A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 60
March 17, 2022
Book Spotlight – Dawn of Assassins #Fantasy – Jon Cronshaw
Title: Dawn of Assassins
Author: Jon Cronshaw
Genre: high fantasy
Main character description (short).
Fedor is a young thief trying to make a better life for him and his friends, but when an assassin forces him to become his apprentice, he does all he can not to be a killer.
Synopsis:
Two friends. A master assassin. One deadly choice.
Fedor and Lev are thieves…not killers.
They lead a desperate life in the tunnels of Nordturm, conning and stealing to buy their next meal.
But when an assassin recruits them against their will, they are forced into a life they do not want and cannot escape.
If they leave, they will die. But if they stay, they must kill.
Can they survive the master’s relentless evaluation?
Is loyalty stronger than the will to live?
Will their friendship last the ordeal?
From the best-selling author of The Ravenglass Chronicles, comes a new thrilling adventure featuring a new cast of unforgettable characters.
You’ll love this high fantasy series, because these unlikely heroes have a story you won’t be able to put down.
Brief Excerpt 250 words:
The assassin’s blade shimmered bright blue on black as the teardrops took hold. He glanced back at the washed-out echoes behind him, the thin reflection of the real world—scentless and silent and rendered in greys.
His target’s mind glowed a purplish-yellow through the ghost of a door—a tiny spark soon to be extinguished.
He drove his dagger into the door and dragged downwards, tearing a rift between realms large enough for him to pass through.
Ducking into the portal, the assassin stood for a moment, allowing himself to acclimatise to the sensual overload—the smells of damp socks and wood smoke, the stream of noise from the city beyond, and the colours…so many colours.
The target lay on the bed, his mouth half open, his sleeping breaths punctuated by the occasional snort.
The assassin wiped the lingering teardrops from his blade with his jacket’s hem. As successful contracts mounted, the tears became harder to summon, as though each completed job took something from him.
He reached inside his jacket and uncorked a vial of his own blood. He allowed a drop to fall onto the blade, replaced the stopper, and returned the vial to his pocket.
For a moment, nothing happened.
He turned his head, averting his gaze as the blade glowed brilliant white and turned to fire in his hand.
Links etc.
https://facebook.com/joncronshawauthor
https://youtube.com/c/joncronshawauthor
https://instagram.com/joncronshawauthor
https://tiktok.com/@joncronshawauthor
You can also find Jon Cronshaw’s Author Diary wherever you listen to podcasts.
Swift Six Character Interview – Lev
Character Name:
I ain’t telling you my name. Don’t look at me like that. Fine, it’s Lev and I already know who you are. And where you live.
Which book/world do you live in?
You with the magistrates, or something? I’ve had enough of you masked pricks to last a lifetime. I don’t have to tell you about nothing. As far as I can tell, it’s none of your business, mate.
Tell us about yourself:
What do you want to know? I’m best thief in Nordturm. But I’m not all bad. I’ve taken a few green kids under my wing, shown them the ropes. Take Fedor here. When I first took him in, he didn’t know a dip from a con job, and now look at him. He’s almost passable. What? It’s true.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Mate, trust me. I don’t have any weaknesses. As for strengths…that’d be telling, wouldn’t it? I aways say you never let a mark know what you’re good at. Not that you’re a mark, or anything. You seem alright. You just can’t be too careful with some of the arseholes you get around here.
Alright, alright, I’ll give you one. I can do locks. Put a lock in front of me and I’ll crack it in seconds. Even the new ones.
Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).
Seriously? I don’t have time to go through all that crap. All I know is you keep an eye on the docks, you avoid the watch, and you keep your head down when Patrov’s lot are knocking about.
Now, if you’re looking for some fun, you might want to go down to the Rusty Sail. Right at the back of the commercial district, past the docks. Backroom’s always a bit dodgy with the plez-heads, but they do a good ale, and you hardly get any crap from the bouncers.
And, then, between you and me, you might want to pay a visit to The Clam. Tara’s my favourite, but they’ve got something for everyone, if you get my meaning. It’s not as pricy as Regret-me-not, but you won’t end up with the pox like you do at some of the grubbier places.
The only thing I’d say is to watch out for bloody wyverns. I hate those scaly bastards.
What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?
No one wants another hero. Heroes never did nothing for no one. I’m about loyalty, me. I look out for my crew and they look out for me. We made an oath in blood and that’s worth more than any hero thinking he’s all that.
What do you think of your ‘creator’?
I didn’t have you down for a priest. Trust me, you want to get as far away from those bastards as you can.
Give us your favourite piece of advice:
If someone calls a thirty-three, you do one. No arguments.
Speaking of doing one, it’s been a pleasure, mate.
Links to book
Dawn of Assassins by Jon Cronshaw
https://www.amazon.com/Dawn-Assassins-Book-assassin-fantasy-ebook/dp/B09PNJQCRF
Get the free prequel novel at https://joncronshaw.com
March 12, 2022
Book Spotlight – Satchel Pong and the Great Migration #Steampunk #Fantasy – Adam G Fleming
Title: Satchel Pong and the Great Migration
Author: Adam G. Fleming
Genre: Steampunk fantasy
Main character description (short).
Satchel Pong is a Meteorologist who realizes his world has been heating up slowly over the past decade. Under increasing pressure, the reluctant leader contacts the Dirigibles for advice and decides he must lead his people on a migration to safety.
Synopsis:
Throp Islanders Satchel Pong, Antoinette Xho, and Emil Ennis lead their people away from their home, hoping to take their agricultural expertise to work together with the Lor’l Folk to survive a burning planet, but first they must find them on a distant continent.
Brief Excerpt 250 words:
…Satchel Pong saw a boy of about fifteen approaching. The lad was in good condition, and when he arrived Pong noted that he was not even a bit out of breath. The boy fell in step and walked alongside Pong, who picked up his pace.
“You’re Magistrate Pong, aren’t you? Said the boy. Pong thought he caught a hint of admiration in the kid’s voice.
Pong drew himself up. To be sure, sometimes it was annoying to be recognized in public, but other times, it felt quite good. “I am.”
“Bully! Well I think you’re swell, at least, maybe I do. I reckon it’s grand to sit up in the Municipal Complex and shuffle papers for a terrific wage, but teacher says you aren’t doing your job. There’s been years now since you’ve issued a report. Mother says I was just a wee lad. Why?”
“Who is your teacher?” Pong asked.
“Mrs.—er, that’s neither here nor there,” said the boy.
“Oh, you’re a clever lad, aren’t you. What’s your name, then?”
“My name is Emil. Everyone calls me ‘Double E.’ Why haven’t you issued a report?”
“Look, son, the weather, it’s complicated. Hard to predict. I’m not a, a, whatchamacallit. A necromancer, a thaumaturge. There’s no magic to it. It’s pure science, but you can’t know, it’s inexact, without the proper data it—”
“You’re making excuses, aren’t you? I’ve seen people make excuses in class. You know what we say. Mumble, mumble, excuses a tubful, barrel and crate, your homework is late!”
Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?
Buy this book because books 2 through 5 in the Satchel Pong Chronicles are also fantastic. The saga moves from migration across the world to the attempt at interstellar relocation. Quirky characters and odd world building and plenty of humor.
Links etc.
IG @adam_g_fleming
Amazon Author page https://www.amazon.com/Adam-G.-Fleming/e/B00MJ4FDVQ
Website www.adamgfleming.com
FB: http://www.facebook.com/adamgflemingauthor
El último bosque – Edición de audiolibro
Cuando los humanos vienen a talar el último bosque, se llevan una desagradable sorpresa.
Un corto y oscuro cuento de fantasía sobre la ira de la naturaleza.
#Fantasía #CuentoCorto #distópico
Edición de audiolibro
https://www.amazon.com/x/dp/B09V8DWK2K
https://books2read.com/ElUltimoBosque
March 11, 2022
Swift Six Author Interview – Bruno Martins Soares
Name: Bruno Martins Soares
Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):
I don’t really know how old I was when I started writing stories. I wrote them for school, I’m certain, but the first time I wrote without any academic goal I was 12, I remember that much. I just loved reading and stories and the books I laid hands on didn’t last that much and I had so many stories in my head I just started playing with them until it was impossible not to write them down.
I kept writing different stuff. When I was 22, a friend of mine incited me to enter one of the largest and most prestigious Young Writers’ contests in Portugal. I did and won an Honourable Mention. I tried again two years later and won it. I went to Torino and then Rome and Sarajevo, representing my country as a Young Writer. One of the best times of my life. Then, one day, I decided to write a Scifi novel I had been chewing on for some time: The Saga of Alex 9. I showed it to a publisher who’d just included a short story of mine in an anthology, and he loved it. I was a published novelist one year later, and soon was featured in a series alongside names like George R.R. Martin or Bernard Cornwell, hailed as an author to recon with in Portuguese Scifi. How about that? I wrote more novels and worked in movies, TV and plays. I’ve done a lot of things in my career, but overall, I’ve been writing professionally for 20 years.
Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)
INSIGHT is a horror story that will come out in April 22. It’s about Matt Taylor, an American psychologist. Strange things begin to happen to him: his 9-year-old son seems to develop supernatural powers, apparitions of his dead wife become frequent, and he is being followed by a suspicious man. When his son is kidnapped, he dives into a spiral of unexplained events. He’ll have to do the unimaginable to save his family. It’s very intense and thought provoking, I think. I love how the characters came out and Matt’s character in particular is incredibly strong and admirable – and yet, still very human and relatable.
When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?
I love stories since I can remember. And I was a storyteller from the start. But I grew up watching my father reading books. Every day before or after lunch or dinner he would sit in his chair and read a novel. A crime novel, as it happens. Or a spy novel. He hated SciFi («Those are things that don’t happen and will never happen.» – i.e. «old ladies solve murders all the time.»), and Fantasy was obviously (obviously!) for kids. Still, some of the first novels he gave me to read were from Edgar Rice Burroughs or Jules Verne. And that was besides all the comic books I read – the pride of my collection was a 50cm-long special edition of ‘Flash Gordon’. At 16 I read Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ for the first time, and loved it. Its intimist style still stays with me after all this time. As well as authors as Boris Vian, or Virginia Woolf
But then, movies. I love movies. Much of my writing skills, my plotting skills, my ‘lay-down-the-scene’ skills, came from movies. I’d stay here a long time talking about it, so I’d better shut up. Seriously, when I was a kid, I would narrate every single scene from a movie I enjoyed to some poor family member I was able to trap. I was nasty! So don’t get me started!
What writing plans do you have for the future?
I have another couple of books still to publish this year. Probably a box-set for THE DARK SEA WAR CHRONICLES with a couple of surprises in it as well. Then, later in the year, I’m planning to start publishing the English version of my first SciFi trilogy: THE ALEX 9 SAGA. Meanwhile, I’m writing the sequel to THE DARK SEA WAR CHRONICLES, called THE OUTER SEA WAR CHRONICLES. If the DSWC was a kind of WW2’s Battle of the Atlantic in Space, OSWC is a kind of WW2’s Battle of the Pacific in Space. It’s the continuation of Byl Iddo’s saga.
What do you like to read?
Love Hemingway, Woolf and G.R.R.Martin. But also Bernard Cornwell or Alexander Kent/Douglas Reeman. Love to read historical fiction, but also some realistic one and scifi/fantasy.
What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?
It’s easy to get infatuated with incredible stories in our heads just to find out that when we start putting them in the blank page there is something missing. Writing is a bit more difficult than it seems. Many aspiring writers get the sense that they are not any good after the first few tries. But that’s a trap. Writing is a craft with a set of skills you need to learn. You can learn them by yourself, reading books and watching movies, or you can have lessons or mentors, or use other learning resources. Still, it takes time. There’s no substitute to writing and writing and writing. You won’t be good enough unless you practice.
Another trap is being discouraged by rejection. Becoming a writer means you’re entering the rejection business. If you’re doing enough writing you’ll probably be rejected 95% of the time. That’s the nature of the thing. Don’t get discouraged. Accept it. It is normal for someone in this kind of business, just like in acting or modelling, or sales, to be rejected most of the time. Get used to it.
Author bio and book synopsis
Bruno Martins Soares writes fiction since he was 12 years old, and his first book, ‘O Massacre’ (The Massacre), a collection of short stories, came out in Portugal in 1998.
It was followed by several contributions to newspapers, magazines, and other collective books.
In 1996, he won the National Young Creators Award for Writing, representing Portugal at the 1997 Torino Young Creators of Europe and the Mediterranean Fair, where his short-story ‘Mindsweeper’ was translated and published in Italian.
His first novel ‘A Saga de Alex 9’ (The Alex 9 Saga) was published in Portugal in 2012, by publisher Saída de Emergência, within a series that features authors like George R.R.Martin or Bernard Cornwell. The Portuguese version of ‘The Dark Sea War Chronicles’ (A Batalha da Escuridão) was published by Editorial Divergência.
He worked in Project Development for Television and was a journalist and a communications, HR and management consultant before settling as a writer. He was also an international correspondent in Portugal for Jane’s Defense Weekly and a researcher for The Washington Post. He wrote several plays and short and full-length pictures’ screenplays, and he wrote and produced English-spoken Castaway Entertainment’s full-length feature film ‘Regret’, distributed in the USA and Canada in 2015. He lives and works in Lisbon.
INSIGHT
Strange things begin to happen to Matt, a recent widower: his 9-year-old son seems to develop supernatural powers, apparitions of his dead wife become frequent, and he is being followed by a suspicious man. When his son is kidnapped, he dives into a spiral of unexplained events. He’ll have to do the unimaginable to save his family.
In this new novel, award-winning author Bruno Martins Soares dives into the psychological thriller/horror genre to give us a riveting tale of suspense, surprising twists and impossible choices.
Links/Social media
https://brunomartinssoares.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5759799.Bruno_Martins_Soares
https://www.facebook.com/BMartinsSoares
https://www.instagram.com/b.martinssoares
March 10, 2022
Specchio in Frantumi – Shattered Mirror #Italian
https://books2read.com/ShatteredMItalian
Un libro di poesie sulla guerra, la natura e i capricci della vita.
#politica, #guerra, #perdita, #natura, #vita, #poesia
AL Butcher, di origine britannica, è un avido lettore e creatore di mondi, un poeta e un sognatore, un amante della scienza, della storia naturale, della storia e delle scimmie. La sua prosa è stata descritta come “oscura e grintosa” e la sua poesia come “evocativa”. Scrive con una sensibilità sicura e, delle volte, erotica di cose che avrebbero potuto essere, non sono mai state, ma potrebbero essere. Autore della serie fantasy lirica Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles e Tales of Erana. Ha pubblicato anche diversi racconti nei generi fantasy, fantasy romance con occasionali incursioni nell’horror in stile gotico, inclusa la serie Legacy of the Mask. Con un background in politica, studi classici, storia antica e mitologia, le sue affinità portano un sapore eclettico e unico nel suo lavoro, mescolando realtà e sogno in proporzioni alchemiche che danno vita ai suoi personaggi e mondi. Cura anche pacchetti di libri a tema narrativa speculativa su BundleRabbit, per la maggior parte la serie Here Be Alex. Orgoglioso, inoltre, di scrivere per Perseid Press, dove il suo lavoro è presente in Heroika: Dragon Eaters, Heroika Skirmishers – dove si trasformato anche in editor, cover designer e sceneggiatore; e Lovers in Hell, parte dell’acclamata serie Heroes in Hell. http://www.theperseidpress.com/ Premi: Outside the Walls, scritto insieme a Diana L. Wicker, ha ricevuto un Chill with a Book Reader’s Award nel 2017. Premi NN Light Book Heaven: The Kitchen Imps e Other Dark Tales hanno vinto il premio come miglior fantasy nel 2018 per Echoes of a Song – uno dei suoi racconti di fantasmi – ha vinto il premio come miglior fantasy nel 2019
March 6, 2022
Beyond the Shattered Mirror – A Dark Poetry Collection – New Release
Beyond the Shattered Mirror
https://books2read.com/BeyondShatteredMirror
A short collection of dark poetry about the horrors of war, political folly, nature, the vagaries of life and twisted introspection.
March 1, 2022
Blue Fire – Blog Tour and Giveaway #Thriller #Suspense
Blue Fire
A Victoria Emerson Thriller Book 2
by John Gilstrap
Genre: Thriller, Suspense
John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, continues his acclaimed Victoria Emerson thriller series with Blue Fire. In the wake of a global conflict that has devastated America, one woman must lead—and protect—a community of survivors determined to rebuild all they have lost . . .
They call it Hell Day—a world war that lasted less than twenty-four hours. Nations unleashed weapons that destroyed more than a century’s worth of technology. Electrical grids cannot generate power. Communications and computers cannot run. And the remnants of the U. S. government cannot be depended upon. Those who survived must live as their ancestors did, off a land ruled by the whims of nature.
One-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has become the new leader of the small town of Ortho, West Virginia. She has been struggling to provide food and shelter for the town’s inhabitants, while coping with desperate refugees. An autumn morning’s calm is shattered when her teenage son sounds the alarm with the cry “Blue Fire”—the code phrase for imminent danger.
A band of National Guardsmen intends to take Ortho and its resources for themselves. They have enough soldiers and firepower to eliminate anyone who dares to stop them. But Victoria swore an oath to defend and protect her people, and she isn’t about to surrender. It’s time to tap into the traditional American values of courage, ingenuity, and determination – and fight fire with fire.
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kensington * Kobo * BooksAMillion * BookShop
Crimson Phoenix
A Victoria Emerson Thriller Book 1
Brad Taylor meets The Stand in a riveting novel of suspense kicking off a brand new series perfect for fans of the page-turning novels of A.G. Riddle, Mark Greaney, and Matthew Mather.
“One of the most singular and compelling heroines to come along in years.”
—Jeffery Deaver, New York Times bestselling author
“Snaps with action from the very first page.”
—Marc Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of Stone Cross and of Tom Clancy’s Code of Honor
From John Gilstrap, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Jonathan Grave novels, comes Crimson Phoenix—first in the new Victoria Emerson Thriller series. With America brought to the brink of destruction, one woman becomes the last hope of a nation and its people . . .
Victoria Emerson is a congressional member of the U. S. House of Representatives for the state of West Virginia. Her aspirations have always been to help her community and to avoid the ambitious power plays of her peers in Washington D. C. Then Major Joseph McCrea appears on her doorstep and uses the code phrase Crimson Phoenix, meaning this is not a drill. The United States is on the verge of nuclear war. Victoria must accompany McCrea to a secure bunker. She cannot bring her family.
A single mother, Victoria refuses to abandon her three teenage sons. Denied entry to the bunker, they nonetheless survive the nuclear onslaught that devastates the country. The land is nearly uninhabitable. Electronics have been rendered useless. Food is scarce. Millions of scared and ailing people await aid from a government that is unable to regroup, much less organize a rescue from the chaos.
Victoria devotes herself to reestablishing order—only to encounter the harsh realities required of a leader dealing with desperate people . . .
“Just the thing for readers who feel oppressed by the pandemic lockdown.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“A gripping page-turner.”
—Taylor Stevens, New York Times bestselling author
“An explosive story that keeps your mind churning and pulse racing . . . Don’t miss this powerful new series from a master thriller writer.”
—Jamie Freveletti, international bestselling and award-winning author
Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kensington * Kobo * BooksAMillion * BookShop
John Gilstrap is the New York Times bestselling author of award-winning action novels including the Jonathan Grave Thrillers and the Victoria Emerson Thrillers. A master of action-driven suspense, his books have been translated into more than 20 languages. He is the recipient of an International Thriller Writers’ Award for Against All Enemies, the ALA Alex Award for Nathan’s Run, and a two-time ITW Award finalist. A nationally recognized weaponry and explosives safety expert as well as a National Shooting Sports Foundation member, John Gilstrap frequently speaks at conferences, events, clubs, youth programs, and military bases. He is a former firefighter and EMT with a master’s degree in safety from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree in history from the College of William and Mary in Virginia. John lives in Fairfax, Virginia.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$10 Amazon
February 27, 2022
McCool Mythos Blog Tour and #Giveaway #Horror
McCool Mythos: Tales of the Dark and Mysterious
by M.I.H. McCool & John R. McCool III
Genre: Horror
Think carefully before turning the cover…
Prepare yourself for an escape into a world of the harrowing and peculiar. McCool Mythos: Tales of the Dark and Mysterious is a collection of bite-sized tales brought to you by the brother/sister duo, John R. McCool III and M.I.H. McCool in their debut collaboration.
From stories following average people facing supernatural horrors to legends of strange circumstances involving even stranger creatures, each tale is sure to make you think twice before shutting off the light.
M.I.H. McCool grew up in southern Mississippi and currently resides in the little town of Danville, Illinois with her chunky pug, Otis, and her turtle, Roosevelt. When not writing, McCool can be found participating in her community’s rich theatre scene, making decorative color-changing potions, writing nerdy articles for 101 Militia Gaming, and enjoying being the ‘cool aunt’ to her nieces.
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
John R. McCool III hails from a small town in the great state of Mississippi. He fell in love with writing at a very young age, oftentimes writing stories during class rather than paying attention. He now resides in Danville, Illinois where most of his time is spent attending to the day-to-day operations of a local coffee shop, which is like a second home to him. When not writing or sipping coffee, John loves spending time with his wife and kids who give him the inspiration to pursue all of his dreams.
Facebook * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
$20 Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Swift Six Character Interview – The Girl #Sci-fi #Fantasy
Character Name: The Girl (I have several aliases depending on the situation)
Which book/world do you live in? I live in the Sunspear world. I have been on this journey from the beginning and still remain despite close calls.
Tell us about yourself: I usually avoid this question.
There’s only two people left that know who I am and that’s Alika and Alena. I wish they didn’t know. I’m always afraid of putting them in danger, but it can’t be helped. My parents are both dead. Their death haunts me for different reasons, one I grieve still and the other I wish it had come sooner. You must think me a horrible person for saying such a thing, but if you knew the truth maybe you wouldn’t think so. Perhaps you still would. I’ve seen close up the ugliness of the Black Dragon, and so I fight them. However, my past requires I battle differently. I routinely rotate between a number of roles to get the job done. I’m the shipping dealer, the disguised Black Dragon soldier, the security advisor, and the list goes on. You’d think I would be confused, but I keep it straight. Part of it is I have to. Survival is a strong motivation. It’s a deadly game I play. So, one day I’m Chris the shipping dealer, another day to another person I take on another random name for my shipping cover, then another day I’m Kate the advisor, and then another day Dante calls me … (She shakes her head). I still can’t understand that one, how he sees me like that. Alika tells me Dante sees clearly when it comes to me, that I’m one with the distorted vision on that one. He hasn’t convinced me yet. Of course, no one sees the images I do, the gift from the Ancient One. I tell myself it’s a gift, and it is because it helps us in a lot of ways. Yet, there are images I can’t get out of my head, that I can’t unsee. Honestly, it scares me to death. It’s something that you can’t extinguish with a sunspear blade like a Black Dragon agent.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Strengths, huh? I’m excellent in a fight, but a give a lot of credit to my teachers, Alika and Alena. I can also get into about anything electronic; it’s invaluable in the operations we carry out, with hacking into systems and creating clearances. I’m always had a knack for it, just like my… well I guess that kind of stuff isn’t passed down in genes, but sometimes it feels like it. I can play whatever role needed or at least so far, I’ve been able to. Some are harder to reconcile than others once the scene is played out, but I have to bury it and move on from the aftermath. There’s a line, and certainly I’ve walked it more than once now. Honestly, I’m certain I’ve stepped across it. Beyond those, strengths get hard to find if the truth were told with my vision, but others disagree with my assessment. Alika and Alena frequently tell me I’m my worst critic, that I don’t see this incredible person I am. It’s easier just to nod and pretend to agree with them those times. They already know that’s all I’m doing. They try to convince me I’m not to blame for everything I place on myself. I see the failures though, the ones I didn’t make it in time to save, like my … (She looks down momentarily). I guess that’s one of my weaknesses. Any victory is swallowed up in the memories of what I couldn’t change, of what the Black Dragon has taken away. It drives me to never let them have victory again and that means protecting those around me at all costs. I vow never to fail them again, and that’s a good thing. However, sometimes the anger boils to the surface faster than I realize, and it consumes me all over again. Regrettably anyone in the path of it feels its fury, and I hate it about myself. I don’t know how many times I’ve had to beg for Alika’s forgiveness, but thankfully he never gives me what I deserve for how I act. Instead, he gives me a hug and affectionally calls me by the name he uses on me still, his child. I’m grown now, but I’m okay with that name, because I still feel like a child in so many ways. That desire to protect those around me and to fight for them is also what gets me into many of the messes I find myself in. Even though we go in with a plan for an operation, I’m impulsive and change the game plan on my own. If that means it’s my last stand so that someone I care about survives, I’ll make that trade any day.
Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).
I consider Alika and Alena my family now. Alika is an Elder, one of those called to the task of training sunspear-bearers. However, he’s so much more than that to me. He’s shown me the love of a father, but never been afraid to challenge me at the same time when he knew I was moving into dangerous waters. Alena, a spear-bearer herself, has helped trained me, but more than that she is the sister I never had. She has seen me through the darkest moments of my world and been the shoulder I cried on. They both continued all the teachings of the Ancient One. The Ancient One is this other one in my world that some days it’s a wonder He doesn’t leave me be. Somehow though as many times as I come unravelled, He’s there to reassure me I’m still His and that He has me in His hands. As far as my world, I’ve seen different landscapes at various points in my life. I’ve lived as a child in a household that seemed to the rest of the world as normal and played my role to survive. Then when it fell apart to the outside world finally, I became formally accustomed to a new world, one that frequently saw the inside of bars as a shipping dealer. Then there’s the other side of me, the other world I found myself drawn into or better yet, the person I found myself drawn to. That would be Dante. I saw him in the visions and tried to tell myself that’s all it was. I knew better. I had admitted the truth to myself long before he understood. It scares me to death though even as I long for every moment I get with him. If anyone finds out what he means to me, what’s growing between us, what will be the price? If something happened to him because of me, that would be it. The final blow in my world.
What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?
A hero… I guess for a lot of people it’s measured in how many kills you make with a blade. If you took a poll in many of the places I hang out, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s your top answer. It’s a pretty shallow measure though. Not to say those good with the blade don’t qualify. I mean, those I consider closest to me now are all masters with a blade. Yet it’s their heart and spirit that’s behind the blade that makes them a hero. It’s why they swing the blade repeatedly and keep getting up to battle again that gives them the title. Yet there’s those that never swing a blade, and yet they are heroes as much as the others. I watched that battle too, the one who is bent over from wounds of battles and yet struggles over and over again to one’s feet until the strike of the death wound. What the two have in common is what is heroism. It is the willingness to give of oneself, to put it all the line, in order to stand up against the darkness and to protect others.
What do you think of your ‘creator’?
Liz, as we know her as, is a lot of things. Somebody else asked Dante and I about Liz recently. She’s a lot of things. She pushes herself hard and keeps to an insane schedule. It’s no surprise then how she pushes us. I’m grateful for the splashes of down time she does give us. I’ve learned to treasure that time with Dante (she smiles). She does put us through a lot though, and I guess in some ways for that I could say I didn’t like her too much sometimes. I can’t though, because she never has us go through it alone. She’s steadfast and has proved herself a true friend. She fights beside us, reminding us we’re stronger than the battlefield in front of us. Sometimes that means being the shoulder to cry on. She gets that battlefield too, and it doesn’t scare her. She listens to us too, willing to help, but still lets us direct our own way. Honestly, I can’t blame her for the mishaps, because I do rush into things a fair amount of the time, especially when it involves people I care about. Liz gets me though, and I can be me with her too. There are other people it feels similar with, but Liz really does know all my secrets after all. Sometimes there’s parts of me that I don’t like, that I can’t imagine how anyone would still stay if they knew all of it. Yet, she does, because she doesn’t leave those she cares about. But I guess that’s what it comes down to with Liz. Even though we go through a lot of stuff with her, she loves us as we are and so we trust her. Because we’ve seen her heart, and so we’re not afraid of the journey ahead since she’s traveling with us.
Give us your favourite piece of advice:
That’s a tough one. I’ve been given so much training and words of wisdom already in my small number of years. Some I try to practice because they really are wisdom, but I find I’ve regrettably failed at keeping those at crucial moments. Others I’ve practiced not as much for their true wisdom, but to survive in the situation I found myself. It’s not a noble reason to follow it, but sadly it’s what I had to do. I suppose one of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from Alika. “Do not fear what is ahead. You are equipped for the path you chose. Remember who you are and cling to that truth.” It is the moments that I have strayed from that path, forgotten who I am, and believed the lies of the darkness that I have paid the price.
Links to book
https://books2read.com/TheSpinningOfDeception
https://books2read.com/Deceptions-Hold
https://books2read.com/ShadowedBonds
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(13) Elizabeth Lavender | LinkedIn
