Happy Thursday, friend! Welcome to an interview with author J. L. Knight about Glintborn Fools, the first book in a new Fantasy series! Let’s welcome J. L. and learn more.
Get to know the author: J. L. Knight
Hi J.L.! Welcome back to Armed with A Book. Tell me and my readers a bit about yourself!
Hi! I’m a game designer living in Washginton State with my husband and two little ones. I’d been an avid reader all my life until I started having kids. BookTok inspired me to get back into reading.
What inspired you to write this book?
I didn’t set out to write a book at first. Over the years, I have run many pen-and-paper tabletop games for my friends, but during the pandemic, that obviously fell off. I was trying to start up a new tabletop game with an original story only to have it fizzle out twice due to scheduling problems.
I channeled my frustration and pent-up creative energy into writing every night on my phone before bed. I didn’t tell anyone, including my husband until I finished the manuscript. After getting over his shock that I wrote the whole thing on my phone, he encouraged me to finish and publish the book.
How long did it take you to write this book, from the first idea to the last edit?
9 months
What makes your story unique?
Since the book is based on over a decade of world-building for my tabletop game, many readers find the unique contemporary fantasy setting and magic system refreshing.
Who would enjoy reading your book?
Anyone looking for a quick fantasy fix with fun characters.
Did you bring any of your experiences into this book?
I brought my awkward, low self-esteem teenage experiences and love of art into the main character, Aria. The rest of the cast was inspired by my friend’s tabletop characters, and it’s all tied together with my deep love for Washington State.
What’s something you hope readers would take away from it?
I hope readers see themselves in the characters and want to continue watching them grow over the rest of the series.
Do you have a favourite quote or scene in the book that you find yourself going back to?
I do, but since it’s in the last chapter of the book, I won’t elaborate. Let’s just say I’m very excited about where book two goes.
Glintborn Fools is the first book in the Glintborn series. Tell me more about the series.
Glintborn is a series about our main four characters, Aria, Sorin, Claire, and Michael as they learn more about the hidden world of magic and grow as individuals, face danger, and find love.
What is something you have learned on your author journey so far?
I had to learn everything about the self-publishing process from scratch, so it’s more about what I haven’t learned. Right now, my biggest struggle is marketing. My day job as a video game designer has given me the skills to make book covers and ads, but I have no idea how to reach people. That’s the fun of self-publishing: you’re always learning something new!
What’s the best piece of advice you have received related to writing?
I don’t consider myself a particularly skilled writer (yay, editors). However, I have one superpower from my day job that enabled me to finish my book: persistence. Just keep writing. Don’t worry about that sentence you just wrote; keep moving forward. Self-doubt is for the editing phase, plus you’ll have a complete picture of what the book is when you’re agonizing over edits.
If you could give a shout out to someone(s) who has helped in your writer journey, please feel free to mention them below!
Big shout-out to my husband. This book wouldn’t exist without him. Aside from his encouragement, he was my editor for my first draft, encouraged me to make my book cover, and built a little recording studio to record my audiobook. Not to mention the love interest for the second book is based on a character he played.
Where can readers find you on the Internet?
Glintborn Fools
YA Contemporary Fantasy, 2024
Adventure is dangerously close to home . . .
Strange events are occurring in the sleepy town of Colville. The sky cracks open, magic rains down, and eighteen-year-old Aria and her classmates Claire, Sorin, and Michael start to manifest supernatural abilities.
But along with the rain, something sinister has arrived. Now, the quartet must not only uncover the mystery of who shattered the sky but find a way to use their new powers to stop a murderous creature with its sights set on Aria . . .
Magic, danger, and romance invade small-town America in the first in this brand new young adult fantasy adventure series, perfect for fans of Holly Black, Samantha Shannon, and Lauren Roberts’ ‘Powerless’ Trilogy.
Content notes: Mental health, Chronic Illness, Loss, Violence, Language, Blood, Kidnapping
Book Excerpt from
Glintborn Fools
They drove through the industrial southern side of the city. There were tall cranes and stacks of shipping containers on the left and warehouses on the right. The beautiful Seattle skyline was dead ahead of them. To Michael’s surprise, they turned off into the warehouses. Sprinkled throughout the area were a few bars, clubs, and raves. They pulled up in front of one of these bars whose purple neon sign read, “The Velvet Curtain.” There was no line, the windows were blacked out, and a single bouncer sat in front of the purple-painted door.
Marius craned around to talk to the teens. “Let me do the talking. Stick close and don’t make trouble.” He looked pointedly at Sorin and Claire. Michael felt a little put-out. Perhaps he would go talk to someone just to defy expectations.
“That’s the spirit,” Stella cheered his thoughts on.
They filed out of the SUV. As soon as Michael slammed the car door, the driver pulled away, leaving them alone in front of The Velvet Curtain. Marius strode forward confidently, expecting the teens to follow.
The huge, tattooed doorman sat on a tall stool that groaned under his weight. He grunted at Marius, and the door swung open, seemingly on its own. Marius barely slowed down and led the group straight into the lounge without any ceremony.
The lounge had a large, well-stocked bar with a mirrored counter. Around the walls were booths with velvet curtains on tracks that could be pulled around to give the patrons privacy. In the center, there were low couches and tables where guests could spread out and enjoy the relaxed, jazzy music. The patrons were an odd assortment of folks from all walks of life. Some dressed quite normally, while others wore strange clothing like cloaks or scabbards. All the people in the lounge had Glint in their eyes and an air of danger that made Michael tense up.
Marius scanned the crowd. He seemed to find who he was looking for as he beelined for a red-haired server with a wildly inappropriate outfit that revealed far too much of her curvy body, by Michael’s estimation. She recognized Marius and smiled in a way that didn’t touch her eyes. Michael got the impression she didn’t like him.
“Welcome, Mr. Beaumont!” she greeted him with practiced cheer. She looked at the teens behind him with great interest. “You brought guests!” Her eyes fell on Sorin, and for a moment Michael swore her pupils elongated into animal-like eyes. He blinked, and they were human again, although they did have an unusual orange hue.
“Yes, they are with me. Please give us a curtain, and when you get a minute, I have an inquiry.” Marius was in total business mode and didn’t seem to have any affection for the woman either.
“Of course! This way,” she said to the group. She grabbed leather-bound menus, walked them over to an unoccupied booth, and everyone sat down. “I’ll be back for your drink orders momentarily.” As she left, she winked at Sorin, who looked startled and disturbed. Marius watched the exchange with amusement.
He sat in the booth and said, “You could do worse. Pella is an extremely talented bartender. She can satisfy nearly any Glintborn’s needs.” The double meaning was not lost on them.
Claire rolled her eyes and said, “Gross, Dad. Don’t put your weird crap onto Sorin.”
Marius shrugged. “What’s the point in having that face if you won’t use it?”
Sorin stuck his face in a menu to escape the situation. Michael did the same. The drinks were very odd.
“Twisted Sister – Vodka, Orange juice, Sprite, and Sunlight Glint. Grove Juice – Tequila, lemongrass, Tree Glint. Bloody Mark- Spiced Rum, Ethically sourced human blood, Blood Glint.”
Michael looked up at Marius and asked, “Blood Glint? They serve blood?”
A shadow passed over Marius as he nodded. “Vampires rule the city. Pella is a shrewd businesswoman.”
Michael felt sick. “If they rule the city, how will we find a hunter?” Marius put his finger to his lips to hush Michael, but it didn’t make sense. If those monsters ruled over Seattle, why come here?
Claire exchanged a look with Michael then scanned the room. Her eyes shined blue as she did. She looked back at him and shook her head. She didn’t find anyone she considered a vampire.
“Does she even know what to look for?” Stella asked in his mind.
“I don’t know how her power works. Maybe she knows by instinct,” Michael thought back.
Pella returned with a bounce in her step. She leaned over, resting her ample bosom on the table and giving Sorin a perfect view of her assets. He locked onto her face and didn’t move his eyes. Michael silently cheered his friend’s self-control. It seemed wrong to let Pella win.
She said, “So what can I get you?”
Marius stood and pulled the curtain around the booth. The sounds of the bar faded away. In fact, it sounded so muffled Michael assumed they were enveloped in some kind of spell. Marius returned to his seat and said, “We have a vampire problem and need it to disappear. Do you have a lead on someone who can take care of it?”
Pella groaned and stood up to face Marius. “You’re never any fun. That’s mega risky. What do you have to trade?”
Marius shook his head. “You know better than that. Who do you have in mind, and what do they want?”
She placed her hands on her hips and scowled at Marius. “I know a guy who could evict your vampire without bringing the Emerald Court down on you, but he’s not easy to please.”
Marius leaned closer to her and said quietly, “Well, it’s a good thing I know how to please people.”
Pella leaned in and said, “Women. You know how to please women, but only physically. Your personality is garbage… This man is a total bookworm. He only comes in to ask for more contacts to obtain rare books. He’s incredibly single-minded.”
Marius muttered, “You didn’t seem to mind…”
Sorin cleared his throat. “Maybe he needs things translated. I can translate any writing, no matter how obscure.”
Pella looked over Marius’s shoulder at Sorin and shrugged. “Worth a shot! What’s your name, handsome?”
“Sorin.”
“Well, Sorin, I’ll ask for you. Give me your number so I can update you.” She popped a hip and whipped out a phone from her shorts.
Marius raised an eyebrow and looked at Sorin with bemusement. Sorin narrowed his eyes at his father and then pulled out his phone. “Alright, Pella. Let’s do it.” They traded numbers. Michael was a little confused. Why did he give his number? Surely, Marius had it already.
“This way, he doesn’t need his dad to get info,” Stella explained. Michael nodded to himself. Stella was making sense.
Triumphantly, Pella put her phone away in her tight shorts. “Now, drinks! What can I get you all?”
Marius handed her his menu. “A round of lemonade and the check. I’ll pay the deposit now for the info.”
Pella grinned, collected the menus, and opened the curtain to leave. The sounds of the bar came rushing through the broken spell. Glasses, talking, music. Michael noticed a thin man with straps, spikes, and dark emo hair watching them with interest through the crack in the curtain. The curtain closed behind Pella, and the table went unnaturally silent once again.
Marius said, “Pella almost always pulls through. Hopefully this person will be able to meet with us quickly.”
Claire wrinkled her nose. “Lemonade?”
Marius rolled his eyes. “Non-alcoholic, and the Glint has a pleasant zing. You don’t need to drink it if you don’t like it.”
Michael said, “Thank you, sir, for the drinks and all of this.”
Sorin rolled his eyes and muttered, “Suck up.”
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