Featured Author: Douglas S. Pierce Books

The Maiden’s Song

The stranger arched a knowing eyebrow and closed Mouse’s fingers around the flute. “Someday, perhaps, you can return this kindness by giving the gift of music to someone else in their time of need.” Mouse—a fugitive and former stowaway—had no way of knowing that his benefactor was the very man that the Captain of the Hunter’s Ghost was hunting…or how playing music again would lead to a series of impossible choices… “The Enemy comes for you, child. A foe like no other. The night will be long and dark. The dangers will seem too great. But you must find your song, child, even when that seems impossible...” Those dark words by the kumpania’s ancient Seer are Seldy’s first warning that the life she adores—in the only home she’s ever known—is coming to a quick and violent end... The Maiden’s Song is a tale of love and sacrifice of how Mouse and Seldy must endure intertwined journeys of self-discovery while being hunted by an implacable foe who will stop at nothing to claim the power of her secret heritage for himself.

https://www.amazon.com/Maidens-Song-Seeds-Hope/dp/171996078X

Video book teaser for The Maiden’s Song:

https://www.facebook.com/douglaspierce.author/videos/309660719800425

About Douglas S. Pierce:

Douglas S. Pierce is a son, husband, and father who lives in the Metro Detroit area with his wife Patricia (of more than 25 years), two Shiba Inus (Suki and Akira), and a black cat named Harley. He is a proud veteran of the United State military and a practicing pagan. Raised on weekly trips to libraries and bookstores, Doug has had a lifelong love affair with the kind of stories that inspire hope, kindness, and love.

Here is a recent photo with my little buddy Akira.

 Faecebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/douglaspierce.author/

Instagram:  @douglasspiercebooks

I have Patreon Page to support my writing where I also share sample chapters, maps, and appendices and information articles about my world:  http://patreon.com/DouglasSPierceBooks

Interview With Douglas S. Pierce:

1. Can you tell us a little about your book?  

The Maiden’s Song is an epic fantasy novel set in a uniquely shattered world. It is the story of how Mouse — a former stowaway on a bounty hunting ship and aspiring musician with a secret talent to hear the hidden songs of the people he meets — and Seldy — an orphaned elf maiden raised in a gypsy circus with a magickal talent to speak with the animals she works with — come together and learn the reasons and dangers behind their unique magick. Their intertwined journeys of self-discovery require sacrifice and reveal the power of unconditional love as they strive to learn who they truly are while being pursued by an implacable foe determined to stop at nothing to claim their power for himself.

2. What inspires you to write?

I have been inspired to write ever since I was young child when my mother took my brother and I too the local library every weekend to discover the fascinating stories, compelling characters, and boundless new worlds just waiting there to be discovered. I’ve dedicated this book to my mom (who passed away in October of 2017) because she was such a powerful influence on who I am and what I’ve been able to accomplish. I wanted to write a novel that she would be proud to read. I believe that I have done so with The Maiden’s Song, and that was one of the reasons that I wanted to highlight the power of a mother’s love as being a central theme in this book.

3. Do you have a special time to write or how is your day structured?

  For now, I have a full time job during the week, so almost all of my writing is done on weekends, holidays, or on vacation days that I take. I’m a fairly early riser, and my most productive time is in the morning. During my writing phases (versus my editing phases), I try to start writing by about 8 AM, and I try to get at least a solid four to five hours of writing time in in one block. I find that trying to go for longer just ends up in me dithering about on the internet or social media. I try to set things up for these big blocks of time to either start or finish a scene or chapter, and then stop when I hit those natural break points. I tend to switch perspectives after each chapter, so I often need a bit of a break to focus on the new perspective that I will dive into next. Ideally, I will give myself an hour or so to clear my head, re-orient, and dive back in if there is still time to write that day.

4. Do you have a favorite food or drink you must have nearby when writing?

I like to have a nice big breakfast before I sit down to write, so that I am not distracted by hunger. But I do need my Diet Coke and my high-end bottled water. Usually a big bottle of each. I will usually have some M&M’s or a other snackable candy nearby as well.

5. Do you have a favorite spot to write?

  Here I would like to make a plug for local libraries again. I have a library near where I live that is often open on both Saturdays and Sundays, and they have an ideal workspace for me with lots of space, peace and quiet away from pets and undone chores around the house, and the motivation of knowing all of those other books are cheering me on, wanting to have another one to join their ranks. I hope my book proves worthy of being in libraries all over the country.

6. If you had a superpower, what would it be?

I think my super power is empathy—the ability to feel and understand another person’s pain. So much of the conflict in this world comes from a lack of empathy about what the other person is feeling or going through. Mouse’s unique magickal ability was a way for me to explore this idea a bit—what would happen if you could tell WHY a person was doing what there were doing, and understand what was happening to them. His ability makes it really hard for him to hate anyone...and to me, that is a super power worthy of the name.

7. What are writing projects are you currently working on?

  I am about to start writing the second book in this series, The Guardian’s Quest. I’ve been letting the story brew for a few months as I finished the editing, publication, marketing process for this book and I am itching to get back into this world and write more of their story. This next book will be more focused on Mouse/Rondel, but of course, Seldy will place a huge role in it as well, just like he was a huge part of her finding her song. I am also going to revising, editing, and re-releasing my first book, Omega Rising, An Agent Rusty Bones novel. This was a speculative fiction book about the FBI’s first (and only) Undead special agent I wrote several years ago and released on Blurb.com. But it is time to revisit that story and work towards releasing that and the second book of that series, Omega Falling. I have the raw material for about three books in that series, but it will all need to be significantly updated and polished up.