal audience for this trilogy. And I imagine people in my general age group are going to be the ones who get most of the refernces. But I do think my book has something for everyone. We have laughs, love, adventure and violence, all wrapped up in a grand conspircacy.

Share the best critique/review of your book.

A fellow author whose work I have reviewed on my youtube channel, said this about my dialogue:

“I was really confused by the mood you were intending to create, as the dialogue was Half “Bro” and half Shakespearean. Extremely modern, and extremely antiquated at the same time.“

Which is exactly what I intended. My characters have depth. They have different ways of behaving depending on who they are with and what the situation is. Ya know, kind of like real life.

What inspired you to write it?

My love of a woman! In the cold winter months of early 2019, my heart was broken by a beautiful red-head with emerald green eyes. I wrote this novel to cope with my grief, and to prove a point. She left our relationship thinking I did not love her. I wrote a 149K word monument to the contrary.

What message would you like readers to take away from your book?

1st: My love of that woman. 2nd: The importance of love, and truth, and hope. And doing the right thing, even when its hard.

Share an excerpt from your book.

I feel her raise a hand to my fur covered cheek, and something about her touch makes everything in me relax. My fur recedes into my body, my claws shorten, the muscles and bones in my face pop and snap back into human shape. I hold her tighter, and she closes her eyes.
I bend my head over hers and kiss her as lightning rips the sky to pieces and thunder shakes the very rocks we perch upon. Nothing has ever tasted so sweet; no peace has ever been so absolute.

Did you dare to believe that your book will be published when you started writing?

When I started? I wasn’t sure. By the end, I was determined to make the world hear my tale one way or another. It became my driving mission, my central focus. And as I have spoken with god and meditated on my lifes purpose. I have come to be sure that this is my path.

How many times were you rejected?

I was rejected by over 50 literary agents. They gave me generic rejection letters, or flat out admitted my novel was too long and they didnt even both reading it. So I decided to give a middle finger to the gatekeepers at large, and self publish.

Was the process of looking for an agent/publisher discouraging?

Yes, gatekeepers suck and treat their S.O.P.’s like holy dogma. Frankly, I think the entire publishing industry needs an overhaul. And for that matter, we need more independent content reviewers out there to help keep the indie market in check. The downside of bypassing the gatekeepers, is lots of trash making it to market.

How long did you write the first draft? And how long did the editing and re-editing take?

First draft, 9 months. My editor and I cranked out the final edit in around 3.

Can you share your writing rituals/habits/process?

I am a scion of chaos. I have no set process. I have patterns of behavior, but even those vary wildly. The closet thing to a process would be: concieve main plot > outline main plot > outline chapters > write.

Who was your first literary crush?

All my favorite authors are men, and I am straight. However, I do deeply admire the mind of Mary Shelley. She could wax poetic with the best of them.

Did you imagine yourself as an author in your teens?

Yes, actually, my best friend and me cooked up this idea freshmen year. And even though he is gone now, I like to think he has at least a modest legacy in his help creating this novel.

What was the first book that made you fall in love with reading?

Eragon. It’s much like my own work I think, self published to begin with. Runs the gamut of human experience, great fantastical elements, amazing depth of story and characters.

Did a book ever make you cry? (Which one?)

Many. Almost every entry in the Dresden files. Red rising. Eragon. The Legend of Drizzt.

Which literary character did you want to take to bed as an 18-year-old?

I am a male of the species with a vivid imagination. Just about every interesting and even mildly attractive female character was fantasized about at some point. However Arya the elf princess (Eragon series) held a preferential slot.

Do you sing under the shower? Or to your plants?

I love singing, I sing in public. And I routinely recieve complements on my voice.

Do you like to cook? What is your specialty?

I am a halfway decent cook, I make some pretty good stir fry.

Do you have a pet?

Not presently, but I love dogs and plan on getting a puppy again soon.

What is the most romantic thing you ever did?

One time I wrote this novel for the woman I love, it’s called ‘The Garden of Lies’ – you should check it out.

What is the most romantic thing someone did for you?

When I paid off my student loans, she tried to set up a party with some friends to celebrate.

Do you believe in love?

‘When every star in the heavens grows cold, and when silence lies once more on the face of the deep, three things will endure: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love’

1st corinthians chapter 13

Love is the only thing truly worth acquiring, the only thing that truly matters. All else fades, all else crumbles, but true love echoes in eternity.

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