Every story begins with a spark. For me, it was a forgotten name in a 13th-century chronicle—Lucardis—an obscure figure accused of heresy and erased from history. That mystery became the seed for Lucardia, the dark, myth-steeped world at the heart of my writing.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with Grendel Press to talk about how that spark grew into Koen: Quills from the Raven’s Nest (ebook available now for pre-order, releases October 1) and the larger Absolution of the Morning Star saga. We explored my process, the themes that haunt my work, and why I believe the choices we make in shadow can define us just as much as those made in the light.
Scott Austin Tirrell writes dark fantasy because apparently the real world doesn't contain enough dead people, ruined faiths, and gods with questionable motives.
Most of his stories take place in Lucardia, a world with a long memory and a rather serious problem with its dead. Its people have been taught many comforting things about history, religion, power, and what happens when the reaper’s sickle swings. Unfortunately, much of it is wrong.
Scott is less interested in heroes than in complicated people who stumble into mysteries they probably should have left alone—and then have to live with what they find.
When he isn’t writing, Scott wanders old cemeteries in search of character names and thinks about fictional people as though they have personally inconvenienced him.
He lives near Boston with his wife and maintains a healthy distrust of ravens.
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