A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 144
January 15, 2017
Fantasy and Sci-Fi in our Society Guest Post – Thomas Barczak
I haven’t run one of these for a while so I’m delighted to post this so early in the year. Tom Barczak writes some great fantasy, and he knows what’s what in the realms of imagination, magic and monsters. So welcome to the first guest post of 2017.
Welcome Thomas Barczak – Author of “Mouth of the Dragon – Prophecy of the Evarun” by Perseid Press.
Writing from my desk in Norman, Oklahoma
It has been argued fantasy is full of ‘tropes’ – what are your views on this? I would agree. But I think some of that is unavoidable. Much of science fiction includes space travel, or at least reference to it. Fantasy has dwarves and elves. Where a fantasy author can get into trouble, is when they don’t try to expand the definition of it. Tolkien broke great ground with his work. It’s so easy to limit one-self to what he did. The publishing industry, even Amazon, has categories that, I think, it’s too easy not to stray away from.
With “Mouth of the Dragon” and “Prophecy of the Evarun” as a whole, I didn’t want to do that. I have always tried to listen to the story, and let it tell me its own legends and its own myth. There are no dwarves. There are no elves. There are dragons and wizards, but again, they are something entirely unto themselves and unique to this mythology. Smaug has no place in it. Nor does Dumbeldore.
So then the question becomes, how do you create the mystery without those elements we depend on so much? Like I said, it’s easy to be lazy. It’s not hard to convey mystery walking into an elvish kingdom. It’s a lot harder without them.
With “Mouth of the Dragon”, I depend on language and culture to show mystery. Go to another country where you don’t speak the language. It will be an adventure. No elves required.
So I guess the question for the author should be, “What does fantasy mean to me?” For me it has always been the story, the hero’s journey. A good story doesn’t need anything else. Even Tolkien, if you took away the fantastic, the hero’s journey would still be there. Where fantasy gets a bad rap is when authors depend on the fantastic instead of the story.
How important are ‘facts’ in fantasy/science fiction – does something need to be plausible to be believable? Great question. Yes. Yes. Yes. And, no.
There is a great fantasy book by a wonderful author, set in a medieval fantasy world. In it, the young hero goes into his room and gets a pair of socks out of his dresser drawer. The author wrote what he knew and he killed it for me. In the real world, peasants didn’t have dresser drawers or probably even socks. Leggings in a wooden box would have been more accurate. Now maybe in this world they do, but that then becomes the responsibility of the author to say that to me. But he didn’t and it pulled me right out of the story.
Another thing that kills me is how everyone has 20/20 vision without any vision correction. Me, I wear glasses. I’d be eaten by a bear in a week. Then again, maybe that’s why there are only people with 20/20 left. I actually addressed that in a short story about a young, almost blind, girl, called “Forged”. The story is in a book called Heroika: Dragon Eaters, published by Perseid Press. The story challenged my writing, having to explain how she saw the world through a veil, and one that was completely normal one to her.
Fantasy and science fiction used to be seen as very male-oriented, do you think this is still the case. Do you have any experience of this? I’m glad to see it changing. I have several strong female characters leads in “Mouth of the Dragon”. The story required them. So I guess I hope that that’s be ok. It certainly is with me. The challenge as a writer, of course, is that it challenges just about every stereotype that you could possibly have. Makes me a better writer, and I daresay, I think it makes me a better man.
What are some myths in YOUR society/cultural identity, how are they perceived and why are they important? Why have they endured? Well, it seems that much of what I write is about death and rebirth. I don’t know how much culture I have. I’m ½ Polish, ¼ English and ¼ Irish. I grew up in Oklahoma. I’m Catholic, which probably carries more weight than any of that. But probably my two greatest influences have been my own bottom and subsequent recovery, and the death of my daughter. I believe these two things have probably shaped who I am, and what I write, more than anything else. Double negative warning, but it can’t not affect what I write, and how I see what I write.
Death and rebirth. You can’t have one without the other. I can’t. It’s part of who I am.
“Mouth of the Dragon” is a dark, epic, and redemptive fantasy. It’s probably the darkest piece I’ve ever written, but the whole crux of the story depends on this one thing called hope, and faith, and trust. I really believe you have to have the redemptive part. You have to have the shadow too, but without the light. I mean really, what’s the point?
The whole point of fantasy, I believe, is, and has always been, to give us a vision beyond our circumstances.
Alex, thank you so much for having me on your blog.
Tom Barczak Author Page for Veil of the Dragon
January 13, 2017
Book Spotlight – Mad Shadows II – Joe Bonadonna
Mad Shadows II: Dorgo the Dowser and The Order of the Serpent
Dorgo the Dowser lives in a world where life is cheap and souls are always up for sale. Armed with a unique dowsing rod that can detect the residue of any supernatural presence or demonic entity, he can sense the vestiges of vile sorcery used in the commission of crimes. His adventures pit him against inter-dimensional creatures, friendly ghouls, raging cyclopes, psychopathic satyrs, and monstrous insects . . . not to forget a criminal underworld of duplicitous women and dangerous men. This time around, Dorgo falls in love with a witch known as the Girl Who Loves Ghouls, battles creatures from another dimension, and meets one very special werecat named Crystal. It’s also the first time he hears about an ancient death cult known as the Order of the Serpent. Then, after a young woman is murdered and a deadly, dangerous book of arcane lore is stolen from her, Dorgo comes closer to learning more about this secret Order. But first he must battle both humans and demons in order to find and destroy “The Book of Echoes.” Finally, Dorgo squares off against a horde of fiends born of dark sorcery when he tries to help a young girl who became trapped inside a powerful spell while attempting to destroy someone calling himself Ophidious Garloo. Racing against time, Dorgo the Dowser uses every trick he knows to uncover the secret identity and learn the True Name of Ophidious Garloo — the Undying Warlock who may very well be the leader of the Order of the Serpent.
More magic, murder, mystery and mayhem in this sequel to Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser. MAD SHADOWS II — DORGO THE DOWSER AND THE ORDER OF THE SERPENT. . . Heroic Fantasy with a film noir edge. Available in paperback and Kindle editions from Amazon, Smashwords, CreateSpace, and other online booksellers.
USA: www.amazon.com/Mad-Shadows-II/dp/1542380499
United Kingdom: www.amazon.co.uk/Mad-Shadows-II/dp/1542380499
Smashwords: www.smashwords.com/books/view/694448
CreateSpace: www.createspace.com/6840746
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January 11, 2017
Book Spotlight – Mouth of the Dragon – Thomas Barczak #Fantasy #Prerelease
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Mouth of the Dragon, Prophecy of the Evarun, is a novel by Thomas Barczak, published by Perseid Press, February 10th, 2017.
This dark, epic, and redemptive fantasy challenges everything a hero’s journey can be.
Chaelus, once Roan lord of the House of Malius, now vessel of the Giver reborn, has defeated the Dragon of legend. Now he must rescue his brother and his kingdom, both beyond the Dragon’s Veil.
When the legendary dragon resurges among drums of war, it threatens Chaelus, the human vessel of prophecy who once defeated it, and those loyalists the man holds dear.
Now Chaelus must confront the Dragon a second time, as prophecy has foretold.
With his remaining followers he pursues the Dragon. When he finds it, he finds that the blood of his past has returned to reclaim him.
And even with the power of prophecy at his summons he cannot defend against it.
Tempted to save all he’s lost, abandoned by the prophecy he’s vowed to serve, he falls under the spell of the Dragon, and learns that the dragon you hunt is the dragon within you.
Chaelus must defeat the dragon for all time, but finds he cannot, until he first surrenders himself.
***
Available as an Amazon pre-order on Kindle and shipping February 10. 2017. Subsequent releases will include trade paper and Nook.
Thomas Barczak is an artist, architect, and a writer whose stories tell the tales he’s always dreamed about.
His work also the illustrated epic fantasy novel, Veil of the Dragon, and the Kindle serial, Awakening Evarun (Parts I-VI), both set in the Evarun universe. He’s also written a comic fantasy serial for Kindle called Wolfbane (Parts 1-2 of 3). His short fiction includes contributions to Heroika 1 – Dragon Eaters, Nine Heroes, Terror by Gaslight, and What Scares the Boogeyman, as well as stories for two volumes Janet Morris’ award winning Heroes in Hell series, Dreamers in Hell, and Poets in Hell.
Tom writes because he must. He writes because he needs to tell others the stories he has held so long inside, stories that inspire his paintings and his poetry — stories that have always been with him, even years ago when he’d sit at a table with friends, slaying dragons.
January 10, 2017
Get some sensual #fantasy in #audio this
Get some sensual #fantasy in #audio this winter, and warm yourself with #Lightbeyondthestorm http://ow.ly/qMAL307zN2H
Meet Talfor and Discover Why We Think He’s Fascinating @libraryoferana #books #audio
A great interview with Talfor Var, the troll.
POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing
We’re so excited because Talfor from The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm – Book II by A. L. Butcher is here. He’s the main character in A. L. Butcher’s The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles fantasy series and one of our favourites. It took some convincing to make the journey but he relented. Please welcome him to the POTL blog. Introduce yourself, Talfor:
I am Talfor Var, Hirik Lord of troll tribe of Var. Varris is my home, in what the humans call the Jagged Peak mountains, the Helmerri plateau. I am son of Shaman Kherak Var, and brother of Shamania Mirandra. I am Captain of the Hirik and thus, to your way of thinking third only to Shaman and Shamania. I can never rule – as that is woman’s role – but I can advise, I can fight, I can lead.
I am taller than human…
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January 9, 2017
Book Spotlight &Tour – Pink Moon – #Paranormal #Romance #Fantasy
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Book Title: Pink Moon
Author Name: Tonya Coffey
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy/Romance
Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours
Cast from her home, Jessa struggles to find a place among the realms. With the loss of power, her premonitions are vague and tormenting. However, with Micha at her side, she has hope for the future.
Micha has found his stride as the Ancient King. Nevertheless, the Shadows refuse to allow a Faerie sit on the Ancients’ throne, keeping them apart. Instead of fighting against the Shadows, he focuses his rage on the one who stole Jessa’s powers, a hidden heir herself. When he thinks he has everything under control, he is pulled into a dire situation that will force Jessa’s hand.
Accepting what needs to be done, Jessa takes a risk to save Micha – a choice that may be her last.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33116535-pink-moon
Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/New-World-Bk-Pink-Moon-ebook/dp/B01N6968RI
Giveaway https://goo.gl/forms/aqDZUBzdr81CXQBJ3
Author Bio:
Tonya grew up in a small town in Kentucky where she lives with her husband and two teen boys. Together, they motivate her to be the best at whatever she faces. If she isn’t writing or reading a fantasy novel with lots of action, you will find her sitting in front of a canvas, painting the landscape which is so abundant around her home.
Visit her at:
Website: http://coffeytonya.wixsite.com/tonya-coffey
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Tour dates and events
Date: 9th of January
http://www.yabookdivas.com Spotlight
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Books-Reviews-Virginia-Lee/650529651718400 Blog Post
http://staceyschneller06.wordpress.com Spotlight
https://hoplessromancenovel.wordpress.com/ Blog Post
http://yalitreads.com Interview
http://www.guyvestal.com/home Spotlight
http://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/ Blog Post
Date: 10th of January
http://author-a-m-proudfoot.tumblr.com/ Excerpt
http://www.dreamlandteenfantasy.blogspot.com Spotlight
https://imacoffeeholicbookworm.wordpress.com/ Spotlight
Date: 11th of January
www.aoifesheri.wordpress.com Excerpt
http://tometender.blogspot.com/ Review
Date: 12th of January
http://rainnes.blogspot.co.uk/ Spotlight
Date: 14th of January
www.basicbookblog.com Spotlight
https://wordpress.com/post/libraryoferana.wordpress.com Spotlight
https://jbronderbookreviews.com/ Review
https://lovesgreatreadsblog.wordpress.com/ Spotlight
http://rockinbookreviews.com Review
Date: 15th of January
http://allthingsfantasy.tumblr.com/ Excerpt
http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com Spotlight
http://bookraider.weebly.com Interview
January 8, 2017
Author Interview 125 – Christian Warren Freed – military fantasy #Authorinterview #milfantasy
Welcome to Christian Warren Freed
Where are you from and where do you live now? I am originally from New York but a 20-year career in the US Army sent me all over the world and dumped me in North Carolina.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example, genre, title, etc. I write military fantasy. With an MA degree in military history as well as multiple years of combat experience I am able to take personal experiences, ancient battles, and combine them in a fantasy setting. Since retiring I have had 21 novels published. Hammers in the Wind: Book I of the Northern Crusade has been the overall #1 free book on Amazon 5 times in the past two years.
Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere. I remember walking by a light post at night and an idea struck. One of my longer stories: Beyond the Edge of Dawn came from a series of ideas that came to me while I was running around the bombed out palace where we had Saddam Hussein awaiting trial back in 2005. Inspiration can come from anyone and any situation.
Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Yes! I can honestly say I have killed the same person in almost every one of my novels. Except for my memoirs from Iraq and Afghanistan of course. It is a liberating feeling. After all, how can I get in trouble for having a certain person devoured by a dragon??
Sort these into the order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important…) You have to have a solid plot. Otherwise, the characters will just stumble through situations that aren’t engaging or interesting. There have to be memorable characters- ones the readers will love and others they will despise. Creating emotion from the reader is extremely important. I have found that the world develops around my stories and continues to evolve as I explore deeper. Technically perfect, well, that’s what editors are for….
In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? All of my books are in both E-book and print formats. At some point, I plan on verging into audio.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? Of course, they are viewed differently. Let’s face it, anyone with internet access can ‘publish’ a book without going through the steps of finding an agent or and editor and then on to the big publishing house. That doesn’t mean it is quality or even that it should be published. I’ve read tons of bad self-published books. I think that if people put more time in their craft they would produce better products. Often times the issue isn’t in the writing, it’s the lack of editing, formatting, etc. Still, there are some self-published books that are just as good as traditionally published works- too bad they don’t get the same shot at fame.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? Reviews are a tricky subject, at least in my opinion. We all want them, though some are willing to compromise integrity to get them. For me personally, I see the reviews as a way of spreading word about my books. Good or bad, word spreads. Amazon has their system in place that occasionally helps authors. At the end of the day, the reviews don’t make or break my books. I sell thousands of copies every year and some don’t have any reviews. At some point, it is about creating a name for yourself, a marketable brand.
What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst? Do everything, even if it seems silly, but do it within your budget. The only way to fail at marketing is by not trying. Build an email list. Join groups. The worst thing you could do is wait until AFTER you are published to begin marketing.
Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it? I just discovered Django Wexler and his Shadow Campaign series. The Thousand Names was a fast read filled with good characters and good action.
Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? I would have to say, at this point in time- and I am not a man with very many favorite anythings- that my favorite author(s) is Steven Erickson and his cohort Ian Esslemont. Together they crafted the world of the Malazan Empire. Erickson has his sweeping epic the Malazan Book of the Fallen while Esslemont fills in the story gaps with his Malazan Empire books. Absolutely awesome books unlike most of the fantasy out there in the way they use different races, gods, and magic.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
http://christianfreed.wixsite.com/christianwarrenfreed
https://www.facebook.com/ChristianFreed/
https://twitter.com/ChristianWFreed
https://christianwfreed.wordpress.com/
Review – Wind from the Abyss – #Fantasy #Scifi Janet Morris
Review
5 stars
Wind from the Abyss – Book 3 of the Silistra Quartet – Janet Morris
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wind-Abyss-Silistra-Quartet-Book-ebook/dp/B01M5HSQX2/
The third book of the Silistra series is, perhaps, the most passionate, the most evocative and the most enthralling. This is a book about power, amongst many other things. The power of biology, of technology and the problems it can bring, the power over another, and the power over oneself. Silistra is a supremely crafted world, apart from ours but terrifyingly familiar in many ways. It is, a could be – a might be, and the denizens thereupon are reflections of humanity.
Estri – our protagonist – is a shadow of what she was, and beholden to a man who is demigod, ruler and profit. He shapes his world and brooks no competition or threat. Estri, now little more than a slave, must find herself, and her past and future and use them to save herself and her world. Does she do it? You’ll have to read to find out. I’ll just say it’s a long and difficult journey, filled with sacrifice.
You’ll quickly be entranced by the world and its characters, and although it helps to have read the earlier books, even without that it’s a tumultuous journey. This is not for the faint of heart, nor those who want an ‘easy’ read. It’s cerebral, lyrical and evocative. You have been warned.
January 7, 2017
Book Spotlight – When the Morning Comes – mystery/romantic suspense
Title: When the Morning Comes (Book One in the Land’s End Series)
Author: S.W. Frontz
Genre: mystery, romantic suspense
Main character description (short). Samantha Patrick-mid-fifties-wife, mother, grandmother. She is a survivor, having lived through her mother’s savage murder, and being kidnapped and raped as a teenager.
Synopsis: Samantha and her husband, Sheriff Andy Patrick live on the quaint island of Land’s End. They moved here thirty-seven years ago to start a new life after Samantha’s father committed a horrible crime that got Samantha’s mother murdered and Samantha kidnapped and raped. Samantha had kept a secret all these years but when her past comes back to haunt her, there’s no way to keep her secret without putting her family in danger.
Brief Excerpt: Samantha Patrick’s eyes popped open and she sat up abruptly in bed, breathing like a locomotive. She looked around the room, disoriented, not sure if she were still in the old warehouse or in her room. She sat there for a minute. She put her hand out to her right, patting the bed to see if her husband Andy was there. Touching the softness of his white hair, she sighed in relief. It was only the nightmare. Thankful that she was safe in her own bed she glanced at the clock. The red numbers glowed at her. One fifteen a.m. Sighing, she reached behind her to plump the pillows and she settled back down under the covers. No more sleep for her. She had gotten another letter this morning. It said: “I’m watching you.” She didn’t want to disturb Andy so she turned onto her left side to wait for the morning to come.
Why should readers buy this book? It has something for everyone, mystery, crime, romance, and a pretty decent ending with the promise of more to come.
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https://twitter.com/swfrontzauthor
https://www.instagram.com/s.frontzauthor/
http://www.swfrontzauthor.com/
The Shining Citadel – now in audio #fantasy #Lightbeyondthestorm
Hurrah! First new release of the year:)
The Shining Citadel is now out as an audio edition, narrated by Rob Goll. It sounds wonderful! Rob is versatile, filled with passion for his craft and I’d have no problem at all hiring him again.
So anyway the book:
The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book II
Who rules in this game of intrigue where magic is forbidden and elves enslaved? A journey where beliefs shatter like glass, truth is unwelcome and monsters from ancient times abound: share the romance and revenge, magic and passion, and the wages of greed in a world of darkest fantasy. (Please note the 18+ rating.)
We welcome back Dii, Archos, Olek and Ozena and meet some new folks – good and bad. This is a book of revelations – many of them most unwelcome – of heroism, the issue of choice, the nature of good and evil and of course magic and mayhem.
I think Dii really comes into her own here; starting to become the woman she always should have been it’s not an easy journey. That’s reflected in the epic quest to find a lost elven citadel, and discover that truth may be relative and certainly not what it first appears.
Audible UK http://adbl.co/2iSW5GF
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2iOOWoB
Audible.com http://adbl.co/2i3tf5t
Amazon.com http://amzn.to/2j1DSnF
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