Interview with Rachel Hunter: Author of Empyreal Fate

When did you begin writing?

I've written stories ever since I can remember. *chuckles* I used to write everything down by hand onto tiny strips of paper, which I would then fold and staple together into little booklets. You could say I established my own library at a young age - a library of miniature paper books. But it was my collection; it was my starting fancy. Reading has played a tremendous part in my early inspiration for writing as well. One could always find me with my nose in a book. I read to everyone: myself, my brother, my parents, and even my cats. Oh, yes - the magic of words has always ensnared me. So my best answer is: I've always been writing. The Muse claimed me when I was young.

What genres do you write?

I greatly enjoy writing poetry, but my main focus (and the genre of my newest novel release, Empyreal Fate) deals in speculative fiction, including fantasy, science fiction, and steampunk. I appreciate various genres, from mystery, historical fiction, to horror (which is actually another facet to speculative fiction). Yet the pull of the fantastical has always been strong, and I find myself ever-drawn to different realms teeming with creatures of all imagination. What could be better than being transported to another world or a foreign dawn?

Who do you imagine you're telling a story to as you write?

Honestly, it's like I'm watching the story take place in front of me, so it's more that the story comes to me through the characters, and I am simply the scribe recording their tale. Sometimes they move so fast, their words and actions are all a blur; but other times, their movements make all the sense in the world. I must only open my eyes to see it, to understand.

What's your latest book about?

Ah - Empyreal Fate - Part One of my Llathalan Annal fantasy series. What is it about, you ask? To be brief, it is an account of elves and men - their land at the brink of war. Betrayal, true love, an ancient decree... Llathala is not well. Yet a man and elf become tied in ways that are unacceptable to either race. Is it love? Is it curiosity? Is it Fate..?

Aye - that is for you to find out. Though I will share the blurb with you below:

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans’ mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate’s decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.

Behold: A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One.

Which authors inspire you?

Many authors have inspired me throughout the years, so it is difficult to select only a few. For that matter, individuals of various professions have inspired me some way or another - even when it comes to writing. However, to list a few, I will mention David Eddings, Tad Williams, Terry Brooks, Kurt Vonnegut, and Edgar Allen Poe.

What's your favorite book?

Now this is one I truly cannot answer plainly, for I have read so many wonderful (and not so wonderful) works, and they have all been unique in their own way. The thought of even comparing some of them seems unfair, as they have each inspired me in one form or another at different points in my life. So, I must simply say that it would depend on my mood for reading, writing style, and genre.

Why did you choose independent publishing?

I enjoy the close-knit feel to Hydra Publications, for, as a small press, an author doesn't get lost in a list of names or titles. Everyone is extraordinarily supportive of one another, and we each help out with promotions, interviews, and the like. Also, Hydra is wonderful about working with every author to meet his or her needs, from edits, cover art, to marketing in general. In fact, I was given the freedom to choose my own cover artist: Peter Bradley - who was also great about tailoring his work to fit my ideas for what I pictured on the cover. Overall, Hydra, as an independent press, has given me more freedom as an author - more so than I had even imagined from the beginning.

What one piece of advice would you offer other indie authors?

Read, challenge, explore, think, dream. Experience. Live. Be. We are all individuals with our own stories to tell. Be the voice that stands out from the crowd. Don't write what you think others want to read; write what inspires you. Feel the passion of your own words, for if you do not feel that passion first, how can you expect a reader to feel it as well?

Thanks for having me here today.

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Empyreal Fate
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