I’d like to extend a warm welcome to award-winning author Jon Cory. Both Jon and I have stories in Michael Ventrella’s new anthology: Tales of Fortannis: A Bard Day’s Knight (Double Dragon Publishing, 2015). “Take Care on the Farfin” is Jon’s third short story in the Tales of Fortannis series.
I first met Jon while attending Charlotte Cook’s writing group. Through the years we’ve become good friends who trust each other’s suggestions about writing stories.
Jon Cory has two fantasy novels published so far: Award-winning A Plague of Scoundrels and Roly’s Relic.
INTERVIEW WITH JON CORY:
Jon, how long have you been writing fantasy and what compels you to write in the genre?
I’ve always had a vivid imagination. As a kid, my mother said it did no good to punish me by making me sit in the corner. I would just turn the chair around and ride off on my imaginary horse into the Wild West, chasing the bad guys.
During my business career I did a lot of systems design where the ability to ask “What if” was a valuable mental process. The same concept applies to writing. The author starts with a plot, character, or situation — then thinks, “what if’,” twisting and turning, adding and subtracting elements to find a compelling story. Fantasy gives me the freedom to expand the definition of “normal.”
I write humorous adventures. My debut novel featured a stand up comedian from San Francisco time traveling back to the time of Seventeenth Century England’s King Charles II.
Why did you decide to write short stories for the World of Fortannis anthologies?
Fortannis in my mind is like a village wherein the various authors have their own houses to create their stories. There is variety and freedom of individual expression within an overall organizational structure. And one that encourages the authors to write their own unique plots and characters. Fortannis is rich in possibilities.
Your World-of-Fortannis characters–particularly Sarlon, Minnow and Mumblepeg–are colorful and engaging. What inspiration led to their creation?
Remember the story of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite? King David wanted him out of the way. He told his army commander to put Uriah in the front of the battle so he would most likely be killed. I always wanted to write a story from the viewpoint of Uriah. “You got to be kidding. Me lead the charge?”
Sarlon is the nephew of King Bellabond. The king wants to get rid of anyone with a claim to the throne so he keeps sending the young knight on impossible missions. I visualized Sarlon as a bad boy sellsword knight who keeps surviving on his wits and charm.
Mumblepeg, the spotted dwarf, is Sarlon’s cantankerous sidekick, and a lot smarter than people think. He is the foil for the young knight’s bold ideas and impulsive actions. The dwarf considers himself as Minnow’s protective uncle.
Minnow is the orphaned wild child of the forest. Her mother was an elf, her father a human. Minnow taught herself magic from an ancient illustrated book. The problem is that she can’t read so her magic is prone to go awry. Minnow’s free spirit and struggles as a teenager appeal to readers.
When you created your World-of-Fortannis pirate characters, how did you avoid creating stereotypes?
By making Le Forge, the red-headed pirate captain, a complex character — a mixture of good and bad. He is a businessman engaged in a dangerous but highly profitable trade. As Sarlon observed, “Things with Le Forge are never as they seem.”
What other works have you written and what are your plans for future stories?
My second novel, Roly’s Relic, was a humorous adventure rather than YA Fantasy. The positive feedback from readers regarding Sarlon, Mumblepeg and Minnow are encouraging me to expand the trio’s adventures into a novel.
Thank you, Jon for being a guest on my blog. I’m looking forward to reading more about Sarlon, Mumblepeg and Minnow, and any other characters you create.
Warm wishes,
Laurel Anne Hill (Award-winning author of “Heroes Arise” and over twenty-five published short stories.)