As much as I enjoy reading sci-fi and horror, I have to say that fantasy is my favorite. Perhaps it's because I can't write science fiction or horror well myself. Anyway, I'm always looking for new fantasy novels to read for inspiration in my own writing.
One attraction for me is the opportunity to encounter new worlds and evolve with them as the novel progresses. I also like the idea that what science dismisses as impossible magic makes only improbable or highly difficult. I found these two features in the world of the Watershed Trilogy.
I thought I was reading a new author. Surprise, surprise! I found myself reading an author I'd read before in a different, bestselling series. Here, to commemorate the posting of my review of War of Three Waters, the concluding novel of the Watershed Trilogy, is my interview with author Douglas Niles!
The interview that follows comes from e-mail messages sent back and forth between myself and Mr. Niles. I've filtered the interview down somewhat, but all with his approval. Enjoy!--XS
Note: images depicted here are used with permission from Amazon.com.

XS: Let's start at the beginning. First, is "Douglas Niles" your real name?

DN: Douglas Niles is my own name, and there was never a question in my mind that I should use it when I first started writing fiction.

XS: What are your feelings about using a pen name?

DN: I realize that sometimes they serve a useful purpose--such as to allow a bunch of different writers to write for a specific line--

XS: Such as "Franklin W. Dixon" and the Hardy Boys line, or "Carolyn Keene" and the Nancy Drew series?

DN: Or the "Nick Carter" stories. As I was saying, for a specific line or to allow a writer to break into a new genre.

XS: Does that mean that you might use a pen name at some point in your career?

DN: If I was to try to write a mystery series, I might consider a pen name, since my name as a fantasy author might actually be a liability. If the author is just trying to mask responsibility for the work through a false name, however...I find that a little questionable.

XS: What was your family life like as you were growing up?

DN: My family life was very typical suburban American...the suburbs of Milwaukee, in my case. I'm the oldest child, my parents are still married and we get along with each other. Real "Leave It to Beaver" stuff.

XS: Who was the biggest influence on your life as you grew up?

DN: I would have to say my parents, especially my dad. I have always had tremendous respect for him, and he showed me by example how to be a good person. On the one hand, I'm very different from him...he's a solidly grounded science-oriented engineer who relates to facts much more than fiction, never drinks alcohol, and is quite content to be at home with his books and workshop. I've never excelled at science, like literature, and tend to party a bit.

XS: I never much liked--much less excelled--at science myself. Tell me, what are your views on education?

DN: I'm all for it. Actually, I got my college degree (University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh) as a teacher, and worked for five years teaching English/drama/speech in high school. I liked the work and the students, and would probably still be doing it, if not for getting the chance to do my hobby for a living. My wife is a special ed teacher, and I'm hoping that my kids go to college. I think it's a shame that education doesn't get more respect in this country. Personally, I had some real inspiration from high school English teachers, who allowed me to write things that I was interested in, and gave me the encouragement to keep at it.

XS: That's the best kind of teacher. Well, then, have you held any other postions besides being a writer and a teacher?

DN: As I mentioned, I was trained as a teacher (1977-1982). I left teaching to work for TSR, Inc. as a game desinger, and I left that position in 1990 to begin working as a free-lance writer. I still do some (free-lance) game design, something like one project a year, though most of my writing is fiction, novels and a few short stories.

XS: What is your family life like now?

DN: I am happily married (20th anniversary this summer) with a 16-year old daughter, Allison, and an 11-year old son, David. We live in a house in the country (my wife's and my "dream house," though my daughter thinks it's much too far away from town and all her friends). I'm fortunate to be with my family a lot, since I work at home. I do most of the cooking, coach my son's Little League team, and try to stay up late wondering when my daughter will get home (she's been driving for about 3 months). During the school year, I do a lot of the housework, but in summer my wife does that since I'm still working and she's on vacation from school.

XS: Where is home for you?

DN: I live in rural Delavan, a small city in Walworth County, Wisconsin...which is adjacent to the Illinois border, in the southeast part of the state. We're about an hour from Milwaukee and Madison, two hours from Chicago. The nearest larger city is Janesville, a half-hour away (where my wife teaches).

XS: "Rural," huh? What's your house like?

DN: My house was designed by my father and myself, and is located on 5 acres of hilly woods. The whole area is very hilly, as this is the "kettle moraine"--the mounds of dirt, now forested, left when the last Ice Age glacier receded about 10,000 years ago.

XS: Wow, that must make for a lot of inspiring landscape. Tell me, what sort of awards and accomplishments have you achieved?

DN: I am proud to have won the H.G. Wells/Origins Awards for some of my game designs, including two versions of an Advanced Dungeons and Dragons miniatures rules set called "Battlesystem", and for boardgames based on Tom Clancy novels, Hunt for Red October and Red Storm Rising. As to achievements, I am very proud of some of my books--the Watershed trilogy is right at the top of the list. Also, one game I have designed (World War II--European Theatre of Operations), although currently out of print, gives me a great deal of pleasure. I think it's the definitive boardgame on the topic, and I still play it once or twice a year. I enjoy getting correspondence from players around the world who also like that game.

XS: Let's see now. You've written fantasy novels. What other genres do you prefer to--or would like to--work with?

DN: My favorite kind of fiction falls under the broad category of adventure. I would, in fact, like to break out of the pure fantasy genre. I especially like military history.

XS: Hence the game?

DN: Indeed. I also like the thriller genre, as in Robert Ludlum and Tom Clancy.

XS: Which authors--past or present--do you turn to for inspiration?

DN: As I mentioned, Ludlum and Clancy are two of my favorites. I like the military history stories of Bernard Cornwell (Napoleonic wars, US Civil War, even a new Arthurian series). I love the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. I like the Aubrey/Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brien. As far as modern settings, I think Carl Hiaasen is writing some of the most entertaining fiction out there today.

XS: Do you find inspiration elsewhere?

DN: Aside from fiction in general--including movies, of course--I look in real life. The Watershed series, for example, was inspired when I visited my sister, who was living in Switzerland. In conversation with her and some friends, a fellow remarked that Switzerland was the watershed of Europe, since rivers rise there that flow into the widely separated Mediterranean, Black, and North seas. In most cases there isn't a "lightning strikes" kind of epiphany, but then and there I started to think of the possibilities of geographical watersheds in forming the framing of a fantasy world.

XS: That's a very interesting point you make. I think I'd like to explore it, but later. What drew you towards writing? What motivated you to enter this profession?

DN: My motivations, I think, come from my imagination. I've always liked reading, and when I've had boring and solitary jobs (paper route, work in a plastics factory), I always used to make up stories as a way of entertaining myself. Getting to write them down and have them published is like a dream job for me!

XS: I wish I was so lucky. When is the best time for you to write?

DN: I do most of my writing in the morning. With my wife and kids involved in a school schedule, I get them breakfast and out of the house, and then settle down to start work. In summer, for obvious reasons, my schedule gets a little less regular.

XS: I can imagine. I know that even fantasy novels require some research. Do you find the research process boring and tedious, or are there redeeming factors to it that make it tolerable, even enjoyable?

DN: Research is fun, if you like the topic. When I did a fantasy series based on the Aztec mythos, I enjoyed traveling to Mexico and visiting pyramids, museums, etc. For the most part, I read things that I find relevant to the work at hand.

XS: Maybe that's my problem: I need to like the topic I'm researching. Oh, well. Did you take any creative writing classes during your time at the university?

DN: One of my biggest regrets is that I didn't take advantage of the college education opportunities I had to prepare myself for a writing career. I did take a lot of classes/independent studies in high school, but in college I was too focused on preparing for a "real job," and I didn't allow myself to consider that I might be doing this for a living someday.

XS: I think you've done well for yourself without the classes. Has writing become easier or more difficult for you?

DN: The answer is both. The techniques of writing have become easier, I think...things are second nature now that I used to have to work on. The inspiration, however, becomes harder, except in those cases where I'm working on something that really gets my juices flowing--as the Watershed books did.

XS: What sort of problems have you run into when you were writing?

DN: There are times when it's really hard to sit down and get to work, due to reasons that I've never really figured out...I like my job, I like the stuff I'm writing, but with no one to crack the whip over me, I guess I tend to procrastinate. Getting involved in reading a good book can set me back a few days! I find it hard to write if I have a cold or something, and computer problems can be really demoralizing.

XS: Don't I know it! Could you tell me what you've written and published so far?

DN: I'll try. I wrote the Moonshae, Maztica, and Druidhome Trilogies for the Forgotten Realms series. I also wrote two short stories for that line, The Lord of Lowhill and The First Moonwell.

XS: I'm afraid I haven't read those yet. I'm still discovering the Forgotten Realms novels.

DN: I've written several novels for the Dragonlance series as well. Let's see. The Kinslayer War, Emperor of Ansalon, The Kagonesti, The Dragons, Fistandantilus Reborn, and The Last Thane I wrote on my own. I co-authored Flint, the King with Mary Kirchoff. I've also written several short stories for the line.

XS: Now I know I've read all of those. I've read most of the Dragonlance novels. I just finished The Last Thane today (7/23).

DN: I also wrote Pawns Prevail and Suitors Duel for the TSR, Inc., Quest trilogy and Immortal Game for TSR, Inc. There's also Rod of Seven Parts. You know about the Watershed Trilogy.

XS: Indeed: A Breach in the Watershed, Darkenheight, and War of Three Waters. That's quite a list there! Are there any works you regret submitting?

DN: Not that I can think of...the Maztica trilogy didn't do very well commercially, and some people seemed to think I was trying to disguise, or even "rip off", the story of Cortez and the Aztecs as a fantasy. I do regret that misunderstanding; in fact, I was trying to show that the epic of those conquistadores was very much like a fantasy adventure, and I set out to retell the historical tale, with magic and active gods added. It must have seemed kind of "foreign"; my guess is that fantasy readers want to read about dragons and castles for the most part.

XS: Well, I wouldn't go that far. Now, let's talk about the Watershed Trilogy. You mentioned earlier where you found inspiration for the trilogy. Did the fact that the Black Sea was one of the bodies of water touched in this world affect the color of one of the waters in that world, namely, the black water, Darkblood?

DN: Actually, the "Black" Sea was not relevant to the process. It was more that I wanted three distinct types of lquid, and the breakdown of magic, mundane, and poison seemed only natural.

XS: How did you create all your characters? That is, how did you choose the names for all the different types of Faerine and minions? Well, the Faerines are fairly obvious--sylph to sylvan--but what about kroak, or brutox, or terrion?

DN: Halverica is very much like Switzerland, as you might have noticed...chalets, flowers, alps, etc. Carrillon was drawn from the inspiration of the utopian knightly city, Camelot being one strong example. The monster names and features I tried to make original, with a built-in heirarchy because of the military nature of the Sleepstealer's minions. I was particularly pleased with the non-magical but effective camouflage of the terrions, and the sparking brutox.

XS: The Lord Minions are truly frightening creatures. What inspired you to create not three, but five of them?

DN: The extra Lords were inspired by a theme that ran through the whole book...that is, that I wanted this to feel like a world with a deep, rich, tumultuous history. To that end, I wanted tales of legend, stories of great events that were long in the past, but still had an effect on current events. The deaths of two Lord Minions were perfect for this role.

XS: Have you imagined what the two dead ones--Balzaracc and Karthakan--looked like?

DN: I did have some vague idea of what they were like, though the details escape me now.

XS: Were Nicodareous, Phalthak, and Reaper supposed to represent particular aspects of evil, or were they simply all evil but at varying levels of power?

DN: They all drew on general aspects of evil, though I tried to distinguish them. Phalthak was the weakest, because he was supid and gluttonous. Nicodareus was clever and powerful, but doomed by his own ambition. Reaper, in the end, fared the best, because he was shrewd enough to allow the others' foibles--and his own master's fatal weakness--to bring them all down.

XS: Kalland the snow lion appeared in A Breach in the Watershed, but went back to the wild in Darkenheight. I'm still not sure, so could you explain his role in the whole story? Say, was he meant to be a link to the later story about the creation of the Guardians?

DN: I had orginally thought that Kalland might accompany Rudy through the books (he was in the rough draft of Darkenheight), but as the story developed, I realized I was forcing events too much by having him there. It turned out that the big guy was a liability, so I finally had him returning to the life he was born to live.

XS: Speaking of the Guardians, why wait until the last book to fully reveal their creation story?

DN: It just happened that that's the way I portioned out the backstory. The Guardians were unique, I thought, and provided good flavor, but the real source of their motivation didn't become crucial until the end. At that point, I needed to explain the "why" behind their behavior.

XS: Okay, I'm sightly confused. Humans can ingest Aura and Darkblood with varying effects and levels of success. I think Faerines can drink water without distress, but why can't minions survive in water? That is, I guess water only makes Faerines uncomfortable, but it seems to be deadly to the minions. Is it because they were so wholly evil?

DN: In fact, to most humans Darkblood is as venomous as water is to a minion...those two liquids are as close to opposite as any of the three. There are exceptions going both ways, but remember that Rudy and Raine were not mere humans when they survived in Darkblood.

XS: Okay. You concluded the series on a fairly significant note, namely the destruction of Dassadec's link to the world, forcing him to finally depart. However, Reaper remained. Does this mean you'll be revisiting the world of the Watershed? And why Reaper, whom we scarcely know?

DN: There's always a chance I'll go back there, though I have nothing currently planned in that direction. Reaper is left because I didn't think it was possible (or desireable) to eradicate all evil from the world. Yet Nicodareus was set up as the main villain, so I felt that he had to get his just desserts in the end. Too, I wanted Rudy and Raine to triumph in their ultimate quest. That left Reaper.

XS: What was the most enjoyable thing about writing this trilogy?

DN: On a specific level, the two big battle scenes in Darkenheight were a lot of fun to write, and--if I may say so myself--I think came out as really dramatic examples of fantastic military sagas. More generally, seeing the whole work in its completion, and hearing from people who have enjoyed reading the books, are very satisfying experiences. I like to think that the Watershed was a "watershed" in my own writing career. I had never tried anything this ambitious before, and I'm very proud of the way it turned out. The fact that I have been getting positive responses from readers is very gratifying and encourages me to try to do even better with my next fantasy series, the "Seven Circles".

XS: Are you working on anything else besides this new series?

DN: I continue to write for the Dragonlance series published by TSR, Inc. (now owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.). You've read The Last Thane. The Puppet King will come out in late winter/early spring next year. My World War II alternate history novel written with Michael Dobson, Fox on the Rhine, is well under way. The book will be written by the end of this year, and will come out something like a year later.

XS: What are your plans beyond these projects?

DN: Since I'm just starting the "Seven Circles" projects and will be working on it for the next 3-4 years, I haven't made many plans beyond that point. If Fox on the Rhine is successful, however, I would like to write additional alternate history novels.

XS: Do you feel you are where you want to be?

DN: I have a number of goals that I would like to reach, including a New York Times bestseller, and enough financial security that I don't have to sweat the bills as much as it seems like I do now.

XS: Any concluding remarks?

DN: Thanks for the chance to explain myself a bit.

I hope you enjoyed learning more about this outstanding author. I know I did. He's given me permission to post his e-mail address here, so here it is. You can reach him at dniles@pensys.com. And, don't forget to read my reviews of the Watershed Trilogy novels. You can find A Breach in the Watershed, Darkenheight, and War of Three Waters in the Archive. You can also purchase these books via the Cosmic Tome Bazaar in association with Amazon.com.

Comments? Suggestions? Just click here to send me e-mail.
Also, if this interview prompted you to read some of Douglas Niles' works, then let me know. I appreciate knowing I made a difference in somebody's life.

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