Featured Interview With Paolo Danese
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
My name is Paolo Danese and I was born and raised in Southern Italy. I have been around…a lot! Since 2011 I have been living in Asia, first in Hong Kong and now Singapore. I am married with two awesome kids who are (way too quickly) approach their teenage years. I was never a pet person but we took home the most adorable toy-sized poodle called Anzu in the summer of 2023 and I cannot get enough of him! Best decision ever since getting married!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was reading quite a bit before turning 10, the public library was my best friend then. My parents helped, they had quite a well-stocked library at home, too.
The first book I bought with intention, however, is seared into my mind. The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I was 12 and I still thank my aunt for that summer gift. Fun times. I started writing not long after, first as a Dungeons & Dragons game master, then around 16 I actually dove in and began writing my first novel. The amount of stupidity involved in such a decision staggers me to this day. I knew nothing of fiction writing, story structures, traditional publishing (indie was not much of a thing yet), etc etc.
It has been one hell of a journey.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I read widely across genres, which makes me a very “unloyal” reader compared to many, including all my close friends! I do not really have favorite authors as much as favorite pieces of literature, and they range from fantasy to medieval poetry to science non-fiction books. In terms of broad inspiration for the books I have actually written so far, I would say the foundational influences are JRR Tolkien and HP Lovecraft.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
I just published a dark epic fantasy called “Rise of the Nemesis”. It has elements of grimdark, high fantasy, and post-apocalyptic science fantasy (and some portal fantasy). It is the story of what happens after a hero sacrifices themselves for the greater good, and at great personal cost. A fairly dark tale of revenge against selfish and corrupt demigods. But, despite it all, there is hope. Redemption, too, maybe!
I have been working on this book seriously since 2020. As the story follows two interwoven plotlines, finding the right balance for each of the plots and characters was tricky. The main plot-line is very tightly centered around the main character and his mostly “solo” journey. The other plotline involves several characters so I continue to wonder whether I did all of them justice. Time (and readers) will tell!
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