A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 194

Meet my Character Blog Hop

eranamage:

I’ve just discovered this interesting character blog hop so thought I’d share. I love historical fiction and this is set in Scotland.

Originally posted on Margaret Skea, Author:

After a shaky and belated start, thank you to Paula Lofting for tagging me in this ‘Character Blog Hop’ where lots of different authors all answer the same questions re characters in their current WIP. Her character post can be found here





http://www.paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk

Here are my answers –

1. What is the name of my main character? Is he/she fictional or historical?

My current WIP is the sequel to Turn of the Tide and continues the story of the Munro family – a fictional family caught between real-life feuding clans in 16th c Scotland. This time it is Kate Munro who takes centre stage, though many of the main (historical) characters from the first book also make an appearance.

2. When and where is the story set?

The book opens in 1597, six years after the end of Turn of the Tide and I haven’t quite decided yet when it…

View original 653 more words

Anthologies and short stories – do you write them and do you read them?

I have to admit I was a little sceptical when I started writing for anthologies, after all many don’t pay a lot, or indeed anything. Short stories are also a challenge in themselves as they require the writer to be reasonably succinct. I’ve never been good at sticking within a word count. With the exception of a few sci-fi and horror books I didn’t read many and most of those have a shared them. So why the change?

I’ve always written short stories for my own entertainment, or occasionally friends/small groups and so, I guess, it was just a step on from this. Often I have found a story to tell which is no way enough for a novel or longer work but is entertaining in itself. Short stories have their market and often lead to more, or come from more – for example the short story in my own Tales of Erana which came from a tale told in the Shining Citadel.  Short stories are also a good way to hone one’s writing skills.

For a reader it is a fine way to discover a new author, or read something complete on a coffee break or commute to work. With a selection of stories there will, hopefully something to please everyone and if the reader doesn’t like a story then it is easy to simply skip to the next and not lose anything from a plot. For an author it is a great way to find new readers, make new friends and contacts and use ideas which might not otherwise be used. On the down side – many anthologies don’t pay or have very strict criteria and obviously short stories still take time to produce – time perhaps taken from other writing or non-writing commitments. Then, of course if an author decides to write a short story how much is appropriate to charge? Free? 99c/77p? $2.99? What is a reader willing to pay?

I’m a member of the Indie Collaboration, a Facebook based group of authors producing a varied selection of free anthologies, including a horror based one, a romance themed one and a children’s storybook. The downloads for these have been in the hundreds and rising, and the reviews mostly good. Being free means of course the authors don’t get paid but that is not the point, which is establishing a wider readership for the authors and producing good quality indie reads available to all.

http://theindiecollaboration.webs.com/our-authors

Have I seen an uptick in book sales since I’ve been writing short stories? Yes, my own anthology has been nominated for book of the month on one of the goodreads groups. I have also been asked to write for a few more and hopefully this will lead to further requests. I would have been unlikely to have produced Tales of Erana had I not started writing short stories again, and that is doing fairly well. I would also have not written Just One Mistake which features in Nine Heroes, Coel and his friends will certainly have at least one more adventure. It is always hard to judge whether the increases are due to the anthologies or other influences, such as author interviews, general promotion or word of mouth but they surely can’t hurt.

As a reader I have bought a few, finding them a great way to grab a quick read and I have bought the books of their authors or added their names to my to-be-read list. So for me at least short stories work.

Below I have listed polls – one for authors and one for readers asking questions about writing/reading habits regarding anthologies.

Take Our Poll


Take Our Poll

 

Nine Heroes: Tales of Heroic Fantasy

Character Interview Number Seventeen – Hal Bullen

Tell Us About Yourself

Name (s): My full name is Hal Bullen, but I’m usually known as Bull. Sully often calls me Bulldog because I was her protector when she first came to the Manor

Age: I’m fifty-six, I think.

Please tell us a little about yourself: I’m a military man through and through. I came to the Manor when I was about sixteen, long before it was a training center for Elias’ Kingsmen. Back then, it was simply Lord Blaine’s manor, and I joined his retainers as a swordsman-cadet. Eventually, I became his sergeant-at-arms. Now, I’m officially retired, although I still act as Sullyan’s aide. I sometimes train the cadets, and I help train young Artesans.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less: I’m pretty large, and quite muscular. And still fit!

Do you have a moral code? If so what is it? Being a member of the King’s forces means you have to uphold the King’s Laws. But I don’t just do that because I’ve sworn an oath. I hate bullies, and I hate raiders, and I can’t stand by and see weaker men threatened by stronger ones. Or women threatened by men.

Would you kill for those you love? I’m a soldier, so hell, yes! I frequently have. I defend my realm and my friends with all the strength I possess. That’s what being a Kingsman is all about.

Would you die for those you love? Absolutely. I wouldn’t even have to think about it. I’m an old soldier now, and those instincts run deep. We’re a tight-knit bunch at the Manor – we’d all lay down our lives for each other.

What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses? I guess you’re not talking about muscles now, are you? All right then, I’m loyal. Fiercely so, some have said. I might not be the shiniest dagger in the armory but I am one of the sharpest. I have a good sense of fun. I can be gentle, which people don’t expect when they see my size. I’m a good soldier and a better friend. As for weaknesses, I only have one that I can think of. I like a drop of firewater now and then – and sometimes maybe more than a drop!

Do you have any relationships you prize above others? Why? I value the cameraderie of the Manor and its men; there’s nothing like the bond between a unit of swordsmen and their captain. But the relationship I prize above all others is my friendship with Sullyan. She was so small when she first arrived, so lost and so desperate for a place she could belong to that I couldn’t help taking her under my wing. If I’d only been younger then, I think we would have ended up life mates. As it is, we share a special kind of love that nothing could break. I don’t think even death would separate us, we’re so close. Good job Robin, her actual life mate, and I are friends!

Do you like animals? Do you have any pets/animal companions? I don’t really understand this question. What’s a ‘pet’? But yes, animals are an important part of my world – well, horses are, anyway. Where would we be without them? How would we get to the places we needed to go? How would we plough our fields, or transport goods? My horse is my lifeline when I’m out on patrol – I’d be a poor sort of soldier if I didn’t look after my horse! As for other animals, yes, I like them. Deer taste especially good – oh, and rabbits.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them. My unit and the men of the Manor are my family. I did have parents, of course, but they died a long while ago. I can’t really remember much about them, now. We were an ordinary family, farm workers mainly, and we lived in one of the small villages surrounding the Manor grounds. I left home at sixteen to join Lord Blaine’s retainers, so I don’t remember much more.

Can you remember something from your childhood which influences your behaviour? How do you think it influences you? I do remember one particular year – I was about eight, I think, and this was before the Pact, of course – when raiding by demons – pardon me, Andaryons – was particularly bad. Every village in Loxton Province had been raided at one time or another, it seemed, and many people had been injured. It was all anyone could talk about. And then they came to our village. It was night time. They burned the thatched roofs and barns, dragged the women and children out into the street, and fought the men. I remember seeing one of our neighbours raped by a demon, and her young child killed in her arms. I swore then, even at eight, that I would learn to use a sword so I could help defend my mother and the village. That’s why went to Lord Blaine just as soon as I could.

Do you have any phobias? Any what? Oh, you mean what am I afraid of? Well, there’s only one thing really, and I’m a bit ashamed to tell you. But if you really want to know, I’m afraid of fire. Yes, all right, I know it’s stupid. Where would we be without fire for cooking and keeping warm? But it’s not the tame fires I’m bothered about, but wildfires. Fire out of control. The sort of fire that eats your house and leaves fields burned to char. I suppose it goes back to the night our village was raided. I can never forget the sound of raging fires and the smell of cindered flesh. Fire kills, and not in a clean way.

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. I don’t know if this is really interesting or not, but I have a favourite saying. Whenever someone seems down, or things look hopeless, I like to say “Don’t hold the wake before the bl – oops, sorry, didn’t mean to swear – before the funeral.”

 

Tell Us About Your World

Please give us a little information about the world in which you live. I live in the realm of Albia, the human realm. Our world has five realms: Endormir, where the Roamerlings live; Sinnia, tribal home of bards and poets; Relkor, the realm of the slavers, where it is is rocky and full of mines; and Andaryon, home of the demon race. Only Sully says we shouldn’t call them demons any more.

Does your world have religion or other spiritual beliefs? If so do you follow one of them? Please describe (briefly) how this affects your behaviour. Of course it does! How can you not have spiritual beliefs? Although I must admit that here at the Manor, we don’t observe the rites as often as they do elsewhere. We do have a chapel, but it’s not used as often as it should be.

Our main faith is called the Faith of the Wheel, and our Matria Church is in Port Loxton. But there are traveling clerics who visit the towns and villages of Albia, and they conduct rites wherever they are needed. The Wheel holds that there is one god, but I’m not sure how that works. Most of us believe in many gods, who each have control over different aspects of our lives. I know that gods are powerful, but how could only one god take care of everything? It doesn’t make sense…. But then, I’m only a simple soldier.

Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where? I have traveled all over Loxton Province in the course of my duties, and I also went to the capital, Port Loxton, once with Lord Blaine. But I have traveled much farther with Sullyan. Artesans can move between the realms, you know, and even before Sullyan was appointed King’s Envoy she liked to explore the other realms. These days though, we mainly visit Andaryon.

Name and describe a food from your world. Food? I’d rather talk about liquor! Food is a bit ordinary, although the Manor cook, Goran, could make pigswill taste good. But liquor is what I really love, and firewater above all. The free traders (just a fancy name for pirates, if you ask me) of Andaryon have something called ‘brine-rum’. Sounds awful but actually it’s pretty good. Anything that can keep a sailor warm in a gale has to be strong!

Does your world have magic? If so how is it viewed in your world? Where have you been that you don’t know about Artesans? Don’t you have them where you come from? What an Artesan does isn’t ‘magic’ though – we’re not witches or wizards, despite what the common people think. Artesans are born with the ability to control their own life force, or metaforce as it’s properly called. That’s the power that resides within all of us, and if you can learn to control it, you can also learn to influence and even master the four elements; Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. It takes a lifetime of study to become a Master Artesan and most of us never make it that far. I’m an Adept-elite, but because I can’t overcome my fear of Fire, I’ll never get any further. Sullyan’s a Master-elite, and that’s about as far as you can go. As for how it’s viewed in my world, it depends what realm you come from. Here in Albia the craft is viewed with suspicion, but Sullyan’s working hard to change that. With the backing of our High King, Elias, we might just get there.

What form of politics is dominant in your world? (Democracy, Theocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Kakistocracy etc.) In Albia, we have a monarchy. Our High King, Elias Rovannon, is absolute ruler, but there are so many provinces that he appoints petty-kings to run them for him. The system works well until one of them gets ideas above his station. Then you get civil war. That’s what happened to Elias’ father, the old King Kandaran.

In Andaryon, they have a Hierocracy. The Hierarch is always the most powerful Artesan. But they’re a warlike race and are always looking for ways to advance. The Endormirians and Sinnians are tribal peoples, they all have chieftains. As for the Relkorians – who knows? They’re a tricksy bunch of slavers and I wouldn’t trust a songle one of ’em.

What is the technology level for your world/place of residence? What item would you not be able to live without? Not quite sure what you mean by technology. As for items we couldn’t live without, as a soldier I’d pick my sword, of course. But we wouldn’t get far without horses, carts, ale, ploughs, bows and crossbows, those kinds of things. Oh – and friendship.

Name three persons of influence/renown within your society and tell why they are influential:  For me, the most renowned people I know are Mathias Blaine, High King Elias, and Brynne Sullyan. Predictable, I know – but that’s the way my life is.

Blaine is the best general a man (or king) could wish for. He’s an astute and intelligent leader, he’s loyal, and he’s fair to his men. Elias wouldn’t have his crown now if not for General Blaine.

Elias is turning out to be a good king as well as a sharp one. He’s very keen to cement his alliance with Timar Pharikian, the Hierarch of Andaryon, and no one in the history of our world has ever made an alliance with demons. If Elias can convice the populace to lose their suspicion of Artesans and to accept what we can do for Albia, he’ll be remembered forever as a pivotal figure.

And what can I say about Sullyan? I think she might well turn out to be the most powerful Artesan that’s ever lived. I know many don’t believe that Supreme Masters have ever existed (many say the the fifth element – Spirit – is a myth and that no one can influence or master Spirit), but I’m not so sure. Sullyan’s different, that’s all I can say. If anyone can become a Supreme Master, it’s her. I love her with all my heart and soul.

Author notes:

Book(s) in which this character appears, plus links.

Print editions:

Artesans of Albia Book One, King’s Envoy: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Envoy-Artesans-Albia-1/dp/1939993253

Artesans of Albia Book Two, King’s Champion: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Champion-Artesans-Albia-2/dp/1939993261

Artesans of Albia Book Three, King’s Artesan: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Artesan-Artesans-Albia-3/dp/193999327X

Artesans of Albia series, Circle of Conspiracy Book One, The Challenge: http://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Circle-Conspiracy-1/dp/1939993318

Kindle editions:

Artesans of Albia Book One, King’s Envoy: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Envoy-Artesans-Albia-Peace-ebook/dp/B00FLXRW4I

Artesans of Albia Book Two, King’s Champion: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Champion-Artesans-Albia-Peace-ebook/dp/B00FLXS472

Artesans of Albia Book Three, King’s Artesan: http://www.amazon.com/Kings-Artesan-Artesans-Albia-Peace-ebook/dp/B00FLXSB0M

Artesans of Albia series, Circle of Conspiracy Book One, The Challenge: http://www.amazon.com/Challenge-Artesans-Circle-Conspiracy-trilogy-ebook/dp/B00JSTEBX6

 

 

Author name: Cas Peace

Website: http://www.caspeace.com/

Amazon Author Profile:http://www.amazon.com/Cas-Peace/e/B0098KMASI

Blog: http://peacewrites.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cas.peace

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CasPeace1

First Artesans Trilogy Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76ORbCO_wGI

Reverbnation: (Musician profile): http://www.reverbnation.com/caspeacewithntn?profile_view_source=header_icon_nav

Synopsis
Friend against friend, lover against lover, ally against ally. Conflict is coming … Nine months have passed since Brynne Sullyan helped forge an alliance between the realms of Albia and Andaryon. A fragile peace reigns as both sides recover from the events of the previous year. Then mysterious raiders strike Andaryon villages. Attempts are made on the life of Albia’s High King. As Sullyan scrambles to find those responsible, unseen enemies threaten to pull apart everything she has worked for, including her marriage. The alliance begins to crumble, and Sullyan finds herself caught between two monarchs: the king she’s sworn allegiance to, and the man she loves as a father. To betray either one would break her heart, but if conflict is inevitable, she must make a choice …

Wednesday’s featured Author is J.Woods Author of Savage Seduction

eranamage:

Here’s another featured author in the paranormal and fantasy genre – J Woods.

Originally posted on Saskia Book Tours :

Blurb:

SAVAGE SEDUCTION is the first Savage family novel in a new fun and steamy contemporary romance series. 

Since starting Savage Security with his brothers, Logan Savage has been chasing mission after mission, running away from the memories of his past. With no fear and no one waiting for him at his isolated cabin in the woods, Logan is determined to keep everyone at arm’s length including his concerned family. And the irresistible woman who dares to blur the lines between his defenses and desire. 

Known for her independence, successful CEO Zoe Alcott makes no apologies when she finally takes a stand against her placid love life. Until the day she finds a love note from a deranged stalker and her safety is placed in the palm of Savage Security and the mysterious Logan Savage. Not her usual type, Zoe wonders if the instant passion between them is enough to…

View original 176 more words

How To Write Like a Goblin on The Past

eranamage:

Another great post.

Originally posted on All That's Written ...:

Today’s post by the Goblin is one that once again had me thinking, this time of my own past.

***

the goblin’s ghosts made a queue to be posted here, the first one said “…I was the you in the troubadour coffeeshop remember, you would learn languages there only to then say goodbye to everyone leaving them for that disco alone where you danced for hours until finally the disco closed and still alone you walked home along the thames river bank, you had the light body of cat that belonged to the night with its two moons like eyes, one reflected in water to other in sparking night sky, yes, you had your full youth, your power and in that ever intense silence and freedom you had in an overwhelming sense of self existence too, didn’t you goblin, all cloaked in a “warm night” that, as if, gave you…

View original 86 more words

Five Fascinating Facts about the Brontë Sisters

eranamage:

It’s sad to think Miss Bronte died thinking Wuthering Heights was a failure. It is a fantastic book covering romance, class issues, race and social stigma. The love between Heathcliff and Catherine transcends even death.

Originally posted on Interesting Literature:

Charlotte Brontë was born on this day, 21 April, in 1816. She was the eldest of the three Brontë siblings who became famous authors, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to celebrate the Brontë sisters and their work in another instalment of our

Five Fascinating Facts

series.

1. The sisters’ first volume of poems sold just two copies.Poems by Currer, Ellis and Acton Bell (1846) sold a total of two copies when first published. However, it was the failure of this poetry volume that convinced the sisters to turn their attention to writing novels: the following year Wuthering Heights, JaneEyre, and Agnes Grey were all published. In a letter of March 1845, Charlotte had written, ‘I shall soon be 30 – and I have done nothing yet. … I feel as if we were all buried here.’ The sisters subsequently adopted their androgynous pseudonyms – Currer Bell for Charlotte…

View original 502 more words

RELEASE BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: Double Coverage by Meghan Quinn

eranamage:

New release and giveaway.

Originally posted on Two Sassy Chicks:

Title: Double Coverage(#2 Love and Sports Series)

Author: Meghan Quinn

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 21st

Synopsis

Unfortunate inconvenience, that is the way Piper describes her encounter with Mason Dashel. From the minute the alpha male interrupts her morning after hangover on the airplane, she can’t stand to be near the egotistical maniac with a booming voice and annoying sex appeal. But to her misfortune she finds herself not only having to spend time with him at their best friends’ wedding but she also can’t seem to shake the infuriating man in her everyday life.

Psychotic Una-bomber with the constant mensies is the way Mason describes his flying companion, Piper Shores. After a horrific break up with his now ex, Brooke, he finds himself being engulfed by the temperamental red head that just so happens to be the maid of honor to one of his best friends, Lexi. Even…

View original 263 more words

Character Interview Number Sixteen – Rees Morgan – Vampire

Tell Us About Yourself

Name (s): My name is Rees Morgan, however, I was born, Edward Rees Morgan II of Gelli Aur.

Age: Hmm, I am guessing you mean human years, but I am not human. My age is a bit…complicated. I died when I was twenty-eight human years old in the year eighteen hundred and seventeen. I have lived one hundred and ninety-seven years as a vampire, and for two hundred and twenty-five years, I have walked this earth.

Please tell us a little about yourself.

I could, but it would be far easier to show you. I have perfected certain…skills in my one hundred and ninety-seven years, and we could have so much fun putting to use what I have learned.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. Tall, fit, sexy, hazel eyes, with skilled lips and tongue.

Would you die for those you love? I died once for love and would have died again fighting for my beloved, Rachel, had my friends not assisted me. But yes, I would gladly give my life for my love.

Do you like animals? Do you have any pets/animal companions? Not anymore, no. I once had a Great Dane named, Friedrich. When I left Wales, I left him too. And I find it hard enough to watch my friends and lovers die over the years, without having to grieve the loss of pets too.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them. I did, yes. My father, Sir Edward Morgan, Bt of Gelli Aur in Wales, was a stern man, but fair. His Majesty King George III granted my father his baronetcy and as the eldest son, I would have inherited the baronetcy. My mother, Evelyn Morgan, was a dear, kind woman, and doting mother. I had one younger brother, Franklin, and two younger sisters, Isabella and Hannah. They are all dead now. My wife, as you know, Elizabeth Morgan, died of consumption after only three years of matrimony. It was an arranged marriage, but a happy one, if short. She was everything to me…everything.

Do you have any phobias? No.

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. I like watching—what do you call it these days—Chick Flicks. We didn’t have movies during my time as a human. I find it fascinating watching women, whether it is in a movie, or in real life. However, you won’t find me sitting around watching Pride and Prejudice with Kian and Nikolaus.

Tell Us About Your World

Please give us a little information about the world in which you live. The world in which I live?

If you are referring to my line of work, as an escort, I can assure you it is most pleasurable. But, I gather you want to know where I reside. I currently live in a small community in the southern part of Maryland in the United States. I own a condominium, which overlooks Breton Bay. It’s quaint. It’s quiet. And being so close to Washington, D. C., it gives me access to a plethora of clientele.

Does your world have religion or other spiritual beliefs? If so do you follow one of them? Please describe (briefly) how this affects your behaviour. My family was Catholic. I am not. God and I have not been on good terms since He took my wife from me.

Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where? Mm, only so far as my clients live. I run in small, private circles.

Name and describe a food from your world. My dear, the only food in my world is you.

Does your world have magic? If so how is it viewed in your world? No, I live in the real world, not Lord of the Rings.

Does your world have any supernatural/mystical beings? Please tell us about some. I have to chuckle at this question, as you allude that my world is different from yours. Our world, yours and mine, has more supernatural beings than anyone suspects. Vampires, werewolves, and ghosts, oh my!

Author notes:

Book(s) in which this character appears plus links

Vampires of the Chesapeake: Kian MacTiernan

http://amzn.com/B004VNVJ9I

Vampires of the Chesapeake: Rees Morgan (Summer of 2014)

Author name

D. A. Rhine

Website/Blog/Author pages etc.

http://www.darhine.com

http://www.facebook.com/d.a.rhine

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044976.D_A_Rhine

The Writing Process Chain Blog Hop

eranamage:

Here’s one of the author’s I tagged – Laurel Rockefeller.

Originally posted on The Peers of Beinan series on Word Press:

Firstly I am not sure I am doing this right, but here I go.

A few weeks ago an author/blogger I know asked me if I wanted to be involved with the chain blog hop. Basically she posts and tags several people and they tag others they know and so on. We discuss our own writing processes and pass the baton.

The Questions are:

What am I working on?

When a sudden plague of mysterious cancers strikes the southwestern city of Nan-li, it falls to Lady Abbess Cara of house Ten-Ar to investigate, entangling her in a royal trap that may cost her life.

Today I just published my first Peers of Beinan Series novella, “The Poisoned Ground,” as a paperback.  Find it in “The Lost Tales of the Anlei’s Legacy Trilogy” for kindle at http://tinyurl.com/ALLost.

In May I plan on releasing Poisoned Ground to kindle as a separate…

View original 1,035 more words

The Writing Process Chain Blog Hop

Firstly I am not sure I am doing this right, but here I go.

A few weeks ago an author/blogger I know asked me if I wanted to be involved with the chain blog hop. Basically she posts and tags several people and they tag others they know and so on. We discuss our own writing processes and pass the baton.

Here are the questions:

What am I working on? As usual I have several projects on the go.  Mainly Book III of my series – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles. Presently it doesn’t have an official title but hopefully will do so soon. So what is this one about? The series is dark adult fantasy/fantasy romance with a touch of erotica set in the world of Erana. The events of Book III follow on from Book II – the Shining Citadel, however the focus is on a slightly different set of characters – namely the trolls. Talfor, the warrior lord from Book II, plus a couple of other Book II characters, including the briefly mentioned Mirandra Var, the Shaman’s daughter, set out to find the ancient ruin far across a distant valley and discover what has happened to their kin. Of course it is not that simple. What they find is not what they expect and the revelations will link back to Book II and the over-arching plot of the series. Archos, Dii and the others feature as more side characters, working on what they’ve found out but will still play an important role and will feature again in later books. 

Apart from trying to finish this novel I am working on several short stories. Hopefully I will have a short fantasy story in the follow up to Wyrd Worlds, plus a poem or two in the summer Indie Collaboration. I’m also co-writing a fantasy story with my good friend Diana to feature in a fantasy anthology later in the year. Co-writing is so much fun, so long as all the writers agree on what is needed. I am so happy to be working with Diana on this project.

There may also be another short anthology of Tales of Erana, but this is only in the planning stage.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?  That is a good question. A lot of fantasy has rather sterile characters, or at least the relationships between the characters isn’t explored. My books are fantasy, but more than that the characters are passionate, in some cases volatile, and their interactions offer some light in the largely dark world. Oh and then there’s the sex. My characters are, as I’ve said, passionate and the sexual scenes are part of who they are. These scenes don’t overwhelm the plot but they are an important aspect of the characters. I like to think my books are sensual fantasy. 

Then there are the tropes – turned about. Yes I have elves but they aren’t immortal, they are slaves and generally are treated pretty badly. There are trolls too, but they aren’t ugly, stupid or live under bridges. They are cultured, intelligent and rather mysterious. 

Why do I write what I do?  Because there are stories which want to be told. I’ve always written stories or poetry and I love to read. I thought I give something back for all those wonderful books I’ve read.

How does my writing process work? I’m a pantser. I have an overarching plan for the series but individual books tell me what they need as I go. I usually know the ending, if not the finer details and obviously the characters.  I tried to plan, and every time I change the plan. I do have several folders of notes and ideas however, both for past stories and future. Some will get used, many won’t.

The short stories are slightly different, for me at least there is a lot less planning. Two which feature in Tales of Erana came out of lore told in Book II. Usually I think of something when I can’t write it down! Like when I’m in the bath….

A brief mention for the one who tagged me…Jo Barker has been writing short stories for many years as a hobby and has now finally published with The Adventures of the Frog Prince.

Her stories take you on weird and wonderful journeys using a combination of fantasy and strange facts that makes the narrative more engaging.

At the moment she is writing children’s tales but there are plans for other books.

You can join my blog here http://www.jrbarker.info/my-blog/

You can follow me on Twitter

or

Find me on Facebook

I tag - Victoria Zigler is a blind author of children’s fiction and poetry.
She has a very vivid imagination, and spends a lot of time in
fictional worlds; some created by her, others created by other
authors.  When she remembers to spend some time in the real world,
it’s mostly to spend time with her hubby and pets, though sometimes to
indulge in other interests such as doing crafts, listening to music,
watching movies, playing the odd figure game or roleplaying game, and
doing a little cooking and baking.  Victoria was born in the shadow of
the Black Mountains in Wales, UK, has been writing since she knew how,
and became a self-published author in 2012.

Website: http://www.zigler.co.uk

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toriz

Blog: http://ziglernews.blogspot.com

And Laurel A Rockefeller

Laurel A. Rockefeller was born and raised in Lincoln, Nebraska where
she received her bachelor of arts from the University of Nebraska at
Lincoln in writing, psychology, and medieval and Asian history. In
2009 she joined Yahoo Voices where she writes non-fiction articles
covering a broad range of topics. In August, 2012 Laurel launched the
Peers of Beinan medieval science fiction series with book one, “The
Great Succession Crisis,” book one of the Anlei’s Legacy trilogy. In
March 2014 she launched the “Legendary Women of World History” series.
Laurel currently lives in western Pennsylvania with her beloved
cockatiel.


Amazon author page:  http://tinyurl.com/LARAmazon


Blog:  http://peersofbeinan.wordpress.com/

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/peersofbeinan/

Laurel A. Rockefeller
Author, Peers of Beinan series: http://www.peersofbeinan.com
Author, The Legendary Women of World History series:
http://www.legendarywomenbooks.com/

Check out the newest Peers of Beinan book, “Anlei’s Legacy Trilogy:
the Lost Tales” available now exclusively for kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Anleis-Legacy-Trilogy-Tales-Beinan-ebook/dp/B00INCPOZ8/

 

And here are some other authors who are playing this game. Kyra Halland

http://www.kyrahalland.com/1/post/201…
http://www.kyrahalland.com/1/post/201…