By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — It is the curse of an aspiring author: the plotline taking up residence in their head, consuming every spare thought that they have. For the lucky ones, the story will flow freely onto the page; for others, it’s a struggle.
First-time author Ryan Tyler Palmer’s inspiration to get his words out of his imagination and into book form came from a friend in a difficult situation.
“When my best friend became sick with a currently incurable disease during the writing process, it drove me with a passionate intensity to finish this book,” Palmer said. “This raw emotion helped me create an amazing ending that had a special meaning for me and hopefully inspires the readers as well.”
Palmer’s book is a post-apocalyptic science fiction tale called “The Age of Armageddon: The Spirit of Krynn.” It takes place in the year 2525 where mankind is recovering from near extinction. A war has been waged between the forces of good and evil. Barbarian prince Anvol Krynn joins forces with two accomplices to do battle with a set of demon brothers and restore life as it should be. According to Palmer, Krynn’s secret weapon is something we all have surging inside of us, undying spirit.
“The characters in the book have personalities birthed from my own feelings and experiences,” Palmer explained. “Krynn becomes a superhero at the end of the book, and it all comes from human spirit. He uses the driving force in all of us as his weapon against evil.”
When the writing was finished and it came time to figure out how to get the book published, Palmer found his best resource was the Internet. He subscribed to WritersMarket.com for guidance on finding the right publisher and distributor.
Aimed at a mid- to late-teen and adult audience, “The Spirit of Krynn” is published by Author Bomb Books and distributed by Ingram Content Group Inc.
Palmer also found an illustrator for the book on the Web. Independent artist Steven James Catizone provided the artwork for the cover.
With the absence of any bookstores in the Caribou area, Palmer will be relying almost exclusively on the Internet for distribution of the book, which he believes is the future of book buying.
“Where do you go to get a book?” Palmer asked. “Bookstores will eventually go out of business. It’s not that books have disappeared, it’s just become a different distribution genre in the last couple of years.”
Palmer wrote “The Spirit of Krynn” with the intention of it being the first in an “Armageddon” series. He would like to see Krynn become a comic book character with movies and video games based on him as well.
At 31, Palmer currently lives in Caribou with his girlfriend, Buffy Taylor, and their 4-year-old son, Charlie. Palmer also has a 9-year old son, Jacob.
“I need to thank Buffy for her help with all of this,” Palmer said.
“The Spirit of Krynn” was released on April 15. It is available for order at amazon.com and goodreads.com, a division of Amazon. It will also be stocked wherever Ingram books are sold.
The digital version of the book will be ready for download on Wednesday, May 1. An excerpt from “Krynn” can be found at ryantylerpalmer.wordpress.com.
