Novelist Z. Lindsey is chatting with me about his new adult fantasy adventure, The River Against the Sea.
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Welcome, Zac. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m an anthropologist by training and a fiction writer for fun. I live in Quintana Roo, Mexico with my wife, daughter, and obligatory varying number of stray cats.
What inspired you to write this book?
When my daughter was born, we had to be very quiet because she was a super light sleeper. We couldn’t watch TV, so my wife and I made up stories about a devil-like bureaucrat on a pirate ship who got into various antics. Eventually, I wrote them down to read to my wife. My daughter’s five now, and the book kind of sat around for a few years without me doing much with it, but everyone I’ve given it to to read has really enjoyed it, so I thought it was time to get it out into the world.
As for the actual contents, we live in the rainforest. Although the setting isn’t specifically inspired by the Caribbean or the Maya, I’m of the “write what you know” school, so you can imagine there are lots of jungles and jaguars in my books.
Excerpt from The River Against the Sea:
“My cousin believes they’ll attack on One Wyrm.”
“One . . . Wyrm?” Essie asked as she tried to adjust the ropes around her.
Bunts scoffed.
“Didn’t you read your briefing?”
Essie felt the blood rush to her cheeks.
“I read about the calendar, but it was confusing. It was like math, but it had this religious undercurrent going on. Did not like.”
The captain squinted at her and raised his lip in distaste.
“Bunts, tell our bureaucrat what One Wyrm is.”
“Heh,” Bunts said. He cleared his throat, then shrugged.
The captain squinted at him, too.
“One Wyrm is New Year’s Day.”
“New Year’s Day, of course,” Bunts said. “Those jerks.”
“And what do you want me to do about it?” Essie asked.
“Nothing,” the captain said. “Report that the cargo got handed over and let us go on our way.”
“And if I don’t agree, you’ll throw me off the ship,” she said.
Bunts snorted.
“Seriously?”
The captain scratched his chin.
“To be honest, I was just hoping you’d agree. If you don’t . . .” The captain puffed up his cheeks and stared at the ceiling in thought. “I guess we’ll lock you in the brig until the weapons are safely delivered and we’re back at sea. That’ll give me a good lead on any Agency cutters.”
She tried to adjust herself in her chair, but couldn’t do much, so she frowned. Slowly she turned to Bunts and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.
“Can’t you undo these bonds?”
Bunts shook his head.
“Nuh-uh. I’m told you’re stronger than you look. And that you eat people’s hearts.”
Essie frowned.
“Not raw.”
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m working on a stand-alone project set in the future of the same world Essie lives in. It’s a science fantasy of sorts, so I get to play with tropes of elves and magic while also adding elements of solarpunk and the dangers of unrestricted technology. It’s a YA about a young orphan whose sister is kidnapped by a microdosing real estate agent and the smoke monster he’s accidentally unleashed.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I read Michael Crichton’s autobiography when I was a little kid. (Not sure why my mom let me, since he talks about a whore house at one point!) and it made me realize writing was something people could do for a career, not just a hobby. I’ve gone a few years at a time without focusing on fiction, but I’ve never stopped writing.
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?
I worked as a journalist for many years, but now I teach, so I don’t get to write full-time. I write fiction to blow off steam. Obviously, I’d love more time to write, but the question “how do I find time to write” doesn’t really apply because it’s a stress-release mechanism for me. If I get too stressed, I will literally stop doing things I should be doing to tweak my novel. You might as well ask me how I find time to do my actual job–and the answer is, I’m not sure, I’m too busy writing.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
To me, everything I do is normal so it’s hard to say what’s interesting to others. I write standing up a lot, and I often act out character poses or expressions. My wife will sometimes walk in on me with a scowl on my face and she’s like, “What’s wrong?” And I’m like, “Oh, nothing, Essie’s just angry.”
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I definitely wanted to write fiction as a kid. I’ve since realized I don’t want to be a full-time fiction writer because I like teaching, especially teaching folks with low education levels who come from poverty. But that doesn’t mean I don’t value writing or that I find it to be unimportant. I just feel like direct work with individuals has a more long-lasting effect than a fun fiction book.
Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
When I thought about selling this series, I kind of thought of it as the anti-Game of Thrones: If you think it has a happy ending, you’re mostly right. That doesn’t mean it’s a cozy fantasy exactly; they do have to go through hell to get to their happy ending.
But I think fantasy themes tend to be the opposite of what’s happening in society at large: When popular fantasy is dark, it’s because many readers are at good spots in their lives. A lot of folks I know these days are struggling, so I wanted to write something that wasn’t too dark and that wouldn’t remind people of their daily struggles. My books have dark spots, but in general, I think they’re full of hope for a better future, at least for the main character and the people they care about.
Links:
Website | Amazon | Instagram | Facebook | Barnes and Noble
Thank you so much for featuring this author today.
Thanks for posting this and for giving me a chance to share my thoughts!
I enjoyed the interview and excerpt.
The book details sound interesting.
I’m excited to read this!
Great interview! I enjoyed getting to know about how the author’s love of books and writing since childhood developed, and enjoyed all the details behind the story, as well as those about the story itself! Looking forward to read The River against The Sea! Congratulations!
Very intriguing book cover!! Looking forward to checking this book out!!