Me-- Where did you get the idea for Bastial Energy?
B.T. Narro-- I came up with the idea in college. Being a lover of fantasy, and living with three very different roommates, I came up with the idea of an Academy for teen warriors, chemists, mages, and psychics. Lord of the Rings was an influence as well, making me want to write a story about war and personal growth.
I started with writing a novel that was similar to Bastial Energy, finishing it my sophomore year in college. It didn't turn out very well. For years, I tweaked the characters, the plot, the creatures, the world, and the conflicts until everything was different from the original. Bastial Energy is the result of that.
Me:--Who are your favorite characters and why?
B.T. Narro-- It's extremely difficult for me to pick any as my favorite, so I'm tempted to say that all of them are. But if I read that answer from another author, I would roll my eyes. So I'm going to force myself to give a more specific answer. Captain Mmzaza is one of my favorite characters because he always makes me smile, though there isn't much of him in the first novel. Vithos has become one of my favorite characters as well, but that's taking into consideration all of the series so far. Based on Bastial Energy alone, I'd have to say Steffen. Like Captain Mmzaza, he makes me smile.
Me-- What themes does your book present?
B.T. Narro-- In every society, there is a definition of an adult, and it is usually defined by age and sometimes a rite of passage. But there's a major difference between being identified as an adult and coming to terms with adulthood. This is the major theme throughout Bastial Energy—characters must discover what being an adult means to them.
Me-- How many books do you have in this series?
B.T. Narro-- So far there are three books in the series, though a fourth one should be published by October 15th. I'm planning two more books after this next one before the series is completed.
Me-- What makes you choose to write YA fantasy?
B.T. Narro--In addition to writing fantasy when I was young, I've written a lot of nonfiction, specifically about those dreadful years of puberty. I've spent a lot of time exploring the complex issues that come with growing up and I enjoy writing about them. The reason I stick with fantasy is because I find it gives my imagination more room to thrive.
Me-- What authors influence your writing?
B.T. Narro-- Quite a few, though two more than any other: George R. R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss.
Me-- Why do you think fantasy books are so popular?
B.T. Narro-- Every fantasy novel has to accomplish the same thing: introduce a world, demonstrate the rules of this world, and introduce a society. Every genre is going to have characters and conflicts, but these extra aspects that can only be found in fantasy and sci-fi help provide an extra element of adventure and discovery.
Me-- How many books have you written?
B.T. Narro-- Bastial Energy is my first published novel. I've only written one other complete novel besides Bastial Energy, and I never tried to publish it because I didn't like how it turned out. There were two others that I started but never finished. So that makes 3 in total at this point. Bastial Energy, The Sartious Mage, and Bastial Steel.
Me-- Where do you see the fantasy book market 10 years from now?
B.T. Narro-- As the same as it is now. Though, I would trust a flip of the coin more than my opinion on this.
Me-- What makes Bastial Energy different from other YA fantasy books?
B.T. Narro-- Every novel has aspects about it that are similar to other stories. But from the fan mail and reviews I've received about Bastial Energy, I believe many people find the way the characters interact and learn from each other to be refreshing. There are plot driven moments, like in any epic adventure, but many of the big turns of the story are the result of a character's feelings, stubbornness, naivety, wit, or interaction with another main character.
Author Bio:
B.T. Narro was born in 1985, in San Francisco, California, where he still lives.
He has a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of California Riverside.
He loves intricate stories with surprises, humor, romance, but above all, deeply developed characters and worlds that are so real they seem to live on once the novel is finished. This is what he strives for as a writer.
Narro's passion for fantasy started in elementary school. He had a lot of great teachers, one of which was his sixth grade English teacher, Rick Riordan (author of the Percy Jackson novels). Narro was fortunate enough to have Riordan read and provide feedback for Narro's first fantasy manuscript, which he completed in college. (It was terrible, but Riordan was very helpful and nice about it.)
In high school, Narro started having a difficult time staying awake through class, which was strange considering how he slept about eight hours a night. By senior year, he couldn't go a day without falling asleep at least once, and a friend jokingly suggested that he might have narcolepsy. But Narro went to see a doctor anyway, just in case his friend might be right. Sure enough, after a hospital sleepover study, Narro was diagnosed with narcolepsy.
In terms of writing, Narro likes to outline the entire novel before writing the first draft. He loves to write and hopes to have the next book out before the end of October.
Excerpt from Bastial Energy:
Cleve’s hands were steady as he drew the string of his longbow. His eyes didn’t see the rest of the forest, only his target. Ready to let the arrow soar, he held his breath, but a noise froze him before he released. He strained his neck toward it.
Footsteps causing leaves to crackle were coming up the hill behind him. Panic pinched his heart, forcing his held breath out through his teeth. By the time his next breath began, his arrow was back in his quiver and his head had swung in each direction, looking for somewhere to throw his five-foot-tall longbow.
The sun was low, striping the forest in shadows from lanky trees too thin to conceal his illegal weapon. The grass of the forest floor was too sparse for it, and the only bushes thick enough were down the hill, past where the footsteps were coming from.
He cursed himself for allowing someone to surprise him. After years of training in the secluded forest, not once had someone sneaked up on him. How could he have let this happen? He took another breath. Figuring that out would have to wait. Right now he needed a plan.
A voice spoke out, just close enough to be understood. “Look at this, Fred.” The young man’s tone was utterly defeated, as if he were witnessing a calamity. “This goldbellow is mangled. What a waste of a rare ingredient.”
Cleve heard no reply, just a scraping sound like a knife rubbing against steel.
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