David Blixt's Blog, page 21

Avalanche 7 - TOMORROW & TOMORROW

My wife and I have penned several short essays on Shakespeare's MACBETH. Fans of this blog will recognize a couple - our take on the famous Tomorrow & Tomorrow speech has long been a staple here. But we've expanded on that piece, along with several others, to share our thoughts on the cursed Scottish play! Only $0.99 on Kindle!

Buy it HERE. 

Avalanche 6 - VARNISHED FACES

Some stories are part of a grand narrative. Some are small, insular, intimate. But no less deserving to be told. 

Collected here are three short stories from the world outside Verona's walls - Vicenza, Padua, and Avignon. These pieces of Blixt's Star-Cross'd series, taken together, form a tapestry of life, love, and longing in early Renaissance Italy. From a midnight attack on an enemy city to the promises of a pope to maskers invading a wedding, these stories all have at their heart the false faces people wear to hide their true selves. Like the Venetian masks, they are hardened, often grotesque, Varnished Faces.

Buy it HERE.

Avalanche 5 - HER MAJESTY'S WILL

Before he was famous, he was a fugitive. 
Before he wrote of humanity, he lived it.
Before he was the Bard of Avon, he was a spy.

A very poor spy.

England, 1586. Swept up in the skirts of a mysterious stranger, Will Shakespeare becomes entangled in a deadly and hilarious misadventure as he accidentally uncovers the Babington Plot, an attempt to murder Queen Elizabeth herself. Aided by the mercurial wit of Kit Marlowe, Will enters London for the first time, chased by rebels, spies, his own government, his past, and a bear. 

Through it all he demonstrates his loyalty and genius, proving himself to be - HER MAJESTY'S WILL.

Buy it HERE.

SORDELET INK and David Blixt join forces!

So now that the books are launched, here's the next phase - raising the money for publicity! I'm teaming with my dear friend, the amazingly talented Rick Sordelet, to help launch his new media company Sordelet Ink. We're starting small, underwriting and supplementing the publicity already lined up for the novels, while looking at ways to translate them into new media. But this is only the first step in the building of a group to sheperd writers to greater heights. I'm honored to be the one Rick's chosen to kick off this new effort. 

I've kept the prices on the books low - very low - to make them as accessible to as wide an audience as possible. So if, after buy all five novels for the grand total of $15 on Kindle, you can spare an extra $10 to help us reach more readers like you, I would be eternally grateful. You can visit the Kickstarter campaign HERE.

Cheers, and thanks!
DB

Avalanche 4 - COLOSSUS: STONE & STEEL

Judea, 66 AD. A Roman legion suffers a smashing and catastrophic defeat at the hands of an angry band of Hebrews armed with only slings and spears. Knowing Emperor Nero's revenge will be swift and merciless, they must decide how to defend their land against the Roman invasion.

Caught up in the tumult is the mason Judah, inadvertant hero of Beth Horon, who now finds himself rubbing shoulders with priests, revolutionaries, generals, and nobles, drafted to help defend the land of Galilee.

Denied the chance to marry where he will, he turns all his energy into defending the beseiged city of Jotapata. But with a general suffering delusions of grandeur, friends falling each day, and the Roman menace at the walls, Judah must brave a nightmare to save those he loves and preserve his honor.

Buy it here. 

 

Avalanche 3 - FORTUNE'S FOOL

While the brilliant and wily Cesco is schooled in his new duties at the hand of a hard master, Pietro Alaghieri travels to Avignon, current seat of the Papacy, to fight his excommunication and plead for Cesco's legitimacy. But an old foe has been waiting for this moment to ruin Pietro’s life and seize control of Verona for himself. 

Back in Verona, separated from everyone he trusts, Cesco must confront his ambitious cousin, a mysterious young killer, and the Holy Roman Emperor himself. A harrowing series of adventures reveal a secret long hidden, one that threatens Cesco's only chance for true happiness.

Inspired by Shakespeare, Dante, and Petrarch, this Renaissance novel of intrigue and passion reflects the heights of drama, exploring the capricious whims of lady Fortune, who has her favorites – and her fools. 

Buy it here.

 

Avalanche 2 - VOICE OF THE FALCONER

It's eight years after the tumultuous events of THE MASTER OF VERONA. Pietro Alaghieri has been living as an exile in Ravenna, enduring the loss of his famous father while secretly raising the bastard heir to Verona's prince, Cangrande della Scala.

But when word reaches him of Cangrande’s death, Pietro must race back to Verona to prevent young Cesco's rivals from usurping his rightful place. As stake is the tentative peace of Italy, not to mention their lives. But young Cesco is determined not to be anyone’s pawn. Willful and brilliant, he defies even the stars. And far behind the scenes is a mastermind pulling the strings, a master falconer who stands to lose – or gain – the most.

Born from Shakespeare's Italian plays, this sweeping epic introduces Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, the Nurse, as well as revisiting Montague and Capulet, Petruchio and Kate, and the money-lending Shylock. From Ravenna to Verona, Mantua, and Venice, this novel explores the danger, deceit, and deviltry of early Renaissance Italy, and the terrible choices one must make just to stay alive.

Buy it here.

Avalanche 1 - THE MASTER OF VERONA

Romeo & Juliet is the greatest love story ever told. And every story has a beginning.

A sweeping novel of Renaissance Italy, THE MASTER OF VERONA follows Pietro Alaghieri, eldest son of the poet Dante, as he’s caught up by the charisma and genius of Verona’s ruler, Cangrande della Scala. Pietro risks battles, duels, and murder to impress his new lord. At the heart of the story is an infernal plot against Cangrande’s bastard heir, and the rivalry of two friends over the affections of a girl. That rivalry will sever a friendship, divide a city, and initiate a feud that will someday produce the star-cross’d lovers.

Based on the plays of William Shakespeare, the poetry of Dante, and the history of Italy, THE MASTER OF VERONA is a novel of brutal warfare, lost friendship, and dire conspiracy, combining to create a heart-stoppingly epic journey into the birth of the Renaissance that recalls the best of Bernard Cornwell and Dorothy Dunnett.

Intricate plotting, well-staged scenes, and colorful descriptions enhance head-spinning but lively entertainment. – Kirkus Reviews

A novel of intricate plot, taut narrative, sharp period detail and beautifully realized characters. – Publisher’s Weekly

Be prepared to burn the midnight oil. It’s well worth it.  – Historical Novel Society

A delightful romp through the backstory of ‘Romeo & Juliet.’ – Chicago Sun-Times

David Blixt bursts onto the historical fiction scene with this masterful tale of adventure, love, and intrigue -- this is high adventure at its best, an epic novel filled with the breathtaking feats and evanescent beauty of the early Renaissance. -- C.W. Gortner, THE LAST QUEEN and THE CONFESSIONS OF CATHERINE DE MEDICI

Shakespearean actor David Blixt traces the genesis of the famous feud between the Montagues and Capulets in this sharp, arresting novel that is completely impossible to put down. -- Michelle Moran, NEFERTITI and MADAME TUSSAUD

Dante's Italy and the internecine, blood-feuding struggle of the dominant families of the northern city states. This story of corruption and the quest for power is as compelling as Mario Puzo's Godfather and as thrilling as any of Rafael Sabatini's historical adventures.  – Peter Tremayne, THE CHALICE OF BLOOD

Buy it here.

The Wait is Almost Over

Thank heavens, the wait is nearly done. The avalanche was supposed to happen on Monday, but it looks like instead it's coming today, with a second wave tomorrow. 

The delay was part due to technical issues at Kindle, and part due to me. I got delayed in edits earlier this month. Because I did something I hadn't planned to do.

I re-edited THE MASTER OF VERONA. 

In 2007 I was told not to read the book for 2 years. I was told it would drive me mad. And they were right! Setting aside the typesetting errors (grrrr!), there were any number of infelicites of language that made me want to go in and repair them. 

So I did. 

The Kindle people were great. Despite having already uploaded the physical book into Kindle format, they let me start from scratch - there were just too many changes to track easily. 

The joy of this is a restoration of a few scenes that I honestly thought were still in there. They're not large, but they're fun and help character development. Fortunately, I was able to cut just as much as I added, so the novel is the same size as before. 

So watch Amazon, or right here, for further details throughout the day and the next week as the novels go live! And happy reading!!

Website

It's more than a week early, but here's the link to the new website: www.DavidBlixt.com. The novels won't link to Amazon until they go live the week after next, but everything else should be working. Let me know what you think!