A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 76

Chantara’s Song – Blog Tour – YA/Supernatural/Coming of Age

Chantara’s SongChildren of Chaos Seriesby E.S. McMillanGenre: YA Supernatural, Coming of Age Who said fate has the final word?Born to sit on the throne and reign, Chantara is not your typical siren. With the voice of an angel and the kiss of death, she is poised to be the deadliest siren this world has ever seen. Taught the ways of the ocean by her older sisters and equipped with a predestined plan of attack, Chantara is ready to claim her crown on her sixteenth birthday. Will Chantara fulfill her destiny or will love intervene? Goodreads * Amazon E.S. McMillan is a self-proclaimed Superhero. She is a mom to 4 amazing boys. Married to one of her best friends and has plans to take the world by storm. E.S. was born in California, raised in New York, and now resides in Connecticut. E.S. is a lover of the written word and cannot remember a time when there was not a book in her hand or an open notebook waiting to be filled with her stories. Website * Newsletter * Facebook * FB Group * TwitterInstagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

Everything Somewhere – Blog Tour and Giveaway

Everything, Somewhereby David KummerGenre: Contemporary YA Fiction The power of memories. Little Rush is a sleepy town on the Ohio River. Bruce Michaels is a renowned Hollywood actor. The two should never cross paths, yet one summer everything changes. The actor, haunted by demons, chasing a ghost. The town, unaware. Until the two collide. Hudson, Willow, and Mason are high school seniors with very different upbringings, but all on the verge of adulthood. As the sun sets on their final summer, questions abound. Will they ever leave the town? Is there a future here? As their plans waver, time is running out. The struggle of mental illness. As he loses his friends and sinks deeper into depression, Hudson forms an unlikely bond with the actor, Bruce Michaels. But the old man is a ticking time bomb. As Hudson relies on him more, the danger to them both grows. When dark secrets are revealed, Hudson must confront the truth about his idol and himself. Bruce Michaels isn’t who he seems. Hudson is nearly lost. And in the end, they may be more similar than different. The search for meaning. Different paths, converging in a web of alcohol, fights, and romance. Worlds collide one summer in Anywhere, USA. The question is who will make it through. Goodreads * Amazon https://videopress.com/v/2Y3GqBtc My name is David Kummer. I’m a young writer who leans towards horror, mystery, dystopian, and young adult fiction. I live in Madison, Indiana, a small town on the Ohio River, with lots of history and settings around here that influence my books. You can see tons about my hometown in my novel, EVERYTHING, SOMEWHERE.I always answer whenever readers email me, so reach out or check out my blog at https://davidkummer.com. I’ve got a handful of books for you to choose from, all of them inexpensive. Reviews and shares are super appreciated.You may have read some great authors before and some fascinating books, but you’ve never had an experience like this. Try something and let me convince you. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $20 Amazon

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The Stolen Kingdom – Blog Tour – YA Fantasy

     The Stolen Kingdomby Jillian BoehmeGenre: YA Fantasy   “A bold girl, a kingdom under attack, magic everywhere—I devoured it in one sitting! This book is one wild ride!” —Tamora Pierce on  Stormrise  Nothing is quite as it seems in this thrilling YA fantasy adventure by Jillian Boehme,  The Stolen Kingdom ! For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner’s daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir—and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling.When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.

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  **Join the Live Chat Author Event March 5th here!**        Jillian is known to the online writing community as Authoress, hostess of Miss Snark’s First Victim, a blog for aspiring authors. In real life, she holds a degree in Music Education, sings with the Nashville Symphony Chorus, and homeschools her remaining youngster-at-home. She’s still crazy in love with her husband of more than thirty years and is happy to be surrounded by family and friends amid the rolling knolls of Middle Tennessee.  Website * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads     Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $20 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

 

Forbidden – Blog Tour and Giveaway – Fantasy Romance, Fairytale Retelling

Forbidden: A Red Riding Hood Retellingby Adrienne WoodsGenre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance This is not The Little Red Riding Hood we grew up with. Supernatural races—vampires, werewolves, witches, you name it—all exist.Eighteen-year-old Rue Chaperon and her family belong to an elite hunting society, the S.H.A—Supernatural Hunting Association—and what the Chaperons hunt best are werewolves. When a new hunting group convinces the Chaperons to team up with them and try a different approach to hunting the supernatural by taking out the Alpha, it sounded like a great idea.Taking out the Alpha meant they’d eradicate the entire race.Piece of cake, right?But nothing is ever easy when you’re a hunter.A Little Red Riding Hood retelling with a spin that will make you believe not all fairytales were meant for children. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Books2Read * Firequill Publishers Adrienne is a USA Today Bestselling author.She’s been in love with books all her life and knew at the age of 13 that she is going to be a writer one day.That dream happened ten years ago and she started to pen her stories down on paper. Firebolt, her debut novel, was released 4 years after that, and she hasn’t stopped since.Now she almost has 15 novels under her belt, and it doesn’t look like she is going to stop soon.Go to her books to discover her series and those that still need to come. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Youtube * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 Tips on Writing Fantasy Characters – Guest Post Desiree Villena

5 Tips for Writing Fantasy Characters – Desiree Villena

Most creative writing classes treat writing characters and writing fantasy characters as one and the same. They provide run-of-the-mill tips (create conflict, establish flaws, etc.) and you end up with run-of-the-mill characters — well-developed, but nothing out of the ordinary.

But what fantasy writers need are legendary characters — characters that stay with you for a lifetime, like those that occupy the worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien and George R. R. Martin. Unfortunately, these writers haven’t exactly revealed all their secrets to the rest of us. But by working backwards, I’ve put together five top tips, exclusively for fantasy writers, that should help you think outside of the character-profile box.

1. Interview your characters to get to know them

Whether you adopt the tactics of a police interrogator or Oprah Winfrey, interviewing your characters is a great way to flesh out their motives, weaknesses, history, habits, and hobbies. Sure, the same advice is given to authors of all fiction genres, but when writing fantasy this exercise calls for more creative flair.

For instance, most questionnaires will ask your character about their career: What’s your dream job? What job would you never consider? When writing contemporary fiction, it’s easy to fall back on conventions: I want to become a writer, a football star, a successful entrepreneur. I’d never be a high-school teacher, a telemarketer, a pest control worker. Your fantasy characters, however, will need to produce answers that make sense in the context of their world.

Let’s take the Harry Potter series as an example. Some Hogwarts graduates will join the Aurors — an elite group of Dark Wizard catchers — others take soul-crushing jobs in magic middle management, and I imagine someone has to clean up the mess made by the post-office owls. These jobs are recognizable; we can place them in the real world, and even make assumptions about a character based on their magical nine-to-five. But at the same time, they place the character firmly in the unique world of the books, seamlessly weaving the two together and adorning the bigger picture with original details.

2. Don’t assume that your characters think like you

When a story takes place in a world that’s not our own, its characterizations should reflect that on a deeper level than just creative job titles and otherworldly hobbies. Everyone in your world, good or bad, leading lady or forgettable friend, will share a baseline set of assumptions informed by the world they inhabit, which means that their inherent ways of thinking won’t always resemble our own.

Let’s say your fantasy novel is set in a world where gods regularly show their faces to interfere in everyday life. Though atheism might be common here on Earth Prime, it would make no sense for anyone in that world to be an atheist. This doesn’t have to mean that everybody thinks and feels exactly the same way about the gods; some characters might fervently believe that they reward devotion and punish sin, while others might quietly think of them as meddling pranksters.

Setting up coherent belief systems and knowing where your characters stand on your world’s “big questions” will help you to build more complex relationships among your characters, and between your characters and their world.

3. Build diversity into your cast of characters

In general, creating some diversity in your cast of characters can be a really useful thing to do. Meaningfully different perspectives and experiences will add complexity to your world, and hopefully create intuitive conflict or tension among your characters.

If your world is divided into different regions, for example, then the people in each region might have vastly different cultures due to the influence of climate, landscape, or the way they’re ruled. Take A Song of Ice and Fire. The people in the North live, think, and dress very differently from the people in King’s Landing: the first being sparsely populated, harsh, and independently ruled while the other is crowded, coastal, and right under the thumb of the Iron Throne.

Even within distinct groups, one member doesn’t need to have the same mannerisms, views, and values as the next. In The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien has creatures that are familiar to fantasy readers, and certainly employs generic tropes. But his elves, dwarves, hobbits, and wizards are not carbon-copy fantasy races. Among the dwarves, for example, there are good and wicked, eloquent and crass, loyal and traitorous characters.

4. Revitalize common character tropes

Lots of fantasy writers love character archetypes — which is not necessarily a bad thing, because fantasy readers love them too. But if you rely too much on clichés, you might stray into overly predictable territory. There’s also no reason to get anywhere near that black hole when there are so many great ways to revitalize common character tropes. Here are a couple to get you thinking:

Deconstruct it: Even if you adhere to its traditions, you can deconstruct a trope by shining a light on its implications and consequences. For example, Harry Potter may be the Chosen One — but only because the antagonist, Voldemort, decided to believe a prophecy and mark Harry out. The notion of the Chosen One only has as much power as Voldemort gives it.Defy expectations: When readers encounter an archetypal character they’ll bring certain expectations to the table (because that’s how archetypes work). But you can give your character a dose of originality by meeting enough of the required standards that make a trope recognizable, while defying other characteristics that are simply expected. For example, the White Witch of Narnia ticks all the boxes of an Evil Overlord, but she defies character conventions by being a woman shrouded in white, rather than a male character cloaked in darkness.5. Keep the bigger picture in mind

You may have noticed that in fantasy writing, worldbuilding and character development often go hand-in-hand. And nowhere is this more evident (or more important) than in the mood and tone of your story. Whether you build your setting or your characters first, the general tenor of both elements should work together to create the perfect atmosphere.

The easiest way to think of this is to look at some more examples. In the Song of Ice and Fire books, where the dead stand up to fight and swords are forged with blood, even our favorite characters are flawed — Arya is obsessed with revenge, Tyrion is morally ambiguous, and Daenerys is proud and stubborn (and burns down a city). These gray characters meld perfectly with the grim and somber tone that shrouds this highly cynical series.

Meanwhile, the first few books in the Harry Potter series are full of wonder and whimsy. Its magical world features bat-bogey hexes, dodgy spell-checking quills, and wacky divination lessons. So it makes perfect sense that the protagonists be quirky teenagers who are always bickering, fumbling first crushes, and failing to get to grips with Muggle technology (I’m looking at you, Ron).

So take inspiration from fantasy legends JKR and GRRM. Don’t just fill in a character profile. Think about the emotional texture of your book and the kind of reaction you want from your readers. Then approach the task of character development with your mind on the bigger picture.

Bounty – Blog Tour – Urban Fantasy

Bountyby Bobbi SchemerhornGenre: Urban Fantasy On a world called Olympia, a terrible disease plagues the race of gods. As rumors spread about the disappearance of the anomalias, many infected gods flee through portals from Olympia to other worlds, including Earth, hoping to avoid a similar fate. When the disease infects Rion, a bounty hunter who once helped return anomalias to Olympia, he, too, seeks sanctuary on Earth. But Rion’s partner, Temis, hunts him. Temis still believes the lies told to the bounty hunters about the anomalias. She believes they are violent, paranoid, delusional.Rion’s only hope is to convince Temis to see the dark truth. But how can he convince her that everything she thought she knew is a lie? A race against time to discover a chilling truth with powerful consequences. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read Bobbi Schemerhorn was born in Nova Scotia, but raised in Alberta. She has lived all across Canada, living in at least five different provinces, thanks to her military husband. Bobbi enjoys watching a variety of TV shows and movies; she is a Sims 2 playing fool, and loves working with her hands making crafts. Although she has no human children she does have one beautiful kitty who has reached her 19th year.Bobbi is self-published in the fantasy genre. She has dabbled in Steampunk and Greek Mythology as well as Urban and Epic. Outside of her own writing Bobbi takes pride in helping her fellow authors with their work with her content editing and beta reading. She is known for her tough love both in her professional and personal life. Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $15 Amazon giftcard, ebook of Bounty – 1 winner each! a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Scarlett and the Big Bad – Blog Tour – Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Scarlett and the Big BadFated Fairytales Book 1by Sierra BraveGenre: Paranormal Fantasy Romance What if Red Riding Hood invited peril and the big, bad wolf was the only hero who could save her? Promised power and position, Scarlett Capuche left her tiny village to join the prestigious Order of the Phoenix. Monty Blackwolf never wanted a mate, especially not a human raised on a hidden farm for blood-ritual sacrifice. But his werewolf’s heightened sense of smell drew him to Scarlett’s sweet fragrance from miles away. Duty-bound to protect her, he will break her of her religious devotion to the magical terrorist group responsible for the murders of his parents and older brother, even if he has to put her over his knee and turn her bottom as red as her hair. She belongs to him now, and he will claim all of her despite his affliction with a unique, third shifter-form he doesn’t fully understand and isn’t able to control. Will Monty save Scarlett, or will he prove more dangerous to her than anyone else? Author’s Note: If you’re offended by steamy fairytale retellings with graphic language, explicit put-you-in-the-moment love scenes, elements of power exchange, and domestic discipline, you might want to look for a different book. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Books2Read Sierra Brave is a multi-published author of heart-pounding, blush-inducing romance with put-you-in-the-moment love scenes. She enjoys writing about a variety of gorgeous alpha males who can’t resist head-strong heroines. Curvy girls have a special place in her heart and often grace the pages of her books. Tales of shifters, cowboys, twisted fairy tales, space pirates, Amazon warriors, and vampires capture her imagination as do tempting spanking and ménage scenarios, but she also engages in more down-to-earth themes such as office romance. You’ll find lots of unique characters and humor in all of her stories. Website * Newsletter * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon giftcard, ebook – 1 winner each a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Varcolac Series – Blog Tour and Giveaway – Paranormal Romance

Immortal: Guardian of MonstersThe Varcolac Series Book 1by Kristin PingGenre: Paranormal Romance Natasha’s life begins the night she is turned. With the ability to channel fire, a gift that only belongs to the witches, she becomes a terror— not only to the packs, but all the supernatural breeds. She’s known as Blaze. The deadliest vampire out there. But Blaze has a secret. She didn’t want to become a vampire, she needed to become a vampire, and her reasoning is lost. It died the night her human life did. Her conscience activates when two varcolacs visit the covenant, looking for allies for the Great War. What was it about the Varcolacs that made her grow a conscience? And will she be able to outrun it to keep the title of terror? Add to Goodreads Amazon * Books2Read * Firequill Publishers Mine Immortal: Guardian of MonstersThe Varcolac Series Book 2 As part of the Ancient race in the supernatural world, three-thousand-year-old Varcolac Jason Chase, also known as Jericho, knows he has a lot of enemies and allies. But his world is turned upside down when strange dreams about a human girl starts plaguing his nights. It could only mean one thing, and it was something he never expected. Varcolacs get one true mate in their lifetime, and Jason Chase thought his didn’t exist. After the death of her mother, twenty-four-year-old South African Morgan Freeman heads back to the one place that had always felt like home—the cruise lines. But this time it’s different. Meeting Jason Chase, the man of every woman’s dreams, was so not part of her plan, but it feels like they’re a match made in heaven. But something doesn’t feel right. Nobody could be that perfect, right? When the truth finally comes out, her heart is shattered and the world she once knew ceases to exist. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Books2Read * Firequill Publishers Immortal Beloved: Guardian of MonstersThe Varcolac Series Book 3 The third Novel in USA Today Bestselling author Kristin Ping’s saga, Guardians of Monsters. Three-thousand-year-old Varcolac, Jason Chase, discovered that his true mate, Morgan Freeman, isn’t human. In fact, she is far more mysterious and he has no idea in which supernatural race she belongs. Worst of all…. she has left him to return to the ships without knowing what he truly is, or that she is his true mate. Twenty-five-year-old Morgan Freeman know she is special but has no idea what she is. She can understand any language by just wishing to, and she has this nick to teleport whenever she feels threatened. She also knows that it’s not the only two things that she can do. A vampire coven wants her to be part of the immortal race. On the other side the love of her life wants to steal her abilities. What does a girl have to do to find her “happily ever after?” Will Jason ever find Morgan to explain what he really is and what Morgan truly means to him? Will Morgan ever give him the time to hear him out? Add to Goodreads Amazon * Books2Read * Firequill Publishers Kristin resides in South Africa, East side of Johannesburg with her husband and two beautiful little girls. Writing has always been a passion of hers and she’s living the dream, being able to write every day. ” I love life, cherish every special second of it and live my dream.” She has recently started her own Publishing company – Fire Quill Publishing in South Africa – http://www.firequillpublishing.com/ Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Youtube * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Siren’s Call Blog Tour and Guest Post

The Siren’s CallPirates of the Withering Coast Part 1by Alonna WilliamsGenre: Lower YA Fantasy “Oh little one, the darkness is waiting, oh little one, run from it if you can; come little one, where the light can find you…” This was a familiar shanty to Manchester born, Trevor Henderson; having grown up being mesmerized by stories of swashbuckling rogues, adventurous pirates and captivating aquatic creatures, he was no stranger to sea shanties. These tales instilled in him a longing for the sea. Upon turning sixteen, he begins hearing whispers in the night, coaxing him to leave his posh life behind and follow his dreams; when Trevor finally takes the risk, he’s swept away on an adventure he never expected. He soon learns the truth about his own identity and history, causing him to wonder if he should have set foot outside his comfort zone… Add to Goodreads Amazon * B&N * Google * Kobo * Blue Gingham Publishing Alonna Williams is a children’s book author and has been writing ever since she was a little girl. It started with a short story and soon progressed to novels. Alonna has worked on, and grew up with a Pirate series entitled, Pirates of the Withering Coast, her favorite series of all, as well as a mystery series, a Sci-Fi/Superhero series and more! When she’s not writing you’ll most likely find her dancing, whether it be, Tap, Ballet, Jazz or Lyrical, or watching a good classic movie or cozying up to a Disney film! Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $10 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE CHARACTERS?

To start, Trevor of course was far different in the first draft, he was originally from a poor family and was unseen by his town. He was generous and sweet and he had two sisters. But something told me to make him spoiled and arrogant, I kind of like those characters more because I feel like they have more to learn.

Then we have Arjan, the gentle giant of a Siren who we learn about in the first few chapters of the book. He will have a prequel coming out soon so you can learn even more about him. Arjan originally had a very tiny role in the story but as time went on, and I crafted his backstory, I fell in love with the character and I think most people will too!

Lastly, I’ll talk about Labyrinth, Labyrinth is a lot of fun to write! He’s very child-like and his innocence is refreshing compared to Trevor’s brash arrogance. His design was fun to imagine as well and I can’t wait to write more about him in the next few books.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER FROM A BOOK:

Okay, so, he doesn’t originate from a book but he’s in a few and it’s Luke Skywalker. I think he’s my favorite fictional character ever and I do aspire to write a character like him one day.

I think he’s one of the best examples of great development as he went from a nerdy farm boy to a powerful Jedi and he didn’t feel out of character by Return of the Jedi.

This is something I’m striving to accomplish with Trevor; he has a lot to learn and no one wants to see him become all powerful overnight, they want to join him on his journey as he learns about himself and how to use his abilities (which you’ll learn of in the series :D)

 

Return of the Raven Blog Tour – Fantasy Romance/TimeTravel

Return of the RavenThe Novels of Ravenwood Book 5by Judith SterlingGenre: Time Travel Fantasy Romance Margaret, Lady Ravenwood, is trapped in a loveless marriage and firmly entrenched in the medieval world. Along comes Griffin Nightshade, a historian from the future whose soul resonates with hers. He persuades her to return with him to the 1950s, but heeding her heart means courting danger from a curse that could spell her doom. Haunted by his parents’ sudden deaths, Griffin knows all too well the pain born of love lost. He guards his emotions, but Margaret delves deep and goes straight to the soul. She’s hard to resist…and harder to set free. The heart’s desire and history’s demands don’t always agree. Yet true love is eternal. Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo **Other books in the Novels of Ravenwood series** Flight of the RavenThe Novels of Ravenwood Book 1**Get it Free for review on Booksprout! ** Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo Soul of the WolfThe Novels of Ravenwood Book 2 Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google Shadow of the SwanThe Novels of Ravenwood Book 3 Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo Night of the OwlThe Novels of Ravenwood Book 4 Add to Goodreads Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Kobo Judith Sterling is an award-winning author whose love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Whether penning medieval romance (The Novels of Ravenwood) or young adult paranormal fantasy (the Guardians of Erin series), her favorite themes include true love, destiny, time travel, healing, redemption, and finding the hidden magic which exists all around us. She loves to share that magic with readers and whisk them far away from their troubles, particularly to locations in the British Isles.Her nonfiction books, written under Judith Marshall, have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons. Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * The Wild Rose Press Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway! $15 Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js