An Interview with D.M. Wozniak: Author of Temberlain’s Ashes

Born and raised in the west suburbs of Chicago, D.M. Wozniak discovered his passion for software at St. Lawrence High School, where he joined the computer lab as a ploy to get out of gym class. By the time he graduated in 1993, D.M. knew that he wanted to code for a living. But his senior year honors English teacher took him aside on graduation day and said, “Never stop writing. It’s your true calling.”

Four years later, D.M. graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Computer Science from the College of Engineering. After that, he started a family and a career in software. He didn’t have the time then to consider that true calling. But he never forgot.

D.M. Wozniak is the author of two two-volume speculative fiction epics: The Perihelion: Complete Duology (The Perihelion, An Obliquity) and the Age of Axion (The Indivisible and the Void, Temberlain’s Ashes). His first novel was The Gardener of Nahi. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Tell us about your book.

Temberlain’s Ashes is book 2 of 2 in the Age of Axion series. Instead of going into a general description of the book (which you can read in any review), I’ll provide some insight into the thought process behind the series.

Coming out of the Perihelion duology (which was very much near-future gritty sci-fi), I wanted to write a more fantasy-based work, but still with a sprinkling of sci-fi. The key to this was creating a magic system (voidance) which was based on science/atomic theory instead of mysticism. The further you progress in the series, the more it slides from fantasy into sci-fi.

The other main theme that I wanted to explore was the notion that power corrupts. I wanted this magic system (voidance) to be similar to the Force in “Star Wars,” except that the system itself is broken – without revealing spoilers, there is a dark side to the entire framework, not just the application of it. Imagine if Jedi in “Star Wars” discovered that the Force itself was rooted in evil? Would they give up that power? Even if they were using it to perform good acts?

Why did you want to write a book?

Two things sort of came together when I started this series. First off, I was sick of so many protagonists in fantasy being of the “coming of age” trope and wanted instead a fresh perspective of a middle-aged man who finds out that his entire life has been a lie. He’s a “good man” at heart but the foundation he’s built his career and power upon turns out to be evil.

The second thing which was happening in the real world was the Me Too movement. Suddenly there were many people in the news (mostly men) who were proved abusing their places of power, and I couldn’t help correlating it to my theme of voidance.

The picture of Dem (the protagonist) came together in my mind: A middle-aged man in a position of power due to him being a master of voidance. He had abused this position of power by taking a very young wife – a former student. This advantage-taking would mirror the unknowing evil truths of voidance. Dem’s wife leaving him at the start of the series mirrors how he finds out these truths. The external conflict is large-scale (intergalactic colonization) but it’s mirrored by Dem’s internal conflict. His journey is ultimately down a road of self-discovery, where he must let go of his power and the objective way he sees the world in order to find peace with himself.

Why did you choose to self-publish?

I have self-published for years, mainly because I want to be in control of all aspects of the process…editing, cover art, advertising, etc. Over the course of many years I have made great connections with all different types of people across the world. It’s quite amazing how global this industry has become. I am based in the U.S., but my editor is from Canada, my artist from the U.K., and my narrator (for audible) is based in Australia.

What tools or companies did you use, and what experience did you have?

I use Scrivener to write.

Would you self-publish again?

I intend to self-publish my entire life.

What do you think are the main pitfalls for indie writers?

Quality control and unwillingness to spend money. I’ve learned that readers, for the large part, do not care if you’re self-published or not. All they want is a quality read. That means (as an author) paying for quality editing, and cover art is paramount. This costs money. A lot of it. Most likely you’ll lose money when you start. But the objective is to BE objective. When you look at your book, pick it up, read it on a kindle, etc… it should look as if it came right from one of the big publishing houses. It needs to be flawless.

What tips can you give other authors looking to self-publish?

If you want your book to be carried in brick-and-mortar stores like B&N, make sure you buy your own ISBN and publish it through a print-on-demand publisher that supports returnables (I use Ingram Spark). DO NOT USE AMAZON FOR PHYSICAL PRINT. No bookstore will carry it.

What are your plans now your book is published?

I am working on another book set in the Perihelion / 99er Universe. I plan on making it a standalone novel.