Author Marc R. Micciola joins me today to chat about his new dark fantasy, Blood of the Hunted.
Bio:
Marc Micciola is a Reader Views Literary Award-winning writer of dark, epic, and paranormal fantasies for young adult and new adult audiences. Marc creates intricate and believable fantasy worlds for readers to escape into. He also blends realistic psychology into his intense plots, reminding readers that people with mental health struggles like anxiety and trauma can be just as strong and heroic as anyone else. His goal as an author is to help readers recognize their potential, courage, and ability to make the world a kinder and more compassionate place.
Marc’s love for fantasy started in early adolescence and bloomed into a lifelong passion for authors like J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Lawrence, George R.R. Martin, Christopher Paolini, and more. He owns an impressive collection of Lord of the Rings figurines, prop replicas, and swords. When he’s not off battling evil foes in his novels, Marc likes playing with his dogs, hanging out with friends, and watching hockey.
Welcome, Marc. Please tell us about your current release.
Blood of The Hunted follows Weylyn (a male lycan), Olwen (a female forest sprite), and others through the story of a marginalized and subjugated group known as the Tóráin trying to gain equality and freedom. Their enemies include vile human leaders, their soldiers, and a masked witch assassin known only as The Dove. Leading The Resistance, Weylyn and Olwen endure many trials that test them physically and mentally, relying on their loved ones to keep them from losing hope. There’s plenty for them to discover not only about their enemies, but about themselves as well.
Blood of The Hunted is a book ripe with emotion, action, and intensity that strives to show the strength of marginalized communities, as well as the horrors of heavy subjugation and oppression. The story features heartwarming moments as well as gut-wrenching ones. It is a darker tale than most, but it only accentuates the lighter moments throughout the story. At its core, Blood of The Hunted is a story about resilience, family, and the will to see a better world for everyone living in it, no matter where they come from or what they look like.
What inspired you to write this book?
I was finishing up working on Vengeance, the second book in a trilogy of mine called the Age of Shadow Saga, when I had an odd dream one night. It had a werewolf saving monsters from a slaver or something like that. When I woke up I wrote it down just like I do any intriguing dreams I have. When I finished Vengeance, I chose to take a break from the trilogy to make sure I had a strong picture of how I wanted to end it. The dream was at the forefront of my mind, and so I just started working it out. I thought of something that I could use to give the story its meat, and with the dream seemingly taking place in the 1600s-1700s I looked for moments in history to use. I quickly came across the French Revolution, and from there the story of Blood of The Hunted began to take shape.
Excerpt from Blood of The Hunted:
I tried to ignore the hateful screams coming from the crowd. The insults were shouted in both the common language and Fleuran, with someone even yelling a curse in the old language priests used. Things had already been thrown onto the stage by people who hoped to strike the lycan that was tied up for all to see. I kept my hood high so that I could remain as hidden as possible. I tried to slouch to hide my height while being sure to avoid eye contact with those around me. I had always been proud to be a lycan, and the lack of horns or colored skin was doing wonders for me right now. My satyr friends — as well as the sprites I knew — would have a much harder time blending in with the crowd today than I would. That was if anyone had taken the risk to come. Uncle Benen had refused to allow Brina and me to leave the house, but I snuck out the window late last night and hid in an alley until afternoon came. I could have gone to Ossian’s house, but the satyr would have just tried to keep me inside like Uncle Benen had. I couldn’t stay away. I couldn’t hide. I needed to be here for him. Even if the smartest and safest thing for the Tóráin in the city was to stay inside, I had to be where I was. Deep down, I knew all of the Tóráin felt the same way. We couldn’t abandon him now, not when he needed us the most.
Tears started to fill my eyes as I watched the soldiers bark out instructions to the witches, the women casting spells to torment the brave lycan they had restrained. I was mad at myself for doing so, but I looked away. I looked up, blinking away the water from my eyes as I stared at the looming image of the Sainte Mère Cathedral. I inspected the spires and the stained-glass window high above us as I tried to gather myself. The gothic church’s shadow stretched over nearly the entirety of Dame Square, swallowing the crowd in darkness despite the sun shining brightly in the afternoon sky. After taking a deep breath, I forced myself to look back down at the stage. The image I saw would give every single Tórán who had braved the crowds today a great pain in their heart. The lycan before me meant a lot to our community. He was always empowering those who were deemed devils simply because they were different. We all knew we were hated, but that lycan made us feel like we were worth something. He made me who I am today, and now I had to watch someone take him from me. Today, they were executing the most important person in my life: my father.
The pain I felt was not only the anticipation of loss, but also the knowledge that I could do nothing to stop it. All I could do was stand there, at the front of the crowd, and stare up at my father. He was tied up to two poles and spread uncomfortably. The witches had forced him into his feral shape, no doubt to make him appear to be the monster they would portray him to be. Humans continued to throw food at him, some even threw stones. No one stopped them. The officers and witches weren’t focused on the wrong doings of humans today. Their eyes were fixed on our kind. ‘Diables’, they called us. Beings from another world that many would see eradicated if it were up to them. Today was about sending a certain message to our kind, while sending a completely different one to their own. We were to be humbled and defeated, while humans would be propped up and celebrated. A story would be told on that stage, and none of my kind were supposed to enjoy it.
What exciting project are you working on next?
I just finished up an anthology of dark fantasy short stories called ‘Tales of the Beautifully Dark’ that released on June15th. Next on my to do list is probably Equilibria the third and final book in the Age of Shadow Saga.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I didn’t consider myself a writer until just recently to be honest. Even though I’ve been writing and selling books since 2019, I still struggled to be confident in myself enough to really declare myself an official author. Sales had something to do with it, and slow months still tend to hit me hard, but I’ve come a long way in realizing that so long as I have books published, I’m a writer. It’s what I do full time. It’s my passion.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
Yes, I do write full time. It’s sometimes hard for me to really get myself in front of my laptop, but I’m usually sitting at my desk around 1pm and working until 6pm Monday to Friday. Working can be anything from putting a promo image together, to writing a blog post, editing a book, worldbuilding, or actually writing. Most days, when I have a project on the go, its just a whole bunch of writing.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Oh that’s a cool question! I guess I’d have to go with the fact that I have to be listening to movie soundtracks in order to write. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a favorite, but Man of Steel, The Dark Knight trilogy, Last Samurai, and some World of Warcraft tracks are also very useful. If I listen to music with lyrics, I get caught up listening to the song. If I have too much quiet, I lose concentration. Some nice, epic instrumentals gets me in the groove!
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a hockey player I think, but that never really worked out. For a long time I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to be, until around thirteen years old when I had the idea of being a writer. It took me a while to circle back to that, but I’m glad to be where I am today career-wise.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
If I have to leave you with anything, I’ll say this. Mental health is very important. It’s okay to get help. It’s okay to not be okay. Therapy and medications work. There is nothing to ever be ashamed of when taking care of your mental health. Remember that each day is a new chance to achieve something and that every morning you wake up is a victory. Be kind to one another, be understanding of one another, and always strive to be the best person you can be. With a little bit of hard work, hope, and a teeny tiny bit of luck, you’ll get to where you want to be. Even if it takes many, many years. You aren’t alone. You matter. Your life has meaning. I wish you nothing but the best!
Thank you so much for this opportunity Lisa! I had a wonderful time answering your questions!
If any reader here has a question they’d like to ask me, feel free to do so. I’d be happy to answer 😊