Author Spotlight: The Mysteries of "Diamond Eyes" with Neil Britto
Welcome to Mind the Typos! Today, I have the pleasure of introducing you to the captivating world of Diamond Eyes and Neil Britto, the ingenious mind behind series. Neil takes us on a journey through the depths of his imagination, the inspiration behind the story, its themes, and his unique approach that set his work apart in the realm of speculative fiction.
1. Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your book?
Hi, I’m Neil Britto, and I’m the author of Diamond Eyes: The Master Returns and Diamond Eyes: The Last Khoorlhani Warrior.Both books were written over the course of my life, from my teenage years up until around 2015, when I finished the second and larger story. Much of my life, I ached to write the story, and on a mental level, all the pieces were there, but my lack of experience in the feeling dimensions always had me failing to serve the story. That is until I met my spiritual master, Santosha Tantra. It was she who helped me to see more clearly over the years and shared her wisdom to help me learn better focus and balance while in the midst of adversity. This, in a nutshell, is the thrust of my main character's arch in The Last Khoorlrhani Warrior as Jeshibian learns what an actual warrior is. My life actually turned out much in the manner of his, despite the fantasy backdrop, which helped to bring him, his adventure, and his colleagues to life throughout the chapters.
2. What inspired you to write your book, and can you tell us about it?
My spiritual master, Santosha Ma (Santosha Tantra), really inspired me to the core to write. She was always encouraging me to learn that the deeper dimensions of reality do exist and to endeavor in my life with her to live by them charged me up and excited me. It still charges me up.
3. What themes or messages do you hope readers will take away from your book?
This could get controversial. I’ll leave it open for the most part, as I think it’s important for one to love and groove on their own path, so I’ll only say, be your deepest and most well-loved self imaginable. As Santosha Ma often teases, “Enlightenment, don’t leave home without it!” Yeah. Love yourself. You are the light.
4. Are there any particular authors or books that influenced your writing style or inspired you?
I loved C.S. Lewis, Frank Herbert, and I’ve enjoyed Stephen King. R. Zelazny’s Amber, and the Alvin Maker series by Orson Scott Card. Of course, Neuromancer, stuff like that. The book The NeverEnding Story is amazing. I love all the Chris Claremont New Mutant and X-men issues.
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?
Well, I can only say that what I wanted to do was put the 'Jedi-isms' of my version of, say, Star Wars in the foreground and put all the empire vs. the good guys stuff more in the background. What is it about the Master? Let’s get into that and savor that more. Let’s have him really talk and be active. I don’t know if that's any different from any other author, but I know that’s what I wanted to do — to have the heartbeat of the Master set the pace for twenty whole chapters before Jeshibian adventures, you know? Who cares about the state of the kingdom; how does one transcend their allotted role within it? Of course, you have to have tension, and I think there’s enough at stake for young Jeshibian.
6. Can you discuss any research or preparation you undertook while writing your book, particularly if it involved exploring new topics or settings?
Again, the research was the experiment of my own life. I could only write once I experienced what it was like to be around an enlightened woman, Santosha. Then, it became clear as certain latent archetypes came forward and did their thing. That’s literally how it worked in my own case.
7. Can you provide an excerpt of a specific scenes or passages in your book that hold particular significance?
I like this conversation between the Master and Jeshoya:
“Your thirst, your true self, comes to you in dreams to rattle your cage and destroy everything standing between it and you until it and you are reconciled. So, it seems to you that there is always some unsettled business, all the time and everywhere, somewhere and somehow. And why does it seem this way?” he asked.
“All attainment is for naught. It’s based on illusion, Master,” I finally said.
“Okay, what is the illusion?” he challenged.
“Me?”
“And so all my loves cannot satisfy to the core, because… I don’t know myself to the core.”
“What do you mean? How will you know yourself to the core? Who will know it? Who is it?” he leaned toward me, his eyes bulging comically to give me the answer.
8. Can you provide insight into your future writing plans or projects? Are there any upcoming releases or ideas you're excited to explore?
Well, my future writing plans largely revolve around my webcomic, The Nadthsade Dragon. It started off as the third novel, which was a false start. Now, after about six years of working on the comic, I feel like I may actually pursue the novel. It seems the comic book effort served as a brainstorming session lasting those many years. I dunno, really. I’m waiting for it to grab me like the other two did.
Additionally, I'm working on putting together an anthology-esque magazine called Tantric Series. It will feature several illustrated chapters in comic format from Diamond Eyes: The Master Returns, illustrated by Geoff Mosse. It will also include my own Nadthsade Dragon pages, which I illustrated this year, along with a comic book rendition of one of Santosha Ma’s own stories called The Feminists from Outer Space. Furthermore, it will include other writing samples, perhaps a few excerpts of the Nadthsade Dragon that I like thus far.
9. Lastly, could you provide your contact information or social media handles for readers who would like to connect with you?
For those who would like to connect with Neil Britto, you can find him at: 📱📲 💻:
This concludes our journey through the realms of Diamond Eyes with inspired by Neil Britto, and his unwavering dedication to exploring the depths of the human spirit. Don't miss out on this transformative experience in this world of speculative fiction, where every page is infused with the pulse of enlightenment. Until next time, keep exploring the realms of literature, and always remember to mind the typos!
