Interview with Steve Cypert, author of Scapemaker

Hallo everyone!

Thanks for stopping by The reader lines. Today, I'd like to introduce you Steve V. Cypert, the author of Scapemaker.

I hope you enjoy this interview and look forward to read this amazing book.

About the book.

Matthew is the son of Mr. Nicholas Namely, a local high school teacher. But unbeknownst to Matthew, his father is a dreamscaper whose classroom is connected to the dream-world. From his classroom, his students enter the halls of Scapemaker, a dream-world high school for young dreamscapers.

Following a couple of heartfelt tragic events, Matthew is compelled to investigate the unbelievable mysteries surrounding those events and is propelled into a whole new world. Matthew and his mother, Mae, are soon coerced into moving across the country for his father's strange medical needs. While attending his new school, Matthew comes to know the secrets that Daedree, an annoying girl from his former high school, has locked away. Matthew also meets Amber, a beautiful enigmatic girl who leads him to Mr. Xoner's classroom. While there, he learns the art of dreamscaping (which has been in the Namely bloodline for thousands of years). 

Matthew will come to know of Nox Celare, otherwise known as The Sandman, who is after a special element called Magineum. Neck deep in skinwalkers, sandsleepers, zombies, soul feeders, ghosts, dream-world criminals known as “night terrors” and more, Matthew learns he is in over his head. Matthew must not only solve the mysteries surrounding those tragic events, but he will also have to protect the Magineum with his life and find a way to be with the one girl of his dreams. Filled with secrecy, mystery and a forbidden tangle of young love, this new life will lead Matthew to unbelievable characters with the most extraordinary abilities he could never have imagined.

Scapemaker will keep you grounded in the real world while at the same time make the fantastical world around it that much more possible and enduring. This tale of young adult paranormal fantasy will keep you guessing and wanting more.

 

1. Can you tell us a curiosity about Scapemaker?

An interesting fact about the fictional high schools I named in Scapemaker is that they are inspired by real schools. In the book I used the names Privera, North Park, and Whitmonte to symbolize the schools I grew up in and around. I personally grew up in a city called Pico Rivera in Southern California. The high school I actually attended is called El Rancho—a Hispanic name—or “The Ranch”, in English. Neither name really fit for me. But, since El Rancho is located in the city of Pico Rivera, I decided to combine Pico and Rivera for the name of that fictional high school, and that’s how I came up with Privera High.

Whittier High was El Rancho’s real life rival in football when I was in high school but I used the name Whitmonte to symbolize that school.

And finally, I attended a middle school called North Park, a few blocks from where I grew up. I kept the name, but it actually symbolizes the true location of a high school in the state of Utah and the city of Kamas called South Summit High.

2. Is there a thing that we aren’t expecting while reading Scapemaker?

There are several twists and turns that you won’t be expecting but I can’t mention them here. I don’t want to give anything away. There are also some hidden clues within the book, some of which indicate things that will happen in the following books since Scapemaker is only the first book in a series of four.

3. Do you think that we’ll find a new “book boyfriend” in Matthew?

That is a possibility, but I think this particular book introduces Matthew in a different light. I think in the next few books he may be seen as the “boyfriend” type. But, for now, in my view, I don’t feel that Matthew developed into someone of that quality by the end of the story.

4. Can you describe your book in one Word?

I really don’t know if one word will do it justice. It’s a complicated story, but complicated may have a negative connotation. I think the best word would be adventurous. Though, a few good runners up would be dreamy, fantastic, contagious, or artistic.

5. If you could create a scene between two characters of your book with characters from another. Who’d you pick?

In light of my vision for this question and what I have thought about in the recent past, I am only going to use one character from Scapemaker and one from another book—though, not my own.

 I am very intrigued by “the bad guy” and the personality of a true antagonist. There are a few different antagonists in Scapemaker and the series as a whole. However, the one that is most focused on in Scapemaker (Scapemaker #1) is Hunter, a “night terror”. I would love to create a seen shared between Hunter and Voldemort. I would love to see them scheme together. Though, Voldemort does have a more commanding personality.

6. Is there anything that we “have” to know about Matthew?

Matthew has obvious weaknesses for a reason. He’s strong, but afraid. He is prideful and self-indulging, but he has potential to become heroic.

7. How did you get the idea of writing about dreamscapers?

I wrote a story when I was 16 years old about a boy and his imaginary friend. This boy had a great imagination. One day his father fell into a coma. The boy realized through a dream that his father had been taken by The Sandman, an evil creature of the dream-world. In the end, the boy would somehow claim back his father. I never finished the story and never will, since I used pieces of that story to mold Scapemaker.

 I have always been fascinated by dreams and all the “what ifs” – like, what if you could enter the dream-world consciously? What if one day the things in your dreams actually affected your real-life? What if all dreams had a deeper meaning? What if the “good and evil” fighting within us each day was literally fought within our dreams? What if…?

8. When did you realize that you wanted to be an author?

Without going into a long story, I realized at a young age that I wanted to be an author. I remember pretty vividly walking through the playground at my middle school and pondering all the possible combinations of things, locations, characters, etc. there is in telling a story. Besides the spelling and grammar there really are no rules. The only obligation I, as an author, have is an accountability for my own imagination and, if I want to make a living—the audience. That’s pretty cool.

9. Can you tell the Readers a little about you?

My name is Steve V Cypert. I grew up in Los Angeles, California, USA. At age 19 I served a 2 year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Ohio, Cleveland Mission. During that time, I taught the gospel and that was it. I did not date or go to movies or concerts. I woke up at 6am every single day and studied the scriptures. After my mission, I came home and shortly after moved to Utah. Since then I have graduated with a 4 year degree from the University of Utah. I got married to my wife, Katie, and had a son. That is what has made me who I am today.

 My favorite color is green. My “lucky” number is 4. We have a little shih tzu named Duke. I love mint chocolate chip ice-cream. My favorite dinner will have a medium-rare 12-16 ounce steak or prime rib. I am a movie fanatic. I am actually a semi-professional photographer and sell, at times, landscape, wild and zoo life images.

10. Why do you recommend Scapemaker? (as a reader!)

This book is for all ages, without drug use, smoking, drinking or sexual situations. Scapemaker is extremely adventurous. I have re-created several types of characters such as vampires, known in my book as soul-feeders. I also created a few knew character types such as night terrors and sand sleepers.

I admit, this is not the best literary work ever created, but there are twists and turns and things you just would not expect. You can get lost in a whole new world that may actually seem possible.

11. What can we expect in the next book?

Scapemaker part 2 is called Soul-Feeders. You can expect a much faster pace in Soul Feeders when it is completed. The entire outline has been finished in great detail. I will begin writing it in the coming months.

 I am also working on a new stand-alone called When the Bough Breaks, a semi-paranormal drama. When the Bough Breaks is meant to be a heartbreaking and touching story.

12. Where can we find you and your books?

You can find me and Scapemaker and other books I have written at the following locations / links:

Goodreads

My Blog

Facebook

Amazon

Library Thing

Please, feel free to follow, comment, share, message, or link to me, Scapemaker, and my pages!

Thank you so much for having me.

About the Author.

Steve is the second child of seven born in Los Angeles, California to a wonderful mother and father. Born into the LDS faith, Steve served a 2 year full-time LDS mission at the age of nineteen in the northern half of Ohio. 

At twenty-four he moved from his parents’ home in Los Angeles to Salt Lake City, Utah to try out life on his own. 2 decades later he still lives in Utah, where he found and married his beautiful wife, Katie.

Today they live in South Jordan, Utah with their bald little 6 month old son, Ozzie and their very hairy son, Duke - a three year old Shih Tzu (see Steve’s blog for a photo).

Before fining his [mostly] sweet wife, Steve graduated from LDS Business College in 2000. He then moved on to the University of Utah where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications three years later.

For as long as he can remember, Steve has loved to come up with creative and far-fetched stories. Sometime in the early 2000's, he decided to put one of his story ideas on paper. He wrote a poem titled "Pirate and Captain". The poem was an adventurous tale. He then decided to write the story as a novel. He wrote "Port of Errors" in just three months. However, it took him nine years to research, edit and put the missing pieces together. Port of Errors will eventually be a trilogy under the name "Born of Tyranny”.