Immersion by Larry Maley

It is difficult to say when the Immersion happened. There is little doubt as to where it began. It was in a village. Despite an impoverished life, the village held a community. A community that was rich in the love of life and each other. People that worked together to ensure that all were fed and taken care of. Some would say these conditions are the essence of an IMMERSION.

Mik and his friends are at that age when the future looks infinite in all its possibilities. Life in the Village has never seemed so good. This year they attend the county fair as adults. But there is a world outside that cares little for the country people and their yearly celebrations of life together. A world where monsters prey on innocents. A world of evil.

In the aftermath of the destruction of their world, 10 refugees struggle to stay alive. But the Immersion has happened, and they have a greater role yet to play…

Audiobooks Today)  You seem to be a fan of fantasy and science fiction. When did you start reading and writing?

Larry Maley)  Well, like many fans of fantasy, my journey began with JRR Tolkien. I read it the first time in 9^th grade after seeing the Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin cartoon version of The Hobbit. Not long after I was indoctrinated into D&D and many other fantasy role playing games… I became a full-fledged nerd. I tried my hand at writing in the 90’s. But back then getting published was difficult. Today with the Indie route things have changed, so I decided to try again. 

AT) Can you describe Immersion?

LM) Immersion is the story about good people helping each other. Many stories today thrive on conflicts between the main protagonists. I believe that the most memorable stories are focused on great relationships between characters. Immersion is about ten such young adults that see each other through the worst times in their lives. It is set in a medieval world with a magic system that has a purpose. The reader learns about the magic, or mana, as the characters do. It's about that growth, and the growth of their friendship and love for each other.

AT) The narrator is excellent. Where did you find him? From auditions on ACX?

LM)  I feel that I am so lucky to have David Pickering as my audio narrator. I went through Audible ACX audition app. And I got to say I had so many talented applicants making the choice was driving me crazy. I had narrowed to ten. On the day I was going to pick, in pops a new audition. I listened and knew that this was the guy.

AT) It used to be that indies were not given many reviews by the major media. Now it seems to depend on number of clicks. What are your thoughts on promotion and the state of reading today?

LM) I am lost in this whole indie promotion process. I have read to books and many blogs about promoting and marketing as an Indie. Mostly I want to just write the remaining two books I have planned for this series. But I am realizing that’s just not possible. Finding ways to beat the algorithms itself is a full-time job… and it muddles my head when I all I want to do is develop stories. 

AT)  Publishers decry the amount of junk that comes across their desks, so it’s always good to find something good amid the maze. What’s next for you? 

LM) The day I started Immersion with the line ‘It is difficult to say when the Immersion happened.’ I was struggling with the idea of closing my Audible membership and clinging to the small library I had amassed over the years. It had been getting more difficult to find a book I enjoy. So, I thought ‘if you think you can do better… just do it. I don’t know that I did do better than the average book on audible today. Opinions will vary. I just know I wrote a book that the 9th grade me would have loved. After he read The Lord of the Rings of course.

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