Author Interview "Travis Peagler"
Travis Peagler is a very unique individual, from being the youngest of seven kids, raised partially in low-income apartments on the East side of Dayton, Ohio until the age of nine. Humble beginnings growing up in a somewhat multi-racial neighborhood gave Travis an inimitable perspective on life at a very young age.
His imagination has always been his outlet. Thinking back to grade-school when he was in an uncomfortable situation or when he didn’t handle conflict well, Travis would always replay the scene again in his mind where things played out the way he wished. An innate defense mechanism he assumes. However, that’s when he discovered that he was a quick thinker and could really make up some cool stories with his wild and vivid imagination. Slowly, he began to embrace this wonderful gift of mastering words, creating stories, and make-believe characters.
Exclusive Interview
You started your writing career with screen plays and poetry, and you later transitioned to writing full-length fiction. What was the catalyst for that? What inspired you to go from writing screen plays and poetry to writing novels?
As an Indie author, you don’t have to wait for Hollywood to come knocking; you can create your own story and produce your own story so to speak. So I came up with the idea of Script Novel, where I could sort of merge worlds together, screenplays and novels.
Without giving too much away, please tell us a bit about your latest book “TREPIDATION.”
Sure, Trepidation is a story of a young man named, Tyler Smith, who is marked for death before he was born, by Satan. Chosen by God to be a child of light, Tyler begins noticing that he has supernatural abilities, given to him by God. However as Tyler comes of Age, he slowly gives way to many temptations that any normal teenage boy would, and as a result his abilities are hindered. But when Tyler discovers he’s being haunted in a sense, by an elite dark angel, he must reclaim his faith, if he wants to survive.
You're a native of Dayton, Ohio, correct? Do you think growing up in the inner city has an impact on your writing style? If so, tell us how?
Yes, you can call it inner city, but ironically my inner city neighborhood was diverse. Normally inner cities are mostly all black, at least the Westside of Dayton was, but I grew up on the Eastside of Dayton, OH. Good question also, as I ponder, I would say yes, it did have an impact on my writing. Growing up in a diverse apartment complex, I got a chance to see how different people lived, white, black, Asian and even Jewish. My early outlook on life was molded by that experience.
It’s so common for readers to believe that novelists pull material from their own lives. In your book, the main character Tyler has to make some very tough decisions about both his personal life. Can you talk about how much (if any) material you harvested from your own personal life experiences?
Even though we didn’t have much growing up, my childhood was so amazing, that most of my stories, the main character either is a young boy or the character starts out as a young boy. But with that being said, all the characters are different, like looking through a kaleidoscope but seeing a different image each time. So yes, Tyler’s character and some of his experiences were my own. But in many of my other stories, there’s no correlation.
Is there a message you want your readers to take away from your book?
Yes, be sure you believe what you believe with all your heart about God, life, faith, evil and etc. To further explain, many of us spend our lives looking for success and to be accepted, but don’t give much thought about the afterlife. This world and life in which we live, could all end in a blink of an eye, and many have already transcended into the after.
As an author, what would you say were the three biggest struggles you faced while writing your book(s) and how did you overcome them?
The rewrites, since writing this original some of my best mates has passed on, in which I shared many of my supernatural encounters with them. But at the same time, I know they would be thrilled and excited.
What’s the most surprising thing you learned about yourself as a person while you were writing your book(s)?
I discovered how deep, vast and immense my imagination is, realizing that I only got a glimpse of the surface. Also, I recognize that having a wonderful imagination is a gift many people don’t have. Some people can only see what’s in front of them, and don’t have the vision to explore beyond what the eye can see.
On a more personal note: Tell us a little about your “real” (non-writing) life — family, job, hobbies, etc.
I’m a military veteran; I’ve been married for 14 years now and with two kids. I’ve worked in the finance field for over 12 years, with a Bachelors Degree in Accounting. For fun, working out on occasion, trying to fall in love with it again 😊. Watching movies with my wife and kids. I enjoy showing them classics from the 80s.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors who may be reading this?
Tell your stories the way you want. Free and unhinged yourself from all the bias of the world, your own self persecution and write.
Where can readers connect with you or buy your book(s) online?
My website, TravisPeagler.com, and my books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
A Supernatural Religious Horror Novel
It’s always been said that man fears what he doesn’t understand. Ignorance of not knowing the truth and beginning of all things comes with a price. Therefore, many fall victim to the everlasting carnage of a spiritual battle that is unseen. Once a child of light, Tyler is seduced into a world of evil and dark figures as the beauty of one girl blinds and dulls his Godly intuition.
Unleashed from the loud cracklings of Hell, Legion, an elite dark angel, ascends to the earth. Commissioned by his Dark Lord Lucifer to claim the souls of infidels, Legion finds it tempting to claim the soul of Tyler; a one-time young Christian prodigy who's now fallen by the wayside.
If Legion wants to ascend and be promoted to the highest amongst his dark ranks, he must consume a child of light. With untapped supernatural abilities of his own, will Tyler be able to fend off Legion and his horde of internal-dwelling demons, or will he be easily consumed like many before him, and perish with no solace?