Be sure to check out Ironcraft (Chronicles of Dumah) on Amazon!

1.      Paperback, hardback, audiobook?

Paperback and Ebook. Hopefully, soon it will also be Hardback.

2.      Pick a genre, any genre!

Fantasy, hands down. The more epic and “mythical”, the better.

3.      What is the first book you remember reading?

The first book I remember reading out of my own volition was The Illiad.

4.      What book shaped your childhood most?

Again, it was The Illiad. It was the start of my fascination with mythology, which inspires my fiction books to this day.

5.      When did you first start writing?

I created my first universe at 4 years old or so, but would not give it physical form until much later. Some children have imaginary friends, I had an imaginary universe of my own creation where I would escape whenever I could. Fortunately, a teacher of mine was sensible enough to understand what was going on and told me to put that universe on paper. So, I was writing short stories at 6 years old. I tried writing a full book some times, but only succeeded in finishing a novel at 15 years old.

6.      What made you want to write? Does it still hold true?

I want to write the same way I want to eat or breathe. It’s like a part of my DNA. So yes, it still holds true, and it always will.

7.      What book/poem are you most proud of creating?

Actually, the book I just published (“Ironcraft“) is the one I’m most proud of creating, because it’s the first step towards fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine: to create my own mythology, from Creation to Apocalypse, like Tolkien did with Middle Earth (namely with The Silmarillion). Also, it’s the first book I have written in English, which is not my native language.

8.      Did you publish your first book or is it for your eyes only?

My first book (the one I finished at 15 years old) won a literary competition, but I did not publish it. This is because I knew my first book would not have the same quality as later books, because of my lack of experience. I took this into consideration when deciding on what book to write first. I chose my least compelling idea, so that it could serve as a kind of “training” for subsequent books, which had more potential.

9.      How many books/collections have you published so far?

I have written many books already, but published 2 fiction books until now. The last one is the first installment of a series.

10.   What genres do you write in (or hope to)?

Fantasy. Only fantasy. Epic fantasy. Legendary fantasy. Maybe even a bit of dark fantasy. But always fantasy.

11.   Do you do research for your writing or is it all in your head?

I love researching as much as I love writing. My book incorporates things I’ve learned from several mythologies and legends. I also love researching for worldbuilding.

12.   To plan, or not to plan your plot?

I’m a plotter all the way. When I start a book, I already wrote it several times over and over in my head.

13.   What route of publishing have you chosen? Do you plan to stick with it?

Self-publishing. I’m sticking with it, no matter how hard it may be to promote my books because of this. This project is very close to my heart and I want to enjoy full creative freedom to pursue whatever direction I find best.

14.   If you could live inside another author’s universe, which one would you pick? (Ex: Middle Earth, Narnia, etc.)

Knowing myself, I would rather not live in another universe, for I would surely die very quickly. Haha. But maybe Narnia. Though I prefer to read about Middle Earth, I would prefer to live in Narnia. It would probably be more fun.

15.   Do you currently have a WIP?

Yes, I wish to continue my “Chronicles of Dumah” series and I already have plotted my next installment.

16.   Tell me about the character you’ve created who is dearest to your heart.

All characters play their part in the overall plot and are, therefore, very dear to me. I really cannot choose.

17.   What do you consider your *current* magnum opus?

At this moment, my magnum opus is an unpublished book called “Constança”, which is an original retelling of a historical episode of my country’s (Portugal) heritage. It’s unpublished and in Portuguese, so it’s probably going to sit inside my drawer for a while. However, I have no doubt that, when it’s finished, my series “Chronicles of Dumah” is going to be my magnum opus.

18.   Do you have a favourite romance in your books? Or, if yours features no romance, tell us about your favourite character friendship!

Even though “Ironcraft” has a romantic relationship, I really like the dynamic of the friendship between two giants: Skillotz and Kolinzio. One cannot look up to it for an example of a healthy relationship, but their friendship will flesh out many important contrasts in my plot, and therefore, shed light on problems in the real world.

19.   Do you listen to music as you write? Recommend a favourite writing song.

Sometimes. Most of the time, I use music to inspire myself, not to write, though sometimes I do write while listening to music. Instead of recommending a favourite song, I will recommend two favourite song writers: Yuki Kajiura (composer of anime soundtracks) and BrunuhVille (Youtube composer). These two are a treasure trove of musical inspiration.

20.   Do you have any character art for your books, whether by you or another artist? (Be sure to credit/link if you can!)

I have some character art, from an artist with the pen name Devdiaart. Check her portfolio.

21.   If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring author, what would it be?

Just start writing. Easy as that. Your first drafts and your first works are not going to be very good. Don’t get discouraged. It’s just natural. Push forward and you’ll see how experience will lead you to create increasingly better books. You can always come back to your earlier works later on. Just start and then keep going, never stopping.

22.   Have you entered any writer contests? Tell us about your experience!

I entered a few writer contests when I was younger, and had some good results. I won a literary contest at my school, and got 6th place and the 1st honorary mention in two contests at the national level. I guess I have to restart doing that. Haha.

23.   Who are your top 5-10 favourite writers?

Shakespeare, Tolkien, Milton, Homer, Chesterton, Charles Williams, C.S. Lewis, and the anonymous writer(s) of Genesis and of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

24.   Link us your book/twitter/goodreads or wherever we can best connect with you!

Link to Amazon.
Link to Goodreads.
Link to the Chronicles of Dumah website.