Allen Lyle lives in Athens, Georgia, (GO DAWGS!) where he shares his home with his wife, four cats, a sweet pup, and several hundred books. A lifelong devotee of science fiction and fantasy, he fell under their spell at a young age and never looked back. Allen considers himself a lifelong devotee of science fiction and fantasy, He has always been drawn to the intersection of history and the speculative, asking questions like, “What if the Byzantine Empire had rockets?” or “What if Tolkien’s world had taken place in the Golden Age of Piracy?”
An avid gamer, Allen has spent countless hours orchestrating dynastic dramas in Crusader Kings III, an inspiration for his debut novel. His fascination with history extends beyond pixels and pages—he’s an enthusiastic collector of antiques, a lover of travel, and a devoted fan of minor league baseball. When he’s not writing, Allen can be found painting miniatures or reading. His debut novel takes readers thousands of years into a post-apocalyptic future where the kings and queens of Europe, now called Yuropa, rule once more. It's sure to hit the sweet spot for fantasy, sci-fi, and history lovers alike...just like Allen.
We had a great chance to conduct an interview with him, in which he told us much more about his novel “Red Sun Rising”.
Check out the interview:
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Your background, education, writing passion etc.??
I grew up in Marietta and have lived all over Georgia. I currently reside in Athens, GA with my wife and children’s author (Mort, Bones Ironclaw), Morgan Swank. I went to school at MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN where I learned a bunch of stuff I never use. I got into writing after getting laid off from my role as a Tech Recruiter. I have always been a voracious reader and suddenly had a lot of time on my hands, so I thought I might as well give it a shot. I initially thought it was going to be a hobby while I looked for a job but I was lucky enough to have a brilliant wife who helped me out immensely and a great publisher in Moon Publishing who definitely took a risk on a first time author. I primarily write Science Fiction, Red Sun Rising is a blend of many different types of sci-fi: political, warfare, cyberpunk, post-apocalyptic, fantasy, and more. I do enjoy writing short stories as well, I get to explore other genres like horror and traditional fantasy, but sci-fi will always be my first love.
Any upcoming books aside from Red Sun Rising?
Red Sun Rising will be a six part series and we are currently tying up the second book. I have a lot of other ideas I would love to publish, but we are focused on our series right now.
If so, what are your plans for those? Tell us more about them.
We plan to continue the story of the de Bordeauxs, to answer questions about the world, and to explore the questions we began with in the first book. I am extremely excited, I felt I learned so much from my first book, and I can’t wait to show everyone how I’ve developed as a writer.
Could you please let us know more about your novel 'Red Sun Rising’ and what your vision is for the world? What do you see for yuropa’s end game?
The tag line we have been using is its Game of Thrones meets Mad Max meets Dune. It takes place in a rebuilt civilization in Europe, now called Yuropa, and we follow the rise of one family from their humble halls into a continent spanning empire. I want to continue to expand the world, the series will take place for roughly one thousand years, so we get to really dig into how civilization changes and how the technology advances. I really wanted to tell a story that begins with small stakes and continues to build until the fate of the world hangs in the balance.
What's the reason behind choosing the name ‘Red Sun Rising’ for your novel?
I wish there was an incredibly brilliant reason that tied together various literary and historical influences but the real answer is I chose it because I thought it sounded cool. There is some thought to it, the family’s heraldic color is red, and the book is about their rise to power, but honestly it’s just because I liked the name.
What has been one of the most exciting achievements of your young but flourishing writing career so far?
Seeing the art! It has been so cool to see so many incredibly talented artists work on a world I created. We had official heraldry done by Neil Bromley, we had tarot cards done by Angelina Smith, and the team at Pogzart worked on some incredible prints. It’s been amazing getting to work with them.
What’s the next goal with these stories that you want to achieve next?
I want every book to be better than the last one. I want to continue to grow as a writer and I want to continue to explore new genres and new stories as a reader. I want every book to be bolder, weirder, and more creative.
What motivates you to do your best work?
I am a huge proponent of consistency. I set a daily writing goal (one thousand words a day in my case), and do that five days a week until the book is done. I am not a writer that gets a lightning bolt of inspiration and writes ten thousand words a day. I am a grinder. Having said that, reading great stories definitely motivates me more than anything else.
Did you choose writing, as a career, or as a hobby?
I definitely chose it as a hobby. I honestly expected Red Sun Rising to be read by me, my wife, and my mother and that was about it. I got incredibly lucky to get where I am today.
Your all time fave novel? Short story?
My all time favorite novel is Hyperion by Dan Simmons. Special shout out to The Scar by China Mieville, and Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. I could honestly list twenty more novels here but I’ll save the word space. My all time favorite short story is The Last Question by Isaac Asimov.
Give us your socials and where to reach you.
My website is www.allenlyleauthor.com and my instagram is @allenlylewrites
 where he shares his home with his wife, four cats, a sweet pup, and several hundred books. ...){kind=link}
Post a Comment