Today it gives the Speculative Fiction Showcase great pleasure to interview D.A. Mucci, author of Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw.
I chose to quarantine from my family after working ER shifts during the pandemic. Until more knowledge about COVID-19 was uncovered, we didn’t know enough about risks for infecting the ones we love, so I self-quarantined in my house. Initially, I read to try to keep my mind occupied and relieve stress. I had been talking about writing this story for well over a decade and my wife suggested it was a good time to delve in. So, I did and the story of Ignatius came alive.
Ignatius is an ordinary yet exceptional kid who finds himself drawn into another world. Tell us a bit about Ignatius, who is he and why is he unusual?
Iggy portrays many of us, with his own insecurities, dreams, and fears. A lot of what Iggy went through in high school was inspired from my personal experiences or what I witnessed as others matured through that stage. I looked inward as I shaped Iggy's character but I think a lot of readers will relate to Iggy in our post-pandemic world, feeling much trepidation about facing the unknown.
The world where Ignatius finds himself, the Kingdom of Skye and Matreach, is partly based on the real Isle of Skye off the coast of Scotland. What made you choose that place and how did you research it?
The Ignatius series was always meant to take place in medieval times. Novels about that period are often written in what we think of as the United Kingdom, primarily England, and I wanted something different from the land and society stereotypical of that era. I started diving into the lands and cultures of the UK and happened upon the Isle of Skye. Its history was steeped in myth and legends, and the land was unique and diverse. I was able to expand upon that to make the Kingdom appear more realistic within in a fantasy setting.
The map that accompanies the story played an important part in its creation. How did it come about?
Simply put, my wife Jeanne said it needed a map! I had already decided the when and where, she helped find an illustrator to ensure it was designed and brought to life accurately.
Before the map could be created, I had to decide on the geography and the natural resources. How did the people of each land eat? Did I need to add farmland or were they seafarers and thus need ports for their ships? Or were they hunters and I had to envision places for them to hunt and for the animals to roam.
After outlining all of that with the basic map of what each land looked like, the actual map was drawn by a very talented illustrator. The map creation took significant time to develop and I was grateful Jeanne could manage the project while I kept at the time-intensive project of completing the manuscript.
When you were working during the pandemic, how far did that very difficult experience feed into the writing and how do you feel the story itself echoes the challenges that many people have faced during that time?
The pandemic was about dealing with unknowns at some level for all of us. Managing our fears and how we reacted to them each day and rose to the challenge or fell to the struggle in front of us. The book is about Iggy growing, coming of age, facing the unknowns and rising to the challenges he is faced with. His story is about dealing with them and not backing down, accepting the wins and learning from the losses.
Ignatius meets many new characters on his journey, and has to learn different languages. Tell us something about the importance of imaginary language in the book.
Iggy’s ability to master different languages quickly is his special skill, his superpower. It portrays to others not to judge him by his small physical stature or meek appearance, as he’s the master of a skill set that is not visible. There are two aspects that make the imaginary language important. First, it gives realism to the story; we live in a world that is not mono-language so why should our stories be. And second, Iggy being a stranger to other languages and picking them up so quickly gives him an edge in his quest, especially when those around him don’t know he understands their language.
Who are the people that Ignatius meets in the Kingdom of Skye? Who are his helpers or his antagonists?
Truthfully, it would be a spoiler to discuss this in detail. Let’s just say it is not all that it appears to be in the Kingdom of Skye. Iggy’s helpers are a very diverse group of people: young, old, male, female, from different lands and backgrounds. Iggy embraces the diversity of those around him and leverages the unique strengths each have to offer - an important example for young readers.
What are the Swords of Nostaw in the title?
The swords are to the Nostaw what the light sabres are to the Jedi in Star Wars. For the linguists, note that Nostaw is Watson spelled backwards. Watson was our beloved dog that has crossed over the rainbow bridge. All 12 pounds of that fluffy shih tzu thought himself to be extremely fierce. We asked the illustrator to use Watson’s face to model the look of the Nostaw to commemorate his spirit in a unique way.
Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw is a portal fantasy, like some of the most famous fantasy novels - Alice in Wonderland, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and more. Why is portal fantasy such a strong and relatable trope for young people and adults?
Portals allow the author to bring a realistic character into a fantasy world. If the audience can relate to that character prior to the portal travel, it helps endear them to root for the character even more as the adventures unfold.
How important is it to you to pursue this new vocation as a writer after many years working in a different and demanding profession? Is one ever too old to start writing?
At 67 years old, I am all in with this new vocation of writing a young adult fantasy series. Age does not determine whether you can write a story. The only limitation is the one that you place on yourself and your imagination.
You have set up a new publishing firm, St Barts Publishing LLC. How did that evolve and how is it developing?
We have hired talented editors, proof-readers, cover designers, illustrators and marketing and social media firms. These are the same professionals hired by the major publishing houses. Hiring a strong team of professionals allows you to compete on the same footing. At present, St Barts Publishing is focusing only on the Ignatius series with the desire to make Iggy a household name.
Tell us something about your lifelong passion for literature and how you have helped young school kids publish their own stories over the years.
When our two children were in elementary school, my wife and I started a small publishing company, Manor Books. Along with educators, we encouraged students to write stories and illustrate them. When we published their stories and drawings, they could physically hold in their hands a published book capturing their imaginative creations. Young children should be encouraged to create and feel what they have created is valued. Many of the students we supported with the publishing projects attended an urban magnet school.
For one book, seniors from the community and a group of second graders each contributed a favorite family recipe with a story about what makes it special, the students even illustrated their recipes. We ended up with an amazingly diverse collection of recipes including goat stew, matzo ball soup, macaroni and cheese and plenty of others. We still refer to that cookbook to this day for interesting recipes.
Who do you love to read and what are you reading at the moment?
My taste for authors has varied over the years. In my college years, I was reading as many Clive Cussler adventure books I could get my hands on. I then ventured into the fantasy realm. I love Neil Gaiman, I find him a fascinating author. Currently, I am finishing up City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare.
Are you working on a sequel to Ignatius and the Swords of Nostaw?
Most definitely. The Ignatius series is planned to be a five-book series. I am knee deep into writing book 2.
What advice would you give to anyone who wants to start out as a writer, at whatever age?
My advice is straight forward. Write and keep writing. The only one stopping you is you.
Watch the Good Morning America interview with D.A. Mucci here!
About D.A. Mucci:
D.A. Mucci has been an Emergency Room physician for close to 40 years, but the pandemic brought forth new horrors in the ER. Writing fantasy fiction in his spare time became a coping mechanism and even an enjoyable escape from dealing with the realities of Covid patients at work. As Mucci's passion for writing emerged, so did his new publishing firm, St Barts Publishing LLC in St Augustine, FL.
Mucci graduated from St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada in 1981. After working in hospitals in Connecticut and Florida, he now works as an independent contractor and is able to split his time between these two places he calls home with his wife Jeanne by his side. He looks forward to writing more books in his new fantasy series and hopes they provide readers the same escape it brought him. Learn more about the author and Iggy's adventures at: DAMucci.com
No comments:
Post a Comment