INTERVIEW with Epic Fantasy Author Rival Gates

Rival Gates

 Omaha, NE USA

 Good Morning, Rival, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the site authors.What have you written? 

"Quest for the Red Sapphire" "Sapphire Crucible" and soon to come, "Mandrean Revenge."

What is your favorite genre to write? 

Epic Fantasy

Favorite food. 

Lasagna

Tea or coffee?

 Tea

Pizza or ice cream?

 Pizza

Wine or beer?

Beer

Where would you like to visit? 

Rome

Oh, Rival, go and go soon. Rome is fantastic. They call it the Eternal City for a good reason. See the 

Vatican Museum. Eat at one of the local eateries. Stroll around the city in the late afternoon. Visit the Colliseum. Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to 

music when you write?  What? 

My favorite band is Genesis. I need complete silence when I write.

What makes you laugh? 

People who don't think writing is work.

Favorite work of art or sculpture. 

Any painting by Thomas Kinkade.

How old were you when you started writing? 

13

Do you plan out your book with outlines and notecards? Or just write? 

I do an outline first in bullet point. Then I write the novel. This way I don't miss important points or get writer's block.

Describe your perfect evening. 

Me, my wife and the dogs.

Where do you get your inspiration?

History

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 

When it happens, I read what I just wrote and continue the thought.

Who is your favorite author? 

C.S. Lewis

Best book you ever read. 

"The Return of the King" J.R.R. Tolkien

Last book you read. 

"Scattered Shells" by Francene Staley.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer? 

Furniture salesman.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why? 

My mother was my biggest influence. She listened to me ramble about one book after another and always encouraged me.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why? 

I would sit down with Napoleon and find out how he came up with so many brilliant battleplans.

What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer? 

You are going to face rejection. That's part of the business. You just have to keep trying until the right fit comes along.

Do you have some links for us to follow you?

Web Site: http://www.rivalgates.co

Blog: http://www.rivalgates.com/blog

         http://rivalgates.tumblr.com/

Facebook: http://on.fb.me/1qqrjiB

Twitter: RivalGates1

Purchase “Quest for the Red Sapphire”

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1npYd0S

Purchase “The Sapphire Crucible”

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1lGfOVN

Purchase “Mandrean Revenge”

Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZL_knO95Tk