Sahara Foley Books and Book Reviews: Meet CJ Rutherford and his new release: WORLDS OF THE NEVER

Meet CJ Rutherford and his new release: WORLDS OF THE NEVER

Tell us about your newest release.

Worlds of the Never is book two in Tales of the Neverwar, my YA trilogy. I had a great time writing it, because I was able to figure out a way to bring dragons back into this universe. I made them extinct in Origins of the Never, the prequel to the series. I really didn’t have a clue how to bring them back, as book one, Souls of the Never, has virtually no mention of dragons. Thankfully I had a voice in my head who helped out.

Origins of the Never: A prequel to The Tales of the Neverwar series, a story of Dragons, Elves and Faeries.

Souls of the Never (Tales of the Neverwar Series Book 1)

What is the story about?

It continues straight after the ending of Souls. It’s bittersweet, because even though Katheryne and Derren have found each other after his decades long search, they realize what they are up against. The people they thought were their friends have been turned into the enemy, and a powerful enemy they are. Thankfully they have several aces in the hole.

Who is the main character?

I suppose it has to be Katheryne, a 20 year old girl from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Thing is, there are several strong personalities, including Kat’s best friend, Perri. Then there’s Derren, the warrior from another world who just happens to be her soulmate, and his twin sister, Krista.

What inspired this tale?

I grew up on my grandad’s farm in Donegal, Ireland. As the eldest, I spent every summer there, helping him to run it. I made things up, including a fictional world under a bridge I rode over each day to get water. You see, we didn’t have running water, so Willy Lyons(my granddad), and I rode the bikes up the hill each morning, with a bucket on each handlebar to get filled from the spring. Eventually, Willy got too old to get up the hill, so I did it myself. I pedaled fast over the bridge, even though I knew there was nothing there. I had an amazing tree house, with animals that lived there. I had a blackbird called Claude, a squirrel called Alfie and a few mice that came and went. At ground level, we had a couple of Clydesdale horses called Titan and Goliath. Then there were the chickens and ducks. I won’t go into their names, but they were all family. It was a magical time in my life.

How did the story come to you?

I grew up. I had children, and each night I told them a different bedtime story. One night my youngest told me she was getting too old for bedtime stories. I was devastated. So I started to write my childhood ideas down, thinking that they’d make a great kids book. Unfortunately the characters had other ideas, and it grew too dark for kids so I changed direction. I wrote Souls of the Never, then the prequel inside two months. Yeah, they needed work, but they were there, and I wanted to write more.

Did you have to research for this novel and if so, why?

I had to research some of the science in Souls, as it’s a blend of science fiction and fantasy.

If you did research, what do you think surprised you most to learn and why?

I found that the ideas I had were actually out there already. Wormholes, time travel were all theoretical, but in my books they are fact.

Do you relate to your character?

Definitely. I’m a born romantic. I believe in a soul mate being out there.

Is your protagonist anything like you personally?

Bit of an odd question this, granted that I modeled Katheryne on my daughter, and Perri on her best friend. Their fights in the book are based on real life.

What made you write this character; what made them important to you or made you want to tell their story?

I believe that love can ultimately conquer all. Not being corny here, but if enough people care and unite, they will prevail.

Is there anything specific you want readers to know about this piece of work?

Yes. No dragons were harmed during the writing of it.

Wait a minute. why is the floor shaking? Are we having an earthquake? Now I smell smoke. Is something on fire? Oh No!. What is that behind you? Why . . .it looks like a dragon. And it's carrying a cup of . . coffee? What's going on? Why are you here? What do you want?

Colin Rutherford

Silly human. The last time any of your kind tried to whip me they ended up as a side dish. You misspelled whip by the way.

Who are you? What is your name?

My name is Claude

Are you a fictional or historical character?

Oh, now there’s a question. Quite probably both, though I’m only as fictional as you squishies choose to believe.

What should we know about you?

I’m a Welsh green, one of a long line of distinguished dragons. Although I’m imaginary, I’m a fixture in your history. I am old, but recently I have felt the need to reconnect with the dominant race here. Dominant...HA!! One sight of me in my true majesty would have you running for the hills. Thankfully I exist only in the head of a mild mannered person.

Tell us about your story: When and where is your tale set?

I have wandered for centuries, settling in the minds of various humans. George was humourous, but he only wanted to make himself look good, so I left shortly after he told the world he’d killed me. Recently, JRR Tolkien was a willing host, until Peter Jackson twisted everyone’s perception of dragons. And as for GRR Martin, well, let’s just say that his heartburn is quite magnificent.

What is your personal goal? I mean, what do you ultimately want?

Sheep, roasted in mint sauce with a rosemary glaze.

What is standing in your way? What conflict(s) do you face?

Colin, refusing to allow me sheep, roasted in mint sauce with a rosemary glaze. Unfortunately, he is real while I remain imaginary. True, I write his blog, but he writes the books.

Whew, he finally left. What an interesting, ah, character. Now, back to our interview, when will your novel be available for purchase?

26th April. Available for pre-order now here:

http://amzn.to/1N4LTV5