Wade: A Novel of the Argo received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Noah Hartley.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
My novella Wade: A Novel of the Argo was first published on November 24th, 2021.
What’s the book’s first line?
The Sword and the Star. Flying high on the mast, it flaps as the ship begins to pick up speed and fly closer to the tighten up the trade convoy formation. (That’s two lines, I get it)
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Leftenant Clayton Wade is the gun deck officer of the futuristic 48 gun warship Argo from planet Thera as it sails across the galaxies in the year 2646 A.D. protecting civilian convoys along trade routes from a dark enemy known as Scavengers. Clayton is caught between doing his best to be a presentable officer and gentleman, but he is constantly at odds with who he was in the past. He tries to emulate an upright, brave, and honorable officer, but the looming risk of war with the Scavengers may be more than he is willing to risk. The other officers and crew around him are true Theranians. Clay may not be as true as they are, where the threat of a war is too much of a risk for him to take, making the docks and lure of desertion very appealing.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
Wade is a full length novel based on the universe from my anthology of short stories based on the character Clayton Wade and his service aboard the 48 gun Argo. Clayton Wade is not the recreation of any particular person in real life. I am not Clayton Wade. He is the personification of thoughts, emotions, and actions we all may take during extreme circumstances. Clayton is a human’s stream of consciousness when purely admirable intentions are desired, though absent. Clayton resembles who others think we are, who we think we should be, and who are truly are.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
Wade was written to be as original as possible. The mash of era’s and events, personalities and situations, writing style and flow – I did everything I could to create something that is enjoyable to sink into simply for the fact that it truly is different. Writing the story using this framework was fairly difficult as I avoided any names, scenarios, or styles that could illicit thoughts of another story or author. Even if science fiction isn’t really the reader’s preferred genre, I encourage them to give it a try. Wade isn’t really about ships and outer space. I refrained from geeking out about sailing, space travel, or science. Wade about striving to be someone you’re not. It’s about breaking free from your past while knowing full well that you may never be the person you see yourself to be.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
The most distinctive thing about Clayton is that he is constantly at odds with who he desperately wants to be. Everything about him is someone he is not. This doesn’t stop him from at least trying to convince others and himself that he has changed. I didn’t have a certain character’s traits or mannerisms in mind when writing Clay’s original stories in the anthology or his story captured in Wade. In the military, we often go by our last names when referring to one another either face to face or in discussions with others. Our last names carry our reputation and identity. It defines us. The name Wade, and it’s meaning in respectful military circles, is no different for Clayton.
When did you first decide to become an author?
My first work, the anthology The Argo: 50 Short Stories of Galaxies, Gentlemen, and Gallantry was published in March 2021 on Smashwords for free on a whim. I had no idea who would want to read a collection like that or if anyone would even see it, so I figured it would receive zero downloads but I posted it anyways. I had already begun to write Wade before I published the anthology, thinking I would only show it to a few of my friends and see what they thought. I went on to publish both works on Smashwords just to see if someone, anyone thinks they are worth reading. I just put myself out there. If I’m doing it all wrong then I will continue to write, but not publish.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
No. Wade is my first novella and full length story. The Argo 50 story anthology was previously published on May 16th of the same year.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I am an Active Duty Major in the U.S. Army. I had been serving for 13 years at the time of publishing Wade. I’ve previously deployed on two tours of duty. One to Iraq and one to Afghanistan. I love my job and putting on the uniform. It defines who I am.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I spend three or four hours a week either crafting, writing, or editing my stories. I have a busy family and career, so I capture some time in the early mornings when I can. It’s my time to get the day started right.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part of being indie is knowing that there are countless others like me giving it a shot. Some of them are trying to receive notoriety or get rich, which I don’t blame them for, but we’re all just kind of putting ourselves out there for others to see. I know they pour themselves into their works just as I do. The most difficult part is not really knowing if my work is well received or not. It’s just floating around in the datasphere. If I don’t receive any feedback, then it’s hard to tell if I’m on the mark or not. Either way, it doesn’t deter me.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Walk away from it. I found that the best thing to do is to write what essentially amounts to one section or chapter of the story at a time and then take a break. Doing this gave me time to reflect on what I had just written without having to start, stop, and then start writing again on the same section. Doing so broke up my thoughts too much. At the same time, writing multiple parts or chapters of a book made my words redundant, shorter, and without as much feeling as when I wrote individual segments. Walk away from your work for a while. Maybe a day or two. Maybe a week. Just take a break and come back to it. Doing that seemed to give my creative space room to breathe.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
I would not write for a traditional publishing company. I would feel pressed to produce and I fear that the pressure to write would force my stories onto paper instead of letting my creativity float to the surface on its own. I write because it makes me happy, not because someone else tells me to.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I hope Wade really speaks to someone. If they read the story because it’s thoroughly entertaining and they enjoyed it, then it’s worth it. I don’t think it will change anyone’s life, but I hope they at least enjoy it enough to give it some thought after they’ve read it.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
Nora Roberts. For decades she has written some of the most compelling stories. I’m not just going along with a popular trend of following the best selling authors. I found Roberts’ book Reflections on a bookshelf after having sifted through multiple books in a free library while not finding anything I thought was noteworthy. At first I didn’t want to read Reflections because it was a romance novel, but I figured I would give it an honest fifty pages and see how terrible it was. I loved it. I read it from front to back and thought it was over too soon when I reached the end. For me, Nora Roberts not only has the gift of delivering the human emotion across multiple genres, age groups, and scenarios, but she has a way of writing that I actually believe it. Every word. The way that she writes is real, relatable, and relevant. Her writing is the best depiction of realistic human interaction I’ve ever read. Nora Roberts, in my mind, isn’t just a romance writer – she’s a relationship expert.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Persuasion by Jane Austen. I’ve never read another story as true as hers when it comes to second chances with a lost love after all those years. The pain and passion of it all was true then and it’s true today.