Book Synopsis:
From fantasy super-fan J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison, author of The Helm—praised by the Young American Library Association as one of the best graphic novels for teens in 2010—comes his debut fantasy novel, FISH WIELDER (Fiery Sea Publishing; $16.99 Trade Paperback Original; $7.99 EBook; August 23, 2016).
FISH WIELDER is an epically silly fantasy following the most dangerous adventure that legendary, depressed hero Thoral Mighty Fist and his best friend Brad—a talking orange koi fish—have ever embarked on.
A thousand and two years ago, the Dark Lord Mauron cooked the Pudding of Power, the most evil chocolate dessert known to mankind, in order to enslave the people of Grome.
Before the plan could be completed, Mauron was killed. But the pudding survived. Now, the Heartless One, leader of the Dark Brotherhood of the Bad Religion, seeks to find the pudding and complete the mission that Mauron started. That’s when the mighty Thoral—who wants nothing to do with any of it—comes in.
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Author Jim Harrison
About the Author:Jim has worked as a writer, screen writer, animator and director in entertainment and commercials since graduating from Columbia College of Chicago in 1988. He is the author of The Helm, which YALSA praised as one of 2010’s best graphic novels for young readers, and has directed animated commercial and entertainment projects, including spots for M&M’s, AT&T, and Kellogg’s. He co-founded Character LLC in 2000 and has given story advice to many of the world’s largest brands, such as Target, Verizon, Samsung, McDonalds and Walmart, and has even appeared on NBC’s “The Apprentice” as an expert adviser on brand characters. Jim lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, two kids and two dogs. Fish Wielder is his first novel.
Interview with Jim Harrison:
1. If you could ask your protagonist, Thoral, one question, what would it be?
A. I’d probably ask him which is faster, a giraffe, a mule deer or a whippet. Thoral is really good at judging relative speeds of different varieties of animals.
2. If you could offer Thoral’s friend Brad a piece of advice, what would it be?
A. Take some swimming lessons.
3. Can you tell me more about the Bad Religion and their goals?
A. The Bad Religion, as the name implies, is an ancient and evil organization that has been active behind the political and spiritual scenes of the world of Grome for at least a thousand and two years. Their origins are shrouded in the misty mysteries of unrecorded history to the extent that not everyone even believes the organization is real. But they are, and you can bet that they are relentlessly up to no good.
4. Are there any projects you’re working on right now?
A. I am hard at work on the second book of the Fish Wielder trilogy A Fish Out Of Water, I recently completed the manuscript for a YA comedy/horror/thriller novel and I am in talks to write a second graphic novel in The Helm series. I’m also currently co-writing music for a Helm-themed heavy metal album called Metal of the Helm that should be debuting soon. The Helm even sings a couple of songs on the album.
5. Is there any advice that you’d give to young people who want to write?
A. Write. Just write as much as you can. If you have an idea, start writing it. And don’t worry too much about whose going to read it. Just write to amuse and entertain yourself first and worry about audience second. I keep hearing that, these days, it’s harder than ever to find a publisher and that publishers want you to be able to articulate your exact target audience. That may be important to know when you are marketing your book, but I find it a difficult constraint to write to. I always hope to write the kind of story I’d like to read, and that keeps it fun. Keeping it fun is important because writing can sometimes be a hard and even painful process similar to extracting your own teeth. If you are writing for the pleasure of writing though, it can help you keep going when the going gets rocky. Oh, and don’t assume you’re done when you finish the first draft. That’s a rookie mistake I keep making every time I finish writing something.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer these questions, Jim Harrison, and also special thanks to the wonderful folks over at Wunderkind PR for their help with creating the content for this post!!
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