I’ve been recently talking to Rival, the author of “Quest for the Red Sapphire” and he has kindly agreed to answer a few questions about himself and his books.
Hi, please introduce yourself.
My name is Rival Gates and I am a writer of books in the Fantasy Genre. The first book in my series called “The Sapphire Chronicles” is “Quest for the Red Sapphire”. Its sequel, “Sapphire Crucible” is due out later this year.
You recently published “Quest for the Red Sapphire” – tell us about it
Former General Linvin Grithinshield is summoned home from the Goblin Wars after his father’s disappearance to run the family trading empire. Soon his mother is murdered and he is on the run with a price on his head. As a faceless enemy pursues him he must seek out the mythical Red Sapphire. In the proper hands it could take up the cause of many unable to fight for themselves. In the wrong hands he fears the worst. Together with his wise uncle and intolerable cousins, Linvin strikes out to find the all-powerful gem. In a world with enemies from without and within, he must fight his way through the dragons in the sky and cutthroats all around to fulfil his destiny or die in the attempt.
What would you like readers to take away from this story?
This is really a story of self-actualization. Linvin must grow as the story progresses to become worthy of the power he seeks.
He has tremendous ability but is headstrong and often lets his temper cloud his judgment. When he fails, the party fails. When he succeeds, the party moves forward. Linvin is the leader of the group but everyone starts out looking to his uncle for guidance. Only by using his teachings and thinking before acting can he achieve the status he needs to win over the party and earn their esteem. He must learn patience and tolerance in order to get everyone on the same page and working together. Sometimes even those with great skills must take a look at them and fix the flaws so glaring to outsiders. It is the path to growth and respect.
This is the first in a series – what are your plans for the remaining books?
At this time there are eight books planned in the series. Volume 2, “Sapphire Crucible will be out in 2014 and I expect the next book to come a year from now.
What has been your favourite part of the writing [and publishing] process?
For me the best part is putting the story down on a storyboard before I ever write a word. Then I can look and
find important scenes I have left out and change the order of events to make it flow better. From there I can develop each scene in my mind and then join them together with the appropriate dialog and events.
Would you recommend writing and publishing (either self publishing or through a formal publisher) to anyone else? Why?
My mother once told me that writing was the same as painting with words. I am no painter. (The fact that I took music in high school instead of art proved that.) I would never try to be a painter because that is not where my skill lies. Writing is fun and relaxing to me. I could not imagine life without being able to write. The scariest part of writing is sharing it with the world. There will be a great many people out there who dislike your work. Sometimes you need to grow and make changes, like Linvin. Other times you just need a different set of eyes reading your work. If you have the skill and determination, go for it! Think about this when you are rejected. My father once named a list of great writers and he asked me what they had in common. I answered that they were all famous for their work. He responded that their fame ensured that their work and their names would live forever. Think about that. Even long after you are gone your work can captivate and influence people. That is an amazing thought.
How can readers get hold of the books?
They can find them on the various Amazon sites and from my blog:
One of the independent bookshops stocking my books is The Bookworm Bookstore- Omaha, NE
How can readers get in touch with you?
There is an email link on my website.
I am also on these sites:
Facebook
Twitter
tumblr
Blogspot
Goodreads entry for Red Sapphire
Writing about books 
Very lnformative. I am glad you wrote this book. Can’t wait for the next one. I liked that you (your father) compared writing to painting.
The world needs all forms of art. Your writing is truly a work of art!
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thanks for your comment. I know Rival would love it if you’d follow him on Twitter or drop him an email
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Thank you Carol. I appreciate your comment. I am very flattered.
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