Featured Interview With Author Ross Hightower
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I grew up in the south, and moved around a lot as a kid. My partner and I have lived in quite a few places as well, but have settled in Milwaukee, and I think that's where we are going to stay. For years we had dogs, but when the last one died, we didn't have the heart to get another one.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I have read voraciously since I was a kid, and tried to write fiction, but grew frustrated and gave up. Then, lying in bed one night, six years ago, I started wondering how fantasy writers come up with unique and interesting magic systems. So, I set about trying to come up with one. I do that sort of thing often at night, rather than think about work. When I woke up the next morning, the only thing I remember was the idea that, when the magically adept were young, they cause pain in the people around them. For some reason I can’t explain, I found myself in a coffee shop that snowy morning writing a story to answer that question. I hadn’t written fiction since the ninth grade. All I had was two characters and that idea and I wrote for three hours. That story ended being a pivotal chapter in my first novel Spirit Sight.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I’ve read widely most of my life, but in recent years, I’ve gravitated more and more to fantasy. My college roommate introduced me to the Lord of the Rings. (Later, I gravitated toward other fantasy authors who had a literary writing style. Patrick Rothfuss for example.) It’s the magic, the sense of wonder, stark boundaries between good and evil (although that’s not always the case), the hero’s journey and the struggle against impossible odds. Those are the things that keep drawing back.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
The latest book that my partner Deb Heim and I wrote together is Desulti, the second the four book Spirit Song prequel series. It tells the story of Tove, the first Alle'oss woman to join Desulti, the secretive organization of female entrepreneurs and assassins. According to Reedsy Discover, “Tove is an incredibly charismatic character who is a joy to follow through her trials and tribulations and the romance that builds between her and another Desulti is one of the sweetest and most nature relationship that I have read in recent years.”
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