Michael R. Baker's Blog, page 24

NaNo 2017 approaches…..

Good morning from a sleepy house in the UK! National Novel Writing Month fast approaches, and I’d love to say I’m prepared and ready to go.

But that would be me lying my ass off.

However, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to give it a shot!

I wouldn’t even call this an article really, it’s just a quick message by me to say good luck to everyone taking part. I have a lot on this November. The Thousand Scars is very close to launching, I have a job application to do, and plenty of other stuff to occupy my time. Let’s see how I do!

Have a good Halloween, and stay safe!

Book Review: The Heart of Stone

Well now. This book review is going to be a fond one for me. For the first time, I got contacted by another author directly! And quite a big author too. Ben Galley you see messaged me a few weeks back and asked if I would be interested in reviewing the debut in his new series The Heart of Stone, and very kindly offered me a paperback copy for me to read and review. Of course, I accepted! It is wonderful to engage with fellow authors. It has been a while coming, but I finished the novel a few days ago, and at last, I can sit down and write this review.

So, what can I say about The Heart of Stone? Several things, you know.

Don’t fuck with stone golems.
Don’t fuck with stone golems.
Don’t fuck with stone golems!

Do we have that clear? Excellent. All joking aside, The Heart of Stone is a riveting read that kept me entertained all the way through.

Being a magically enthused golem isn’t an easy life, especially when you’re ordered to rip heads from human bodies. Now, that may just be my idea of a good Saturday night, but I digress. Must be hard being a golem. Sitting there, crushing some skulls. Dreaming of his past. I really got into his head.

Raised up to be a machine of war, the last stone golem Task is recruited by a rather large dickwaffle commander called Huff to end the brutal civil war that has brewed for years. Reading a novel largely from a non-human point of view is very rare in fantasy (Unless it’s elves or dwarves. Which turn out to be virtually the same as humans. Go figure). This wasn’t, and I really enjoyed delving deep into Task’s psyche. Centuries-old with a heart beyond his myth, Task despairs for humankind and does what he is commanded to do, but he has a heart too. And what does he get used for?

Fucking up soldiers. The scenes of violence are thick and heavy in the book, mostly large skirmishes while Huff waves his dick around to impress his father. Major daddy issues here, people! While I found some of the battle scenes repetitive, they are well written and paint a bleak picture of the true horror of civil war. In a country at war with itself, you fight blood vs blood, family vs family. It is gut-wrenching. Just look at Syria. Some may say there are too much worldbuilding and not enough action, but I disagree. There’s certainly enough to keep you entertained throughout, and while the pacing isn’t what you would call fast, I don’t think it’s too slow either. It’s not Stormlight Archive level of slow!

You have all the little scenes of Task slowly growing for the troops, the filth of war, lots of political intrigue in Baroness Fayne (who I would probably marry), and some brilliant character development.

Let’s move onto characters. Lesky, Alabest Flint, Ellia and Task steal the show on countless occasions. Lesky I feel was a bit too smart and snappy for a child, but her young nature and her bond with Task is a growing part of the book. I legit felt for her suffering on the battlefield and loved it whenever Task defended her. I usually hate spunky teen characters on principle, let alone children, but Lesky was done just well enough to keep me liking her character. Alabest is a wonderful disgraced knight trying to get out of the hellhole, and every one of his scenes had me cheering for him and laughing. Fayne is the wonderful double agent, completely bonkers at times and her nature kept me guessing all the way through.

I just couldn’t stop smiling throughout. The prose is comfortable to read but not too simple, the worldbuilding is solid and it has some great character interactions. I did feel the replacement of cursing with “deff” was highly annoying, however. Just say “fuck!” It will not hurt! It’s not quite as bad as Stormlight Archive’s constant references to Stormfather as an attempted swear word though, so I do forgive it.

Ben Galley really is a good author, and I cannot wait to read more of his books. In fact, I’m going to have another look at his work soon! Hope you enjoyed the review, and I will return soon!

Extending my Book Reviews.

Just a friendly reminder I am still taking author interview and book review requests!

thousandscarsblog

Just a short article this time. It’s time I really dedicate more attention to this blog. So, I am going to officially open a chance for people to have their books reviewed, and posted on this blog!

A few things from me:

My main preferences are fantasy of all kinds, followed by science fiction. I will typically shun YA, romance, dystopian and most other genres, but if it looks interesting, I will pick it up. I am sorry for being picky, but I tend to read what I already like and write myself. I will accept some YA fantasy and sci-fi in a pinch, but be prepared because I will be a lot more critical in going in. You’ll have to put up with my personal preferences here. More adult fiction is to my taste. I like dystopian, but it has to be creative. If you put the typical “dystopian society…

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Author Interview: Richard Fisher

Two articles in one week! I know!

It’s been a busy week for me as well. Work on my book is reaching its finale. After so many years and so much bloodshed, it’s finally reaching its close. I really hope to have some information on this very soon!

Today, I bring you an interview with Richard Fisher, who released his novel not long ago. Here is his response!

 

 

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

 

I write epic and genre fantasy.

 

How do you develop your plots and characters?

 

I write my stories from a detailed world that I created.  I then created a multitude of characters that all vary and are from various cultures. Once I establish who they are and what their goals are I attempt to use them in the plot lines for the story I wish to write.

 

Tell us about your current project.

 

I have several going on currently.  I just released “Reapers of Souls and Magic”, which is my very first novel.  Then I just completed my novel “Sunrise & Blood”, which was just sent to the publisher for review and editing, and now I’m finishing the sequel to “Reapers” which is titled “Reapers of Magic and War”.  So I’ve been very busy!

 

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

 

For the Reaper series, the main characters are Tetra and Lavalor, which is my protagonist and my antagonist.  They have opposing goals, but they are tied together and spend most of the series with one another traveling to fulfill their own goals.

 

Tetra and Lavalor, are both of the “orgination” race, know as the Elfaheen. They are responsible for the creation of all the creatures, plants and various races that inhabit the Rohrlands. Tetra followed the tenents of the Gods that gave them life closely, and Lavalor did not.  In fact, Lavalor thought he could do better and created his own realm, Asmordia, and he and several other Elfaheen went there to live, turning their backs on the gods and on their brethren.

 

Tetra is a naïve woman, whereas Lavalor is a manipulative, power hungry controller. But make no mistake, Tetra is not weak, she just needs to determine how to deal with others, as her trust is sometimes misplaced.

 

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

 

Really, I’m still learning this myself.  I simply made the decision to go for it, and write the story I’ve never read before.  Hopefully, it will work out!

 

But if I had to offer any, it would be, write, write, write.  I have a lot to learn about the craft of writing. There is so much more than simple words on paper and the learning curve is steep if you want to succeed.  I’m not even sure if I will, but I wanted to give it a shot!

 

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

 

I try to ensure that the cultures and their religions, political systems, as well as their habits and beliefs are tightly brought into their actions.  Our cultures and those we are exposed to tend to define us and it should define my characters as well, or so I believe.

 

What inspires you to write?

 

I’ve wanted to write since my early twenties, to tell others what my imagination is constantly showing me, but as I grew older it got pushed to the back burner but never disappeared.  When something is talking to you that long, I figured I should listen!

 

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

 

My series has many MCs, not just Tetra and Lavalor, so ensuring that their plotlines and actions seem natural and reasoned is the most important to me.  No easy, convenient paths.

 

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

 

It’s not a chapter, it’s a character. I actually enjoy writing a specific character the most.  Sometimes we see and hear specific personalities as they develop and his stands out the most for me, and is the most fun to write.  No, I’m not telling you which one it is!

 

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

 

I learned that I still have a lot to learn!  I was fortunate in that I have a publisher that believes in me, and I plan on doing everything possible to show that it wasn’t misplaced, by learning the craft of writing to be both enjoyable for the reader, and successful for the publisher who has invested in me and my stories.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

 

Honestly, it’s not that difficult for me.  I’ve watched people all of my life, and for me, they all have been driven by their own needs and/or desires.  Once I understand what those are, the rest just falls into place for me.

 

What are your future project(s)?

 

I’ve commited to a five book series, and so I have this sequel to finish then the remaining three for the series, but I’ve been hatching ideas for the canon novels, like “Sunrise & Blood”, to help fill out the world I’ve created, so we may see another two or three of those.

 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

 

Sports Illustrated Photographer!

 

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

I’ve established a footprint on several platforms so that I can get the word out on what I’m working on and to be able to “meet” those that have an interest in my stories.  I try to stay involved in them, daily if possible. I’m also setting up a monthly newsletter to let everyone know what’s going on with the stories and books and when they will be released.

 

https://www.facebook.com/REFisherAuthor/

https://twitter.com/REFisher_writer

https://refisherblog.wordpress.com/

 

http://eepurl.com/c2UIJb (For mailing list)

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17060477.R_E_Fisher  (Goodreads)

https://www.amazon.com/R.E.-Fisher/e/B075H2M3Q1?ref_=pe_1724030_132998060 (Amazon)

 

It was a pleasure to have you, Richard! If any authors would like an author interiew themselves, or would like me to review your book, please contact me! Any other feedback, questions or just to say hello, you can do that too!