The Lily Cafe is thrilled to welcome author Brian Coggins Jr., here to talk a bit about his debut fantasy novel, The Olympus Trinity. If you enjoy Greek mythology and love stories about family, this might just be for you, so read on to find out more about the book and author.
Title: The Olympus Trinity
Author: Brian Coggins Jr.
Publication date: April 11, 2022
Publisher: Self-published
Genre: Fantasy
How much would you sacrifice to protect your family when everything isn’t enough? This epic fantasy adventure will take you on a journey following the Greek Gods and the original Olympus Trinity.
Zeus, the King of the Gods, fears no man, being, or anything of nature in the universe except one thing . . . the loss of family. Opposed to the cruel ways of his vicious father, Kronos, Zeus has strived endlessly in instilling the traditions his mother Rhea taught to him—Family is Everything. In spite of all his protection over his children, destiny ignores no one.
When a mysterious figure comes to his home, Zeus discreetly turns to his reticent brother Hades, God of the Underworld, for answers. Unfortunately, the rebellious and uncontrollable Ocean God, Poseidon, seeks for the answers his way that collides the troubled lives of the forefathers.
Needing to cast aside their differences, the Olympus Trinity must work together if they are to unravel the threads of a perilous mystery of their past.
Welcome, Brian, and thank you so much for being here to chat a little about The Olympus Trinity.
To start, what made you want to write The Olympus Trinity? What drew you to the story?
I have always been intrigued by Greek mythology ever since high school. But what drew me the most was I wanted to create a fresh take on the Greek gods. There is such a distinguished history behind Greek mythology that people know and love and I just wanted to allow myself to create a more realistic and relatable story of characters for audiences to emotionally draw to while still maintaining action packed sequences full of love and humor.
I’d say you did a fantastic job! I noticed your fresh new take on it right away and really loved it. I love the sci-fi setting and the family focus, but some liberties are taken with the stories. Is there a reason behind it?
Yes. I wanted the audience to be able to relate with godly figures and understand the challenges they go through in a way that can connect emotionally with you. And in doing so, design a unique family oriented version of these powerful beings that you usually don’t get to see.
That’s true; we really don’t get a good feel of the Greek gods being a family. The Olympus Trinity certainly presents something very different. Do you have a favorite myth or god? How did that impact the way you wrote your book?
Zeus. Without question for me. With him being the youngest, behind Poseidon and Hades, there is a unique blend of humanized challenges of maintaining and balancing his personal relationships with duties as a king. So I really wanted to represent that in the sense of the youngest sibling learning from their older brother’s mistakes while still walking his own path and conceiving his own unique adventure, both mentally and physically.
How would you best describe The Olympus Trinity?
Family is Everything. Even in our darkest moments the people you call family will always be there for you.
I love everything about that. It’s such an important message. What do you hope readers will take away from it?
The value of family and love. It is the quintessential theme of my story. I wanted to showcase that your personal journey in life, good or bad, will shape you into the individual you become.
The family piece really struck me, and was probably my favorite part of your novel. Speaking of favorites, which one of your characters is your favorite? Which character was the hardest to write? I also love how well and how much the gods’ powers were utilized. Which power was the most fun to write?
Poseidon was hands down my favorite character to write. He has never been portrayed like this before and I loved the challenge of balancing his rage and the why to his actions in the story.
As far as the hardest character to write, I would have to say it was Hades. What made it difficult was his notorious history in Greek mythology. He’s always been showcased as this villainous character and I wanted to go more along the lines of him being a misunderstood god. I felt I was going to have to go against the grain in a sense of how we created his personality and character.
My favorite power set to write was Hades’ because of how much fun me and my co-creator Giancarlo had. We just kept coming up with numerous scenes and imagining all the different things he is truly capable of with his ability to toy and manipulate souls at his will.
It was really fantastic to get a different kind of Hades. What was your favorite part of writing The Olympus Trinity? What was the hardest part?
Oh boy. If I had to pinpoint a particular part of the book that was my favorite it would certainly have to be creating Poseidon’s rage scene on the planet Beravic. And to be fair, probably one of the most dark humor things I’ve ever written!
As for the hardest part to write I would say it was this special scene where two of my characters are reconciling their differences. I only say that because it was based on real life events for me and it was very personal yet difficult to see.
Thanks for sharing a bit about The Olympus Trinity! Let’s turn to you. How have you done during the pandemic? Has it inspired any part of your writing?
It was challenging mentally, but I was given more time to focus on the characters and become more deeply rooted emotionally in their personalities and journey in the story.
Why do you write? What do you love about it?
Cash rules everything around me. Cream, Dollar Dollar Bill y’all. (Wu-tang hand gesture) No I’m joking. I love to write because I want to showcase the real me. I tend to joke and have a lot of fun but storytelling is in my DNA. I love the beauty behind our everyday life’s journey, even with all the obstacles and trials you go through, you can always prosper and experience happiness and joy.
I can absolutely see that in your novel. What’s your writing routine? How do you plan your stories? How long does it take you to write a novel?
My writing routine is to create a very detailed outline of the book I’m making. Once I have that, I can focus on each scene in the outline in its entirety and not get lost in the chapters ahead or the events that happen later on in the story because I already have it mapped out.
It took me about 6-7 months to write the book in its entirety due to immense historical research and character profile studying.
That sounds impressive! For some, taking the leap to publish is a huge one. Was that true of you?
Very much so because what Giancarlo and I created was finally coming to fruition and on display for the world to see. It has been such an incredible journey to get there, so seeing that come to life was amazing.
I’m very glad you took that leap! The Olympus Trinity is a truly fresh take on Greek mythology and the heart of your novel is really wonderful. Where do you get your inspiration from?
My inspiration comes from my personal journey and experiences. But this book in particular was to showcase my grandmother’s love.
Grandmothers are so special. Which author or authors would you compare your novel or your writing to? Are there any authors or books in particular you love?
I hate to compare myself to anyone else because I feel we are all unique in our own way but if I had to compare myself it would be Dan Brown. I love his “Da Vinci Code” series and how he drops the audience right into the story, hitting the ground running out the gate.
Finally, Is there a question you’ve always wanted to be asked in an author interview and how would you answer it?
I would have to say, “How much impact do you think this book will have on your audience?”
I would answer that with I hope this book impacts you all emotionally and how there is true beauty in our differences. But only the individual can answer that by going through their own journey reading.
Thank you so much, Brian! It was wonderful to get to know you and The Olympus Trinity a little better!
About Brian Coggins Jr.
Brian Coggins Jr. is not only a science fiction and epic fantasy nerd but loves reinventing stories about Greek mythology and history. Writing has always been a pathway to another world for Brian as his inspiration for character development and intricate mystery plots flourished from his time in film school in Orlando, Florida. He is trying to create an exclusive fulfilling reading experience that indulges your imagination and dives you into a complex, action adventure universe full of diverse characters.
When Brian isn’t writing, he is spending time with his friends and family, traveling with his wife, or doing house chores that his wife tells him he never gets to.
Connect with Brian Coggins Jr.
Purchase The Olympus Trinity
The Olympus Trinity is available in digital, paperback, and hardback.
Thank you so much, Brian!
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