Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Brendan Corbett
Book Title: Blood & Flame
Released: 05/20/25
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What is the key theme of “Blood & Flame”?
Corbett: I had two main drivers behind the structure and world of Blood and Flame. First, my last series of books was very 'big' in the sense of the world. It was large geographically, super diverse in terms of races and cultures, and while that was fun, it was a lot! Coming out of that series, I knew I wanted to keep with a focused, character-driven style (what I enjoy most in my own reading), but instead of going for a 'feeling tiny in a giant world,' I wanted to create a cohesive, focused world. That led to this being a relatively small worldspace with more emphasis on refined worldbuilding and characters within the world.
The second point of inspiration was what I would call a heightened awareness and growing frustration with institutional power, manipulation, and control. It's not a new concept by any means, whether in fantasy or real life, but my prior series had this optimistic, imperfect but highly functional political structure that was only softly touched on (owing to a young protagonist). I knew moving into this second series I wanted to dive into a world with this veneer of stability and positivity, but a more oppressive system that manifests as a villain of sorts.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Corbett: Continuing with reflections on my first series and a desire to make a more focused world, I looked more into classic Arthurian tales / Britannic and Welsh mythology as a central inspiration. I spent some time diving into historical figures, mythological figures, and current names specific to certain regions of England and Wales. I also like the idea of names being representative of class and status, and although it's not a core part of worldbuilding, it's a layer that exists.
As a result of this mindset, Dara coming from a poor background has this short, punchy name that fits her personality, where she starts focused with really one goal: escaping poverty. Meanwhile, we have Wynne - full name Llewelyn - with a grandiose name coming from a very high status, who attempts to hide by using a short version of her name.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Corbett: One thing I want to note is that this series is not anti-religion; in fact, the central religion is in fact praising factual deities in the story and I'm a big believer in religious freedom (and separation from government). Rather, I hope readers enjoy the characters, the story, and walk away with reflections on structural and societal power, the fallibility of humanity, and the importance of finding purpose in life.
If "Blood & Flame" was adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Corbett: This is both a fun and terribly difficult question! While there are many actors I could see playing either Dara or Wynne, I would have to say I'd be excited to see fresh new faces making the characters their own.
When you encounter writer's block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Corbett: One of my tools against writer's block is organization. That's not to say I don't ever hit a block, but I've created a structure that works wonders for me in keeping productive. I write books using old-school outlines; at first a basic plot overview that might be a page or two. Sub-plots and settings get woven in, stretching the outline to a few pages. I then split that into a chapter-by-chapter outline (knowing the chapter beginnings and ends might shift, but it's directionally there). With that, I write a detailed outline - and I mean detailed. For Blood and Flame, which is around 85,000 words, the detailed outline was around 30,000 words. By having this cross between an outline and a first draft, I can keep moving things forward as each stage is a progressive but manageable bite.
Still, there are times when I get in a funk and it's challenging. Reading a comfort book, walking around my garden for a bit and pulling some weeds, playing with a pet, or practicing archery all help me focus. It doesn't need to be a lot of time, but it's taking a deliberate step away to refocus that allows me to move forward.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Corbett: This is cliche, but just write! It's easy to get paralyzed trying to perfect everything, but the only way we get better at our craft is by practicing it. Also, when people offer advice, always consider who is offering the advice and why. Some businesses out there that sell products do give amazing free advice, but be mindful of their conclusions which will push you towards buying their product - for better or for worse.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Corbett: As I've gotten older, I still love fantasy but I've been reading a lot more literary fiction. My longstanding favorite is The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, followed closely by Sabriel by Garth Nix. On the literary side, Skinship by Yoon Choi is one of the most emotionally powerful books I've ever read as a Korean American.
What are you working on next?
Corbett: The final book of The Quinate's Faithful! I'm wrapping up the third and final book in the series this year, and then it'll be on to the next. I have a much darker duology in mind that I'm itching to jump into.
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