'Mother of many, mother of none, a Queen will fall and a warrior will come'
Vengeance of Hope, P.J.Berman’s explosive debut novel, marks the beginning of the Silrith series; a new power in the world of epic fantasy.
This opening book pitches you head first into the intense and unrelentingly dangerous Kingdom of Bennvika, a world of strong, powerful women and ambitious, ruthless men. As a bitter power struggle surges through the land, you are just as likely to die in a devious political plot as you are in the carnage of a great, bloody battle.
12 SPOTLIGHT QUESTIONS TO P.J BERMAN
1. Where are you from?
I grew up in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England, but I have now settled in my adopted nation, Wales, where I live in rural Carmarthenshire.
2. What do you do in your free time when you aren’t writing?
Mostly chasing after my one-year-old daughter! I used to be able to write for a number of hours per day. Now it’s just when she’s asleep!
3. What’s the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you?
Seeing my daughter wave at herself in the mirror always makes me laugh
4. What started you on the path to writing?
I first dabbled in writing in about 2010, when I started writing historical short stories and found that I enjoyed it. By 2013 I’d also had a go at fantasy, and this eventually developed into my debut novel, ‘Vengeance of Hope’, the first book in the ‘Silrith’ series.
5. How did you come up with the title of your book/series?
This took a lot of thought, but I wanted something that shows that even in the darkest of times, hope can give people the strength to fight for what they believe is right.
6. How did you come up with the idea for your book/series?
I love military history. I am fascinated by freedom fighters and what drives them. I wanted to create a story where we have three very different forms of freedom fighter, a warrior Queen, a vengeful rebel and a radical politician, each of which have very different ideas on how to rid their country of the same oppressor.
7. How do you deal with writer’s block?
I usually find its best to go off and do something else when that happens, then come back to it later.
8. Who are some of your favourite authors?
There are many! Simon Scarrow, Joe Abercrombie, Alex Rutherford and Jack Ludlow, to name but a few. I’m enjoying the books of Peter V. Brett at the moment too.
9. For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or traditional paper/hardback books?
I enjoy both, but I’d say I read e-books more at the moment. I very much enjoy audiobooks too.
10. If you were deserted on an island, which three people would you want to have with you? Why? One fictional character from your book, one fictional character from any other book, one famous person that is not a family member or friend.
Ok, so from ‘Vengeance of Hope’ I’d choose Silrith. She’s a fighter, but she’s also savvy and compassionate. I’d describe Cato, from Simon Scarrow’s ‘Eagles of Empire’ series, in the same way, so I’d choose him too. As for a celebrity, I’d choose Richard Ayoade. We’re stuck on a desert island. We need someone to make us laugh!
11. What are you working on now?
I have recently sent the manuscript of ‘King of the Republic’, the second book in the ‘Silrith’ series to my editor. This is due for release in December 2019. I have also been involved in developing the ‘Vengeance of Hope’ audiobook, narrated by Chris Dukes, which is due out summer 2019 and will be available on Audible, Amazon and iTunes. Aside from those things, I am also working on the third book in the ‘Silrith’ series, ‘War of Mercy’.
12. What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Never give up. Writing takes time and patience, but nobody can tell the story of your novel like you can.