After reading Pantheons and Albino I had the opportunity to interview E.J. Dabel. The neat thing about interviewing him was that I could ask him anything I wanted about his two books that I had read. Also just a side note besides interviewing him I had a chance to discuss both books as I was reading them. How often can very many people say that they discussed the book with the author as they are reading it?? So here is the interview!!
ALBINO Questions
1. What inspired you to write a story about a mouse who becomes the hero of the story?
Ever since I was a kid and I discovered in J.R.R. Tolkien’s time that dwarves, elves, and wizards were considered fit only for children and Tolkien took that genre and made it so even adults are now enjoying Lord of the Rings. I promised myself one day, I would find a genre in my time that’s considered only for kids and write a story even adults would care to read
2. How did you come up with the Idea for the Story?
I was driving with my brothers, and my brother and agent Les mentioned that it would be really awesome to write about woodland creatures and make them dress in grass, leaves, flower petals, butterfly wings, fruits, etc.
3. Did you have a pet mouse growing up??
No, I didn’t. But I did have two dogs, a cat, and nine kittens :)
4. why did you choose to use illustrations with Albino? (They are really awesome by the way)
I thought it would be a great way of showing adults visually that they could safely journey into this world without any reservations (Thank you)
5. How long did it take you to write the book?
Three very difficult weeks and I came out with the final draft and also in need of a shave and lots of sleep
6. Do you feel it important to show the strength in such small animals, when other animals view them as weak or their next meal?
Yes, I do. But I think strength in the Albino series will be portrayed in many different ways. Physical strength being the most obvious, but one other way I’d like to mention is the strength of accomplishing one’s goals in life, no matter what age you are. The process of developing one’s mental muscles to gain that kind of strength is altogether different than swinging one’s wooden sword around as we will discover.
7. Where does the story take place, besides being on a farm?
The story takes place in Nothengarrd. The eastern part of it to be exact as the way from east to west is blocked by the Great Barrier, a river of hundreds of thousands of living snakes running all the way from North to South. If you’re a woodland creature and you’re trying to cross that river, your chance of survival is .00000000000001, not very good at all. Poisonous fumes rise up from that living river, which will bring down any bird foolish enough to attempt its crossing.
8. Who was your favorite character to write?
Loucura, I really enjoyed the conversation he has with his mother. There’s just something intriguing about raccoons dressed in banana peels
9. Do you like writing villains in Stories?
I really enjoy writing villains in stories, but they’re not easy to write. The perfect villain makes the perfect story.
10. How many books are in the series?
This will be a long series. Albino now has the title Hoge Koning, but unifying all the races and having them accept him as such will not be an easy undertaking.
Pantheons Questions
1.
What inspired you to write Pantheons?
I’ve always been a big fan of mythology, and right when I first started doing research, long before I even wrote my first paragraph, I thought about the one question in Greek myth that always had me curious. Who was the prophesied son of Zeus who would one day dethrone him? This one question had bothered me since back when I was a teenager, many years ago and it’s the one that inspired me to write Pantheons.
2. How did you come up with the idea to write Pantheons?
That would be my brother and agent Les. He told me one day that it would be cool to have a story with teen gods walking around. Once he told me to picture teen Zeus fighting against teen Odin, he had me sold on the whole thing and from then on there was no stopping me
3. How long did it take you to write the book?
It actually didn’t take me a very long time to write the book itself. But it took me a very long time to do all of the research. There are so many different pantheons and deities that I was looking into, it just took a lot of time to read up on everything about them.
I’ve always been a big fan of mythology, and right when I first started doing research, long before I even wrote my first paragraph, I thought about the one question in Greek myth that always had me curious. Who was the prophesied son of Zeus who would one day dethrone him? This one question had bothered me since back when I was a teenager, many years ago and it’s the one that inspired me to write Pantheons.
2. How did you come up with the idea to write Pantheons?
That would be my brother and agent Les. He told me one day that it would be cool to have a story with teen gods walking around. Once he told me to picture teen Zeus fighting against teen Odin, he had me sold on the whole thing and from then on there was no stopping me
3. How long did it take you to write the book?
It actually didn’t take me a very long time to write the book itself. But it took me a very long time to do all of the research. There are so many different pantheons and deities that I was looking into, it just took a lot of time to read up on everything about them.
4. Who was the Easiest/Hardest Character to Write?
The easiest character to write was Isaiah Marshall, because in the beginning, he didn’t even say anything. He only went around looking really tough just nodding his head whenever he agrees and shaking his head when he disagrees.
The hardest character, I’d have to say was Zeus. He’s so cruel that I had to think really hard about his diabolical schemes. His words had to be perfect to paint him as the sadistic father he really is.
5. Who is your Favorite God/Titan?
I have lots of favorites, but one of my favorite is the goddess Hera. She has a face that’s shaped like a cow and ugly, big eyes too. I feel very sorry for her. The way her boyfriend dates other girls as if she doesn’t even exist, it’ll be interesting to see what she does now that the prophesied son is here. Will she help Isaiah against her no good boyfriend? We’ll just have to see throughout the series what she does.
Favorite Titan is Mr. Minx. When he showed a glimpse of his true form facing off against Hera and Loki, I thought that was really cool!
6. When writing tearjerker or just emotionally hard parts, do you draw or use your own experiences in writing those parts?
I mostly draw on empathy. I’m blessed with an amazing father who’s been a good example for me growing up and an even greater friend in my middle years, so to write about Isaiah and his experiences with his own devilish father, which I’ve never been through in my entire life, I had to put myself in the Indestructible Diamond’s shoes and try to feel what he felt with all things that concern Zeus.
7. If you could be any God/Titan who would you want to be and why?
Isaiah, because he is surrounded by loyal friends, you can’t have a better support system than Jeremy, Monty, and Pipsqueak.
I think the titan would be Prometheus just because of his ability of forethought. I would find out all the ways my family and friends would get hurt with my forethought-powers, and I’d remove them from harm’s way.
8. How many drafts did you write before you found the perfect storyline?
Too many to count
9. Why did you choose to write your characters as teenagers vs's them as their 1000 year old selfs?
My brother and agent Les mentioned teen gods, so it kind of stuck in my head.
10.
Will we get a back story with Zeus and Isaiah's Mom??
You never know in the future if the fans ask for it ;)
11. How many Books will be in the series?
I know how it ends, and all the things that has to happen to get there, minus all the new plots that will jump out of my imagination to strengthen what I already have, so once it gets to the end I’ll be done. It’ll be a long series though.
The easiest character to write was Isaiah Marshall, because in the beginning, he didn’t even say anything. He only went around looking really tough just nodding his head whenever he agrees and shaking his head when he disagrees.
The hardest character, I’d have to say was Zeus. He’s so cruel that I had to think really hard about his diabolical schemes. His words had to be perfect to paint him as the sadistic father he really is.
5. Who is your Favorite God/Titan?
I have lots of favorites, but one of my favorite is the goddess Hera. She has a face that’s shaped like a cow and ugly, big eyes too. I feel very sorry for her. The way her boyfriend dates other girls as if she doesn’t even exist, it’ll be interesting to see what she does now that the prophesied son is here. Will she help Isaiah against her no good boyfriend? We’ll just have to see throughout the series what she does.
Favorite Titan is Mr. Minx. When he showed a glimpse of his true form facing off against Hera and Loki, I thought that was really cool!
6. When writing tearjerker or just emotionally hard parts, do you draw or use your own experiences in writing those parts?
I mostly draw on empathy. I’m blessed with an amazing father who’s been a good example for me growing up and an even greater friend in my middle years, so to write about Isaiah and his experiences with his own devilish father, which I’ve never been through in my entire life, I had to put myself in the Indestructible Diamond’s shoes and try to feel what he felt with all things that concern Zeus.
7. If you could be any God/Titan who would you want to be and why?
Isaiah, because he is surrounded by loyal friends, you can’t have a better support system than Jeremy, Monty, and Pipsqueak.
I think the titan would be Prometheus just because of his ability of forethought. I would find out all the ways my family and friends would get hurt with my forethought-powers, and I’d remove them from harm’s way.
8. How many drafts did you write before you found the perfect storyline?
Too many to count
9. Why did you choose to write your characters as teenagers vs's them as their 1000 year old selfs?
My brother and agent Les mentioned teen gods, so it kind of stuck in my head.
10.
Will we get a back story with Zeus and Isaiah's Mom??
You never know in the future if the fans ask for it ;)
11. How many Books will be in the series?
I know how it ends, and all the things that has to happen to get there, minus all the new plots that will jump out of my imagination to strengthen what I already have, so once it gets to the end I’ll be done. It’ll be a long series though.
ALBINO Questions
1. What inspired you to write a story about a mouse who becomes the hero of the story?
Ever since I was a kid and I discovered in J.R.R. Tolkien’s time that dwarves, elves, and wizards were considered fit only for children and Tolkien took that genre and made it so even adults are now enjoying Lord of the Rings. I promised myself one day, I would find a genre in my time that’s considered only for kids and write a story even adults would care to read
2. How did you come up with the Idea for the Story?
I was driving with my brothers, and my brother and agent Les mentioned that it would be really awesome to write about woodland creatures and make them dress in grass, leaves, flower petals, butterfly wings, fruits, etc.
3. Did you have a pet mouse growing up??
No, I didn’t. But I did have two dogs, a cat, and nine kittens :)
4. why did you choose to use illustrations with Albino? (They are really awesome by the way)
I thought it would be a great way of showing adults visually that they could safely journey into this world without any reservations (Thank you)
5. How long did it take you to write the book?
Three very difficult weeks and I came out with the final draft and also in need of a shave and lots of sleep
6. Do you feel it important to show the strength in such small animals, when other animals view them as weak or their next meal?
Yes, I do. But I think strength in the Albino series will be portrayed in many different ways. Physical strength being the most obvious, but one other way I’d like to mention is the strength of accomplishing one’s goals in life, no matter what age you are. The process of developing one’s mental muscles to gain that kind of strength is altogether different than swinging one’s wooden sword around as we will discover.
7. Where does the story take place, besides being on a farm?
The story takes place in Nothengarrd. The eastern part of it to be exact as the way from east to west is blocked by the Great Barrier, a river of hundreds of thousands of living snakes running all the way from North to South. If you’re a woodland creature and you’re trying to cross that river, your chance of survival is .00000000000001, not very good at all. Poisonous fumes rise up from that living river, which will bring down any bird foolish enough to attempt its crossing.
8. Who was your favorite character to write?
Loucura, I really enjoyed the conversation he has with his mother. There’s just something intriguing about raccoons dressed in banana peels
9. Do you like writing villains in Stories?
I really enjoy writing villains in stories, but they’re not easy to write. The perfect villain makes the perfect story.
10. How many books are in the series?
This will be a long series. Albino now has the title Hoge Koning, but unifying all the races and having them accept him as such will not be an easy undertaking.
