A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 44

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.

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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.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Signed Copy of Haunted Inns and Hotels of Virginia,

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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

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

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!!**

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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.

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Murder Under a Western Moon – Blog Tour #Historical #CozyMystery

Mona Moon is the American Phryne Fisher!

Murder Under a Western Moon

A Mona Moon Mystery Book 11

by Abigail Keam

Genre: 1930’s Historical Cozy Mystery

Mona Moon is the American Phyrne Fisher!

FIVE STARS! “Whew, what an incredible ‘couldn’t put down’ experience!” -Kings River Life Magazine

FIVE STARS! “Murder Under a Western Moon is a great foray into historical mysteries and serves as another charming, humorous, and well-written installment of the series.” -Readers’ Favorite

Mona Moon and her new husband, Robert Farley, Duke of Brynelleth are about to board an ocean liner to Merry Old England for their honeymoon when Mona receives an urgent telegram from Rupert Hunt, her eyes and ears in the Moon copper mines.

POTENTIAL RIOT AT MONTANA MINE STOP DEAD MINER STOP POSSIBLE MURDER STOP COME AT ONCE STOP RUPERT HUNT

Since the copper mines are the financial backbone of Moon Enterprises, Mona has no choice but to drop her plans and travel to Montana on the next train. She and Robert descend into a world of seething resentments, bitter accusations against Moon Enterprises, and bad decisions that pose a threat to Mona’s world. She travels incognito to search out the truth of Rupert’s allegations against the mining management. She must decide if Rupert is trying to prevent an innocent man from being hung for murder or if he is part of a grandiose plot against her. After all, Mona had been kidnapped by Rupert while searching for the Swift silver mine a year ago. Rupert is a scoundrel, but Mona hired him to be her scoundrel. Is this another of Rupert’s games? Regardless of the threat, Mona must get to the bottom of it. Thank goodness Robert is by her side . . . or could Robert have his own agenda?

**Recently selected as one of the Barnes and Noble top 5 picks!!**

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**Get started on the series for Only .99cents!!**

Murder Under a Blue Moon

A Mona Moon Mystery Book 1

Top 10 mystery reads by Kings River Life Magazine!

Mona Moon is not your typical young lady. She is a cartographer by trade, explorer by nature, and adventurer by heart. But there’s a problem. Miss Mona is broke. It’s during the Depression, and National Geographic has just turned down her application to join an expedition to the Amazon. What’s she to do? Perhaps get a job as a department store salesgirl. Anything to tide her over until a next assignment.

There’s a knock on the door. Who could this be in the middle of the night? Holding a revolver, Mona reluctantly opens her door to a man wearing a Homburg hat and holding a briefcase. “I bring glad tidings. Your Uncle Manfred Moon has died and left you as his heir to the Moon fortune. You are now one of the richest women in the country!” he says. Mona’s response is to point her revolver in his face. If the stranger is telling the truth, she will apologize. If he is a fraud, she will shoot him. That’s how Mona does things in 1933.

**Only .99cents!!**

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**Find the rest of the books on Amazon!**

Award-winning author Abigail Keam writes the Mona Moon Mystery Series—a rags-to-riches 1930s mystery series, which includes real people and events into the story line. “I am a student of history and love to insert historical information into my mysteries. There is an addendum at the end of the mystery to give more information. My goal is to entertain my readers, but if they learn a little something along the way—well, then we are both happy.”

Miss Abigail currently lives on the Palisades bordering the Kentucky River in a metal house with her husband and various critters.

AWARDS

2010 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By A HoneyBee
2011 Gold Medal Award from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By Drowning
2011 USA BOOK NEWS-Best Books List of 2011 as a Finalist for Death By A HoneyBee
2017 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Design
2019 Honorable Mention from Readers’ Favorite for Death By Stalking
2019 Murder Under A Blue Moon voted top ten mystery reads by Kings River Life Magazine
2020 Finalist from Readers’ Favorite for Murder Under A Blue Moon
2020 Imadjinn Award for Best Mystery for Death By Stalking 2022 Finalist in Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A Full Moon
2022 Finalist the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award for Best Historical Category – Murder Under A New Moon
2022 Death By Chance: A Josiah Reynolds Mystery Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Finalist for Best Cozy Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A Bridal Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery
2022 Top Ten Mystery Novel by Kings River Life Magazine for Murder Under A British Moon: A 1930s Mona Moon Mystery

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon giftcard,

ebook of Murder Under A Blue Moon

-1 winner each!

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Blame It On Midnight – Blog Tour and Guest Post #Paranormal #Women’s Fiction

I saved my daughter. But how do I save myself when I have a secret that is going to turn the entire werewolf world upside down?

Blame It On Midnight

A Midnight Madness Nightcreature Novel Book 2

by Lori Handeland

Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction

I saved my daughter. But how do I save myself?

I did what I had to. Try and kill my girl? I will end you faster than you can say have mercy. Sure I broke a cardinal pack rule, which will get me executed by my mate. If they find out. If they find me.

Saved from capture by Zane, the sexiest of sexy werewolves, my rescue comes with a price. Zane wants a favor, one that could cause an all-out pack war. The last thing I need is to make more enemies, but lives are at stake if I don’t make a stand.
Not only that, but I have a secret. An impossible secret that is going to turn the entire werewolf world upside down.

From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a new volume in her Nightcreature world, complete with the humor, depth of characterization and fast-paced plot lines she is known for while showcasing the author’s incredible range.

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Nothing Good Happens After Midnight

A Midnight Madness Nightcreature Novel Book 1

They say a mother will do anything for her child . . . I’m living proof

This nightmare began when I got the call every parent dreads. My daughter, Jenna, was missing from her college campus. Of course, my mind went to the worst place. After all, my late husband was a powerful senator. Was this some political payback?

I call in a favor and soon I’m partnered with an FBI sex trafficking agent. He tells me local girls have been disappearing for some time now, and he finally has a lead. But what we find at that abandoned warehouse is something out of a horror movie.

Werewolves! Two rival packs, their alphas fighting, winner take all––the pack and the trafficked girls. The werewolves must replenish their breeders, recently decimated by a virus that killed only the females.

But Jenna’s been keeping a secret, which only makes two of us. Though I should be angry, I know the lies I’ve told play a huge role in why we’re here. I’ll do anything to make it right. No way is my girl going to become a sacrificial mate for the greater good––even if she is the ‘chosen one.’ So, I do what any mother would do, I take her place, offering myself to Gideon, the winning alpha, as his mate.

Gideon’s goal is to live in harmony with the human world, but there are others who exist for the power, for the violence, and they don’t plan to let peace prevail.

There’s a civil werewolf war brewing and I am right in the middle of it.

From the voice of New York Times bestselling author Lori Handeland, a new volume in her Nightcreature world, complete with the humor, depth of characterization and fast-paced plot lines she is known for while showcasing the author’s incredible range.

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Lori Handeland is a five-time nominee and two-time winner of the prestigious RITA Award from Romance Writers of America, as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over sixty novels spanning the genres of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, contemporary romance, historical romance, historical fantasy and women’s fiction. Her novel Just Once received a coveted, starred review from Library Journal and was optioned as a feature film by Catalyst Global Media.

Lori set her sight on being an author at the age of ten. She remembers sitting at a typewriter before she knew how to type, pecking out a story about a family who went into space. As an only child her summers were spent with that typewriter, television, and, above all, books. As a young adult, she got sidetracked by the need to make a living. She worked as a waitress and later enrolled in college to become a teacher.

Lori lives in Southern Wisconsin with her husband of over thirty-five years. In between writing and reading, she enjoys long walks with their rescue mutt, Arnold, and visits from her two grown sons, awesome daughter-in-law and perfectly adorable grandchildren.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Stuffed Wolf Plush,

$20 Amazon giftcard

– 1 winner each!

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Interview with the Author

 

Describe your writing style.

Fast paced plot and true to life characters dealing with astounding situations.

What makes a good story?

Great characterization, structure and pacing.

 What are you currently reading?

Elin Hilderbrand’s THE FIVE-STAR WEEKEND.

 What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

I’m a pantser all the way.  I’ve tried to outline and find I get bored with the story, which means I don’t continue with it.

  Sometimes I will write the first chapter or two, then sketch an overview of the turning points and the ending, though all that is subject to change along the way.

What are common traps for aspiring writers?

Editing the beginning over and over, which means never reaching “the end.”  Push through.  The number of people who start a book, then don’t finish a book is epic.  Anything can be fixed but a blank page.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Start self-publishing the instant you hear about it.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from other genders?

There is always the temptation to create men the way you want men to be. And, to an extent, this is what writing romance is about.  However they need to be realistic too.  It’s a balancing act.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

I used to be able to write a 90,000+ word book in 3-4 months.  Now it would take me 9-12 months.  It is what it is.

Do you believe in writer’s block?

I do, I do, I do believe in writer’s block. The only way I’ve found to cure it, and sometimes only for a little while, is to push through the book I’m working on, don’t look back. Eyes on the prize of “the end.” 

  Then edit, edit, edit.

When Cardinals Appear – Cover Reveal and Giveaway #Romance #Women’s Fiction

** Check out the cover reveal! **

Is the cardinal a clue Lanie’s true happiness is hiding in plain sight?

When Cardinals Appear

The Love Birds Book 1

by Katie Eagan Schenck

Genre: Women’s Romance Fiction

She has a promise to keep. But when her plans are thrown into a tailspin, will a persistent red bird show her how to let her dreams take flight?

Lanie McAllister is ready to move on. Wrestling with her mom’s death, the young woman just wants to settle the estate and soar off for good to her boyfriend in California—far away from painful memories. But she suspects the lucky cardinal she keeps seeing is trying to send a message when a flat tire puts her back in the path of the man who broke her heart.

With fate constantly throwing the man her mother always hated in her way, Lanie can’t seem to shake the wounds of the past. And when her current love makes a serious misstep and she discovers her ex harbors a secret, she starts to rethink what will make her truly happy.

Questioning her vow to her mother to never look back, is the cardinal a clue Lanie’s true happiness is hiding in plain sight?

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Katie Eagan Schenck writes sweet romance and women’s fiction that warms the heart and gives all the feels. She has an MFA in creative writing from Queens University of Charlotte and her debut novel, A Home for Christmas, was released in October of 2022. When she’s not writing she’s either drafting regulations for the federal government, baking delicious treats, or binging Hallmark movies. She lives in Maryland with her husband, daughter, and their three cats.

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Heroika – Dragon Eaters Blog Tour and Giveaway

The art of dragon killing.

Seventeen writers bring you so close to dragons you can smell their fetid breath.

Heroika: Dragon Eaters

Heroika Volume 1

Edited by Janet Morris

Genre: Epic Historical Fantasy Adventure Anthology

The art of dragon killing: Dragons have been eating humans for centuries. Now heroes throughout history stalk their legendary foe. Learn how to hunt, kill, and eat the wild dragon. Never before has revenge tasted so good. A literary feast for the bloody-minded. In Janet Morris’ anthology on the art of dragon killing, seventeen writers bring you so close to dragons you can smell their fetid breath. Tales for the bold among you. HEROIKA 1 — DRAGON EATERS, an anthology of heroic fiction edited by Janet Morris, features original stories by

Janet Morris and Chris Morris, The First Dragon Eater

S.E. Lindberg, Legacy of the Great Dragon

Janet Morris and Chris Morris, Bring Your Rage

Walter Rhein, Aquila of Oyos

Cas Peace, The Wyght Wyrm

Jack William Finley, The Old Man on a Mountain

A.L. Butcher, Of Blood and Scales

Travis Ludvigson, Night Stalkers

Tom Barczak, Forged

JP Wilder, Rhyme of the Dragon Queen

Joe Bonadonna, The Dragon’s Horde

Milton Davis, Wawindaji Joka (The Dragon Hunters)

M Harold Page, Sky Tomb of the Earth Kings

William Hiles, Red Rain

Beth W. Patterson, La Bétaille

Bruce Durham, Arctic Rage

Mark Finn, Sic Semper Draconis

**Heroika: Dragon Eaters is Perseid Press’ featured series for July and is on sale for Only $2.99 on Kindle!!**

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Book Trailer:

Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. She has contributed short fiction to the shared universe fantasy series Thieves World, in which she created the Sacred Band of Stepsons, a mythical unit of ancient fighters modeled on the Sacred Band of Thebes. She created, orchestrated, and edited the Bangsian fantasy series Heroes in Hell, writing stories for the series as well as co-writing the related novel, The Little Helliad, with Chris Morris. She wrote the bestselling Silistra Quartet in the 1970s, including High Couch of Silistra, The Golden Sword, Wind from the Abyss, and The Carnelian Throne. This quartet had more than four million copies in Bantam print alone, and was translated into German, French, Italian, Russian and other languages. In the 1980s, Baen Books released a second edition of this landmark series. The third edition is the Author’s Cut edition, newly revised by the author for Perseid Press. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Janet says: ‘People often ask what book to read first. I recommend “I, the Sun” if you like ancient history; “The Sacred Band,” a novel, if you like heroic fantasy; “Lawyers in Hell” if you like historical fantasy set in hell; “Outpassage” if you like hard science fiction; “High Couch of Silistra” if you like far-future dystopian or philosophical novels. I am most enthusiastic about the definitive Perseid Press Author’s Cut editions, which I revised and expanded.’

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Guest Post with Joe Bonadonna
In Janet Morris’ anthology on the art of dragon killing, seventeen writers bring you so close to dragons you can smell their fetid breath. Tale for the bold among you. Joe Bonadonna is one of the authors who contributed to Heroika: Dragon Eaters. Here are Joe’s responses to various questions.

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I don’t think there’s really anything unique about me, although my teenage years and early adulthood were more like an old Warner-Brothers gangster flick than most authors I know. Lots of violence and nasty encounters with the police, which was normal in the neighborhood where I grew up, and for those times. Quirky? Well, I’ve always liked monster flicks, going back to my kindergarten years, and I read comics and books and collected monster trading cards, which made me a “weirdo,” according to a lot of the guys and gals with whom I grew up. Then, when I started playing guitar, I was considered “cool,” and I spent 20 years playing in rock bands, until I retired to concentrate full-time on writing. I did have a great childhood, though. However, high school was one of the most miserable times of my life. Being an only child, I naturally spent a lot of time alone, playing with toy soldiers, drawing, watching movies, building monster models, and reading comic books. Later I set aside the toys, comic books and model-building and replaced those with reading novels and playing guitar.

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Well, the place where my Dad worked shared a “floor” with a book bindery. They did not do the book covers, just the binding. So my Dad was always bringing home books for me to read when I was a kid. He and my Mom taught me how to read and always championed my writing. One day, when I was in 4th or 5th grade, I decided I wanted to tell stories. So I sat down and started writing cheesy sci-fi stories and monster theatrical plays. My Catholic grade school nuns, who were always very supportive and encouraging, didn’t think my little plays were appropriate for kids to perform for the “PTA.” So that never happened. I also wanted to be like Mickey Rooney in all those films he made with Judy Garland: “Hey, kids! My folks have a garage. Let’s put on a play.” But that never happened, either. Sports and girls were the only thing my friends were interested in. Rock and roll, films, reading, writing, and girls, of course, are what interested me.

Who is your hero and why?

My Dad and my Mom, both heroes in their own right. Two of the kindest, most loving, honest, and supportive people I’ve ever known. My friends would agree to that. Our house was the party house, where my bands rehearsed and my friends came to dance.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them, really. But my three Mad Shadows books, featuring Dorgo the Dowser as a sort of a Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade type of gumshoe in an alternate 15th century; he uses a special dowsing rod as an investigative and forensic tool. These books would make a decent TV series, if done right. If I could pick the cast, the director, the producer, and have final say in the scripts. Not too many film-makers really understand the Heroic Fantasy and Sword & Sorcery genres, in my humble opinion. Peter Jackson gets it. So does Guillermo del Toro. Those two guys I would love to work with. Many of the people behind the Game of Thrones series, too. Since working with people like that is highly unlikely, there’s no amount of money that could make me “sell out,” so to speak, to the Hollywood Establishment. I’m too old now to care about money; not that hungry and driven anymore. Even now my energy is starting to wane, ideas and enthusiasm is slipping away, and my ability to focus and concentrate are ready to retire. My legacy is all that’s important to me, now. Hopefully I can finish a fourth and final Mad Shadows volume before my time on this planet comes to an end. Aging totally sucks, and ill health makes me feel much older than my 71 years. As the French would say, C’est la vie.

What inspired you to write The Dragon’s Horde for Heroika?

First of all, Dragon Eaters, the book’s “subtitle,” was very much the key to what I wanted to write. The Dragon’s Horde takes place in the world of my Mad Shadows series, but centuries before the birth of Dorgo the Dowser, that series’ main character. Heroika: Dragon Eaters, promised to be a very different and unique volume of Heroic Fantasy, for it would (and does) contain so many great stories written in other genres and set in many different eras and worlds. It’s a truly diverse set of stories about killing and eating dragons which, for this book, have been restored to their former stature as monsters; you won’t find any loveable dragons here. Now, while planning my story, I started thinking of vampires, werewolves and zombies, who become “creatures of the night” through a virus or bacterial infection, I wanted to use that angle. Since we were writing about dragons and I knew most of the stories in the book would feature dragons and dragon-slaying, I wanted to approach my story from a different avenue. There would be no dragons in my story, only their “horde,” their half-human offspring. These hybrids were spawned centuries ago by dragon venom, which gave them the ability to infect other humans with a bite or a scratch, which is enough to make them turn into Homo Reptilia or Homo Drakōn — dragonmen, whom I call the Draakonim or Draaks: these are the dragon’s horde of the title. For 500 years no dragons have been seen, but the warriors of Klibberhelm Keep, descendants of the original Dragon Eaters, have been guarding Klibber Pass against incursions by the Draakonim in a never-ending battle to keep the Draaks from invading the lands of men.

Convince us why you feel your story is a must read.

Although The Dragon’s Horde is a character-driven story, it opens with a battle scene and has plenty of swordplay and bloodletting throughout. It has a sense of humor, as well, which comes from the characters themselves, the warriors, in how they speak and interact with one another. There are a few surprises along the way: a warrior-priestess named Shadumé arrives at the Keep on a mission from her goddess; she is accompanied by two wolverines that are not what they appear to be. There’s a connection between her and Vadreo, the main male character, going back many years earlier, when they first met and became lovers. There are a number of twists, turns, surprises and revelations sprinkled throughout the story, as Shadumé brings with her lost knowledge, dire warnings and some answers for the descendants of the Dragon Eaters. Shadumé reveals to the warriors of Klibberhelm Keep that the egg of a Queen Dragon has been laid and is ready to hatch: the first dragon’s egg in five centuries. Her mission is to destroy the egg or the dragon herself while it’s still a hatchling, before the Queen and the Draaks can begin to breed. Of course, there’s another creature involved — a Spiderworm who is one more key to this story. Shadumé then chooses one warrior to accompany her and her wolverines through the desert, to find the lair of the Spiderworm, and she chooses the man from her past . . . Vadreo, the leader and Warhand of Thoon Wolf, which is his clan and his tribe. What we learn about Vadreo, Shadumé and her two wolverines is at the heart of this story.

What is your advice to new authors?

Study and get to know the genre in which you plan to write. Read other genres, as well: romance, horror, sci-fi, biographies, history . . . you can learn something from every genre. Don’t limit yourself by boxing yourself in. Sure, you may have read Edgar Rice Burroughs, J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Robert E. Howard and H. P. Lovecraft, and other well known authors of the fantasy and horror genres. But it doesn’t hurt to read Hemingway, Steinbeck, Faulkner, Jack London, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and other, more mainstream authors like Isabel Allende, Amy Tan, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and others. Read the classics of the 18th and 19th centuries, too. You can learn something from every writer, if you study how and why they did things a certain way. Most of all, interact with other writers. Study and know the markets you wish to write for, but also write what you want, the way you want, and then be open to suggestions by editors and publishers. Be flexible. Know not only the art and craft of writing, but the mechanics of it, too: proper formatting is the mark of a professional, although in this day and age there is no one standard anymore. Some publishers will want a different font style and size, certain types of scene and chapter breaks, etc. And just keep writing, whether it’s 400 words a day or 4000 words a day. Just keep writing and never stop learning. Never stop experimenting with different styles or playing with words. Use humor to make your characters more 3-dimensional, and keep your dialog crisp and not stilted: remember, dialog is action, and a lot of info can be told through dialog, through the characters, rather than through narration. Let your characters tell the story. Characters are the heart and soul of literature, and dialog that moves the story along and reveals the “inner-workings” of characters is, in my opinion, a must: without dialog, we’d have no stage plays. Without dialog, we’d still be watching silent films. Without dialog, there’d be no history of great radio drama and TV shows. Without characters and dialog all you’re left with is narration and description. But that’s okay, too, if that’s the way you want to tell your stories. Most of all . . . Show, don’t tell — and that’s a balancing act because narration and description can slow down a story just as much as it can propel a story forward, if handled correctly. And as Alfred Hitchcock once said, and I paraphrase here: “If you put a gun on the mantlepiece in Act I, that gun better be used by Act III.” But as I said, this is just my opinion. Writing is a lonely profession and many of us have to make our way alone through the tangled undergrowth and all the pitfalls. Just sit down and write.

 

 

Das Geheimnis von Blossom Rise

Eine junge Krankenschwester beschließt, eine Stelle in einem ehemaligen Militärkrankenhaus anzunehmen und stößt dabei auf ein Familiengeheimnis. Als sie sich näher mit dem Thema beschäftigt, merkt sie, dass ihr die geisterhaften Bewohner irgendwie ziemlich vertraut sind…
Eine kurze Geistergeschichte.

https://books2read.com/BlossomRise-German

#geister, #paranormal, #horror, #kurzgeschichte