A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 39
September 1, 2023
Unfurling the Sales – Blog Tour #YA #Sci-fi
A storm. A plot. And a rivalry that spans generations.
Unfurling the Sails
A Grey Shima Adventure
by Sarah Branson
Genre: YA SciFi Adventure
A storm. A plot. And a rivalry that spans generations.
In this thrilling young adult novel, a storm sets the stage for a gripping tale of adventure, suspense, and unlikely alliances. Fourteen-year-old Grey Shima is unimpressed with growing up. So she throws herself into the things she loves: sailing, whittling, and losing herself in fantasy and adventure stories. When she qualifies to participate in the Great Sea Race, Grey is ready to face the challenges that lie ahead.
Caught in a rogue storm, Grey and her sworn enemy, Ashton, are thrown together in the Great Sea. Their struggles are far from over as they uncover a sinister plot that threatens the lives of thousands. In a race against time, Grey and Ashton must confront their deepest fears to save themselves and protect their loved ones.
Prepare to be swept away as two reluctant allies discover the true meaning of resilience and the transformative power of friendship.
**Only 99 cents!!**
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads
Sarah Branson, an award-winning author and experienced midwife, weaves thrilling tales of action and adventure with airborne pirates amidst a world transformed by fires, floods, and pandemics.
Sarah first started conjuring stories of pirates when her family hopped a freighter to Australia when she was seven. She has since grown up, traveling the globe, raising a family, and teaching science and history to middle school and high school students in the U.S., Brazil, and Japan. Her diverse life journey inspires her storytelling.
A Merry Life, her debut novel, received prestigious honors. It is the first book of her Pirates of New Earth series that has captivated readers. Unfurling the Sails is her first novel written for teen readers.
Sarah and her husband call Connecticut home. She firmly believes the strength and resiliency of the human spirit combined with the power of badass women will create a better world for all.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Signed Copy with Swag Pack,
$20 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!
August 30, 2023
Guest Post – How to Come Up With Intriging Character Backstories
Being able to get the protagonist’s motivations, goals, wants and needs right in a story is an essential skill to have in your writing toolkit. But one often overlooked, yet powerful skill, is backstory. When used correctly, the intriguing twists and turns of a character’s history is what makes a book sink its claws in as we read.
So how do we use backstory to create intrigue? While extensively developing our characters is important in the story, it’s also what you withhold from the reader, only to reveal later in a major insight at a critical point, which gives satisfaction.
Sound fun? Let’s look at some tips for coming up with intriguing character backstories and divulging them in a powerful way.
1. Establish the purpose of your character’s backstoryLet’s say you’ve written a character that pops off the page, and for the sake of your own sanity can’t figure out what drives them to do it. Or the character you’re writing could use some help — an awakening like Frankenstein’s monster more like it. Or maybe you’re wrestling with a flat character?
Creating an intriguing character backstory is all about understanding its purpose. In addition to being a way for readers to fall in love with or understand your character (and when done right, to plant opportunities for spin-off or prequel books from your much-loved cast), backstories also have to serve a larger purpose.
Figuring this out can save some headache. Often, what makes a character intriguing is their juxtaposition to the world they inhabit. Think Harry Potter, in a world of magic even he is interesting and stands out because he survived a killing curse. Or take Siuan Sanche from The Wheel of Time series: when we meet her, she is the leader of the Tar Valon women, formally trained witches known as Aes Sedai. Yet her beginnings can be traced to a poor fishing family, and that’s evident in her speech.
If a reader picked up your book for the promise of magic and beasts, adventures and curses, quests and epic battle scenes, part of the story’s fulfillment is learning about this world and your character’s history, as well as what makes them important in their world.
The more you ask yourself what the purpose of your character’s backstory is, the quicker you’ll learn when you’ve got a character that needs fleshing out. Will learning the backstory push the plot forward, or is it there to affect a character’s likeability? Does it explain something that happened earlier, or build suspense by making readers wary of a character’s past repeating itself? If your characters’ behavior hasn’t changed with time, why is that, and will they change over the course of your novel? All of these decisions will be crucial to your character development.
At the end of the day, intrigue is getting the reader to ask questions of your characters, and making sure you slowly supply the answers that help the story make sense.
Why is Demetrius always so callous to everyone?What made Samantha act that way towards the Guards of Light?Where is Phoenix headed if he knows they’ve taken his sister there? Why?Burke acts so odd at the sight of land compared to the others, where’d he’d come from?2. Deepen the character by asking questions about themOnce you know the purpose in which you’ll use your character’s intriguing backstory there are many ways you can proceed. What do you want to know? Everything? A character questionnaire can help you flesh out your characters into multifaceted people with complex pasts and psyches, getting you to consider multiple aspects of their lives and experiences.
Knowing your character head to toe can be handy, and I’m talking beyond hair color, build and vocabulary. Think good and bad memories, fears and quirks, favorite meals and funny phobias. There are also mannerisms which don’t just have to be ticks, catch-phrases, or a particular attire and gait to their walk, but behaviors which reflect where your character has come from, helping you broaden your world. Each character is going to speak and think differently depending where they came from in your universe, use it.
3. Consider changing an existing backstoryUsing inspiration from existing stories and changing character’s backstories can be a great way to dive into enriching your story. If you experiment with changing the past of your favorite character, how does it affect their personality and behavior? Change a few more things… How does it inform the text?
To give you an example: what if Katniss hadn’t been around while her sister was chosen? What if her story was trying to change places with another tribute but found the honor of being chosen was stronger in other districts? That would have a serious impact on how the readers see the character, her values, and her mission in the world of Suzanne Collins’ books.
Have fun with it.
4. Don’t overdo itKeep in mind that while deepening your character’s backstory helps create believability, overdoing backstory and exposition can cause problems (the info-dump bat is a heavy one — you’ve been warned!). It’s striking the balance that builds worlds of wonder and awe.
Also remember that there’s no need to make your characters perfect. No one is flawless. In fact, there can be things that we like in a villain and things we don’t like in a protagonist. What creates intrigue is that they’re like you and me — obviously awesome — but flawed in our own beautiful, interesting ways.
Intrigue is getting readers to ask questions about what you haven’t said yet. Ideally, you want to cast a spell over them slowly, so that they don’t know you’ve tricked them into reading your book until they reach the end.
Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from how to make an audiobook , find the best writing software, to hiring a ghostwriter and everything in between.
August 28, 2023
Meet the Kitchen Imps
Ever wondered where your socks go in the laundry, or why you can’t find your keys? The Kitchen Imps have the answer.
The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales – six short tales of mayhem and mischief.
Winner of the 2018 best fantasy on NN Light Book Heaven.
Naughty imps, missing socks, cunning thieves and baffled gods feature in this collection of short fantasy fiction.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/KitchenImps
August 25, 2023
Want some award-winning #fantasy fun? Check out #TheKitchenImps
The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales – six short tales of mayhem and mischief.
Winner of the 2018 best fantasy on NN Light Book Heaven.
Naughty imps, missing socks, cunning thieves and baffled gods feature in this collection of short fantasy fiction.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/KitchenImps
Check out the Legacy of The Mask Series
Award-winning #historicalfantasy based on the #PhantomoftheOpera.
Echoes of a Song:
A dozen tumultuous years after the dramatic events at the Paris Opera House Raoul, Comte de Chagny is still haunted by the mysterious Opera Ghost – the creature of legend who held staff at the Opera House under his thrall, kidnapped Raoul’s lover and murdered his brother. In Raoul’s troubled imagination the ghosts of the past are everywhere, and strange and powerful music still calls in his dreams.
Madness, obsession and the legacy of the past weave their spell in this short, tragic tale based on the Phantom of the Opera.
Best fantasy 2019 on reviewer site NN Light Book Heaven!
Available on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble and many other stores on the link below.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/Echoesofasong
Tears and Crimson Velvet
Madame Giry finds herself embroiled in the tragedy unfolding at the Opera house; mystery and murder stalk the corridors and, it is said, a ghost haunts the place. Giry knows the truth, for she recalls the caged man she met so many years ago. This is her story, their story.
When murder and mystery begin at the Opera House one woman knows who is behind it, and what really lies beneath the mask. Secrets, lies and tragedy sing a powerful song in this ‘might have been’ tale.
Winner of the 2020 Best Short Story award on NNLight Book Heaven
A short, tragic tale based on characters from Phantom of the Opera.
A Legacy of the Mask Tale.
https://books2read.com/TearsandCrimson
August 21, 2023
Haunted Inns and Hotels of Virginia – Blog Tour
Virginia’s long history and many beauties attract millions of visitors each year;
however, some never leave.
Haunted Inns and Hotels of Virginia
by Susan Schwartz
Genre: Paranormal, Ghost Stories, Travel
Virginia’s long history and many beauties attract millions of visitors each year–and some never leave.
With some of the oldest inns in the country, Virginia has a multitude of options for travelers to sleep among the spirits. The historic Cavalier Hotel is haunted by the ghost of Adolph Coors, the beer magnate. Market Square Tavern is one of the original buildings in Williamsburg, and has some of the oldest haunts–including, possibly, Thomas Jefferson. The spirit of Mary Hooker still watches over her beloved home at King George’s Bell Grove Plantation. The family of the former owner of Natural Bridge Hotel are said to still walk the halls of historic building–after he killed them.
Plan a ghostly journey along Virginia’s byways with author and paranormal expert Susan Schwartz.
Amazon * B&N *Arcadia Publishing * Goodreads
I have been an avid writer for around 25+ years doing everything from writing freelance articles to editing manuscripts for other authors. I also love to write horror stories that have a twist at the end.
My alter ego is an Operating Room Nurse/Nurse Educator who loves creating tales from the interesting and weird things I have seen. I am a member of the Horror Writers Association and the Virginia Writers Club where I have served as President of the Richmond Chapter and 1st Vice-President of the state organization. I have two novels in the works, a paranormal romance and a medical thriller. My non-fiction book, Haunted Charlottesville, was released in May 2019. Another paranormal book, Haunted Inns and Hotels in Virginia, will be released August 2023.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Signed Copy of Haunted Inns and Hotels of Virginia,
$10 Amazon
-1 winner each!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Book Teaser – Tales of Erana – The Warrior’s Curse #Fantasy
He who bargains with monsters beware! A hero forges an unholy bargain with a witch and learns magic never forgets.
Mythic tales in a land of forbidden magic.
A Tales of Erana dark fantasy novella.
Audio editions narrated by Rob Goll
Excerpt:
The world of Erana is a world of contrasts, for magic is forbidden and its practice is punishable by death; yet in this world where bandits are many, the law is harsh and ignorance a political tool, magic persists. Magic does not obey the laws of men, of trolls or even elves. Magic finds its way through hidden blood, through myths and fireside stories, and lurks in caves and ruins long lost in the passing of time. Stories of old are recounted, whispered and often thus forgotten . . . but not by all.
Hafdis could not rule, for such was the law, as the humans had different customs to their Trollish allies, for troll women are subservient to none, save their shaman, their queen. But even the princess’ trollish blood was not enough to fight tradition of her father’s kind. No living son had Aethelfrith, for the boy’s bones lay in the Hall of the Dead, the great barrow beyond the town. Slain in battle, the young prince had died with honour but died he had.
And so, to those beyond the halls of oak and the barrels of golden mead the tribe seemed to have everything – honour, wealth, a brave warrior-lord and a handsome princess. But often facts are not as they seem. The halls of Aethelfrith had a curse as wicked as any found.
On the nights when the moon rose to its fullest, its light a silver sheen upon the roof of the Great Hall, a terrible monster came. His voice was like the rasping of flesh on a blade, his countenance blighted and ugly, twisted like melted flesh with great weeping sores and a putrid smell. Many warriors had tried to vanquish this foul creature, and now their bones lay with the prince’s in the barrow to the east of Eadsham, the settlement that had been forged by blood and toil by the first king, Aedwin. Widows were aplenty, and many children made fatherless from this awful beast. Doors were bolted and barred, and not even the lord himself dared to face it. Such was his shame.
Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/WarriorsCurse
Book Teasers – Echoes of A Song #Phantom #HistoricalFantasy
A dozen tumultuous years after the dramatic events at the Paris Opera House Raoul, Comte de Chagny is still haunted by the mysterious Opera Ghost – the creature of legend who held staff at the Opera House under his thrall, kidnapped Raoul’s lover and murdered his brother. In Raoul’s troubled imagination the ghosts of the past are everywhere, and strange and powerful music still calls in his dreams.
Madness, obsession and the legacy of the past weave their spell in this short, tragic tale based on the Phantom of the Opera.
Best fantasy 2019 on reviewer site NN Light Book Heaven!
Available on Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, print, large print and audio and many other stores on the link below.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/Echoesofasong
Amazon.com http://amzn.to/2E7Cdu0
Amazon.co.uk http://amzn.to/2BJwAgk
Amazon Audio https://www.amazon.com/Echoes-Song-Legacy-Mask-Book/dp/B07HCKG3WK/
Amazon UK audio https://www.amazon.co.uk/Echoes-Song-Legacy-Mask-Book/dp/B07HCM1624/
Audible UK https://adbl.co/2xlH8Tz
Audible.com https://adbl.co/2MRTQP7
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/gb/book/echoes-of-a-song/id1343186437
August 20, 2023
Oltre lo Specchio Infranto
Una collezione di poesia oscura sulla guerra, l’avvento del cancro e i capricci della vita.
#Poesia, #PoesiaOscura, #Dark Poetry.
https://books2read.com/Beyond-ShatteredM-Italian
August 17, 2023
The IX – Blog Tour and Giveaway
Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure.
The IX
The IX Series Book 1
by Andrew P. Weston
Genre: SciFi Fantasy
Soldiers from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds, including the IX Legion of Rome, are snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing, and transported to the far side of the galaxy. Thinking they have been granted a reprieve, their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a stark ultimatum:
Fight or die.
Against all odds, this group of misfits manages to turn the tide against a relentless foe, only to discover the true cost of victory might exact a price they are unwilling to pay.
How far would you be willing to go to stay alive?
The IX.
Sometimes, death is only the beginning of the adventure.
**The IX is Perseid Press’ featured book for August and is on sale for Only $2.99 on Kindle!!**
Amazon * B&N * Perseid Press * Bookbub * Goodreads
Andrew P. Weston is Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with his wife, Annette, and their growing family of rescue cats.
An astronomy and law graduate, he is the creator of the international number one bestseller, The IX, and also has the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, as well as the British Science Fiction Association, and British Fantasy Society.
When not writing, Andrew devotes some of his spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and writes educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
