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THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF!
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THE BANISHED LANDS by Benjamin Mester, Fantasy, 384 pp., $9.99 (Paperback) $2.99 (Kindle)
Author: Benjamin Mester
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy
they understand it in time? The old world is gone, and barely even
histories remain. But something from that time is returning. The closing
lines of a farewell poem, written centuries ago by the last great king
of the age to his slain wife, might be more than just a poem:The world and all its light shall fade,
I’ll stay with her beneath the shade
And wait until the world’s remade…
Join us in this epic fantasy adventure as three friends plunge into
the great mystery of their age, twelve centuries in the making. A
mysterious fog blankets the forest just outside the sleepy town of
Suriya. A dark plot unfolds as Durian and his friends discover ties
between a strange wanderer and the warlike barbarian kingdom far to the
north. Are the mysterious things happening in the forest a prelude to
invasion? What happens next will propel Durian and his curious friends
into the middle of the oldest riddle in the history of their kingdom, a
dozen centuries old.
hours as they pass
the windswept grass.
of men have come to naught.
fair for eyes or thought.
lies on golden plain,
Cavanah, the fairest slain;
her last and final day
was brought to disarray.
things now nevermore –
wind, now salty shore.
peaceful world bound to unrest
darkness looming in the west.
and all its light shall fade.
with her beneath the shade
until the world’s remade…
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR
What initially got you interested in writing?
Reading Walden by Henry David Thoreau. He challenged me to think about what I really wanted out of life and inspired me to march to the beat of a different drummer, as he would say. I felt this burning inside to live to the full, which, try as I may, I couldn’t adequately describe on paper. It fueled me to learn how to really express myself and those elusive feelings beating in my chest.
What genres do you write in?
Fantasy, poetry, short story.
What drew you to writing these specific genres?
Poetry is a fantastic genre that’s too often neglected. When I take a walk in the misty morning woods, book of poetry in hand, I’m filled with an inexpressible loning to live my best life. I remember how short this life is and how fleeting are the things that make life really worth living. That’s why I love fantasy, because I get to craft a world where anything’s possible. I get to build a world full of mystery and adventure that hopefully inspires the reader to want more from his or her own life.
How did you break into the field?
I just started writing. I had a burning in my heart that I couldn’t really describe but needed to. I wrote poems, short stories, journal entries and kept honing my craft until I finally started producing work I could truly be proud of.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?
I want readers to fall in love with my world and characters. I want inspire readers to fight for their best lives and to also discover a love for poetry. I intersperse poetry throughout my work and I hope that it is a great introduction to the genre for people who have never read it.
What do you find most rewarding about writing?
Learning how to express how you truly feel. We all have deep seated passions and longings that strike us in rare moments. When they do, it’s so difficult to express them in a way that will make sense and inspire others.
What do you find most challenging about writing?
Being diligent and writing when the magic of your idea has faded. At a certain point, writing just becomes work.
What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?
Explore everything. Write a poem. Write a short story. Journal. Use writing prompts and find out what styles you really connect with.
What type of books do you enjoy reading?
A little bit of everything. If it’s well written, I enjoy it.
Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?
I’m a certified gemologist by trade, so I get to work with treasure all day long!
What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?
Goodreads and my Youtube video walk throughs of my favorite classic poems:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13934655.Benjamin_Mester
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2gT846ZCbR3XnW625w6qyA
wandering the woods of northern Minnesota. He fell in love with
language at an early age – the eloquence of poetry or the grandeur of an
epic story. Fantasy is his favorite genre, crafting new and magical
places of heroism and adventure. When he isn’t writing, he’s often
taking long walks through nature or wondering about his place in the
wide world.Benjamin is the author of The Banished Lands series.
You can visit him on Goodreads.