A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 60

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Celebrate Audiobook Month

Are you an audiobook addict? June is audiobook month and there’s a huge event going on at N. N. Light’s Book Heaven Celebrate Audiobook Month. 31 audiobooks featured plus a chance to win a $75 Amazon US or CA gift card.

I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My audiobook, The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles, will be featured on 7th June. Wait until you listen to my audiobook clip. My narrator nails the characters and I’m so proud of it. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this festival and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/celebrate-audiobook-month

Excerpt – The Watcher – A.L. Butcher #Horror #Darkfantasy #HistoricalFiction

Excerpt The Watcher – A Jack the Ripper Tale (c) A. L. Butcher

There she was, that whore. Once more. There she was.

Beneath the flickering gas lamp at the corner of Dorset Street, Whitechapel, she strode, grinning a seductive smile at a passing sailor, just ashore and looking for company. He, as bad as the bitch whose breasts he felt and whose ear he nipped with yellowing teeth, the unseen Watcher thought. With eyes burning hatred and a menace previously unseen and misunderstood. It was, he thought, a righteous hatred, and they blaze all the brighter for it. The beast within told him so. For he was the beast and he was its creature, at once the same.

She could have been twenty or forty; the Watcher neither knew nor cared. She’d not see another year, another week, another night. The dim streets grew ever wickeder to those of her sort spreading around their sin, their poison. Defiling this town, this land, defiling HER. The Watcher shook his head; no more whores and this place would rise like the jewel it was. Not jaded and dull but glorious and fit for a queen. The beast within whispered in his head. “Cleanse this town, make it fit again.” And so he did. A knife in the darkness, once more.

Geneva liquor and poverty aged a person far better than mere passing of the years. In the greatest Empire on Earth, they blighted the land. Gin palaces, opium dens, and hash houses aplenty gave heaven and hell to those with money, and those without. Life was cheap, and oblivion cheaper. The Watcher knew these unfortunates dropped their drawers for a taste of it, panting and moaning beneath the bridges and in the alleys, with their grunting men, and their penny a tumble.

The sailor moved on. He’d had his pleasure with another of her kind and spent his last pennies in the tavern, and she was here to work.  Nothing was free in her line of employment. Except for death.

So there she was, alone. Death walked these streets – and tonight it watched the red-haired whore, who sang and smiled and patted her new bonnet. There she was. The whore. Alone.

The minutes passed, creeping towards death; ebbing away from heaven and him ever closer to immortality. The whore did not know it. Of course, she’d heard the tales, everyone had. Screamed by newsboys on every corner “another ‘orrible murder” but rent still needed to be paid. And so she plied her trade. Afraid. Denying it would be her turn this night. A whore, alone.

Another night, another customer. Fear curled in her belly; these streets were streets of blood, four of her sisters slain in just a few weeks. But hunger was the greater force. Desperation made Mary-Jane brave – so she walked the streets, as she had often done. It wouldn’t be her, she thought. As they had. It couldn’t be her. Besides the police watched the alleys and the thoroughfares. The streets were largely empty, save the desperate and the foolhardy, and those too much in drink or lust to know or care.

The Watcher stood, beyond the pool of light from the gas lamp. This night was his. She would be his. This woman wasn’t as much a drab as some of her sisters-in-sin. Lust rose, entwined with his loathing. Two joined as one, desire and disgust, powerful and compelling. He’d never understood why they went together, but then he was a simple man, not one of the mind-doctors who had been so influential of late. The beast within did not care. Lust and hatred, pain and desire…bound so close he could experience little else when the darkness overtook him. Now, however, he watched.

The hunt was almost as enthralling as the kill; the knowledge of their fear, their desperation, and yet still they strutted themselves, offering a screw in the alleys and passages of the East End, and more if the customer had money and the taste for it. Filthy strumpets, he’d said to any who’d listen. Never did he consider the terrible choices they made. Never did he consider their choice was no real choice. What cared he for desperation and poverty? Respectable women did not sell their bodies. They kept sex for the marriage bed. SHE did – his icon, the woman he loved above all others.

The whores’ sins, the watcher thought, was what damned them. And they would pay, in this world and the next. He’d save London. He’d save it for HER. Blood would cleanse the streets.

Synopsis

The year is 1888, and the place is Whitechapel, in the very heart of London. But the heart is bleeding. A mysterious killer is stalking women of the streets – his true name is unknown, but his legend will go down in history. This is a short tale of Jack the Ripper.

18 rated for scenes of violence.

https://www.books2read.com/TheWatcherJTR

Eggo’s Van ‘N Lied

Legaat van die Masker Verhale

Waansin, obsessie en die legaat van die verlede verweef hul towerspreuke in hierdie kort, tragiese verhaal gebaseer op die Phantom of the Opera.

’n Dosyn onstuimige jare ná die dramatiese gebeure by die Paryse Operahuis word Raoul, Comte de Chagny steeds deur die misteriese Operaspook gespook – die skepsel van legende wat personeel by die Operahuis onder sy knegskap gehou het, Raoul se minnares ontvoer en sy broer vermoor het. In Raoul se onrustige verbeelding is die spoke van die verlede oral, en vreemde en kragtige musiek besoek steeds in sy drome.

#FIKSIE #FantasieHistories , #Kortverhale (enkel skrywer), #HistorieseFantasie, #PhantomoftheOpera, #Fantoom, #Kortfiksie
https://books2read.com/Echoes-Afrikaans

Swift Six Character Interview – Trish Penchant

Character Name: Trish Penchant

Which book/world do you live in? Penchant for Trouble

Tell us about yourself: There’s a lot about myself that I can’t tell just anyone. Although more and more people are finding out. Freaks me out a bit, but there’s nothing I can do about it. As for what I can tell you… I’m 16. Just moved in with new foster parents. I’m sure they’re going to be great. Not. But you never know, maybe these will be the ones.

What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? I’m independent. Some people would probably say that’s both my greatest strength, and my greatest weakness.

Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc). You’re going to think I’m crazy, but plants and I have a history. And also the fae, but you didn’t hear that from me. As for people, it’s back to that whole independent thing. Sure, these foster parents seem great on the surface, but I’ve been there before.

What does ‘heroism’ mean to you? It means you’re crazy. Other people wouldn’t stick out their neck for you, why would you for them? I mean, I’ve seen some people do it, in history class or whatever, but I just don’t know… What would it take to make me a hero? That’s something I don’t have an answer to.

What do you think of your ‘creator’? She’s okay, I guess. Gave me some pretty epic abilities, so I’m okay with her.

Give us your favourite piece of advice:

I’m not one to listen to advice unless it’s from someone I respect. And at the moment, I don’t have any of those.

Book Spotlight – The Great Contagion – Jeff Chapman #DarkFantasy

Title: The Great Contagion: A Merliss Tale

Author: Jeff Chapman

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Main character description (short). Merliss is the spirit of a young girl trapped in the body of a cat. The magic that forced her spirit to reside in the cat has granted her an unusually long life. In her human life, Merliss was training to be a shaman. She uses her magic and herbal knowledge to fight disease and malevolent creatures.

Synopsis:

Plagues kill but Merliss has far more to fear than a disease.

Merliss is no ordinary cat. She’s a young girl’s spirit trapped in a cat’s body. While the magic that banished her has snatched away her ability to speak to humans, it has given her a life spanning millennia. For centuries she has lived with the cunning folk, assisting their efforts to heal the sick and ward off malevolent creatures. Now a bleeding sickness has thrown the medieval community into chaos.

The cunning man Hailaird and his apprentice Fendrel are in danger from the disease. The life Merliss has worked so long to build is in jeopardy. Before she entered the cat, she had trained to be a shaman. Do her centuries of experience hold a secret to a cure? But disease isn’t her only nemesis.

A pair of malevolent creatures have crossed the moor into the forest, threatening more havoc. With disease and monsters ravaging the land, Merliss is hard-pressed to survive. It couldn’t be worse, until a mob looking for a scapegoat turns its wrath on Merliss. Tooth and claw and magic may not be enough.

The Great Contagion is the gripping first novel in the dark fantasy Merliss Tales series. If you like strong and dynamic characters, rich description, magic and intrigue, then you’ll love Jeff Chapman’s Merliss Tales.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Torches glowed in the distance and flickered as the bearers passed behind trees.

“They almost caught me at the bridge,” Merliss said.

“I would brook no harm to you,” said Slynid. “You know that.”

“Not intentionally.” Consequences might write a different story.

“Promise me one thing. Promise me that you will go to faerie with me and learn what you could become.”

So was that all he wanted? She didn’t understand the greater game he was playing and she didn’t like being a piece on the board, but those cats were waiting. She hoped.

“I promise.”

The pooka grinned and Merliss sensed he had gotten what he wanted. She felt not a little used.

“I do this for you, Merliss. Now go!”

She ran. Wog’s power had restored her. She felt as fresh as if she had napped all day. Her senses were extra acute. At a full sprint, she avoided fallen branches, roots, and thin saplings as if she were walking. She leaped and sailed over a coney that she hadn’t seen flush until she passed it.

Behind her came a ferocious roar like a thousand bears made into one. She stopped. She had heard that voice before. On the riverbank during a storm. It roared again. But this was far louder and far wilder.

He had given her his last shift of the moon cycle. She certainly owed him. She felt certain he had scried and calculated his risk.

Next came the screams of men dying.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

The Great Contagion delivers a dark and gritty fantasy adventure from a cat’s eye view. If you’re looking for a unique fantasy experience featuring strong characters, magical creatures, and danger in a richly described world, The Great Contagion is the book for you.

Links etc.

The Great Contagion: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082F32BHF/

Website: https://www.jeffchapmanbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffChapmanWriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/JeffChapman

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jeff-chapman

Amazon Author: https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Chapman/e/B004YQ2ZWW

Boods2Read: https://books2read.com/ap/n0Qjkw/Jeff-Chapman

Swift Six Author Interview – Cassie Greutman #Fantasy

Name: Cassie Greutman

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): Hi! My name is Cassie, and I write fantasy. Mostly urban fantasy, but I do have fun in other sub-genres, epic and portal if you want to know specifically.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short): I have two series out right now. One is the Penchant for Trouble series, an urban fantasy about a fae girl being raised in the human foster care system, and a portal series, called the Arnath Chronicles.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? As a kid, I read through every book at our library that I found interesting, and most of them twice! So I started writing my own stories.

What writing plans do you have for the future? I have so many different projects in the works right now. A sea monster story coming out in a Mythicological Creature anthology, an epic fantasy story in a collection of dragon stories called Dracos, and book 4 in my Penchant for Trouble series.

What do you like to read? I’m all over the fantasy/sci-fi spectrum when it comes to reading. I also enjoy a mystery occasionally, or a contemporary story.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Just stick with it. You’ll find people who love your work, and it will make you keep on even when it’s early mornings and late nights, just to put a smile on someone’s face.

Author bio and book synopsis

Cassie Greutman is a small town Ohio girl who has always loved stories in any form. You can usually find her typing away at her computer or playing out in the barn with her ponies.

A fae girl in the human foster care system has to fight against her own Council to stay with the only people who have ever cared about her. Her foster parents.

Links/Social media

TikTik: https://www.tiktok.com/@cassiegreutman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassiegreutman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writeranrider89

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgreutman/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Greutman/e/B079VSM6QK/

Stand Together Author Interview – Andrew P. Weston

Author name:

Andrew P. Weston

How did you become involved with this project?
I saw the project advertised on social media, and decided to offer a poem or two to help out.

Tell us a little about your work in this book?

I have two poems in the book: The Science of Communication, and Lodestone.

The Science of Communication highlights how volatile the world we live in is. Every day, we see tragedy after tragedy, many of them instigated by bigots who act without thought or consideration of consequence. It also stresses that change will never come, not until society as a whole adopts a different mindset and a willingness to see the good in others; instead of the colour of a person’s skin or the dialect they speak.

Lodestone addresses a similar theme, but this time from the perspective of the damage social media can inflict, especially when the moral compass of the world is set to ‘fit in’ and be popular, instead of doing and saying what’s right. As before, it highlights the need for change, before hatred runs rampant, like an out of control virus.

Please tell us about your other publications/work.

My poetry has appeared in the likes of Muse Pie Press, The Screech Owl, Penny Ante Feud, The Fib Review and The Shot Glass Journal . . . to name a few.

Do you think the written word (or art) brings power and freedom?

It certainly has the power to. Edward Bulwer-Lytton wasn’t kidding when he coined the infamous phrase in one of his plays:

“…Beneath the rule of men entirely great
The pen is mightier than the sword.”

The written word is a far more effective tool for communicating than mindless – or premeditated, come to that – acts of violence. And rightly so, for the power of words is eternal and can stand the test of time. I often recall certain passages or stories I’ve read, years – sometimes decades – ago. Something that moved me. Inspired me. Got me thinking. Its value can be just as precious now as it was when I read it. Now that’s power. And many have used such power, down through the centuries, to bring about change for the better.

If you could have dinner with any literary character or author who would you choose, and what would you eat.

That would be Edgar Allan Poe, a man whose mind – and imagination – worked on an entirely different level from those around him. And of course, the meal would centre around his works:
Starters would be Hop-Frog Legs washed down with Ligeia wine.
The main course would be built of a choice of The Purloined Steak Letter and Pit and the Pendulum Pie.
And for dessert, we’d round off with Tamerlane Tiramisu, complimented by his favourite cognac.

How influential is storytelling/poetry to our culture?

I don’t think storytelling or poetry will ever lose their influence, no matter how ‘instant meme fix’ society becomes. Stories have adapted to meet the modern ‘rushed off our feet’ culture by becoming shorter. Many publishers now want submissions which are half the length – or less – of what they used to be.

Poetry doesn’t have to do that. I’m not talking about ‘epic prose’ here, but those cleverly crafted shorter poems that can tell an entire story in just a few verses, or even lines. It’s just a question of adapting to need, and keeping what you produce current and popular.

If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature what would you be and why?

I’ve always wanted to be the Silver Surfer. I can’t imagine anything more profound than surfing the cosmos, and experiencing the majesty of the universe firsthand, up close and personal, for all eternity.

Which authors/books have influenced you the most?

That’s easy. Stephen R. Donaldson, Raymond E. Feist and Neil Gaiman. I’ve loved the sheer inventiveness of their stories for decades, and always will.

What’s your next writing adventure?

Believe it or not, I’m branching into horror. And so far, I’m rather enjoying it.

What is your greatest success?

Becoming an expert nuisance. It took years of dedication and application, but at last, I’ve done it! According to my wife, that is. . .

What’s your favourite quote, who said it and why?

That will always depend on my mood, as there are several I really like.
However, the one that has a definite edge is:

“Of all things, I liked books best.” ― Nikola Tesla.

As to why?

It sums me up perfectly. I could read before I went to school. I prefer books to films, video games and a lot of other pastimes. I always have my head in a book, even now, when I’m busy, busy, busy, writing.

Tell us a silly fact about yourself?

I love marmite! It is, without doubt, an exceedingly nomilicious food product that compliments just about anything.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?
An astronaut. Something I began to actively pursue when I was younger –  (educationally and vocationally) – and then life got in the way. Bummer!

De Wachter – Een Verhaal over Jack the Ripper #Nederlandse editie

De Wachter – Een verhaal over Jack the Ripper

Het jaar is 1888, en de plaats is Whitechapel, in het hartje van Londen. Maar het hart bloedt. Een mysterieuze moordenaar stalkt de vrouwen in de straten – zijn ware naam is onbekend, maar zijn legende zal de geschiedenis ingaan. Dit is een kort verhaal over Jack the Ripper.

https://books2read.com/WatcherDutch

18 jaar voor scènes met geweld.

#Jack the Ripper, #HistorischeMisdaad, #MisdaadFictie, #KorteVerhalen, #Horror

Stand Together – Author Interview – Joe Bonadonna

Author name:

Joe Bonadonna

How did you become involved with this project?

Alex L. Butcher, who put the project together, and I are Facebook friends, have worked together before, and are also involved in Janet Morris’ Heroes in Hell series.

Tell us a little about your work in this book?

I’d been writing short stories since fifth grade, and then I started playing guitar. Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Peter Sinfield who wrote lyrics for King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Keith Reid, who wrote lyrics for Procul Harum, I started writing poems and then soon afterwards, song lyrics. A couple of years ago I started dabbling in haiku.

Please tell us about your other publications/work.

I’ve written three books thus far in my sword & sorcery, heroic fantasy series, Mad Shadows. I’ve also written a space opera and a sword & planet novel, co-authored two children’s books with Erika M Szabo, and co-authored a pirate/horror novel with David C. Smith. I’ve published a number of short stories and novellas, and have appeared in six recent volumes of the Heroes in Hell series.

Do you think the written word (or art) brings power and freedom?

Yes! The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Fascist, authoritarian governments fear the power of the word. They fear any artform they think is harmful to their “regimes,” to their plans: art is transformative, it teaches and enlightens us, it makes us hope and dream. To “them,” its greatest threat is that it makes us think, and gives us ideas. Art is truth, and oppressors the world over would bury Truth beneath the dirt of propaganda, censorship and book burning.

If you could have dinner with any literary character or author, who would you choose, and what would you eat.

I’ll pick an author, and not to offend anyone still living, I’ll pick a dead author: Raymond Chandler, because he was the key to my writing my Mad Shadows Triad. Oh, maybe we’d eat pizza or steak, drink whiskey and/or Guinness Stout. Since he lived in California, maybe we’d eat seafood and drink wine.

How influential is storytelling/poetry to our culture?

It’s not only influential, it’s important: it is life affirming. We need poems and literature, music and paintings, and all forms of art. It keeps us sane and healthy. Storytelling and poetry reveal what’s in our hearts. Every art form reveals what we think and dream and hope for. It reveals the depths of our souls. Once again, it teaches and enlightens, as well to help ease the burden of our worries and our troubles.

If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature, what would you be and why?

I’ll go with being a vampire. They dress well, only go out at night, have superhuman powers, and if they invested wisely during their natural lifetime, over the long years of their afterlife, they could live quite handsomely, indeed.

Which authors/books have influenced you the most?

Once again, I’ll stick with dead authors: JRR Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, Edgar Allen Poe, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross Thomas, Larry McMurtry, and the list goes on and on ….

What’s your next writing adventure?

I’m hoping to write a fourth and perhaps final volume of novellas for my Mad Shadowsseries — making it a quartet instead of a trio. I’m also working on my seventh novella for the Heroes in Hell saga.

What is your greatest success?

That I’m still alive at age 70! Seriously, I’d have to say my Mad Shadows Triad, my, The MechMen of Canis-9, and the stories I’ve written for the Heroes in Hell saga are my greatest success stories, and my personal bundle of pride and joy.

What’s your favourite quote, who said it and why?

I actually have two, if I may: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. That’s because inside a dog it’s too dark to read.” — Grouch Marx. Why? Because he was a comedian, and his sarcastic wit often had truth and deeper, more subtle meaning. And: “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” — Anonymous. Why? Well . . . wouldn’t you?

Tell us a silly fact about yourself.

I collect Halloween knick-knacks and cheap snow globes.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

A rock-star guitar god. When I started growing up and growing older, I just wanted to be a kid again. I think a lot of us would like that.

Thank you for everything about this project and for asking me to take part.

https://books2read.com/StandTogetherUkraine

Book Spotlight – Regen – Cassie Greutman #UrbanFantasy #Fantasy

Title: Regen       

Author: Cassie Greutman

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Main character description (short). Trish is a fae girl being raised in the human foster care system. Life has not gone well for her so far, but she has finally found a set of parents who love her. Hopefully for her, and not because they’ve found out what she is.

Synopsis: Trisha Penchant was supposed to go to Faerie as a kid, but her mom left her at a human foster home and disappeared, so she had no idea. Now the faerie council isn’t happy with her, and if she doesn’t help catch an escaped fae fugitive, she’ll lose her newfound home, with foster parents who actually care.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

At least I had an idea why I was here. Not here as in this spot, but here as in this situation. Mom had said strange things would start happening when I turned sixteen, but she hadn’t mentioned me going all werewolf and showing up out in the middle of some forest with no memory of the last few hours.

Okay, nix the werewolf, I still had my clothes on.

Plus, I already knew what I was.

Mom had mentioned that nature loved the fae, but she hadn’t ever brought this up. It was supposed to mean big gardens and stuff, not Narnia and living trees. Suddenly a vine grabbed me, stopping a scream trying to rip from my mouth by covering it tightly. I struggled, but it just tightened

until I couldn’t move. The tears I’d been holding back flowed freely.

“What do you want?”

No answer, of course.

A second later a shadow moved by. A person. A big person.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

If you enjoy stories about found family and the power of friendship, along with magic and mythical creatures, this may be something for you!

Links etc.

TikTik: https://www.tiktok.com/@cassiegreutman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cassiegreutman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/writeranrider89

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cgreutman/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Cassie-Greutman/e/B079VSM6QK/