Indie Spotlight – Oliver Laws

Today I am shining the Indie Spotlight on fantasy author Oliver Laws.

Oliver is a British Science-Fiction and Fantasy writer with a deep passion for all things bizarre and fantastical.

As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community with a deep passion for video games, tabletop RPGs and anime, Oliver channels his creative energy and natural storytelling into writing unique worlds and loveable characters.

When he’s not writing books, Oliver is usually working on campaigns for any number of tabletop RPGs, watching mecha anime and horror movies or playing videogames.

Contact info: Crystalgunslinger@gmail.com

Welcome to my blog, Oliver!

What made you decide to publish your books independently? What was your path to publication?

I wanted to share my story with as many people as possible, so I decided to stay indie and upload my story via Royal Road, a website where authors can upload their work for others to freely read and review, as I wrote it. This gave me great feedback and support while I worked on the story, and helped me improve it all around. I took feedback and comments seriously, and the experience helped improve my writing as a whole.

What made you decide to write in your specific genre rather than other genres? Have you ever written in other genres?

I’ve always loved Fantasy, but I feel like Fantasy/Westerns are a really niche mashup I would love to see more of. There’s a lot of potential to be explored in the genre, which I’ve occasionally heard called “Weird West”, and I love blending the weird and wonderful aspects of Fantasy with the concept of a cruel and often deadly frontier you see in Westerns! I’ve written a lot of short stories in other genres, but Fantasy and Sci-Fi are definitely my favourites.

Do you only read the genre that you write?

I read all sorts. Fantasy and Sci-Fi are my main genres, but I honestly love exploring new types of fiction and can get invested in a story of any genre as long as the writing is good. I think if you only limit yourself to a single genre, you don’t get to experience a lot of amazing stories!

What are you currently reading? Watching on TV? Is there a type of music you listen to for inspiration?

I’m currently revisiting “The Saga of Darren Shan” books from my childhood, a vampire fiction series that really inspired me and made me fall in love with horror and darker stories in general. As for TV, I’m usually always watching several anime at a time, and I’m currently working my way through the enormous Gundam series! For music, I really love the niche Electro Swing and Orchestral Future Bass genres. They’re soothing but high energy, and I often listen to them while I write.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

The best advice I can give, that I was given myself when reaching out to my favourite authors, is to write every day. Even if you only manage a single sentence, you should keep practicing and writing as much as possible. Get your ideas onto paper in some form and find a way to make them flow better. If you want to improve, share them with your friends or the writing community via a website like Royal Road, and take feedback to heart!

What are you working on right now and what can we look forward to seeing from you next?

Right now, I’m working on a sequel to my novel “Crystal Gunslinger – The Obsidian Outlaws” and an anthology of stories set in a magical academy named “Lunar Heights – Tales from the Academy”. I’m honestly not sure which will come out first, but I’m really happy with both projects!

Thank you for joining me on my blog today, Oliver. Good luck with your books!

Crystal Gunslinger- The Obsidian Outlaws

“The Warped Scorch is known as the most dangerous area on the continent of Lux for good reason.

Ever since a strange meteor hit the land and transformed it into a crystal hellscape, all four bordering nations have been trying to establish a foothold in the extremely dangerous new territory and lay claim to its many treasures. Cyrus is a crystal gunslinger, one of the individuals that face the horrors of the Scorch on a daily basis in order to make a living. With his trusty ruby repeater and plenty of experience, he is prepared to deal with whatever challenges the strange creatures and deadly environment can throw at him.

But Cyrus will soon learn that the true horrors of the Scorch are much more human in nature, and no matter how hard he tries, escaping his past will be nearly impossible.”

Genre: Western/Dark Fantasy

Review Copies Available: ePub, PDF and on Royal Road for online reading.

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