Luke Chmilenko

Genrewise, the majority of my writing falls into either the Progression Fantasy or LitRPG sub-genres with a focus on exciting action/adventure styled pacing throughout. If you're a fan of weak to strong storylines, gaming references, and high adventure in the style of Dungeons and Dragons, EverQuest, and all of the 'old school' masters of old, then chances are you'll love my work. Depending on the series in question you can expect everything from serious fantasy, to humor and satire, to brutal and visceral battles, all in hopes of getting your blood pumping and the pages turning.

I grew up in Ontario, Canada, just outside Toronto and truthfully, it had little impact on my writing - save for the fact that there was a bookstore almost anywhere I went. From a young age I was always a reader and it was practically impossible to find me without a book in my hand or pocket, no matter what I was doing. It's because of that insatiable desire (and my parents who did their best to sate me) that I eventually took the leap to start writing.

Voracious. Insatiable. Unstoppable. One of my first memories of reading is when my parents introduced me to The Hobbit, reading it together at bed time. But of course, that wasn't enough for me, and before long, I simply had to read ahead by myself. From there the floodgates had been opened and it wasn't long before I was devouring everything I could get my hands on, easily finishing several books every single week.

It would have to be Dennis E. Taylor for me. There's something about his style and execution of story that just fits me perfectly.

Oh geez, that's a tough one! In no particular order I'd have to say: Will Wight, Phil Tucker, Dennis E. Taylor, Simon Green, and Andrew Rowe!

It would be 'The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August' by Claire North. It is an absolutely fantastic read and I cannot say enough good things about it. Go read it now if you haven't!

It would have to be Lyrian from Ascend Online without a doubt. He was my first character in my first series and I found a lot of parallels in him, especially for his workaholism and other traits that come through in the story. Much of his energy and struggles on those front are the same ones that I felt reflected in myself while writing the series and I found it cathartic in some sense to explore just how that mindset and subsequent burnout would play out in the story.

Oh geez, that is an impossible question! Though if I took a step backwards for a slightly bigger picture, I'd say that my Hat Trick series that I co-wrote with GD Penman is perhaps my most favorite overall, if only because how fun it was. It was my/our first attempt at a satire and comedy and we had an absolute blast trading jokes and outlining scenes as it came together.

It's chaos. There's children's stuff everywhere across my desk, plus scattered wrappers of food, paper, crayons, and other miscellaneous things that I never recalled putting there, touching, or even owning. Digging deeper into the mess, one might find a few gaming related things - a headset, a console controller. Perhaps even a pen and keyboard. Adjacent to the desk, depending on the day, one might find a nice comfortable desk chair to sit at, or if not that, than a treadmill. It is highly advised to exercise caution when approaching the place, lest something fall upon you.

A nice big couch, come cool air, and a bunch of pillows and space so I can twist myself into whatever state feels comfortable in the moment.