| Global Talk Radio Interview with Scot R. Stone On October 31st, 2005, Halloween, fantasy author Scot R. Stone had the pleasure of interviewing with host Kevin Dawson at Global Talk Radio (www.globaltalkradio.com) about his latest novel, The Ice Shadows of Arna, Book 2 of The Snowtear Wars. The interview lasted approximately ten minutes and can be downloaded and listened to at your convenience from Global Talk Radio’s website. About Global Talk Radio: According to a January 2004 Arbitron study, "the audience for radio and video broadcasting over the internet has grown substantially in a very brief period of time." 51 million people have tuned into internet radio at some point during the past 30 days, and 30 million are regular weekly listeners. 42% of the internet audio audience listens to internet radio while shopping or researching a product or service online. Global Talk Radio (GTR) began streaming in April, 2005. In the first 10 weeks, we received over 500,000 hits. Several hundred unique listeners tune in each day, primarily to listen to archives of interest on-demand. Many listeners stream through multiple archives of different shows in one visit. Global Talk’s audience is soaring, up an average 40% PER MONTH. In fact, Global Talk Radio has earned the reputation of "the fastest growing internet talk radio station". Most of Global Talk’s listeners are between 25-60 years old (fairly evenly distributed between the genders), with above-average education and above-average income/investments. The majority of Global Talk’s listeners are currently in the United States and Canada, although we have reached listeners in 64 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia and throughout North and South America. Global Talk’s foremost mission is to promote the growth, prosperity and well-being of those they serve (listeners and sponsors). Global Talk Radio is committed to becoming the industry leader for producing top-quality programming and matching their content with a highly-targeted internet audience to provide the best possible experience for their listeners. Furthermore, they consider it their responsibility to contribute to the future of radio and broadcasting (programming which will be produced and streamed across the internet, replacing conventional AM and FM outlets.) There are many programs Global Talk Radio sponsors, one of which is A Story to Tell, which Scot R. Stone did an interview with host Kevin Dawson for. The show commonly discusses important issues from today’s leading authors, experts and people in the news. A Story to Tell is the top requested show by Global Talk’s listeners. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The following is a transcript of the interview that took place with Scot R. Stone: Kevin Dawson: Welcome back to A Story to Tell here on Global Talk Radio. Our next guest is Scot R. Stone. Now, he’s just released the second book in The Snowtear Wars series, entitled The Ice Shadows of Arna, which continues the struggles and fight against evil over the precious and all-healing snowtears. All of the main characters are returning from the first book with many added, hidden surprises. Let’s find out more. Scot, welcome to the program. Scot R. Stone: Hello, Kevin. KD: What is a snowtear? SRS: A snowtear, as you said, is this mystical, all-healing flower that cures all diseases and heals all wounds, and kingdoms go to war over it. It would basically give any kingdom a huge advantage on the battlefield, if you can imagine, and so this is where this precious commodity comes into play. KD: Where did you originally come up with the concept of The Snowtear Wars? SRS: Actually it’s kind of funny. It was from my wife’s garden magazine. It was sitting on our counter at home, and I was trying to think of a central storyline, or something that could be part of a central storyline, and I came across this flower called a snowdrop. I did my own twist on it. I made it this very mystical healing object that these heroes and anti-heroes covet. KD: Now, let’s bring people a little bit into the storyline here. This is actually going to be a five-book series, The Snowtear Wars, is that correct? SRS: That’s right. Book Two, like you said, The Ice Shadows of Arna, just got released in August of this year. Book One came out last year. But there will be a new edition of Book One rereleased in January, I believe, through Behler Publications, my publisher -- and they have a website, www.behlerpublications.com. Book Three, The Hollows of Candlewick should be out sometime next spring or summer. Book Four, The Mirrors of Methalis may also be out by the end of next or out early sometime in 2007. Book Five, the last book, I should be writing in 2006 and should have it completed by the end of 2006. KD: So if you’d be kind enough, tell us a little bit about your latest book and maybe bring us a little up to speed so we have some of the plot from the first book, just so we have a foundation. SRS: In Book One, The Chimes of Yawrana, you meet the main hero, Oreus Blake, and he comes to the mystical lands of Yawrana, on a ship with some other crewmembers. They end up exploring this world with this new culture. They’re astonished to find out is that they speak the same language. What they don’t know is that a Yawranan was sent to Oreus’s homeland a long time ago and learned his language and customs because they foretold of a prophecy that involved Oreus, that he was going to come to their lands one day and could be pivotal to helping their kingdom survive. And then along the way Oreus meets some really good friends: Rydor Regoria, who is a guard who is assigned to him by the Yawranans to protect him, and also he befriends the prince of Yawrana, Noran Yorokoh, and they go on this adventure together to find this mystical snowtear to help save one of their loved ones from dying. By the end of the first book everyone thinks the snowtears have actually been destroyed, and for good reason. In the beginning of the second book you realize that that isn’t the case, that the snowtears still exist. And now we hve some new problems that have surfaced in the Ice Shadows of Arna. Basically there’s three subplots in the book that intertwine around each other, and relate to each other, and come together in a final conclusion at the end of the book. There is a black fever that is spreading throughout the territories of Yawrana that is killing people and no one knows what is causing it. However, they do know that the snowtears could be the one thing that could help save them. KD: All right. Have you ever thought about something like this being used for a movie or a series one day? SRS: Actually The Chimes of Yawrana has already been optioned once as a movie. KD: Oh, it has? SRS: Yes, it has. I can’t give any more details on that unfortunately, but there could be some good things on the horizon. There are several movie companies that are eyeing it right now. KD: Good for you. This sounds like something that could be developed into a movie. SRS: Oh, absolutely. My agent firmly believes it’s going to be the next Harry Potter or The Lord of the Rings fantasy series. I hope she’s right. We’ll see where it ends up. It definitely has the potential of The Lord of the Rings. As where the ring itself is central to the storyline and everyone is after it, the same is with the snowtear wars, everyone is after it (the flower). KD: Have you written any other books besides in this series? SRS: I’ve actually written a Christmas novel called Stroke of Midnight Toys. My agent is currently shopping that around to publishers. Hopefully we’ll have an answer soon as to who might end up picking that up. Basically it’s bout two boys who find Santa Claus’s magical toy sack, and what becomes of that. And right now I am also writing another book that’s outside of The Snowtear Wars, and that’s a Halloween book. I don’t want to give away the title of it yet or what it’s about because it’s still in the process of being worked, but that should be done by the end of December. KD: All right. You’re a busy guy. SRS: Yes, very busy. KD: After this story is over do plan to do another fantasy epic series like this? SRS: That’s right, and it could be another three to five books long, maybe even more. I don’t know. And it involves two wizarding communities who are seeking a very Holy Grail-like object. I don’t want to give away anything, but that’s one of the next things I’m working on. I have some of the plot points outlined for the first book, but there’s a lot of development to be done there yet. I hate working on two major fantasy epic series at the same time. So I’m trying to finish The Snowtear Wars up before I dive in head first into this new series. KD: Well, that’s something I was going to ask you. With all the other books going on—the Christmas book that you’re shopping around for and the Halloween book your finishing up—do work on multiple at the same time, or do you look work on one book and then go onto the next? SRS: I don’t really work on two books at the same time. I like to work on one and then go onto the next. When I’m writing a major fantasy series like the books in the snowtear wars, they’re pretty big books. They average almost five hundred pages each. And that’s a lot of work, especially for how complicated each of the storylines in those books are. I like to take a break in between each of the books in the series, and do smaller books that are stand alones. And kind of gives me a breather and a fresh outlook when I go back to the next book in the series. KD: Can you give us a little insight as to what you’re writing routine is like? SRS: Well, basically, I write either early in the morning while my daughters are still sleeping or late at night, or in the afternoon when they’re taking a nap. Those are the times of day I usually write so I can focus without being interrupted. A lot of people ask me “What do I listen to when you write?” I say usually classical or jazz music. I like classical and jazz music a lot because it’s like reading a book. You’re mind fills in the pictures from what you read. For classical or jazz music, it’s what you hear. It’s up to the interpretation of the listener. KD: What else keeps you motivated to write? SRS: Basically the desire to tell a story that’s never been told. I think Stephen King once said there’s nothing left to write, all the good ideas have been invented, but I disagree with that wholly. I think there’s so many more stories that can be invented and I think that an author’s desire to try and find those stories is a big challenge. But I think it’s a rewarding challenge once you have that story in place and finished. KD: You’re website is at www.scotrstone.com. What can people find there? SRS: Just so people know, my first name is spelled with one t. It’s not with two t’s. And there’s a story behind that, too, and you can find that on my website. It talks about all my books on the website. There’s a short biography about me. You can find out more about my artist who does the covers for my books. My agent. All kinds of things. Upcoming news. Monthly messages. I like to write in the Monthly Messages more about the characters in my books. I give more background details on the minor characters in my books, and that gives people an even further in-depth look at my stories. KD: Again, his latest book is, The Snowtear Wars, The Ice Shadows of Arna and that’s book number two in the series. Our guest has been Scot Stone. Scot, I want to thank you so much for being a part of our program today. SRS: Thank you, Kevin. It was a pleasure. |
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