A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 58
August 24, 2022
Caravanserai – Blog tour #Historical #FantasyRomance
Caravanserai
The Chronicles of Alcinia Book 7
by Miriam Newman
Genre: Historical Fantasy Romance
Her grandmother’s dying words launch Serafina on a quest to find her unknown father. Unable to accept the love of a childhood friend, she nevertheless accepts his company on her journey, but what they discover may lead to a quick trip to an enemy prison.
Get the rest of the series here!
**Book 1 is FREE, the rest are on sale for only $1.99!**
Fantasy poetry driven by myths and legends has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I was published in poetry before catching the romance writing bug. I bring that background to my writing along with a lifelong addiction to horses, an 18 year career in various areas of psychiatric social services and many trips to Ireland, where I nurture my muse. My published works range from contemporary fantasy romance to fantasy historical, futuristic, science fiction and historical romance. Currently I live in rural Pennsylvania with a “motley crew” of rescue animals. You can see my books at http://www.miriamnewman.com.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
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August 22, 2022
Isle of Dragons – Blog Tour #Fantasy #YA
Isle of Dragons
Isle of Dragons Book 1
by L.A. Thompson
Genre: YA Fantasy
Now with all new scenes!
Watch steampunk technology and high fantasy witchcraft clash in this heroine’s fast-paced, epic journey to rescue her father and reveal the secrets of the noble court.
On the run from the royal army in a giant mechanical centipede, sixteen-year-old Jade Sol embarks on a dangerous adventure to help her father escape from the Isle of Dragons—a land of untamed magic that some believe only exists in myth.
When Jade is cornered by soldiers, a mysterious witch named Miria Atkins rescues her, calling on ancient spirits from a magical realm to channel their mystical energy into light and matter. Jade begs Miria and the sorceress’s mechanist brother, Dan, to join her quest. The siblings resist at first, but their hearts soften when they hear of her father’s fate. Their own parents had attempted an expedition from Vansh to the Isle of Dragons years ago and never returned. Together, the trio journey across the feudal countryside and trek across the sea, uncovering hidden truths about themselves along the way. Die-hard readers of Angelique S. Anderson’s Dracosinum Tales and Jessica Drake’s Dragon Riders of Elantia series will find L. A. Thompson’s writing magnetic, impassioned, and clever in this novel’s twisting plot. The first in a trilogy. Click “Add to Cart” to join the action.
The Hidden Library
Isle of Dragons Book 2
A jaw-dropping sequel to Readers’ Favorite Award Winner of 2021, Isle of Dragons!
L.A. Thompson’s iconic steampunk heroine is back in this richly imaginative quest to find a mysterious magic library that holds the key to winning the war against the corrupt King Jarrod.
Jade and Kaylen, childhood friends turned rivals, now race to find a portal located in an ancient library hidden from mankind for years that will either doom or save their world. To follow the king’s orders and regain all she’s lost, Kaylen must decide what, and who, she is willing to sacrifice. Can Jade, the dragon-taming witch Miria, and the pragmatic pod inventor Dan race against the clock and stop Kaylen from opening the gateway between realms before it’s too late?
Packed with fast-paced action, Jade’s newest adventure introduces new friends and enemies, and magic obstacles beyond anything Jade has seen before. Hang on tight as mysterious revelations unfold about the Isle of Dragons and its inhabitants.
Fans of Jeff Gunzel’s The Legend of the Gate Keeper series and Cecilia Dominic’s The Art of Piracy will be enthralled with L.A. Thompson’s brilliant and magnetic storytelling.
Author L.A. Thompson knew she wanted to be a writer at a young age. She longed to create worlds and characters that would draw people in and transport them to another time and place, which she achieves in her debut novel Isle of Dragons.
L.A. loves fantasy and witchcraft and by combining those elements in her stories with different historical periods, she creates a world that’s in an industrial era caught between technology and magic, exploring the two’s unique interplay.
L.A. believes that characters are the central driving force of any good story. She likes to create characters that are deeply flawed and complex. She hopes that her readers can be transported to another world of magic through her books, yet also find a story that’s rooted in a strong sense of family connections, no matter the form that may take.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
August 19, 2022
Swift Six Author Interview – Deborah Jarvis #Fantasy #Portal
Name: Deborah Jarvis
Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):
My name is Deborah Jarvis. I am a high school and college English teacher, a writer of fantasy novels, and an advocate for greyhound adoption. My main interests in writing all have a basis in mythology, so many of the characters in my books stem from the different cultures that I read about.
Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)
The Crystal Pawn and The Ivory Queen are the first two books in portal fantasy series, The Keyralithian Chronicles. Deirdre Hawes is brought into the land of Keyralithsmus by the father she had never known, a Shaper by the name of Ettar Nerfal. She is the last of his line, and as it is only the women of that line who can potentally call on the aid of their ancient ancestors, the dragons, he asks that she undertake the challenge to do so. As it becomes evident that there are forces aligned to stop her from succeeding, Deirdre secretlysets out to find the dragons
When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?
My mother was an English teacher and she encouraged me to read books of all kinds, including The Chronicles of Narnia and The Last Unicorn. I gravitated from there to reading any fantasy novel I could get my hands on! I also am fascinated by world mythology. Writing came pretty naturally to me, but it wasn’t until 2020 that I really made the effort to get my work out to others. Since then, I have been working on several other projects and continuing my writing.
What writing plans do you have for the future?
I’m working on the third book to The Keyralithian Chronicles and am going to release an unrelated urban fantasy called Wolves Running in September. I also have another project on the back burner, but that one is still simmering for now.
What do you like to read?
I tend to be primarily a fantasy reader, but if it is good, I’ll read anything. My dad loved Clive Cussler and the team of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, so I got into them. My favorite authors to read include Charles De Lint, Peter S. Beagle, Jim Butcher, and Patricia Briggs.
What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?
Read everything you can about KDP, Kindle, and Ingramspark and get onto facebook pages like Wide for the Win and other writing pages. They are HUGELY helpful in getting where you want to be before you publish.
Author bio and book synopsis
Deborah Jarvis has been writing for a long while and has been an advocate for all things greyhound for slightly less time than that. She teaches high school and college literature and writing, and lives in New Hampshire with her husband Rob, her son Will, two greyhounds, and four cats. Her daughter Rosalynde lives nearby. The Crystal Pawn is the first book in The Keyralithian Chronicles to date, and The Ivory Queen is the second. Deborah is now working on another exciting project titled Wolves Running which will hopefully be out soon.
The Crystal Pawn
Deirdre Hawes had never thought of her life as extraordinary until one day she met the father she never knew and thus began the adventure of a lifetime. Armed only with the knowledge that she is heir to magical gifts that would allow her to call on the aid of the long-vanished dragons, she finds herself drawn into a web of intrigue and murder where the powers behind the throne are aligning to make sure she doesn’t succeed, no matter the cost. Deirdre soon finds her life in the hands of those she’s been told not to trust, but trust them she must if she is to have any hope of not only completing her quest but surviving to make the journey home.
Together with several loyal friends, she makes her way south. As they travel further, she discovers that not everyone is as they seem and that preconceived notions of what is good and what is evil are often mere simplifications of a much more complex truth. When forces long-aligned with the crown begin to show their true intentions, it is up to Deirdre and her companions to figure out a way to evade their traps and make their way below the Southern Mountains and across the desert to the jungle where the dragons are said to reside.
Links/Social media
https://linktr.ee/the_rael_coyote
August 13, 2022
Back catalog Promo – Here Be Pirates Bundle
Pirates, marauders, ghosts and legends of dread and daredevils of steam fight foe, heroes and one another to bring you adventures from the high seas, outer space, time and myth. Here Be Pirates, Me Hearties! 11 tales of treasure and trouble.
https://books2read.com/HereBePirates
The Blade Was Not Brass Meyari McFarland
Heart’s Revenge Michael Jasper
Hook Island Russ Crossley
Stealing from Pirates Stefon Mears
Bloody Betty, Queen of the Pirates Russ Crossley
The Scarlet Curse Rita Schulz
The Wise Guy and the Pirates Russ Crossley
Duchess Rampant Alison Naomi Holt
Queen of the Pirates: Jessica Keller Chronicles #2 Blaze Ward
Confessions of A Bold Maiden Rita Schulz
Where the Purple Grass Grows J.A. Marlow
August 2, 2022
Eclipsing Hearts Blog Tour – Fated Mates #ParanormalRomance #ReverseHarem
Eclipsing Hearts
A Fated Mates RH Romance Collection
Genre: Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance
Why choose one when you can have over twenty superb PARANORMAL REVERSE HAREMS that will leave you begging for more. Binge read this set brought to you by twenty amazing authors that are sure to be your next favorite.
This is a must read if you love:
Fated Mates
Enemies to Lovers
Royalty
Second Chance Romances
Vampires and Werewolves (and many other paranormal creatures)
With everything from slow burn to steamy, you’re sure to find something for you.
Scroll up now and one click for all the romance.
May contain MM/FF and/or triggering situations.
Includes titles by the following authors:
Dora Blume
Sedona Ashe
C.E. Lashua
Lucy Scott Bryan
Solo Storm
C.A. King
Rhylie Matthews
Kassandra Cross
Sherry D. Ficklin
Leann Castellanos
Sky Purington
Helena Novak
Chelsii Klein
Reese Spenser
Rachelley Bean
Angela Nicole Chu
Isabeau Moon
Megan J. Parker
Margo Bond Collins
**Preorder now for Only .99 cents!!**
Liberty
by C.A. King
She was the law on the run, hiding from the danger past arrests brought with them, searching for a new place to call home. The Old Pass held promise… at first. That was until they came into her life. Now, everyone saw her as compromised in more than one way and by more than one man.
It didn’t matter if her judgment was clouded. Other clans could take their Justice… their pursuit of happiness. Once the pack had a taste of Liberty, they knew what was worth fighting for. She was their everything, and no one, no matter how powerful, was going to change that.
I was diagnosed with clinical depression after the loss of my mother, father and husband within three years of each other; all to cancer. 24/7 in-home care, coupled with the loss I felt, left its mark on my psyche.
Depression takes up a lot of my life. Reading and writing are the only things I have found that help (in connection with regular medication), even if only for a short time. To escape to a different world can make a big difference in my mood in real time.
To put things in perspective, when I was at my lowest point, I couldn’t open mail, talk on the phone, or even drive to the store. Walls of sadness surrounded me. As they closed in, tears would fall. There didn’t need to be a reason or trigger.
People ask me why I started writing. My answer is simple: I wanted to create a world into which other people with similar problems could escape. I wanted to share the one place that had helped me for many years.
I have always said that as long as one person finds a little bit of happiness out of my books, I am, in my opinion, an accomplished author. The same is true for every writer out there. Please don’t ever let anyone tell you different.
I read books as well as write them and have visited the worlds many different authors have created. Those worlds not only make me feel better, but give me the strength to face real life again. I want to thank everyone who writes—I want them to know they are making a difference.
Fast forward to today…
C.A. King, USA Today Bestselling Author has over 60 books available across multiple fantasy sub-genres.
Awards include:
Hamilton Spectator Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author category 2017 & 2018 & 2019
Brant News Readers’ Choice Award: Best Local Author 2017
Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Best Novella/Short Story 2017 Silver medal
2017 SIBA Awards – Best Novella
2017 SIBA Awards – Best New Adult
2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Gold Medal in the Fiction – Supernatural genre
2018 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards: Bronze Medal in the Fiction – New Adult genre
2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Fiction – Supernatural genre
2019 Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner in the Young Adult – Fantasy – Urban genre
City of Brantford Featured Artist February 2020
Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Toronto Star Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Cambridge Times Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2020
Burlington Post Readers’ Choice Award in the Best Local Author Category 2021
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
July 30, 2022
New release – Liars in Hell #Fantasy #historicalfantasy #PerseidPress
New release from Perseid Press.
Liars in Hell – the latest Heroes In Hell anthology.
Hell is a real place. Anyone who has broken a commandment winds up there. That’s pretty much everybody.
Satan is the boss. You’re okay until you’re not. But never fear, all your friends are here. As well as everyone you’ve ever heard of.
For what they have been up to lately, be sure to check in. Thrill to new stories by Hell’s damnedest: Janet Morris, Andrew P Weston, Michael H. Hanson, S. E. Lindberg, Joe Bonadonna, Chris Morris, and Richard Groller.
July 11, 2022
Lineage – Blog Tour and Giveaway #Paranormal #Mystery #Thriller
Lineage
J.J. Morris Book 1
by J.N. Sheats
Genre: Paranormal Mystery Thriller
“Cameron, why do you call me dove,” I asked, ready for disappointment.“Because, you bring my soul peace.” Joey Morris has spent her young life moving around the country with her constantly absent mother until finally ending up in the small college town of Portstown, Pennsylvania. Here history is thick in the air and Joey discovers that her family has long reaching roots in the town, dating back to the very first settlement. Because of her heritage she is welcomed into the group of the other founding families, and quickly becomes one of the popular girls in school. After over a year of the good life and Homecoming just days away, Joey is thrown into a terrifying new reality. Happening across a violent black dog with glowing red eyes, and a handsome stranger that puts his life on the line to save her only to stick a gun in her chest moments later. Now people are dying in Portstown, people close to Joey and she doesn’t understand why. Will Joey have anyone left after she discovers the truth about her past? Cameron Davis is a man from another life, for years he has been focused on his mission. The drive that keeps his soul locked inside a physical body, staving off the reaper. That all changes when he is given the task of protecting Joey and stopping the attacks. This girl makes him weak and brings up memories of a past he left behind nearly a century ago. What secrets lie beyond his contract with the elusive Warner family, and why does this girl need protecting? Lineage is a young adult novel but is recommender for readers 16+ due to violence. **On Sale for Only .99cents!!**
A creative mind trapped in a world of reality Jackie Sheats expresses herself in anyway that she can. From illustrating and writing to dancing like a mental patient while preparing dinner. Living in Maryland with her logic driven husband, their six cats, the dog, and a tank full of fish, Jackie spends her free time doing the backlog of housework and studying for her Masters in Illustration. A movie junkie, video game addict, and secret ninja in training she lives life under the idea that “if you don’t know how to do something, go learn it!”
Website * Art Website * Blog * Facebook * Twitter * Etsy * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$25 Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
July 7, 2022
Shadow of the Gypsy Blog Tour and Guest Post #Mystery #Thriller – Shelly Frome
Shadow of the Gypsy
by Shelly Frome
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Josh Bartlett had figured all the angles, changed his name, holed up as a small-town features writer in the seclusion of the Blue Ridge. Only a few weeks more and he’d begin anew, return to the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut and Molly (if she’d have him) and, at long last, live a normal life.
After all, it was a matter of record that Zharko had been deported well over a year ago. The shadowy form John had glimpsed yesterday at the lake was only that — a hazy shadow under the eaves of the activities building. It stood to reason his old nemesis was still ensconced overseas in Bucharest or thereabouts well out of the way.
And no matter where he was, he wouldn’t travel south over eight hundred miles to track Josh down. Surely that couldn’t be, not now, not after all this.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo
Shelly Frome is a member of Mystery Writers of America, a professor of dramatic arts emeritus at UConn, a former professional actor, and a writer of crime novels and books on theater and film. He also is a features writer for Gannett Publications. His fiction includes Sun Dance for Andy Horn, Lilac Moon, Twilight of the Drifter, Tinseltown Riff, Murder Run, Moon Games, The Secluded Village Murders and Miranda and the D-Day Caper. Among his works of non-fiction are The Actors Studio: A History, a guide to playwriting and one on screenwriting, Shadow of the Gypsy is his latest foray into the world of crime and the amateur sleuth. He lives in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$30 Amazon
Why Write Fiction?
by Shelly Frome
Finding myself between projects, I often ask myself why I can’t simply go on with my life, do the chores, make the rounds, engage in social activities, etc.? Then I start to recall what other writers of fiction have disclosed. To cite a few, there’s the opportunity for revenge, a source of entertainment with the potential to entertain others, a chance to confront something or someone that will never play itself out in reality.
Personally speaking, I myself began to consider what Anne Lamott suggested on you-tube that led to the development of my latest tale Shadow of the Gypsy. She put it this way: How alive are you willing to be? Diving deep within yourself, delving for your truth that potentially will become so meaningful it will double back on your readers’ lives? What’s truly at risk here during the course of this possible odyssey? What’s the driving force underpinning something you can’t afford to lose like a loved one; the chance of hitting the jackpot and a carefree life; a rung atop the ladder of success, etc. Now let it happen and work through the throes of the aftermath. Along these same lines, what are you so conflicted about you can’t afford to face the consequences? But if you do go through with it fictitiously, the pull of what happens promises to be much more compelling than continuing to remain stuck.
As a case in point, during the early days of vaguely contemplating Shadow, I recalled feeling greatly deprived as a kid because I never had a father and my mother barely looked out for me. On the other hand, it left me free to experience all kinds of things and see for myself. But to write about my own life was too pat, just a matter of this happened and then that. Nothing that built toward some meaningful closure. Nothing that would sustain my imagination.
But then, finally, came the trigger of the magical what-if? What if the mother in question was a complete mystery, a former foster child from Hungary who, rumor had it, had been taken in by some denomination which ran an exclusive private school in the pristine hills of Connecticut? What if she had some dicey connection with a rogue gypsy who was also from the “old country”? What would her estranged son have to gain by confronting her? What would he have to lose as his life potentially turned upside down? It was a start. It was a beginning.
It had promise well beyond the same old routine.
July 5, 2022
Soldier of Rome – Blog Tour and Guest Post – James Mace #Historical Fiction
Soldier of Rome: Empire of the North
The Artorian Dynasty Book 1
by James Mace
Genre: Historical Fiction
Battle for the Highlands
It’s been forty years since the Roman conquest of southern Britannia. The hostile western regions are at last subdued and twenty years have passed since the cataclysmic Iceni Rebellion in the east. With tribal kingdoms assimilating into Roman culture and the province at relative peace, Imperial Governor Gnaeus Julius Agricola turns his attention north. The once-allied, now hostile Kingdom of Brigantes is divided between factions loyal to Rome and those of the usurper king, Venutius. Following a series of raids, and compelled to flee from imperial retribution, Venutius seeks the aid of a Caledonian chieftain named Calgacus. Calgacus hopes to use a conflict with the Empire to seal his claim as high king of the northern highlands.
In the southern coastal city of Portus Adurni, Gaius Artorius Armiger’s term as governor-mayor is coming to an end. Ten years have passed since Gaius’ last campaign during the Siege of Jerusalem. Ever the soldier, a summons to Londinium leaves him with an intriguing proposition. Knowing his reputation as a military leader, Governor Agricola offers Gaius a return to active service with command of the legendary cavalry regiment Indus’ Horse. Despite trepidation about leaving his wife and children and the lingering effects of old battle injuries, Gaius Artorius dons his armour once more as a soldier of Rome.
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James Mace is a life-long historian and the author of twenty-seven books, including ten Ancient History best-sellers, and five South African History best-sellers. He penned the initial draft of his first novel, “Soldier of Rome: The Legionary”, as a cathartic means of escapism while serving in Iraq from 2004 to 2005. His works span numerous eras, from Ancient Rome to the British Empire.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
What inspired you to write this book?
I took a hiatus from Ancient Rome following my works on the Great Jewish Revolt to focus on the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. Upon completion, I decided to return to the Roman Empire with a new series. My intent is to follow multiple generations of the same family as before, the Artorians. Honestly, had I been better at forward thinking, I would have made all my Roman works into one series, instead of splitting it up amongst multiple.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Soldier of Rome: Empire of the North?
The main protagonist, Gaius Artorius Armiger, was originally in my two series, The Great Jewish Revolt and Year of the Four Emperors. He is the grandson of the original Artorius from my early works, who we first meet when he’s in his early twenties.
The events in Empire of the North take place from 81 to 83 A.D., when Gaius is around forty. More than a decade has passed since we last saw him at the end of The Fall of Jerusalem. He is now married with two daughters and a son. As a member of Rome’s lesser-noble social class, the equites, he’s spent the interim years in civil, rather than military postings, mostly in Britannia. Though still in his late thirties at the start of the story, he has no desire to return to active service, haunted as he is by nightmares from many horrific experiences. There are also lingering effects of nerve damage to his right arm, following a fearful injury during the civil war between Vespasian and Vitellius in 69 A.D.
When we join him in Empire of the North, Gaius is the mayor of Portus Adurni, modern-day Portsmouth Harbour. It is with great surprise that he receives his appointment to command the renowned cavalry regiment, Indus’ Horse. He accepts, albeit with great reluctance, out of a sense of duty. To Gaius, it is the obligation of all Artorians to serve as soldiers of Rome; however, his son, Tiberius, is only a boy of eleven. Little does Gaius know; he is destined to continue wearing the ‘armour of the Caesars’ far longer than the standard three to four-year term of an auxilia regimental commander. But that is for another story…
Who designed your book covers?
Since 2016, Rado Javor has designed my book covers. He is a Slovakian artist who works for the British video game company, Creative Assembly. If you’ve played any of their popular Total War real-time strategy series, you’ve seen his artwork. I first discovered him while trying to find an artist for the final book of my Great Jewish Revolt series, Soldier of Rome: The Fall of Jerusalem. I discovered a fantastic painting depicting a Roman siege in a Middle Eastern setting, which Rado had created for the Rome: Total War series. We’ve since become good friends.
Whenever I have an upcoming project, I’ll reach out to him, usually over something we can converse in real-time like Facebook Messenger. I’ll give him my initial ideas, along with any images that might assist. He’ll send me some sketch ideas, which we’ll then discuss before he moves forward. Because he does his painting digitally, he can make edits as he sends me drafts. There are occasions when he’ll come up with an idea that never crossed my mind. Unless there is a detail that is historically inaccurate, I tend to trust his judgement and artistic vision. Rado has been a pleasure to work with, and I cannot wait to start the next project with him.
How did you come up with name of this book?
Aside from the periodic stand-alone novella, all the main books in my Roman series’ begin with ‘Soldier of Rome: ______’. Sort of like how all the Harry Potter books begin with, ‘Harry Potter and the________’. This story takes place during the Roman invasion of what is now Scotland; an area we often referred to as Caledonia, though they were but one tribal kingdom among many in the highlands. King Calgacus formed the Caledonian Confederation, with the sole purpose of battling the Romans. Britannia also marked the northernmost limits of the Roman Empire, and they attempted to conquer all the way to Caithness and Sutherland, I thought Empire of the North had a nice ring to it. It is often said that the Romans never conquered Scotland. While technically true, Empire of the North tells the far more complex story. I’ll give a hint: It wasn’t force of arms which kept Rome from laying claim to the highlands.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Both. The Roman governor, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, was a real person, as was his Caledonian adversary, Calgacus. We know quite a bit about Agricola, whose son-in-law was the famous Roman historian, Tacitus. Unfortunately, we do not have detailed biographies of most people from that time period who weren’t related to a renowned scholar. Sometimes we only have their names, and I have to invent their entire back-history and personality. Though Calgacus is still celebrated in Scotland for having stood against the might of the Roman Empire, very little is known about him personally. Tacitus gives a rather lengthy speech attributed to Calgacus just prior to the Battle of Mons Graupius in 83 A.D. However, this is likely a complete fabrication. The imperial soldiers across the valley would be hard-pressed to hear any of his words, while few, if any, could speak the Caledonian language.
Gaius Artorius is a fictional character, as are most of the Roman soldiers and indigenous tribesmen. When writing novels about events from almost 2,000 years ago, one must create most of the protagonists from scratch. I’ve spent decades studying the ancient world, the various cultures, and likely character traits based on social class. There has to be a lot of room for individualism, so as not to make all characters carbon copies of each other. However, one fatal flaw in so many historical novels is inserting present-day morality into a time period where it simply did not exist. The key, I have found, is striking a balance between creating characters the reader can relate to, or at least show empathy, while not plucking them straight out of 21st century society.
July 4, 2022
Woven – Blog Tour and Giveaway #RomanticSuspense – Stephania Thompson
Woven
Charm City Threads Book 1
by Stephania Thompson
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Bound by a devastating secret, childhood friends David, Josh, and Kate take on home renovation as a means of healing from a dark, shared past. Their only promise? Friendship first—no hookups. Only several months after moving into their Baltimore fixer, the aptly nicknamed Canton Catastrophe, walls are crumbling, sparks are flying, and promises are getting ignored. Josh, a paramedic, is plagued with panic attacks, haunted by the past, and sharing a room with David, who he is definitely not attracted to. And then there’s Kate. She’s having a job crisis, popping pills, and pretending she doesn’t notice how distant the boys have grown. And David? The eternally calm, blue-eyed beauty’s health is deteriorating and he’s mysteriously blacking out. But when they learn someone may have discovered their darkest secret and is now stalking them–and blackmailing Josh’s father, a conservative media personality with secrets of his own, renovation and relationship woes take a back seat. Suddenly, their past is unraveling, and the shocking truths unearthed will have them questioning everything from family ties and friendships to love, loss, and the lengths they’re willing to go for each other. Amazon * Orange Blossom Books * Author’s Site
Stephania Thompson is the author of Woven (Orange Blossom Publishing 2022). As a poet and multi-genre author, her work has appeared in a variety of online publications as well as several print anthologies.
Formerly a CPA in the corporate world, Stephania now writes from the comfort of a modern day crumbling castle alongside her very own knight in shining armor. Together they have four valiant offspring, a brave aussiedoodle, and one not-so-fire-breathing dragon.
When not writing, working, or waiting in a carpool line, she can be found running local trails and escaping in a book at her favorite café, iced latte in hand. She is a sucker for quirky romance, is addicted to audiobooks, and finds herself hopelessly drawn to flawed characters, raw honesty, and life’s cringiest moments.
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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
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