An Interview with Victoria Randall

Victoria was born near Chicago, Illinois, where her father was a well-known artist, creator of Bill Randall’s Date Book. She has five children, including Keith Graham, an artist, and Brandon Graham, author of graphic novels King City and Escalator. She worked as a registered nurse for thirty-five years. She has had stories published in several anthologies, has written several dystopian science fiction novels and two collections of short stories, and collaborated with her siblings to publish a biography of their father, Pinups, Portraits, and Posters: The Life and Art of Bill Randall.

Her favorite authors are Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, C. J. Cherryh, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Robert Crais. She would like to write inspirational literature, but finds herself stymied by, as Thomas Merton said, “no writing on the meditative dimensions of life can say anything that has not already been said better by the wind in the pine trees.”

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Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I listened to Richard Wagner’s operatic cycle “The Ring of the Nibelung,” and it impressed me. I had not heard the story before, which was not surprising since Wagner created it himself, fusing Norse sagas with German medieval epic and myths. I wished there was a movie of it, but since I couldn’t find one, I wrote the book, attempting to bring the story to life in a way more accessible to modern readers.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I’ve worked as a painter, a waitress, a retail clerk, a social worker, and a CNA, before getting an associate degree and working as a registered nurse.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The Ring of the Dark Elves was easy. It’s a translation of “Der Ring des Nibelungen.” The dark elf is Albric, the dwarf who had the ring made and tried to rule the world with it.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

It would be Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” of course.

What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?

I hope that readers take note of Sigurd’s heroism, despite mortals, dwarves, and immortals being leagued against him. He falls into a long line of heroes who met a sad fate because they stood for truth and honor, beginning with Socrates, Lincoln, JFK, MLK, and in present times, Charlie Kirk. Standing up for honor and truth is a dangerous occupation.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

It’s always fun to hold the finished copy of the book in your hands. And it’s been gratifying to receive some very positive reviews and that it’s a finalist in the Page Turner Awards for fantasy.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

I’ve written a couple of YA soft sci-fi books set in Petrina’s universe, and I’m working on another one just for fun. It’s a universe kind of like that of Keith Laumer’s Retief series, where many different kinds of aliens live and interact with one another, mostly peacefully but not always. My favorite character is Limpet, a spider who was in charge of a band of space pirates until they reformed. That book is Long John and the Spider Pirates, which follows The Petrina Chronicles.

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