L. Blankenship's Blog, page 6

SWORDPLAY by Katharina Gerlach

Welcome to Swordplay by Katharina Gerlach! Who better to explain the world of the Gendarmerie Magique than the characters themselves?

Who are you? Can you please introduce yourselves?
Druidus: "Ladies first."
Sabio (simultaneously): "This is Moira Bellamie, daughter of Lavant Bellamie, yes, the Lavant Bellamie."
Moira: "You can't define me by whose daughter I am, Sabio. I'm more than my genetic setup."
Sabio: "Sorry, dear. I know you're a terrific observer and an all round nice person."
"Nice doesn't quite describe it." Druidus gins. "I should know best, shouldn't I?"
Moira thumps him on the arm but smiles.
M: "My partner Druidus. Sabio matched us. Maybe he thinks I need protection."
D: "More likely he thinks I need supervision. We're his responsibility as Commissaire Magique, after all."

Sabio, please tell us something about the world you're living in. How does it work and what's the role of magic?
S: "Well, our world is not too different from yours. The major difference is that where you use electricity, we use magic. Every human, animal and plant is suffused with magic and most use it subconsciously. Those with greater talents can either work in factories producing everyday spells, or they can study the Mastery of The Art where they learn to control spells without using safety triggers."
"Don't forget the nerls," Moira interrupts. "They're soooo cute. Some of them are even smaller then the head of a pin."
D: "They are really handy when it comes to manual labor. A lot of the levers and things needed to run the machines are too small for our hands, so we leave it to the nerls."
S: "They get paid in magic, but the system is rather complicated. Let's start with the basics…"
D: "No you don't, Sabio. Moira and I want to go home before midnight."

Moira, why do you insist on working for the Gendarmerie Magique?
"I knew that question would be coming. Why can't anyone ask anything else? Why always wonder whether I'd be able to control magic well enough? Well, let me tell you something. I might not be very good with spells, and yes, I have nearly ruined a crime scene once, but I'm determined and a quick learner. I can do the same work as the magically fully balanced."
Sabio puts a hand out and holds her back. "That wasn't meant as an insult, you know? It was genuine interest."
Moira sighs. "Sorry. I'm a bit touchy when it comes to my disability."

Druidus, what was your first impression of Moira?
"Dream girl." Druidus shoots Moira a glance and grins sheepishly. "No, not really. When I first met her, she sat in a puddle of blood half out of her wits, trying to tell me something important. I can't really remember if I thought anything at all at that point. I had a job to do. But she is extremely beautiful. I know now."
Moira blushes but returns the tender look in his eyes.

What shaped your view of the world?
Sabio: "My great grandmother was a very curious woman who always needed to know how things worked. I learned a lot from her. She instilled the need to search for knowledge in me, I think."
(author comment: wow, I didn't know. Why've you never told me that before, Sabio. Ignore this. I didn't ask)
D: "Well, Moira was definitely shaped by her relationship to her father. It made it really hard to make her see my value."
M: "As if you're life has been all that much easier with your parents."
D: "At least I had everything money could buy."
M: "Money's not the same and you know it."
Druidus puts an arm around Moira's shoulder. "You're right as ever, my dear."

Sabio, are there different forms of magic? And what influences the individual's potential for using magic?
D: "Don't set him off with questions like that. He'll go on for hours if you let him."
S: "I'll keep it short. Promised. There are three forms of magic in our world that are intricately interwoven. One magic balances the other. If the balance is disrupted, the consequences are usually deadly. The three kinds of magic are connected in a circle of change. One kind is turned into the next through the process of photosynthesis. It is then used by humans and changed back to its original form by the nerls. But as Druidus so eloquently put it, If I'd get started on the details you might as well get a few more writing pads for your dictanerl."
M: "I agree that we don't get into this too deeply, although the stuff sabio knows is really, really fascinating."

Moira, I don't want to intrude again, but how do you cope with magic?
M: "Well, magic reacts strangely around me. Normally, spells are very predictable."
S: "At least the ones produced in the factories."
M: "But when I use them something goes wrong inevitably. Mostly, this leads to disaster but sometimes it can be a life saver, as I learned the hard way."
Interviewer: "But why does this happen?"
M: "I don't know. It's not that I'm doing things differently from other people; it's more an incompatibility of my aura with the magic around me. I'm usually trying to stay well away from spells."

Druidus, does magic play a major role in your life?
D: "Aside form the major role it plays in everyone's life? No. I'm using magic like every other person in this world. But my mother is an auralogist – that means she evaluates a human's aura to determine the magical talent within."

The story starts with a theft of valuable antique weapons in the National Museum. Do you have a special connection to museums or specific weapons?
D: "No."
M, S: "Yes, most definitely."
M: "My parents used to take me to museums when I was a kid. I have many happy memories related to them."
S: "I've done extensive research in some museums. It's often surprising what inspiration one can get from studying the old masters."

Sabio, how did you become Moira's mentor?
"That was entirely unplanned. I noticed she had an exceptional gift for observations. She noticed some really insignificant changes in one of the classic paintings, and I simply had to have her on my team. The more I got to know her, the more she grew on me. First, she was barely more than an interesting enigma, but she became a friend quickly."

Moira, what have you set your heart on?
M: "I will be a member of the Gendarmerie Magique whatever the cost. Everything else is secondary."
D: "Hey, even my love for you?"
M: "Yes."
D: "That's quite unfair, you know?"
M: "At least it's honest."
S with a wink to D: "Considering how many people I've met in my life, I think Moira is lying to herself a little there."
D: "That's reassuring."

Druidus, do you have a favorite scene?
D: "You mean in the novel? Of course I do, but I'm not at liberty to share a woman's secrets with the world."

If you would get one wish granted what would it be?
S: "That's a purely speculative question with no real answer for it. Since I do not get wishes granted, I do not know what I would really ask for should the occasion arise."
D: "Spoilsports."
M: "Didn't the elfqueen suggest she'd grant you a wish, Druidus?"
D: "I didn't like the pricetag attached."
M: "Well, I'd wish for Franka and Tord's baby to be healthy and thriving."
D: "I'd add health and prosperity for the parents. Wouldn't we make the perfect godparents."
All three laugh.

Thank you for answering all these questions.
M: "We thank you. It's been fun."
D: "Mostly…"
S: "And if you really want to know more about how magic works in our world, why not join me for a coffee? There's a machine just outside the blog-studio and the stuff it spits out is not half bad."

About the Book
CSI with magic but without the gore
Despite her obvious lack of magical talent, nineteen year old Moira Bellamie apprentices with the Gendarmerie Magique, the magic police. She puts all her effort into solving a burglary at the National Museum where antique weapons have been stolen, to keep the hard won job. Falling for her partner Druidus wasn't part of the plan. When more and more people are murdered with one of the stolen weapons, Moira must tame uncontrollable magic, or the people she cares for will die, her partner first and foremost.

For lovers of Fantasy and Mystery from 14 years up

eBook on Amazon: German • Englishand Smashwords: German • Englishother retailers will followPaperback in German or English on Createspace (Beware: postage), Amazon (no postage) will follow soon and can be found through the eBook pages
Giveaway for "Swordplay – A Gendarmerie Magique novel"

Free Kindle Books

Feb 5th
Free Kindle Books. Book Info
Every High School has their social outcasts. The band nerds, the math geeks, the chess club, the girl that chews her hair, but at Butler High, even the creepy nose picker in the chess club is more popular than Caleo Anima. No matter what he did, his pale skin, snow white hair, and piercing blue eyes always made him an easy target. He used to think that the only way things could get worse would be if someone found out that he was gay, but that isn't even the tip of the iceberg of problems after a mysterious stranger shows up and changes Caleo’s life forever.

Hidden amongst our society, a secret and magical race of people known as ‘Leeches’, have been engaging in civil war for decades. Both sides are desperately searching for a weapon with unlimited power that will give them the advantage they need to rule their world. This wouldn’t mean anything to Caleo, except for one problem...He is that weapon!

Forget making it through High School. Caleo has bigger problems! As the search for him goes on, the world is quickly crumbling around him. He's now fighting for his life and the life of what little family he has left. With the help of new friends, he has little time to try and master his newly found powers as he tries to figure out who he can trust, who is trying to use him, and who just wants him dead. One wrong step and being the awkward pale outcast will be the least of his worries.Click here to claim your free copy on Amazon today only!
What if you knew the exact date and time the world will end, what would you do?

Sam Tucker was faced with that dilemma when he began getting visions of the Earth's demise. Luckily for him, he was able to save his family and as many people as he could before the tragic event occurred, and he did so with the help of unknown visitors. With Earth now destroyed, Sam, his family, and thousands of other lucky survivors must live the rest of their lives on a faraway planet in a Dome that simulates life on Earth. But Sam's mind can't seem to rest as a few questions arise. Why did the aliens save them? How did they know about Earth's sure fate? And exactly what are they hiding?

Emma Tucker begged for an escape from her boring life but never in a million years did she think it would come at the destruction of Earth. Living on a new planet and finding it difficult to get rid of her rebellious habits, Emma finds herself making friends with a member of the alien race and it soon develops into an unexplainable love; a love that is more dangerous than she could ever imagine. While her father is searching for his own truths, she has no idea that she is stumbling on a truth of her own.

Told from the point of view of both Sam and Emma, author Nova Sparks takes readers on a journey to discover love, fate, faith, truth, and the mystery of the DOME!Click here to claim your Free copy on Amazon today only!Event Organized by

DISCIPLE HALF-OMNIBUS now on sale!

Back cover
War is coming. Kate Carpenter is only a peasant girl, but she’s determined to help defend the kingdom and its bound saints against the invading empire. Her healing magic earned her a coveted apprenticeship with the master healer; now she must prove herself ready to stand in the front lines and save lives.

She’s not ready for the attentions of a ne’er-do-well knight and the kingdom’s only prince, though. This is no time to be distracted by romance — the empire’s monstrous army will tear through anyone standing between them and the kingdom’s magical founts. All disciples must put aside their tangled feelings and stand in the homeland’s defense.

Disciple is a gritty fantasy romance in six parts. The parts have all been written, so no worries about me taking a ten year hiatus or keeling over dead tomorrow.

New to Disciple? 
Disciple, Part IV is arriving March 1st -- sink your teeth in to the first three parts all at once and you'll be ready for Part IV. The Half-Omnibus also collects all of the appendices, maps, and character indexes from the first three parts.

Now on sale atAmazon • Nook • Koboand more online retailers
Check out Part I for free!Amazon Smashwords  AllRomance
Get reminders and news about all my books by joining my mailing list! Watch my Twitter or Google+ for blog tour stops all February! Enter to win a free copy of the Half-Omnibus at my tour stops.

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A FLIGHT OF MAREWINGS by Kristen S. Walker

Welcome to A Flight of Marewings by Kristen S. Walker! Don't miss the Rafflecopter giveaway below! I wanted to interview one of Kristen's characters right off the bat -- Galenos is a mercenary and the leader of his own company, but he's not your usual bloodthirsty cutthroat...

Normally, mercenaries are just in it for the money and sometimes the glory... but you want to bring peace? Why?
My original reason for becoming a mercenary was the money, because there were few alternatives for me to support myself at the time. I guess that I also wanted some of the glory that my father earned during his years of service. But since then, I’ve spent years fighting in battles. I’ve seen friends and soldiers under my command die for a politician’s greed. I’ve see innocent civilians killed and their livelihood destroyed. I think that all but the most blood-thirsty soldiers come to long for peace sooner or later. In peace, I believe that our city can thrive and become known for more than just our military strength.

Are there personal reasons involved in this?
There is a sense of guilt for my own actions, but I know that I can’t make up for what I’ve done. More importantly, I want my children to grow up having choices other than priest or soldier. If a child of mine could have the opportunity to get a good education, or own a trading company, or whatever they were passionate about, then my own sacrifices might be worth it.

What will become of your mercenary company if you succeed?
Recruitment numbers would definitely go down, because we would need fewer fighters. Monster hunting is also worth less pay than warfare, so I think many soldiers would quit the company to seek other opportunities. I think there would be some demand for peacekeeping exercises. The Storm Petrels would probably not be disbanded even in peacetime, but I think that the company’s approach would have to adjust to the change in market. This would obviously be disappointing to some of our members, but I hope for a better future for many of them, when they can retire from fighting and find a less-dangerous profession.

Why do you feel qualified for the political responsibilities of a dukedom?
I worked closely with the lake duke, Basileos, during the last ten years of his life, and I learned a lot about the unique demands of Kyratia City during that time. I also have working relationships with some of the other neighboring cities and their rulers, and I hope to use those political alliances to my advantage. It’s my belief that this city has been torn apart by rival factions for too long and the wants of these special interest groups have been prioritized over the needs of the average citizen. My strategy is an overhaul of our government system to eliminate as much of this misappropriation of resources as we can, and achieve a more equal society.

And a question for you, Kristen: What are you working on next?
While I do have lots of ideas for more books in the Wyld Magic series involving Galenos and many other characters, I’m returning to my first series, YA Urban Fantasy, for a sequel to Small Town Witch. I’m hoping to release Witch Hunt this spring and follow up with the last part of the trilogy, Witch Gate, in the summer or fall.

A Flight of Marewings
Korinna's life gets turned upside down when the ghost of her father suddenly appears. Her father was duke of Kyratia City and he wanted Korinna to marry his warlord, the foreign mercenary Galenos, and inherit his title--but the city's Council has other plans. When the Council denies Korinna's right to rule, she decides to join Galenos's mercenary company and tame a wild marewing in order to take the city by force. But people whisper that the late duke's untimely death was murder, an induced madness that forced him to dance himself to death--and now that madness is spreading. Can Korinna become a marewing rider and conquer Kyratia in time to save everyone?
Find A Flight of MarewingsSmashwords •  Amazon • iBooks • Barnes & NobleGoodreads Tour Site
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Blogfest: Love is in the air!

As you may know, the fourth part of my Disciple series arrives on March 1st. Disciple is a gritty fantasy romance: magic, war, low-tech surgery, and falling in love with the wrong people.

Charity's blogfest is a great chance to premiere the first sample of Disciple, Part IV!
When she discovered she was pregnant with Prince Kiefan's child, Kate had to marry. Her friend Anders volunteered, claiming it would be strictly a marriage of convenience. Over the last several months, Kate has come to question both his feelings and her own -- and worries what protective, jealous Kiefan would do...

Rafe burbled against my shoulder. I tossed a quartered log down by the hearth and lifted my son in both hands. “Good-morn, sweetling. Your fourth Saint-day, now — what shall we do this time? We’ll go to the disciple’s dance at noon. You’ll get to see everyone during the meal, I’m sure. You were everyone’s favorite last week. But what to do this morning?”

He turned his head, and it lolled to one side. Anders leaned in to kiss his chubby cheek and Rafe’s mouth gaped open. Meaning to smile, I was sure.

“Come and watch the horses,” Anders said.

“He loves the horses.” I settled him back on my shoulder. “He always kicked, when I was riding.”

“Of course he did.”

I looked up; Anders’ flaxen crest hung to one side, loose, and a smile tucked up the corner of his mouth. His hand touched my arm and he leaned closer to kiss my cheek. I turned against his scratchy stubble to kiss him back, and slipped one arm around him. A squeeze, warm and close, smelling of horses.

Love him while he’s here. My throat tightened, of a sudden. Anders’ arm loosened, but I kept my grip on him. He hugged me again, easily persuaded. And nuzzled against my temple, in place of a question.

So easy to kiss him, if I dared, to be the wife he should have. If only Kiefan had seen something in the duchesses. If only he’d sounded more glad to try —

Anders’ mouth touched mine, gently tipping my face up. My breath caught, my heart skipped a beat in fear. I pulled back, my arm around him stiffening to an arm’s length. He went still, tracking me with the calm, unruffled gaze he used on skittish fillies.

“I’ll not put you in danger,” I said. Until I knew Kiefan agreed with me.

Anders’ gentleness shifted to resolve. “I’m not afraid of him.”

I heard a door open; Will was awake. “Let him find a bride,” I got out before Will shuffled into the kitchen. He tossed out muttered greetings, rubbing his eyes.

Anders shot me a measuring glance before he cuffed his brother and started up the talk of horses. It would have to do until we had another chance to talk. Rafe gurgled against my shoulder, fussed a little. “We’ll watch the horses this morning,” I told him.

Disciple, Part IV on sale March 1st! Get a reminder!
Disciple, Part I is FREE at Amazon and Smashwords!

 Disciple Half-Omnibus on sale February 1st! 

QUINTESSENCE by Marsha Moore

Welcome back, Marsha, and congratulations on finishing your Enchanted Bookstore series! Quintessence is on sale now at Amazon -- and check out the Rafflecopter giveaway below!

What is the Dark Realm's motivation, in your world? 
The battle between the good Alliance and evil Dark Realm lands of Dragonspeir has endured for centuries, as far back as the eight-hundred-year recorded history of the Alliance.

While Dark Realm power is black magic, relying heavily upon the methods of alchemy, the source of Alliance power is astral energies. Those external powers correspond to the natural elements of air, earth, fire, and water. Each Alliance magical being gains his/her unique tendencies from the star sign of nature under which he or she is born. Individuals may appeal to their star to gain or modify their magic in times of need. More importantly, the Alliance, as a collective, gained magical power by using a powerful device that channeled astral energy. The continuous influx of energy maintained Alliance superiority over the Dark Realm.
Centuries ago, the Dark Realm stole the keystones needed to operate that channeling device, hoping to weaken their opposition. The forces of evil quickly overtook and nearly decimated the Alliance…until the coming of the lineage of Scribes. The Enchanted Bookstore Legends are about Lyra McCauley, a woman destined to become the fifth of a line of strong women in her family who possess unique magical abilities and serve as Scribes in Dragonspeir. The Scribes span a long history, dating from 1,200 to present day. Each Scribe is expected to journey through Dragonspeir, both the good and evil factions, then draft a written account. Each book contains magic with vast implications which empowers the Alliance in new ways.
Is this a case of nature or nurture? Could it have gone another way?It is probably an extended case of nurture. The struggle between the two lands spans a history of eight hundred years, so it is difficult to analyze the origin. However, two alchemists who are very influential in the struggle tend to waver in allegiance between the opposing sides. This indicates that shades of gray do exist, that there are both some good and some evil qualities to be found in each land.
If the Dark Realm wins, what do they plan to do?If the Dark Realm wins, the Alliance’s astral source of energy will cease to exist. All magicals of the Alliance will lose power. Those who advanced to the highest levels of magical ability have been able to use astral powers to remain alive for hundreds of years, incapable of being killed by ordinary means. Without Alliance power, those individuals will perish…including the Imperial Sorcerer, Cullen, who is the heroine Lyra’s beloved.
Without the magicals to protect them, the residents of the Alliance will be tortured, killed, or forced into slavery, as the Dark Realm’s Black Dragon has promised.
Being part mortal and part magical, Lyra would survive takeover by the Dark Realm. However, she has recently gained the master power of quintessence. Quintessence is a real alchemical term, referring to the fifth essenceor element, ether,the constituent matter of the heavenly bodies. The other four natural elements are air,fire, earth,and water.This fifth element is superior to the others. It is the divine spark hidden in all things, the reflection of the Celestial Fire. Quintessence is formed by the perfect balance of the four natural elements. The harmony of the fifth power is an exalted state.
Upon realizing Lyra has gained control of her quintessence, the evil alchemist, Eburscon, schemes and plots to steal that power so he may rule all of Dragonspeir. As one of the most learned men in the land, he is a formidable adversary. If Eburscon succeeds in taking Lyra’s quintessence for his own use, Lyra will be left comatose without her aura, unable to fight for her beloved Cullen, the Alliance Guardians, and residents.
Tell us about a few more dragons that you didn't mention before -- everyone loves dragons. In Quintessence, Lyra finds herself in a compromised situation at the Qumeli tribe’s encampment on the edge of Dark Realm land. In her attempt to escape the tribespeople and their extreme black magic, she encounters a flock of wild pseudodragons.
Throughout the series, we’ve come to know and love the pseudodragon Noba who is Cullen’s wizard’s familiar. Pseudodragons are much smaller than true dragons, being only three feet long, including their tails. Noba has a heart of gold that melts people. However, he surprises everyone when Cullen and Lyra travel into the mysterious underground world of Terza. There, the lovable and naïve little dragon becomes a real star. Pseudodragons originated in that strange land, and Noba discovers the incredible strength of his heritage. He isn’t just a sweet pseudodragon wizard’s familiar, but also a powerful Matan, capable of altering the use of all magic in his presence.
This flock of wild pseudodragons behaved much differently than Noba. They remained distant and cautious, perching and chattering in trees like monkeys as they watched Lyra. She tried everything to gain their help. It was only when they caught a whiff of Noba’s scent on her did they offer their assistance. Pseudodragons, wild or tame, were definitely among the most interesting dragons in the Enchanted Bookstore Legends.
What's up next for you?After the super-interwoven plot of a 5-part, high fantasy epic series, I’m looking forward to shifting gears a bit. I’m excited to be working on a few magical realism books, a slightly different fantasy subgenre. The next release will be a paranormal mystery set in a yoga studio. I’m eager to work with new parameters of magical realism—a more character driven plot than I’ve done before. It will be a wonderful new experience for me!

Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five by Marsha A. Moore
Description:Barbaric Dark Realm warfare threatens to overtake all Dragonspeir lands, including the Alliance. Lyra McCauley, the fifth Scribe of the Alliance, finds herself in a desperate competition to gather four missing keystones. Those amulets of the four natural elements guarantee victory for the side possessing them. The Dark Realm’s alchemist, Eburscon, beats her to finding the water gem, the Pearl of Pendola. Three more keystones remain: the fluorite containing earth energy, the moonstone of the sky, and the fiery, dangerous Emtori Ruby.

The powerful gems, stolen centuries ago, channel astral energies and can restore much-needed Alliance power—the last hope. The wizard, Cullen, who is Lyra’s beloved, relies on Alliance magic for his immortality and will perish if the land falls to the Dark Realm.

Lyra uses her rare magical energies of quintessence and the Staurolite, governor of the four natural elements, to guide her to the hidden keystones. However, greed and power drive opponents, who challenge her in close pursuit, planning to destroy the Alliance, or to claim the power of quintessence for themselves.

The Dark Realm captures the ten-year-old Alliance seer, Kessa. Her abilities can give them information about the locations of the keystones, complicating Lyra’s plans. Will her love, allegiance, and quintessence allow her to save Cullen, Kessa, and the Alliance before the Dark Realm claims all of Dragonspeir?

The Enchanted Bookstore series on sale at AmazonSeeking a Scribe: Enchanted Bookstore Legend One • Heritage Avenged: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Two • Lost Volumes: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Three • Staurolite: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Four • 
Quintessence: Enchanted Bookstore Legend Five 
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Announcing: DISCIPLE, PART IV

The six-part Disciple series continues...

Disciple, Part IVAvailable March 1, 2014
Back cover
Kate can’t avoid the simple truth any longer; as much as she loves Kiefan, he’s now the king and his duties leave him precious little time for her and their newborn son. Kate’s husband Anders, the ne’er-do-well knight, is the one who kisses her cheek every morning and soothes the baby to sleep on his shoulder.

Kiefan’s protective jealousy still casts a shadow over her life. He would gladly throw Anders to the wolves if it will keep alliance negotiations from collapsing. Their homeland desperately needs these allies against the invading Empire. The kingdom barely survived the first wave of the enemy’s monstrous army and more is to come.

But Kate can’t stand by and let Anders become a victim — or let Kiefan suspect she’s falling in love with her husband.

What to look for? Fire's First Kiss, the prologue to Disciple, will be on sale HERE for a LIMITED TIME... I am looking at possible limited-edition goodies like prints of the banner above... there will be a HALF-OMNIBUS ebook edition of Disciple, compiling the first three parts along with all of the appendix materials, maps, and a combined character index...

Read Kate's adventure in the embattled city of Ebulon at Wattpad!
Published the free anthology The Battle of Ebulon . It's a non-canon story, but it's fun.
Disciple available at all major e-retailerseach under $5!
     

WITHOUT BLOODSHED by Matthew Graybosch

Welcome to Without Bloodshed by Matthew Graybosch, available from Curiosity Quills Press! Since I love talking about world-building, I had some specific questions about his Starbreaker universe.

1. Tell us about the Phoenix Society and its role in the world.
The Phoenix Society claims to be a non-government organization (NGO) formed and financed by a consortium of businessmen and corporations at the beginning of Nationfall (a worldwide social/economic/political collapse caused by widespread use of a piece of psychiatric nanotechnology called "The Patch" -- as in a software patch on human nature -- that caused the deaths of 90% of the human population). Its mission is to protect the survivors of Nationfall and help them achieve a second Renaissance by upholding individual rights, the rule of law, free commerce between individuals, a total ban on state-sponsored mass violence (war), and a ban on militarized police forces. Under the Phoenix Society, cops are lucky to be permitted the use of swords.

In practice, the Phoenix Society acts as a meta-government. It governs most of the governments running the city-states left over from Nationfall, and finances their operations due to a ban on taxation on individuals' wages/salaries/property as a violation of individual rights. The Phoenix Society gets its funding from a variety of sources: donations, revenues from businesses owned by the Phoenix Society's executive council, and by extorting money from businesses and corporations that pay workers a fixed wage and keep the difference between the wages paid and the value created by the workers' efforts as profit. Sole proprietors, partnerships, and worker-owned cooperatives are exempt from this extortion.

To enforce its dictates, the Phoenix Society employs a paramilitary corps of Individual Rights Defense officers (as opposed to Law Enforcement officers) popularly known as Adversaries after an ecumenical council branded them a Satanic force inimical to God and the faithful. While the Adversaries do indeed uphold individual rights by diplomacy and force of arms, they also find themselves used as enforcers, sent to bring corporations and businesses employing workers back into line if they balk at handing over half their profits to the Phoenix Society.

The Society also backs the mutual-aid societies that serve the same functions as government-run welfare programs currently in existence.

2. Did any real-world organizations inspire it? What sort of research did you do while building the Phoenix Society?
I started with a "what if". I wondered what an organization like the American Civil Liberties Union might do if it could punish abuses of power and violations of civil rights on its own, instead of seeking redress through an "independent" judiciary whose judges were paid by the same government most often responsible for the abuses and violations the ACLU sought to redress.

I also drew upon the human-rights efforts sponsored by the United Nations; careful readers will find references to a "Universal Declaration of Individual Rights", which is modelled on the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I changed the name because while AIs aren't human, they remain entitled to the same rights as human beings.

The Phoenix Society's enforcement arm retains several parallels with American law enforcement: its use of a variation on the Miranda warning, its militarized nature (real-life SWAT teams might use AR-15s, but Adversaries usually carry Kalashnikovs), and its brutality.

I also drew upon the Vehmic courts of Westphalia (part of Germany), which placed themselves above established local authorities and gained a reputation for meting out secretive and deadly justice.

I originally intended the Society as an organization that punished abuses by religious authorities and government officials, fit for a right-wing libertarian fantasy setting, but realized that private businesses, especially corporations, often get away with the same abuses we fear from the church or the state because "if the workers don't like it, they can quit and work for somebody else". For consistency's sake, I had to expand the Phoenix Society's mission to handle abuses of power no matter who commits them.

Oddly enough, my personal politics also shifted leftward as I thought through my setting.

3. What's one fun bit of world-building that you're glad you put in this story?
I had a bit of fun coming up with Port Royal, which started as just a rip-off of a real-life BitTorrent site called The Pirate Bay. I ended up expanding it into a bastardized distributed republic formed by the world's various Pirate Parties and the people who run Wikipedia and Wikileaks.

There's also heated streets and sidewalks; no more nonsense about plows and salt every time it snows. The streetlights are shielded and tinted red to avoid drowning out the night sky with light pollution. Just about every home uses Tesla points for wireless power transmission to appliances, instead of wall outlets and plugs.

And I've got Lunatics arguing over how best to preserve the Apollo 11 landing site, and whether it's worth preserving at all. What more can you ask?

Back cover

“All who threaten me die.”
These words made Morgan Stormrider’s reputation as one of the Phoenix Society’s deadliest IRD officers. He served with distinction as the Society’s avenger, hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan seeks to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends as a musician. Regardless of his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider after a dictator’s accusations make him a liability to the organization. He must put everything aside, travel to Boston, and prove he is not the Society’s assassin. He must put down Alexander Liebenthal’s coup while taking him alive.
Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend’s murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society’s willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed.
The words with which Morgan Stormrider forged his reputation haunt him still.
Available atAmazon US • Amazon UK • Barnes & Noble • KoboSee reviews on Goodreads
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HERITAGE (Grimoire Saga #3) by S. M. Boyce

Heritage (Grimoire Saga #3)
by S. M. Boyce is now available!Fun news! The long-awaited Heritage by fantasy and paranormal author S. M. Boyce is now available. This is the third novel in the four-part Grimoire Saga series, so make sure you have books 1 & 2 before you dive in.
About HeritageGrimoire Saga #3
Kara Magari isn’t normal, even by Ourea’s standards—and in a world of shape-shifters and soul stealers, that’s saying something. To the royalty, she’s a loose cannon. To the masses, she’s a failure. But Kara’s arrival in Ourea started a war, and she’s going to end it.
An ancient isen named Stone takes an interest in Kara’s training, and it turns out he has more answers than he originally led her to believe. In an effort to unearth a secret that might end the bloodshed, Kara instead discovers an ugly truth about her family—and how much she has in common with an infamous mass-murderer.
Braeden Drakonin has slowly rebuilt his life after the betrayal that tore it apart. His father wants him dead, and frankly, his so-called allies wouldn’t mind that either. Private alliances are formed. Secrets are sold. Tension is driving the armies apart. A single battle will end this war, and it’s coming. Braeden may be a prince, but it will take more than that to survive. He must take the fight to his father’s door—and win.
Books in the Grimoire Saga#1—Lichgates | #2—Treason | #3—Heritage | #4—IllusionBuy your copyBoyce's Store: ePub | Mobi | Autographed PaperbackAmazon: USA | UK | Germany |  France | Spain | ItalyKobo | Barnes & Noble | SmashwordsAdd to Goodreads
About the Author
International Amazon Bestseller. Fantasy Author. Twitter addict. Book Blogger. Geek. Sarcastic. Gooey. Odd. Author of the action-packed Grimoire Saga.
S.M. Boyce is a novelist who loves ghosts, magic, and spooky things. She prefers loose-leaf tea, reads far too many books, and is always cold. She’s married to her soul mate and couldn’t be happier. Her B.A. in Creative Writing qualifies her to serve you french fries.
Boyce likes to update her blog a few times each week so that you have something to wake you up in the morning.

What's next?

I've been dealing with some upheavals in my personal life and working to get my writing discipline back -- but yes,

Disciple, Part IV is coming 
in early 2014
Other progress updates: my M/M fantasy romance, Hawks & Rams, is in revisionsI have a short story to send to betasand I've finally started writing a new hard science fiction story. Well, it's not new, but that's a long story. Meanwhile, Disciple, Part I through Part III are available in most places, and will be available at Oyster (through Smashwords' new deal with them.)