Growing up in a family of storytellers inspires Daniel Walls to write
Daniel Walls learned growing up that if he was going to tell a story, he’d better tell it well.
The International Falls native did just that and is now set to hold a book signing for his fantasy novel, “The Vyne: Mystery of the Hidden Ember,” from noon to 2 p.m. May 14 at the Coffee Landing.
“It’s a tale about one’s potential — the potential we all posses to be great, but rarely dare to fully acknowledge,” the first-time published author said of the novel he released in January.
Although he grew up in a family where storytelling was the center of all gatherings for generations, Walls said he was not always the biggest fan of reading.
“As a kid, I was a terrible reader and even avoided books because of it,” he said.
Walls was born and raised in International Falls, just down the street from Walleye Bait & Tackle (now Rainy Lake One Stop). He illustrates that the area was “the perfect playground for a kid” and inspired him to become a writer.
“The craft of storytelling hooked me at an early age,” he said. “Aside from illustrating, writing became the only other art form that I excelled in.”
As a youngster, Walls would only write for himself, occasionally sharing his work with the family dog, “Patches.”
“He was so often lying at my feet while I would write,” Walls said of his English springer spaniel. “It’s my understanding that he liked everything I wrote. He never said otherwise.”
Unknown to Walls at the time, his mother would come across his stories and save them.
After years of thoughts had swirled around in his head, Walls began in 2006 putting the first draft of The Vyne down on paper.
“I had the epiphany to actually turn these ideas into a novel,” he said.
The decision to write a fantasy novel came easy to Walls. The story revolves around the protagonist, Asher, who Walls described as the embodiment of the fear that so often accompanies the initial understanding that humans are truly capable of doing so much more than expected.
Fear of failure keeps Asher from leaving home, until one night a foreign armada invades Asher's village, and he narrowly escapes with his life. A secret platoon, embedded in the invading armada, is on the hunt for the only real friend Asher has, Scar.
Walls claims Scar has secrets of her own and is not the girl Asher thinks she is.
The external struggle of The Vyne revolves around a sacred medallion, known as the Enigma. This ancient relic is believed to be encrypted with a treasure map. Legend claims that its discovery could save the world from the prophesied apocalypse. And when Asher learns that he has a special gift that allows him the supernatural power to decode the map, the treasure hunt is on.
“The arc of the story runs like a three-act play,” Walls said. “But this is merely the first in a series I am writing, chronicling the adventures of Asher Meadows. From pirates to dragons, from underwater worlds to haunted forests, I wanted to give the reader enough color and intrigue to keep the pages turning.”
While writing The Vyne, Walls says he learned a lot about himself even though his story is fiction.
“In fact, maybe even more so when it’s fiction, because there are less boundaries,” he said. “It’s like writing a 400-page journal entry.”
Looking back, Walls said he never expected the unforeseen work that goes into writing a novel and then getting it published. He joked he is glad no one told him all the work that it took or he would have second guessed he decision to even start writing The Vyne.
“Had I known it took this much work to write a novel, I likely would have passed,” he said. “As an art director in the advertising world, I am constantly on the go. Nights and weekends are often filled with work and travel. And that, combined with raising two children and a three-legged dog, the only time left for writing is often late at night. Needless to say, I have learned to survive on a couple of hours of sleep.”
In the end, Walls is pleased with the outcome of his first — but not last — novel and hopes his readers will enjoy reading it.
“You can do anything you dream of, and I mean anything, if you simply set out and just do it,” he said. “Every soul on the planet was born for a reason. And that reason is quite simple, to live life to our fullest potential. I’m far from it. But I’ll die trying.”
For more information on or to purchase Walls’ novel, visit www.vynesaga.com. The novel is also available at most online book retailers.
Walls and his family currently reside in Minneapolis.
