When we first met he had long hair... an undercut before they were trendy and every man, woman, and child wanted one. (Check out the fun pictures I collected at the end of this interview.) In my mind's eye, I can remember vividly that he was not the shy type, nor the serene kind, but there was something about him that made me -fast-forward 15 years- near jump out of my skin in excitement when I saw him again....literally, at random. At Great Wolf Lodge:
His name is Alfred, but I know him as AJ.
He is a Pottsville-native, a Husband to Lisa and a Father to three; a graduate of the University of Valley Forge, a Personal Trainer, Previous Youth Pastor, Author, Foodie (Food Vlogger at TheFood Hunt), Podcaster, and a Jaminator. He is a Flutophone-playing Pro (graced the walls of John.S. Clarke Elementary with the Flutophone Hall of Fame- for those who know, this was a BIG DEAL), a lover of C.S. Lewis and Disney, and a competitive Friends Aficionado.
Welcome, AJ
AJ was an easy choice for me, and I mean this. When I think about people I know and you should know, AJ was one of the first to pop to the forefront of my mind. We were teens when we met at youth group and began walking to school together. We were Skooks, living in humble Pottsville which was something like an acropolis to our county. We bemoaned living there, as teenagers do, but the surrounding towns thought we were cool-ish, so there was that. As high school graduates, we both decided to leave the area and, as people do, we found our wings. Here's AJ's future snapshot:
AJ <3s Lisa
Good choice, buddy.
Together, AJ and his bride built a life for themselves including three kiddos and endless passions.
Including Jam...
So the interview picks up from here:
"...And that scene is actually crucial", says AJ as, one minute after our pleasantries we dove deep into Alliance.
"But that tells me that Thaddeus represents evil and Murlynn, good, but somehow the evil was able to get in on the good and...", I fumble to get it all out before he cuts me off.
"Not exactly...", he interjects.
I try to make sense of this but quickly realize that, though this is fiction, it is his fiction and the man has got his characters, lands, and plot lines in a row.
"...kinda, but, it's a huge twist..."he continues, in a conversation between us both which, but for time and secrecy I would share in full detail. At this point I'll have to edit and say that, the very next words from AJ's mouth included, "I'm going to give you the 411" and "YOU CAN'T SHARE THIS".
...and though I cannot share the details, I can say: HELLO PLOT TWIST.
But the truth is, this entire book was written to throw me off. With every new character introduced, with the details in physical features as well as those of particular skillsets, I had to continually reimagine what was going on at every turn. Think: Nimrod, Sheppen, and Dwarfs are you quick to conjure images in your head or do you rely heavily on Google? Admittedly not a lover of fantasy reading, I would likely have never picked up a book boasting a dragon on it's cover without good reason in the first place. This brings me back to our history. AJ and I have known one another for years and, through the power of Facebook, reconnected recently. It was here that he excitedly shared his interest in writing his first book (and I, perhaps brazenly, asked for an early screening) and, three years later, it is here he holds his copy, beaming proud.
So, What is your best advice for someone trying to start/complete a project when the thought is "I have no time/energy/resources/support?
He answers with this quote
Alright, so, take ownership of your life and making your bed=winning at life.
Seems like truth we can all get behind.
Let's talk about getting published. You self-published Alliance and it released in December of 2020. It is available in SO MANY LOCATIONS! Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, E-Bay, Without Books, Powell's, Waterstone's, Good Reads...the list goes on! This deserves serious kudos, but certainly not without acknowledging your dedication. What did your time frame look like from conception to publication? What obstacles did you face along the way?
God gave me an idea when I was in college of a group of dragons attacking people. I didn’t really think much of it, but the idea never went away. The theme is just that I wanted to write a good fantasy novel written by someone who believes in God (different from being a "Christian author"). After I started reading fantasy novels, I was disappointed by the fact that I felt that I couldn't find a good Christian fantasy novel. So I wrote one.
The names of characters and areas of land were probably the hardest [to conceive]. The Old Testament stories played a big part in some of the names. Many of the background stories came from my own life experiences.
I wrote about ⅓ of the book without any organization what so ever. No maps, character charts, time lines, or even plot development. I would just sit and write. After about 1/3 of the way through the book I became so overwhelmed with everything that was going on with the book, that that I realized that I needed to be organized. I made character sketches, character development charts, maps of the land, a character plot index, time lines, charts and more. It was the most organize I’ve ever been in my life, but it was so helpful when I would come back to a character who I have not seen in a while.
Conception to delivery took about 10 years. It took me about 6 years to write the first ¼ of the book and only 4 years to write the other ¾ -after I got serious
Um...come again? How long?
Alright, let's wrap this up with some rapid fire questions:
Who is your favorite character in Alliance? Raithyn (side note: mine, too!)
Were any of the characters based off of people you know in real life? Yes...family, friends, and self.
Will there be a follow up tp Alliance? A sequel? Maybe. What do the reader's think?
What words of encouragement can you share for aspiring authors? Keep writing. Just write whatever comes to mind. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be correct. I doesn't even need to make sense. Just write. This was the best advice ever given to me. Plus this:
Last question: What is something you would tell high school you?
Never give up. Trust God. Follow your gut
***
To follow along with AJ and his adventures (including theFood Hunt, his foodie vlog), promotions (signed copies and exclusives), and upcoming events (podcasts, articles, and the like), follow him on FB @ Aj Hunt.
As seen on:
A.M. in the P.M. podcast, where he Co-Hosts (can be viewed off his FB page)
Not Cool in High School podcast, available on FB at Not Cool in High School Podcast Community and Spotify (Watch this here)
Grab your copy of Alliance here
This guy is stock-full of quotes. When I asked him for one, he gave me a 12. Check them out:
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