Author Interview – Ken Lizzi – Obsidian Owl

On The Table Read, “the best book magazine in the UK“, author Ken Lizzi talks about the story of his latest book, Obsidian Owl, and the inspiration behind his characters.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Ken Lizzi about his life and career, what inspired him to start writing, and the work that went into his latest book, Obsidian Owl.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I’m just this guy, y’know? Looking at the wrong side of fifty, married, one kid, trying to hold it all together. How’s that for trite? Okay, I’ll try to dispense with trite. By profession I’m a lawyer. Transactional not litigation. I try to keep my clients from getting into trouble in the first place, not get them out afterward. That work pays the bills. Ideally I’d replace that occupation with writing. However I’ll have to sell quite a few more books first.

I’m a reader. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. I read widely, though I don’t have the time to read as voraciously as I once did. My early reading probably inclined me toward a certain degree of Anglophilia: Robert Louis Stevenson, Kipling, Ian Fleming, Alastair MacLean, Rosemary Sutcliffe, Mary Renault, etc. Forgive me if I freely mix Scottish and English scribblers. It was probably Tolkien that cemented my abiding fondness for speculative fiction, though I was already reading other fantasy and science fiction by the time I picked up The Fellowship of the Ring at age eleven. Sorry, now it’s getting boring again. I’ll move on, with a greater sense of urgency.

Snapshots: moved around a lot; university; Army Reserves; law school; career; published (paid) writing; marriage; published novelist; father. And so forth.

When did you first WANT to write a book?

I don’t think I can remember that far back. I think I took my first stab at it around age 13, a year or so after my first short story rejection letters. I filled most of a notebook with horrendously derivative, wish-fulfillment drivel. Thankfully I wrote it in pencil, so if it still exists somewhere it is most likely illegible by now.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I associated notions of untethered independence and freewheeling adventure with writing. Reality can be cruel.

When did you take a step to start writing?

I think I wrote my first story at age ten. I collected rejection slips on and off for a while as a teen, but then set aside any serious attempt at publication until my mid-thirties. I then started placing short stories in anthologies, joined  a writers group for several months, and developed my skills until I felt ready to try my hand at a novel.

How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?

Reunion was published in early 2014. I believe I shopped it around to three or four publishers before Twilight Times picked it up. I wish I could remember the details. My guess is that I started writing it in 2011. But after a while the effort, sweat, frustration, and elation all rather blur.

How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?

Obsidian Owl is the third book in the Semi-Autos and Sorcery series. I started noodling around with ideas for that after taking the family on a trip to Yellowstone National Park in the summer of 2020. Aethon Books published Obsidian Owl in October 2021. So that one proceeded from outline to final draft relatively quickly.

Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write Obsidian Owl?

The trip to Yellowstone compelled me to set a book in the park. I’d been before, but revisiting drove home how stunning the scenery truly is. It also recalled to mind a prior drive through the western states shortly after the end of the annual motorcycle festival in Sturgis, South Dakota. The idea of outlaw biker gangs battling it out amidst the unusual background of Yellowstone started the ideas churning. And throwing Karl Thorson (the main character of the series) into the mix, with his nonchalance and (deserved) self-assurance pulled it all together.

What were your biggest challenges with writing Obsidian Owl?

The same challenge as with most of my books: not allowing everyday existence (my career, family, daily vagaries and vicissitudes) interfere with my writing routine.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?

Karl Thorson is to some degree the prototypical Sword-and-Sorcery hero in a contemporary setting. But he refused to limit himself to answering the question “What would Conan do?” and instead took on his own characteristics over the course of three books: Blood and Jade; Santa Anna’s Sword; and Obsidian Owl.

So, while Robert E. Howard is to some extent an inspiration, Karl also came from some of people I’ve met in the military, quietly competent heroes from literature and film, and to some extent the classic rogue of literature and film. But he’d tell you he was sui generis, merely well-read.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?

The antagonists in the first two books weren’t exactly Karl’s physical equal. In the third book I wanted someone who was to some degree a mirror image of Karl. Nero Jones is Karl Thorson’s opposite in character, motivation, and other matters. But he matches up well in sheer power, with the added advantage of a minor, inborn magical gift, which Karl utterly lacks. Nero Jones is the sort of man who just wants to watch the world burn. Sadly, the world has too many of that ilk to inspire villains such as Nero Jones.

What is the inciting incident of Obsidian Owl?

Nero Jones kills a man and burns down his business in the process of stealing an artifact — the Obsidian Owl — necessary to his scheme. The murdered man’s daughter arrives to see the place in smoke and find her father murdered at the same time Karl Thorson is passing by. Karl is more than happy to get involved.

What is the main conflict of Obsidian Owl?

There is somewhat of a three-way conflict. Nero Jones intends to instigate a battle between his outlaw biker gang and a rival gang as a sort of blood sacrifice to power the Obsidian Owl for destructive purposes on a potentially global scale. The leader of the rival gang merely wants to deliver drugs for sale, flee with the proceeds, and retire from the life, but is compelled to pursue the battle.

Karl Thorson hopes to aid a woman recover a stolen artifact and gain revenge on the bikers who killed her father. It all comes to a head in Yellowstone.

Did you plot Obsidian Owl in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?

I plot. If something interrupts my routine and I have to set the book aside, the outline helps me know what I’m supposed to be writing when I get back to work.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did Obsidian Owl need?

Yes, the publishers at Aethon Books did send me editorial comments. However not much needed attention.

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Don’t wait for inspiration before setting to work. Establish a set time for writing. Get yourself into a regular routine.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

Think big. Think epic. Think trilogy.

And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

Anyone who finishes writing a book should be proud of the accomplishment. It requires substantial time and mental labor. So, yes. I am proud of what I’ve written. I know it was worth the effort. I am reminded of it every time I hear that someone enjoyed reading something I’ve written.

Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

http://www.kenlizzi.net

facebook.com/kenlizzi

https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Store-Ken-Lizzi/s?rh=n%3A133140011%2Cp_27%3AKen+Lizzi

tiktok.com/ken_lizzi

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