Author Spotlight: Anthony Hill - Crafting Worlds from the Heart of Florida
Welcome to this edition of Author Spotlight on Mind The Typos! Today, I am excited to feature Anthony Hill, a talented author who has woven his love for storytelling into two captivating novel series. A devoted husband and father (like myself), Anthony brings his dark fantasy and science fiction worlds to life on Amazon.
1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your book?
My name is Anthony Hill. I’m a happily married man with three beautiful daughters. I’m from the small town of Quincy, Florida, and I currently reside in Orlando, Florida. I have two novel series self-published on Amazon. The first is a dark fantasy series called Oath of the Blackguard, which is about a young man who is a simple fisherman until he experiences a great tragedy that changes the trajectory of his life. He is taken in by an elite group of knights who train him to become a warrior and soldier for the empire. I’m currently three books and a short prequel story in. My other series, Project Raidrega, is two books in at the moment. This is a science fiction series that follows four mercenaries who specialize in hunting down rogue mechs in a post-apocalyptic USA.
2. What inspired you to write your book, and can you tell us about it?
The inspiration for my books comes from a years-long desire to create worlds for people to enjoy and escape to from their daily lives. I’ve been a fan of anime, gaming, and comics since I was about seven years old. A constant thought in my head over the years was, “Man, I’d give anything to create a book or a show for fans all over the world to enjoy.” I’ve always made little comic strips or wrote up scripts for different movie ideas I had, but it always seemed too unrealistic to think I could ever become an author or movie director. However, around July of 2023, I was watching an anime called Rising of the Shield Hero, and the story really drew me in, sparking my imagination with different ideas of my own. So, I finally turned on Microsoft Word and committed to writing something of my own. One page turned into fifty, fifty turned into two hundred, and eventually, I had a novel all my own. It was certainly a lifelong dream fulfilled.
3. What themes or messages do you hope readers will take away from your book?
A message that’s deeply embedded in my writing is the importance of seeing things through. I faced a lot of difficulty in my life when it came to committing to a story and following it through, often due to fear that people wouldn’t like it, doubts about it being an unrealistic goal, and sometimes just plain laziness. The different characters and their struggles in my novels reflect how I changed my mindset. I hope to inspire that same mindset in my readers.
4. Are there any particular authors or books that influenced your writing style or inspired you?
I don’t really have many books that influenced me, as I’ve never been an avid reader, ironically. Most of my inspiration comes from movies, TV shows, and anime. Mad Max, Terminator, and Gundam had a lot of influence on my Project Raidrega series. I would say Game of Thrones, the anime Sword Art Online, and a smidge of Lord of the Rings inspired my Oath series. I will say that J.K. Rowling’sHarry Potter books did leave an impression on me as a kid. Reading her work, in all honesty, was forced on me by my grandmother, who told me I had to improve my reading, but I wound up loving the books in the end, so it all worked out, lol.
5. In what ways do you think your book stands out from others in its genre, and what do you hope sets it apart for readers?
This is a tough one because I think it’s hard to set yourself apart from millions of other creators, especially when I take so much of my inspiration from others' work. Even still, as I’ve taken this journey as a writer, I’ve always strived to create something unique, even if it’s within something that’s been done before. Project Raidrega is an example of that. We’ve all seen mechs, we’ve all seen post-apocalyptic settings, and we’ve all seen mercenary-themed works before. But I don’t recall ever seeing anything about mercenaries hunting mechs in a post-apocalyptic setting before, and that’s where I hope readers will find my story stands out. Rich character development, an imaginative setting, and an innovative storyline—creating compelling reads is what I’m always striving for whenever I begin typing.
6. Can you discuss any research or preparation you undertook while writing your book, particularly if it involved exploring new topics or settings?
In all honesty, I didn’t do much research or real preparation before writing any of my novels—unless you consider sitting in my dad chair, staring up at the ceiling with a bowl of Doritos, as "research," lol. I don’t like to take my prep for a book too seriously. If I did, I feel like it would become less of a "fun hobby that I hope I can earn enough income from to do full-time" and more like "just plain work." I wrote all of my books by thinking of what would happen next as I went along. I didn’t write down a draft or make notes or anything like that. It made my writing more fluid and authentic for me. That being said, I do, however, take post-writing very seriously. I’ll read it, read it again, and read it once more until I’m satisfied that the story is clear and makes sense throughout. I’ll make notes of where the story needs adjustments and deal with them accordingly. I take a very "pre-fun" and "post-serious" approach to writing
7. Can you provide an excerpt of a specific scenes or passages in your book that hold particular significance?
One excerpt from book two of my Project Raidrega series was particularly emotional for me, even though it was brief. It highlights the close relationship between the two brothers in the story, a bond I wrote with my sister in mind. She passed away when I was thirteen, and we shared an identical connection. She was protective and never let me do anything, always saying it was to “keep me safe.” I miss her a lot, and I incorporated much of her personality throughout many of my characters:
"He turned to face Darron fully, his voice rising. 'I deserve to have any chance of getting stronger, just like you do, Dee! I ain't a kid anymore! I could’ve helped you last night, but you always, always have to keep me out of the loop! Ready to jump in when you feel like I need help wiping my chin! And for what? To protect me?! To look out?! All you do is make me look like an idiot! And weak! I ain’t as dumb as you make me out to be, bro!'"
Frustration reached its peak as he gave Darron a forceful push. Cassie stole a momentary glance from her laptop before swiftly returning to her work. Unfazed by Sean’s outburst, Darron calmly responded, "You’re right."
Sean exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "Dad’s dead... you ain’t him." The weight of his words hung heavily in the air.
After a long silence, Darron retrieved his last cigar, rolling it contemplatively. "You’re right. Pops is gone. So is Ma." He approached Sean, drawing him into a tight embrace. "That’s why I can’t stop. I could never stop caring. We’re all we got, boy. Just us. Family."
Overwhelmed, a tear escaped from Sean’s eye as he buried his face in Darron’s shoulder, murmuring softly, "Family..."
8. Can you provide insight into your future writing plans or projects? Are there any upcoming releases or ideas you're excited to explore?
Oh wow, I have so many, lol. I literally have fifteen book covers designed for several projects I plan to work on in the future. But my current focus is on a novel called Cloudrunner, which is a dark fantasy. It’s actually a spinoff of my Oath series, as I love the world I created and want to explore more stories and settings within it. Cloudrunner doesn’t directly tie in with the other story, as it takes place on a completely different continent on the other side of the world. So, there aren’t any connections between this story and the other, other than references like currency names, the names of ships, or the fact that magic users are referred to as “Magis.” This offers a fresh, standalone story for readers to enjoy. I may explore a crossover between the two stories where some of the characters from both series meet, but I haven’t decided on that yet. I expect to be finished with it by December of this year.
Another novel that I’m not currently working on but plan to start immediately after Cloudrunner is a science fiction book called Vanguard. The novel is about machines that compete in a popular bloodsport in arenas on different planets and moons throughout the solar system. A young man inherits his brother’s (whom he didn’t know existed) war machine after his brother is killed in a match on Europa. The leader invites him to take his brother’s place and help her bring the team to the top of the rankings and become the greatest competitors the sport has ever known. I also have several continuations planned for both my Project Raidrega series and my Oath series, so I’ll be pretty busy on my weekends.
9. Lastly, could you provide your contact information or social media handles for readers who would like to connect with you?
My email is aeon1133@gmail.com, and my X handle is @EoblianKnight11. Follow me there; I like to post regular pictures of my work and upcoming projects. I love conversing with fellow authors and networking, so hit me up anytime. I’m open to meeting new people and discussing fantasy, sci-fi, and all things nerd.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know Anthony Hill in this edition of Author Spotlight. Be sure to check out his novels on Amazon and immerse yourself in the worlds he’s created. Don’t forget to follow him on X and reach out if you’re interested in connecting with a fellow creator. Stay tuned to Mind The Typos for more insights into the minds behind the stories we love.
