Lori Gordon's Blog: Thrillers, Chillers and Darn Good Books

Authors -Branding – Maximize Your Web Presence

The rules of publishing are changing at rapid fire speed. Marketing and promoting can turn into a full-time job. Authors are forced to sacrifice precious writing time in order to “get the book out there.”

You all know the drill. You’ve written a quality book. Readers have given you four and five-star reviews and yet you suffer from lackluster Amazon rankings or are continually running new promo’s to keep your book from dipping into the 300,000 – 500,000 rank and risk fading into obscurity.

In today’s industry the question is what can you do to stand out from the pack and have your book noticed?

Branding is important. Attracting readers interested in your genre is crucial. How would you like to have your book and or your name turn up in the top ten in Google searches when a prospective reader is looking for their next good read?

The answer is easier than you might think. Allow us to talk about YOUR titles by joining the internet’s largest engine marketing network of authors.

If you are interested in increasing the online exposure of your titles while getting

an instant discount of $20, contact me via this blog or e-mail lori@lorigordon.net

I will send you the link for more information and a coupon code for an instant $20 discount. Control your future as an author and take advantage of building your brand, whether it’s short-term for a new release or long-term to establish yourself in your genre.

Murder in Lincoln Park!

Deadly Consequences

The Sam Black series of suspense novels feature the detectives of the fictional major crimes unit working out of 18th Precinct… the Gold Coast…where the rich and fabulous live…and die.

Nothing good ever happens on Saturday nights. Not in a city the size of Chicago, and not for the detectives of the 18th Precinct. Detective Sam Black and partner Alec Winters respond to a chilling call. A dead body’s been discovered near the lagoon in Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the city’s largest tourist attractions. The Superintendent of police and Mayor are screaming for a quick resolution before the media creates a frenzy.

Sharp twists and unexpected turns force the detectives to put personal animosity aside when another girl goes missing. With the suspect pool quickly eroding, Sam follows a hunch that leads her to the killer’s lair and brings her face to face with a mad man determined to make her his next victim.

The Next Big Thing: Till Death

Like my predecessor, I also confess to being very bad. I was tagged by the up and coming uber talented writer Mark Souza  author of the Futuristic Thriller Robyn’s Egg to make a post for The Next Big Thing, where authors answer questions about their next book underway. I was supposed to post on Wednesday. Things got hectic, and here it is Friday. Better late than never.

1. What is the working title of your book?

Till Death

2. Where did the idea come from for the book?

That’s a tough one to answer. The idea has been rolling around in my mind for some time. Till Death is the first of a series, so it sets the stage for many stories to come. I enjoy continuing characters in books. When it comes to watching TV, I love ensemble casts that feed off each other. I suppose the idea for the book first sprang from wanting to create a strong female protagonist, different from the other female cops already out there. Sam is not your typical detective. She doesn’t drink too much, she isn’t commitment phobic, often leads with her instincts, and enjoyed a successful career as a psychologist until a family tragedy forced her to take stock of her life and make a career change. She’s tough, vulnerable, elegant, loyal, sexy, and regrettably human. I needed her to have strong, supporting characters unique enough to draw readers into their stories as well. Sam Black is the lead character, but the story belongs to Sam, her family and the detectives of the eighteenth precinct. Because this is the first book of a series, Till Death is a character driven story. It is definitely a psychological thriller with plenty of suspense, fast pacing, chilling twists, and mind numbing reveals, but it touches on the cores of human emotions, love, hate, vengeance, fear, loss, triumph, and defeat.

 3. What genre does your book fall under?

Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Mystery

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

This required a lot of thought, but I think I finally nailed it. I’ve pegged Kate Hudson as Detective Sam Black, Matt Bomer as her playboy cop partner Alec Winters, Julia Stiles as Nikki Fletcher, a cop with a disturbing past, George Clooney as wine guzzling, skirt chasing, Sam hating, Detective Jay Lombardo, John Stamos as chilling, cunning, charismatic FBI agent Greer Tyler, but that’s just a taste. For fun I put together a cast list featuring all my characters and short bio’s for them. Click the link below to take a peek.

http://pinterest.com/lorig2008/dream-cast-of-till-death/

 5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A grisly serial killer targets men on Chicago’s Gold Cost.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

So may choices! You forgot to add small presses. I have a little way to go before I decide. I still need to get the book into the hands of more beta readers and an editor. I’ll make the final decision within the next few weeks.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It’s taken around a  year for the first draft but during that time I was doing final edits for State of Panic and I took a break to write two novella’s. I’m 97% done with Till Death.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I wouldn’t compare. Every author tells a story in a unique way, and it’s impossible for me to compare Till Death with other novels. It’s not like Sue Grafton’s alphabet novels, I have an ensemble cast of characters, Sam Black isn’t  lone wolf. It’s not like Julie Garwood because she leans towards romance. There are male/female relationships in the book and some underlying romance, but just like in real life. romance doesn’t dominate the characters lives. I don’t want to completely cop out on the question though, so I asked a couple of beta readers whose work they think the book is similar to, and they compared it to novels written in a similar style by Tami Hoag, Erica Spindler and Sandra Brown and P.J. Parrish.

9. Who or What inspired you to write this book?

I hope my answer doesn’t come across as corny, but the answer is my mom. My earliest memories are of prowling through bookstores with her. All her life she’s been a passionate reader, a trait she passed down to me. Her health hasn’t been good the last few years, she started me down this path, so I would love to give her the gift of a writing a book that makes her proud.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The characters lives, trauma’s, relationships, and the crimes they solve are intricately woven together so that what touches one of them, touches them all. Their stories are ongoing… In Till Death you’ll get grit, glitz, glamour, seduction, touches of BDSM gone bad, a sensational setting, and a story whose ending I dare you to figure out.

Tag, You’re It (Next Week’s “Next Big Thing” authors)

Hop on over to their blogs and see what they’re up to!

Heidi Sutherland  

Lori J. Gordon    (fellow author and friend I met as a result of sharing the same name).

Douglas Wickard  

Carol Ward  

Anshuman Das

Cynthia Meyers-Hanson

Rules

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) ***

Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them, and link back to this page. It’s that simple.

Ten Interview Questions for The Next Big Thing

What is the working title of your book?
Where did the idea come from for the book?
What genre does your book fall under?
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Who or What inspired you to write this book?
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Dream Cast of Till Death, A Psychological Thriller

If only wishes made dreams come true. With The Closer off the air, could Sam Black be the next big thing?

Sam Black enjoyed a successful career as a psychologist until a family tragedy forced her to take stock of her life and make a career change. She’s tough, vulnerable, elegant, loyal, sexy, and regrettably human.The first of a series,Till Death is a character driven psychological thriller with plenty of suspense, fast pacing, chilling twists, and mind numbing reveals, touching the cores of human emotion, love, hate, vengeance, fear, loss, triumph, and defeat.

[image error]

Source: via Lori on Pinterest

Meet the characters…

State of Panic Trailer

When the killing ends…the nightmare begins.

Spotlight on Stephen Penner, Author of Scottish Rite and Mars Alpha Station

Thrillers, Chillers and Darn Good Books

Today's spotlight is onStephenPenner, an author and artist fromSeattle. Stephen is a contributor to the DEADSHOESOCIETY short story anthology. In addition, he has just released a science fiction novel, MARS STATION ALPHA, and a paranormal mystery novel, SCOTTISH RITE. If you haven't sampled his writing yet, this is your chance to get a sneak peek and discover a great new author.

Genres:  Science Fiction, Thrillers, Paranormal, Mysteries, Children's

You have a continuing character in your novels. Give us a bit of background about him/her:

My science fiction novel, MARS STATION ALPHA, is not a series book. I love the characters, but the strength of the book lies in the immediacy of the crises they face. That book stands alone.

However, in my paranormal mysteries, SCOTTISH RITE and BLOOD RITE, there is a recurring protagonist, Maggie Devereaux. She is an American graduate student in languages, who travels toScotlandand discovers a lost book of ancient, but dark, magic. In SCOTTISH RITE, she has to unlock the magic to stop a serial killer. In BLOOD RITE, she uses it to save a kidnapped child. In the third book, DARK RITE, she'll have to use it to save herself.

Sci Fi appeals to a wide variety of readers. What is your favorite part of writing science fiction?

I really like the fact that no matter the setting, it's the human nature of the characters that carries the day. The challenge is to write something a little bit futuristic, a little bit speculative, but still keep the characters approachable. In MARS STATION ALPHA, the adventure takes place on Mars, but the characters are regular people in an extraordinary situation.

Tell us a little about your books:

MARS STATION ALPHA is a science fiction thriller.

SCOTTISH RITE and BLOOD RITE are paranormal mysteries.

"Lady Justice Wears Heels" (from THE DEADSHOESOCIETY) is a legal thriller.

I've also written (and illustrated!) a series of children's books titled PROFESSOR BARRISTER'S DINOSUAR MYSTERIES.

Novel Excerpt:

Here's the opening scene to MARS STATION ALPHA:

Stantonspied a glint of metal on the horizon of the otherwise barren planetscape.

"We have visual," Commander Mtumbe announced as he steered the Antares through the poisonous atmosphere. "Mars Station Alpha."

Mtumbe slid his hand across the control glass, lighting up everyone's personal digital monitor with a magnified image of the space station, overlaid by a data stream from the ship's scanners.

"I see no activity," Petrov observed. "This means no one is alive perhaps?"

"Or it means simply that all shields are working, Aleksandr," countered his fellow Russian, Oksana Rusakova, "and so we cannot see the activity inside."

Mei-Zhu Lin,Stanton's hand-picked tech expert, provided the answer.

"Diagnostics confirm that all shields are on full power," she reported. "We will not see inside with scanners."

Captain John Stanton sat silently in the co-pilot's chair, his eyes fixed on the approaching space station. He had known they wouldn't see anything with scanners. They were going to have to go inside. What he didn't know was why—or what they would find.

"What happened to you in there,Ferguson?"Stantonwhispered to himself.

As the ship lurched into its steep descent toward the space station's runway, Lieutenant Nils Dekker, the mission's sole representative of the moribund European Space Agency, pointed out his starboard portal. "What the hell are those?"

"What are what?" asked Petrov.

Stantonfinally took his eyes off the station to turn around and see Petrov craning to look out Dekker's side portal.

But before Dekker could answer the Russian, Lin pointed to an indicator light on the ship's instrument panel and announced, "We have received a new communication from Earth."

All eyes turned to Cassandra Gold. A last-minute addition, Gold wasn't even an astronaut. On Earth, she was a Special Agent from the United States Department of State. On Mars—and on the ship—her title was 'Communications Officer.' By direct order of President Akira himself, she outranked evenStantonon all issues of communication with Earth.

Gold pressed a button on the arm of her chair and the message played for everyone. It was President Akira.

"Don't screw this up. The whole planet is watching."

That was it.

Typical, thoughtStanton. Akira had just been reelected on his reputation for plain talking—and his promise to get to the bottom of whatever had happened to the Mars colony.

"Shall we send a reply message?" asked Rusakova.

"No,"Stantonsaid simply. "We'd be in the station by the time the message reached Earth. Let's wait till we have something to report."

Then he turned and nodded to Gold. "If that meets with your approval, Agent?"

He still couldn't quite bring himself to call her officer—any type of officer, even Communications Officer.

Gold returned the nod with a curt one of her own. "Approved."

"We should tell him to stop bothering us," joked Dekker, obviously trying to lighten the mood a bit. "We're trying to land a spaceship."

No one laughed.

"I'm the one trying to land this spaceship," Mtumbe snapped. "So everyone just be quiet for a minute. I didn't train to land this thing alone. There was supposed to be a ground crew talking me down."

Stantonstared straight out the cockpit glass again. "The first crew did it without any help, Daniel."

Mtumbe smiled tightly. "I didn't say I couldn't do it. I said I didn't train for it. Now everybody shut up and hold on. We're coming in and I've only got four hundred meters to bring this thing to a complete stop."

What can your readers look forward to? Do you have an upcoming new release?

I expect to release two more novels in early 2012. The first is titled THE GODLING CLUB and tells the adventure of 15-year old Jeni Tanaka as she travels the world in search of her kidnapped mother, and trying to reclaim her lost-before-she-knew-she-had-it birthright as a "godling" to one of the ancient goddesses of creation.

Then, a bit later, I'll be releasing a legal thriller titled AGGRAVATING FACTORS. It stars the same characters as in "Lady Justice Wears Heels", the short story from the DEADSHOESOCIETY anthology. Prosecutor David Brunelle is tasked with convicting a heinous killer, but he has to overcome both legal obstacles and personal peril.

Where can readers learn more about you and your work?

The best place to read about my work (and see a few of my paintings!) is my website: http://stephenpenner.com

You purchase Stephen Penner's books on Amazon, in both kindle and paperback format:

MARS STATION ALPHA

SCOTTISH RITE

BLOOD RITE

THE DEADSHOESOCIETY

PROFESSOR BARRISTER'S DINOSAUR MYSTERIES

You can find out more about all these books, and Stephen, on his Amazon.com page: http://www.amazon.com/Stephen-Penner/...

The Dead Shoe Society – A “Killer” Anthology You Don’t Want to Miss!

The Dead Shoe Society

The Dead Shoe Society combines murder, mystery, mayham…and so much more! A “killer” anthology you don’t want to miss!

                             “Taken” by Lori Gordon

He’d let his hair grow out while he was in treatment. It whipped across his face as a gust of wind kicked up from the east, courtesy of Lake Michigan. Ethan pulled his black hair back into a makeshift bun and strutted down the obnoxiously long block until he reached an alleyway. He rounded the corner and swore under his breath. A semi idled in the alley, the large mouth of its back door yawning wide to accommodate corrugated containers from the shoe store being hand loaded into its belly.

Wanting a closer look, Ethan pulled up the collar of his leather jacket, lowered his head, and began weaving down the alley like a misbegotten drunk. His nostrils flared as he staggered into brick walls, cursing up a blue streak in the belligerent way fellows who’ve had a few too many often do, and mumbled to himself as he neared the truck.

Two men clad in black overcoats stood at the back door, supervising the loading of the containers, their breath coming out in cold puffs of air as they spoke. Ethan could tell by the cut of their coats and the sheen of their shoes that their garments were pricy — these were no ordinary shop employees. From a distance, he couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it was clear that they were speaking either Russian or Polish — though he had no basis for feeling the way he did, something about that struck him as off. Had he been in Ukrainian village, or the Northwest side of Chicago, he might have felt differently, but here in the alley behind expensive boutiques, in the middle of the night?

Ethan did his best to make enough ruckus to draw their attention. The larger of the two, a burly, bald-headed type, broke off the conversation, frowned, and eyed him with suspicion. His right hand slipped beneath his overcoat — a telltale sign that his fingers now coiled around the barrel of a gun.

Bugger. That was a complication Ethan hadn’t been looking for. It meant these bastards had something to hide which didn’t bode well for Shark’s little friends. Son of a blooming bitch. A little voice inside his head mocked him, telling himself that he should have left well enough alone, but it was too late. He was here and in too deep. He figured he might as well make the best of it and see if he could get a bead on what was going on. No time like the present to put on a good show.

“Hey!” Ethan grinned and waved both hands in the air, affecting his best New York accent. “Hey, do you think one of you guys can help me out?” He let his jaw go slack, rubbed the stubble on his left cheek and concentrated on making his eyes as unfocused as a man on a drunk. “I’ve gotten twisted around.”

The bald-headed man barked out a stream of guttural Russian/Polish to his companion and approached Ethan with a menacing look in his eye. “What is it you are wanting? You have no business here.”

“Business?” Ethan stumbled forward and clutched his belly as he laughed. “No business, not tonight.” He let his legs propel him sideways where he laid a hand on a brick wall for support. “No, man. I was supposed to be meeting my friends at a gentleman’s club after dinner.” He winked and leered, finally getting the man’s attention.

“A gentleman’s club you say? How is it you are lost here?”

Ethan raised his hand to give the bald man a high five, dropping it when the man didn’t respond. “Women,” he sighed. “My girl called to check up on me, can you imagine that? She’s not used to me being out of town. My friends went ahead without me and I don’t know where the hell they are.”

“Women,” the man grunted in agreement. “They need to learn their place, no?”

“Yes!” Ethan pointed a finger in the air. “Damn straight.” He lurched forward, slurring his words, “They don’t understand sometimes we men need a little fun, to blow off some steam, you know?”

Badly smiled, revealing a golden front tooth, and waved towards his companion to join them. “This man is looking for a gentleman’s club. What is the closest one nearby? We help him get where he wants to go, yes?”

The smaller man scurried forward, hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat. The bald man narrowed his eyes. “You and your friends, you have a lot of dough?”

“Oh.” Ethan nodded. “Yes, absolutely. They said this was a high class place, all the way.”

“Not exactly downtown, but I am guessing you are looking for VIP’s on Kingsbury Street — oddly enough a block or so off Hooker Street,” the man snorted with laughter. “You will need to take a cab, my friend; it’s not far from North Ave, which on a cold night is quite a walk from here.”

Ethan knew the gig was up; he had no reason to hang around. He also had no reason to make the men suspicious. Putting on his best obnoxious tourist act, he backed up and pointed at the men with both index fingers. “You guys are golden. Thanks. I owe you one.”

“Hey.” Baldy’s hand clamped on tight to Ethan’s upper arm. He leaned in towards Ethan, close enough for him to smell the mint on the man’s breath. “You go there, ask for Pepper. Tell her you get a lap dance and anything else you want on Vlad. Go. Have fun. Enjoy.”

Ethan nodded. “Thanks. On Vlad. Thanks, man. Have a good one.” He turned back the way he’d come and waved to the two men, anxious to get the hell out of there. Vlad. A Russian name. Did the Russian mob have a presence in Chicago? Who the hell could keep track of these things, certainly not him; he’d lived most of his life abroad.

He did know one thing for sure. There was an odd smell coming from the truck they’d been guarding, and it sure as hell wasn’t from the scent of shoe leather being transported in the wee hours of the morning.

The Dead Shoe Society is Stephen Penner, Mark Souza, Jonas Saul, Kate Cornwell, EVictoria Flynn, Christi Craig and Lori Gordon. Seven Stories, Seven Genre’s, Seven Authors.

Cover Design by Heidi Sutherland

You can purchase The Dead Shoe Society at Amazon:  http://amzn.to/zGuJAn

The Dead Shoe Society – A "Killer" Anthology You Don't Want to Miss!

The Dead Shoe Society

The Dead Shoe Society combines murder, mystery, mayham…and so much more! A "killer" anthology you don't want to miss!

                             "Taken" by Lori Gordon

He'd let his hair grow out while he was in treatment. It whipped across his face as a gust of wind kicked up from the east, courtesy of Lake Michigan. Ethan pulled his black hair back into a makeshift bun and strutted down the obnoxiously long block until he reached an alleyway. He rounded the corner and swore under his breath. A semi idled in the alley, the large mouth of its back door yawning wide to accommodate corrugated containers from the shoe store being hand loaded into its belly.

Wanting a closer look, Ethan pulled up the collar of his leather jacket, lowered his head, and began weaving down the alley like a misbegotten drunk. His nostrils flared as he staggered into brick walls, cursing up a blue streak in the belligerent way fellows who've had a few too many often do, and mumbled to himself as he neared the truck.

Two men clad in black overcoats stood at the back door, supervising the loading of the containers, their breath coming out in cold puffs of air as they spoke. Ethan could tell by the cut of their coats and the sheen of their shoes that their garments were pricy — these were no ordinary shop employees. From a distance, he couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was clear that they were speaking either Russian or Polish — though he had no basis for feeling the way he did, something about that struck him as off. Had he been in Ukrainian village, or the Northwest side of Chicago, he might have felt differently, but here in the alley behind expensive boutiques, in the middle of the night?

Ethan did his best to make enough ruckus to draw their attention. The larger of the two, a burly, bald-headed type, broke off the conversation, frowned, and eyed him with suspicion. His right hand slipped beneath his overcoat — a telltale sign that his fingers now coiled around the barrel of a gun.

Bugger. That was a complication Ethan hadn't been looking for. It meant these bastards had something to hide which didn't bode well for Shark's little friends. Son of a blooming bitch. A little voice inside his head mocked him, telling himself that he should have left well enough alone, but it was too late. He was here and in too deep. He figured he might as well make the best of it and see if he could get a bead on what was going on. No time like the present to put on a good show.

"Hey!" Ethan grinned and waved both hands in the air, affecting his best New York accent. "Hey, do you think one of you guys can help me out?" He let his jaw go slack, rubbed the stubble on his left cheek and concentrated on making his eyes as unfocused as a man on a drunk. "I've gotten twisted around."

The bald-headed man barked out a stream of guttural Russian/Polish to his companion and approached Ethan with a menacing look in his eye. "What is it you are wanting? You have no business here."

"Business?" Ethan stumbled forward and clutched his belly as he laughed. "No business, not tonight." He let his legs propel him sideways where he laid a hand on a brick wall for support. "No, man. I was supposed to be meeting my friends at a gentleman's club after dinner." He winked and leered, finally getting the man's attention.

"A gentleman's club you say? How is it you are lost here?"

Ethan raised his hand to give the bald man a high five, dropping it when the man didn't respond. "Women," he sighed. "My girl called to check up on me, can you imagine that? She's not used to me being out of town. My friends went ahead without me and I don't know where the hell they are."

"Women," the man grunted in agreement. "They need to learn their place, no?"

"Yes!" Ethan pointed a finger in the air. "Damn straight." He lurched forward, slurring his words, "They don't understand sometimes we men need a little fun, to blow off some steam, you know?"

Badly smiled, revealing a golden front tooth, and waved towards his companion to join them. "This man is looking for a gentleman's club. What is the closest one nearby? We help him get where he wants to go, yes?"

The smaller man scurried forward, hands stuffed in the pockets of his coat. The bald man narrowed his eyes. "You and your friends, you have a lot of dough?"

"Oh." Ethan nodded. "Yes, absolutely. They said this was a high class place, all the way."

"Not exactly downtown, but I am guessing you are looking for VIP's on Kingsbury Street — oddly enough a block or so off Hooker Street," the man snorted with laughter. "You will need to take a cab, my friend; it's not far from North Ave, which on a cold night is quite a walk from here."

Ethan knew the gig was up; he had no reason to hang around. He also had no reason to make the men suspicious. Putting on his best obnoxious tourist act, he backed up and pointed at the men with both index fingers. "You guys are golden. Thanks. I owe you one."

"Hey." Baldy's hand clamped on tight to Ethan's upper arm. He leaned in towards Ethan, close enough for him to smell the mint on the man's breath. "You go there, ask for Pepper. Tell her you get a lap dance and anything else you want on Vlad. Go. Have fun. Enjoy."

Ethan nodded. "Thanks. On Vlad. Thanks, man. Have a good one." He turned back the way he'd come and waved to the two men, anxious to get the hell out of there. Vlad. A Russian name. Did the Russian mob have a presence in Chicago? Who the hell could keep track of these things, certainly not him; he'd lived most of his life abroad.

He did know one thing for sure. There was an odd smell coming from the truck they'd been guarding, and it sure as hell wasn't from the scent of shoe leather being transported in the wee hours of the morning.

The Dead Shoe Society is Stephen Penner, Mark Souza, Jonas Saul, Kate Cornwell, EVictoria Flynn, Christi Craig and Lori Gordon. Seven Stories, Seven Genre's, Seven Authors.

Cover Design by Heidi Sutherland

You can purchase The Dead Shoe Society at Amazon:  http://amzn.to/zGuJAn

Spotlight on Nicholas A Rose author of the ilvenworld novels

Thrillers, Chillers and Darn Good Books

Today's spotlight is on Nicholas A Rose, author of the ilvenworld novels, Gifted Apprentice, Markan Empire and Markan Throne. If you enjoy epic fantasy it's time to pull up a chair and come join us as we journey into a world where new enemies plot, old enemies wait, and only a sylph stands in their way. If you haven't had a chance to sample Nicholas A Rose's writing yet, this is your chance to get a sneak peak and discover a great new author.

Author Bio:

Nicholas A. Rose has been reading fantasy fiction for longer than he can remember and writing it for only a little less time.  Love of the sea and ships; mountains and the outdoors; and the rather more sedentary pastimes of chess, real ale and reading have all influenced his writing.

Nicholas lives in and is inspired by North Wales and believes all his best ideas come when out in the hills, often without pen and paper.

For those who must know, the "A" stands for Andrew.

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.  Some call it epic and others heroic, but there is a lot of cross-over in the sub-genres these days.

You have a continuing character in your novels. Give us a bit of background about him/her:

I have a character who appears in all the books.  His name is Sallis ti Ath and he was born on one of the islands that are independent of the continent.  He has a gift of being able to find criminals, wherever they run.  In Markan Throne he was set onto one of the central characters.

Although Sallis becomes a bounty hunter, he has a well developed sense of justice.  He never harms the innocent and only collects his fee on conviction, rather than arrest, of the criminal.

Sallis is respected and tolerated in Marka (the city he works from), rather than liked, but he has earned his reputation fairly.  The City Guard always turn to him first when they find themselves floundering!

Tell us a little about your books.

All my books are set on the "ilvenworld", a fantasy world not too dissimilar from our own.

There are two series on the go.  The "Markan" novels (so far, Markan Throne and Markan Empire are out there, the third to follow) concentrate on the reestablishment of the Markan Empire and the struggle the rightful claimant has to win his throne.  These I would describe as "epic" in scale, with several plotlines on the go at once.

In Markan Throne, one claimant is accused of arranging the murder of another, and this book deals with the consequences of that.  The man accused of the murder must clear his name before the claims can go forward.  At the same time, a third claimant is determined to take the throne for himself and lays siege to Marka.

In Markan Empire, a new enemy threatens the stability of the fledgling empire, and the defeated besiegers are still lurking, waiting for an opportunity to strike again.  Spies are sent to learn the intentions of this dangerous new enemy, with surprising results.

The "Gifted" novellas (Gifted Apprentice, with a sequel following) map Sallis ti Ath's journey from farmboy on an insignificant island to feared bounty bounter in Marka.  Starting a little earlier in the timeline than the "Markan" novels, these lean more to "heroic fantasy", concentrating on one central character.  As novellas they are also shorter.

Gifted Apprentice begins with a sick Sallis ti Ath needing a touch-healer to cure him.  The price of this is the boy himself.  This novella shows the young Sallis as he learns his skills, including some that are not on the curriculum.  The second novella will deal with his journey to Marka and putting his new skills into practice professionally.

Novel Excerpt from Markan Throne:

Belaika shivered in the pre-dawn gloom and stared up at the heavens, mouth open with wonder at the display of shooting stars.  While his silver-gray eyes were turned upward, his ear-points twitched as he waited for the whistle that must come, informing him of the intentions of his master's enemies.

Sounds reached him from behind, where the army readied itself for battle.  He shivered again, this time not from cold.  Although he was an army scout, subject to the same discipline as all other soldiers, he did not like battles.  He and his kind were scouts and messengers; they were not expected to fight.

Pitched too high for human hearing, the sharp whistle reached Belaika and he stiffened, stretching up to his full height to acknowledge it with a whistle of his own.  He trotted through the outer row of wooden stakes, twisting his way through the defenses and heard the whistle repeated as the message was relayed to the flank camps.

Most of the soldiers acknowledged him as he passed.  He returned their greetings with nods and smiles.  Infantrymen formed up before the earth bank and small detachments of mounted cavalry were behind them, all in full view of the approaching enemy.  Behind the earth bank stood the war-machines: ballistas and huge mangonels.

He reached the yeoman.  "Donenya, I heard," he said.

"How far?" asked the yeoman.

"Five milas, closing."  He gave the rest of the message.

The yeoman nodded.  "Go and tell the boss," he said.

"Se bata."

As he turned away from the yeoman, soldiers lifted a hopper full of spears and positioned it on the ballista.  Along the rank of ballistas, more men did the same.  The green fire was prepared, but the huge cauldrons were not yet lit.  The bombardiers hated handling green fire: they said the only thing worse than handling it was having it land on you.  The throwing arm of the last mangonel was now being hauled down, so it would not be seen until it was too late.  These war-machines – although in a line – were three ranks, each with a corresponding row of marker posts out in the field, masquerading as advance stakes.  All the mangonels had been ranged the previous day, pins locking the throwing arms into their respective ranges and colored boards attached to each machine to tell the bombardiers which was in which rank.  Red for the first – or furthest – markers, white for the second and blue for the third.  The men already positioned at the advance stakes were expected to turn and run, lulling the enemy into a false sense of security.  They wanted the enemy to believe this was only a small army, not the full force.

Joining the paved road on which the army was camped, Belaika began to run, only slowing as he approached his master's tent.  Orders were shouted, repeated over and over as the yeoman did his work.  At this tent, he was challenged, although he was well known to the guardsmen.

"Akram," he said.

"Pass."  The guard nodded and relaxed the spear that had been leveled against Belaika's chest, more for show than real threat.  The guard winked at the scout.  "He's awake."

Belaika nodded and pushed through the tent flap.  He doubted if many had slept well.

"Enya," he began, "they are five milas away, coming fast.  They move one mila every fifteen minutes, but their war-machines are five milas further back, moving one mila every twenty-five minutes.  The yeoman knows."

Marcus Vintner, allegedly descended from the first Mark and claimant to the vacant Markan Throne, looked up from his map.  Light-crystals provided plenty of light in the centre of the otherwise dim tent.  The bedding was untouched, for Marcus had slept with his head on his arm at the map-table.  Belaika was a little taller than his owner, his appearance more striking thanks to the gray, green and brown skin-paint that covered his body, with vivid slashes of black across face and chest.  Despite this, Marcus was the one with real presence.  Belaika's silver-gray eyes, cat-slit black pupils narrowed against the brightness, and his pointed ears, betrayed his sylph race and hence his status.

What can your readers look forward to? Do you have an upcoming new release?

Gifted Hunter, sequel to Gifted Apprentice, is out next.  This should be available towards the end of January 2012.  Markan Sword will follow that later in the year, the third and final novel in the "Markan" trilogy.  It's perhaps inadvisable to work on two projects together, but they are at least related to each other.

Where can readers learn more about you and your work?

Ilvenworld Website Blurbs, covers, maps.  This is quite a new website, so is still evolving.

Ilvenworld Blog What I'm up to, where I'm at, news.  When it's coming out, this is where you'll hear about it first!

Smashwords Author Page

Amazon Author Page

You can purchase Nicholas A. Rose's books at the following retailers (these links will take you to Markan Throne, but all published books are listed):

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble (Nook)

Sony eBook Store

Diesel eBooks

iTunes Store

Kobo eBooks

and, of course Amazon Kindle

Please remember that all books by Nicholas A. Rose are ebooks, not printed.