A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 90
June 7, 2020
Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Kari Kilgore – Suspense/Crime/Thriller #Bundle #Author
Author name: Kari Kilgore
How did you become involved in book bundles? Would you recommend it?
BundleRabbit happened to start up around the same time my first novel came out, so I’ve been in since the beginning. I make sure everything I publish goes in right away.
I’d absolutely recommend making your stories available for bundles! It’s a wonderful way to work with other authors you may not otherwise meet, and to introduce your readers to other great storytellers. And if other writers introduce you to their readers as well, that’s a bonus.
Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?
I’m a pantser through and through. I love the adventure and discovery of telling myself the story. I truly do keep writing so I can find out what happens.
What does writing bring to your life?
The adventure of getting to live different lives, to get inside the perspective of different people. Sometimes they’re not even people! I’ve unconsciously explored things that bothered me through writing, often upsetting things from my past. I usually don’t realize what I’ve done until someone points it out. I’ve consciously approached difficult things in writing as well. Setting out to deal with a situation, or try to figure something out.
But most of all, it’s just the fun and joy of telling myself the story. That truly is the best motivation and the best reward for me. I’m delighted to bring happiness, a thoughtful moment, or escape to readers as well.
How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?
Most of the time, I take a pause in writing, look up the one thing I need, and get right back into the story. I’m not a big fan of noting things to look up later, because whatever new information I learn about that seemingly trivial item often changes the course of the story. I’ve gotten more and more in the habit of trusting that little voice in my head that wonders “How does that work?” That voice is driving the writing engine, and she knows what she’s doing.
I don’t know how wild it is, but I recently spent a few minutes reading about poisonous plants in North America for a story. I was shocked by how many there are, and the huge variety of symptoms they can cause.
How influential is storytelling to our culture?
I think it’s an integral part of our culture, one of the ways our civilisations have risen and fallen, grown and changed. We use it for exploration, for healing, for cautionary tales, for escape, for adventure, for teaching. Heck, we tell ourselves stories all night long when we’re dreaming. And the fun thing is I can’t even say it’s a human-only trait. I’ve seen our dogs and cats dream constantly. And have you ever watched cats or dogs or other critters playing? Your cat knows that bottle lid skittering across the floor isn’t actually a mouse, and your dog knows the squeaky toy isn’t alive. But they tell themselves that story so vividly.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?
There are two that I’ve reminded myself of so often that they’ve become second nature. Write the next thing, and have fun.
For me, immediately jumping in and writing the next thing gets me out of the trap of worrying about the thing I just finished or submitted. If I’m deep into the new story right away, I don’t have time for fretting or stress. And, by the time the response comes back on a submission, I’m far enough into the new story that it doesn’t cause me trouble whether the news is good or bad.
And the whole point of telling stories for me is having fun. Otherwise, there are SO many other ways to make a living. I want to always be writing a story that I’m eager to get back into. If I’m forcing myself to sit down and get started, I’m going to turn what should be all kinds of joy and excitement into drudgery. I figure there’s enough of that in life already.
What’s the worst piece best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?
Someone told me more than once that my creativity would dry up, and I had to be prepared for that. From this person’s history, they meant for years and years at a time, and potentially forever. To me, that’s such a negative self-fulfilling prophecy, to expect that to happen and spend all kinds of time dwelling on it. The idea of trying to convince other people to think that way for some reason really bothers me, too.
Of course, we all have challenges, and times in our lives when writing or other forms of creativity are difficult or quite reasonably impossible. Personal or family illness, job changes, moving, deaths in the family or among friends. We’re all living through some major challenges all over the world right now that have affected many of us when it comes to our productivity.
But I don’t see any of these slowdowns or even stops in my own creative life as permanent. In fact, the more often and the more routinely I get words on the page, the easier it is to do the same thing day in and day out. In my experience, creativity is like a muscle. Sure, I may need to rest during times of illness or injury. But most of the time, the more I use that muscle, the more I can use it. During times like 2020, I’m grateful every single day for that escape from reality!
Tell us about your latest piece?
I’ve been writing all kinds of Romance in 2020, probably because the guaranteed Happily Ever After sounds extra good right now. At the moment, I’m a way into a Romantic Suspense novel set in one of my fictional towns. All the other stories set there have been light-hearted. It’s so much fun seeing the settings and people in a different mood and light. There’s a heavy dose of Mystery and darker elements, but I still expect that happy ending.
What’s your next writing adventure?
For novels and novellas, I have a few series-in-progress that are ready for sequels, so I think now would be a great time to jump into those. They range from near-future Science Fiction to Dark Fantasy to Romantic Suspense to Space Opera, so all kinds of fun ahead. As far as short stories, I have a long-term Mystery project going, so I’ll be doing a lot more crime writing of all kinds.
What is the last book you’ve read?
I just finished Of Blood and Bone by Nora Roberts, book two in The Chronicles of The One. It’s a treat to read the work of such a skilled and prolific writer, and the story is right up my alley for sure. With someone as great as Nora Roberts or Stephen King or Dean Koontz, I always read for pleasure of course. But it’s well worth the time to go back through the stories and see what all I can learn.
Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?
I happen to be an avid e-book reader. I have an e-reader and a tablet, but I’ve gotten firmly into the habit of reading on my phone. I love having a story to read in my pocket at all times. That way whenever I have downtime or I’m in line or waiting for whatever reason, I can escape.
That being said, the answer about brick and mortar bookshops has gotten far more complicated because of COVID-19. I don’t think print books are on the way out, no. I have a good number of sales on the print side, especially Large Print editions. I’ve even had a surprising number of sales of print versions of short stories, in-person and online. I think the big, traditionally bookselling industry has taken a major hit here in 2020, and the structure will likely have to change. But I believe print will endure well past all of this.
Are indie/self-published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this?
I haven’t experienced this at all, and other indies I know who are getting high-quality, professional work out there haven’t either.
The truth is readers are interested in great stories, most of all. And since indies can deliver great design and reading experiences that are much more fairly priced to go with great stories, what’s not to like? We also have the flexibility to write in a huge variety of genres and subgenres and cross-genres that are often not available through traditional channels.
Of course, quality matters. Clean copy that tells an entertaining or thought-provoking or scary story matters. Covers and good readability in print and electronic matters. Indies can do all of this, with more and more tools available to us every day.
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Links
Bio
Kari Kilgore started her first published novel Until Death in Transylvania, Romania, and finished it in Room 217 at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado, where a rather famous creepy tale about a hotel sparked into life. That’s just one example of how real world inspiration drives her fiction.
Kari’s first published novel Until Death was included on the Preliminary Ballot for the Bram Stoker Award for Outstanding Achievement in a First Novel in 2016. Until Death was also a finalist for the Golden Stake Award at the Vampire Arts Festival in 2018.
Kari’s short myth The Spider Who Ate the Elephant placed 2nd in fiction in the 2019 Virginia Writers Club Golden Nib contest.
Her professional short story sales include several to Fiction River anthology magazine and three stories in a holiday-themed anthology project with Kristine Kathryn Rusch due out over the holidays in 2020, as well as one for Valentine’s Day, due in February of 2021. Her first professional publication was Fiction River: Superstitious in 2019, and she has three more Fiction River stories on the way.
Kari writes first and figures out the story’s genre later. That’s resulted in fantasy, science fiction, romance, contemporary fiction, and everything in between. She’s happiest when she surprises herself. She lives at the end of a long dirt road in the middle of the woods with her husband Jason A. Adams, various house critters, and wildlife they’re better off not knowing more about.
Kari’s novels, novellas, and short stories are available in ebook, paperback, Large Print, and hardcover formats at http://www.spiralpublishing.net, which also publishes books by Frank Kilgore and Jason A. Adams. For more information about Kari, upcoming publications, her travels and adventures, random cool things that catch her attention, and The Confidential Adventure Club, visit www.karikilgore.com.
June 4, 2020
Celebrate Audiobook Month 5th-29th June – NN Light’s Book Heaven – Cross Promo
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. 41 audiobooks featured plus a chance to win one of the following:
I’m thrilled to be a part of this event. My audiobook, Echoes of a Song, will be featured on 16th 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/bookpromos/categories/celebrate-audiobook-month
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
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June Schedule –
Note: Date is for Eastern Standard Timezone (East Coast US/Canada)
Authors involved are
5- Mona Sedrak, Helen C. Johannes
6- Becky Villareal
7- (none)
8- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Hearts), Ilona Fridl
9- Kayla Krantz, Ashley Capes
10- Gini Rifkin (Delivery), Barbara Whitaker
11- Marie Tuhart (Passionate), Kimberly Beckett (Dressage)
12- Lyn Cote, D.E. Haggerty
13- Kat Green (Second), Charlotte O’Shay
14- Karen Michelle Nutt (Lost)
15- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Dreams)
16- Joe Hiestand, A.L. Butcher
17- Judith Sterling (Cauldron)
18- Gini Rifkin (Cowboy)
19- Kimberly Beckett (Racing), Amanda Uhl
20- Lin Wilder, Elsie Davis
21- Donna Simonetta
22- Karilyn Bentley
23- Pamela S. Thibodeaux (Fire), Daniel Greene
24- Kat Green (First), Kathryn Knight
25- Susan McCormick, M.L. Erdahl, Charlotte Stuart
26- Mary Morgan, Karen Michelle Nutt (Magic)
27- Kimberly Beckett (Lionel)
28- Marie Tuhart (Red Club)
29- Judith Sterling (Stone)
30- (none)
Giveaway Information –
https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/92db775060
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $50 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $25 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $15 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Enter to win a $10 Amazon (US) or Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Open internationally
Runs June 5 – June 30.
Drawing will be held on July 1.
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Angels and Demons Bundle
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Angels and Demons – the ultimate custodians of good and evil do battle in the heavens and on Earth and bring in their mortal allies.
Mortals and immortals alike risk life, limb and wing and soul for victory.
11 tales of angels and demons.
https://books2read.com/AngelsDemonsBundle
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089NHF9SB/
https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1516734867
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/angels-and-demons-a-l-butcher/1137129517
https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/angels-and-demons-18
Heaven Bent Robert Jeschonek
The Price of Demons Stefon Mears
Pockets of Darkness Jean Rabe
Rose Swartz Wears Rose Quartz Brenda Carre
Angel’s Demise Felicia Fredlund
Emberstone Karen L. Abrahamson
Chance Damnation DeAnna Knippling
Deviant-Hunter’s Sabbath Harambee K. Grey-Sun
The Troll-Demon War Leah Cutter
A Pact with Demons: The Sprite and The Familiar Michael R.E. Adams
Angel on My Shoulder Russ Crossley
June 3, 2020
El último bosque – The Last Forest in Spanish
I am please to announce the release of the Last Forest in Spanish.
Currently available on Amazon – but publishing to the other bookstores shortly.
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.
https://www.amazon.es/dp/B089M2HSYQ
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089M2HSYQ
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Kitchen Imps – Portuguese Edition
I’m delighted to share this! The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales has been translated into Portuguese.
There will be more translations in various languages to follow – plus some of the other books too!
Yay!!!!
Os diabinhos da cozinha e outros contos sombrios
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Diabretes impertinentes, meias faltando, ladrões astutos e deuses perplexos aparecem nesta coleção de ficção de fantasia curta.
Os diabinhos da cozinha e outros contos sombrios
Seis contos de ficção de fantasia para toda a família.
https://books2read.com/Os-diabinhos-da-cozinha
Apple https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1516496746
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/os-diabinhos-da-cozinha-e-outros-contos-sombrios
May 31, 2020
Lying Beneath – Book Tour and Giveaway #Scifi
Lying Beneath
The AURA Operation Book 1
by Kevin Moran
Genre: Science Fiction
Underneath the city lies an advanced society, and its dark secrets could bury her alive.
Ayla worries she’ll be stuck waitressing for pennies until she dies. She longs for adventure, for something to save her from the paycheck-to-paycheck life she lives with her long-time boyfriend, Derek, who plays it safe and only half-tolerates her thirst for exploration.
With her trusty camera in tow, she explores abandoned buildings, searching for something—anything—interesting. One night, she finds a mysterious trapdoor in an old warehouse which leads to a futuristic society right beneath her feet.
This is the adventure she’s been looking for, but the people underground don’t appreciate her intrusion and she quickly finds herself locked up and questioned. They think she’s a spy, their questions are getting more intrusive, and Derek has no idea where she is.
Ayla must find a way out of this underground world that’s not at all the adventure she thought she wanted, or she may never see Derek again…
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N * Kobo
Kevin Moran has been writing books since he first learned what a book was. His early drafts were held together with pins, staples, glue and string. His process has since improved and he now publishes with An Ink Mover, LLC. He currently has three works available for purchase.
“Lying Beneath” is his latest work and book 1 of the AURA Operation series. It will be available May 5th.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
$25 Amazon Gift Card
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 30, 2020
Author Interview – Simon Williams #Fantasy
Author name: Simon Williams
*Please tell us about your publications.
I’ve written the five-book Aona series, as well as two novels for all ages (Summer’s Dark Waters and The Light From Far Below) and Embers Drift, a standalone metaphysical fantasy work.
Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?
Definitely a pantser- I start with a collection of concepts / ideas and situations, a few characters, and then I work on it and see where it goes. The plot is determined by how it all turns out, not the other way round.
What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?
Don’t bother trying to get noticed by the big publishers and well-known names. Unless you’re incredibly, unbelievably lucky, they won’t notice you and they won’t care about you. If you believe in your work and your creations, stick at it and carve your own destiny.
What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work?
Whilst I don’t think authors should (or need to) offer all their works for free, there’s nothing wrong with offering a few of your books (e.g the first in a series) for free if it helps readers to discover you.
What are your views on authors commenting on reviews?
One word: don’t! Everyone is entitled to their opinion and not everyone is going to like your creation.
How do you deal with bad reviews?
Generally, it isn’t for authors to “deal” with reviews at all, good or bad. If a review is misleading, offensive or makes categorically untrue statements then you can contact the people who run the medium, whether it be Amazon, Goodreads or whatever else, and ask that it be removed. But if a review is simply by someone who doesn’t like your work- leave it alone. I refer you to my answer above.
What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?
To keep going until you’ve found your “voice” i.e your particular style and method- and if you’re comfortable with it, then stick with it.
Which authors have influenced you the most?
Alan Garner, Clive Barker, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, C J Cherryh, Tad Williams,
Tell us about your latest piece?
Embers Drift is a standalone novel of metaphysical fantasy / mystery with elements of sci-fi and psychological horror, in an industrial / slightly dystopian setting. But although it bridges many genres, it’s conceptually consistent and is really about the lives of four main characters- specifically, the parts of their lives that they’ve forgotten.
I’m happier about the result than I’ve been with any of my previous works. I reworked it a number of times until I realised that- at last- I was telling the exact story I wanted to tell. So I’m relieved to have finished it but also very satisfied.
The process of creating was different to the Aona books, largely because they were more complex on a practical / logistical level. But at the same time the process required more effort in other ways- because there’s an overarching concept to Embers Drift which requires some explaining, and my goal was to do this through the lives of these four main characters. It wasn’t easy but in the end it was very rewarding.
What’s your next writing adventure?
So many! Well, several.
I’m part of the way through writing the first in a new dark fantasy series which will probably seen as more “traditional” fantasy but which will have a number of unique features to it. It explores the nature of magic and of conflict and there isn’t going to be a clear-cut “good vs evil” thing going on- I’m not a fan of such absolutes, I want to explore characters’ motivations, whether or not most people think of them as acceptable. What made them this way? Are they able to change- either for the better, or worse? It’s that aspect that interests me.
I also have another standalone book in progress- this is more a sort of cosmic horror about three demonic beings who have existed in a vast city for hundreds of years, weaving mischief and woe wherever they go, and a young man from an ancient family of magicians and thieves, who is the only one to suspect their existence.
Lastly, I’m also working on a somewhat leftfield YA magical realism novella- I’m not entirely certain how this one will turn out but I’m pleased with some of the concepts involved so this may see the light of day shortly.
What was the last book you’ve read?
The last book I finished was Scar Night by Alan Campbell, which I greatly enjoyed. Industrial, violent fantasy with angels. I’m currently reading The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams and it’s as good as all his other books.
Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?
I think shops of most kinds are in decline, but in my experience, the number of paperbacks sold has stood up pretty well. I think about a quarter of my sales are paperback, which I don’t think is too bad.
How important is writing to you?
Very. It’s the only thing I’m any good at really, so if I didn’t do it I would truly be a non-entity.
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Meet My Character Week – Anya Drake – Vampire #Paranormal #Fantasy – Guest Post
An Interview with Anya Drake by Rebecca Tran
I had the opportunity to sit down with Anya Drake, the so-called villain in Alexandria Diego’s tell-all memoir For Their Sins. Anya swears she is misunderstood and asked for a chance to share her side with the world.
“Can you tell the audience a little about yourself?” I asked Anya urging her to open up.
Anya smiled and stared at me a moment considering what she would say, “My real name in Anica Golescu I was born in 1398. I died 16 years later. My maker was the first Mordere, what you would call a vampire although, he was so much more. I turned my lover, Vlad the Impaler, into a Mordere. Then we killed my maker for his infinite cruelty. It was then that I changed my name to Anya Drake to remove any reminders of the past.
Vlad and I longed for a world where Mordere no longer lived in fear of the Venandi. They are God’s chosen warrior’s, who hunt us for sport. To that end, we were building our numbers when they stormed our castle. Vlad was killed, and I swore vengeance. Now one Venandi stands in my way at every turn. Alexandria Diego must die.” Anya was near shouting and tried to get out of her chair. Her eyes were glassy as she looked at me.
I swallowed hard worried for a moment. I put a hand on Anya’s arm to calm her, and it was ice cold. Anya looked down at it and smiled as she sank back into her chair. I tried a different type of question hoping she wouldn’t get upset again. “What is your idea of perfect happiness?”
Anya licked her lips before answering, “Finding a perfectly innocent human, wrapping them in my arms and biting into their neck. Their blood washes over my tongue like the nectar of the gods. It’s sweet metallic and fragrant, better than an orgasm at times.” She gave a little shiver and stared at me. I felt like lunch.
I quickly fired off another question hoping to distract her, “On what occasion do you lie?”
Anya laughed slightly making her deep brown curls bounce “Do I need an occasion? Lying is part of life. It comes as naturally as breathing.”
“What do you most dislike about your appearance?” I asked hoping to find some redeeming quality in her.
Anya snorted her displeasure, “Is there something I should dislike? I’m more attractive than any human that’s for damn sure. As a matter of fact, I think I’m rather perfect. Any flaws I had were fixed when I fed from my maker.”
I was beginning to wonder if I was sane when I took this interview. “If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?”
“I already did that stupid,” Anya was annoyed “vampire remember?”
“Right, sorry.” It was hard to believe she really was what she claimed she looked so normal. “When and where were you happiest?” I asked trying to get something real out of her.
“August 20, 1414, in a small inn in my hometown on my wedding night.” She smiled wistfully before looking away.
“Who was he? What happened to him?” I wondered if she’d tell me.
“Radu, my first love. I drank him dry not knowing what I was.” I saw the pain in her eyes even if she wouldn’t admit it. “I could have changed him, but he wouldn’t have been Radu, and I would have had to share him with my maker. He was best off dead.” Her voice went cold as she stared at me.
I got goosebumps and decided to let that matter rest. I pressed on hoping to end the interview and get out of there while I could. “Alright, Anya one more question, please. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?”
“I wouldn’t have accepted my maker’s offer. I wouldn’t be a Mordere.” She looked truly repentant. Her eyes were wet like she was going to cry. I got out of my chair and took a step towards her then another. She lunged at me and grabbed me by the waist. “Ah, who am I kidding, I love what I am.”
As a side note, I woke up in the hospital a day later. Anya was nowhere to be found, and her number was disconnected.
Title: For Their Sins
Author: Rebecca Tran
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy/ Action&Adventure
Excerpt:
Anya was waiting for me when I entered the room, lounging on a velvet sofa with silk pillows, looking rather pale. Her deep brown curls were only half pinned up the rest spilled over her breasts that were bound in a tightly laced black corset. She wore black well cut pants and low heeled boots. A gleaming sword lay within easy reach, but her feet were up on a stool, and she showed no sign of getting up as I approached. “Alexandria,” she said in greeting as if we were old friends.
“Anya,” I replied with contempt.
“You look a little out of breath perhaps you’d like a seat.”
“I thought that was the point of five ill-trained goons, to wear me out. Why offer a seat now?”
“A show of hospitality.” She shrugged.
“Where is he, Anya?” I nearly growled.
She gave a cruel smile “The Venandi you knew no longer exists.”
“I know you’ve tainted him I don’t care.”
“He’s under my control. It’s my blood he craves and my bed he wants.”
“Give him back you cold-hearted bitch.”
“Tsk tsk, Alexandria. We are matriarchs of our peoples to fight over one male seems pointless.” Anya said as if bored.
“You did this to draw me out. Now I’m here, so let’s get this over with.” I demanded.
She was on her feet with sword drawn every bit as fast as a Venandi. “As you wish.”
We fought endlessly back and forth neither of us gaining or losing ground. The sound of metal clashing became a metallic hum in the air that sang to me, focusing my thoughts. In the midst of it all, I found him, my love, my match. I called out to him with my thoughts and felt him approach although, the reason felt wrong and it worried me. What if it were true? What if he was lost to me? Then he came into the room, and I knew the truth. Anya moved into my guard, and her sword cut my side. My sword fell. She grabbed me.
As Anya’s teeth sunk into my throat, I heard him call my name “Alexandria, NO!” My eyes slid closed as a tear slid down my cheek.
This was the turning point for my people and me. But, you must know what I am and what I have lived through to understand what I did, why I would risk everything, including myself for one male. I am Alexandria Diego, and this is my story.
Book Blurb:
“You must know what I am and what I have lived through to understand what I did, why I would risk everything, including myself for one male.”
Alexandria Diego never wanted to be special. She was content to lay in bed with her lover forever. One decision will change everything. Suddenly, Alexandria is launched into a life of infamy, which carries a heavy burden that only she can bear. When a vicious war between her people, the Venandis, and their rivals, the Morderes, breaks out it forces Alexandria to change her tactics and be more cautious. But, when her love is captured by the enemy, Alexandria risks everything to get him back.
Sale Information and Links, if applicable
Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/Rtranbooks/
https://m.facebook.com/AGaurdianFalls/
twitter: https://twitter.com/rtranbooks/
email: rtranbooks.com@outlook.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16335980.R_Tran
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hoelker-tran-3aaab3141
Independent Author Network: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/r-tran.html
May 29, 2020
Meet My Character Week – Jack #Horror #HistoricalFiction
Who are you? (Give a brief description of yourself). I am Jack, I seek to clean up the once noble streets, deal with the vice and the stain on our glorious empire.
How did you find yourself in your current predicament/on your current adventure? My adventure? I suppose it is. I avenge my brother, I avenge those who have fallen to the pox. I do it for her – the shining icon of decency and family life. She whose character is unstained.
Who are your companions? I have none, except the beast and the blade.
What is your moral code? How does it compare with the general moral code of your area? You mean the whores, the drunkards, the gamblers and the dens of vice? I come to solve the problems of the streetwalkers and their filth. I serve the common good. I serve in her name.
How many crimes have you committed? Five or five hundred – it matters not.
How do you think others see you? They fear me. My reign of terror has them cowering but still some ply their trade. I hear the cry of the newsboy on the corner when my night’s work is done, and the beast laughs. I want them to fear the blade in the night. I want them to smell the blood.
Do you see yourself as a ‘good’ person? I kill the tainted, the corrupt and the wicked. I serve the empire, I serve her.
What is your greatest achievement? The Double Event – two in one night!
If you could live your life again would you make the same choices? Of course
Do you have any dirty secrets? You have no idea!
Why should we read about your adventures? I will be a legend, a myth. I will disappear and yet my name will live forever.
***
Author – A. L. Butcher
Jack appears here:
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
Amazon UK http://amzn.to/2xdkprc
Amazon.com http://amzn.to/2v6EUsb
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Audio
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May 28, 2020
Meet my Character Week – Talfor Var #Fantasy
Who are you? I am Lord Talfor Var. I am son to Shaman Kherak Var and Hirik Lord of the Var forces. I command the Hirik – the shape-changers you would say – and the non-Hirik warriors of the Trollkind in the community of Varris.
I speak your Common Tongue but not frequently and so my words seem strange to you.
Tell us a little about your world. Trollkind live in Erana, and my tribe live on Helmerri Plateau among Jagged Peak Mountains. My kind tend to avoid the human cities – they think us barbarians because our ways are different. All trolls have some magic – some be Shaman, or Priestess, or Hirik Lord, and some be craftswoman, or warrior, or Past-seer, or storyteller. Magic is forbidden in Erana – the Order of Witch-Hunters forbid it and will kill user of magic if they catch him.
Trollkind keep to the mountains and the rugged places and our ways. We trade with other tribes and humans for what we cannot produce ourselves. Witch-Hunter – he tends not to bother Trollkind in their towns – he does not like fighting large bears, and strong women. He prefers the weak and the cowed. Yet the Witch-Hunters will come sooner or later – this we know.
How did you find yourself in your current predicament/on your current adventure? My mother is Shaman of our tribe – to you that would be Sorcerer-Queen. She is seer, guide, mother, warrior, healer, and adviser. The human lord Archos of Tremellic came to us for aid. He is father to my sister, Mirandra – our Shamania– and once mate of my mother. He came seeking advice and guidance to retrieve a magic necklace from abandoned temple in our domain. Is dangerous place – full of ghosts and monsters. Temple of the Sky has not been used for many years. The route is treacherous, and humans and elves would not find it alone.
Mother has seen War Which Will Come, and darkness over the land – she knows Archos has a part to play in how it ends. Who will be the victor? That we do not know. Mother said ‘All paths lead to war’ and the Trollkind will not shirk from duty or combat.
Who are your companions? Mir’Rillith – Lord Archos – the Sorcerer Lord from the human valley in the hills; his elven mate – the Lady Dii’Athella, Olek and Ozena of the Elfkind, the human Marden – a warrior, and his elven scholar who has many secrets.
How many crimes have you committed? Troll Lord would not commit crime, it is dishonourable. We have no need to steal. I have killed in combat but not through rage or passion.
The Witch-Hunters who run the human and elven lands would say I am user of magic, son of magic, protector of magic and declare me outlaw.
In my community I am respected and honourable; in Witch-Hunter law I am criminal.
What trait do you prize most highly in others? Why? Honour and courage, selflessness. Without honour a person falls to weakness. Honour may be to Shaman, or his lord, or her kin, or his land, for example. If one cannot offer others kindness and help then one cannot expect same in return.
What trait do you abhor most in yourself or others? Cowardice. Preying on the weak and harming children.
Would you die for those you love? Would you kill for them? – Yes. I am sworn to protect my Shaman, my Shamania and those I serve.
Do you believe in a god/s? Ethnii’a the Goddess of the Sky blesses us. There are gods and magical creatures all around us – if we honour them as is due they may help us.
Do you believe in magic? What a foolish question. Of course.
Why should we read about your adventures? We go to find a stolen item, we go to seek a long lost city. We go to free the land from a curse.
Mandatory info (author):
Author’s name: A. L. Butcher
Link to book or books where this character appears.
The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book II
Who rules in this game of intrigue where magic is forbidden, and elves enslaved? Journey where beliefs shatter like glass, truth is unwelcome and monsters from ancient times abound: share the romance and revenge, magic and passion, and the wages of greed in a world of darkest fantasy.
(18 rated)
Now in audio narrated by Shakespearean actor Rob Goll.
Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/ShiningCitadel
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The Stolen Tower – the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book III
What stalks the land cannot be but is.
Where magic is outlawed a troll Shaman calls from her deathbed to her heiress, Mirandra Var, daughter of the storm. Mirandra vows to find her missing kin, sort friend from foe, and claim the dangerous secrets guarded by unthinkable creatures. If she succeeds, she will become the leader of her tribe. If she fails, there will be no tribe to lead.
Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/StolenTower
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Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/649087
IndieBound https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781519600707
Angus and Robertson https://www.angusrobertson.com.au/ebooks/the-stolen-tower-the-light-beyond-the-storm-chronicles—book-iii-a-l-butcher/p/9781311973153
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