Authors' Curtilage : Author Interview: Lawson Samuel Author of Shadow Fighter: The True Heir

Native to Ogun State in South West Nigeria, LAWSON SAMUEL is a creative writer, composer, designer, keyboardist for the band Celtic Vocal, and author of the first young adult fantasy book in Africa, SHADOW FIGHTER: THE TRUE HEIR.

D.O: Thanks for joining us today on Authors' Curtilage Book Dialogue, and welcome.

LS: Thank you. Being on this platform is a pleasure.

D.O: Which region of the world are you joining us from? The audience is curious.

LS: I'm from Nigeria. Offa, Kwara State to be precise.

D.O: When did you first realize you wanted to write?

LS: Well, that was when I was in Jss 2. I think I was about twelve years as at then. A writing competition in school prompted me to begin my journey. I stopped at a point in time but after experiencing a hit in life at sixteen which lasted for quite some time, I realized I could help others with my life story in different books of mine in bits.

D.O: That's good to know. Tell us, what types of crafts did you learn before entering the entertainment industry? Or did you have the desire to write stories from childhood?

LS: I have always had that burning passion to write from childhood. I used to write my stories in exercise books and show them to people around me and their positive comments would cause me to write more stories.

D.O: What steps did you take to turn your manuscript from a rough draft into a published book?

LS: A draft is something I will call a cluster of our thoughts being written down. It's not perfectly written until you have had someone read it and you make edits over and over again till it's perfect. Those were exactly the steps I took. I would write, then post it on my Facebook page/group and other writing platforms for my beta readers to read and spot the errors or what I didn't do right and would make edits where necessary and proofread them till I got it published.

D.O: Wow, it's great to know you're not mechanical when it comes to the writing process. What did you do differently in your book to elicit strong emotions in readers as fear, worry, grief, love, and laughter? Or does your book lack any of these components?

LS: I created personalities through my bleeding pen which slowly writes through pages to portray real-life themes such as greed, power lust, fear, dedication to the relationships they build, endurance and grit through the hardships they face throughout the saga, and the importance of being courageous.

D.O: What delicate subjects does your book touch on?

LS: Shadow fighter arises from long-held beliefs people have about themselves and the world around them, starting from their earliest experiences, setbacks, and ugly past circumstances which are reinforced as we grow and mature. Subjecting ourselves to limiting factors can hinder our relationships, growth, and success, because of fear, challenges, breakdown in the status of different kinds you can think of, a mighty fall and all. And because nobody encourages or gives guidance, acceptance of fate sets in which can cause unhappiness, resentment and most likely, death for those who can't handle life issues.

D.O: What's the subject matter of your book?

LS: Shadow Fighter: The True Heir is about you being the owner of your actions, being persistent, and courageous, overcoming the past and staying true to yourself.

A kingdom, four lands, and four tribes with different abilities united under the rule of a great king.

A magical world awaits the emergence of a nineteen-year-old boy, the true heir of the kingdom of light destined to rule and stop the reign of terror. What happens when he lives as a commoner with no knowledge of who he is, his past or those who exist in it?

Jaden Jefferson, a young man who escaped the claw of death in infancy while his parents were murdered was shielded from the truth about their death and his true identity by his guardian.

An event caused him to learn about his identity. He now has a new purpose in life... Fight off evil and rule the four lands as the pure and true ruler of the kingdom called Dragkan. The light must prevail over darkness. When the darkness appears, he comes into play. He is inevitable, he is..... Shadow fighter.

D.O: What is the core idea of your novel, which explores morality or the truth?

LS: The book Shadow Fighter: The True Heir is about having the desire to achieve success while overcoming obstacles, due to the fact that Jaden is on a quest for freedom for his people by acquiring an ancestral sword; the sword of light.

D.O: What town or city does your book's plot take place in, and how do these homes make us feel?

LS: Dragkan, a magical world I created in a medieval style. It creates a mental picture of a different world from ours shutting out our knowledge of this world we live in and reflecting on some characters' behaviour in our world similar to ours.

D.O: When narrating a story, having a distinctive point of view gives your story purpose. How many different characters' points of view does your book cover?

LS: About 2 - 3 points of view.

D.O: What do these points of view inject into each of your book's chapters?

LS: Well, I would say these points of view basically express characters' thoughts, experiences, motivations, and reactions carrying tension from their own perspective and their developments. It allows readers to see through different characters' eyes and know what they think and feel.

D.O: What is the one thing your book's main character wants most in life?

LS: To fight off evil from his world, stop the reign of terror and fulfil the prophecy long spoken of in his world.

D.O: How does he or she go about achieving this goal?

LS: Being raised as a commoner and trained as a fighter by one of the best fighters in his world, he systematically attacks the one person he's meant to defeat and proves himself worthy of being the true Heir of Dragkan as he finds the sword of light.

D.O: What are your main character's core beliefs?

LS: Being unworthy, being incompetent.

D.O: What are the two opposing values you established for your protagonist?

LS: Courage, loyalty.

D.O: Do these values make sense in light of his backstory?

LS: Yes.

D.O: What is the personal trait you give your main character to help him or her survive the events of your book?

LS: Impeccable perseverance

D.O: At the end of your book, did the plot's resolution meets your primary character's goal, or did he find a different way to accomplish it or fail to do so?

LS: Yes, the plot's resolution met my primary character's goal.

D.O: How do you think your book will influence the reader’s growth positively?

LS: Shadow Fighter: The True Heir is a need-to-read and will shift your world from bland to magically riveting. This book is specifically written for everyone who's still struggling to find their place in the world. I hope this book gives them a reason to never stop fighting until they scale through every hurdle in life and graciously overcome the brutal blows of life that had come as a surprise to them.

D.O: Any hint about your next book?

LS: My next book will be out next year. I will be releasing two books. One has to do with fantasy while the other has to do with action. Believe me, it will cut across some aspects such as bullying and self-acceptance.

D.O: Best wishes for that. In the ever-changing economics of the entertainment industry, what better effort do you recommend writers put into their writing to achieve high sales?

LS: First of all, I would like to say to writers out there, never give up on writing. Create your own universe and global events you have in mind and be rest assured that there's no force strong enough to stop you from breaking out and causing an effective change in the world through your idea turned into reality in written form. The world is waiting for that book of yours.

In response to the question, I would say look at product-to-market fit. Identify your target audience. What do they want? What issues are you trying to address? Build an online platform for readers, maintain clarity in words, make edits where necessary, engage in competitions if necessary and pre-launch your book before the release date to gain awareness.

D.O: Once again, we appreciate you participating in Authors Curtilage Book Dialogue. We wish you the best of luck with your book's publication and wish you nothing but success.

LS: Thank you. It's a pleasure having me around.