Author Spotlight--Justin E. Geary

It's been awhile since my last guest or my last post but please forgive me as it is summer and I do have young men to raise. In the midst of it I did a book signings but I'll get to those details at another time. So without further ado let's get to the Author Spotlight. 

 Bio: Justin E. Geary lives in western Maryland where he spends his time reading various authors and exploring different subjects. In addition to fiction he enjoys history and some science. He is the nephew of 1942 Pulitzer Prize winner Laurence Edmond Allen. Justin’s hobbies are chess, pool and writing epic fantasy. He started reading Edgar Allen Poe with interest at the age of sixteen and started writing screenplays at the age of nineteen. Screenplays were unfulfilling for Justin because they lacked depth. Later on he wrote his first novel at twenty-one and Midnight’s Cloak his second at twenty-four. After finishing the rough draft Justin decided that Fantasy was his escape from the world. Without a college education Justin decided to seek editorial help sinking twenty-one hundred dollars of his own money into the editing and proofing of his manuscript. Justin calls the expense a small price for something he loves so dearly.

Up Close and Personal With Justin E. Geary

What inspires you as a writer? I think people around you inspire you at times. There are a lot of pessimistic people in the world and that is sad. I think people need to have a more optimistic view on life. I believe that authors should surround themselves with others that encourage them, not the ones who tell us how hard it is to make it in this business. We already know that and we have a thick stack of rejection letters to prove it. Good novels have also inspired me over the years. I would say Robert Jordan has inspired me more than any other author. I learned most of what I know from reading his work. He was a master at character development.

When did you have that ah ha moment when you knew you were a writer? When I was about nineteen, I started reading a lot of Stephen King and one day I sat down and wrote a two page short story called Wall Climbers. Then I read through it and wondered where it had come from. It surprised and excited me at the same time. It was creative. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to write fiction.

What is your writing process? My writing process is exhausting and a lot of hard work. I don’t use webs. First, I write the rough draft which is exactly that, rough. It’s undisciplined and totally mine like a captured wild stallion. After the rough draft is finished I submit to my first editor. A good editor is a complete jerk when it comes to writing. If he criticizes everything you do, that’s how you know he is doing a good job. The more critical he is about the manuscript the better that novel is going to be. Editors are so important. If you want any chance at success your novel must be edited. When I receive my manuscript back I will be very upset and go through many stages of denial. Then after the stubbornness wears off I realize that this man or woman is trying to help me find the weaknesses in my work. This is the most important part of my novel’s preparation and if it’s done properly, my book should be cut considerably. After the work is done on my end, I submit to a proofreader and make the grammatical changes. I hate grammar with a passion, because I’m so obsessive with it. I have to check every little thing twice. I get panic attacks during the proofing stage. The last step is publishing. Every aspect of the novel should look good, from the inside to the cover. Then I send it in to print. Anyone can write a novel, writing a good novel is difficult.

Tell us about your favorite character and why you chose to write about them? I think at this stage in the series Arsidis Vanhorn is my favorite character because he’s a wandering vagrant without responsibilities. He finds himself involved in the battle of Quenendor. He’s trying to avoid getting himself involved and kind of falls into it by befriending people and finding love within the city. I don’t have a favorite character though. I love them all. Aramina will definitely be the most enjoyable to write about in the future. Her magic is very powerful and unique and while you see her as a girl in the first book you will see her grow and evolve in future books.

What are you currently working on? I’ve been working on a collection for a long time. There are a few literary pieces but the majority is the fiction genre, mostly horror. I don’t even know if I want to publish it. The stories are good but I would really like to be labeled as an epic fantasy writer, to promote future Age of the Wrath books. Also, I’ve started on Shadowlance, the second book in the series. I am about twenty thousand words in. Dragons will actually be in the second book early on, which will be a change from the first one.

Any upcoming events? I’m doing a radio interview which will be on my blog. It also has the book tour information and I will be on other tours in the future. Just check out my blog. Type in Justin E. Geary blog and it will be under ageofthewrathjeg. It’s like the fourth one down on the Google search engine.

Do you have any advice for new writers and something that a seasoned vet can learn? I don’t know if I have anything I can tell a seasoned vet but for new writers: Write the rough draft and submit to an editor and even though it’s hard, you must make the majority of the changes and cuts to make your work stronger. Never stop believing in your work and yourself. But realize that writing good fiction is hard work. The more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.

 Where can your followers find you? My blog is the best place, ageofthewrathjeg. I will keep you posted on any changes and of course, you can see my reviews and read my sample chapters on Amazon. The cover is not up yet for the paperback but the kindle is. Also the reviews are spread between the two which is kind of a pain in the neck for you guys.

Any last words

I would just like to thank the host for inviting me to The Mind of Omegia and watch for my future novels. My Amazon Kindle is $2.99 and it’s free in the lenders’ library for Amazon prime members.

 Please let Justin know you were here by leaving a comment. 

Omegia Keeys