Author Interview – David W. Vincent

1. For readers discovering you for the first time, can you introduce yourself and tell us about your journey into becoming an author?

Hey, I’m David W Vincent and the author of, A Magick Tale, a romantic high fantasy series with Witches and Familiars. I’ve been writing since about 2009, but my author journey started late 2020 when I had a question that just wouldn’t leave me alone: what if a Witch and a Familiar met a vampire?

2. Your series A Magick Tale blends high fantasy with romance and mystery. What inspired the concept behind the series?

The inspiration was the above question! I’m a practicing witch myself, and at the time, my familiar, Tashi, was still alive. I love vampires, and a 3 a.m. “What if?” turned into late-night writing sessions, fleshing out characters and motivations. I’m a big fan of The Witcher franchise and the idea of hunting monsters blended well with the idea of a vampire that I already had, so I made Earnan and Ranya Hunters. The mystery aspect came from my love of the unsolved and secrets buried so deep that even the main characters don’t know the whole story.

3. What can readers expect from The Hunters' Journey, the first book in the series?

Readers can expect a story that introduces the world gradually. I don’t lore dump and the characters are the ones that tell the story and move the plot. They’ll find a love story hidden just under the surface of a monster mystery and two characters in Earnan and Ranya who have a deep admiration for each other. 

4. How does the story expand in The Inquisitors' Response?

Due to the events that happen in The Hunters’ Journey, Earnan and Ranya find themselves the hunted instead of the Hunters. They’ll discover that surviving a werewolf is the least of their worries when faced with Inquisitors – the police of the magickal community – and how complicated things can get when family is involved. The Inquisitors’ Response introduces new characters and these characters, Bridgette and Obsidian, have their own goals, fears, and personal ties to Earnan and Ranya. It’ll show that the world is bigger and there are more dangerous things than just monsters when politics and shadows whisper conspiracy in the dark.

5. Witches and familiars play a big role in your world. What drew you to those magical elements?

As a witch, I’m partial to animals and the connection to both the physical and spiritual that they represent. In my story, Familiars can shift and have different forms that are important to the story. Over all, there’s a message of bonds and relationships in my story that reflect the real world. Most any animal lover will tell you that their pets are more than that – they’re family, and that’s what I want to convey more than anything while also telling a compelling story that’s fantastical and intriguing. 

6. Your series features a slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance. What do you enjoy most about writing that type of relationship?

I love, love, love the “almosts” that a slow-burn gives us as readers and writers. The accidental touches, the close moments. For me, the friends-to-lovers pipeline is so good because you have these characters – in Earnan and Ranya’s case – who’ve known each other for fifteen years when the story opens. They’ve seen each other’s worst and know each other’s secrets. But they’re still learning about each other and when their feelings are laid bare, how does the story change? Earnan and Ranya’s story doesn’t end after the kiss. It starts.

7. You also mentioned a deep magical mystery at the heart of the story. How do you approach building suspense within a fantasy world?

I knew when writing this story that it was going to be six books (the third book, The Vampires’ Choice will be released on April 17th, 2026!), and I wanted each book to reveal more and more about the mystery that takes center stage by book 4. Earnan is a complicated and secretive (to the reader) character. He has a hidden past that is talked about and slowly revealed in The Hunters’ Journey and in The Inquisitors’ Response. He’s a liar and paranoid individual and he shows this throughout. Ranya knows, and protects his secrets as if they’re her own because she has her own mystery that unfolds right alongside his and that is also talked about from the opening pages of book 1. When The Inquisitors’ Response opens, Ranya’s story takes center stage and introduces her brother, Obsidian who is closely tied to her mystery and their Order, The Crescent. On the other hand, Bridgette, though begrudgingly and unknowingly, has deep ties to Earnan that neither actually are aware of.

8. Although your stories are set in a fantasy world, you explore issues that reflect modern political and social themes. Why is that important for you as a storyteller?

I think we, as storytellers, have a unique opportunity to comment on the social and political atmospheres in the times that we write. Books are political, and art is a powerful medium to tell stories that mirror the modern world. It’s important for me because sometimes our physical voice can oftentimes go unheard, no matter how loud we yell. A story can say things in a way that lingers in the subconscious like a whisper and can be felt for years after.

9. Do you have a favorite character from the series?

Oh. Oh yeah (laughs). Ranya is by far my favorite character. She’s compassionate and unapologetic in her emotion. She’s raw and animated – a direct opposite of Earnan’s more quiet personality. She’s unafraid to speak her mind and backs up her boasts with her extensive combat knowledge. I love her because she is so many things: confident, brash, powerful, intelligent, caring, afraid – but that fear doesn’t stop her, and caring.

10. What was the most exciting scene or moment for you to write so far?

Since, by the time of this interview, I’ll have two or more books out, I’ll give you a few scenes (laughs). In The Hunters’ Journey, I have several scenes that I really enjoyed writing. There’s a bath scene (go read!) That shows the type of patience and love that Ranya and Earnan have for each other before either ever acknowledges their feelings. Another is the fight scene with the werewolf. I write really good fight scenes (not a boast, reader testimony), and it’s fun to show how Earnan and Ranya, as Hunters, deal with creatures that are leagues beyond their physical station. In The Inquisitors’ Response, I tell relationship stories through combat (right from the opening chapters (go read!). Family is an important theme in my series and sometimes, well, family fights. Later in the book, Obsidian and Bridgette have a moment where things get heated, and even after reading it a thousand times, I still find it to be emotionally impactful. In The Vampires’ Choice, we get to see another character blossom and change before our eyes and I hope readers love her as much as I do.

11. When you start a new story, do you usually begin with characters, worldbuilding, or the central mystery?

I write character driven stories, so I start with them and make sure that they are a living, breathing entity before I set them into the world, because their word already exists and even unnamed people have their own lives.

12. What does your worldbuilding process look like when creating magical systems, creatures, and societies?

The world exists as a cradle for the characters and story within, so it has to breathe and move like a living thing. I make sure that the magick that I use doesn’t break the rules of the established world. The creatures and society behave with the same goal in mind. Since magick exists, I shape the world with it and make sure it is as real as the characters.

13. Are you more of a plotter, pantser, or somewhere in between?

I affectionately call myself a “plantser” (laughs). I know the beginnings, middles, and ends to all of my books – as individual stories, and as an overall story – but everything in between is up to the characters.

14. What part of writing fantasy do you enjoy the most?

I love creating characters and creatures, and the lore behind them. Since my story centers on Witches, I pull from so much lore and magickal practice from around the world and throughout history.

15. What part of the writing process is the most challenging?

I hope this doesn’t sound conceited or boastful. “Writing” for me isn’t the challenge. When I first started to take this story seriously and to see that it had weight and substance, I dove into the craft of writing to learn as much as I can (and I’m still learning). I find it fun and engaging. What I find most challenging is marketing. So often now, authors (especially indie) have to be social media experts, influencers, and their own hype train. It’s exhausting and stressful.

16. You also create your own character artwork. How does illustrating your characters influence your writing process?

When asked, I’ll say that I’m an artist first and writer second. Now, that has changed over the last several years, but I’ve been drawing since I’ve been able to hold a pencil and art has always come natural to me. Since I can draw, I’ve found that I’ve never experienced the “creative burnout” some writers talk about. It’s because whenever I feel that my writing is slowed, I switch to drawing my characters or scenes and that gives me the opportunity to always stay connected to my story with more than just the words on the page.

17. Do you usually design characters visually before writing them, or after the story develops?

I physically design my characters after fleshing them out first. For example, I give little aesthetics to my characters that I don’t tell the readers about. Ranya has a nose ring that I draw, but don’t describe in the books. Earnan has little scratches on his hands (like all cat havers can attest too) that I don’t describe to readers but they show up when I draw closeups of his fingers. I think it gives nuance and subtleties to my art.

18. What authors or fantasy stories have influenced your writing the most?

Deborah Harkness (A Discovery of Witches) and Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn) have influenced my writing to a degree. I tend not to read a lot when I’m in the writing trenches because I want my voice to remain “mine”, and I don’t want any parallels to themes or story structure to bleed through. As far as stories that have influenced me, there are some elements that are similar in my world that you can find in The Wheel of Time (the Warder Bond) and The Witcher books (hunting monsters).

19. What do you hope readers feel or take away after finishing one of your books?

Reading is subjective, and people will feel how they feel, but I hope they feel touched by the depth of love and devotion that Earnan and Ranya have for each other. I hope the reader comes away with a sense of empowerment after experiencing each book, and a want for the next.

20. What has been the most rewarding moment of your author journey so far?

People – strangers – enjoying my writing. I write, not to change the world, but for a love of my story and characters. To have others fall in love and be impacted by the themes and world that I’ve created is the greatest joy.

21. Do you have plans for future books within A Magick Tale?

Yes! So, the main story is six books long (books 4 and 5 are being written currently and book 6 is plotted). After, I have another three book series planned that is set five years after book 6’s conclusion. It’ll follow Earnan as the main character because his actions throughout A Magick Tale have dire consequences that will impact the magickal world as a whole. The whole cast from the original series will make meaningful appearances and it’ll introduce new characters and further expand upon the world as well.

22. What advice would you give to aspiring fantasy authors?

Study your craft. Learn as much as you can and be patient with yourself and your writing. Try not to compare yourself to others, and look to find your own writing community. Writing can be a very lonely journey but discovering like-minded people can inspire creativity and a sense of belonging.

23. As a self-published author, what has your publishing journey been like?

Trial by fire! (laughs) Writing is fun. Creating is fun. Marketing and trying to get my books into the bookish and reader spaces? Challenging. Trends are fleeting and just when you discover one, the next one is already happening.

24. What are you most excited about for the future of your writing career?

More books! Even as A Magick Tale ends (eventually), I have other stories in the works. I have other genres that I’ll explore ranging from horror, to a light-hearted spy vs. spy, and an urban sapphic thief/detective love story – and not to mention any of the anthologies that I’ll take part in from time to time (I’ve been included in three for charity anthos thus far).

25. Where can readers connect with you and follow your work online?

My handle @catclawzwriter is everywhere. Tik Tok is where I post most of my art. Threads is where you’ll get my unhinged, 3 a.m. thoughts and hype for other creatives. Instagram is my art and story announcements.

 

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Rapid Fire Fun 🔥

26. Coffee or tea while writing? Dr. Pepper!
27. Morning writer or night writer? Both!
28. Favorite fantasy creature? Vampire!
29. Paperback, ebook, or audiobook? Audiobook while working, ebook while on the go, and paperback while at home.
30. Favorite familiar animal in fantasy? Fox! (I feel like it’s cheating if I said cat lol)
31. One word to describe A Magick Tale? Unique.
32. Favorite writing snack? I tend not to snack while writing because of sticky/greasy fingers haha.
33. Music while writing or silence? Fantasy instrumentals and LoFi while writing. My playlists while drawing.
34. Favorite fantasy series or author? Mistborn for series, and Deborah Harkness for author.
35. One thing readers might be surprised to learn about you? I love to cook and use it to relax.