What is your book all about?
The Anteater King. Ulprec the mouse and his best friend Sombra the cat are driven from their village in South America by La Quema. A strange, destructive force consuming the entire continent and its inhabitants. The pair of friends are forced to survive in the jungle as Ulprec tries to discover a way to stop “the Burning.” Along the way, the two make new friends… and enemies.
What inspired you to write the book?
I wanted to write a book similar to Watership Down – something that appeared on its face to be cute and friendly as a result of the fuzzy, quirky cast of characters. Yet, when the reader dives in, they realize very quickly that the book is scary, even a bit violent.
What is your target audience for the book?
My natural response is to say 13+, but my 9-year-old listened to the entire audiobook (and liked it). I watched the animated Watership Down movie when I was about the same age. I would never push The Anteater King on someone under the age of 12 or 13, but if we’re being honest, kids today are exposed to some messed up stuff being constantly plugged into the internet. Doubt a few fires and some violence is going to keep many of them up at night.
What do you hope readers could get out from your book?
A distraction from reality. To give people something they can immerse themselves in and allow their minds to be spirited away on an adventure. I’m not making some sly attempt at a book sale when I tell you that, unless you refuse to read fiction, this book is a win/win.
My wife and son enjoyed it, my seventy-year-old neighbor and her teenage granddaughter enjoyed it, my friend who brews beer enjoyed it, my coworker who is a former felon enjoyed it. The story is not terribly complex, but the book is by no means predictable. It’s a 2–3-hour investment that you won’t forget. If you’re even remotely into audiobooks, I cannot stress this enough: the audiobook is absolutely the way to go.
What are your future goals/plans for the book?
Making enough money to quit my 9-5 job would be pretty solid. A movie adaptation would be awesome. To be honest, I just want people to give The Anteater King a chance. As far as plans go, pretty much every waking moment not occupied by my full-time job or my family is spent marketing this book, connecting with other authors, doing social media, etc. I’m doing everything in my power to get this book out there.
And something more about yourself.
I’m from New Jersey. Married with two kids. A horrible high-school student, college dropout, tech school dropout. I started playing piano at 7, trumpet at 9, guitar at 11, drums at 14, lots of vocal work along the way. Until about the age of 30, I wanted nothing more than to be a musician. Once in a blue moon, I’ll get together with my pals and jam, but I’ve largely given up music (and every other hobby) in lieu of writing.
My first book was kind of an accident. I started writing some ideas down for a dark sequel to Alice in Wonderland. A few ideas became a few chapters, and before I knew it, I was Googling self-publishing companies. After one more similar novella, I started writing the Book of Deathly Anagrams. A collection of four novellas and one 90,000-word novel. The Anteater King is the second book in the collection.
I study demonology, occultism (study, NOT practice), religious theology. I’ve read every exorcism book out there.
My all-time favorite book is Carmilla.
My favorite authors are HP Lovecraft, F Paul Wilson, Dan Simmons, Stephen Leather, Hideyuki Kikuchi and Clive Barker.
The Anteater King by William Burkhardt – Audiobook – Audible.com
Great article!