Hosting interviews is a great way to meet and get to know our fellow indie and self-published authors, so today we’re excited to share an interview with an author and fan of urban fantasy. If that’s your jam, then please join us in welcoming Daniel Meyer, SPFBO semi-finalist and author of Credible Threats:
Please tell us a little about yourself and your books:
My name is Daniel Meyer, and I’m the author of the Sam Adams series, currently consisting of books one and two, Credible Threats and Rising Shadows. They’re fast-paced, action-packed urban fantasy, featuring, in no particular order, magical drugs, gun-toting zombies, wizard battles, a goofy homage to the “In The Air Tonight” scene from Miami Vice, a vampire assassin, an heiress with secrets, a well-aimed crossbow, monsters, sarcasm, an exorcism in the middle of a car chase, and a talking cat.
I live in Missouri, USA, where I’m currently being broiled alive by the summer heat and longing for fall weather. I’m a descendant of Edward Longshanks, which is a bit awkward for someone whose bio describes them as an “occasional kilt wearer,” and my home proudly displays the “dogs playing poker” painting. And of course, I’m always on the prowl for new books to read. I’m also an occasional comic book reviewer for Before We Go Blog.
The main character of Credible Threats has been described as a teenage Harry Dresden. Tell us more about him:
Oh wow, those feel like big shoes. Sam Adams is a sixteen-year-old wizard. When we first meet him in Credible Threats, he has a certain amount of magical skill, but has never had to put it to the test, and never wanted to. He’s trying and failing to get on with his life after the death of Abby, his unrequited first love, several months prior. On the surface, his hometown of Williamsport is an idyllic coastal city, but in reality, it’s polarized between rich and poor, and the more you scratch that surface, the more its dark secrets come to light.
He’s the kind of hero I like, the kind who’s constantly beaten-up and in over his head, one who’s a loose cannon and has a funny and distinctive narrative voice. He likes to see how much nonsense he can get away with, which is always fun to write. Basically, Sam Adams is the sort of protagonist I’ve always wanted to write and read.
What do you enjoy about the urban fantasy genre?
It’s just so high concept. There’s a sheer cool factor in the idea of werewolves, vampires, and demons interacting with the real world, as opposed to existing in a made-up setting. The idea that magic and fantastical creatures could walk among us is one that provides endless fodder for storytelling.
In your author bio, you mention being a supporter of raccoons. Have raccoons featured in your books, or have you considered including them?
Haha, no, so far my books have been shamefully raccoon-free. I’ll have to include some raccoon content in a future book.
Why did you decide to self-publish and what has been your biggest success so far?
I remember three things in particular. One, I read a long post by Michael J. Sullivan in r/fantasy, describing how you keep much more of your royalties as an indie author. Two, a random comment by Bernard Cornwell, in which he said his publisher had final say over his titles. I didn’t like the sound of that, although I don’t know why, since I hate coming up with titles and always struggle to do it. And three, the situation of L.J. Smith, author of The Vampire Diaries, who was fired from her own series by her publishers, and replaced with someone else who wrote an entirely different ending than what she had planned.
I slowly but surely came around to the fact that I would self-publish; it helps that it’s no longer seen as a fringe thing, but a perfectly valid path, thanks to things like SPFBO and the success of authors like Ryan Cahill and Will Wight.
In hindsight, maybe I should have done much a deeper dive into the publishing world instead of basing my decision on some random anecdotes, but as Indiana Jones so aptly put it, I’m making this up as I go.
What is your favourite thing about being an indie author?
I suppose it’s the fact that I have more control over the process. So many books die on the vine when authors are querying and whatnot, and I’m glad I made sure that wouldn’t happen to Sam Adams. I always had a vague fear of people trying to change my manuscript to make it more marketable, especially since its YA(ish). I was always convinced a hypothetical publisher would tell me you can’t say things like “his head exploded” in a young adult book.
(Although I regret the fact that going indie means I can’t shout at people to “Call my agent!”)
Credible Threats reached the semi-finals in SPFBO 9. What was your SPFBO experience like? Would you enter SPFBO again?
It was a tremendous amount of fun, albeit nerve-wracking. There were so many congratulations and well-wishes on that first day. It feels like WrestleMania for indie writers. I was feverishly checking my group every day to see if I’d advanced. I tried to tell myself I’d written a good book, but I kept seesawing between pessimism and optimism. I have to admit, it didn’t propel my sales into the stratosphere like I’d hoped, but it was definitely a wonderful experience: I lined up several interviews and reviews as a result, and met so many great people, which was the best part. As the wise old saying goes, the real SPFBO was the friends we made along the way. And yes, I can’t wait to enter it again. I’ll definitely be doing that in the next couple years or so, (once I manage to write something new).
Can you recommend a few of your favourite SFF books from indie/self-published authors?
Well, I always look forward to checking out Alec Hutson’s books, because he has a way of coming up with all sorts of cool concepts. Special mention should also go to Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song, which got me out of a post-ASOIAF reading slump, and into the fantasy genre in general. There’s also Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akhtar, which is technically cheating as I haven’t ordered the book yet, but I started reading the Amazon sample and was totally locked in.
What are you working on next? Can you tease us?
Of course, I’m always happy to talk about my WIPs. I’m currently writing Sam Adams book three, Mysterious Ways, and it’s tantalizingly close to being done, which is a relief, since I had a terrible bout of burnout and writer’s block with this one. It’ll be out later this year.
Mysterious Ways will see Elise, the aforementioned vampire assassin from Credible Threats, come crashing back into Sam’s life. She’s made off with a WMD, and is being pursued by magic-hating terrorists who want it back, and by vampires who are supposedly her allies. Poor old Sam has to find a way to play them off each other while not getting killed in the process. Along the way, we’ll resolve a mystery from book one, learn Elise’s dark and bloody backstory, see a huge action sequence I’d been looking forward to writing for years and an awkward family dinner that I made up on the spur of the moment.
It’ll be full of mayhem; I think it’s the most action-packed book I’ve done thus far. No spoilers, but suffice to say at one point, a henchman gets clubbed to death with a car battery. It’s also a bit more standalone than the last two. It’s a bit further removed from the story I was telling with those books; it doesn’t have Sam getting caught up in events around him, but rather, getting recruited for a mission because of his status as a wizard. You could say it’s more of a “professional” story, as opposed to “personal” one, if that makes sense. It’s also my salute to the spy genre, and readers will spot a few hallmarks of those kinds of stories in it.
And a few quick questions. What’s your favourite…
…book, in recent times?
I’m going to say Sharpe’s Escape by Bernard Cornwell. I’m a big fan of the Sharpe books, and that was another strong entry in the series.
…game, in recent times?
I haven’t played a video game in almost two decades, but I’m fascinated by the world of Elden Ring.
…writing advice?
The best thing you can do is to carve out time to write consistently. It won’t succeed immediately, but keep after it, and once you get in the groove, you’ll find it makes a big difference. Take some of the time you would have spent on the Internet anyway and use it to write. Also, I’d pass along some writing advice from Jim Butcher, who said if you’re struggling with the “great swampy middle” of your book, i.e., if you know how you want it to end but don’t know how to get there (which is always my problem), to write what’s essentially a climax in the middle of your book. Build up the plot threads in the first half, pay them off in the middle, and let that set up new threads that take you to the end. That helped me enormously; I’ve used that technique in every Sam Adams book thus far, and will probably use it in all the future ones.
…advice for someone who wants to publish their own book?
Invest in a proper editor. Don’t just put out the first thing you type up, but polish it until you run out of ideas, and then send it to your editor, and be open to their advice. Research them and make sure it’s someone who’s experienced and has a good reputation. Do the same thing for your cover artist. And never pay anybody for reviews.
…source of inspiration?
This is a tough one, as inspiration can come form all sorts of random places, but if I’m going to pick one, I would say history. There’s a bottomless wealth of material for writers to draw from. You can make a few tweaks, throw in some magic and dragons, and see where your imagination takes you.
…way to clear your mind when everything gets a bit much?
Haaaa, I’m not sure my mind is ever clear. Given that I’m suffering a nasty bout of burnout once again, maybe this question is a sign. I need to try and remember to be kinder to myself, and be willing to knock off early and go work out or read a book when I’m feeling burnt-out, but I rarely think to do that.
Do you have any last words?
Thank you so much for this interview, I love to ramble about my books. And thank you to everyone that’s checked out the Sam Adams books thus far, I really appreciate your support. I can’t wait to unleash Mysterious Ways on the public, and to move on to something new.
About the Author
Daniel Meyer tried his hand at a few careers, but fearing they were too realistic and achievable, he became a fantasy writer instead. Now he spends his days writing stories about magic and explosions. He is a lover of Eighties rock, an occasional kilt-wearer, and a supporter of raccoons. He lives in Missouri, where, as ever, he’s working on his next novel.
- Website: DanielMeyerAuthor.com
- Bluesky: @dmeyerauthor.bsky.social
