David Estes

I primarily write epic fantasy these days, creating sprawling worlds inhabited by many colorful and diverse characters who are usually threatened by some evil force. My main world is shared by three of my series so far: Fatemarked, Kingfall, and Forsworn. These series are filled with action and adventure, humor and levity, magic and dragons, and even a touch of romance here and there. Despite the broad and epic nature of my stories, at the heart of them there are always people and relationships. The only way I know how to write is with the whole of my heart, laughing when my characters laugh, celebrating alongside them when they win the day, crying when they experience tragedy and loss, and always, ALWAYS, cheering them on from my side of the keyboard. If my readers don't feel something by the time they finish one of my books, then I haven't done my job.

I was born in El Paso, Texas but grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I wouldn't say my hometown impacted my writing, except that during the long, cold winters I had plenty of reading time (which I'll get into in question #3). The greater impact came after I moved to Sydney, Australia in 2009, met my wife, and then decided to travel around the world with her from 2012-2014 while I pursued my writing career. Experiencing so many different and incredible cultures over the course of those two years motivated me to creature my own worlds, peoples, religions, and cultures in my own books.

The kind who reads everything in sight. I read my dad's Agatha Christie books, my sister's Little House on the Prairie and Babysitter Club books, and my own Lord of the Rings/Hobbit and Calvin and Hobbes books. I distinctly remember winning a reading contest in school based on the number of pages read. It wasn't close. Whenever I ran out of new things to read, I always gravitated back toward The Lord of the Rings, until the covers were literally falling off each of the books. I haven't changed much, except now I have much less time to read than I'd like!

Ooh, so hard. There are so many authors I love and respect. Tolkien will always be one of my favorites, but I also love the vibrant nature and textures of the writing style of sci-fi/fantasy writers like Neal Shusterman and Phil Tucker. Maybe a combination of the three mixed with my ability to connect with readers' emotions? If only!

1. J.R.R. Tolkien

2. Neal Shusterman

3. Phil Tucker

4. Dean Koontz

5. George R.R. Martin

The creativity, the writing style, the multi-dimensional characters, the sense of urgency in every sentence, and a particularly amazing Imperial Ghost Toad named Nox are all reasons this is one of my all time favorite books/series.

SO HARD. I take great pride in peeling off layers of myself to inject into each of my characters. That said, maybe Ludo Vica from my newest series Forsworn. He's searched for something for much of his life only to realize that maybe it doesn't exist, and now he must discover a new purpose. I can relate to that. He has a good sense of humor but also uses it to hide his true emotions. He loves with the whole of his heart and is as loyal to those he cares about as he is to himself. He's highly flawed, but he's trying. He's always trying.

Fatemarked has sold more books than any of my other books, so it's the obvious choice, but I'm a firm believer that I get better with each book, so I'd say my new series, Forsworn. It's full of nuance and twists and turns, something I'm proud of. I've learned to trust my readers as much as they trust me!

I live in Hawaii now, so I sit at a decent-sized desk with a window to catch some fresh air and sunlight each morning. I have a MacBook with an external monitor. On one side are my scribbled notes to myself and pasteboards covered in maps, character sheets, royal lineages, etc. I also have my paper calendar, which I rely on heavily to ensure I'm in the right places at the right times. On the left are photos of my family, medals earned from races (distance running), Pittsburgh Penguins bobbleheads, and always a cup of coffee.

Easy. A hammock strung between two palm trees on the beach in the shade, with a light breeze blowing through.