Interview With Author Luke Martin Wahlberg

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book?

When I was deciding what I wanted to go to college for, I toyed with the idea of getting

into game design. I liked taking inspiration from stories I loved from my childhood (many

coming from Japanese anime) and the worlds from the games that I distracted myself

with (primarily RPG and adventure style) to create immersive stories. It was a form of

therapy for me; and, when I got far enough, I realized that there might actually be

somebody else out there that might take joy from it as well.

 

2. What exactly is it about — and who is it written for?

The Branded series follows humanity after we’ve wrecked Earth and left to find a new

home on a distant planet called Enrea. This comes with the discovery of native

intelligent species, tangible gods, and bizarre environmental conditions. The first book

follows a young mechanic named Nate Peterson, who, in a twist of expectations,

discovers his connection to one of the gods mentioned before. Not a common issue, yet

not unheard of on this planet, he is offered the chance to serve them through his

blessing. His training, interactions, and comrades carry the story through into the reveal

of the true plot, which makes this already expansive world seem much larger and leaves

the gods grasping at straws. As the series progresses, the plot becomes a complex web

of scientific and divine discovery, and more characters become intertwined with a rapidly

changing goal and a global effort. As for who this is for, I would hope that anyone looking for a high-fantasy epic would enjoy it. To that point, this is marketed largely toward the YA market, as the erotic scenes and descriptive and traumatic violence put it slightly beyond the teenage market. Taking inspiration from where I have, anyone that gets overly involved in the kinds of

games and anime I’ve invested years of my life in should find something to grab onto. I

want anyone that reads it to find characters they identify with and can insert themselves

as they see fit. Nate is not a typical insert-character, in that he is a bumbling moron and,

in my eyes, not that interesting compared to the others, but he’s there to hold the story

together.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I hope people get a good escape from it. With as long as it is (planned for seven books

in the series with five complete and approaching the million-word mark), I wanted to

create a world for the readers to lose themselves in. From the trials each god offers to

their servants, the vastly different regions the party wanders through, the different

intelligent races, and the implications of a magic-infused society with technology similar

to our current state but no modern weaponry, I want them to experience a unique world

and latch onto the characters. Every character I’ve created is meant to be memorable,

and I try to stand at the edge of absurdity for some so they can be even more enjoyable.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The series title, Branded, comes from the power system. Each of the sixteen god-like

beings, known as Eidolons, offer special simulated trials within their own realms to

determine if their applicants are worthy of their blessings. This blessing manifests in the

form of a branding on their backs, forming a 4x4 grid. These brandings offer them

access to the power of the Eidolon in question, which equates to elemental power,

boosted capacities, or the ability to physically manifest them for those magically

inclined. The subtitle, Kindling, comes from Nate’s connection to the god of fire of this world.

Being incapable of controlling his powers once they are realized and being treated as a

means to initiate the connection, he is literally kindling for the fires that are offered.

As for the cover, I outsourced it to an artist while going through publication. I wanted

Nate (the one on the cover) to be relatively non-descript, and for the branding of the

Eidolon he was chosen by to be on his right shoulder at the center of the cover. The

flaming, wolf-like eyes on the right represent the Eidolon he is attached to. The branding

itself is a conglomeration three runic symbols: wolf, god, and flame. On the back, there

is an unconventional-looking sword across the bottom margin, which is a depiction of

the weapon used by his tutor, Dran. It is called the Zanbatousai, which is an allusion to

an ancient weapon from Japanese warfare and the anime Rurouni Kenshin. It’s

important to the plot…and its use is often met with comic disbelief.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

I’ve had a lot of people tell me that they’ve wanted to write but never went through with

it, to which I’ve told them to just try. It’s not for everyone, but it can’t hurt to try. That’s

what did it for me; I figured I’d throw it out there, and I got called back two weeks later to

ask if I would approve going to an editing board. If this is about those that I hope to share the shelves with…well, I don’t want them to run. I need to escape my own worlds sometimes, too.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see -- and where do you think the book

publishing industry is heading? 

Seeing what has been popular, I have to hide my face from the stream of poorly-written

pseudo-smut paraded as “fantasy.” I want to find characters and plots that I can

immerse myself in…and those aren’t it. Authors that mass produce that drivel have

made millions and are given TV and movie deals…but I rarely see the same love being

given to Hugo and Booker award winners, who inspire imagination and wonder with

each line. The world would be a better, more imaginative place if N.K. Jemisin and

George Saunders were given the attention that E.L. James, Coleen Hoover, and

Rebeccah Yarros get.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when

writing this book? 

The biggest underlying theme of the series is the shift into young adulthood and the

process of growing into the world around you. We think that those above us are

unassailable, but it’s the lack of experience and exposure that makes us feel that way.

Every character grows as the plot continues to expand, and fears and convictions have

to be faced as they become more comfortable with themselves as people. The trials

(which become prevalent in the second book) force the characters to deal with the most

uncomfortable aspects of their service, which I used to give my own philosophies

justification. In terms of my career, I’ve been involved in many different fields in the last twenty years. With fourteen years of management experience, I used that in how I structured the leading figures to be more realistic and human. When I wasn’t salaried, I would use my

writing as a means to cool down before and after shifts. I also tend to do my best writing when I’m at the bar…so most of my favorite scenes were written under the influence and simply edited later.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing

similar to?

 I don’t know who I’d compare myself to. I like to create a multi-POV system of

storytelling to allow more the plots to come together, which I can’t place where I got it

from. One thing I try to do with my action scenes that helps immerse myself is to storyboard

them like manga or comic panels so I can keep the immersion realistic…for as

fantastical of a story with monstrous creatures, magic, and superhuman powers can be.

Two authors I do take cues from for setting up the more emotional or suspenseful

scenes are Stephen King and Robert Randisi. King creates great atmosphere with his

ranging depth of description, while Randisi makes suspense particularly fun by leading

and trailing until he hits you with the surprise. I emulate them to make the plot less

predictable at times.

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

I think my biggest challenge was just having the confidence to think that somebody else

would want to read it. As I said, writing has always been therapeutic for me, whether to

relieve stress or to get my mind out of where I didn’t want to be. As I’ve continued the

series, I've challenged myself to create deeper meaning and more fascinating

environments for my audience to explore as they follow the story.

My biggest challenge now? I abhor what social media has become, so I have a really

hard time being active online to promote it. I know I need to if I want to make this my

actual career, but it is profoundly difficult for me.

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

I think the best value in a title is found in how much you want to read more. By the time

the ending hits, I want my readers to go “Give me the next book. I need to know where

this is going.” At ~115k words, I would like to think it offers enough action and intrigue to

keep focus and create an interest in more. Not dropping any hints, but the second book starts off fast and hammers home how much this story has to offer. I have tested out the second book on a very limited group of readers, and two have threatened me if I don’t get them the edited version of the third one to them by year’s end…so I have that going for me, I suppose.

 

About The Author: Luke has spent a large chunk of his life as a hobbyist writer, using it as a means of escaping reality. A nerd of many cultures, avid gamer, and single father, he has used his strange and varied experiences to create characters and worlds in his stories to make

sense of his own. Starting the Branded series while in high school, it took many forms

during its long development time before he submitted the first to print after finishing four

whole books in its current form.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.4 million pageviews. With 5,300+ posts over the past 14 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.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity 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.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, 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. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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