Beyond the Father received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Opëshum Patroz.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The book title is Beyond the Father, which is my first volume in the 8-Book venture known as gods on Trial: The Series™️.
What’s the book’s first line?
“It was a bitter season for some of the planets within the Warget Solar System.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Beyond the Father delves into life’s determination to transcend all limitation. Set on the planet Xżyber, citizens of the Sub-Median Region, imperfectly reborn into metal, oppress those who are organic. Elsewhere, in the Central Kingdom, religion supports royalty’s brutal domination of the lowest class. War over scarce resources is coming, revolution within each region is brewing, and none know of the eccentric god who created them. This being watches, has fascinating conversations with his often-wiser companion, occasionally learns, and rarely intervenes. The many levels and threads of struggle distract nearly all from a far greater threat. Meanwhile, the young Prince Anglid’s vision quest into the unexplored “Area X” may ultimately change everything. There are many surprises throughout the story to keep the reader guessing. Readers who enjoy putting the pieces of a puzzle together will enjoy this journey.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
People often ask this question, and they are often uncomfortable with my answer. But I remain wedded to the truth. Believe it or not, this entire series is my interpretation of a conversation I am honored to be having with extraterrestrial beings, known as Xżyberians. I am extremely humbled that they have selected me to tell their story.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If for no other reason, Beyond the Father, may offer a radically different perspective on some of the larger questions that consume us — those of war, society, birth, rebirth, death, and the exploration of what it means to be alive.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
There is not an obvious “main character” in Beyond the Father, because I emphasized the importance of the unique struggles and POVs of several of the planet’s inhabitants throughout the book. As a result, it will be hard for readers to take the side of one character and judge the others. All of the characters to some extent will be on trial as a result of their whims and their choices—removing the need for a single main character. However, most readers may be inclined to see Anglid as the hero in the physical world, and they will be inclined to view the miserable god, Flexix, as the main character in the spiritual world. Anglid is both innocent and headstrong, which readers may liken to Oliver Twist, while Flexix is mercurial and inconsolable, and his likeness is hard to place.
When did you first decide to become an author?
Writing and story performance have been a part of me ever since I was a child. I remember reading short stories to my mother, and using my vast collection of dolls to make those stories three dimensional. She encouraged me to keep writing, and would have been proud to see where I am as an author today.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
Beyond the Father is the first book that I published; however, there are other books in my portfolio that remain hidden from the light of day.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
Before I realized that I much prefer the life of a recluse, I worked as an assistant events planner and personal chef for private clients in both Europe and the United States. While I very much valued these relationships, I have now retired, an thrive in the solitude of my home in north-central Wyoming.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I am presently working on Book 2 of the gods on Trial series, and spending most of my day either thinking about it or actively drafting it. Since this is going to be an 8-Book saga, I expect this to be what consumes the majority of my time for the next few years, and I’m completely on board with the plan.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
Great question! I would say that the best part of being an indie today is that the industry has changed. There are now so many wonderful tools and platforms that support indie authors, and the reception for indie titles is now quite favorable.
However, the hardest part about being an indie author is that most indies, like myself, are somewhat constrained by limited resources. Adding retirement to this calculation makes it even harder for indie writers to be able to afford book promotion activities and all that marketing entails. I am also extremely distracted by marketing, and if I had my druthers I would stay heads down and write. At the end of the day, not having the help of a traditional publisher means the lion’s share of marketing and promotion under the constraints of limited funds becomes the author’s dilemma.
However, I was lucky enough to stumble upon a small publishing collective, known as 1iR3 Publishers, LLC. They are a really tiny shop that is all about helping indie authors survive the world of publishing. They have a dedicated art collective on staff that designed my book cover for me. While they don’t have the marketing budget of a traditional publishing house, they handled all of the details of getting my book on Amazon’s platform, and created an “Author Fund” which matched every dollar I was able to spend on promoting my book. They really helped take that edge off of being an indie author.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
I’ll share the importance of building a really solid support system. Connecting early with reading circles that consume the genre you write in is a wonderful investment in making important connections with those who may one day become fans. Engage them and invite members of those communities to read your ARC, and offer reviews. I am also appreciative of online communities like Goodreads, and encourage any indie author not presently leveraging Goodreads to take another look at their platform. The team at 1iR3 Publishers encouraged me to build my profile there, and to write a weekly blog. I now have a robust group of followers, and over 500 readers who have placed Beyond the Father on their “to-read” shelves.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
The Bible. I would have written that a bit differently. 😉