No Moss Grows on Author Ronald Kaiser. But His Characters? Maybe.
Moultonborough Resident Takes First Place in Annual “Pitch Party”
By Beth D’Ovidio
Ronald (Ron) Kaiser’s pitch for his debut book, Mystral Haven, took first place in the annual New Hampshire Writers’ Project Pitch Party. The Pitch Party is a signature event that takes place during the yearly 603 Writers’ Conference.
Along with other competing authors, Kaiser submitted his pitch to a selection team that narrows the field down to five finalists prior to the conference. At the conference, Peter Biello, formerly of NH Public Radio, moderated the Pitch Party. An actor read the top five pitches to a panel of judges comprised of literary agents, authors, and other publishing professionals. “The panel asks the finalists to answer any questions they have about the pitch before determining the top three winners,” said Ron Stokes, Programming Director for the NH Writers’ Project.
The other finalists for the 2022 Pitch Party are Dave Wessel for Choosing Sides: An American Boy in the Hitler Youth (2nd place); Jessica Tomaskow for Last of the Time Owls (3rd place); Alyson Miller for Breaking the Ten (4th place); and Dave Agans for Ancient Mysteries of the Urban Legion — Book three of The Urban Legion Trilogy (5th place).
“The 603 conference is an incredible resource for writers who want to hone their craft or network,” said Kaiser. “I am grateful to Masheri Chappelle (Chair of the writers’ organization) and the NH Writers’ Project for supporting writers like me.”
Kaiser, a former teacher at Laconia High School, has a Master of Arts in Literature (UNH), as well as a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (SNHU). Chicken Soup for the Soul has published a record breaking 20 of his essays. He has also been published in NH Magazine, The Colored Lens (A Speculative Fiction magazine), and in other small magazines. Mystral Haven is his first full length book.
Mystral Haven, a fantasy novel, follows the journey of a young girl named Baz. Each morning she awakens with her body covered in moss, which binds her to the stone floor of the place she is held against her will. She is held captive for the crystals that grow from her scalp. Her jailers, monks in a cult of sorts, harvest these priceless crystals over and over again. Always resourceful, and with help from a strange visitor, she escapes. By the novel’s final page, Baz has transformed from a nervous, frustrated girl imprisoned in a misogynistic community, to the powerful leader of a legion of ‘Borderforges.’
“Young Adult (YA) is my audience, because the story follows a young woman discovering a strange world and her place in it,” Kaiser said. “However, like Lord of the Rings, it is a story anyone who likes a good story can enjoy.”
When asked what he hopes readers of Mystral Haven take away from the book, he responded “we must help the down-trodden, and we must reevaluate the place of women in history.”
Inspiration for a good story comes from many places. Kaiser’s book was actually inspired by a writing prompt from one of his teachers, David Yoo. “He asked me to put my character in a weird situation,” Kaiser said. “What about waking up with your face stuck to the floor by a carpet of moss growing out of your skin!?”
Kaiser’s interest in the fantasy genre began with his love of “Brandon Sanderson’s work, as well as Patrick Rothfuss, and Lord of the Rings, of course.” He reads all fiction and historical non-fiction, as well as philosophy. “I mainly read fantasy, though. I am currently reading Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders.”
Kaiser’s preference is to do his writing in the morning, but he says really any time will do with one condition. “Strong black coffee is a must,” he quipped.
When he is not writing, Kaiser likes to spend time with his family. He describes his wife as a “brilliant entrepreneur” and mentions his son as “practically a scientist already at the age of 11.” Kaiser also enjoys camping, board games “and Dungeons and Dragons, of course.”
