Welcome to the section where we ask questions to our favourite humans, the authors that allow us to continue with this marvelous hobby. Today we are accompanied by Mark Timmony, author of Starbinder and The Blood on the Spear, both part of Eye of the Eternity series.

Let’s dive in!

1.- What made you decide to go for self-publishing route?

Timing, mostly. I approached some agents and while they told me that they liked what they’d read it (The Blood of the Spear) wasn’t what they were looking for. So, finding an agent becomes a matter of finding the right fit – finding an agent who loves what you are writing and is prepared to champion your work. That takes time. And then the agent has to find a fit with a publisher – this also takes time.

I had been working on The Blood of the Spear for many years and I was impatient to get it out in the world. So, I looked into the self-pub/indie world and decided that I could get The Blood of the Spear out by myself. In many ways, I am still a beginner as an author, so this is a great way to learn and get better at my craft while also building an audience without all the pressure and deadlines that come with being signed by a Traditional Publisher (although that is the dream one day).

2.- Starbinder is a really loose prequel to The Blood on the Spear, would you recommend reading it before or after?

Yes, it really is! It can be read before or after The Blood of the Spear. People who read it before will get a bit of an introduction into the world of Sobia, and those who read it after will get a few easter eggs. It won’t spoil The Blood of the Spear and expands a little on some things after it.

3.-Your covers are always excellent, who is the artist?

Thanks! I love them too. The amazing Felix Ortiz (Twitter) does the artwork for my covers and Shawn T. King (Twitter) does the cover design – they are a powerhouse team.

4.-What would you say are the difficulties that arise from writing a novella instead of going for a full novel length?

The main difference is that you don’t have as much time to go into the detail you might otherwise have in a novel! You must catch the reader’s attention fast and get to the meat of the story quickly. Given I lean toward sprawling epic fantasy stories this was a steep learning curve for me.

5.-The Eye of the Eternity is your main project, have you planned how many books will compose it?

At this stage, the main series is set for seven books. I have some stand-alones and maybe a few more novellas along the way too ;)

6.-As a writer, do you consider yourself a planner or a pantser?

I consider myself a hybrid pantser and planner! I like to know the beginning middle and end of what I’m working on but I like to discover the in-between parts as I go. For me, this allows for some surprises in the story that I didn’t originally envision – that excites me. I find if I plan everything out that I get bored and don’t want to write the story anymore.

7.-What can we expect from Mark Timmony in the future?

Well, I am currently working on book 2, the sequel to The Blood of the Spear. I am also world-building a sci-fiction/fantasy universe that I plan to write one day (think a cross between Star Wars, Dune, and Warhammer 40K). But next up will definitely be book 2 in The Eye of Eternity.