Tell -Tale Publishing - Blog

 Interview With The Dangerous Legacy Author, Darren Simon

AKA "The Talon"

10 Quick and Quirky Questions

1. Why did you choose the pirate theme and male protagonist?

To be perfectly honest, I didn’t set out to write a pirate novel. I was raised in Redondo Beach, California, and spent a great deal of time at the beach. Like my lead character, the ocean is where I feel best. However, professionally life led me to a Southern California desert community. One summer I hadn’t had much time to make the 150 mile drive to the ocean, and I was missing the coast. As a result, I sat down at the computer to start writing about the ocean. That led me to remember a bet in my younger days with a friend to jump from the pier. That’s how it all began. From there, it grew into a time traveling pirate novel mixed with magic.

The male protagonist is very much me. A lot of the same character traits, and the same body type from my younger days. I think a male just worked better for this story, but it’s important to remember it has an equally strong female character.

2. Do you have any unique or quirky writing habits?

When I write, I enjoy listening to the music I grew up –  ’80s rock. I love everything from Journey, to Rush to The Police. Music helps me to focus. Not sure if that is quirky, but it definitely makes a difference for me. I think the most quirky thing I do occurs when I am not writing—just thinking about a story or how to fix a problem with a story. I have my comfort chair—a rocking chair—and the faster I rock, the better I think and create.

3. How has your environment & upbringing colored your writing?

This is an interesting question, and not sure my response truly answers the question. When I was a young boy, my grandmother gave me a brown paper bag filled with classic DC and Marvel comic books from the ’70s. I fell in love with those comic books and when I finished them, I started buying new comic books with the allowance I earned. So, how has my upbringing colored my writing? I’m not sure it has, but my childhood is what made me a writer. Those first comic books, my father’s love for reading and the weekly visits to the library with my mother all inspired me. And today I write for middle grade and young adult readers to inspire them the way I was inspired to read and to write by the comic books, than Choose Your Own Adventure books, and Dungeon & Dragon books and then the Lord of Rings and other fantasy novels that meant so much to me.

4. If you were a super hero, what would your name be? What costume would you wear? What super powers would you have?

Funny, my 11-year-old son asks me these same questions all the time. I am a big fan of the super hero genre. I think that should be known. And, it should also be known that of all the super powers, flight and strength have always been the lead for me. I especially love the heroes with wings, like Hawkman, Falcon and Angel. So if I had powers, I would want to be a winged super hero with super strength. In terms of a costume, I think I’d like to wear some kind of raven black body armor that would make me bullet proof.  In terms of a name, something that would strike fear into the hearts of those who would do evil. Maybe -- The Talon

5. What were you like as a child? Your favorite toy?

I loved to read and even to write. When other kids were writing short paragraphs when asked to do some kind of a story, like for Halloween, I would write two full pages. I just enjoyed it. I also loved sports, especially baseball, but I would play any sport at any time. I loved my action figure toys.  My Star Wars toys were my favorite. And I didn’t just collect them. They were played with – a lot. My best friend and I loved recreating scenes from the movies, and we prided ourselves on being able to generate great sound effects with our voices.

6. Do you dream? Do you have any recurring dreams/nightmares?

Absolutely, I dream. The only problem in answering this question is as an adult with one job that deals with the controversial issue of California water (specifically the shrinking amounts of water) and a second job as an English teacher at the community college in my region, I tend to have nightmares, often about water, and often about students not showing up for class or having their work done.  A lot of my best dreams these days involve my family and the freedom of the ocean. Now, if you were to ask me about daydreaming, that would be another point altogether. Like I did as a youth, I daydream about saving people in need, about being a pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy and about someday making my home in Hawaii—many, many, many moons from now.

7. Who is your favorite literary villain and why?

I guess I would have to say Sauron, the Dark Lord, from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. And the only reason I would say that is because J.R.R Tolkien’s work had such a profound effect on me. His writing truly inspired me to write fantasy. The battle against Sauron was epic. I am so thankful that my freshman high school teacher, as a class project, had us read the first book in the series. Other students grumbled. I and my best friend were overjoyed and started our own little book club. Yes, I was a nerd, but so what. 

8. What question do you wish every interviewer would ask you, but no one ever has? (Answer it, too!)

No one ever asks – why do you write? However, my father recently asked me that, sort of. He asked why do you spend so much time doing something when so far you haven’t made much money at it. Don’t get him wrong, he asked that not because he is focused on money, but because he knows I have a demanding full-time job, teach part time, have papers to grade, and a family that needs my time, so why sacrifice what little time I have to write rather than simply relax or get more sleep. The answer is, as many authors would say, is that I am compelled to do it. In a way, it is like a calling. I can’t stop, nor do I want to. In a way it is relaxing for me and gives me a sense of pride that is more important than any financial incentive. That said, I wouldn’t mind it if someday writing novels became my full-time career.

9. Favorite snacks while writing.

It’s not a snack. It’s worse. I love soda. And not that diet stuff. A nice Coca-Cola or Pepsi relaxes me while I write. I try not to drink soda too excessively, but every now and then it just helps.

10. How often do you visit an actual bookstore and where is the first place you head once you get there?

In my community, we don’t have a large bookstore, but I love our small community bookstore. I go there several times a week and start with the Local Author section to see what my fellow authors have written. I then hit the fantasy and science fiction sections, and finally the young adult area. When I am unleashed on a larger bookstore, I head straight for the science fiction and fantasy sections. I have never lost my love for those kinds of books. I still love to read a good Star Wars novel from the expanded universe or some sword and sorcery novel.

That's it for now, but The Talon may likely visit with us again in the future, so stay tuned!