Hello and Welcome All!
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing L.T. Getty author of Witchslayer’s Scion.
Hi L.T., thank you for agreeing to this interview.
For those readers not familiar with you, would you please tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a paramedic from rural Manitoba who has been trying to write books since I was a kid. My first novel Tower of Obsidian was published in 2013 with Champagne Book’s Burst Books imprint. I since signed on two additional titles with Champagne, Dreams of Mariposa and Witchslayer’s Scion. I would like to turn Witchslayer’s Scion into a series, and have written two books that follow it thus far.
I have a degree in English from the University of Winnipeg and have two pets: a bichon-poodle named Dodger and a tortoiseshell short-haired named Calypso.
How did you choose the genre you write in?
I grew up enjoying books and movies that dealt with the fantastic, so it was a natural fit that I would do more of the same as an adult. Plus, I get a little nervous about copyright and what I’m allowed to reference when I do write stuff set in the here and now.
What do you do when you are not writing?
I work as a paramedic. I’ve been very busy in the last two years. I’d love to take some down time and get back into sports or other creative activities, such as oil painting or designing projects.
I love to walk my dog and take Dodger and people kayaking, but there’s plenty of great hiking trails in and around where I live. I haven’t done as much art as I’d like, and I’d really like to get seriously back into oil painting, but I taught myself to ink and I like to draw and I find those don’t require as much of a time commitment for clean up. I’m hoping when things open back up, I can go do some figure drawing classes and really get back into the more visual arts.
Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Edgar Rice Burroughs novels were very influential on me – that and the old Robert E Howard Conan the Barbarian stories. I grew up reading everything and anything, so I was reading books that were sometimes not age-appropriate, but for the most part I just didn’t understand some of the ideas they were getting at.
When attended University, I read a wide variety of books and movements, but I’m going to say the fiction and non-fiction of George Orwell and C.S. Lewis had a lot of influence on my writing.
What are some books you have enjoyed recently?
L. E. Derekson’s Shadows of the Blood
Kathy Trueman’s Gifts of the Elven
Connie Willis’ All Clear Duology
Tell us a few Fun Facts about your upcoming book?
Witchslayer’s Scion is a spin-off of a series I developed back in Junior High/High School. It’s a prequel series set about 35 years prior to the events of the other series.
This is my latest traditionally published book but I finished the first draft in 2009. I came back from fire college and was laid off from my job as a service writer, and up until then I’d been dawdling with it for twoish years, writing when I had a chance but between the full time job and part time school it took me a while to finish it. After I finished my job, did as much as I could for my (Class 4 license, etc) but spent the next two weeks earnestly writing every day. I wrote the first 70k of Garnet and Silver, then I finished Witchslayer’s Scion. I wanted to start book 2 immediately, but I told myself that I should at least get some interest in the first book.
When Tower of Obsidian got signed with Champagne Books, I send them two other manuscripts and I was considering sending this one but I decided to wait. I was just starting my job as a paramedic, and I was so broke I decided to really focus on my job and paying off my student loans. I kept writing, and after Tower of Obsidian came out I got flustered about the reaction and wondered what more I could have done to fix my editorial skills. I reached out to a local author/artist/editor about editing Garnet and Silver. I chickened out of publishing, and reached out again for this book. I figured working with an editor would help bring my writing to the next level. I met with my publisher in person at When Words Collide, a writing festival that takes place in Calgary, Alberta in August. The editor I hired mentioned my manuscript to Ellen (she owned Champagne Books at the time) when I was telling her about Dreams of Mariposa. I said I’d send in Witchslayer, and I got contracted for both books within a month of each title.
Ellen sold the company to Cassie I want to say the next year, and I offered Cassie a chance to drop the manuscript a few times, as I didn’t think it was fair that she was beholden to something Ellen bought. Cassie said no, she really liked it, so I got to work on book 2. I have since finished book 3, so here’s hoping that Champagne likes them and I get at least a trilogy. I’d like to do at least five books in this series as well as rework the original, but I guess we’ll see.
Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?
Koth’s considered special by his own people’s standards because he can heal wounds with touch. He’s not as impressive as other healers, but he’s got a knack for self healing. He also develops an instinct for sensing magic and even dabbles a bit in destruction (causing flesh to bubble and melt, so far he’s just mimicking burns) these are abilities that allow not only him to fend of mages, but for him to enable an ally to accompany him. He’s considered below average in terms of the skill level, but as the series progresses you find out that it’s actually an ability to focus and agility to work around someone more potentially dangerous that makes them more lethal.
I like Koth because he is a blunt jerk and under normal circumstances, he’d be a very competent hero. I put him in a story line where he’s completely out of his element, so every step when he gets to his target is a struggle.
What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?
I like fight scenes, so for me it’s the climax. I’ve really come a long way, and I just can’t have pages upon pages of “He parried, and his opponent struck again. He parried, and pushed off. He lunged, and they parried. Neither knew what they were doing, this should have been over in about eight seconds but I need to excite the reader.” I’ve gotten a lot better at utilizing setting for a fight, as well as making imbalances interesting, as well as handling a ton of characters. The short of it, is that when Koth’s going to fight – well, the coven is sort of turning on each other.
Readers should read this book…
If they like adventure and they want to try a fantasy without elves and dragons or gratuitous smut.
Don’t get me wrong: I love traditional fantasy elements and I love seeing do their unique takes on the high fantasy tropes that were popularized via Tolkien. I love alternative takes on mythology, but this is a series for someone who wants a somewhat realistic feeling fantasy – that doesn’t mean it’s gore porn, or dark and gritty and generally unpleasant. I made choices about the rules, and just played them to their logical conclusions – at least for me.
Now, that being said this is also a fantasy that likes to incorporate our world’s mythos and folklore and do its own spin. In the second book, I have a skinwalker, which is a creature out of native American folklore and, I tried my best to honour the origins. I would have no problem introducing something like dragons if they were explained properly, but I’m not throwing every possible bit of mythos into this series.
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
Witchslayer’s Scion
by L.T. Getty
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Sword and Sorcery/Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Koth’s life was decided for him since before he was born, for his ability to heal wounds by touch is rare even among his people. When an attempted kidnapping turns to sacrificial murder, he embraces vengeance and the sword. As he journeys far from his small isolated village in the north, he learns the truth as to why his bloodline is targeted by strange magic, in a world still rebuilding from a time when dark sorcerers didn’t bother with secrecy.
Koth thinks his quest is straightforward enough–find the men responsible, and kill them–and any who aid them. He will soon learn that those who have both privilege and power, there are few things they lack–and in the pursuit of godhood, their allies can prove even more sinister as mere mortals seek to advent empires and dynasties.
Amazon (American) – Amazon (Canadian) – Kobo – Champagne Books – Barnes and Noble
“Something’s wrong,” Una said. “Koth, wait here.”
“Why?” If there was a problem, she should be waiting outside for him.
He sensed inside, his aunt’s thoughts remained hidden from him. Una shouted, and he ran inside the building. He thought there were lights on inside, but he saw no candles.
The tea house was very dark, and he felt a sudden dread—he wanted to leave. Baro barked from the outside. ~Una! He thought, before something hit his neck.
He knew at once it was a poison dart, and ripping it out he tried to smell what it was. Seeing metal reflect moonlight and he moved his hand, his skin cut. Moving instinctively out of the way, his next reaction was to purge the toxin that coursed through his body and tried to understand the wound. It was mostly his forearm, deep but he could still use it, the bone unaffected. He’d do a better healing later. He focused on something not unlike a burn before going for the knife at his hip. Striking 85 in the next liquid motion, Koth realized he was attacking his aunt.
She grabbed onto his injured flesh and seared it, destroying, weakening the sinew and the cartilage and causing it to age and die, following up the bloodstream, to find the heart and kill. Koth tried to brace; he couldn’t heal and keep her at bay. He was physically stronger and much heavier, but she was weakening his muscles. He tried to wrench the knife from her.
He knocked the blade to the ground then tried to lock minds with her to find nothing short of blinding pain take him over, wrestling him to the ground and making him drop his knife. She took the dagger and when he tried to force himself up, a familiar sense washed over him. Magic, but not coming from Una.
“Do not kill him yet,” Yeshbel said, “we will bleed him first.”
L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.
Author Links:
L.T. Getty will be awarding a $25 GC, of the winner’s choice, to an online bookseller to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Follow the tour for more chances to enter!!
Nancy
May 10, 2022 at 11:28 pm
Intriguing cover
Sherry
May 9, 2022 at 3:56 pm
Looks like a very interesting book.
Eva Millien
May 9, 2022 at 8:44 am
Great interview, Witchslayer’s Scion sounds like an excellent read for me to enjoy and I like the cover! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a fantastic week!
Rita Wray
May 9, 2022 at 7:15 am
Sounds good, thank you.
LT Getty
May 9, 2022 at 6:19 am
Thank you for hosting!
Angela
May 9, 2022 at 9:49 am
It’s my pleasure to host and thank you for the wonderful interview.
Bea LaRocca
May 9, 2022 at 4:21 am
Thank you for sharing your interview and book details, Witchslayer’s Scion sounds like an awesome read and I am looking forward to it.
Goddess Fish Promotions
May 9, 2022 at 3:06 am
Thanks for hosting!
Angela
May 9, 2022 at 9:48 am
It’s my pleasure!