As part of the Indie Author Highlight, I’m happy to introduce you to Matthew Cesca, author of the Forbidden Scrolls Trilogy!
Matthew’s latest release, The Last Sorcerers, completes the trilogy, so you can read the entire story now. Matthew, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Absolutely. I’m originally from a small town in Connecticut, and now I live in a dust bowl of a town in Arizona. I fix computers for a living, but writing is my true passion. I have five novels out now: four fantasy and one sci-fi, with two more that I’m currently working on.
And tell me a little about your latest book, The Last Sorcerers.
My most recent fantasy release was the last book in my Forbidden Scrolls Trilogy, The Last Sorcerers. The entire trilogy is the story of a young thief named Juliya who was betrayed and left for dead–and now she’s out for revenge. Turns out, she might just have to save the world along the way. It’s a revenge tale as much as it is an epic sword and sorcery story.
I’m curious to know as a fellow author publishing a trilogy: What have you learned about marketing a ongoing story before that last book came out? Did you find that your tactics or outcomes changed after the trilogy was complete?
Funnily enough, the month after The Last Sorcerers came out was my best selling month to date. People tend to wait for a finished series. Maybe the lesson was to not market it as a trilogy from the beginning? I’m not really sure. All I know is when I started marketing my next book, The Miranda Project as the first book of a trilogy, it did not sell as well. Of course, it could also be because it was sci-fi instead of fantasy. Even though the genres have a lot of the same audience, they do market differently for sure.
Let’s take a look at the book. Does the cover art have particular meaning or symbolism?
He left her for dead.
It was supposed to be a job like any other – sneak in, grab the scroll from the vault, and get out. It didn’t matter to Juliya what the young sorcerer wanted it for, he was paying well enough. That is, until he double-crossed her.
Now Juliya has a choice: track down Frost Dirvent and the forbidden scroll of fire that she stole for him, or be turned over to the guards.
Despite her misgivings, Juliya must work with a group of adventurers to track down Frost and reclaim the scroll from him before he can use its powers against an unsuspecting world. But the journey to stop him will take her to the last place she ever wanted to return to: Home.
The art is meant to be fairly basic looking, but with layers. The world map is shadowed into the background, the colors of each book are reflective of one of the magical elements that features prominently in each book, and the symbols on the front are little clues as to items or events in each book.
Could you describe the type of books you write in general?
I write adult sci-fi and fantasy, but I try to make it accessible to non-sci-fi and fantasy readers as well. There’s not a lot of technobabble, and I try to keep the pace of the story moving. There are no cliffhangers to be found in my books as they read more like the completed acts of a three act play which can stand individually.
How many books/novellas/short stories have you published already?
I’m currently working on the follow up to my sci-fi release The Miranda Project. I’m also working on a dark fantasy tale called The Shadow Sisters that’s unrelated to any of my other work. I expect that will be my next release, though I still have a long way to go. I’m pretty excited about this one as it’s very different thematically from anything else I’ve written before.
Oooh, tell me more about that! Where can readers follow your progress on The Shadow Sisters?
Right now, everything is up on my blog at MattCesca.com. It’s a darker tale for sure, and I’ve been fighting it a little bit more than I would care to admit. In fact, that’s what one of my more recent blogs is about.
Where do your ideas for new stories come from?
It really varies on the story. My first novel, The Stairs in the Woods was my writing as therapy during my divorce. The Forbidden Scrolls Trilogy is loosely based on ideas for a Dungeons & Dragons game I never got a chance to play, but the idea had been kicking around in my head for about fifteen years. My current work in progress, The Shadow Sisters, all spawned from a dream I had of a young woman having to do a sword “dance” against a shadow monster. So I wish I could pin down my muse a bit more specifically, but it does create a variety of different stories for me to play around with.
With such different sources of inspiration, I would guess the themes of each project differ. How was your first novel different from the others, and what have you learned from “crossing genres” or hitting different audiences?
The themes really do differ for sure. The Stairs in the Woods focuses on the story of a woman finding her true self at a little bit later point in life than your standard coming of age story. It is also a portal fantasy while The Forbidden Scrolls Trilogy is much more of a sword & sorcery revenge tale. And while they are both fantasy, they do have different audiences for sure. But the audiences are similar enough. Crossing over into sci-fi has been a much harder task.
Why do you write?
Because I love telling stories, and I’m pretty decent at it. Well, the storytelling anyway. I leave the write critiques to the readers.
How have you changed as a writer since you first began writing?
I actually started by writing lyrics in bands in high school and college. It evolved from there. But I’ve always had a love for the creative arts, be it music or writing. As far as my growth as a writer, I can certainly see it as I go from book to book. My editor still has to live with my disregard for the proper use of commas, though not to its previous extent. I also believe my voice as a writer is getting stronger as I go, though I do like to try and change up that voice from project to project.
What was the hardest lesson you had to learn in publishing a book?
That they don’t sell themselves. Like your average depiction of an author, I am somewhat introverted. Putting yourself out there at first takes a lot of courage. Finding your audience takes a lot of determination.
What is the worst writing advice you’ve received, and what did you learn from it?
Remember back in school when the teachers made you do outlines? It’s not for me.
What was the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a writer, and how did you overcome it?
I struggle with depression and anxiety and tend to have trouble writing when my mental health is not well. I don’t know that’ve really overcome it so much as I have to ride the waves my brain gives me. As such, I tend to write in spurts. Summer is always hard because seasonal depression works differently when it’s 110 degrees all summer long.
That makes a lot of sense to me and likely to many of our readers and fellow authors.
What are some of the most useful tools you’ve found that make writing/publishing easier?
I happened to luck into having multiple family members who are also authors, so I learned a lot from them. There’s also a great community of fellow writers online that are often willing to offer advice. I also found my cover artist online, as he’s also the one who did the map in my trilogy.
How do you balance writing with the rest of life? Any tips?
I am lucky enough to have a job that does not care if I’m writing at work so long as there isn’t other work to do. That’s really the only way I can balance it because I am not a member of the five am writer club, nor do I have the mental capacity most days after I’ve gotten home from work. I also have a very supportive partner who happens to also be an editor.
Who inspires you to write? Who inspires your style?
My inspiration to keep writing comes from my son. I want him to see his old man pursue his dreams so he knows that he can do the same.
As far as style, I have a lot of influences. Everyone from J.R.R. Tolkien to George Lucas to Stephen King. I try to learn a little bit from everything so that I can apply it to my own craft.
Who is your favorite author? Your favorite book?
Though I write sci-fi and fantasy, I’d have to say Stephen King.
Who are some other indie authors you recommend people check out?
She was not a fantasy author, but Dawn Hosmer. She passed from breast cancer just about a year ago, but she was a phenomenal writer. Her books were primarily paranormal thriller, and they were written to break your heart at least once per story.
What are your favorite movies?
Would it shock anyone if I said The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars?! Probably not.
Thank you so much for the insight into you, your work, and your inspirations, Matthew!
If you want to connect with Matthew, please check out his website and social media below!