S.B. Knight's Blog, page 5

Blog Tour Day 3

Today is day 3 of the Drago's Revenge Book Tour! Today I will be at Strands of Pattern. Come on over and leave a comment.




REMEMBER -









From now until October 30 you can PRE-ORDER Drago's Revenge for $4.76 (that's 20% off retail price). PLUS, when you pre-order you get Born of Blood for free! That's right, save 20% AND get a free ebook! Pre-order Drago's Revenge today! 

Blog Tour Day 2

Today is day 2 of the Drago's Revenge Book Tour! Today I will be at A.H. Browne.com where you get to inerview me! Come on over and have some fun while asking me a question or two.




REMEMBER -









From now until October 30 you can PRE-ORDER Drago's Revenge for $4.76 (that's 20% off retail price). PLUS, when you pre-order you get Born of Blood for free! That's right, save 20% AND get a free ebook! Pre-order Drago's Revenge today! 

Blog Tour Day 1

Today is the official start of the Drago's Revenge Book Tour! Today at 1 pm est I will be on the air at Author Talk on blog talk radio. Register now and listen to the show, call in with questions or leave a comment.




REMEMBER -









From now until October 30 you can PRE-ORDER Drago's Revenge for $4.76 (that's 20% off retail price). PLUS, when you pre-order you get Born of Blood for free! That's right, save 20% AND get a free ebook! Pre-order Drago's Revenge today! 

Sex and Death - From Tonia Brown

Hello there! My name is Tonia Brown and I am the author of several
novels ranging from humor to horror to steampunk. My latest novel, Sundowners,
just hit the interwebs. It’s a backwoods southern horror, all about the importance
of family, the dangers of gossip and the nature of the artistic muse.





Watching horror movies at Halloween is a tradition shared by many
families, and growing up, mine was no different. My sister and I still get
together on Halloween and roll out one slasher flick after another, all in
honor of the best holiday of the year. As much as I love to talk hack and
slash, guts and gore, today I am here to address one particular Halloween, and
one particular aspect of horror films that sculpted my young mind.

One Halloween season, when I was about seven years old, my father sat
my three sisters and me down on the couch, put a tape in the VCR, and played a movie for us that changed our
lives forever. It was full of blood and guts and death and horror. I loved it.
My sisters loved it. My parents obviously loved it, or they wouldn’t have shown
it to us. That movie was “Friday the 13th,” and it not only was it
the movie that got me hooked on horror, it was the movie that introduced me to
sex.

That’s right. I learned about sex from horror films.

I know. It sounds like a confession at a 12 step program, doesn’t it?

The funny thing about having parents that will let you watch horror at
a young age is where they draw the line of acceptability. Decapitation?
Acceptable. Throat slit? Acceptable. Boobies? Mildly acceptable, depending on
the size of them. Hands on the boobies that don’t belong to said boobies? Turn
your head or you will get you wont get to watch another horror movie ever
again! This kind of controlled exposure to the naughty world of naughtiness
warped my sense of how it all worked.

I gleaned most of my knowledge about the birds and the bees through
these films. Which, of course, meant my ideas about sex consisted of the bird
and the bee getting all smoochy, and huggy, then the bee suddenly turns on the
bird and stings it to death right through the heart. Over and over and over.
There’s blood everywhere, and lots of screaming, the bird always died and often
the bee did too. And somehow in all of it, I figured out that must be how
babies were made. Through stabbing and blood and screaming and death. Turns
out, I wasn’t too far off.

I know, there is a whole lot of symbolism going on there.

Freud would have a field day with my psyche.

Through the years my knowledge of sex developed and grew thanks to
horror films. The Friday series showed me that kissing lead to an arrow in the
throat. Who wanted that? Freddy Kruger was a lesson in the dangers of shacking
up. In other words, if you let your boyfriend spend the night, you’re going to
die. But that quintessential holiday classic “Halloween” taught me the most
important lesson of all; the nice girl always survives. Hence, I strived to be
the nice girl, right up to my wedding night. Well, at least right up to the time
I met my future husband.

Sure, as I got older and figured it all out, I look back on my confused
youth with a cringe. How silly of me to think that sex lead right to death. How
naïve to believe a monster would come and get me just because I hugged a boy. And
how incredibly clever it was of my parents to lead me to that conclusion, and
let me think it was true for so many years. Thanks mom and dad.

Now that I am all grown up, I can’t think of a better treat for a
Halloween adult than sex and death. Hence, I still watch sexy horror as much as
I can. And it is even better now that I know what is going on, and I don’t have
to turn my head at the good parts.










Tonia Brown's short stories have
appeared in a variety of anthologies. She has cranked out several books,
including Sundowners, Badass Zombie Road Trip and the weird west series
Railroad! Tonia lives in North
Carolina with her genius husband and an ever
fluctuating number of cats. When not writing she raises unicorns and fights
crime with her husband under the code names Dr. Weird and his sexy sidekick
Butternut.

You can learn more about her at: www.thebackseatwriter.com




*   *   *  
*   *




All five of us - Tonia Brown, James N Cook, John O' Brien,
Armand Rosamilia and Mark Tufo - hope you have been following along on the
Haunted Halloween Blog Tour 2012. We love to see comments after the posts, and
we also love to pick a random commenter and give away a free eBook or even a
signed print book, so maybe you'll get lucky!

We have centralized all the upcoming dates and blog posts on
a Facebook event page. Feel free to join us there and see what is coming up
next!

https://www.facebook.com/events/211796112284317/

Yes, You Can Help Authors....Here's How

For small presses, getting exposure in the market place in competition with the publishing big boys is one of the key challenges but it is also one where you as a reader can help us enormously by spreading the word.

So, if you have enjoyed my books please help me to promote SB Knight and my publisher MuseItUp Publishing, as well as any other small press authors you may enjoy.

There’s a wide range of ways you can do so including:




Recommending the book to your friends;
Posting a review on Amazon or other book websites;
Reviewing it on your blog;
Tweeting about it and giving a link to our website at MuseItUp Publishing.com;
Posting a link to MuseItUp Publishing on your Facebook page;
Liking our Facebook page at facebook.com/FansofSBK;
Following me on Twitter @authorSBKnight;
Pinning it at Pinterest;
or
Anything else that you think of!



Any combination of the options listed above would be a great help and very much appreciated. Thank you.

Drago's Revenge Book Tour

The Drago's Revenge virtual book tour is heating up. Don't miss out on the fun! Find me on these blogs, websites, social networks, and on Blog Talk Radio.


Sunday, October 14 - Author Talk with Mark Tierno
Monday, October 15 - A.H. Browne Facebook Page
Tuesday, October 16 - Strands of Pattern
Wednesday, October 17 - Myriad Spheres
Thursday, October 18 - Nerine Dorman's Blog
Friday, October 19 - TW Brown Website
Wednesday, October 24 - Jeffrey Kosh's Blog
Friday, October 26 - Armand Rosamilia's Website
Monday, October 29 - Brian Bigelow Blog
Tuesday, October 30 - Thoughts From The Dan OBrien Project
Tuesday, October 30 - Janus Gangi Facebook Page
Wednesday, October 31 - Thoughts From The Dan OBrien Project

Wednesday, October 31 - G+ and Facebook Event
Wednesday, October 31 - J. Thorn.net
Thursday, November 1 - Thoughts From The Dan OBrien Project

Thursday, November 1 - The Movie Geeks Facebook Page
Monday, December 17 - TBR Blog



More to be added once confirmed.

A New Review for Born of Blood

A big thank you goes out to Shawn over at Knightmist's Blog for a truly great review for Born of Blood. What makes it so awesome? It is balanced and well thought out...can't ask for more than that. Here is a portion of the review:

What SB Knight does within the pages of Born of Blood is remind the reader what a vampire is. He reminds you that they maybe human looking but their soul is dark and deadly. SB also adds another element to this book that is intriguing as found within the first few pages. He takes you back into history and reminds us of one of the blood thirstiest women to have lived. This woman is reported to have murdered hundreds of young girls, and she is the Blood Countess herself, Elizabeth Bathory. SB does a tremendous job tying these glimpses into the past, into the current period in which the book takes place. 

Born of Blood is a book that fans of the vampire genre will enjoy. In truth, fans of all types will find this book a great read. SB Knight does a great job in using his words to paint a picture of what is happening within the book. He also makes you aware of how powerful, deceitful and deadly a vampire is when you cross them. The book is full of history not just from the flashbacks to the days of Bathory, but also the thing Jesse is missing most, her family history.

To read the whole review and check out Knightmist's Blog click HERE. 

From now until October 30 you can PRE-ORDER Drago...

From now until October 30 you can PRE-ORDER Drago's Revenge for $4.76 (that's 20% off retail price). PLUS, when you pre-order you get Born of Blood for free! That's right, save 20% AND get a free ebook! Pre-order Drago's Revenge today! 

Introducing Dan O'Brien and the Characters of The Path of the Fallen

As I sit down at my computer, I am struck by the eerie presence of someone behind me. Leaving behind the blinking cursor, I realize that the cast of my latest novel, The Path of the Fallen, are standing behind me. E’Malkai, sullen and burdened by the weight of the pilgrimage he has undertaken, stands behind the immovable figure of his Umordoc guardian, Elcites. Arms crossed over his chest, his gaze unsettles me despite how much time I have spent in his company whilst writing The Path of the Fallen. Arile, proud hunter of the north, leans against his spear and inspects the wall with a carefree look upon his face. Fe’rein, shrouded in the darkness that complements him so well, seethes with a dark mix of irritation and confidence.



E’Malkai: I heard that you wanted to speak to us.

Me: (clearing my throat) In a manner of speaking, yes.

Fe’rein: (glowering) What do you want? We have business left unfinished.

Me: I am releasing The Path of the Fallen, after nearly a decade hiatus, and wanted to let potential readers know a little more about it. Instead of giving them a dry summary or an adjective-laden exposition, I thought getting to know the characters might be a fun exercise.

Arile: (not making eye contact and looking away with a bored look on his face) What precisely would these potential readers want to know about us? We are an open book (snickers).

Me: Let’s start with something simple: Describe yourself to the readers.

Fe’rein: Darkness. Death. There is little else to know.

E’Malkai: (shifting uncomfortably behind his guardian) I do not know what to say about myself. I thought I knew what I supposed to do with my life, but there was always something missing. When I learned about the history of the Fallen and the journey my father began, I realized that I had to find out more, learn about where I came from.

Elcites: (grunting) I am no more than what is expected of me. I guard E’Malkai. That is all that matters.

Arile: I am the last of my people. We once could hear all the voices of the earth. The world has been broken. I can no longer hear what I once could. My people have been scattered into the winds, but I can still hear their distant voices. They speak of a new age, and of a final war.

Me: That all sounds quite dire. You make it seem like there is only darkness and sadness. Are there no happy moments in your life, memories that give you pause and hope when you consider them?

Elcites: The day I was given my charge, when I first met young E’Malkai, was the greatest and saddest day of my life.

E’Malkai: (looking up at the stoic look on his guardian’s face) I recall playing with my uncle once upon a time. (Pausing) The world changed, and so too did those memories. I cannot seem to look back upon the strained moments of my life and see happiness.

(Fe’rein scoffs and crosses his arms over his chest. He clearly is not going to answer the question.)

Arile: Each day is full of happiness and sadness, joy and terror. I find grace and importance in the simplest of tasks. This day is a gift. We must not look upon it with sorrow.

(I start to speak, but Fe’rein interrupts me, his power crawling over his skin like a swarm of frightening insects.)

Fe’rein: What makes this story any different than any of the other drivel available?

Me: That is a bit strong, isn’t it? I would like to think that my writing offers a fresh perspective on the fantasy and science fiction genre. I always try and include elements of ethics and philosophical assumptions in my novels, and this one is no different. I love to explore the elements of good and evil, as well as the murky gray area that is exposed when decisions and choices and are no longer easy. I think it captures the essence of the monomyth, or the hero’s journey, as well as being a rousing adventure tale that a reader of any age can enjoy.

E’Malkai: How is it doing so far?

Me: It is a bit early in the game to really say much about it. I released it almost a decade ago and it was well received, but it was in desperate need of a strong editing session. Now, I feel like it accurately reflects my growth as a writer and that it has a strong chance of being pretty successful, perhaps my most successful work yet. Let’s put the focus back on you: What do you want from life?

E’Malkai: I want to set things right…

(Fe’rein stands suddenly. Elcites turns, interceding between the Dark Creator and the youth. Arile moves soundlessly behind the mion.)

Fe’rein: There is nothing to set right. I did what was necessary. They took Summer away from me. They had to pay.

Me: (standing) It seems as though I have struck a nerve. Let’s try something a bit easier, shall we? What’s the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?

Arile: (lowering his weapon) The search for truth, questioning my place in this world. Complacency weakens the mind. I value knowledge, intelligence, and logic.

Fe’rein: (sitting once more with a huff) Solitude. The power to do what I must to keep what I have claimed. Once, I valued family and love, but those times have passed.

Elcites: My charge, my mission.

E’Malkai: My family, the people who depend on and believe in me, even if that faith is misplaced.

Me: Speaking of family, did you turn out the way you expected? The way your parents predicted?

(Elcites maintains his ambivalent stare and Arile inspects something deeper in the darkness of the room.)

Fe’rein: I did not know my mother and father well. I have memories of them, brief glimpses of who they were, moments in time frozen and exaggerated. I used to wonder how they would judge me, but that doesn’t matter to me any longer. I turned out the way I did because of the choices I made. My father could not have known what would fall into my path. His plan for me is irrelevant.

E’Malkai: (looking at his uncle, Fe’rein, with sorrow) I did not know my father, but as I traveled north I learned much about the man he was and who he wanted me to be. My mother was secretive of my past, but I do not blame her. I realize now that she did not want me to die as my father had.

Me: That is quite sad. The path of the fallen began when Seth, your father, was cast from the Fallen and then ends when you return. Were you afraid of traveling north by yourself, E’Malkai? What is your greatest fear?

E’Malkai: Not being able to do what is necessary. Turnabout is fair play: At what point in your life did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

Me: A meaningful question indeed. I think I always knew I wanted to be a writer. When I was about six, I designed an entire play for my cousin’s birthday: sets, script, and little figures on Popsicle sticks. As the years went by, I found that the notion of storytelling was very attractive. This pursuit led me to writing my first novel in high school, a space opera that I published in 2002. Since then I have published ten novels and plan on telling stories until someone spreads my ashes over the sea. (Turning to Fe’rein) Fe’rein, what is your greatest regret?

Fe’rein: Beyond being summoned to this ridiculous farce, I would imagine the content of my life was the result of walking down a path to darkness. It was not sudden or abrasive, but instead incremental and engrossing. My greatest regret is taking my brother’s life. It was too late for me by then. I could only see darkness, despair.

Elcites: (clearing his throat) What was your intent with writing The Path of the Fallen? Why did you set us down this path?

Me: I wanted to tell a very particular story: one in which the line between good and evil become blurred and the consequences of a hero’s actions mean much more than defeating the bad guy. I liked the notion of a family saga wrapped up in an epic science fiction/fantasy novel. The hero’s cycle makes for a powerful story and often answers fundamental questions about the human condition. Hopefully, my book is successful to that end. (Taking a step forward and gesturing to Arile) Arile, how do you decide if you can trust someone? Do you test the person somehow? Or are you just generally disposed to trust or not to trust?

Arile: Trust, like respect, is earned. When I first met E’Malkai, it was his naivety and simple manner that let me know that I could trust him. Generally, the test of whether or not a person is trustworthy is created by the environment, selected for by pressures that challenge a person. The idea of being predisposed to trust, or not to trust, is born of not trusting oneself. Have you written many more stories? Are we to carry on, storyteller?

Me: As the book closes, the story does not end. The path has ended, at least metaphorically, but the journey is far from over. Book of Seth returns to the beginning, giving us a glimpse of the life of Seth Armen, as well as Ryan Armen before he was corrupted. The sequel, which takes place after The Path of the Fallen, is called Breath of the Creator and weighs in on what comes next. There are several other novels with transient beings not of your dimension: a supernatural detective solving murders in San Francisco; a young man who discovers what it takes to be responsible as the world falls apart; a love story set in an epic fantasy world. (Spreading my hands wide, acknowledging all of them) This question is for all of you, what is one strong memory that has stuck with you from childhood? Why is it so powerful and lasting?

Arile: I will never forget when I returned home from a hunt and found my village decimated, wiped from this earth by Umordoc. I took the long walk into the tundra, to die, but found peace and a new home. The winds have been my companion ever since.

Fe’rein: Your question is foolish, storyteller. My childhood was a lifetime ago. I am no longer that frail boy who walked beside his brother on the tundra.

Elcites: I do not recall my childhood. I was born on Terra and raised in Culouth. My youth was devoted to learning everything I could about human beings and their ways so that I might one day protect E’Malkai.

E’Malkai: Once I had fond memories, but now they all seem like lies meant to obscure my path. Storyteller, do you read other stories? Are you reading anything right now, or have you read anything recently that is worth mentioning?

Me: I have been reading A Dance of Dragons by George R. R. Martin. I have become very invested in that world, though I will admit that the pace of the narrative has slowed dramatically. I find myself undulating between being surprised and intrigued by the story and then suddenly being quite bored.

Elcites: How did we come into being?

Me: I am assuming you are asking me about my writing process. For The Path of the Fallen I wrote it for four months straight, including Book of Seth. Generally, I like to create a living outline that evolves as the characters come to life and begin to guide the narrative. It is dependent on the world I am invested in at any given time.

E’Malkai: Are our names meaningful?

Me: They are not derived from other lore, if that is what you meant. E’Malkai was named as homage to the naming scheme of the tundra people. It really depends on what I am writing. For instance, The Journey has names that are quite significant in terms of their meaning. Otherwise, I like to invent names for a particular world.

Arile: How do you define success as a writer? Have you been successful?

Me: Success is elusive once you define it. It becomes something that you aspire for regardless of the process and the craft. I would like to think that success is writing stories that people in enjoy and connect with, even if it is negatively. I think I have been successful in a very limited way: people have read my books and enjoyed them.

E’Malkai: Do you have words of wisdom about writing that you want to pass on to novelists and writers out there who are starting out?

Me: Write what you love and learn from criticism. The publishing world has changed. I have been writing for nearly a decade and I find that every year there seems to be a new opinion on which way the wind is blowing for fiction. Stay the course and do what you love. If writing novels and telling stories is what you want to do, then do that.

Fe’rein: I have noticed that you ask this ridiculous question of other storytellers: What is your End of the World Playlist? Why do you ask this question?

Me: I like hearing what people think about the notion of an end-of-the-world scenario. Also, I have a zombie novella of the same name and I like having the vibes out there for it. Do you guys have anything specific that you want to say to the readers?

Arile: E’Malkai of the South will do what he must to set the world right. His story will be passed on for generations.

Elcites: The path of the fallen is filled with both adventure and sadness. Follow E’Malkai and be transformed.

Fe’rein: I will have my day, in this life or the next. I am not evil, nor is E’Malkai good. We are merely opposite perspectives. You decide who visited more harm upon the world.

E’Malkai: I would like to think that I have done the right thing, taken the right path. The storyteller will not give away his secrets, but he might give you a glimpse.

The greater question is: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers, storyteller?

Me: I am honored for anyone to read my novel. I hope that it will foster and appreciation of reading and the arts that is slowly disappearing among children and adults alike. I love to hear back from readers, so if you would like to get in touch with me, please be sure to check out my links below. This weekend all of my other novels will be free to download on Kindle in celebration of the release of The Path of the Fallen. It is a great opportunity to sample my other books



Bio: A psychologist, author, philosopher, freelance editor, and skeptic, Dan O’Brien has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, Deviance of Time, The Portent, The Twins of Devonshire and the Curse of the Widow, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog at http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com.
He also works as an editor at Empirical, a national magazine with a strong West Coast vibe. Find out more about the magazine at www.empiricalmagazine.com.



Links:

Path of the Fallen (US): http://www.amazon.com/The-Path-Fallen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009D2PNIU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348005293&sr=8-1&keywords=the+path+of+the+fallen+dan+obrien Path of the Fallen (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Path-Fallen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009D2PNIU/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348194299&sr=1-2

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordanobrien



Bitten (US): http://www.amazon.com/Bitten-Lauren-Westlake-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B005METJLU/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328663974&sr=1-1 


End of the World Playlist (US): http://www.amazon.com/End-World-Playlist-ebook/dp/B0072KE9EO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328663887&sr=1-1 Cerulean Dreams (US): http://www.amazon.com/Cerulean-Dreams-ebook/dp/B005S9ZKLM/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664085&sr=1-1

The Journey (US): http://www.amazon.com/The-Journey-ebook/dp/B005MEND1M/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_main?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664146&sr=1-1

The Twins of Devonshire and the Curse of the Widow (US): http://www.amazon.com/Twins-Devonshire-Bearer-Truths-ebook/dp/B007XOAGKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335561053&sr=8-1

The End of the World Playlist (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/End-World-Playlist-ebook/dp/B0072KE9EO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664608&sr=1-1 Bitten (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bitten-Lauren-Westlake-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B005METJLU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664631&sr=1-1
Cerulean Dreams (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cerulean-Dreams-ebook/dp/B005S9ZKLM/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664681&sr=1-1
The Journey (UK): http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Journey-ebook/dp/B005MEND1M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328664706&sr=1-1 


Blog: http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorDanOBrien

Empirical: http://www.empiricalmagazine.com/

Welcome to my new blog!

Like the Phoenix, The New Author has risen from the ashes - transformed and new again. Yes, The New Author gave way to my brand new blog. Allow me to introduce you to - The Dark of Knight. As it states in the welcome to the right, here we will be exploring the world of publishing from a new realm, from a new direction. What will you find here? Have no fear, The New Author has not disappeared completely. I will be posting articles about writing, publishing, the life of an author, and everything in between but I will also have a focus on Dark Fantasy. I want to share with you the what, why, when, and how of Dark Fantasy. I believe everyone will learn a little something from these articles.



The Dark of Knight is a shifting away from focusing on authors and writers alone. It is meant to include avid readers, book lovers, and those deciding if they want to take the plunge into a particular book. Yes, I will be discussing my books but I have plans to bring in other authors to share a little about their journey and their books as well. I see you shaking your head. You know me, I will not be spamming and I will not be beating you over the head with my titles...well, maybe a little when it first releases but come on, that's part of the fun. No, The Dark of Knight is a new approach, it is a new side of me that you've only gotten a glimpse of. 




There are some remnants of The New Author about such as the RSS Feed but that is because of the reach of that feed. I plan to keep that active as to avoid disruption. There are some other small items around that made the transfer but I don't see that as a bad thing. I loved writing and developing The New Author. I don't ever see a time when at least a part of it is hanging around.




Some new things I've added - aside from the complete redecoration of the blog I also added a link list of past articles I've posted which will appear at the end of each blog post. I thought that was cool, you can now go back and read some articles from the archive with one click. I also added some new social network widgets such as Goodreads and Facebook. To the left you will notice that all the options for joining my blog are together in one line. Take a minute, check it out and let me know what you think.




Since I'm so close to a book release I can assure you the changes are not final. In fact I'm already making plans for some revisions, deletions, and additions. In closing, I hope all of you like the new blog and will continue to hang out with me as we start a new journey into the unknown areas of Dark Fantasy.




What do you think of the changes?