This interview originally posted on my website. Scott is one of the founders of Breakwater Harbor Books, a prolific writer and a great friend.
https://aurorawatcherak.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/interview-with-scott-toney/
Today, I am meeting with Scott Toney, a prolific author and founder of Breakwater Harbor Books, an independent small-press authors’ cooperative.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Scott --
I am a father, husband, author and barbershop singer. I have a degree in Journalism and Public Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and I utilize the skills honed in achieving those degrees in my writing. Above all things I strive to dedicate myself to my family and faith. Without them, the writing on my pages would be without worth.
When did you write your first story? And what was it about?
Phew, I wrote my first story when I was in Middle School. My neighbor Julie and I would get together and make up stories to go along with the computer game Oregon Trail. I guess you could say it was ‘Fan Fiction’. We had a blast and buried somewhere I’m sure those early stories are still around.
I know you from Authonomy, where your book “The Ark of Humanity” made the Editor’s Desk. I’ve read the Autho versions of Ark and Eden Legacy. Both of those are fantasy, but you also write historical fiction, romance, and Christian lit. What is your favorite genre?
It’s so hard to pick one, as I’m sure is evident when you look at the genres I publish in, but I guess I have two answers. My favorite genre to write in is Fantasy/Sci-Fi because it allows for so much creativity. Literally anything can happen at any time. But when I go back and reread things my favorite genre is Christian. That is perhaps why so much Christianity and faith-based concept shows up in all of my books. NovaForge even has weavings of faith inside.
I think it’s really hard for us to keep our faith to ourselves in something as personal as writing. It’s just too integral to everything we do.
You were one of the writers on Authonomy that first attracted my attention. I think Ark of Humanity is a truly amazing book in part because you conceptualized a world where water was like air is to us. How did you develop that concept? What were some of the challenges you faced in writing that story?
When I wrote The Ark of Humanity I quickly realized that many of the rules that apply to the world above water changed. Even the way a character would speak. We use certain slang and phrasing that someone under the waves would never have in their vocabulary. I studied up on fish and underwater plant species and the way they interact with one another and made sure I knew about the makeup of things in the sea before I began. I also did a lot of research regarding Noah and The Great Flood to make sure I was as historically accurate as I could be in sections there as well. I probably had the most fun writing The Ark of Humanity and one day I hope to write a sequel, though it is intended as a stand-alone book.
You are self-published through your own author group Breakwater Harbor Books. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?
Oh, being part of BHB is a blast. We are an Independent Author Imprint and support each other in our books and on our websites. We are currently finishing up our second short work anthology (a Christian one). We bounce ideas off one another often and I have been honored to have the edit assistance of fellow members as well. If you are an independent author then this is the way to boost knowledge of your writing and to be part of a community that is dedicated to each others’ success. One of our authors, Mike Lee, was #1 in overall Kindle book sales on Amazon for a weekend and one of Claire C Riley’s books, Odium II, was recently #1 in the British Horror Fiction Genre.
All of your writing touches on matters of faith. How does your faith influence what you write?
I don’t always set out to insert faith in my books, but faith finds me. That’s because when I think of how I solve problems in my life, my answer is always faith, is always God. That’s why in my books when a character needs the ultimate assist, what better assist than God or faith, and what better way to steer them than the moral course or the course that will get them where they need to be than faith?
Your latest book is Nova Forge, which was released in May 2014. Tell us a bit about it.
Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.
At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.
Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.
Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.
Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.
They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.
The genre for NovaForge is Sci-Fi/Fantasy and it is a fast paced work. What I’d say to my readers is that although this is Sci-Fi/Fantasy it also incorporates elements of romance and faith. When you read one of my books you will always be enthralled and surprised.
Where did you get the inspiration for the story?
I’ve always wanted my own Sci-Fi/Fantasy trilogy and now just seemed the right time. My love of Star Wars and Marvel Comics highly inspired me here, as well as the workings of the humanity we are a part of and what humanity becomes when enhanced or wounded.
What are you working on next?
Breakwater Harbor Books’ Christian Anthology is my next release, and I’m in the first quarter of writing NovaForge’s sequel, NovaSiege, which I’m thoroughly enjoying. Many other books are running around in my mind, but those will have to wait at least a year.
How do readers find your books?
The Ark of Humanity – God flooded the earth to annihilate humanity’s sins. What if that sinful race didn’t die when floodwaters covered them but instead adapted to breathe water?
http://www.amazon.com/Ark-Humanity-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B008O7O8UE/ref=sr_1_5_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796407&sr=1-5
NovaForge – Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.
At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.
Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.
Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.
Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.
They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.
http://www.amazon.com/NovaForge-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B00K11R0FQ/ref=sr_1_3_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405793930&sr=1-3&keywords=scott+toney
Eden Legacy – Thomas, the young King of Havilah, is drawn to a forest beyond his lands. Here he discovers seven figs, fruit from the long forgotten Eden.
In the land of Cush, Princess Lilya suffers under the rule of her father, until the day when young King Thomas of Havilah invites her away to his lands. There, she hopes to find peace she has never known.
But Thomas has been drawn to a foreign land, to figs he hopes are from Eden and the Tree of Life. When he eats them to heal his wounds things change within him, distorting him in ways he could not predict.
Now Lilya must make a decision. Does she stand by Thomas’s side or act to dispel the evil consuming his soul?
Amidst this world Lilya has befriended a dragon. There are secrets within the beast that could determine all their fates.
http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Legacy-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B009H8WZR2/ref=sr_1_7_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796435&sr=1-7
Lazarus, Man – This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, told through tale and tribulation.
http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Man-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B008FVMQWG/ref=sr_1_3_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796569&sr=1-3
Hearts of Avon – In Avon, a beach town along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Ben is falling fast for the beautiful and intelligent Caroline, even as they both deal with her stalker ex-boyfriend who has followed her south on vacation.
As Ben learns the depths of the other man’s madness his and Caroline’s relationship runs into another wall, level 3 Hurricane Irene moving quickly toward the Outer Banks. When the storm arrives, all of their lives will be drastically changed.
How will they learn to cope with the consequences? When they are tested with a disaster on the brink of their comprehension, how will they pick up the pieces of their lives?
http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Avon-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B00B90KGOK/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796595&sr=1-1
Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/Scott-J-Toney/e/B0098JRXWC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Breakwater Harbor Books’ Website – http://www.breakwaterharborbooks.com/
Lela Markham
https://aurorawatcherak.wordpress.com/2014/08/06/interview-with-scott-toney/
Today, I am meeting with Scott Toney, a prolific author and founder of Breakwater Harbor Books, an independent small-press authors’ cooperative.
Tell us a little bit about yourself, Scott --
I am a father, husband, author and barbershop singer. I have a degree in Journalism and Public Relations from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and I utilize the skills honed in achieving those degrees in my writing. Above all things I strive to dedicate myself to my family and faith. Without them, the writing on my pages would be without worth.
When did you write your first story? And what was it about?
Phew, I wrote my first story when I was in Middle School. My neighbor Julie and I would get together and make up stories to go along with the computer game Oregon Trail. I guess you could say it was ‘Fan Fiction’. We had a blast and buried somewhere I’m sure those early stories are still around.
I know you from Authonomy, where your book “The Ark of Humanity” made the Editor’s Desk. I’ve read the Autho versions of Ark and Eden Legacy. Both of those are fantasy, but you also write historical fiction, romance, and Christian lit. What is your favorite genre?
It’s so hard to pick one, as I’m sure is evident when you look at the genres I publish in, but I guess I have two answers. My favorite genre to write in is Fantasy/Sci-Fi because it allows for so much creativity. Literally anything can happen at any time. But when I go back and reread things my favorite genre is Christian. That is perhaps why so much Christianity and faith-based concept shows up in all of my books. NovaForge even has weavings of faith inside.
I think it’s really hard for us to keep our faith to ourselves in something as personal as writing. It’s just too integral to everything we do.
You were one of the writers on Authonomy that first attracted my attention. I think Ark of Humanity is a truly amazing book in part because you conceptualized a world where water was like air is to us. How did you develop that concept? What were some of the challenges you faced in writing that story?
When I wrote The Ark of Humanity I quickly realized that many of the rules that apply to the world above water changed. Even the way a character would speak. We use certain slang and phrasing that someone under the waves would never have in their vocabulary. I studied up on fish and underwater plant species and the way they interact with one another and made sure I knew about the makeup of things in the sea before I began. I also did a lot of research regarding Noah and The Great Flood to make sure I was as historically accurate as I could be in sections there as well. I probably had the most fun writing The Ark of Humanity and one day I hope to write a sequel, though it is intended as a stand-alone book.
You are self-published through your own author group Breakwater Harbor Books. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience?
Oh, being part of BHB is a blast. We are an Independent Author Imprint and support each other in our books and on our websites. We are currently finishing up our second short work anthology (a Christian one). We bounce ideas off one another often and I have been honored to have the edit assistance of fellow members as well. If you are an independent author then this is the way to boost knowledge of your writing and to be part of a community that is dedicated to each others’ success. One of our authors, Mike Lee, was #1 in overall Kindle book sales on Amazon for a weekend and one of Claire C Riley’s books, Odium II, was recently #1 in the British Horror Fiction Genre.
All of your writing touches on matters of faith. How does your faith influence what you write?
I don’t always set out to insert faith in my books, but faith finds me. That’s because when I think of how I solve problems in my life, my answer is always faith, is always God. That’s why in my books when a character needs the ultimate assist, what better assist than God or faith, and what better way to steer them than the moral course or the course that will get them where they need to be than faith?
Your latest book is Nova Forge, which was released in May 2014. Tell us a bit about it.
Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.
At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.
Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.
Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.
Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.
They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.
The genre for NovaForge is Sci-Fi/Fantasy and it is a fast paced work. What I’d say to my readers is that although this is Sci-Fi/Fantasy it also incorporates elements of romance and faith. When you read one of my books you will always be enthralled and surprised.
Where did you get the inspiration for the story?
I’ve always wanted my own Sci-Fi/Fantasy trilogy and now just seemed the right time. My love of Star Wars and Marvel Comics highly inspired me here, as well as the workings of the humanity we are a part of and what humanity becomes when enhanced or wounded.
What are you working on next?
Breakwater Harbor Books’ Christian Anthology is my next release, and I’m in the first quarter of writing NovaForge’s sequel, NovaSiege, which I’m thoroughly enjoying. Many other books are running around in my mind, but those will have to wait at least a year.
How do readers find your books?
The Ark of Humanity – God flooded the earth to annihilate humanity’s sins. What if that sinful race didn’t die when floodwaters covered them but instead adapted to breathe water?
http://www.amazon.com/Ark-Humanity-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B008O7O8UE/ref=sr_1_5_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796407&sr=1-5
NovaForge – Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.
At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.
Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.
Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.
Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.
They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.
http://www.amazon.com/NovaForge-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B00K11R0FQ/ref=sr_1_3_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405793930&sr=1-3&keywords=scott+toney
Eden Legacy – Thomas, the young King of Havilah, is drawn to a forest beyond his lands. Here he discovers seven figs, fruit from the long forgotten Eden.
In the land of Cush, Princess Lilya suffers under the rule of her father, until the day when young King Thomas of Havilah invites her away to his lands. There, she hopes to find peace she has never known.
But Thomas has been drawn to a foreign land, to figs he hopes are from Eden and the Tree of Life. When he eats them to heal his wounds things change within him, distorting him in ways he could not predict.
Now Lilya must make a decision. Does she stand by Thomas’s side or act to dispel the evil consuming his soul?
Amidst this world Lilya has befriended a dragon. There are secrets within the beast that could determine all their fates.
http://www.amazon.com/Eden-Legacy-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B009H8WZR2/ref=sr_1_7_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796435&sr=1-7
Lazarus, Man – This is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, told through tale and tribulation.
http://www.amazon.com/Lazarus-Man-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B008FVMQWG/ref=sr_1_3_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796569&sr=1-3
Hearts of Avon – In Avon, a beach town along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Ben is falling fast for the beautiful and intelligent Caroline, even as they both deal with her stalker ex-boyfriend who has followed her south on vacation.
As Ben learns the depths of the other man’s madness his and Caroline’s relationship runs into another wall, level 3 Hurricane Irene moving quickly toward the Outer Banks. When the storm arrives, all of their lives will be drastically changed.
How will they learn to cope with the consequences? When they are tested with a disaster on the brink of their comprehension, how will they pick up the pieces of their lives?
http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-Avon-Scott-Toney-ebook/dp/B00B90KGOK/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405796595&sr=1-1
Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/Scott-J-Toney/e/B0098JRXWC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Breakwater Harbor Books’ Website – http://www.breakwaterharborbooks.com/
Lela Markham
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