It takes place about 14 years after Bloody Rose (so 20 years after Kings of the Wyld) and features a whole new band in a whole new era inspired by the anti-establishment rock and rap of the 1990s. What can you tell us, if anything, about book three in The Band, Outlaw Empire ? Having them as peers is truly a dream come true.

Oh, there’s been quite a few! Winning awards is great, as is being invited overseas and having everything paid for! But far and away the best part has been meeting and befriending some of my favourite authors, all of whom are amazing, empathetic, impossibly talented people. Your books Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose get a lot of love from the book community (to say the least!) – What have been some of your highlights since the release of Kings of the Wyld ? You can tell a story exactly like any other genre, except you can add dragons or magic to yours and those poor bastards writing stories about family dynamics in rural Nova Scotia have to play by the rules. It’s the fact that pretty much anything can happen.

What elements of fantasy make you like reading and writing in the genre? A few good jokes here and there doesn’t hurt either. Can the reader empathize with them, or see things from that character’s perspective even it’s vastly different from their own? Being able to overcome adversity through strength-of-will as opposed to skill or strength alone is key too, I think. If things aren’t going well, I’ll go home and do whatever it takes (exercise, video-games, binge-watching shows, etc.) to forget how awful writing went! If things are going well, I’ll go home and keep at it.

Most often I’ll walk to a coffee shop, read for a bit, then start working. What does a typical writing day look like for you? It is my pleasure to introduce our interview with Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld and Bloody Rose, two incredibly beloved books in The Band fantasy series.

Outlaw empire nicholas eames