Zachary Barnes brings you AVENGARDE a new
fantasy adventure
Brad R. Cook
Recently,
I had the opportunity to talk with author Zachary Barnes about his latest novel
AVENGARDE. A fantasy novel that tackles
issues of xenophobia and intolerance
AVENGARDE
by Zachary Barnes
Avengarde, by author and tutor Zachary Barnes, offers a tale of courage and humanity in the face of
racism and genocide. Marking his debut in traditional publishing, Avengarde will be released by PandaMonk
Publishing out of Annandale, Virginia. Distinguishing itself among fantasy
books through its intimate point of view, Avengarde’s
message warns against the seductive power of hate and is particularly timely
given the current political climate of division and anger. Because of this, Avengarde is both poignant and fitting
to our times.
Avengarde’s protagonist, the maimed and clever Taveol, has
found one final place of refuge: a city of ice and blood, perched on the frozen
edge of the known world. Here, in Avengarde, he believes he is safe from the
ghosts of his mercenary past. But when Taveol harbors Aerwyn—a wounded Fae
fugitive—on the eve of an oncoming ethnic cleansing, the two exiles are caught
in the middle of a vast racial conflict that is tearing their city apart, stone
by stone. And when Taveol’s nemesis arrives at the head of a genocidal warband,
the paths to survival and to revenge become that much harder to differentiate.
Encircled by enemies old and new, Taveol must choose
to either save himself or risk everything for the culture and people he has grown
to love.
Avengarde is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes &
Noble online, visit www.zacharybarnes.us for more.
I asked
Zachary a few questions about AVENGARDE and his writing process.
What
brings your writing into focus, the characters, the stories, or the love of
crafting words?
While I
love the idea of crafting words, that intensely cerebral kind of writing is
actually when I’m at my worst—at least for the first draft. My writing becomes
focused when I am in the groove of a storyline or scene and creating at
breakneck speeds. Knowing that details can be honed later and that story and
content take precedent is very freeing for me, since it allows me to create a
raw chunk of story that is, at its core, true to itself and in line with my
intent.
What
inspired your latest book, and what do you think readers will like about it?
One
evening when I was climbing into bed, I suddenly and quite vividly imagined a
scene where an innkeeper was thrown out of his own inn by his rowdy patrons.
Ah yes, great scene,
It seemed
nicely ironic, but I went to sleep without giving it a second thought. When I
woke the next morning, the scene was still rattling around in my brain, so I
decided to write it down, if only to keep it from pestering me throughout the
day. This was the beginning of Avengarde, and although I eventually
removed this particular scene from the final draft, I think it really set the
tone from the start, at least for me.
I really liked that scene, but I
totally see why you pulled it.
Along
similar lines, I hope that readers will appreciate the protagonist’s
self-deprecating humor. His internal asides and one-line quips were by far the
most enjoyable part of the writing process, and I hope that readers can share
some of that joy with me.
How much
fact is in your fiction?
I borrow
quite a bit from history, which I find serves my goal of analyzing our reality
through a distorted lens. So, were you to look at the details of my writing you
would notice that many “facts” find a home in my fiction, although some of them
change meaning when stripped of their context (which I also find both
interesting and important). I steal anything from Balinese graveyard topengs to
Vlad III’s penchant for violent foreign diplomacy and wend it into my own
stories all with the intention of creating a world that is distinctly familiar,
yet mysterious at the same time.
What is
your A+, number 1 writing/editing/query-reading snack?
I was
recently exposed to the marvel that is Vietnamese coffee and I must say: my
life has been irrevocably changed. The potent amount of sugar and the high
caffeine content, plus a rapid rate of delivery, ensures my recommended minimum
of 3,000 words per minute;
Holy moley! So, it turns you into
a super hero… (It’s called humor people, no emails)
also,
when I crash into a blubbering pile afterwards, I can conveniently blame my
lack of any real writing progress on my physical state. It’s my all-time
favorite perfect first draft beverage.
If you
could meet one of your characters, who would it be and where would you meet?
As a
rule, I choose to write about characters who are dissatisfied if not outright
angry with their lot in life. They are in the perfect place to desire change
and cause tension, both of which are important components of a gripping story.
I’d probably move quickly past most of my characters if I met them walking to
work, but the one person I might stop and chat with is Silje Blackeye—a
three-hundred-year-old Fae general who, besides being a little too ornery, is a
relatively level-headed guy. If I could, I’d take him on a hike through Great
Falls and pick his brain with the hopes of learning a thing or two about the
art of guerilla warfare.
What are
the top three pieces of advice you'd like to give new writers?
First
off, if you have the correct tools—i.e. a pocket-sized hydrogen bomb and a can
of peanut butter—remove the “backspace” and “delete” keys from your keyboard
before you start the first draft. Both of these keys are evil and must be
destroyed. If you are doing anything but generating content on the first
go-through, you may be overthinking the process.
Good
advice.
Secondly,
criticism is inevitable, so prepare yourself. When it comes to other writers,
their opinions are just that; you should put their ideas in context with what
you want to achieve and go from there.
So
true, your name is on the book.
Lastly,
sit down and write. Right now. Stop reading. I mean it. Go!
*Jumps up, runs to computer, starts writing
this blog* Wait. We’re not done.
One final
question, which line did you struggle with more, the first or the last?
In the
months of writing that led up to finishing Avengarde, I had been
mulling over a big choice that would only be appropriately accomplished in the
very last chapter. The decision was between true tragedy and a thematically
jarring twist, and I knew that this choice would heavily influence the readers’
takeaway message. I ended up writing both endings, swapping them back and
forth, and even “testing” them on my alpha readers. So, you might say that the
actual lines were easy to write, but I took a long time deciding how cynical I wanted
the ending to be.
Check out AVENGARDE by Zachary Barnes
“Avengarde is a refreshing piece of
fantasy. From the first-person narrative to the heavy themes of discrimination
and genocide, Avengarde feels urgent,
but also inviting. Barnes walks a fine line between creating a vast new world
for his readers to escape to and explore, and holding up a distorted mirror to
teach us something about our own world and our own ways.” – Nathan Moore,
author of From the Margins
“Avengarde is a rich and engaging world!
Detailed descriptions and immersive characters will draw readers in and
keep them enthralled as the Sons of Dawn hunt every last Fae.” – Brad R. Cook,
author of Iron Horsemen
Zachary Barnes
Zachary
Barnes is a fantasy author who has been self-publishing since 2007. His first
novel, Winter’s Throne, debuted in
2010. After attending James Madison University for Music Education,
Zachary—originally from Pennsylvania—moved to Northern Virginia where he began
his career in education and met his publishers. Avengarde represents Zachary’s first contracted book deal.
Currently, Zachary is the assistant manager and lead tutor at the Reading and
Writing Center at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus.
