Q&A With S.A. Schneider 

Mickey Mikkelson connected me with S.A. Schneider to do this Q&A discussing his fantasy series The Town Magician Series. The two books in his series so far are Embracing The Magic, & its sequel Transgression Of Magic. 

Q: S.A. welcome to Book Notions! Would you please give a brief description of both of your books in your series? Where did the ideas for the stories and characters come from?

A: The Town Magician series started as a short story that I wrote so I’d have something for a local Wizarding World festival. That short story grew to 2 books published with 2 more planned and several related short stories. There’s the possibility of a couple other books, but we’ll see.

The idea for the story and characters, with a world where magicians are the protectors of town, was hashed out during a plane ride. Originally a 7,500-word short story, the idea and thoughts grew.

Q: How long did it take you to write both novels? What made you want to write for middle grade readers?

A: Since I have a day job and family, it took a while. Each book took about 2 years, but book 1 took a bit longer when Covid hit, and life got upended. 

Originally, I tried writing stories for adults. Adult thriller. I worked with a coach, J. Thorn, because I struggled to make the book click. He pointed out that I do a lot with kids and have a child-like mind (he didn’t want to say I was immature). And then it clicked – I should be writing for kids. Everything else fell into place.

Q: Since your target audience is middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy, do you hope your readers walk away with a sense of wonder as well as lessons to learn? 

A: Absolutely! There is too much trying to shove reality down kids’ throats. They’ll get that way sooner than they should. We need to encourage them to dream and fantasize. It helps the soul grow. And where would we be without Star Wars and Harry Potter – both created by great dreamers.

Q: Are you currently writing book 3 to The Town Magician Series? How many books do you intend to write in the series?

A: Yes, book 3 is actively being worked on. It’s a direct sequel from book 2 and picks up moments after book 2 ends. There are at least 4 books in the main series. Each one is a bigger challenge leading to a bigger change in Samual’s life. If these were movies, someone would probably end with book 3 because it’s a typical trilogy arc, but book 4, to me, will be bigger for our hero.

Q: Who would be your dream cast to play your characters if/when Hollywood gets the rights to them?

A: I’ve thought about that. I’m not sure. Toby, the Grand Wizard, I would love to see Vin Diesel do it. Mostly, I’d like to see a lesser-known cast, because then there aren’t any preconceived notions about them, and they can really be the parts.