Interview with J. S. Allen, Author of Remnants of Light

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Knights of Aralia Book I: Remnants of Light?

A friend and I used to play this game back in 3rd and 4th grade in which he and I would pretend to be dragons wandering over the land and doing good deeds. We would draw little maps and set up scenarios to go along with them, then play through like they were some sort of video game levels. Eventually, I decided to link a bunch of these scenarios together into one continuous storyline. I began writing the whole thing down in a notebook one day, and it just kept on rolling from there.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

History and linguistics are my most read genres, but in the realm of fiction, fantasy is definitely my favorite to read as well as write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Der Nibelunge Nôt, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs (by Steve Brusatte), & Sweden: An Illustrated History (by Martina Sprague), among many others.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

Probably the attack on the bastion in Chapter XXIV. That one was just plain fun to make.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

My workspace is frequently surrounded by bears and other assorted plushies.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“Only he is lost who gives himself up for lost.”

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Nothing worthwhile in life ever comes without a struggle.

J. S. Allen is the author of the new book Knights of Aralia Book I: Remnants of Light

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