Sunday, January 31, 2016

Castaways Of The Flying Dutchman by Brian Jacques


Genre: YA Fantasy

3 STARS

Blurb

The legend of the Flying Dutchman, the ghost-ship doomed to sail the seas forever, has been passed down throughout the centuries. But what of the boy, Neb, and his dog, Den, who were trapped aboard that ship? What was to become of them? 

Sent off on an eternal journey of their own, the boy and his dog roam the earth through out the centuries in search of those in need. Braving wind and waves and countless perils, they stumble across a 19th-century village whose very existence is at stake. Saving it will take the will and wile of all the people--and a very special boy and dog.




Saturday, January 30, 2016

Book Promo: Dead & Alive: Survive by I.J. Smith


Dead & Alive: Survive (book one)

For zombie lovers everywhere.

Great Britain has been evacuated and quarantined, access is forbidden. When a mysterious message is received, they send in a Army Section to investigate. What they discover will send them on a journey through hell, can they survive, can they make it out within 24 hours.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ian John Smith, born May 1981 in Portsmouth England. My childhood was one of hardship, growing up in a poor household. Many of my memories were that of survival, growing up with a father unable to read and who followed a life of crime. To this day he tells me his greatest achievement was making sure I never followed in his footsteps and what joy he got from watching me read a book. Each day there was a struggle to put food on the table. As an only child my life was a lonely one, I filled my life with a love of books. From the brilliance of Roald Dahl to the amazing inspiration of William Shakespeare.
Growing up in a tough family made me a survivor and that meant my passion for writing always came last, working long hours in a Factory from the age of seventeen. That was until fate intervened many years later, diagnosed with a bad heart. There is a long fancy medical name for it, but I decided long ago to never let it stop me. I have to thank that moment in my life, it made me realize we have to follow our dreams. Whatever path they lead. I took a job for less money as a projectionist, this allowed me to have the time to write. It may have been a scribble on a scrappy piece of paper or a story of meaning, it never mattered it was my passion. Never dreaming of publishing my work, I was happy to enjoy the work for myself.
Little did I know fate would intervene again, My mother, Sandra, who passed away so suddenly forcing me to make changes to my life. My father Michael terminally ill himself needed someone, being an only child, I made it my responsibility.
I left my second job due to fate, but along the path I realized I wanted to write. Now my work, maybe ridiculed it may be considered inferior, but that does not matter. What matters is I finally get to live my dream. I am not a writer looking for wealth or fame I am just a man looking to live his dream.
Now I will publish stories I enjoy, from short stories to Novels. I will also be publishing work in a series format. This is my beginning.
I write YA/ZOMBIE well, anything and everything.


Friday, January 29, 2016

Author Interview: Megan Linski, author of Kingdom from Ashes




INTERVIEW

Tell us about the book you want to talk about today.

Kingdom From Ashes is a retelling of 1001 Arabian Nights, centering around a beautiful princess captured by a handsome prince of thieves.

Give us an insight into your main character.

Princess Bennua has been under the harsh, oppressive rules of her father and her homeland her entire life, but finally finds courage and strength in the arms of the thief who took her for his own.

What genre are your books?

YA Fantasy

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I publish through my own company, Gryfyn Publishing. It’s always been my dream to own my own publishing company, and I soon hope to begin acquiring other books along with publishing my own.

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

Good characters! If people love the characters they’re reading about, they won’t care what happens in the story, so long as they get to see those characters interact with their environment!

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing since I was six years old, professionally since I was fourteen.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I used to be a pantser, but I found things go so much easier and the writing is much better when you sit down and plot out your story. I will no longer write a book without an outline, because you need to know where you’re going!

What is your writing process?

I usually spend a month or more on research and outlining before I even begin a story. Then from there I write every single day as much as I can until the book is finished.

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

Beginning the novel. It’s extremely difficult opening those first few chapters and hooking people in. It’s something I need to work on as an author.

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Learn as much about the industry and the process as you can before writing or publishing a book. Don’t rush headlong into things, take your time and make sure you’re making good decisions for you and your novel.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

You just have to force yourself through it. Become a creature of habit and write everyday, even if the well is dry and there’s no inspiration. Eventually it has to leave.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

I enjoy gothic rock, pop tunes, indie music, alternative Christian, and acoustic.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I ride horses, ice skate, and love anything involving the outdoors.

Who is your favorite author?

I don’t really have a favorite anymore. Mostly I try to read obscure indie books that don’t get a lot of attention. I like to be the first one to find new talent before it becomes big.

What is your favorite book?

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

Who is your favorite character from a book?

I love Princess Amalthea from The Last Unicorn. She’s so powerful, so stoic and grand. She captivates me.

Who is your favorite character from your own book(s)?

I have so many favorites. From Kingdom From Ashes I love the prince of thieves, Zahid. He’s funny, charming, and incredibly sexy.

Have you had anything else published?

I have a new adult novel, These Starcrossed Lives of Ours, as well as a short story and a poetry collection, a YA romance, Alora, and two books in my fantasy series, Creatures of the Lands.

What's your next project?

I’m currently working on a YA fantasy series based off of Asian folklore. I’m super excited about it!!!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

You can sign up for my mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/bbN7sn






BLURB

Princess Bennua is to be married. The daughter of a sultan, her duty is to marry a powerful yet cruel warlord to be her husband, sealing an alliance that will scare the desert of Sahrahn into submission. But the wedding is halted in place when the infamous Raider Prince, king of thieves and leader of the dark city Ashana, threatens to take her city by force.

Sacrificing her freedom for her country, Bennua agrees to accompany the Raider Prince on his travels if he leaves her homeland alone. Stolen from her charmed life Bennua begins to learn the truth of what lies beyond the palace walls and the suffering that plagues Sahrahn’s people. Bennua begins to plan her escape, but the more she learns from the thieves the more she finds herself becoming one of the them...all while falling hard for their leader, the Raider Prince himself.

EXCERPT

Ashes. The entire world is ashes and I am a fire, an ember slowly burning and burning until it can burn no longer and it goes out. I long to spread my wings and fly, to fly far away from here and never return, even though the palace and its comforts are all I’ve ever known in my seventeen years. I am a trapped bird in a cage, but I doubt even if my jailers would open my door I would be brave enough to set myself free. If there was an inferno engulfing my cell, I still wouldn’t have the courage to take flight and leave my iron bars behind.
I wish a fire would spring up and consume me now, so I wouldn’t have to go through with this horrible arrangement.
“Bennua! You lazy girl, stand up straight!” my mother snaps at me as the dressmaker sticks me with more and more pins. “You move too much! Do you want to look like an ugly cow on your wedding day?”
“You couldn’t do much with her to begin with, Mother,” my eldest sister Pottina says. The oldest out of seven sisters, including me, she always has to put her word in. “Even with the dress I doubt Quasim will be pleased.”
All of Sahrahn’s deserts, thieves, and sandstorms wouldn’t be able to harden my sister anymore than what she already is. She could suck the hardiest camel dry of its water. “Quasim will be pleased,” I shoot back at her. “You’ll see it on his face the moment I walk out to greet him.”
“He will be, for you better not shame us, Bennua,” Mother warns. “Quasim is the greatest prince in all of Sahrahn. He’s the finest husband your father could ever find.”
“Thirty years old. I wonder what his palace will be like,” I say fairly. Quasimar, the country that’ll be my new home, is named after the conqueror himself. I can’t even think about it without getting a bad taste in my mouth.
“Be grateful,” Istilah says. “At seventeen, you’re practically an old maid. I’m surprised Quasim even considered you.”
“Your sisters were all married long before your age. Quit pouting,” Mother says, sticking my dress with another pin.
“I don’t see what you’re complaining about,” Du’a says quietly, looking down at her hands. “Father chose the best for you.”
My sisters and I share glances with each other and then look at the floor again quickly. I guess she’s right. Our father never made good choices when it came to picking our husbands. Pottina was married off to a desert nomad, and is always traveling. Jabirah was wedded to a royal official from another country who pays more attention to his money than he does her, and Du’a’s husband beats her regularly. The rest are all stuck in equally horrible matches, save for Husna, who was simply married to an idiot. She wasn’t exactly happy, but at least nobody expected much out of you, being married to a fool.
Not like how everyone would soon expect everything out of me, being married to the most powerful warlord in the world.
“The traditional wedding colors look awful on her,” Pottina complains. “The pink veil, the green skirt, she looks like a trashy harem dancer!”
“We can’t change it now,” Mother says. “Quasim is due to arrive tonight. Unless you would like to sew another gown in that short of a time, Pottina.”
That keeps her quiet. Within my room, standing on my pedestal and looking out into the openness of the balcony my father has built just for me, I feel a small gust of dry desert air. It’s hotter than usual out today, so hot that if you didn’t stay inside the sun would fry your skin quicker than if placed in a broiling cooking pot.
“Pay attention! Always daydreaming,” my mother hisses, shaking her head at me. She’s been acting grumpier than usual...it’s the stress of planning the wedding, and the feast that’s meant to last for days after. Quasim is bound to bring a whole party even though there’s no need. I haven’t yet met the man, and I have to wonder...what is he like? I’ve heard many rumors that he’s strong, tall and handsome. A woman’s daydream, I’ve heard. He’s won more battles than I can count, and is so rich he could buy my tiny country, Haya-Maa, ten times over. I keep telling myself that maybe he won’t be as bad as I’ve thought.
“It’s useless!” my mother says, throwing up her hands and shooing the servant at my skirt. “Stop working on it, you’ll only ruin it!” As my mother chases the seamstress out of the room all of my sisters stand up and Pottina adds, “It’s not like men really care about what a woman wears. All they’re concerned about is getting the dress off.”
“Well I care,” Mother says. “But yes, I suppose you’re right.” She casts another steely glance at me. “Bennua, whatever you do, do your best to please Quasim. There’s nothing more important to a man than his first time in bed with a new bride. If you destroy every other part of the wedding, make sure you do well in that way.”
I don’t know how I’m supposed to please a man who has had not one, but two other wives before I, so I suppose I’ll just hope for the best and pray to Alshams that he likes virgins. I nod to Mother and she sighs, gesturing to my sisters. “Come, all of you. I need help down in the kitchens, the gardens and well...everywhere. And you!” she points at me. “Stay here and work on getting all the knots out of that disgusting mop of yours. Don’t you ever take care of your hair? Quickly now, all of you!”
My sisters move to adjust the veils over their hair, as it is against the law for them to walk in a man’s presence with it shown. Usually they wouldn’t be allowed to go anywhere without their husbands, but since this is our father’s palace they have the freedom to journey where they like as long as they stay inside the city walls. It is a freedom that I will lose as soon as Quasim becomes my husband. Tomorrow he will own me, and there is nothing I can say about it. I slip the obnoxious dress off and put on one of my lavender tops and airy harem pants, leaving my veil on the bed for when I need it.
I pick up a comb and begin on my hair, though it’s not half as bad as my mother made it out to be. The black tendrils fall all the way down my back in soft waves, contrasting sharply against my tan skin. My almond eyes are slanted, like the ancient relatives that have passed on long before me, and are a deep brown underneath my thin eyebrows. Everything about me is desert, desert, desert all over. I don’t look like a palace princess. My skin is soft, however, so perhaps Quasim will like that.
My room is filled with precious things my father has gathered for me on his journeys to expand our small sultanate. A fluffy, ostrich feather bed, with satin sheets that match the priceless silk curtains. Plush pillows, intricate rugs. Fabric strings across the ceiling, bathing my room in royal purple. The large mirror I have gazing back at me from my ivory vanity displays not the brave, strong woman that I want to see, but a young girl who looks terrified. After tomorrow this room will be empty...
I snap the brush down, slip my veil on, and grab the brocade robe my father had made especially for me. I slip the coat on and dash out the door.


Thursday, January 28, 2016

Author Interview: Dane Cobain, author of No Rest For The Wicked


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dane Cobain is a writer, poet and musician from a place you've probably never heard of, somewhere in England. When he's not writing books, he's reading and reviewing them on his book blog - SocialBookshelves.com - or working at his day job in social media marketing. Find him at Facebook.com/DaneCobainMusic or follow @DaneCobain on Twitter.


INTERVIEW




Tell us about the book you want to talk about today.
I’m the author of a supernatural thriller called No Rest for the Wicked, which follows what happens when an elderly priest called Father Montgomery begins to investigate rumours of mysterious, evil Angels.


Give us an insight into your main character.
Father Montgomery is an elderly priest with a secret past, which he’s trying to atone for by protecting his parishioners. He’s a complex figure, but he’s fundamentally a good person, and he’s a lot of fun to befriend along the way.

What genre are your books?
It depends, really – I write in a number of different genres and formats, including poetry and non-fiction. But they do have a unifying theme in that they’re pretty dark, and that my personality comes across in them.

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?
My books are published by a company called Booktrope, which uses a hybrid publishing model. Basically, you still submit your work like you do with a traditional publisher, but if you get accepted, you form your own team of marketers, editors, proofreaders and cover designers to produce a professional quality book. It’s a great system, and I’m glad to be there.

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?
I think the very best stories combine great characters with a fantastic plot, and we get hooked because of the way in which they interact with the world around them.

How long have you been writing?
I first started writing seriously when I was sixteen, and I haven’t stopped since – so about ten years!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I think I’m a bit of both, but I do like to plot things out where I can so that I have something to work from – it makes the actual writing process a lot easier, if nothing else.

What is your writing process?
I have a weird process called ‘The System’, which basically involves listening to music and switching activity every time that the song changes. It’s a bit weird, but it helps me to get things done.

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?
I think that it’s probably the editing, because that takes a lot of time and concentration, and because it doesn’t always feel rewarding. But it’s necessary!

What advice would you give an author just starting out?
Practice as much as you can, and get very good at maximizing your time – you need to make every second count, and you need to put a lot of those seconds in.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?
I’ve always found that switching to a different medium or genre has helped to shake off writers’ block, but I think it depends – I spend so much time writing that I can usually just switch in on or off, and so I don’t tend to get it.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?
I have pretty eclectic tastes, so everything from indie folk and sixties rock ‘n’ roll to underground hip-hop and dubstep. I usually just put everything on random and see what comes up.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?
If I’m not writing, I’m usually either working or socializing with friends – writers don’t get much free time!

Who is your favorite author?
There are a lot of them to choose from, really – I’d say that Charles Bukowski, Graham Greene and Terry Pratchett are three of my favourites, though.

What is your favorite book?
Northern Lights by Philip Pullman – that whole series was incredible, but Northern Lights was the best and I could re-read it again and again and again.

Who is your favorite character from a book?
That’s a difficult one! I quite like complex characters, and so I think Snape was a great character because of that. But my favourite of all time would probably be someone like Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, because he’s awesome.

Who is your favorite character from your own book(s)?
I’d probably go for Father Montgomery from No Rest for the Wicked – he’s another complex character with an interesting past, and so he was interesting to write about.

Read anything good lately?
I’m actually currently reading God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut, and it’s fantastic. I’ve never read any Vonnegut before and so far, I’m very impressed – looking forward to reading more of his work!

Have you had anything else published?
I self-published a number of projects in the past, but none of them are currently available. Some of them may be reworked in the future, though.

What's your next project?
I’m working on a number of different projects at the moment, but the next big one is Eyes Like Lighthouses When the Boats Come Home, my collection of poetry. In fact, the cover reveal is due on Friday (29th January), so keep your eyes peeled for that. I’m excited about it!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I think that’s about it – I’d just like to say thanks for having me! J


 No Rest For The Wicked

BLURB

When the Angels attack, there’s NO REST FOR THE WICKED.
Father Montgomery, an elderly priest with a secret past, begins to investigate after his parishioners come under attack, and with the help of Jones, a young businessman with an estranged child, Montgomery begins to track down the origin of the Angels.
The Angels are naked and androgynous. They speak in a dreadful harmony with no clear leader. These aren’t biblical cherubs tasked with the protection of the righteous – these are deadly creatures of light that have the power to completely eradicate.
When Jones himself is attacked, Father Montgomery knows he has to act fast. He speaks to the Angels and organises a final showdown where he’s asked to make the ultimate sacrifice.









Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Book Blast: The Kaelandur Series by Joshua Robertson

    



BLURB

Branimir emerges from the Netherworld as a living legend and learns the Ash Tree is still in danger from the cursed dagger, kaelandur. An old friend compels Branimir to finish what they started at Melkorka. Once again, the former slave must keep kaelandur out of uncertain hands, while struggling to separate heroes from villains and friends from foes. Some evils never lessen.



EXCERPT

The demons of the Netherworld chased him. Four-legged, wolf-like creatures, known as Dreka, rammed their goat horns at Branimir. The gray, wrinkled skin clung to their gaunt frames. Thin lips were stretched back giving sight to the rows of teeth on the tops and bottoms of their bloodied gums.
Branimir tumbled, swinging his weapon and feeling it tear through flesh as easily as a hot blade through frost. For a moment, he may have heard Dorofej’s riddlesome voice—no, his cry—but Branimir had not the time to listen. Bran had to scramble, and sneak, and stab.
And stab. And stab. And stab.
The urgency of the battle and the demons thumped inside of his head.
“Stop!” A familiar voice, again, cried in desperation.
Crimson splattered his vision as his dagger cut through skin once more. His blade loved the taste of blood; he felt the need to drench it again.
Pain stung his leg, but it was quickly forgotten as demon after demon lunged for him. The Dreka were ever persistent in their attack. He spun, and twisted, and disappeared to avoid every demonic beast soaring through the air, vicious teeth aimed for his throat. They would not reach him. For a moment, he thought he saw a flash of Hanna’s wide eyes, but they looked unfamiliar. Treacherous. Evil. Besides, his dagger was already cocked behind his ear and he felt incapable of restraining himself. 







ABOUT THE AUTHOR




Joshua currently lives in Alaska with his wife and children. In 1999, he began crafting the world for Thrice Nine Legends, including Melkorka and Anaerfell. He is also the author of the A Midwinter Sellsword and Gladiators and Thieves in the Hawkhurst Saga. His short story, Grimsdalr, is inspired by the tale of Beowulf.






Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Author Interview: R.A. McCandless, author of Hell Becomes Her








I'm delighted to have R.A. McCandless on the blog today as I love his Flames Of Perdition books. I can happily recommend them to anyone who enjoys Urban Fantasy. 




Tell us about the book you want to talk about today.

Hell Becomes Her


Angels should be a human’s worst nightmare. Del didn’t think there was anything worse than angels, or their fallen kin, demons. She and her partner Marrin helped to keep the world safe from the horrors of escaped demons for generations. But when Del’s daughter is kidnapped by a shadowy group, Del will find that the world is even more dangerous than she suspected.

There are worse things than angels and demons.

Give us an insight into your main character.

In the past, the children of angels and humans, the Nephilim, were allowed to lead their lives as they willed.  But they proved too strong, too ambitious, and too cunning for their own good.  They became warlords, conquerors and emperors, causing war and strife until the Throne stepped in and forced them to submit to Its will, or die.  Unlike most of her fellows, Del, one of the first Nephilim, had no interest in conquest and domination.  Del unwillingly works for the Throne, obeying the commands of the angel Ahadiel.  She helps to keep the world safe from the horrors of escaped demons.  At the same time, she keeps herself in the Throne’s good graces.  Whenever a rogue demon breaks free from Hell, she and her partner, Marrin, another Nephilim, work together to banish it.

What genre are your books?

Urban fantasy

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I’m a small press author with Wild Child Publishing.  Wild Child picked me up and dusted me off, they saw something special in what I was doing, and provided me with a guide.  My editor is great, and I’m so glad to work with her on a near daily basis.  I’ve become such a better author from the first book Tears of Heaven to this book Hell Becomes Her.

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

Telling a good story well and hitting some epic high note moments. It’s hard to not to get carried away from the reality of, say, a sword fight or a battle scene, and into the unrealistic. Keeping the physics of actions and reactions on target is something I really strive for and enjoy. This is especially enjoyable when readers catch the effort that went into making a fight scene exciting, but still within the realm of the real. I have to say that my favorite is when a reader comes to me and says, “You bastard, I can’t believe you killed this character. He was my favorite.” They really aren’t mad at me, but it means that I connected with them through that character, and I achieved a realism of life between their mind and the book with that character. That’s magic right there.

How long have you been writing?

I’d like to say that I started writing when I was born, but that would have made for a difficult and unusual delivery, and is flatly untrue—but somewhere shortly after that.  In grade school, I’d turn sentence and vocabulary exercises into stories.  I told my mother I wanted to write plays and movies for a living.  I thought it was just another kind of job that people did.  I had no idea you needed “talent”!

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

If I can get away with it, I won’t even wear pants—they just catch on fire when a plot concept comes along.

What is your writing process?

Scotch, Scotch and more Scotch.  Scene concepts and plot turns seem to be the easiest for me.  The big picture of where we’re going and how we get there.  I understand how to get from A to B to C on down the alphabet like a boss kindergartner.  It’s the little details that I get bogged down in, and those my mind has to chew on like pitbull with a femur.  I’ve learned to not fight with a chapter or a scene too much, but get up, walk away, and let my head mill it down until it’s fine grain.  Then, somewhere, mostly the shower or the middle of the night for some reason, it will click into place, and I’ll have to bolt to my composition pad and write until my wrists are sore.

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

I really can’t speak for anyone else.  At least, that’s what the judge told me.  And my friends.  And my wife.  For me, if I’m not writing, it’s because I’m being lazy.  I don’t get blocked by a story, where to take it, or what to do with it, but I will get tired of the grind of writing.  Writing is definitely a job, the same way sculpting or painting is—you have to do the physical work before you live the jet-set, lavish, playboy lifestyle!

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Drink heavily.  Also, get an editor who knows what she is doing.  Not just someone who will find your misspelled words and your redundant commas—someone who will help you find your voice, make certain your characters and story flow, and that you aren’t head-hopping or switching narrators.  This isn’t about becoming a homogenized, generic, corporate storyteller.  It’s about getting past the basic mistakes and really writing some good stories.  Don’t let the language get in the way of your vision.

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

I can’t speak for others, but I generally don’t have writer’s block.  Maybe the Scotch kills it?  Probably it’s best to understand that fiction and fantasy are really reflections of our world, only better. Even dark fiction or dystopias tend to hand us heroes that rise up above the blackness and are able to make choices that sort out the good guys from the bad guys—they can decipher good and evil, right from wrong. That’s not always true in our own world, and so it’s quite a relief to sit back and be transported to place where considerations over extremism, and Ebola and politics aren’t realities. Or, if they are realities, they’re going to be handled, in one way or another, by the characters.  Once you grasp that the characters are dealing with something, and need to deal with it, then you should be able to move forward.

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

Anything without words, otherwise I’ll start to sing and that’s not good for anyone.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Fighting sprinklers, mostly.  They’re a vile evil conjured up from the darkest depths of the Underworld.  I also play with my three boys, although that should probably be “try to keep up while they get bigger, stronger and faster.”  I’m a pretty big runner—not physically big, but just how much I love to run.  I like to listen to fantasy/fiction podcasts when I go running, and that was something that didn’t even exists five or ten years ago. Now, you can get them for free, and they’re wonderful, imaginative, innovative and amazing. The storytelling is more intimate, too.  If my health is up to par, I’m generally running.  Reading almost always. 

Who is your favorite author?

Patrick Rothfuss is easily one of my favorites.  He should be the king of the hill, if only he would release his third novel (and then keep writing).  I would love to strike up a hate-hate relationship with him that had him gnashing his teeth and pulling his hair about my superior talent.  Patrick, if you’re listening, this is my first shot over your bow, feel free to respond in kind.

Bernard Cornwell is excellent historic fiction.  The guy knows his stuff.  I like my historical fiction and fantasy to have dirt in the pages, with contemporary heroes who have legitimate flaws of time and place.

What is your favorite book?

Tolkien’s The Hobbit was given to me as a gift and really opened the castle gates of fantasy to me.  Suddenly, there was a whole world of swords, magic and fantastical creatures to meet.  Immediately after I finished, I took all the money I had and biked down to the bookstore to buy everything else Tolkien had written.  I had no idea I was getting the seminal fantasy series: The Lord of the Rings.


Who is your favorite character from a book?

Just one?  That’s like trying to pick a favorite Scotch, or a favorite Scotch!


Read anything good lately?

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.  This was recommended by a friend in order to help tide me over until Patrick Rothfuss deigns to provide us with the third installment of his Kingkiller Chronicles.  Respect the Rothfuss!

Have you had anything else published?

I’m the author of the urban fantasy Tears of Heaven winner of the 2014 Best Science Fiction and Fantasy Preditors & Editors Reader’s Poll and a 2015 EPIC eBook finalist, and Hell Becomes Her.  My shorts have appeared in In Shambles (with Kevin J. Anderson) Nine Heroes, and Gears, Gadgets and Steam.



What's your next project?

Del gets at least one more book, so another in the Flames of Perdition series.  I’m sitting on a couple of completed works, a steampunk detective and a full fantasy epic.

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I’m compelled by any world where dragons can make an appearance. They don’t have to show up, but the idea that they can? Please and thank you. I also like any world where a woman is as strong or stronger that most of the men around. Personally, I prefer a woman who can go toe-to-toe and sword-to-sword with anyone else. So my preferred genre is fantasy, but I’ll take urban fantasy, science fiction and even historic fiction off the shelves for those reasons.






Monday, January 25, 2016

Blog Tour: The Third Power by Kelly Hess


The Third Power
BlackMyst Trilogy # 3
By- Kelly Hess
Genre- Middle Grade Fantasy
Published By- Booktrope Publishing


The struggle for the Dagger of Torrill has brought Delvengard and Sorak to war. But a long forgotten third power has risen, scheming to bring destruction to both kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Beynn and Fritz learn the full extent of the green dagger’s third power as they journey through BlackMyst and through time itself in this exciting conclusion to the BlackMyst Trilogy.



  

Friday, January 22, 2016

New Release: The Gift by Michael Patrick


Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy (Humor)
Series: The Shiver Chronicles 


The Gift The Shiver Chronicles Book 1 is now available! fyi free on #kindleunlimited

It was an ordinary day in the ordinary life of Henry and Ralph: two brothers whose life existed for mischief and mayhem. Get up, make a mess, and go to school. But today, was not an ordinary day. It started with the Mississippi River and something that should not exist. And then it invaded the school: a monster. A monster that adults don’t see, and don’t believe in.

The boys are thrust into defensive mode, tasked with saving the school from a giant…thing. Then Gorbert appears. A wizard charged with hunting monsters in this world and next, he helps the boys only to realize that things aren’t as they appear.

Who exactly are Ralph and Henry, and where does their path lead? Are they simply young boys, or something more?
Read on for a fantastic glimpse into the new young adult series by Mike Evans!

http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Shiver-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B01AYDJSXW