Ask the Author: Sam Ferguson
Answered Questions (13)
Sam Ferguson
Hi there! I’m happy to hear you’re enjoying them! If you want to pick up Kyra’s story in chronological order then you’ll want to check out Dimwater’s Devotion on Amazon Vella. The first few episodes just came out this week. 😁
Sam Ferguson
Hi Lauren! I am very glad to hear you like my books. Thank you for your support. Book #4 was set to be published last October but there were some things that just didn't quite mesh. So, rather than send out either a rushed book, or a book I didn't quite feel 100% satisfied with, I took the pre-orders down so I could work on it some more. I don't have a date for it at this time, but once I do I will announce it here, on my blog, on FB, and my email list for sure. :) Don't worry, lots more to come from Karlax.
Sam Ferguson
Hello Keelan! They are all in the same universe -- but not the same world. The Dragons of Kendualdern is set on the world of Kendualdern, while everything else (so far) is set on the world of Terramyr.
While any series can be read independently and/or out of chronological order, I do have a chronological list that uses Terramyr's timeline as its basis. You can find it on my website, www.worldofterramyr.com as I will post updates there, but I can post the current list here:
Pre-Terramyr: Ascension
Dominon: Seeds of Alliance
Dominion: Edge of the Storm
Ancient Era: (no books in this period yet...)
Dark Ages aka Era of Kings: Flight of the Krilo
Age of Demigods: The Haymaker Adventures
The Sorceress of Aspenwood Series
The Dragon’s Champion Series
The Netherworld Gate Series
Winter’s Ghost
The Wealth of Kings
The Fur Trader
While any series can be read independently and/or out of chronological order, I do have a chronological list that uses Terramyr's timeline as its basis. You can find it on my website, www.worldofterramyr.com as I will post updates there, but I can post the current list here:
Pre-Terramyr: Ascension
Dominon: Seeds of Alliance
Dominion: Edge of the Storm
Ancient Era: (no books in this period yet...)
Dark Ages aka Era of Kings: Flight of the Krilo
Age of Demigods: The Haymaker Adventures
The Sorceress of Aspenwood Series
The Dragon’s Champion Series
The Netherworld Gate Series
Winter’s Ghost
The Wealth of Kings
The Fur Trader
Sam Ferguson
Hello Dawne! Yes, I apologize for the delay. Some of my projects this year got shifted around for the summer season, which moved Fur Trader 2 back in the queue. I don't have a final release date yet unfortunately. Once I do, I will send out the link for the pre-orders. Hang in there, I promise it's coming soon! :)
Sam Ferguson
I can do it in one sentence.
*Ahem*
I got up early and went to the gym, fully looking forward to the greatest workout of all time, but when I arrived, I discovered that my headphones were missing.
*Ahem*
I got up early and went to the gym, fully looking forward to the greatest workout of all time, but when I arrived, I discovered that my headphones were missing.
Sam Ferguson
This is an easy question. I want to know who stole my chicken nuggets when I was five.
It would be a great mystery/revenge story.....
I'm coming for you, nugget thief!
It would be a great mystery/revenge story.....
I'm coming for you, nugget thief!
Sam Ferguson
All right, so first you have to promise not to laugh...
So, my most most recent project is The Eye of Tanglewood Forest. It's #3 in the Haymaker Adventure series. My story though, is about Jonathan Haymaker, which is #1 in the series. It isn't my most recent, but it has the most unique origin compared to my other books.
A while back when I worked for the government, I was walking home. There was a nice wooded trail that was a couple miles long and it was the perfect way to unwind and release some of the stress that government jobs like to throw at you.
Well, half way through the walk, it started pouring rain. I don't mean that it drizzled and I could hear the rain pitter-patter on the leaves and feel the mist on my face. I mean drops the size of marbles crashed down through the forest canopy, drenched my clothing so that it clung to every inch of my flesh, and managed to get all up inside my backpack as well.
Seeing as I was literally at the half way mark when it started, I continued onward.
As I walked along a stream, my imagination got away from me as it often does and I asked myself whether this would be the ideal whether for a troll attack. Not the large, lumbering cave trolls, but the fast, strong troll warriors that are lean and quick, but weak to fire. You see, with all the rain around, I doubted I could hold a torch. Imagine if the trolls marched out en masse and you couldn't make fire...
So, then my daydream meandered and expanded as they do. My small "what if" question played out as I passed by different types of trees and paths and imagined what this might look like if it were a true monsoon out in a swamp. Those were the first seeds that would later germinate into the story of Jonathan Haymaker.
However, I didn't want Jonathan to be a natural born hero, or some prophesied champion. I wanted him to have a more granular motive for entering the swamps. So, I made him the younger brother to Jason Haymaker. Jason had all the charm, talent, and strength to make a great adventurer. I then set things up so that the trolls would capture Jason and oila! A fun novel was born.
If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Jonathan Haymaker. It's a great story about how far a young man is willing to go, even when the entire world is against him, to save his brother. Then, if you like it, continue the adventures with Brothers Haymaker and The Eye of Tanglewood Forest.
So, my most most recent project is The Eye of Tanglewood Forest. It's #3 in the Haymaker Adventure series. My story though, is about Jonathan Haymaker, which is #1 in the series. It isn't my most recent, but it has the most unique origin compared to my other books.
A while back when I worked for the government, I was walking home. There was a nice wooded trail that was a couple miles long and it was the perfect way to unwind and release some of the stress that government jobs like to throw at you.
Well, half way through the walk, it started pouring rain. I don't mean that it drizzled and I could hear the rain pitter-patter on the leaves and feel the mist on my face. I mean drops the size of marbles crashed down through the forest canopy, drenched my clothing so that it clung to every inch of my flesh, and managed to get all up inside my backpack as well.
Seeing as I was literally at the half way mark when it started, I continued onward.
As I walked along a stream, my imagination got away from me as it often does and I asked myself whether this would be the ideal whether for a troll attack. Not the large, lumbering cave trolls, but the fast, strong troll warriors that are lean and quick, but weak to fire. You see, with all the rain around, I doubted I could hold a torch. Imagine if the trolls marched out en masse and you couldn't make fire...
So, then my daydream meandered and expanded as they do. My small "what if" question played out as I passed by different types of trees and paths and imagined what this might look like if it were a true monsoon out in a swamp. Those were the first seeds that would later germinate into the story of Jonathan Haymaker.
However, I didn't want Jonathan to be a natural born hero, or some prophesied champion. I wanted him to have a more granular motive for entering the swamps. So, I made him the younger brother to Jason Haymaker. Jason had all the charm, talent, and strength to make a great adventurer. I then set things up so that the trolls would capture Jason and oila! A fun novel was born.
If you haven't yet, be sure to check out Jonathan Haymaker. It's a great story about how far a young man is willing to go, even when the entire world is against him, to save his brother. Then, if you like it, continue the adventures with Brothers Haymaker and The Eye of Tanglewood Forest.
Sam Ferguson
Read, write, and dream. (Not always in that order...)
Reading should be a given. It will enhance your techniques as you study not only the plot elements of a good story, but also the mechanical skills different writers employ. As you read with a writer's eye, you will have little "ah-ha!" moments where you see a skill you have been lacking, but can develop to improve your writing.
Writing is the most important part. You have to actually sit down and write. Some people have a goal of writing 1,000 words a day. I find as with other things, these goals can and should be increased in accordance with your skill. For example, when you first walk into a gym, you might only lift the bar without extra weight. But you certainly don't want to stay at that level forever. You increase your goals. 1,000 words a day was a great goal while I had another fulltime job. It was something I could almost always hit on my lunch hour. Now, however, I can drop around 2,200 words an hour, consistently over the course of a day. Always stretch yourself.
Dreaming is very important for a fiction writer. Without dreams and questions of what if- then what will we ever be able to produce? Take time to daydream, to make up your own endings to books, movies, video games, etc. Don't lose the 12 year old version of you that used to stare out the window and fight in epic battles while the teacher was blathering on about some subject you weren't passionate about. You should still look out the window and dream -- it's just a balancing act of finding the appropriate time to do it as you age ;)
Reading should be a given. It will enhance your techniques as you study not only the plot elements of a good story, but also the mechanical skills different writers employ. As you read with a writer's eye, you will have little "ah-ha!" moments where you see a skill you have been lacking, but can develop to improve your writing.
Writing is the most important part. You have to actually sit down and write. Some people have a goal of writing 1,000 words a day. I find as with other things, these goals can and should be increased in accordance with your skill. For example, when you first walk into a gym, you might only lift the bar without extra weight. But you certainly don't want to stay at that level forever. You increase your goals. 1,000 words a day was a great goal while I had another fulltime job. It was something I could almost always hit on my lunch hour. Now, however, I can drop around 2,200 words an hour, consistently over the course of a day. Always stretch yourself.
Dreaming is very important for a fiction writer. Without dreams and questions of what if- then what will we ever be able to produce? Take time to daydream, to make up your own endings to books, movies, video games, etc. Don't lose the 12 year old version of you that used to stare out the window and fight in epic battles while the teacher was blathering on about some subject you weren't passionate about. You should still look out the window and dream -- it's just a balancing act of finding the appropriate time to do it as you age ;)
Sam Ferguson
Sounds great. I just sent you a message, check your goodreads inbox.
Sam Ferguson
I don't often get writer's block. When I do, my three go to methods to solve it are: 1- lift weights; 2- bounce ideas off of my wife; 3- entirely leave it alone and go play video games. The hardest blocks have taken a day or two, but I find anything longer than that and it's because there is something wrong with the story.
Sam Ferguson
Julien! Hello, how have you been? We are doing well. We returned back to the U.S. and I did transition into being a full time author now. It's fun. It basically lets me play with stories and hopefully entertain a few people with my imagination. :)
Sam Ferguson
Hi Cindy! The Fur Trader Part II is tentatively scheduled for a release in Spring 2017.
Over the winter I will be working on a Wikia page as well, which should help readers navigate the various series and their timelines.
:)
Over the winter I will be working on a Wikia page as well, which should help readers navigate the various series and their timelines.
:)
Sam Ferguson
The best thing about being a writer is watching a story come to life. Growing up in school, I often found myself daydreaming when I got bored with the subject matter being taught. Usually these daydreams revolved around me being some sort of super hero, but as I grew older they morphed into short stories and several longer handwritten stories.
As I write books, especially as part of a larger series, it is so much fun to evolve with the characters, struggle alongside them, and slip in a twist every once in a while to keep the readers engaged and guessing.
For me, it is a lot of fun to have others read my stories, and share in my imaginary journeys. I also enjoy having my sons read my books. They are my biggest fans no matter what endeavor I am pursuing, and I am happy to be able to share this with them.
As I write books, especially as part of a larger series, it is so much fun to evolve with the characters, struggle alongside them, and slip in a twist every once in a while to keep the readers engaged and guessing.
For me, it is a lot of fun to have others read my stories, and share in my imaginary journeys. I also enjoy having my sons read my books. They are my biggest fans no matter what endeavor I am pursuing, and I am happy to be able to share this with them.
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