Please introduce yourself and tell us about your background as a writer.
How do you do, ladies and gentlemen. My name is John E. Boyle and I am a retired teacher and network administrator who is now a caregiver for members of my family. I first started writing back in 1980 for Chaosium Inc. and their RuneQuest and Stormbringer role playing games, but my output was sporadic until I was able to take advantage of Amazon’s self-publishing ability. I have since published two novels, Queen’s Heir and Raven’s Blood, both in my Children of Khetar series.

What are the most prominent influences on your writing?
I find that different authors influence different projects that I work on (Leigh Brackett and Hal Foster are strong influences on my Children of Khetar books) but there are four writers whose influence can be found in the background of almost everything I write: Edgar Rice Burroughs, A. Merritt, Robert E. Howard and J.R.R. Tolkien.

How do you incorporate those influences without being derivative?
Sometimes the influence is a matter of structure. ERB mastered the art of using P.O.V. (points of view) to weave different threads into a story a hundred years ago (and faster and more smoothly than some modern authors), so my use of P.O.V. may be inspired by ERB’s stories but it isn’t derivative because it is a standard technique.

Other times, I’ll see the way that an author brought something to life in a story and it seems so apt that I’ll use it as inspiration but I’ll reverse the way it is presented. For example, in Merritt’s The Ship of Ishtar, he has the hero win the friendship of someone by placing himself between the other man and the lash of a whip. In my book Raven’s Blood, I have the other man place himself between the lash and the hero while the hero is helpless; in both cases shared adversity tempers a friendship that lasts until death and beyond.

Many authors say marketing is one of their biggest challenges. What tactics have you found to be most effective for getting your name out there?
Larry Correia has a great deal to say about this topic and everything I’ve seen supports his conclusions. Basically, a vibrant online presence is essential. An active voice on Twitter, Facebook and in the comments of posts that share your interests seems to be almost required to get noticed. I’d like to emphasize two elements of a good marketing plan for authors today. First, plan for the long haul, it may be quite a while before you see any real results. Second, don’t ignore audio books. Yes, there are significant costs but if you can afford it, audio books look to be a big market.

How much do your audience’s expectations factor in to what you write? Does this ever cause you to hold back from experimenting?
That’s a fascinating question. My audience’s expectations have had a direct impact on what I write. My original plan for The Children of Khetar series was five books, all first person male narratives. Input from customers and my readers led me to write the 3rd book in the series as told from the third person following the adventures of a woman. Rather than causing me to hold back, audience expectations goaded me into experimentation.

Have you had any new stories published recently? Are you currently working on any?
I plan to publish my next novel, Dragon’s Kiss, by the end of the first quarter of 2023. I have also been working on two other projects (which is partly why it is taking me so long to finish…never mind); one a trilogy called The Steps to the Empty Throne, which is inspired by the work of Talbot Mundy. The other is an anthology inspired by Louis L’Amour and H. Beam Piper, called Terran with a Gun.

Name one newer and one older book you have read and enjoyed recently. (“Newer” meaning from the past year or so, and “older” meaning written before 1980.)
Newer: Tinsel Rain by Moe Lane 2022 – Weird Noir in a Post-Apocalyptic world where magic works.

Older: This Immortal by Roger Zelazny 1966 – This is the book that tied Dune for the Nebula that year. A reread, but a good one.

Any final words?
It seems to me that there is something abroad in our world that seeks to kill heroes and the idea of heroism itself. DMR Books, Cirsova and anyone else who gives the full-throated support that you do to tales of adventure are a necessary defense against that enemy. Thank you. Of course, necessary does not mean simple or easy, so I think I’ll start my Christmas shopping at DMR Books and put my money where my mouth is.

Thank you for your time and attention.