Historical Fiction Meets Fantasy Interview With Sci-Fi Author Paul C. Darden

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? My students inspired me to write. Every year, they asked to learn about their cultures and histories, and I was tired of telling them we wouldn't learn about those things. I couldn't find anything in the publishing world reflecting students' lives and diverse backgrounds. So, I had to create what I was looking for. My students are the reason for every page and every word—the ones in my classroom and those in classrooms I have never set foot in.   

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? The story is about a teenage boy who travels through time and develops powers. He will travel the world meeting kids just like him. They will work together to assemble the puzzle pieces and determine why they have powers. It's historical fiction mixed with fantasy and sci-fi. The audience is young adults thirteen and up.   

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? Readers should learn about history and cultures around the world. Readers will also learn different languages. I also want readers to know that struggles, overcoming, coming of age, love, and making tough choices aren't always the best or easiest. Life isn't always about getting up; some loss stays with you, no matter the time. Bad days are expected because we all have them, and you can't change the past, but you can change your future.  

4. How did you decide on your book's title and cover design? The cover came from the title and the concept of time travel. Students often talk about what they would do if they traveled to specific periods in time, and that needs to be a concept I wanted them to think about. The cover is designed to spark conversation within a classroom from middle school and up. As a teacher, intellectual conversation is something I think about all the time. The title was a reflection of the time we live in and something everyone can relate to. All the characters want freedom. They will be chasing it. It might look different for each of them, just like it does for all the readers.   

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Why not you? Let your pen and words build the life you want. Embrace the love of your work and the hate. You don't need the world to love your work, just enough to pay the bills.   

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? I see the same old, same old. The publishing industry is mostly the same. There are many more indie publishers, but they are still going through the Giants in the industry. The industry is headed toward consolidating which major companies can buy out the others. The freedom of authors to create is still under attack, and that has to be changed. The heart of publishing is the relationship between the author and the readers; we must find our way back to each other. This can and should be accomplished through creating captivating books that educate and start conversations to get the world thinking without alienating people.   

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? My teaching experiences and love for education came in handy. As an educator, I grew tired of dumb-down content entering the classroom and school system. So, creating content exposing readers to words they will have to look up, as well as multiple languages, is something I take pride in. The unmatched diversity of characters, dialects, and languages reflects my life growing up in NYC. I have friends from all over the world and love meeting new people growing up. It manifested itself through the characters the main character, Duante Eilloit, meets. My student's lack of knowledge of their peer's cultures has floored me at times. Schools don't create a forum for students to get to know each other. In some cases, they "learn" about some peers by accident, but the intentionality needs to be there. The Novel Freedom Runner and the other books allow students to learn about each other and ask tough questions through the lens of the characters. My entire life seeps into the pages. I can't tell you what parts because they do develop into chapters sometimes, and I would rather not ruin the surprise for readers.  

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? My style is rule-breaking because this is a creative peace. I don't have anyone similar to my style because no one has ever done what I've set out to do, which is sad on the one hand but also refreshing on the other. I'm fun, adventurous, witty, and educational, with a balance of charm when I write.     

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Finishing the book was a challenge overall. Editing the book was another major challenge for me. The start had me doubting myself every moment. Learning multiple languages and dialects has been challenging to bring into writing. It has caused me not to want to write at times. The biggest challenge was convincing myself that my story was worthy of readers' eyes.  

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Freedom Runner should be on everyone's list because readers want to relate to the characters, and this novel will hit home with an audience worldwide. Readers want to laugh, smile, and have a protagonist they can feel, and Duante Elliot is him. Freedom Runner is a novel that will uplift and inspire you to want to read more. It will cause you to think and spark conversation in a way that will have the reader craving more of the series.  

About The Author: Paul C. Darden was born in Longview, Texas. Raised in The Bronx as a small child. He fell in love with education and decided to become a teacher. He is using his time and skills to help educate his middle school students to become the best they can be. During COVID, he created SeriousPensPublisihng LLC and the Time Runner Series. The first feature novel, Freedom Runner, is a book in a seven-book series. Rise of the Runners is the free ebook series that will go to print and part of his philanthropic work to give back to all schools.  For more info, please consult:  www.SeriousPensPublishig.com.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.6 million pageviews. With 4,800+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.