Brian Holshouser
What made you decide to become a writer?
Thank you for this opportunity. I’m truly honoured! – I’ve always had a vivid imagination. I have a passion for writing and it’s been there since I was very young. My dad would tell me fictional stories as a child and I’d get lost in those tales. It was such a fun and unique experience, I think it sparked a love for storytelling.
How do you decide your plots? Are they taken from events that have happened to you? Do you base your characters on real people – or do you prefer to be fully creative and make them up?
Great question. I’ve lived a very rich life and have met so many types of people. I’ve had horses and lived on a farm, played several sports, cut trees with axes to get firewood for warmth, built computers, worked in telecommunications for 11 years, delivered pizzas, worked for the Air Force as a mechanic, supply tech and innovator that helped saved millions while working hand-in-hand with nearly every career field possible, have written over 100 songs as a musician, played at weddings, birthday parties and other countless shows across three different bands, have travelled to 21 states and 3 countries and I’m also a dad and husband with two beautiful daughters. I have a lot to draw from in my own life experiences. Many of my plots and characters dip into my experiences, often blended with my own imagination or merged multiples to make one.
How many books have you written and/or published and which is your favourite?
Several songs but only one book—Gwyn’s Kingdom: The Electric Moon (my favourite). I’ve written most of the second book and part of the third, as well as part of a spinoff and a story in an anthology that’s somewhat linked, so the story has a lot of depth to it. I’ve spent over a decade in this world, so it feels very familiar to me.
Tell me more about your favourite book – the plot, characters, setting, POV, tense…
The Electric Moon has several interesting characters but follows Gwyn’s arc the closest. The book introduces readers to a universe where the Xi Moon exists, life is more medieval and magic, wizards and fairy-tale creatures live and exist, but also, follows my favourite protagonist and her story: Gwyn. The first half of the book establishes a foundation and a general sense of the world, blending adventurous coming-of-age themes with discovery, friendships and lost family. The more Gwyn ventures on with her friends the more she finds the world is full of fantastic creatures and places, but also a looming threat. As simple as it’s written there are various levels of sophistication. I do include many general fantasy tropes but I tend to put my own twist on them.
What is your favourite genre to write in?
Hands down, fantasy. I do read other genres, especially educational and historical/biblical books, but fantasy is where I can expand my imagination. The Princess Bride, Peter Pan, Zelda, Lord of the Rings, Warcraft, Final Fantasy are just a few of the books, movies and games that shaped my love for this genre.
Would you travel to the area where your book is set?
This isn’t really possible but I would indeed go to the places in my story, especially the Shadow Guild or the ridge. I do love to go to medieval and ren fairs, which often share similarities and have travelled to areas that have similar landscapes.
How do you market your books?
I’ve tried a lot! Online ads are tricky, especially since I have a YA novel and younger audiences don’t have a lot to spend or even a way to do it. I visit towns near me leaving bookmarks in local businesses while talking to people about my book, and I donate copies to libraries. I’ve met some great people doing this and put a ton of effort into it, but it can be challenging.
Tell me why you market them this way – how it helps. Would you be open to help when it comes to marketing and promoting your work?
The book marketing world is tricky, probably the trickiest part to master for authors. I cover digital ads but also get a local boost. I am definitely open to help, as getting the word-of-mouth snowball rolling takes a tremendous effort. I’ve started getting my book into local stores as well with profit splits, which is really neat! I may begin querying agents soon to really give things a hard push.
How do you react to reviews? Would you prefer just good ones or are you okay to receive a bad one occasionally? How does this make you feel?
Reviews are the voice of the people reading my books, I appreciate them for taking the time to leave them. Like it or not, reviews shape algorithms and perspectives of a product, and more people read reviews than leave them. Sometimes they can lend critical or editorial information that can help create a better product as well, but since only around 5% of readers leave them they have to be considered carefully. I have several readers who have told me they enjoyed my book but never leave reviews, some because they’re too young and have no access. So I take them for what I can but don’t get too hung up on them either. With that said, they really can fuel the passion to keep going on a low day.
You can find out lots more about Brian and his writing career on his social media platforms:
