Christian Warren Freed - Fantasy and Sci-Fi Stories With Real Scenarios and True to Life Endings

Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, N.Y. more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than 20 years in the active duty US Army he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish 17 military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. His first published book (Hammers in the Wind) has been the #1 free book on Kindle 4 times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Passionate about history, he combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. As our Author of the Day, Freed tells us all about his book, The Children of Never.

Please give us a short introduction to what The Children of Never is about.

The Children of Never is the first full length novel following my 2012 Purifying Flame short that won 4th place in the L Ron Hubbard Writer’s of the Future Contest. It is about an ancient evil from another dimension stealing children from a duchy so that they can build a device to stop time and invade the world. A war priest is dispatched to help the Baron and stop the enemy before it is too late. Part fantasy, part ghost story, it is also the story of redemption.

What inspired you to write about children being abducted in the middle of the night?

I remember watching an old episode of the cartoon Dungeons and Dragons back in the 80s- yes, I’m that old (and more) where there was a similar idea. I thought that children had more life energy since they are so young that they would make for better story fodder. As authors we need and should be able to push boundaries to provoke deeper thought, from time to time.

You spent more than 20 years in active duty - how has this influenced your world view and your writing?

I have a masters in military history and three years of combat experience. I draw on all of that to craft fantasy and scifi stories with real scenarios, true to life endings, and a stronger story. There is nothing like real world experience to strengthen the spine of a good story.

Tell us more about the cover of the book and how it came about.

I am one of those guys who happened to have contracted the cover before I wrote the scene. The title was easy and I had an idea of the cover that I wanted to explore. The final result looks amazing and I am quite pleased.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

Does putting up with 2 teenagers count? I usually spend time trying to teach my Bernese Mountain Dogs to talk- I swear I’m getting closer. I also collect fine whiskeys from around the world and high quality cigars.

This is the first book in The War Priests of Andrak Saga.  Did you plan from the start to make this into a series? How do the books tie in with one another?

I’m thinking of maybe five books altogether. They will all be connected but can be read without having to get the entire series for them to make sense. The story arc basically follows Brother Quinlan, who is the last survivor of his original duty station and his path to redemption.

Tell us more about the war priests of Andrak.

The war priests are chosen from the best in the world to defend the Purifying Flame from the creatures of darkness. The are warrior monks based on the military orders of the Crusades era and dedicated to protecting the world without becoming too involved in local affairs. Think Knights Templar meet Jedi.

Readers say your books are real page turners. How do you pull this off?

I have a fast mind and plenty of combat time to envision how I want battles to unfold and play out. My understanding of tactics comes from an extensive military background so I can see the course of the story before I start hammering the keyboard.

Have changes in your own life affected any of your characters?

As I’ve aged my understanding of the world and humanity has evolved. I have the experience of working with people from every walk of life, religion, and race. This helps me develop stronger, richer characters. Having spent 5 years overseas, going through a divorce and then remarrying, I use all of it to make the best of my books.

Do you ever struggle with the decision to have a character die?

Nope. Next.

Is there an underlying message you wish to relay about basic human nature through your characters?

I would say that the underlying message in all of my books is that we are stronger than we think. Resilience is a wonderful thing. Once you get past the feeling sorry for yourself about a situation the mind is capable of accomplishing greatness. We just need to throw away the crutch.

Talk to us about your writing routine; what’s a typical writing day for you?

I usually start by walking the dogs, getting in some exercise, having my cup of coffee while I read- to get my mind ready. By mid morning I sit down and crank out the jobs I get on Fiverr- back covers and author bios for fellow authors. The afternoons are mine to work with my own projects.

What are you working on right now?

Can I tell you that? It’s a secret, but I just finished a military fantasy/scifi book based on the Syrian Civil War, the Afghan tribes, and a squad of stranded space marines. Oh there might be a golden city ruled by a god-king thrown in there too. Aside from that, I just started book 5 of my Forgotten Gods Tales: Under Tattered Banners.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005HP3EOW I welcome everyone- and their comments! On twitter I am @ChristianWarrenFreed. Facebook is www.facebook.com/christianfreed. Stop by and say hi, especially if you have read any of my work. I look forward to hearing from you.