Today on Paws 4 Thought we welcome urban fantasy author, R.R . Virdi. Virdi’s Grave Report books were a couple of my favorite reads of 2016 and I look forward to reading his new release Dangerous Ways in the near future. Virdi stopped by to answer a few questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’m an author, born and raised in Northern Virginia around muscles cars, which I restored, repaired and modded as a kid upward. I love gaming, reading, building things and tinkering on stuff. Big DIY’er and making stuff with my hands. I’m a lifelong ADHD survivor. It’s been tough 😉
When did you start writing?
Age 18, summer right before college. Have been doing it since.
I adored the Grave Reports books so far. How did you come up with the concept?
After about 4 years of trying to write epic fantasy because of course, I convinced myself I was one of those authors. 4 years taught me I sucked at it. So, I went back to what I really loved. Mythology. I needed a vehicle to deliver on all the cool mythos and culture stuff I loved. That meant urban fantasy. There was one series, and one comic close to my heart that did that best. The Dresden Files, and the Hellblazer comics.
Enter Quantum Leap and the desire to mash them together. But, as you know QL is sci fi, I needed a paranormal/metaphysical reason for a bouncing body hopping protagonist. Enter the soul.
Do you see yourself in Vincent Graves
I see some of myself in him, and I think there’s a fair bit of me in him. But, he definitely makes a lot of choices I wouldn’t.
What should we expect to see in book 3 in the series?
Vincent continuing to grow as a person, a soul. Being pushed, tried, going through more crucibles while trying to do some good. His life getting more difficult, new enemies, new problems. New stakes.
Who are your favorite authors and what are you reading these days?
Jim Butcher, E.A. Copen, James Osiris Baldwin, Glen Cook, Neil Gaiman, off the top of my head. I’m currently reading E.A. Copen’s books.
Tell us about Dangerous Ways?
Dangerous Ways takes place in the same world as The Grave Report. New series with new people and problems. It’s about a man, immune to ageing and time, pulled into the problems of a girl who’s slipping between the cracks of reality, the paranormal and human world.
What attracts you to urban fantasy?
The ability to draw on, and play with mythos in an urban, modern, and familiar setting. You can take the normal, the mundane, and add a layer of surreal and wow to it.
Do you have any advice to writers just starting out?
Just start. Write. Get out of your own way and permit yourself to suck. It’s okay. No one is expecting you to write like a best seller day one. As much as writing is an art/craft, it’s also a skill. It will come with practice. That’s something you can do. The quicker you start, the quicker you can work on improving.
(Great advice. DMK)
What do you like to do to relax?
Read, meditate, workout, video games, and writing.
If you could have dinner with five famous people, real or fictional who would you invite?
Harry Dresden, Dalai Lama, Batman, my mentor and best friend: Jim Hurd. And Marcus Aurelius.
(Would definitely be an interesting dinner party! DMK)
So what’s next? What are you currently working on?
I’m currently finishing up the draft of the third novel in The Grave Report.
(Cool, can’t wait to read it! – DMK)
How can readers connect with you?
Easy:
Virdi also has stories in three charity anthologies, a couple of which I also have a story in. Check them out. They’re all for wonderful causes and are filled with oodles of good writing.
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