Ben Galley Interview – The Heart of Stone

Ben Galley is an award-winning fantasy author from the UK. He is the author of the epic Emaneska Series, the weird-west Scarlet Star Trilogy and the brand new standalone The Heart of Stone. When he’s not dreaming up lies to tell his readers, Ben works as a self-publishing consultant, helping fellow authors to self-publish and sell their books at Shelf Help. He joined us recently on Fantasy-Faction to chat about his latest release.

Thanks for joining us, Ben! Firstly, congratulations on your latest release. The Heart of Stone has met with praise across the SFF community – including right here on Fantasy-Faction! For those who’re unfamiliar with the book, can you tell us a little bit about it?

Thank you for having me! The Heart of Stone is a new grimdark standalone centred on a non-human protagonist – a golem called Task. He’s an ancient war-machine that has been bought by the losing side of a civil war. As well as being an unstoppable, nine-foot lump of stone, he’s a complex creature who has spent all his 400+ years serving the whims of humans and winning their wars for them. To put it bluntly, he’s pretty fed up with us, and just wants to get on with the ugly business of battle. However, a waif of a stable girl has other ideas for him.

Let’s talk about Task, then. What made you choose a golem to be the hero of your story? (Also, who would win in a three-way fight between Task, Smaug and Wun-Wun the giant?)

First of all, I needed something pretty formidable for the battlefield. A golem seemed to fit that role very well, especially as they rely on brute strength and their composition to break things, rather than magic or spells. They’re also exclusively man-made, which gives them a bond to a creator or a master. That gave Task his leash, so to speak, whereas with demons or dragons or any of the beasts I’ve used before, it’s hard to bind them to us lesser mortals in an entirely convincing way.

The other reasons was due to the intrinsic humanity that’s prevalent through all golem mythology I researched. There is a fragility to a golem that comes not only from their in-built weakness and ownership but from the fact they are always one step away from being human, and yet can never quite take that step. Because of this, there’s an internal struggle within a golem, and that suited Task’s mind-set perfectly.

As for the big old fight, of course I’m going to say Task. He’d sit by and let the giant and the dragon go at it until Smaug turned Wun-Wun to cinders. Then, being stone, Task would endure the old drake’s fire until he was all out. At that point, Task would most likely go and snap his pompous little neck.

Ha! Now that reminds me – I’m a huge fan of Shale, the playable golem companion in Dragon Age: Origins’ Stone Prisoner expansion. Unlike Task, Shale enjoys crushing things, especially birds, mages and anyone who tries to give it orders. Which fictional depiction(s) of golems had the most influence on creating Task’s personality?

Sadly I’ve yet to play Dragon Age, so Shale wasn’t an influence during the book’s creation, but it’s now firmly on my to-be-played list thanks to you! I actually struggled to find a huge number of golems in fiction, so the characters I looked to instead were Ben Grimm/The Thing from Fantastic Four, and the rockbiter Pyornkrachzark (yeah, I had to look that up) from The Neverending Story. Both these characters struggled with loss – be it their freedom, their strength, or their humanity. Physically, they were what I initially imagined for Task – big, imposing beasts of thick and gnarled stone. However, as I got further into the book, and started working with my cover designer Shawn, I realised Task should look more refined than this, perhaps a little more like Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still remake. And so, the personality of Task stayed, but the outer shell changed to fit with the cover. I’ve never done that before, but the artwork was so good it retroactively inspired me to make those changes.

I remember the buzz surrounding the cover reveal last year; it was incredible, as is Shawn King’s design. How much influence did you have in the cover-creation process, Ben – and how far do you think The Heart of Stone’s cover has impacted its overall success?

Whenever I’m giving advice to fellow authors, I always say that professionalism and quality are paramount. The book cover, almost always being the first port of call for a reader, is arguably the most important aspect of a book. For my first standalone, and for what I believe to be my best work yet, I knew I had to pull out all the stops. Shawn King’s work had already caught my eye, and I knew he would be the perfect artist for the job. He completely understood Task, and he nailed his physical appearance, as I mentioned above. That’s definitely been a huge help in building buzz and getting the book noticed. Everybody that’s seen it has been so impressed with the artwork, and I don’t think as many early readers or reviewers would have said yes without it, despite its concept and protagonist. Here’s hoping the innards of the book are equally as impressive!

It’s clearly very different in style from your earlier work. Speaking of which: You have two completed series under your belt. What led you to begin work on your debut, The Written? How would you describe the Emaneska Series – and would you recommend it as a starting point for new readers?

The Written was as much a foray into fantasy as it was a career move for me. I’d had the idea of writing a grimmer sort of high fantasy for a few years, and one night, watching BBC’s Merlin, I got so enraged at the pre-watershed nicety of it, I decided to plan out a book. I had the idea of a mage with a spell book tattooed right into his back, making spells intrinsic but brutal on both the caster and unwitting victim. And so, Farden the Written mage was born that night. His story, and the world I built around him, led me on to write a four book series. It also marked the point when I decided to jump into the publishing industry, and make a grab for my dream of being an author. As well as Farden, that goal was what helped me to churn out those debut books.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely! I’m very proud of the Emaneska Series, but there’s a part of me that can’t help but cringe over it now that my style and skill have progressed. It’s definitely me being too close to my own work, however, so I still frequently recommend it to readers who are interested in dark, epic fantasies that span decades and continents.

Your best known book is (arguably) Bloodrush. Now, I can’t help but notice that reviews of this novel – and the rest of the Scarlet Star Trilogy – often tend to include the word weird. How would you describe this series, and who would you recommend it to? (In other words, is weird an insult or a compliment?)

Definitely a compliment. I think it comes down to the trilogy straddling a few genres, and so calling it weird is probably easier. First of all, it is described as “weird west”. At the same time, it’s also an alternate history series, set in a twisted 1867. It’s also a little steampunk, and the eponymous magic system is quite…out there. So yes, it is weird, but weird is good in my book. *badoom tish*

I’d recommend it to any reader who wants a fantasy series that’s a little closer to the real world, or who enjoy a younger protagonist and a wide range of POVs. It’s also very fast-paced, with lots of intertwined mysteries, and also very magic-centric.

Small wonder it did so well in the inaugural Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off! (As readers may already know, Bloodrush reached second place, missing out on the top spot (which is determined by average score, and went to Michael McClung for The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids) by just 0.25). Ben, how did this affect you at the time? And in what ways has it impacted you since 2015?

For starters, I prefer “vice-winner”, and I shout the name of Michael McClung from the rooftops at least once a week, Kahn-style!

Of course, I jest, and in all seriousness, it was a fantastic opportunity and a pleasure to be ranked so highly. Bloodrush got a huge amount of visibility from it, and fantastic reviews from reviewers that might not have reviewed me without being in the competition. It also boosted the sales of the sequels, and other books too. It’s all about little steps when you’re marketing your own books, but the SPFBO felt like one big step to me, and in a great direction.

Speaking of steps, you’ll no doubt be aware that the SPFBO2 is in its final stages. Which authors (if any) have caught your eye? Are you rooting for anyone in particular?

Oh, that’s a toughie, as I’m honoured (and occasionally disturbed) to know a good number of the finalists. Currently, I’ve got my eye on Paternus, The Grey Bastards, and The Path of Flames.

You’re not the only one! If there happens to be a SPFBO3 . . . how likely is it that we’ll see Task in there, fighting to claim the top spot with The Heart of Stone?

He’s got his sights set on that top spot, as he’s keen to embarrass Merion from Bloodrush. Golems also don’t come second.

Regardless of contests or rankings, I have to say congratulations on living the dream as a full-time, self-published writer. Having managed to make a successful, self-sufficient career from self-publishing, I guess you could say you’re the model self-published author. I’m sure you’re tired of people asking this, but, why self-publishing?

Thank you! That means a hell of a lot.

Over the years, I’ve distilled it down into the answer of, “because I bloody love it”. I’ve always been an independent person and somewhat of an entrepreneur, and so self-publishing fits me perfectly. I get to control every part of the polishing process, and then decide how a book’s going to be published. Not only that, I have more flexibility and agility in the meantime. Is it better than the traditional route? No, not better, but not worse, just different. The point is that authors now have the choice, and I will forever be grateful for that.

In addition to being pretty prolific, you also help others find success through your business as a self-publishing consultant. How is it that you manage to put in all this extra work *and* produce quality, full-length novels on such a regular basis? What’s your secret to your success, dammit?

The ultra, top-secret secret is basically a 12-16 hour working day, during which I’m flitting between writing, marketing and admin, normally in that order. I always put writing first. If I don’t get my words down for the day, I won’t do any marketing or admin until I have. It also takes a bit of discipline, such as knowing where to spend your time, and making sure you structure your day accordingly. That’s why every morning I ask myself, “what’s the most important thing to me today?”, and then plan around that. That, and being surgically attached to an iPhone and iPad also helps, as I can work anywhere at any time. Before I left work to focus on books, that’s how I got my writing done – either writing on my phone or emailing myself snippets. I actually wrote most of The Written on my mobile when I worked behind bars.

I’m going to go ahead and assume that when you say ‘behind bars’ you’re not talking about the cylindrical iron kind. If you don’t mind me saying, you definitely come across as more of an accomplished geek than a hardened convict. Which reminds me: Marc Aplin recently published a (somewhat controversial) article about the importance of social media in which he declared that author branding on social media is just as important as (if not more so than) the actual quality of their writing. What are your thoughts?

That’s another tough one, as I believe the whole publishing game, both indie and trad, comes down to how you make the reader feel, page by page. Yes, quality covers, professional editing, marketing and a brand all have a part to play, but the writing is still the core part of success. It doesn’t have to be the most excellent writing (cough, 50 Something, cough) but it simply has to evoke emotion. I’m not saying I’m a fantastic writer whatsoever, but I spend a lot of time crafting my plots, worlds and characters to ensure they do this, then I bundle it all up inside a professional, branded package. Saying that, from a discovery point of view, you’re not going to know a book’s worth without being convinced to have a read. That’s where the brand and social reach come into play, and that’s why I agree with a lot of what Marc wrote.

Our Overlord is wise indeed, and I certainly agree that discovery is one of the toughest aspects of self-publishing. That said, would you consider taking a different publishing route in the future? Small-press? Traditional? Owl post?

I make it a rule to always consider anything that adds to the success of my books, or for me as an author. Although I’m a huge proponent of self-publishing, I hold the fantasy imprints and houses in high esteem, and it would be great to work with them at some point in the future. There are aspects of the self-pub route that traditional publishers are just better equipped for. However, it would have to be a good deal, or for a book (or books) that I’ve written with traditional or small press publishing in mind.

Back to your books, then. You’ve made it quite clear that The Heart of Stone is a standalone. However, you’ve also dropped cryptic hints on social media about your current WIP, Chasing Graves. Can you give us a clue as to what sort of story it is? (Also, is there *no* chance at all of seeing more Alabast and Lesky in the future?)

Chasing Graves started life in December as another standalone, as the single-story bug bit me pretty hard after finishing The Heart of Stone. A few months on, and as you might have seen from social, it’s now stretched into another trilogy of books. I can safely say it’s got nothing to do with Heart of Stone. Instead, it’s a new world with strong Egyptian influences, all about a society that revolves around the enslavement of the dead. It’s a concept that’s been rattling around my noggin for a few years now, and I had to get it out.

As for Task, I will be writing a few short stories based in the world, exploring some of his formative years, and I think I may do a few for Alabast and Lesky too, set after the climax of the novel. As for an ETA on those, it will most likely be after Chasing Graves is done and dusted in May/June.

Finally: if you were a golem, what material would you be made from, and why?

The flesh of my fallen enemies. Or perhaps gold. That would be gangster.

It . . . certainly would. Thanks, Ben!

Ben can be found being loquacious and attempting to be witty on Twitter @BenGalley, Facebook @BenGalleyAuthor, or on his website. The Heart of Stone is available now.

Print Friendly