An Interview with Christian Warren Freed

Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, NY, more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than twenty years in the active-duty US Army, he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish over thirty military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, a children’s book, and a pair of how-to books focused on indie authors and the decision-making process for writing a book and what happens after it is published.

His first published book, Hammers in the Wind, has been the #1 free book on Kindle four times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest for fourth place in one quarter. And no, he’s not a Scientologist.

Passionate about history, Freed combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. He graduated from Campbell University with a degree in history and a Master of Arts degree in Digital Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He currently lives outside of Raleigh, NC, and devotes his time to writing, his family, and their two Bernese mountain dogs. If you drive by, you might just find him on the porch with a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other.

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

I don’t know if it was a person, per say, so much as the time and experience. The first two movies I remember seeing in theaters were the original Star Wars and then Ralph Bakshi’s Lord of the Rings. I was hooked after that and soon started doodling comic books and coming up with stories. Flash forward and here we are. Some of the authors that have influenced my work are Dennis L McKiernan, obviously Tolkien, Steven Erikson, Frank Herbert, and Terry Brooks.

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

I spent a full twenty-plus-year career in the active-duty Army, mostly with the 101st Airborne Division. I did three deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq from 2002-2006 and spent another two years on the Korean DMZ in the nineties. While I was a field artilleryman, I also got to do cool things like fight forest fires in Montana and became a certified wildland firefighter. I finished my career as an instructor at the United States Military Academy.

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

Titles are the one thing that always comes to me. Since a major plotline is missing children, it felt natural.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

I was blown away by the quality. Holding a book never gets old, even after almost forty titles in print.

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

Anything from one of the classic eighties metal bands. Wouldn’t it be cool for Iron Maiden to crank out a soundtrack like AC/DC did for Stephen King way back when?

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

With Children and all my books I just want readers to close the book after the last page and blow out a long breath while saying, damn, that was a wild ride. And immediately seek out another of my books. I want to be your favorite new author.

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

Having people come up to me at live events with raw excitement. There is no better feeling. That emotion of signing a book with someone so giddy they can’t wait to read it.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

Where do I even begin? I am currently finishing the final three books in my sci-fi noir series The Lazarus Men, then an eight-book military sci-fi series called Crimson Spiders, and then I’ll duck back to the world of the War Priests to continue that series. The train never stops and I need to get these thoughts out of my head!

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.