Dragon Soul Press requested to interview John Renehan after his recent book release of Tales of the Enchanted Realm.

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1. What prompted you to begin writing?
   • For that we have to travel back. A good long 24 years ago I was travelling on a field trip for my
     school where we came upon this very old cottage ruin, which is a photography favourite for the
     locals of the area. I found it so utterly enchanting as it is surrounded by a small wooded area
     with bushels and flowers and with the afternoon sun dancing through the trees, I was
     captivated. As I always held a vivid imagination I let my mind wander as to exactly who lived in
     that ruin. Instead of it being some run down cottage I pictured it the ruins of a once proud
     castle, and when I returned home I immediately began to draw and write about the castle I had
     imagined from that little place, which grew into kingdoms and vast lands filled with magic and
     wonder. This began my love for creating my own fantasy worlds and 24 years later, that little
     cottage became a world filled with fairytales and legends.
2. Do you have a favorite story you’ve written? What’s it about?
   • A challenging question! I adore all of my stories in their own way. They all have a piece of my
     heart in them and all with their own lessons to teach. However if I must pick only one, it would
     be the Tale Of The Servant Prince, which is a humorous fable about a Prince who loves a poor
     servant girl and wishes to marry her, and so to “make her worthy” of his father’s approval he
     makes at a wish to turn her into a Princess. This results in them “changing places” as she
     becomes the princess and he is turned into a lowly servant. It’s a charming story about
     humbleness and that true love is about seeing one another as equal.
3. How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
   • I have 4 books planned in total, unless I decide to write more. My second book that is
     coming this year is another collection of fairytales, while the other two will be novels.
     One of my oldest story ideas; a book named The Star Tower, will be one of the novels,
     which I am very excited to complete. It has many characters I invented years ago and
     I’m very happy to finally put their tale onto paper.
4. What is your writing process like?
   • I always first write my tales by hand. I’m quite old fashioned and its always satisfying to pen
     these little stories on paper. Sometimes they will too include sketches and notes alongside to
     help me visualize all the little oddities and quirks of my world.
5. Where do you draw inspiration from?
   • Being from an Irish background, Celtic fairytales and fairies have always had a special place in
     my heart. This is what primarily inspired my desire to write my own folktales and tell my own
     stories. I also grew up reading Aesop, Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen, those
     stories and their writing styles always delighted me and I still read them to this day.
6. Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
   • Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm would be my favourite authors alongside
     J.R.R. Tolkien. My favourite books are Robin Hood, The Lord Of The Rings, and A Treasury Of
     Irish Fairy and Folk Tales.
7. What is one goal you have for your writing future?
   • I don’t tend to set myself large goals, all I want is for my books to be enjoyed and perhaps
     lessons learned from the tales within them. My recent goal is to have all my fairytales put
     together and completed, and perhaps put into a beautiful leatherbound book.
8. What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
   • I want my readers to remember that magic is real. It may not always be easy to find, but it is
     there. You just need to know how to look. Magic and wonder are so very important. I hope that
     my readers feel enchanted and can escape to my magical world and be delighted by that place
     that means so much to me.
9. Where can readers learn more about you?
   • Currently I’m just on Facebook and Instagram!