The Literary Vixen presents…
Joining us today is D.B. Motu! His debut novel, Lords Of The Archipelago: Blood-Feud released on August 1st 2021.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi! My name is D.B. Motu. My debut novel, Lords of the Archipelago: Blood-Feud, is a modern-day-pirate action thriller, with a hard-edged Romeo & Juliet love story mixed in.
I was born on an island you’ve probably never heard of and I spent most of my childhood not far from the South China Sea Archipelago, where the events of the novel take place.
I currently live and write in sunny Southern California.
How long have you been writing?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember; short stories, songs and even poetry…whatever I could put down on paper. I wrote screenplays for years—and my greatest claim to screenwriting fame is that Wes Craven once declined a script of mine, because he thought it was too dark! The man who gave us Freddy Krueger thought my script was too dark. Fantastic. Now, to be clear, I don’t write horror, but the script he read was a dark drama and very grim. Anyway, I’m pretty proud of that particular rejection!
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
For my day job, I’m a background actor. I’m the blurry guy that you see in the background of some of your favorite tv shows and movies, the don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-me guy. My writing quirk is that I enjoy writing on set. As a matter of fact, I have some of my most productive writing days on tv and movie sets. The constant activity and energy seem to tap directly into my creative flow somehow. I love it.
Where do you get your inspiration for your books?
Well, my debut novel is actually an adaptation of a script I wrote years ago. I went back and took a script that had been well received in Hollywood and I turned that script into a novel. I had to flesh it out quite a bit, because when you write a script you only write what the audience can see onscreen. The screenwriter doesn’t include thoughts or emotions, except through the actions of the characters. For the script to read like a book, I had to fill in the gaps, but it was great fun!
What do you hope your readers take away from this book?
At the end of the day, I am a storyteller. I tell stories for the enjoyment of others, and if I can stumble through a narrative effectively enough to take someone on an adventure, then I’ve done what I set out to do. I don’t have a message, I just want a reader to lose themselves for a little while in the magic of a tale well told. If I manage to make them laugh or cry or feel inspired along the way, then all the better, and I’m happy.
What is the significance of the title?
Ha! That is a funny question, because the title has seen many changes. When I first wrote the story as a script, it was simply ‘Archipelago’. My agent was not a big fan of that title, so we kicked around a few ideas and then he suggested ‘Guardians of the Reef’. We went with that. When I turned the script into a novel, I went back to one of the ideas we had discarded, ‘Lords of the Archipelago’, then added ‘Blood-Feud’ at the last minute, in an attempt to make it sound more action-y.
What gave you that push to press the publish button?
I have always been super excited about the idea that I could tell a story and someone else could hear it or read it. That has always seemed magical to me, and it’s what led me to publish this novel. I want as many people as possible to be a part of this circle and enjoy the stories I tell.
What was the highlight of writing this book?
That’s a tough question, but a good one. The process of writing is such a roller coaster but I have to say that the greatest moments in the creation of the book were when I could see that my beta readers had connected with the characters–that those characters had become real to them and they were no longer strangers. That process of creating something out of nothing is absolutely magical and I will never get used to it.
Are you working on anything at the present you would like to share with me?
Thanks for asking. I’m working on the sequel to ‘Lords of the Archipelago: Blood-Feud’ and that is going quite well. I tend to work on more than one project at the same time, so I’m also working on adapting another script into a novel. I’m very excited about that project, as it gives me a chance to reconnect with characters that I wrote a decade ago.
What advice would you give to other authors?
I’m no expert, but…
READ. Whenever you can. As much as you can. That would be my first piece of advice.
Secondly–WRITE! I know that sounds obvious, but writers need to write. Every single day. Be consistent and strict with your writing time. Don’t dilute it with distractions. Do your research outside of writing time. Do your social media posts and marketing outside of writing time. If you lock in dedicated writing time, you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.
Finally–give yourself grace. Being a writer/author is hard. Don’t beat yourself up. The world needs your words.
What is the one thing you want people to know about you and your books?
I love writing. I want people to know that my goal is to tell a story as well as I can. As far as the books are concerned, it’s the same. I want people to enjoy them enough to care about what happens to the characters. I wouldn’t mind if I made a reader laugh or smile every now and then as well. I believe stories are essential. I’m excited that I can be a part of the process of building worlds and adventures that other people can walk in. I’ll never get tired of it.
By the way,I love to hear readers’ thoughts about my book. If you decide to read it, you can always connect with me through TikTok (@authordbmotu). I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Thank you.
Thank you D.B. Motu for chatting with me! I will include his information down below. Check out his debut release, Lords Of The Archipelago today!
~Synopsis~
A brutal, modern-day-pirate syndicate.
A young man torn between family honor and the woman he loves.
Deadly secrets. Cold-blooded killers.
Welcome to the Archipelago.
The Tavingtons are the PIRATE LORDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO—the most powerful family in a high-seas, 21st-century pirate syndicate—and Caleb Tavington is the heir to the throne.
Unknown to the syndicate, Caleb wants out. He’s in love with Emma Wallace, and in the Archipelago that’s a death sentence, because the Wallaces and the Tavingtons are locked in a deadly blood-feud, with decades of hatred and violence between them.
Caleb knows that, to survive, he and Emma have to disappear, and he has an exit plan…but then everything falls apart.
To make it out alive, this modern-day Romeo and Juliet must walk a deadly tightrope of betrayal, blood-feud and war, and Caleb will have to remind an ocean full of stone-cold killers why he is the most feared pirate in the syndicate—and still a Lord of the Archipelago.
Readers call this explosive action-thriller ‘RIVETING’, ‘BEAUTIFULLY CRAFTED’ & ‘ACTION-PACKED’
D.B. Motu is a recovering screenwriter, often found drowning in coffee shops. He was born on an island you’ve never heard of, grew up under martial law in Southeast Asia, and currently lives and writes in sunny Southern California. He insists he’s directly descended from Samoan and British royalty, and counts among his ancestors a South Seas pirate. He’s a board-gaming poet and aspiring liar. Pull up a chair.
The Literary Vixen 