Lorel Clayton's Blog, page 3

A free new Anthology

I’m giving all my subscribers this awesome new collection of stories…Including a new short story from the world of Eva Thorne! Click on the image to go to the Instafreebie page. xLorel

Description

War Torn

Seven international authors, reflecting diverse styles from across the fantasy genre, bring you seven short stories that explore the theme, War Torn.

The Fortress by Lorel Clayton

(Dark Epic Fantasy, Steampunk)

No one is infallible, but some people cannot afford to be wrong, not when lives are at stake. In this story from the world of Eva Thorne, visit The Fortress, where a line in the sand has been drawn to keep the living safe from the god of death. Meet the man who guards that line.

Other stories included…

Ambushed by Angela Stevens

(Contemporary Fantasy/ Dark Fantasy)

When the Black Walker Warriors are ambushed by the Clizyati, a vicious battle ensues. Caught up in its midst is Kanga, the Warrior’s latest recruit. Fighting for his life, Kanga knows whatever the outcome, this may well be the last battle in a war that has raged since the dawn of time.

But when the dust settles, victory and defeat pay the same price.

The Praetorian by D.P Joynes

(Dark Fantasy, Magical Realism, Medical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Time Travel)

“Flies. Flies everywhere. In blood…”

Artorius, the commanding officer of a Roman army, loves the taste of battle, but he hates the stench of blood. Blood gives rise to flies, which he cannot control. And neither can the Time Witch. Despite all her magical powers, the Witch has no control over the actions of living creatures, so she’ll try every time-tested tactic to tempt the Commander, to get Artorius to do her bidding. But his future self has other plans.

Unmoored by Justine Alley Dowsett

(Fantasy Adventure)

Renaud Laurent is a gambler and a sailor taking life as it comes and living only for his next drink. Then, on one fateful night in his favorite port town, civil war threatens and he finds himself having to choose between saving his own hide or risking himself for the sake of a stranger.

The City That Fell by K.L Dimago

(Fantasy Romance)

Keturah has always excelled in magic skills and dreams of becoming a member of court in the city of Lucenskath beneath the leader of Nefeiah, Elias, who has led an era of peace and prosperity. But when she is befriended and wooed by Lucas, a fellow student, she learns of a plot to overthrow Elias and his magic council. Keturah must choose between her love of Lucas and her trust in Elias and decide whether or not to make the ultimate sacrifice.

A Touch Of Magic by Lisa White

(Magical Realism, Paranormal Romance)

Plastic surgeon Jessie Inglewood is staunchly anti-natural medicine. Sure, the owner of the local health food store is sexy, but there’s no way she’s going to the “dark side” and dating a natural health hippy! No, she’s seen a lot of ridiculous things in her clinic over the years, and as far as she’s concerned, holistic nutritionists, naturopaths, chiropractors, and crystal waving energy healers are all the same: unethical quacks and charlatans peddling false hope to the vulnerable. Jessie’s very comfortable with her judgement… until a woman in white appears at her clinic one night and gives her an extraordinary gift – the ability to heal people. Jessie has a choice to make: keep giving hands-on miracles to people or give up her gift so she can have her old life back – the one where her colleagues don’t view her as one of the quacks she used to criticize.

Paid In Blood by Tiger Hebert

(Dark Epic Fantasy)

Harlyx, a wealthy and quite possibly mad old man is wanted for treason after stealing a powerful artifact. His hired hand, Alduran, now finds himself on the run with the crazy old man as a king’s army hunts them down. Alduran isn’t so sure that their flight across the desert sands won’t get them killed, but if he’s learned one thing about old Harlyx, it’s that his mysterious knack for avoiding calamity is at its greatest as the noose draws tightest. It’s a mystery Alduran is ready to explore. Besides, the pay is right.

Get it through Instafreebie here. 

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

Antagonists as Heroes

I’m not fond of anti-heroes, but I do like a well-rounded character rather than a cardboard cutout. This applies to antagonists as much as protagonists (who wants boring), but can an antagonist be a hero?

An Antagonist, by definition, acts in opposition to the Protagonist of a story. Usually we call the protagonist the hero and the antagonist the villain, but really it’s a matter of perspective. I truly believe every villain thinks he’s the hero of his own story. So, I write my villains with that in mind. They need to have their own goals and motivations and be as pissed off about the ‘hero’ thwarting their plans as the hero is about the villain’s dastardly deeds.

But I think as moral readers, we can tell the difference between the good guys and the bad guys, despite what they believe. A serial killer might consider himself the hero in his triumph against conformity, but by any sane measure he’s a nasty. In contrast, a hero might consider himself a vile failure for letting an innocent die. We know what that humility and Atlas-mentality really indicates. So, first of all, can an Antagonist even be a Hero? If it’s all about perspective, certainly. If it’s about morality and societal definitions of a hero…? Maybe.

Shameless plug: In my Eva Thorne series of fantasy/mystery books, I’ve created a heroine who struggles to be a hero. Surrounded by villains, hated by association, and tempted by power, it would be easier for her to succumb, to be one of the bad guys. What makes her a hero is every conscious act to avoid that path.

Hannibal as hero—saving Clarice from mundanity. Clarice as villain—failing to save the lambs. It’s all about perspective, but I think most of us know Clarice is the true hero. Also, Lecter isn’t the antagonist at first.

 

 

Here’s a true example of Antagonist as Hero: The Change of Heart. Darth Vader (talking about the original movie through Jedi) is the best villain ever. He’s a presence physically and mentally throughout the story. The very incarnation of the oppression the Empire represents, he ruthlessly hunts the rebels, but he too is oppressed, as chained as those he attempts to chain. His change of heart at the end, when he kills the emperor, makes him a hero by any measure. He overcomes his mental shackles, sacrifices his own life, and saves the protagonist—despite having been the main antagonist up to that point. I call it the switcheroo. Just check out the internal conflict in those glassy eyes…

 

Antagonist as Hero: The Antagonist of an Immoral Protagonist. Frankenstein’s monster is Victor’s antagonist but the sympathetic hero. What others can you think of?

The Antagonist Hero: A True Hero who often eventually joins sides with the Protagonist Hero, after having been in opposition for most of the story. For example, the US Marshal in “The Fugitive” is the antagonist, but clearly a hero. Eventually he realizes the protagonist is not the bad guy and helps Dr. Richard Kimble catch the real one. Classic “misunderstanding”. Can you think of other scenarios?

Finally, it’s worth reading Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces”. Mythology is a journey through the collective unconscious and tells us the history of our own minds. If you follow the hero’s journey too long, the hero eventually becomes the villain. My son would agree: when I tell him he can’t do something, I am suddenly the worst monster ever! But seriously, in the hero’s journey it’s all about knowing when to let go of what you’ve won. You could be a good and gracious King of the World—but if you don’t hand over the throne when the time is right, you can quickly become a tyrant. Power corrupts, and so some Antagonists were the Hero once upon a time….

 

This topic was one of many that generated lively discussion. Visit the SciFi/Fantasy Faire on Facebook to see past posts and enjoy the remaining events this week.

 

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

The Eva Thorne Series

Just a quick update that I’ve released Eva Book 3 on all formats, and the first two novels will be coming soon to formats besides Kindle. In fact, Book 1 is getting a slight bit of ‘work done’ to polish it up shiny and new for the re-release! Will tell you more when the time is nigh… Until then, here’s a link to Pronoun, where you can access all current formats in one place.

P.S. The website is getting a bit of a re-model as well. It may be in flux as I try out different themes, and in fact I’d love to hear if people prefer my old black theme or the new white? I’m still not sure. Decisions suck.

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

We have a winner in $100 Eva Thorne series Giveaway!

Congrats to Jamie! Please share your success with your friends on Facebook or Twitter and tell them about the books. Be on the lookout for an email with more details.

And to everyone else who entered, don’t worry. If you’ve subscribed to my newsletter, you’ll get a consolation prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Newsletter Subscription Quicklink

Book 3 “Blood & Thorne” out now

 

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

$100 Amazon Gift Card and Eva Thorne series Giveaway!

I want to tell my fans – I love you! – so you already have a chance to win, if you’ve subscribed to my newsletter. For more chances, enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. The whole prize pack could be yours!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

Enigmatic Character Interview – Eva Thorne

Character Name: Eva Thorne

Protagonist

Age: twenty-something

Nickname: I wouldn’t try to give me one if I were you

Occupation: femme fatale turned detective

Location: Highcrowne, capital of the Three Kingdoms, ruled by elves, dwarves and Avians, and where humans are either refugees or slaves

Ethnic background: human, actually Solhan, but most people don’t know the difference, and if they do know I’m Solhan they hate me more, so I don’t brag about it much

Goal in life: to not turn into an evil necromancer, despite how tempting that is

Family: Thorne dynasty of Solheim, former leaders of the Council of Nine ,turned refugees. Oh, and the ones who ended the world by summoning the Dead God

Current conflict: the one and only good thing in my life, my big brother, Viktor, has been murdered

Favorite Food: cheese wheels

Motto: evil is a choice, so is wearing pants

Addictions: men

Best friend: Gypsum, a dwarf I went to school with whose sister got the royal title

Pet Peeve: I hate just about everything except for handsome guys standing around who I haven’t learned to hate yet

Favorite Hobby: reading mysteries

Where do you see yourself in ten years? Alive? Maybe?

What do you do for fun? Reading, people watching and drinking kaffe (this would be the answer for an author interview as well, but swap reading for writing and kaffe for coffee)

Favorite childhood memory: playing with Duane and Viktor on the snowy streets of Highcrowne

Dream job: something where I get to hit people when I’m angry but not be a bad person doing it

Favorite part of your day: when I get to do the hobby and fun bits above, after coming home from the dream job

Pessimist, Optimist, or Realist: Pessimistically, I’d have to say, realistically, I’m an optimist

Beverage of choice: aforementioned kaffe, with a lot of sugar ants (don’t knock them ’til you’ve tried them)

Most annoying person in your life: Duane. Or maybe Nanny. Uncle Ulric? Ilsa, hands down.

Taken or single? Any love interests? I don’t believe in being ‘taken’, as I don’t like to feel owned by anybody. Currently, I’m between men. You might call them ‘love’ interests, but what is love really? Lust with conversation?

Pets: Not a good idea. Nanny would put them in the stew. It’s a Solhan thing.

Biggest Fear: Becoming like Uncle Ulric, or my sister, Ilsa

Guilty Pleasure: actually sitting for a moment by the fountain and liking my home, my neighbors and the whole wretched world

Most embarrassing moment: getting caught indulging in my guilty pleasure

Greatest Strength: stubbornness

Greatest Weakness: stubbornness

Who do you most admire? My brother, Viktor

How do you feel about secrets? Everyone has them, but some of them you’ve got to unravel else the bad guys win

Advice for the reader as they follow you through your journey? Expect surprises. I surprise myself all the time.

Want to read more about Eva? Here’s where you can start…

 

Genre: fantasy/mystery/steampunk/romance

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SS8P6PA

Synopsis: When Eva’s brother is murdered in a city of rude elves and matriarchal dwarves where humans have no rights, she is forced to investigate the crime herself. What she discovers brings her up against a powerful slave-trading cartel, dark gods, and—worst of all—her twin sister. Both her family and the elven authorities want her hushed. She has no money and no magic of her own with which to combat them, but she does have an illegally-freed slave, a senile nanny, and an ex-almost-boyfriend on her side. Even when she nearly loses her job and almost loses her head in a sword fight on the same night, she isn’t deterred. It’s when the nanny goes missing that she really starts to worry.

Femme fatale turns hard-boiled investigator in this first Eva Thorne novel. Set in a fantasy world where magic and machines can’t stand against the God of Death, humans are on the run from the god’s invasion. Highcrowne is the only refuge, but that means living in the Outskirts of an ancient city ruled by Avian mages, indifferent dwarves, and elves who’d prefer to see humans as their slaves. It’s worst for Eva’s people, Solhans, because they were the ones who summoned the Dead God into the world. No one wants her kind in Highcrowne and there are plenty who would be happy to see her brother dead. There are too many motives and not enough time to unravel them, because other people are dying … and Eva is fast running out of vacation time.

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

From Cringe to Binge – The 100 is worth a second look

I’m SO picky about my entertainment. My life is crazy busy, and like many people, I’ve become a snob, quickly judging a book by its cover or its first line and a TV show by its opening episode. I checked out The 100 on Netflix a while ago and got two episodes in before throwing up my hands (there was nothing else on so they were lucky I endured that long). As much as I was intrigued by the post-apocalyptic scenario of humans in space coming back down to Earth to see if radiation levels and other dangers were survivable, the lazy, strategically incompetent teenagers they sent made it feel more like a bad series of Survivor.

Flash forward six months, and my husband and writing partner breaks his foot. He’s stuck on the couch for two weeks and quickly runs out of entertainment, and with higher tolerance levels than me, he made it to Season 2. One day I came home and he said, “You know that 100 show…. ” I roll my eyes, so he’s quick to add, “I know it sucked at first, but this second episode of the second season is phenomenal. I think they have new writers and more budget for cameras and filming or something, because it doesn’t look like a soap opera anymore.”

I watched warily from the kitchen while prepping dinner, and I soon noticed the changes as well. I crept forward to the couch and sat … for a while. My dinner almost burned, so I told him to pause it while I took care of things. He was not allowed to watch any more without me!

After a Season 2 and 3 binge, watching minimum three episodes a night and thinking about it all day, I was hooked! The 100 is now one of my favorite shows. What makes it so great?

Story progression. Character development. Those two things could be my mantra. I hate a flimsy story idea and weak characters stretched thin over season after season like dregs of margarine scraped over toast. Give me substance, agonizing decisions, regret and deaths as well as loves that matter. That’s what The 100 has now.

Yes, there are still stupid characters and decisions (although now its mostly the adults who seem to have no clue about life on the ground), but Bellamy and Clarke are phenomenal, especially Clarke. I’ve loved watching her natural leadership ability grow and her personal agony (I’m a writer so I like it when my characters suffer) as she has to make one difficult decision after another. When you see the body count, the toll on the characters’ opinions of themselves and their moral values (“There are no good guys”) you realize this really is post-apocalyptic fiction and not Survivor. The very nature of humanity’s soul, not to mention its extinction, hangs in the balance.

“Death by Clarke” is my new favorite line, but as much as she is haunted by her choices, she’s not afraid to make them. It’s what sets her apart from the other characters who regret too much, too openly or fail to learn and move on.

I’m a Bellamy/Clarke shipper, but her interactions with Lexa is another powerful element well worth watching. I find the entire Grounder culture fascinating, although only 97 years has passed and it feels more like it should be double that. Grounders are essentially a matriarchy-led society of warriors that value strength and believe “Blood must have blood.”  There’s a very interesting reveal in Season 3 about the nature of their Commander. No spoilers from me, but it’s all so perfect you know they must have planned the story out. Another plus in my book is an over-arching season plot rather than one-off episodes. There’s probably only one flat episode three quarters through Season 3 that doesn’t progress things, but everything else keeps the plot moving towards its climax.

Then they organically develop a new plot turn to carry it forward into the next season! The threat never lets up. There’s never a chance to celebrate, because even the most idyllic parts of the wasteland (or its people or their own people…) are always trying to kill them.

My advice is get the cliff notes for Season 1 and start watching from Season 2. Try some sweet and salty popcorn (another new fave of mine), kick back and enjoy a good post-apocalyptic binge. You might just fall in love.

The 100 was created by , loosely based on the books by Kass Morgan. Seasons 1-2 are on Netflix, and season 4 is now airing on the CW.

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

Surprise! You’ll get sucked in by SyFy’s Dark Matter

 

As much as I love to read fantasy, I love to watch sci-fi, and was in heaven recently with a binge of WestWorld and The Expanse. Loved them! Then I tried Ascension and hit a wall of utter disappointment. If you prefer sci-fi to melodrama, then I advise you not to go there. Despondent, I went searching for anything to restore my faith in the genre and instead stumbled upon a new passion – SyFy’s Dark Matter!

Give it one episode, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked. I started out jaded, thinking “oh I’ve seen this character type before, and that one…” but at every turn your expectations are used against you. As soon as it builds up to a plot point you see coming a mile away, the show jigs left or right and leaves you guessing where it will go next. Even better are the times when I wish they would do something, believing they never would, and then they do it!

If I’m being too vague, it’s because I don’t want to spoil anything for you. But, just to wet your appetite…

The show begins with our characters rudely woken from stasis by an emergency. Yawn. But then the obligatory pretty boy lead gets the crap kicked out of him by the sexy brunette. She takes charge from day one and never gives up her authority. She is a born leader, and if she hadn’t been the ship’s captain before she is the clear choice now.

Turns out none of them have any memories of who they are, or who did this to them. They call themselves by numbers based on the order they awoke. All the clues point to someone on the ship being responsible for swiping their memories—the same someone who has sabotage the ship. One of them is the enemy. The android is no help, as her memories were erased as well, but she’s a stand out character as the series progresses and we learn of a deeper connection between her and #2 (aka tough brunette captain, aka Portia).

The tension throughout season one especially never lets up. From distrusting each other to learning who they were before, to deciding this is not who they want to be now, it’s quite a roller coaster. But can they really change? They make enemies of old allies, get embroiled in machinations between corporations and empires, and who has heard of that backwater Earth? … epic sci fi heaven!

Even the setting of a Corporate-ruled society may seem cliché at first, but I have honestly never seen it done so well. I first encountered the concept in Robert Heinlein’s ‘Friday’, where corporates used spies and assassins to play deadly games with one another, and Dark Matter captures that feel wonderfully.

I just want to end by saying probably the best, and most surprising, character is #3 (aka Boone). I went from hating to loving him, and he is definitely one to watch.

So get watching!

Here’s a great fan made trailer (not mine) to get you teased:

If you have any recommendations, I’m always looking for new paranormal, sci-fi, superhero or fantasy TV and movies to fall in love with. Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

The Psychology of Superheroes

I recently bought a Smart TV, because my son hit the old plasma hard enough it started smoking, but on the upside I discovered Netflix! I’ve binge watched 2 seasons of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage, and I hunger for more. Not to mention my giddy anticipation of the Defenders, my absorption of all big screen Avengers, Thor and Captain America flicks … and can I just say ‘Wonder Woman’!

How come this hardcore Game of Thrones-reading, Heinlein-quoting, Shakespeare-analyzing intellectual loves superheroes so much? My husband and writing partner has asked me this question many times as I drag him to yet another X-men movie on our limited date nights. I’ve put some thought into—PhD-wielding, intellectual level thought—and here’s my answer.

Who doesn’t want to be a superhero!?

It’s Freudian wish fulfilment psychology at its simplest. Who hasn’t had a dream of flying like Superman or throwing cars? (Maybe the recurring car throwing dreams are just mine, representing my repressed hatred of traffic).

As the world gets bigger, faster and crazier, we all feel like we need superpowers to deal with it.

I’m a child prodigy/former scientist/author/full-time manager/mum and the last two parts of that list alone have earned me the ‘superwoman’ title from my colleagues. Yet even I want more power moawhahaha…! (evil laugh)

Could I please have Wolverine’s regenerative capacity, Superman’s powers, and Wonder Woman’s cool factor? Ninja-fighting martial arts skills like Daredevil would be a great bonus.

Let’s say I have all that—and you can picture your own heady mix of skills—what would I (or you) do?

This is where the really cool part of superhero shows today come in. They get existential. With ultimate power comes … ultimate responsibility? Ultimate corruption?

All of a sudden we’re going from throwing cars to dealing with soul-wrenching issues of good and evil.

How many times have you been frustrated by Superman’s unwillingness to just smash the bad guy before he discovers kryptonite? I know I cheered when Jean Grey blasted Apocalypse … but she’s one of the darker characters. Is she good Jean Grey or the destructive Phoenix? Is she hero or villain?

I think I loved Daredevil the most of my recent Netflix binge (not that I didn’t LOVE David Tennant in Jessica Jones) but it’s Matt Murdoch’s, Karen’s and Elektra’s internal battles with good and evil that really caught my attention.

What would I do?

It would be so easy to kill the bad guys without remorse, to be Elektra. But she’s a bit bat shit. You cheer Karen’s reaction when all her loved ones are threatened … but the way she looked at herself in the mirror afterward. Could you look yourself in the eyes? And if you could, what would you see in there? Angel or demon?

I love Daredevil and Superman because they wrestle with evil not only externally but internally. As viewers, we can ask the question—is it more evil to let bad guys harm other people? I wanted to throw my popcorn at Matt whenever he balked, but then the concept of ‘the loss of a good soul to darkness being more terrible than the death of an evil soul’ or something like that really got to me, and I’m not Catholic.

Can we really save the world? Look at the state of it. It’s so big … so crazy … the corruption and inequity…

Even if we had superpowers enough to go everywhere and stop every injustice, how many would die? Would we become callused to it all? Would we even be a hero anymore?

In reality, perhaps all we can do is look into our own hearts, minds and souls and save that. Save ourselves.

If we create one more good person … If everyone in the world looked at themselves and asked hard, heroic questions … And chose to be a good person … Then we’d be getting somewhere.

 

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Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.

99c sale Eva Book 2 and Book 1 free!

In case you or your friends missed previous sales on Book 1, it’ snow FREE until May 2nd. Find it at Amazon.

And guess what, this is the first ever sale on book 2! Now 99c in a Kindle Countdown Deal until May 7th. Grab it now, you’ll never regret it later.

Can I just brag a bit about some very nice reviews Here’ some headlines: “beautiful and enchanting” … “devour-worthy witty writing…” …”there had better be more Eva!”

Ok, I’m pretty proud of this one, and book 3 will be something special too. It’s 63,000 words so far, so only about 37,000 more to go.

What do you think, should I show you more of the Elf Lands? How about vampires (old school)? Let me know what you think.

 

 

Thanks for reading! More posts on books, film, and writing can be found on my website at Lorel Clayton Author.