I discovered fantasy writer J. V. Hilliard through a writer friend, Nicholas Lemieux, when Mr. Hilliard interviewed Nicholas on his YouTube podcast, The Realm (Episode 119). I was so impressed with the podcast and their fun discussion that I investigated Mr. Hilliard’s Warminster series and reached out for an interview. Enjoy our resulting conversation and find out what’s next for this busy author!

Born of steel, fire and black wind, J.V. Hilliard was raised as a highlander in the foothills of a once-great mountain chain on the confluence of the three mighty rivers that forged his realm’s wealth and power for generations.

His father, a peasant twerg, toiled away in industries of honest labor and instilled in him a work ethic that would shape his destiny. His mother, a local healer, cared for his elders and his warrior uncle, who helped to raise him during his formative years. His genius brother, whose wizardly prowess allowed him to master the art of the abacus and his own quill, trained with him for battles on fields of green and sheets of ice.

Hilliard’s earliest education took place in his warrior uncle’s tower, where he learned his first words. HIs uncle helped him to learn the basics of life—and, most importantly, creative writing.

Hilliard’s training and education readied him to lift a quill that would scribe the tale of the realm of Warminster, filled with brave knights, harrowing adventure and legendary struggles. He lives in the city of silver cups, hypocycloids and golden triangles with his wife, a ranger of the diamond. They built their castle not far into the countryside, guarded by his own two horsehounds, Thor and MacLeod, and resides there to this day.

Okay Joe, I love this bio. It’s so fantastically imaginative… and captivating. My first question is what kind of furry kids… um… I mean horsehounds are Thor and MacLeod?

JVH. They’re mine and my wife’s dogs—a Siberian Husky and red-fox Labrador Retriever. They get into all kinds of trouble, but they’re family to us.

DLL. Awesome. We’re dog lovers around my house, too. 😊

You talk about the fantasy worlds of gaming being your inspiration and how your series grew out your love of that media. I’ve been fascinated by the processes used by writers who come from a gaming background where it seems the worlds come first almost like a character unto themselves, though I suppose that’s true of epic fantasy in general. Was that the case here? Did the world come before your characters?

JVH. The realm of Warminster kind of followed the creation of one or two characters, so I would say it came to be very early in the writing process, but more alongside those couple characters.

I’ve got The Last Keeper going on my Audible. My first thought is the characters jump off the page (or leap out of the narration in this case). What about Daemus Alaric? How long has he been living in your imagination and when did he really come alive? How did your other characters evolve?

JVH. Daemus came from a series of recurring nightmares I had as a young adult. The prologue with him wandering in fog and meeting Graytorris comes right from that experience, as did part of the Antlered Man. The dreams were so scary that I knew they’d make a great story line and start of a novel. Now everyone else gets to share in my demented nightmares. Some of my other characters evolved from Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve been playing for 20 years and characters like Sir Ritter of Valkeneer, Wilcox de la Croix, Rufus Crag, Marr Larkin and others all are characters from gameplay. Some are now cast in different roles of course but my love for the game made it easy to memorialize some of our better characters in the Realm of Warminster. Sprinkle in some world building, creativity and recasting and you’ll find old campaign arcs scattered through the series.

DLL. That’s fantastic. To have such amazing characters already alive that can walk right onto your pages.

The reviews for The Last Keeper are fantastic. Here is the start of an in-depth 5 star review:

At heart and beyond the various sub-genres there exists but three types of Fantasy: quality Fantasy, unique Fantasy, and quality unique Fantasy. Which is The Last Keeper? Beyond all question the third.

Erurainon

Reviews like these must be a thrill. Kudos to you. It goes on to describe your multi-layered world and how you bring in so many elements of fantasy and make it all work. Can you share how you developed your writing style? Along with that, What or who are your biggest influences?

JVH. Reviews like that are so incredible to read, and I’m grateful my reviewers take the time to craft them. I also love the ones that offer constructive criticism as they help me a lot. My biggest influences definitely shaped my writing style. Authors like Margaret Weis, J.R.R. Tolkien, R.A. Salvatore, and Tracy Hickman. They know their genre inside and out and have done fantastic jobs crafting their worlds. 

I’m thrilled you shared your covers for Books Three and Four right here on our chat. You must be humming along on your progress. Book Two, Vorodin’s Lair, is out now! Awesome. Can you give us a glimpse of what’s happening and what to expect next in the world of Warminster? Any dates yet for Three and Four?

JVH. The Trillias Gambit, we can expect very soon – as in within the next two months. Echoes of Ghostwood is due out before the end of the year. I can give you a glimpse into Trillias by saying I hope to surprise a few in the direction it takes toward the climax of the story. No character is safe, and I hope to show that in this next installment.

DLL. Fantastic! Thank you for sharing.

Your covers are captivating and gorgeous. How did you find your cover designer? Do you have any tips about seeking the right style and artist who can convey your story? How did you find your publisher? Can you share any tips for writers who are deciding whether to go down a traditional or independent publishing path?

JVH. My cover designer was introduced to me by my publisher—Dragon Moon Press. Larch Gallagher, who has an extensive portfolio online, really adds to the series and knows how to convey the realm of Warminster with just an image. I was referred to my publisher by my development editor and fellow author, Dane Cobain in the U.K. Dane worked with Gwen Gades, the owner of Dragon Moon Press in a professional setting years prior and knew my work was right for her… and for me. It goes without saying he was correct. My tip for writers deciding on indie or traditional: do your research. Know which publishing houses will champion you and that fit your style. If you go the indie route, learn all you can about the publishing world however possible.

DLL. Thank you so much for this, Joe. And I love hearing how you assembled such a great team.

Obviously, fantasy is your preferred genre, but do you have aspirations for other types of stories or writing?

JVH. I do. I’ve always been into vampires, so I could see myself delving into that area at some point.

DLL. I will be checking up on that for sure. Vampires are a favorite for me too, and I have one I adore in my series. He’s getting his own story soon!

We’ll get into The Realm below, but what other creative outlets do you enjoy?

JVH. We know about my love of tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons, but I also like film and being immersed in the different worlds there.

I’ve been interviewing authors lately who, like me, enjoy interviewing other creators. I’m thrilled to add you to that list. Your YouTube podcast, The Realm is so well done and the conversations are a blast. How did that come about and what benefits have you found in sharing other writers’ works and creative journeys in this format?

JVH. Thank you for saying that. The Realm was launched as a brainchild from my director/producer Jan Dicker of Personal Cast Studios in Philadelphia. He thought it would be a great way to promote Warminster while also allowing other creatives a portal to exposure in short, fun and often unpredictable interviews. I look forward to recording and interviewing others and always try to sample their work beforehand so I can speak intelligently about it. Since then it’s taken off and been a nice marketing too for me as an author. I’ve learned a lot from interviewing the people on my show, and I’ve made some good friends because of it. It feels great to lift up these other creatives and show off their talent to the world.

DLL. I love this. Finding a writing community was a bonus for me. So many creatives are happy to support each other and share. Thank you, Joe!

Can you share how you balance work and life with your creativity? Do you have a favorite routine or method to help with productivity. How about a favorite work space?

JVH. Finding time to write is definitely a challenge as my days are pretty packed already thanks to my career. It helps that my creativity can be reserved for just writing. My favorite method for productivity is just looking around me and drawing inspiration from there. Most days, I end up in cafes or bookstores, so I would say that is my favorite workspace.

DLL. If I lived near those types of places, I’d be there with my coffee and a laptop in a heartbeat. Awesome!

Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?

JVH. I see myself learning a lot more about the craft and releasing many more genres and series to come. By then, I hope to have the Melderverse video game, The Realm of Warminster, in full swing as well.

DLL. Ooh. That sounds totally amazing. All the best to you!

Thank you so much for joining me this month, Joe! I look forward to our chat on the Realm. Any parting words of advice for those wanting to follow their creative passions?

JVH. Don’t overthink it and just go for it. There’s no time like the present.

You can follow J. V. Hilliard on Instagram, Goodreads, and his website to stay posted. Drop us a comment or questions, and thank you for visiting!