Author Interview: D.A.Adams

Can you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing.
I’m a walking paradox. I’m equal parts responsible father and mischievous rascal. I’m equally happy sitting on a panel at a con as digging in the dirt on the farm. I’m stubborn and prideful but compassionate and humble. Life has toughened me up, but I’m still sensitive enough to cry. I’ve faced a lot of adversity and been knocked down more times than I can count, but somehow I always get back on my feet and keep fighting for what I believe in. I’m a simple man with simple tastes who loves to write stories.

In 1989, I had a traumatic head injury from a freak accident during track practice. Until that point, most of my focus had been on athletics, and my goal was to become an officer in the United States Marine Corps. The accident ended those dreams and forced me to focus more on my intellectual development. Fortunately, I didn’t suffer any serious long-term effects from the injury, and through the process of working through my grief, I discovered writing as an outlet for my emotions. I also realized that I had always enjoyed creating stories, so I made the decision to become a writer and have been working in this industry, on some level, for 22 years.

Can you tell is a little about your series of novels, The Brotherhood of Dwarves Series?
The central plot revolves around a young dwarf named Roskin who leaves his peaceful kingdom to seek adventure and the ordeals he faces in a world torn apart by racial strife and war. However, I’m trying to allow each main character to grow and mature as unique individuals, so they often take the story off in unexpected tangents. There’s also a sub-context of the importance of interpersonal relationships over materialism, but I try not to be too heavy-handed with it.


Where did you get the idea for The Brotherhood of Dwarves Series?
When I first started thinking about the concept for the series, I remembered a character I first wrote as a teenager named Crushaw, but the character I had created back then was very flat and two-dimensional, so I knew he’d have to be re-imagined . I also thought about writing about my favorite Dungeons and Dragons character, Roskin, but similarly, he needed to have more depth. As I mulled over which one I would like to pursue, I had a moment of inspiration in which I saw them together, Crushaw old and destitute, Roskin young and ambitious, and from that moment, the series was born.

The Brotherhood of Dwarves, of course has Dwarves in it. What other sort of creatures are there in it?
The primary creatures are the standard fantasy tropes: ogres, orcs, trolls, elves, and humans, but I’ve added a few that are fairly unique to this series. There are the Marshwoggs, who were inspired by the Marshwiggles in The Chronicles of Narnia, but I’ve completely re-imagined them as a new culture. There are also several monsters that I’ve thought up.

Why should we read The Brotherhood of Dwarves series in one sentence?
If you like fast-paced, adventure-packed stories about courage, camaraderie, perseverance, and redemption, this is the series for you.