An interview with Scott & Ashley Roepel

• What are you working on right now?

Right now I am writing an epic fantasy series titled Thread of Souls. I’ve got the first two books published, and the third in the series is launching August 27^th. The series will be eight books long, so I’m really excited to be in this for the long haul!

• What is the main plot of the series?

It circles around a Dark Elf named Taliesin who was born into a cult. When he gets his first taste of the outside world, it doesn’t take him long to realize the reality of how he was raised and he leaves his cult behind. However, his old goddess won’t let him go so easily. As his old cult prepares to unleash their malevolent deity upon the world, Taliesin fights not only to stop them, but also to save his own soul.

While Taliesin is a lead character, this series is told from multiple POV’s and everyone has their own personal struggles and stakes. We’ve got the Dark Dwarf Ruuda who is on the run from her city’s caste system because she was Unblessed and deemed a liability on society. We have the orphan thief Unolé who is trying to save her kidnapped sister by chasing a monster across the planes. We have mage Jasita who is uncovering ancient secrets. And many more! I love them all haha!

• How did you come up with that idea?

This book series is based off of a multi-year Dungeons & Dragons campaign! My husband Scott, who is also the co-author of the series, is the Dungeon Master. I fell in love so much with the story I knew I had to create a book series out of it. It’s not always the easiest thing, as some things don’t translate well to a book. So there is a bunch of editing and revising that has to be done when planning the books. I’ve actually written a couple articles about this process on my blog to help other writers who want to do something similar.

• What does it take to create a compelling character?

At their heart, I think a compelling character is flawed. And not really small flaws like being clumsy or forgetful, but strong flaws. But despite it all, these characters want to do good, even though they sometimes make the wrong decisions. I think that reflects all of us, doesn’t it? We are all just trying our best, even through our mistakes.

• Why do you write fantasy?

I have always loved fantasy. I think it appeals to the super creative types because there are no limits. You can create any world you want and any type of character you want. Having no boundaries really lets your creativity go.

• You mentioned earlier about your blog. Tell me about that and what other content do you have on it?

Yes! My husband and I run a website called Tal & Ru Travels. It is for fantasy fans. We have information about Thread of Souls on it, but we also have a running blog and pages for our DM’s Guild content, travel photos, and videos. We do articles, breaking news, opinion pieces, and reviews on video games, tabletop games, D&D, comics, shows, and pretty much anything related to fantasy.

• What is the story behind your branding logo?

So our logo is a T and R put together. For Tal and Ru (Taliesin and Ruuda). They are our D&D characters as well as central characters to our books. When we launched our LLC, it only felt right to name it after them. We also both love the color aqua which is why the font is that color!

• When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An author haha! Always. I have written since even before I could write. I used to just draw stick figures to tell a story on pages ripped out of a journal and stapled together as a “book”. I knew if I could write for a living, I would be the happiest I could be.

• What would you like people to know about being an Indie author?

I chose to go the indie route because this story is based off our D&D game. And to me, it was important to tell that the way I wanted to, and keep the heart of the story the same. Looking back, I wouldn’t have done it any other way. Having full creative control is priceless. Some people may want to have experts around them to guide and perfect their book. And that’s great for them! And while it’s more work on your own to be an indie author, I think it is worth it.

• And finally, forest, country, beach, or city?

I am always the happiest on the beach! There is something about the vibe I just love. Just seeing a palm tree makes me smile haha. The sound of the waves, seafood, the whole color scheme around a beach . . . I love it. I think it makes my inner artist just awaken and I am constantly creative on a beach.

Author bio: Scott & Ashley Roepel are fantasy authors and co-founders of Tal & Ru Travels LLC. When they aren’t telling stories or out adventuring, they like being home playing video games with a cat in each lap. 

Blog Link: Tal & Ru Travels (talandrudungeonloot.com)

Amazon Book Link: Thread of Souls (2 book series) Paperback Edition (amazon.com)

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