Interview with Tales of Tanglewood Author-Scott Michael Kessman

I love author interviews. To me, they’re like that second DVD you get with your favorite movie that gives you a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie. Today we’re getting a behind the scenes look at the book The Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle from the author Scott Michael Kessman.

Arwen Taylor: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing fiction novels.

Scott Michael Kessman: I was writing short stories since I was a child in grade school. I always possessed a very creative imagination, and I was also a voracious reader. I often checked out 20 books from the library at a time. As I grew older, my career path took me into the realm of graphic design, as art was also always a hobby. But I never stopped writing, and eventually amassed a small amount of short stories, which I happily shared with family and friends. The majority of these stories belonged to the horror genre, which made it particularly difficult to get them published.

However, one of these stories, entitled “The Woods”, was more akin to a dreamlike childhood fantasy. It was only four pages long and written over ten years ago, but it became the basis and the first chapter of my first published novel, “The Tales of Tanglewood: The Lon Dubh Whistle.”

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Arwen Taylor: Describe the Tales of Tanglewood. How does it differ from other fantasy novels?

Scott Michael Kessman: It’s very hard today not to find similarities from one fantasy novel to another, and then there are some die-hard fantasy fans who think everyone who writes high fantasy is ripping off Tolkien, and everyone who writes young adult fantasy is ripping off Rowling. I might get yelled at for this, but I’ve actually read neither of those authors. I’ve seen the movies, but never read the books.

Regardless of that, there is no doubt that some readers will compare certain elements of The Tales of Tanglewood to other books currently on the market. But the ultimate reason my novel differs from other fantasy novels is that when writing the Tales of Tanglewood, I had no set course in mind. I made it up as it went along, and let the story tell itself. I remained true to the characters and to the heart of the story, focusing more on substance and the feelings the story can evoke, than on marketability.

The Tales of Tanglewood does not subscribe to any particular clichés typically found in both young adult fantasy or the high fantasy genres. That may ultimately hurt from a marketing standpoint, but if you can appreciate a good story, then I’m sure you will appreciate The Tales of Tanglewood. Quite simply, it isn’t just for young adults, it is also for adults who are young at heart.

Arwen Taylor: What was your inspiration for Colin?

Scott Michael Kessman: When I first wrote “The Woods”, the character’s name was Steven, and the influences of Irish folklore were not immediately discernible. Over ten years later, I found myself sitting on a bridge in a small woodland park near my home. I’d become more of a fan of Irish folklore and Celtic mythology, and it was a particularly sunny, peaceful day. If you were a child, it would be the kind of day in which you would imagine the woods held more than just squirrels, birds and rabbits.

I was reminded of my own childhood, and I thought to myself, this is an experience worth remembering. When we are young, the world is a magical place, and one needs only to step outside to find evidence of elves, sprites, brownies or fairies. As we grow older, we accumulate problems, stress and responsibilities and we tend to stop believing in magic. But it still exists, if only we know where to look. Through Colin, we can experience that magic again, remembering and feeling our childhood once more.

Arwen Taylor: Tanglewood is described as the woods within the woods essentially a hidden world. Do you think there really are magical worlds hiding in plain sight so to speak?

Scott Michael Kessman: In Ireland, it is said that a ring of trees is a Faerie Fort; a place where the fae reside. (Also referred to as the fey, as in my book – essentially any type of folkloric fairy creature). While vacationing in Ireland with my wife, we came upon what appeared to be a faerie fort while wandering about the country. Entrance into the faerie fort was barred by very thick and very high undergrowth, but as I was passing by, I spied a small break in the undergrowth, and peered through it.

They say Ireland is very green, which of course it is. But when I peered into this faerie fort, I beheld a vibrancy that was magical indeed. A vast carpet of clover and moss covered the floor within the fort, and vines curled their thin tendrils high into the trees. Pushing the remainder of my body through the opening in the undergrowth, there was no doubting a heavy presence of something uncanny (magical, you might say) within the confines of the faerie fort. There was a change in the air, and the silence was at once peaceful yet strange.

It’s hard sometimes to believe that magic such as that may exist when surrounded by steel and glass and concrete and noise. But if you ever have a chance to stand within a faerie fort as I did and feel what I felt, you will think differently.

Arwen Taylor: I noticed that you have done some public readings of The Tales of Tanglewood. Tell us a little bit about your experience with that.

Scott Michael Kessman: My first reading was surprisingly populated, but I found myself somewhat flustered. I jumped from one subject to another, despite the carefully detailed notes I had written. Thankfully, that embarrassing performance was only a one-time occurrence. I’ve done much better since then, reading and speaking with confidence, and the audience has been very receptive.

A lot of the areas detailed in The Tales of Tanglewood are based on areas in some local parks. When I tell the audience this and describe the areas, I find them nodding and smiling. Many of them visited these parks in the past (some still do), and I think it lends another level of enchantment to the story.

Arwen Taylor: Do you and your wife collaborate on books or does she strictly serve as a source of inspiration to you?

Scott Michael Kessman: She is definitely a source of inspiration, as she is originally from Dublin, Ireland. While she may not contribute to any of the actual writing, she does contribute a fair amount of ideas that for the most part are incorporated into the books. The first book probably would not be as successful as it is without her contributions. Likewise, I have already rewritten a much stronger prologue and first chapter for the second book based upon her review and suggestions. She’s has a very creative imagination, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one day there’s a story or two out there with her name on it.

Arwen Taylor: Any advice you would like to pass on to your fellow writers?

Scott Michael Kessman: Always carry something to write on and a pen. You never know when a great idea or just a particularly good piece of writing will pop into your mind, begging to be written. Just as my 4-page story became The Tales of Tanglewood, even a few sentences can one day evolve into a much larger story.

I agree Scott. Inspiration surrounds us and all we have to do is open our eyes to see it. Thank you Scott for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I’ve put Tales of Tanglewood on my to read list and hopefully will have a chance to do a review on it in the near future.

To learn more about Scott, or the book, head on over to his website: Tales of Tanglewood. There you can find information about the characters, the woods and the story. As a treat, Scott also offers the first three chapters of Tanglewood for free. You can buy Tales of Tanglewood from Borders, Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.