WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: https://leonardbassed.com/
Facebook
page for author: https://www.facebook.com/leobassed/
Twitter
page for author: https://twitter.com/LeonardBassed
Thanks for this interview, Leonard. Congratulations on your new book! Would you
say it’s been a rocky road for you in regards to getting your book written and
published or pretty much smooth sailing?
Can you tell us about your journey?
Thank
you. The writing itself is the fun part of the process, the challenges came
after the book was written. The Witch Port Video Game is my debut novel so each
step to getting my work out there has been a growth point, I also chose to
self-publish so in that sense my workload was doubled. My novel came about
after I returned home to South Arica, after a trip I
made to Los Angeles, California
in the USA. The
book was adapted from a script I wrote by the same name, which I planned to
pitch to film/TV producers. Upon its completion however I had grown too
attached to the characters and world I’d envisioned, and knew I’d have to see
it through.
If you were to pen your own autobiography, what might the
title be?
If I
were to pen my own autobiography I would probably go with a self-title, and a
logline like: The underdog takes center stage… Being a self-help junkie I
definitely hope to share more of my story someday. I love learning about how
some people go through dire circumstances and come out at the other end
triumphant. We all have our own personal mountains to climb, and a truly
beautiful thing is to watch someone conquer theirs.
When not writing, what do you like to do for relaxation
and/or fun?
There
is an old saying attributed to the Chinese sage Confucius that goes: “Choose a
job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I
whole-heartedly agree with this sentiment. It’s proven true in my case I’m
fortunate in that I live my passions, I’ve always had an interest in
storytelling but thought that would find expression through my songwriting and
acting. My love of acting however inspired me to write the dream role, that I’d
personally love to be cast in.
What
makes your book stand out from the rest?
What
makes my book and every other book ever written stand out from the rest is the
author’s point of departure. No two people look at life through the same
lenses, therefore each book is unique unto itself. I’ve done the work, and I’m confident that my
book will be a source of intrigue for its demographic.
Can you give us the very first page of your book so that
we can get a glimpse inside?
CHAPTER 1 ‒ THEN AND NOW
SALEM MASSACHUSETTS, 1692 AD
Not so long ago
in history, sorcerers were at liberty to practice their craft peacefully.
Sorcery was ‘the thing’. Whether masters or apprentices; they all were
encouraged to practice the craft, which they did openly. This regrettably is no
longer true.
This story is a
warning to those who possess the gift to turn away from the arcane or risk
their lives; heresy is punishable by death.
My name is Martin
Robinson, and I’m somewhat of a seer. I dream of things past, present and yet
to come. Though I only see glimpses at a time, they remain a vivid sensory
experience. This is one such recollection.
It’s on a windy autumn
day, the sky a medley of pinks, oranges and yellows. The sun is about to make
its long commute towards tomorrow. I see an old woman, conservatively dressed,
in a dusty, almost farm-like kitchen, preparing a recipe of sorts from a book,
as if reading from a bible, bound in leather, and placed in front of her. She’s
not alone as I count, three other elderly fair-skinned women, wearing similar
attire.
Reading a page from the
book, of which the title spells ‘The Flight Broth’, the tall one mutters, “The
directions are as follows... Begin the brew when the moon is full. Submerge the
barbs of a wounded bird in the red of drunken men’s ale. Add a wing of bat,
aconite and a black tourmaline to make one soar. Bring to the boil, and then
let it wait. Serve it cold for Hades’ sake.”
I see three elderly men,
possibly the women’s husbands, lying unconscious on the floor. There is also a
young man in a corner. Odd and like misplaced furniture, he too is unconscious,
but clutching a wide-eyed baby, seemingly fascinated by unfolding events.
Like by the flicking of a
page, I see the same three women in a different setting… on the summit of a
rocky hill, leaving a goblet with a crimson liquid, and something resembling a
smudge stick, at the foot of a tall tree overlooking the sky-bled ocean. They
seem in a hurry to get home, darting back into the greenery of the hill descent.
If your book was put in the
holiday section of the store, what holiday would that be and why?
If
my book was placed in the holiday section of a store, it would likely be placed
in the Halloween section due to the subject matter. I strongly doubt it would
be shelfed near the Christmas cards [he jokes].
Would you consider turning your book into a series or has
that already been done?
Yes,
I’d definitely love to have my book adapted for screen. In fact, that’s one of
the things I hope to achieve with this novel. It would be trippy to see my
words brought to life in a visual medium such as film/TV or some streaming
service.
When you were young, did you ever see writing as a career
or full-time profession?
I
never thought writing could be a stand-alone profession until now, not unless
you’re J.K. Rowling that is. I’ve always thought an author needs some degree of
mastery over the subject matter they choose to write about. In my case as a
fiction author it’s not so much a mastery over witchcraft but I do have an
interest in the topics I write about, and an imaginative mind, these two
elements combined make an intriguing read.
Did any of your books get rejected by publishers?
No.
I chose to self-publish my book, because it was my debut novel, I wanted to
maintain complete creative control of it. I wanted it translated as close to
how I envisioned it as possible. There is a lot of waiting around associated
with getting traditionally published, the actor in me wanted to take back some
of my power and get my work out there.
What is your view on co-authoring books; have you done
any?
No
not yet, but I love the idea, not everyone is a writer, but everyone has a
story to tell. In cases where the book is an autobiography and co-authored the
reader is offered different perspectives to the same scenario or maybe it’s a
fiction and the two writers feed off of each other creatively. I do plan to
co-author a book someday but I’m not teasing details just yet.
What’s next for you?
I’ll continue doing press for my book The Witch Port Video
Game, I’m already diligently at work on the sequel and look forward to sharing
it with you all soon.
About the Book:
Leonard
Bassed had no plan to write a novel titled THE WITCH PORT VIDEO GAME when he
set out to create a movie script with a similar name. “I had written the pilot script first and I
kept the
same ending for the novel…everything from the script I wrote found its
way into the finished book version of ‘The Witch Port Video Game,’ said
writer-singer-actor Leonard Bassed. “I
was able to spend more time developing the characters and their world…the whole
thing was just such an organic experience and extremely enjoyable, creative for
me.”
THE WITCH
PORT VIDEO GAME tells the story through the lives of three ordinary teens who
live in the fictional town of Cradle Creek, USA – a small town they hope to one
day escape, attracted by the bright lights and promise of the Big City. All three are students at a prestigious
performing art school with hopes of one day making names for themselves in the
entertainment world.
Mr. Bassed
continued about his story, “A chance encounter the three have with a girl named
Bianca Morris threatens to derail their plans. Bianca introduces them to an
enticing video game, ‘The Witch Port Video Game’. This encounter, coupled with the arrival of
the MacQuoid brothers sets in motion a series of bizarre events that spins
their lives into chaos and disarray as the three head into a world of sorcery
with an ultimate fight for survival.”
As a young
boy growing up in South Africa, Leonard dreamed one day of working in the
arts. He wanted to write, to act, to
sing. While drawn to acting and song
writing, he was also a good story teller.
“The auditions I would go out for as an actor were never reflective of
the kinds of roles I was after to play. It was this realization that led me to
writing the pilot script which I planned to pitch to TV and movie
producers. But, once I finished the
script I’d grown too attached to the characters and the wonders of their world
that ultimately led the script into the shape of a full novel,” he went on to
say.
PRAISE
“While the book’s final moments leave us with a
rather sudden, enigmatic ending, an end note does indicate a sequel Witch Port Igniting the Coven on the
horizon. For those who enjoy the entertaining literary chemistry that results
from inquisitive teens and their foray into the mysterious world of sorcery,
Bassed’s venture should prove an intriguing reveal.”
--Pacific Book Review
“Filled with cheeky references to famous
pop-culture stories of sorcery and mixed with some classic teenage angst, this
book is a fast-paced, suspenseful story. The novel’s premise that some
teenagers gain special powers through a video game is an updated, modern take
on magic and suits the story quite well for a 21st-century setting. The author
sets up the story mechanisms so that everything that happens through the
students’ video game play also happens in real life. The author states that
this novel was originally a screenplay, and those elements shine through, from
the descriptive settings to the fast pace in which the action occurs on the
page. It will be interesting to see how the protagonists grow with their powers
in the sequel.”
--The U.S.
Review of Books
Book can be purchased at the
author’s web site at www.leonardbassed.com
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