Five Star Author Introduction

(This author introduction is excerpted from my upcoming interview with MagesPages.com.)

Hello. My name is Jon Baxley. I’m originally from Irving, Texas--now living in Hondo, Texas, which is about 55 miles west of San Antonio. I graduated from the University of Texas at Arlington and went straight into the Army during the height of the Vietnam War. After that, I served as a “consultant” with the USIA in the former Soviet Union and eventually came back to the states to enter the golf profession.

I went on to start my own business in the hobby and game industry, where I published one of the very first Apple Computer strategy games. It was at this point in 1985 that I began writing on a daily basis—first for my own business needs, then ultimately with the intent to become published.

I wrote and submitted my first fiction work in 1986. Several publishers read the story, entitled Through the Tiger’s Eye, which was about the Hmong freedom fighters in Laos during the Vietnam War. Unfortunately that work never got off the ground—there were simply too many war stories at the time. It’s been in a box ever since.

My next effort was a terrific little fantasy story called The Scythian Stone, which was written for a burgeoning fantasy market. I shopped that story around for several years while working on paying gigs as an editor and ghostwriter. During that time, I produced several books for a nationally recognized speaker, one of which hit the NYT bestseller list.

Unfortunately, it was a work for hire—ergo—no name recognition. But, that success told me I was on the right track and that my writing was readable. Fast forward a couple of years and I entered Scythian in a web-wide eBook contest with Preditors & Editors where it won an award for Best Novel on the Web. Again, that success (be it ever so small) provided great reinforcement that my writing actually appealed to people other than close friends.

That, in turn, gave me the exposure to pursue bigger fish here in the US, which ultimately led to a series of ‘no thanks’ rejection letters because Scythian was simply too short for print publishers. I had already written most of The Blackgloom Bounty, intended to be the second episode in a series of five books, and when I submitted both to Five Star, they suggested that I combine the two into one epic tome. That’s when all the lights went on.

The prospect of a book tour is on the table, as well as a book-to-movie package that is being considered by several major Hollywood players. That part excites me. I would love to see this story play out on the big screen.

People ask me about inspiration and the process of writing. When I sit down to create a new chapter, I have only a limited idea where the story is going. My writing is 80% character driven. In other words, I don’t plot, plan or diagram. I allow the people/beings in the book to do all the work. They act, then react and then create reaction from other characters as the story unfolds. Sometimes an entire section of the book, including new faces I had never thought of, simply jumps off the keyboard and onto the computer screen. That’s the part of the process that I cannot control, nor do I want to. In fact, I love it when that happens. It’s like reading someone else’s book for the first time.

I also use a catalyst in the form of music while I write. I have hundreds of movie soundtracks and if I know the scene I’m creating next will have lots of blood and guts, I put on a heavy soundtrack like Gladiator or Troy. If it’s a romantic scene, I choose something more in that vein. It really helps me ‘see’ the scenes in my head while I blaze over the keyboard creating them. For those unfamiliar with this process, you should try it—the right background music can help you break out of that dreaded writer’s block.

My old classmate, General Tommy Franks, told his troops in Iraq, “Hope is NOT a method.” That’s the best advice I can offer writers. Don’t write something hoping you can get it published. Write something good, edit it until your fingers bleed, let others read and critique it and THEN look for someone to submit it to. Your odds of success go way up when you stop hoping and start working to be a writer. That also means spending a few bucks on a professional editor to polish your manuscript, both for content and presentation. A retired school teacher down the block may be fine as a sounding board or first reader, but when you’re submitting to the big houses, you better have your ducks in a row.

The Blackgloom Bounty is fantasy reading for all ages. Harry Potter is okay for younger kids, but when they grow out of it, I want my books to be where they gravitate. I want them to be able to read a chapter, then get online and Google a term or a phrase to learn more about the time period. Yes, Blackgloom is fantasy. However, it’s also a medieval epic with lots of historical imagery, phrases and geographic locations to make the storyline credible. I was told by experts you could not mix history and fantasy and expect to sell such a book. So much for the experts.

Every reviewer thus far has lauded the book for the fast, unrelenting action, interesting characters and multiple plot lines that all lead to a dramatic (and apparently very satisfying) ending. That’s important to me—to know that people ‘get’ the book—that they understand what motivates the characters. Those two things mean I’ve succeeded with Blackgloom, regardless of how many books I sell. And I plan to continue on that track with The Regents of Rhum, book two in the series, due out in early 2007, assuming the movie business doesn’t sidetrack me.

Readers are encouraged to email me at FiveStarAuthor@aol.com with questions and comments. I’ll do my best to respond in a timely fashion. Visitors to this blog, I thank you for your interest in my work.

Jon F. Baxley

Posted May 26, 2006

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