Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 43

Making Fights Realistic in Historical Fiction and Fantasy

William Wallace, his hair fluttering in the breeze and his face painted blue with woad, wearing but a kilt and leather jerkin, raised his massive two-handed sword above his head and yelled hoarsely for his troops to follow.

Err, nope. William Wallace was a devout Christian, never actually wore a tartan kilt (they became popular three centuries later), and certainly never sported blue face-paint for battle (associated with the Picts, centuries earlier during Roman Britain). He’d likely w...

Herta Tanner (of Der Reizen, by E. Lynn Cormick)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a liaison with a supernatural community, though on occasion she has been referred to as a vampire pimp. She is here to tell us about her Bavarian inheritance and the unusual job that came with it.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in downtown Toronto, Canada. I lived on the border of Little Italy and Chinatown, having friends in both groups. I learned a lot about the cultures from my friends (and a few swear words). ...

Aquae et Ignis – a new, free Felix novella is here!

I’m excited to announce that Aquae et Ignis, the brand new Felix novella is here!

It is a stand-alone novella in the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic series, with Felix’s latest bizarre case. Though the events described are set between In Numina and In Victrix, it is a completely independent story. It makes for a perfect introduction to the series for new readers, and should entertain existing fans who love Felix’s wit and dark dealings.

Best of all, it’s completel...

Kate & Kyle (of Chaos Fountain, by D.C. Ballard)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a rambunctious couple. Let’s hope we can settle them down to an interview about life in their world, where they will tell us how an average-Joe got to be an intergalactic admiral, and what is it like living with a commercial telepath.

Kyle: “Oh for crying out loud, another one of these? Don’t I even get to introduce myself? I’m sure you have that down somewhere, but can I at least intro myself?”

Of course.

Kyle: “Cool, than...

Book Review: Dragon’s Trail, by Joseph Malik

I came across Joseph Malik first via his article 30 Day Cliff, My Ass: Reflections on 10,000 Sales. It resonated deeply with my experience and choices. Although my journey has been different (I didn’t bother querying), I came to the same conclusions and decisions in choosing the do-it-myself path without compromising on professional quality in my books. I highly recommend you read his column.

Naturally, I also grew very curious to see the results of Malik’s efforts. I picked up Dr...

Nick Cisco (of Father Divine’s Bikes, by Steve Bassett)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a police lieutenant from 1945 Newark, New Jersey. He’s here to tell us of the dark underbelly of a city that boomed during World War II but finds itself unable to cope with the peace that brings joblessness, despair and crime.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. The sole child of first generation Italian immigrants, Angelo and Angelica Cisco. My father was a stevedore working the...

AudioBooks! Well, Audio-Story

I’ve been asked by quite a few people when will the Stories of Togas, Daggers, and Magic be available as audio-books. It’s been on my perennial to-do list, but because I’m one of those people who can’t follow a narrated story (look! a squirrel!), I’ve always pushed it off.

Happily, in a collaboration with Chris Herron of Tall Tales TV (kudos to Jane Jago), there is now a newly narrated Felix short story!

Read (and listen on) – I’d love to get your fee...

Henry Ainsworth (of How to Seduce a Spy, by Catherine Stein)

Dear readers, tonight with me is an agent of the British crown, with a deceptively simple directive: end the magical potions crisis, by any means necessary. He’s here to tell us about how posing as a bodyguard and joining the beguiling potions expert on her continent-hopping expedition led to danger of both life and heart.

Ah, Ainsworth. Welcome. Please sit down.

Sir? It was my understanding that all reports were to be conducted in private. It appears we have an audience.

Indeed. Give...

Jael (of Teliko Mageia, by AJ Carbonell)

Dear readers, tonight we bring you an interview from across dimensions. This interview was conducted by a fellow researcher into the nature of magick. He was fortunate enough to run into a fierce warrior, specialist in fire. Read on to find out a world most of us will only see in Japanese manga and role-playing games.

Hello, Jael. I am Melchior from the kingdom of Anithelis. I am currently travelling around the world studying about the history of Magick. I understand that you are resting af...

The Costs of Self-Publishing – and how to reduce them

The was a recent article on Reedsy, where they analysed data from hundreds of freelancer quotes and arrived at the costs of self-publishing a novel to professional standards. i.e. When you you don’t just upload a just-finished-typing Word file to Amazon, but actually produce a book properly. Instead of having the backing of a publisher that does all this, you handle all aspects yourself.

The article is fascinating, but for a quick review here’s their inforgraphic which summarises...