1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
When I was 12, my best friend told me I was too old to play with action figures and it wasn’t “cool” anymore. I had some pretty elaborate action figure-based stories underway I didn’t want to lose track of, so I started writing them down. That’s how it all started and it’s never stopped.
2) What inspired you to write your book?
I’ve wanted to write a fun fantasy adventure novel since I was 12. It’s the genre I started with and loved the most. So this new novel is really an ode to pocketbook fantasy adventures that I grew up reading and enjoying.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
In so many ways this book is about courage: the courage to keep going, the courage to set boundaries, the courage to forgive. It’s also about the journey, it’s the adventure itself that matters, less so the outcome.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I’ve been drawn to fantasy all my life, it’s pure escapist magic but also founded in great truths about the human experience. I think through fantasy you can have a flashy, fun rollicking adventure and also say things about life in a way that’s far simpler and more impactful because of the fantastic setting. That appeals to me.
5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?
I’d sit down with Ruddlefunt and ask him to tell me the entire history of Roan and everything packed into his mechanical head. We only get shades of it in the story, and the characters are too darned caught up in their own dramas to realize he’s the treasure.
6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
Instagram, likely. In all honesty, I’m not great at social media. I try to keep it alive as best I can but it’s not my strength, never has been.
7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
Just write. Enjoy the craft. Enjoy the process. Have fun with it even when you’re not. And when you’re not, take a break, then get back to it.
8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
The Dungeoneers and the Treasure of Roan is due out August 15th. I’m also starting edits on a full-length epic cosmic horror novel now … should see the light of day in a year or two…
About the Author
Joel McKay is an award-winning author, journalist and executive from Northern British Columbia. His fiction includes the horror comedy novella Wolf at the Door, the anthology It Came From the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations and a host of short stories published in various anthologies and online.
