Brett Salter, the creative force behind the beloved Talisman Series, embarked on his writing journey fueled by a childhood immersed in the realms of Fantasy and Sci-Fi. Inspired by literary giants ranging from "The Chronicles of Narnia" to "The Lord of the Rings," and even the poetic verses of Shakespeare and Dr. Seuss, Brett's early forays into punk rock music and poetry laid a diverse creative foundation. This eclectic background paved the way for the Talisman Series, born from a dare that turned into a passionate commitment to storytelling. His works, characterized by dynamic adventures and a rich imagination, resonate deeply with Middle Grade and Young Adult readers, offering them an engaging escape into worlds of action, dragons, and unforgettable characters.

Openly admitting to not being a traditional professional writer, Brett Salter brings a refreshing and relatable authenticity to his craft. Every aspect of his books, from writing to promoting, is a testament to his dedication and hands-on approach to storytelling. With a focus on entertainment over technical perfection, Brett invites readers to join him in a world where the joy of reading prevails. His message is clear: embrace the adventure and whimsy in his stories, and remember that the heart of Middle Grade fiction is to inspire and delight, not to scrutinize every comma. Brett's Talisman Series is not just a collection of books; it's an invitation to ignite the imagination and revel in the fun of reading.

Enjoy our conversation with Brett below:

(The St. Louis Literary Review) Can you share what inspired you to become an author, and specifically to write for middle-grade readers?  

(Brett Salter) “Hey there, Eric!  Sure thing!  I grew up on fantasy. (Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Xanth, etc) As I attended high school, the curriculum dictated different genres and classics which I certainly appreciated. And in college, where my major was English, I really got my eyes on some different stuff including poetry (my soft spot) and all that comes with a liberal education.  So although I own and have a fondness for the classics and almost every sub-genres of fiction, my mainstay is definitely Fantasy.  Plus I played a bunch of RPGs growing up, and the fantasy ones were my favorite!”

What themes do you find most compelling to explore in your books, and why do you think they resonate with middle-grade readers? 

“I love the idea of pulling from varied mythologies and applying them to modern day (Like Percy Jackson).  Themes of friendship and overcoming personal odds are also themes that resonate with young readers.  Because, hey, we’ve all been there before.  If I can identify some of myself and my struggles in a character, then I think that bolsters my own self image or drive.”

Could you describe your writing process? How do you approach the initial concept, drafting, and editing of your books? 

“Five words – “Fly by the seat of my pants” (See?  I can’t even get that right!)  I tend to do a whole bunch of writing in like a week and then spend another week doing things like promoting and editing. I don’t make outlines or anything like that.  I just kind of write it down bare bones and then go back and fill it in with some meat.  Ideas are constantly popping into my head, so I write those down on a separate “journal” and refer to them when I want to implement one of them into the current “writing”.  It’s all very disorganized, and professional authors would probably laugh right in my face.”

How do you balance the need for engaging storytelling with the educational and developmental needs of your target audience? 

“Well, to be honest, I’m not sure I would call any of my books educational (unfortunately).  But, I would like to think they are engaging?  I started this whole thing wanting to write some action books that my son would like to read since he didn’t like reading that much.  So, I basically wrote cinematic action over substance.  And here we are 6 books in.  There are some themes for the target audience sprinkled throughout my work, but mostly, it’s just a chance to splurge out some epic fight scenes with a focus on magic and mythology.”

 How do you go about creating characters that middle-grade readers can relate to and learn from? 

“I take heavy inspiration from anime and comic books when it comes to characters.  I try to be original with my character creations, but it’s just really hard to do that these days, especially in a fantasy genre.  If you were to look hard enough, you could probably find my characters or my character traits, or my character personalities in other media forms, and like I said especially anime and comic books.  Keeping one finger on the pulse of those mediums and the other incessantly poking my brain for new ideas helps the creative juices”

 Are any of your characters inspired by real-life experiences or people? 

“So, this can all be learned on the Fandom.com wiki I created.  In the beginning, I based my characters off me. Just me. I’ve known myself for a long time, and it was a small cast, so it was easy. I made Rome and Julian to represent the two different sides of my personality. Rome represents the levelheaded and introspective portion of me that wants to do the right thing, but rarely jumps at the chance to be a leader. Despite his uneasiness about assuming a leadership role, he always has the best interests of his friends and family in mind. Rome’s internal dialogue and hesitant decision making reflect how I feel about myself specifically during my teenage years. Julian, on the other hand, is brash and braggadocios. Not to mention loud, and most times, his mouth operates without properly consulting his brain first. These characteristics are also like me. Even the idea of him rebelling against his family ideals is indicative of my own brazen and defiant nature during my teenage years. He also uses informal language with everyone other than his father to emphasize the fact that he tries to be “cool” with a “devil-may-care” attitude. Whereas Rome is more the internal example of how I felt as a teen, Julian more closely resembles my physical appearance during those years. Finally, the spatial linking that the two share as Synergist Knight and Master Dragon is a metaphor for how my two personalities differ and interact inside my head. LOL. Seems funny to really say it out loud, but the idea of splitting the sides of my personality into two characters was an idea I wanted to explore since the earliest days of my writing.”

What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent author, and how have you overcome them? 

“I love the creating portion of writing.  It’s easily my favorite.  I try to “create” every day, and at least, get something down that I could incorporate into my series or another series.  It’s an itch that I really try to scratch every day.  Editing is a lot tougher.  I’ve had some help with the editing over the last few years.  I’ve had family members and fans offer their services to help with up-and-coming books, which I am eternally grateful for.  As for promoting, it’s pretty much the bane of my existence.  Some people are really good at that portion, but I can’t stand it!  And I need help!”

 What do you find most rewarding about writing for middle-grade readers? 

“That’s easy!  When I hear from a parent or from another reader that they love or really like my writing.  When they identify with a character or say something like, “Character X is my favorite character because they’re just like someone I know”.  When I get that kind of feedback, it is truly awesome and make my day!  I started this whole series on a dare and a hope to get my son engaged in reading, but when a total stranger lets you know how your writing has affected them positively, man, there’s nothing better!”

How do you engage with your readers, and what has been the most memorable feedback you've received from them? 

“I really do make it a critical point to engage with EVERY one of my readers.  My fanbase is small, but strong.  I don’t do book signings or anything like that since I’m not very popular…yet?  So, social media is the best way for me to talk to readers/reviewers and get feedback.  I’ll list my socials below for anyone who wants to get in touch with me.  I promise you will not be ignored!  My fans are what keep this whole wobbly train on the tracks!”

 In what ways do you incorporate feedback or insights from your audience into your writing? 

“Good question.  Unfortunately, I don’t really.  See, I’ve had The Talisman Series “written” years in advance.  In fact, I already have Part 2 pretty much done.  I’m still pre-writing book #12, but the other 5 books are basically already first drafts.  So, one thing I realized is that once I start Part 2, that’s it.  There’s a finality to this series, and it ends with book #12.  So, recently, I figured, “let’s try something new!”  So, I brainstormed the current and pending novellas to take place in between the main installments of Part 1.  It gives me a chance to be creative still and not bring this thing to a close yet.  As far as what’s in the novellas, yeah, I did take some fan ideas into consideration.  Especially the next one I plan on putting out!”

 Which authors or books have influenced your writing the most, and why? 

“My mother dared me to write “The Search For Synergy” based off an idea we had been kicking around for a while.  She kinda pushed me to do it saying I might as well deliver on the all stuff we’d been thinking about.  And for all that brainstorming, and for being half of the reason for my existence, I thanked her on the Author Dedication page.  Other than that, I owe all my work to authors like Tolkien, Madeline L’Engle, C.S. Lewis, Piers Anthony, Robert Jordan, J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss, Shakespeare, and all the Romantic Poets.  These are what I like to read, so that’s where I draw from!”

 How do you strive to make your work distinct within the middle-grade genre?  

“I would say the inspirations that I incorporate into my books.  I like to look into mythology and legend to find inspiration for new characters.  With the elements being a major part of my series, I usually try to include one or more elements in each new character too.  Both in their names and their entire aesthetic.  Coming up with names for stuff is my all-time fave.   But I also pull from plenty of other sources including video games, anime, and historical events and people.  Most of my fans like the humor I use as well.  I guess I’m kinda funny.  My kids think so, anyways.”

 Can you share your experience with the publishing process as an independent author? What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to self-publish? 

“Hire an editor.  And work your butt off with promoters.  If you’ve got the extra money to use, I strongly suggest it.  These are professionals that can do a good job for you, and it takes that tremendous onus off your own shoulders so you can focus on the creative process.  Also, write what you like.  Don’t be something you’re not.  Readers can tell when you’re trying too hard and writing out of your comfort zone.”

 How do you navigate the marketing and promotion of your books?  

“Another fantastic question.  And I will refer to my answer for question #2.  I just wing it, man!  That’s probably why I’m so bad at it.  LOL.  I rely on fantastic collaborators (like The St. Louis Literary Review) and friends and family to edit my garbled mess of a manuscript.”

Are you working on any new projects that you can share with us? What can readers expect from you in the future? 

“So, as I mentioned, I do have the next 6 books mapped out and ready to go.  However, I think I may hold off on those.  I was hoping to have more exposure by this point, so I may wait for a year or so to release Part 2 of the series.  I also have another series planned but haven’t finished the first book yet.  For the near future, I’m going to release the other 3 novellas of Part 1 and we’ll see what goes from there.”

How do you see your writing evolving to continue engaging middle-grade readers? 

“I want to write another series that is more YA than MG.  That would be my next evolution.  My writing has always kind of mirrored my son’s age, and now that he is older, I want to start writing things a little more mature for an older audience.  Plus, YA has a much easier fan base to reach than MG.  Most of my target audience doesn’t even have email or social media.”

What advice do you have for young authors who aspire to write? 

“I know it’s cliché, but I would say I am a strong proponent of using your influences.  That way what you love will come out in your writing.  If you like stories about ghosts, write stories about ghosts.  If you watch TV shows about true crime mysteries, make your series about unsolved crimes.  Diehard romantic?  Write a romance novel!  If the coolest thing you can imagine is a boy that can secretly transform into a dragon and go on quests with a knight-in-training…..um.  Read my books!!!  And THEN go write about them.  The point is that writing can be daunting.  And if you want to make the challenge more enjoyable, then you should dabble into what you like.  It makes the climb much more agreeable and all the more rewarding once you get to the top.”

How important do you think it is for authors to read widely within their target genre? 

“I believe it is very important to expose yourself to your contemporaries.  Not only can it inspire you to something you haven’t thought of, but it also helps you notice trends if your goal is super stardom (mine is not).  I have always been a fan of Author Swaps, where I would exchange my book with another author and we give reviews of each other.  It's fun and it keeps me reading.” 

Any final comments you’d like to leave for our readers?

I want to give a huge, dragon-sized thank you to Eric at The St. Louis Literary Review for taking the time to read/review my series and also come up with these quirky and stimulating interview questions.  He’s an honorary Synergist Knight, for sure!  It’s been fantastic interacting and collaborating with The St. Louis Literary Review on all forms of social media.  I hope to continue this partnership into the future of my series and beyond.  And I wish them the best of luck with their goal of bringing good literature to the mainstream.  

Be sure and follow Brett on social media and check out his Fandom Wikipedia page below:

Instagram - @Talismanbrett

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Talismanbrett  (Don’t really use this)

Fandom Wikipedia Page - https://the-talisman-series-by-brett-salter.fandom.com/wiki/The_Talisman_Series_by_Brett_Salter_Wiki

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16878722.Brett_Salter