The holidays are here and I love ‘em. Despite the fact that I will be speaking about presents for the next five evenings, I want you to remember that the holidays are about spending time with those you love and creating memories.
The overview of the next five days:
- Books
- Food Gifts
- Locally Purchased Gifts or Gifts Purchased from Small Business Owners
- Handcrafted Gifts
- Charity Organizations
It’s obvious that I love books and thus it should be no surprise that my first go-to when I start talking about neat Christmas presents is books (have you seen my living room?). If you’re not sure that books are actually a good present, you can read 31 Reasons Why Books Make The Best Presents. Don’t worry, most kids don’t react this way:
I’ve talked ad nauseam about the importance of literacy and fostering a love of reading, but if you don’t believe me, there are tons of sources all over the internet and your local library who will exclaim to the heavens the joys of reading. So let’s move on to the good stuff. First, an interview with the author of Antiquitas Lost, Robert Louis Smith.
Jen Rothmeyer of EmSun interviews Robert Louis Smith M.D., Msc,
Author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans
Jen: Your website states that you began writing this novel in 2003. You are a cardiologist. What prompted you to begin to write a book?
Robert Smith: I have been interested in creative writing from a very young age. Unlike most physicians, I have always been somewhat of a “left brain†person, and my favorite courses in school were English and the language arts, rather than science. As long as I can remember, I have aspired to write a novel that could be appreciated by others. My decision to sit down and start writing was really motivated by two different circumstances. On the one hand, some authors (Hemingway and Dickens come to mind) have an amazing skill for the craft of writing. When reading these authors, I find myself wishing I could write something as powerful, or beautiful as they have – scenes that tells us something important or thought-provoking. On the other hand, I have consumed countless books over the years, many of them bestsellers, where I have gotten to the end and thought: I could do better than that! In addition to these factors, I also find writing to be a wonderful escape from the stresses of daily life.
Jen: You have a son and a daughter. Do you find there are bits and pieces of you and your
children in Elliott?
Robert Smith: My children are still very young – much younger than Elliott – so they had little impact on how Elliott was crafted. In fact, I didn’t have any particular person in mind when creating him, though I envisioned him as that withdrawn, unpopular (and often underestimated) kid that we all went to school with. It was important to me that he be real, and I wanted his actions in Pangrelor to jibe with the fact that he spent most of his life as an unnoticed, and unexceptional American boy. As the story progresses, Elliott shows great resolve, but unlike many fantasy protagonists, he wasn’t born with an uncanny (and unexplained) skill for swordsmanship, and he remains shy and somewhat withdrawn around the beautiful Princess Sarintha, who should be of romantic interest to him based on her age, beauty, and the experiences they share. So I suppose he matures in a fashion that is different than many fantasy heroes, but in a way that to me is more realistic. It is his resolve, determination, and inner strength that define his performance in Pangrelor, not his physical prowess. To me, this makes him all the more compelling.
Jen: Many first novels are said to be autobiographical. Would you say that parts of Antiquitas Lost reflect your life or childhood?
Robert Smith: It is inevitable that literary characters have at least some things in common with their creator. After all, each of their voices in the end comes from the writer. Antiquitas Lost is an epic fantasy novel, and many of the characters fill roles that are ultimately related to the “Hero’s Journey†plot structure. I wrote the novel in a fashion meant to be somewhat consistent with this type of plot, so really none of the characters are autobiographical. That said, the protagonist, Elliott, has a mindset that is cynical in many ways, and this is something he inherited from me. Also, I really like the character Hooks, who is a big beastly creature that serves in the role of protector. He has a big heart, is childlike at times, and is also quite resourceful. I suppose I relate to him the most (despite the fact that he isn’t human!).
Jen: Where did you get the idea to hook up with Geof Isherwood, have illustrations throughout your book, and how did you make the connection so that it happened?
Robert Smith: I contacted Geof online in early 2010 and asked him if he would be willing to do some commissioned character sketches for me. Prior to contacting him, I researched perhaps hundreds of different illustrators online and always kept returning to his work. I was very nervous when I sent that first email, and I suspect he thought I was some type of crackpot. With very little initial enthusiasm, he eventually agreed to do six character sketches for me, and in order to do this, we both agreed, he would have to read the manuscript for Antiquitas Lost. To my great delight, he loved the book, and the relationship took off from there. Our initial agreement was for small illustrations to be placed above the chapter headings, not the complex, full-page illustrations that later appeared in the book (the idea to make the illustrations such a meaty part of the book was Geof’s, and I loved it). In the 2 years since that first email, we have developed a great friendship and working relationship. At this point, he is every bit as excited about Antiquitas Lost as I am. He has told me that the collection of illustrations for Antiquitas Lost are the finest work he’s done to date. And this is a guy who used to draw Spider-Man for Marvel!
Jen: You’ve stated that you wanted a world different from Tolkien’s. Did you do any research to help support your myth-based creatures?
Robert Smith: Yes and no. I learned as a teenager that George Lucas was heavily influenced by Joseph Campbell’s Hero with 1000 faces. In the many years since, I have read a fair amount of Joseph Campbell’s writing, and I’ve always had a healthy interest in mythology and mythological creatures, dating all the way back to high school. So by the time I began Antiquitas Lost, I had consumed a lot of material regarding the basic “Hero’s Quest†plot structure as well as popular mythologies from many different cultures. That said, I did very little specific research for the creatures of Antiquitas Lost.
Jen: Was this the first item you’ve ever had published?
Robert Smith: Other than medical or scientific articles, this is the first thing I’ve ever had published.
Jen: Are we going to learn more about Hooks in future books? (What can I say, I really liked that guy.)
Robert Smith: Hooks is my favorite character in the book. We are sure to uncover much more of his colorful past, and I see a key role for him in future novels.
© 2011 Robert Louis Smith, author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans
Robert Louis Smith, author of Antiquitas Lost: The Last of the Shamalans, has numerous degrees, including psychology (B.A.), applied microbiology (B.S.), anaerobic microbiology (M.Sc.), and a Medical Doctorate (M.D.). He serves as an interventional cardiologist at the Oklahoma Heart Institute. He is married and the father of two young children. He began writing Antiquitas Lost in 2003 while studying at Tulane University in New Orleans. For more information please visit http://www.antiquitaslost.com, and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.
The Giveaway
FSB Associates is supplying a copy of Antiquitas Lost to give to one random winner in the US or Canada. (Make sure you have an e-mail address filled in so that I can contact you if you win.)
Here’s how you can win!
1. Leave a comment telling me why you think books make a good present (or any other random comment).
2. Sign up for the EmSun newsletter (and comment again stating you signed up).
3. Tell me what item I announced on EmSun’s Facebook page that I’d received on November 30th (leave another comment!).
4. RT the announcement on Twitter of this giveaway (and leave another comment with the link to your RT).
Need more information on the novel? Read my review here or read the guest post by the author here on EmSun.
Giveaway closes on Friday, December 9th at 6 pm Iowa time.