Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Diana Coyle is talking with Jack Borden, author of The Vultures of Doom.

FQ: I love reading books by new authors and one of the first things I do is read a bit about the author to get to know them better before starting their book. Would you please tell us a few things about yourself that you would love to share with our readers? 

BORDEN: Sure! I live in rural Texas with my wife, three kids, and two dogs. We live on rural property that is adjacent to a large forest. My family and I have spent hours exploring these woods. I love the outdoors!

I also write poetry that I will probably never publish. And while we love living in Texas, we love visiting the Pacific Northwest. Olympic National Park and Mount Baker Recreation area are some of our favorite places there.

I also enjoy languages. In addition to my native English, I also speak Spanish. I am learning Welsh and I've dabbled in Hebrew. I create a language for the characters in this story that I think sounds amazing.

FQ: Can you please tell our readers a brief synopsis of your book, The Vultures of Doom, and what do you think makes your book unique?

BORDEN: Imagine tiny elf creatures who can talk to every creature in the woods. Now imagine these creatures possess long life. An evil entity who takes the form of a vulture is trying to create an army of long-lived, blood thirsty birds and is hunting these creatures. Unbeknownst to the main character, who lives an idyllic life with her family, these monstrous creatures have found them - with the help of one of her own kind.

I created a fully-functioning language for these characters (with the help of a linguistic consultant), so the language can actually be spoken. It has about a 3000 word vocabulary. Maybe that's a little unique? I also have four of these books written so far, with two more planned.

FQ: I read on your Acknowledgements page that The Vultures of Doom was originally told and written for your oldest children, whom both your characters Avelyn and Killian were crafted after. What was your inspiration to come up with this story for your children years ago?

BORDEN: My older kids and I were playing in the creek on our property - a place where we've spent a ton of time. I started imagining all that we can't see in the woods from where I was standing. All the inner workings of life in the forest that we never take time to see. That got me thinking about Celtic legendary creatures, the most famous of which is the leprechaun. What if all of those were based on real creatures that at least used to exist? And the tixies were spawned from that idea.

FQ: I was thrilled to read that this book is the first book in the “Tixie Chronicles.” How many books are you planning on writing in this series?

BORDEN: I actually have four completely written - they will launch on Amazon on the 15th of each month starting in August. I am part of the way through writing book 5, and I anticipate writing a total of 6-7 books in this series.

FQ: When can your anxious followers expect to read the second book in the series?

BORDEN: The next book, The Keeper of Knowledge, will be available on Amazon on September 15th, 2024.

FQ: I have to admit that even as an adult, I loved The Vultures of Doom. The characters were extremely believable, the setting was so real I felt I was living in the forest along with the characters, and the storyline was so entertaining I didn’t want to see it end. Will book two pick up where book one ended? Or will each book be a standalone story in the series?

BORDEN: Great question! The second book will take place about 3 days after the first book. The third book takes place 7 days after the first book. The fourth book in the series is set 4 years after the first book. The books will all be connected, but I wanted to have a coherent, satisfying story in each book, in case someone doesn't want to keep reading.

FQ: What made you want to be a published author?

BORDEN: Honestly, I have just always had stories in my head. I was surprised as an adult that most people don't have that - or they suppress it. When I write the stories down, it's fun to try to translate the images from my mind into the mind of the reader.

FQ: Please tell us what is your writing routine like?

BORDEN: It is very sporadic. I do try to write about 1000 words a day - when I'm trying to finish something. But between family, business, and other things, I really have to set aside time to write. Plenty of days go by when I don't write. So I don't have much of a routine!

FQ: To wrap up our interview, is there anything you would like to add to tell our readers?

BORDEN: I hope readers enjoy these books as much as my kids and beta readers enjoyed them. Writing and imaginary worlds are fun!

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