Frank Tuttle
OXFORD, Miss. – Whether they craft screenplays, memoirs, fiction or nonfiction, writers use words to transport their readers. Fantasy author Frank Tuttle jokingly says he has been taking readers to other worlds since he learned his ABCs.
“I think I began creating stories in my infancy; you know, after I learned some rudimentary hand-eye coordination,” said Tuttle, also operations supervisor in the Office of Information Technology at the University of Mississippi.
The author of nine works, including his latest fantasy “All the Paths of Shadow” (Cool Well Press, 2011), Tuttle continues to create stories that take his readers to strange and wonderful places.
“Writing is hard work, but there is something emotionally satisfying about seeing your work published, or just seeing how many pages you’ve written at the end of the day,” he said.Although Tuttle has been writing all his life, he did not start trying to get published until the mid-1980s.
One of his first published works was a short story titled “Passing the Narrows,” which was published in Weird Tales magazine. Later, he published another short story in Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy magazine.
“That was a huge sell for me; I got about $400,” Tuttle said. “It was great. If you live through the rejections, you celebrate the acceptances, both large and small.”
His short stories have also appeared in Abyss and Apex and various other publications. “Passing the Narrows” has been re-released on Kindle.
In the 1990s, Tuttle decided to tackle writing his first novel. “The Cadaver Client” was released as an e-book by Samhain Publishing Co. in 2009. The novel is also the first in his “Markhat Files” anthology, which includes “The Mister Trophy” (2008) and “Dead Man’s Rain” (2008), both published by Samhin.
“The Markhat Files,” Tuttle’s most popular series, details the life of Markhat, a 40-year-old detective, as he fights supernatural crimes.
With “All the Paths of Shadow,” the first of his new “Paths of Shadow” series, Tuttle said he is aiming for a much younger market with his young female protagonist Meralda.
In the first book, Meralda, a young newly appointed mage, must prove she is worthy of her title while fighting supernatural villains. Meralda is joined by a lovable, if somewhat cankerous and enchanted, houseplant named Mug. “All the Paths of Shadow” is available through Amazon.com.
“Ever since I wrote my first short stories, I’ve wanted to write a piece that is not so dark and horrible that parents wouldn’t mind their children reading,” Tuttle said. “Meralda is my first honest attempt at trying to include the younger audience.”
The book has scored with readers. Amazon.com reviewer Elizabeth J. McFadden gave the book five out of five stars and said she loved it.
“Tuttle’s new novel – apparently the first in a new series – brings together a wonderful cast of characters,” McFadden wrote. “I particularly enjoyed Mug, the disrespectful but affectionate houseplant – who’s fabulously improbable, and who now rivals a certain skull in Chicago for most delightfully wry familiar. The rest of the supporting cast is all engaging, too. I hope future books will give us more chances to spend time with the old wizards, and the Bellringers and Tower.”
The author and his wife of 15 years, Karen, live in Oxford with their dogs.