Click here to browse our fantastic gallery of FREE or hugely discounted novels

Interview with Earl T Roske, author of Tale of the Music-Thief

image

image image

Tale Of The Music-Thief is a fantasy adventure tale with music as the focus. In the story, Allegra, the protagonist, is at the center of a seemingly incurable illness. Music is disappearing from everyone’s minds. A person might know a song one minute, and in the next minute the song will disappear. Worst, they know they knew the song, they just can’t recall it anymore. It might seem like an illness, and many people in City-Along-The-Lake believe it is and that the medicos will find a cure.

But Allegra has seen something. She has seen someone, who is present when music disappears from her mind. And he wants nothing to do with Allegra, escaping into the night when she attempts to confront him. She knows he is behind the music theft, now she has to find him. With the aid of the gangly magicnician, Gerendorf she begins her pursuit across the country, magic map in hand. Only, the map has it’s boundaries and Allegra must catch the music-thief before he disappears off the edge of the map, taking all the music with him.

Oh wow, that’s really interesting. Though we’d love it if he could steal Gangnam Style from our minds! It’s a fantasy novel, you say?
Because Tale Of The Music-Thief has magic and takes place in a fantastical realm it is best classified as a fantasy. But there are no grand wizards or Orc armies. This is about individuals trying to protect what is most important to them and their world.

It’s a fantasy because magic is involved. But this isn’t wave your wand and say a word kind of magic. Magic in the book is slowly being industrialized. There are “magicnicians” who design spells, charms, crystals, cloth, to perform tasks. One of the most visible presence of this new magic are the golems – once the soldiers of the defeated dark magicians. They are now programmed as street sweepers, street light attendants, door guards, servants of the populace.

There are trolls and giants and sirens, as well, so that also puts Tale Of The Music-Thief into the fantasy category.

What kind of readers will it appeal to?
I think Tale Of The Music-Thief will appeal to a broad range of readers, and a broad reading age. I’d hate to say X type of reader will like the book and give Y type of reader the impression they won’t like the book. I can say there isn’t any gore or excessive violence, nor is there sex of any kind. So the book would definitely appeal to parents of readers who cut their teach on Harry Potter and the like. But the parents would enjoy the adventure as well. (Z type of readers, you’ll enjoy the book, too.)

This question might seem unfair, then. Complete this sentence for us: if you like _________________, you’ll love Tale Of The Music-Thief.
If you like Watership Down, you’ll love my book.
If you like Harry Potter, you’ll love my book.
If you like a great adventure, you’ll love my book.
If you like extra cheese on your pizza, you’ll love my book.
If you like breathing, you’ll love me book.

Is this book a stand-alone novel? Do you leave us on a knife edge?
I would like the readers of Tale Of The Music-Thief to feel satisfied but intrigued. The book has a definite conclusion, but there is a grander story arc that is hinted at and I hope the reader wants to know more about Allegra’s world.

So there’ll be a follow up novel? Have you written any other books?
Not yet. I’m working on the follow up to Tale Of The Music-Thief. It’s called Tale Of The Missing Village.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I was born in Washington State. I’m a military brat so I grew up on military bases in the U.S. and Germany. After high school I served five years in the U.S. Marines. I went college after that. I’m now of middle age. I’ve always been an avid reader who has dabbled at writing since I was in third grade. I’ve often allowed other aspects of my life to get in the way and only in the last decade have I made a serious attempt to be constructive with my writing.

Do you have a website where we can keep up with your work?
I do have a website: www.earltroske.com and I try to keep it up to date.

How can we follow you on Twitter and/or Facebook?
On facebook: www.facebook.com/EarlTRoske where anyone can like me.
I have a twitter account though I don\’t tweet much: @earltroske.

What’s next?
Next is the follow up to Tale Of The Music-Thief, Tale Of The Missing Village. I am also working on a first draft of a sci-fi novel that doesn’t have a title yet. There are two other books I’m working on first drafts for as time permits.

image image

Leave a Facebook, Google+ or Wordpress Comment

Loading Facebook Comments ...

Leave a Reply