Andrew Q. Gordon's Blog, page 26

Champion of the Gods: Yar-del

When I began writing the series, I think the first ‘place’ I envisioned was Haven and the Plaines of Gharaha. Yar-del City, however, is probably my favorite place in the ‘world.’ When Honorus sent His servant to Ardus, the lord of the gods tasked Kel with creating a kingdom in the virtually unsettled lands. Legend has it that Honorus, in the guise of a white eagle, guided Kel to the spot where he’d build his ‘gleaming city by the sea.’

As a wizard whose lifespan would be measured in centuries, not decades, Kel took his time with the construction of his throne city. Unlike other cities, which grew up around something—a fortress, town, trade center—Kel laid out his city from the first stone and included plans for future growth. He also had the assistance of small army of dwarves who relished the opportunity to build a lasting monument above ground.

Situated on a plateau overlooking the Kessan Ocean, Yar-del City didn’t lend itself to the sprawl that over large cities eventually experienced. And with the crown forbidding construction in and around the city, Yar-del City remained the way Kel envisioned when he began construction.

Farrell favored the high walls overlooking the sea. Other than the time spent with his mother, fondest memories of Yar-del were time times he sat on the walls and listened to the ocean crashing against the rocks below.

When we meet Farrell in The Last Grand Master, Yar-del had been conquered almost ten years prior. We never actually get to see Yar-del City in the series, in First Love, we get to see a tiny slice of the city. (I think, however, we will visit the city during book four if things go as I’ve planned)

There are times that really wish I could paint or draw so that I could transfer the image in my head to paper. Maybe by the time we get to book four I can find who can create the city as I see it so very one reading can see what Farrell sees when he refers back to the city. Until then, it stays where it is.

Champion of the Gods: Grand Master Kel

Of all the great wizards throughout history, none receive the same attention as Grand Master Kel, first king of Yar-del. Kel was the second youngest of seven sons born to Bren and Geena, farmers who lived in the ancient kingdom of Kentar in what is Dumbarten.

At the age of twelve, a wizard-priest recognized his potential and he was sent to the temple of Honorus in Kentar to begin his training. As with most wizards who should the potential to be a high-level master or grand master wizard, after rudimentary training, he was sent to a temple of Falcon to further his education.

When Kel attained master status, he rejected the traditional roles of a wizard. Instead of remaining with the temple or attaching himself to a king or great lord, Kel returned home to help his family and neighbors better their lives. His choice to use his skills to aid farmers earned him the distain of his contemporaries, but taught him how magic could be used in way others hadn’t envisioned.

Kel had only been home a few years when the Great War began in Trellham. The Six called upon Their supporters and Kel answered the call as one of Honorus’s wizards. Because he left the temple, he’d never been formally granted grand master status. The other great wizards of the day denied Kel a place on the council that guided the war effort and gave him a role supporting the army.

Despite the slight by the other magi, Kel proved himself a powerful wizard during the war, even making friends with Rothdin, King of the peregrines. The fighting ground to a stalemate until Seritia devised a plan to end the war. All it required was a wizard powerful and wise enough to cast the spell.

The wizards on the council each attempted the spell with great fanfare, confident they were the one Seritia meant to do Her bidding. The council rejected Kel’s request to attempt the spell, referring to him as the peasant’s wizard. King Rothdin used his position as the first servant of Honorus to insisted Kel be allowed to try. Because he didn’t accept the conventional wisdom that what had always been done was the only way, he was able to carry out Seritia’s will. On day the legend was born.

After the war, Honorus sent Kel to the largely unsettled continent of Ardus to found a new kingdom. Kel called his new kingdom Yar-del and put his skills using magic to help the people to good use. Yar-del flourished and its people grew rich.

Knowing that wealth and prosperity often drew enemies, Kel created a Source to help defend his kingdom. Kel’s Source had near infinite storage capacity for magical energy. Unlike other storage containers, the Source allowed multiple wizards to store and call upon arcane power when needed. Kel hoped the Source would give him and his successors an advantage over their enemies. And thought Kel would share many of his discoveries with the world, he kept the spells for creating a Source secret, even from his heirs. Only when one assumed the throne of Yar-del could they unlock the spells.

Kel spent life trying to find ways to use his powers for the good of the common people instead of the great lords or kings. Even as a king he sought ways to use magic to make the lives of his people better. The great irony of his legacy was history remembered him more for the great magics he created and not the little every day spells he crafted that made daily tasks easier.

At the height of his power, Kel left Yar-del unseen. He left behind a note telling his successor all he needed to know and was not seen in public again. His disappearance fueled two thousand years of speculation as to his whereabouts. At first it was believed he’d grown tired of ruling, and left to return to a simpler life. But as the centuries rolled on and Kel never returned, the speculation turned to the time and manner of his death. It was unheard of even for a wizard to live three thousand years and even the great Kel couldn’t cheat death.

Even in death Kel proved better than his contemporaries as he hid all trace of his passing. Scores of wizards searched in vain for clues about what happened to Kel hoping to some undiscovered artifact or book of magic.

As the Champion of the Six, Farrell is going to learn that Kel may hold the key to winning the war. As such, we will see many more references to Kel as the series unfolds.

Champion of the Gods: Neldin

Although hardly a secondary character, what would the book be without the ultimate bad guy. Neldin’s importance is mainly ‘off page.’ He will make appearances during the series, but they will be brief, as the gods are not allowed to directly interfere. Despite his lack of ‘face time’ on page, Neldin is the architect of the war and it is his hand that guides Meglar. I thought a bit of background on him would help understand the entire series.

Neldin and the Great War: From A History of Nendor

In the beginning the seven gods of Nendor banded together to create the world. Each took some part of the world over which to hold sway. Each was permitted to guide and indirectly aid their followers, but they were not permitted to directly intervene in the affairs of the world. Any direct action by one god against the followers of another would all the aggrieved to take steps to right the wrong.

While the others sought dominion over the skies, earth and seas or chose to guide people’s hearts, minds or arms, Neldin chose to guide people on to the afterlife. He maintained the system where some were granted eternal peace, some were reborn and a small few were cast into Neblor, the place of eternal darkness that matched their souls.

During the first age of history, worship to Neldin was part of daily life. Even if He was not viewed as favorably as His siblings, prudence demanded appropriate offers be made during one’s life to avoid being sent to Neblor. For thousands of years, Neldin kept shut the Eight Gates of Neblor and seemed content with His domain.

But Neldin secretly desired more than the dark recesses of His realm could provide. He longed for dominion over the entire world, not just the power to decide what happened to the souls after death. From His dark realm, He plotted and schemed. He watched His siblings for signs of weakness that He could exploit. Finally after thousands of year, He devised a plan.

Using the dwarves of Trellham, Neldin incited a class war between the poor, of whom there were many, and the rich. Poor and rich were defined not just by coin and wealth, but also in love. Neldin sought those who felt spurned or wronged by one whose love they desired.

Manipulating His devotees, Neldin convinced His followers in the dwarf kingdom of Trellham to attack on Khron’s temple. Neldin’s true intentions however became clear only after the battle began. After bottling up Khron’s forces, Neldin’s supporters launched an attack on Seritia’s temple and razed it to the ground.

Angered at Neldin’s deception and cowardly attack on Seritia’s house, Khron allowed his rage to take control just as Neldin had hoped. Lashing out, Khron destroyed His brother’s temple before His siblings could stop Him.

Free to take a like action, Neldin launched the second half of His plans. Opening the Eight Gates of Neblor, He sent His dark hordes into Trellham through the shattered remains of His temple. Neldin nearly over destroyed the dwarf kingdom, but Seritia found a way to close the Gates.

When the Great War ended, worship to Neldin dropped off almost entirely. His temples were razed and His few remaining followers hounded into hiding. But time has no meaning to a god and Neldin licked His wounds and used his few, but loyal followers to plot His next move.

Neldin’s importance to the story, and to Farrell in particular, will become clearer at the series continues. Without giving away too much, there is a connection between Farrell and Neldin that none of the people closest to Farrell knew about. How Farrell handles the God of Death will affect the ultimate outcome of the war.

Champion of the Gods – Meglar

There are a number of characters who have an impact on the story, but whom we never meet. Meglar is one of those. Although we will meet him at some point in the story—I can’t even imagine the hate mail I’d get if I tried to resolve the final conflict between Farrell and Meglar in any fashion other than a face-to-face fight—in The Last Grand Master and The Eye and the Arm, Meglar doesn’t appear personally. That lack of face time does not, however, diminish his importance.

In First Love we learn about Meglar from Queen Zenora, something we can’t do in The Last Grand Master or The Eye and the Arm because she died before the book opens. Yar-del and Zargon had been bitter enemies almost since the two kingdoms were founded three thousand years before the story takes place. In an attempt to end the centuries of on again off again warfare, King Falon of Zargon approached King Bren of Yar-del and suggested the two heirs, Prince Meglar and Princess Zenora, join (what marriage is called on Nendor) and unite the two kingdoms.

King Bren didn’t agree to the idea, but he allowed Meglar to court his daughter and if she was interested, he would agree. We learn in First Love that others warned Bren and Zenora not to be swayed by Meglar’s good looks and charm and look deeper, but we know that didn’t happen. For personal and political reasons, Zenora agreed to the proposal. When they had a son, Halloran, there was hope that both kingdoms would view the child as one of theirs. Lasting peace, though maybe a generation away, seemed at hand.

Meglar’s deception changed all of that. It is not clear if King Falon knew of his son’s true purpose, but as Meglar’s first action upon returning to Zargon was to kill his father, it appears Falon wasn’t privy to what his son had planned. Still, it’s hard to believe Meglar acted alone given how elaborate nature of his scheme. That is something that will be explored in the rest of the series.

As is suggested in the prequel, prior to stealing Yar-del’s Source, Meglar was handsome and charming. Given his status as crown prince of Zargon, he was one of the Seven Kingdom’s most eligible bachelors. This image is in stark contrast to dark, vicious wizard-king we meet throughout the series. One of the side goals of First Love was to try to put into context what appears to be a baffling decision by Queen Zenora to join with Meglar in the first place.

Meglar’s face was badly disfigured during his fight with Bren and Zenora when he tried to flee with the Yar-del Source. The scars never fully disappear despite Meglar’s access to healers whose skills bordered on magical. Though his injuries were the result of his malicious acts toward his wife and her family, they are thought to have played a small role in his future actions. He vowed revenge on Zenora for what she did to him, though it is hard to believe he didn’t have plans to conquer Yar-del when he plotted to steal the Source.

In addition, once he returned to Zargon, Meglar reinstated worship to Neldin. That more than anything sums up what happened to him. Neldin’s original attempt to subjugate the world was thwarted by Kel, who founded Yar-del. Conquering the symbol of the man who defeated his god was Meglar’s way of sending a message to the world that not even Kel’s heir could stop him.

Fortunately for Nendor, Farrell is not just Kel’s heir.

Champion of the Gods – Grand Master Heminaltose

When The Champion of the Gods begins with The Last Grand Master, Grand Master Heminaltose is dead. He died at Yar-del, along with Queen Zenora so we only get bits and pieces of him and his personality during the books.

Heminaltose was Farrell’s first and most important teacher and helped shape his student’s character. He considered the latter task his most important. As the son of both Queen Zenora and Meglar, Heminaltose kept a close watch on Farrell. Any sign his student might turn out like his father would require Heminaltose to take swift action to neutralize this threat. Always mindful he might need to kill his student, Heminaltose maintained as much distance as he could with Farrell.

Heminaltose was over a thousand years old when he died, many considered him the greatest wizard of his time. By the time Heminaltose was born, Grand Master Kel had been gone for over a thousand years. No one saw him die, but no one saw him again after he abdicated the throne of Yar-del. A contemporary of Kel’s, Grand Master Beatrice, taught Heminaltose for the first few years of his training, but she died when he was still a young man. History would debate who was the better wizard, Kel or Beatrice, but once they were gone, there was no one to challenge Heminaltose’s claim until Meglar rose to power.

Unlike Kel, who was an innovator, Heminaltose was more of a perfectionist. Kel liked to test the limits and find new ways to use magic, whereas Heminaltose experimented with how use magic more efficiently. The two never met, and it was unlikely they would have been friends.

Several centuries before his death, Heminaltose found the entrance to an abandoned outpost of Trellham on the plains of Gharaha. Though Heminaltose never spoke of it, Honorus led him to the spot with instructions to build his new school inside the abandon town. To the world, he told the story that he was search for somewhere to build his school and chanced upon the partially damaged gates.

When Meglar stole the Source from Yar-del, King Bren of Yar-del and Heminaltose made plans to enlarge the living area to accommodate the survivors of Yar-del should it fall. With time it began more evident that Meglar’s theft would give him an insurmountable edge, Heminaltose and Queen Zenora, Bren’s daughter, expanded the sanctuary against the day all the Seven Kingdoms fell.

Of course Farrell knew nothing about the instructions his mother and grandfather gave Heminaltose. To Farrell, his teacher was aloof and disinterested in him as a person. In truth, Heminaltose cared for Farrell a great deal, but never showed it for fear he’d get too close to his student should he need to take action.

Although Heminaltose dies before the series proper begins, he will be ‘appear’ throughout the series. He had too great an influence on Farrell to be relegated to a sentence or two in passing. My hope is do a few more free prequels during the series and a younger Heminaltose is near the top of the list to have his own story.

Champion of the Gods: Queen Zenora

Queen Zenora of Yar-del is one of the more tragic characters in the story. Like Heminaltose, she doesn’t survive the open campaign of the war. In the Prequel—First Love— and in the flash backs through Farrell’s eyes, I tried to show the true strength of Zenora.

Zenora is the only surviving child of King Bren. In her own right, she is a very powerful wizard. Her power is often over shadowed by those around her, specifically Heminaltose, her teacher, mentor and ally. Meglar’s meteoric rise to influence upon the stolen energy of Yar-del also obscures Zenora’s true power.

But that just speaks to her strength as a wizard. What about her as a person? When King Falon of Zargon proposed that Meglar and Zenora married, King Bren and others had their doubts, but he allowed the prince of Zargon to court his daughter. A marriage between the two houses promised an end to thousands of years of conflict.

True to her calling as a princess of Yar-del, Zenora agreed to the courtship. In the end she agreed to marry Prince Meglar, unaware that he has been deceiving her all along. Within a few years, Meglar’s ultimate goal is revealed—to get close enough to Zenora to be able to steal Yar-del’s Source, the foundation of its power.

Zenora had to live with the fact that because she Meglar was able to deceive her, the world at large suffered from his rise to power. Adding to her pain, the gutting of the Source affected the health of her father, King Bren. Yar-del’s Source not only supplied the kingdom with its vast power advantage, it served to bind the monarch to the land. The damage to the Source caused Bren to irreparable physical damage to her father and caused his death centuries sooner than otherwise would have happened.

As if all of that wasn’t enough to heap on Zenora, before Meglar fled with his stolen energy, he tried to take his son with him. Fearful that Meglar might capture the boy and turn him against the world, King Bren, with Heminaltose’s agreement, ordered that Halloran could not be allowed to live. In a staged and very public scene, Heminaltose ripped the screaming child from his mother’s arms and disappeared through a waiting door. King Bren sent out an edict that he’d ordered the child killed and his name stricken from the House of Kel.

In truth, Heminaltose took the child to his school at Haven, changed his name to Farrell and didn’t tell Farrell about his birthright until he was twelve. During those years, Zenora saw her son sporadically and could not acknowledge as anything more than Heminaltose’s student.

The Zenora we see in First Love is preparing for a war she knows she will lose and trying to spend time with her estranged son. Even though logically she knows sending him to Haven was for the best, her heart still grieves for the child she lost.

One of the themes I want to show through out the series, is the love Farrell has for his mother and the ache he feels not only from her death, but from how little time they had together. First Love allowed me a brief opportunity to show how she much she cared for her son as well.

Kjartan The Gentle; by Catherine L. Byrne—Book Blast and Giveaway

Blurb:

916 A.D. East Anglia under the Danelaw.

In Dark Age Britain, you knew your place and if you didn’t keep to it, you faced the consequences…

Hot-blooded Kjartan, accidental hero, has settled down into married life, with a baby on the way. But when he meets handsome glass maker Lini, their unlawful relationship provokes angry and passionate reactions from their kinfolk.

They have to fight back against the prejudice of Norse culture, and find out who their real friends—and enemies—are. And this conflict leads to murder.

But who is the victim, and who the killer?

 

Tales of Forbidden Love From the Danelaw, Book 3

Release Date: February 1, 2015

Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Carmen Waters
Excerpt:

Lini then went to the kiln and put the glass blowing rod into it, collecting a blob of molten green glass. He wore gloves, but there were old burns on his arms above the glove cuff. He blew into the cloth mouthpiece of the iron rod carefully, and Kjartan gasped as the bubble expanded. Lini spun it round and held a tool to it, shaping it into a symmetrical bowl shape. When finished, he put it into the low-heated oven so it would cool down slowly and not crack. He then repeated the process a few more times.

By this time, Kjartan had completely forgotten what he was talking about and stood just gazing, mesmerised.

“It’s wholly different to fighting in a battle, yes?” Lini smiled and wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm. “Quite calming.”

Kjartan just nodded, staring at the sweat running down Lini’s tanned back.

“So, the fighting school? You got as far as saying what you were going to teach them.”

“Oh. Yes. I’ll think of something.” It was far too hot in the forge and stopped his mind from working properly.

Sales Links:

Amazon UK:

Amazon US:

eXtasy Books:

About the Author:

Catherine L Byrne amused herself writing as a hobby for some years until she had her daughter, but becoming a mum made her realise she now had a purpose and time was limited, so she must get on with writing seriously.

The winter of 2009 was severe and as she and her family live in a small village, they were house bound by unusually deep snow for southern England. So she settled down in her office (i.e. the corner of her bedroom) and began her first book, which was published in 2010.

She hasn’t stopped writing since, generally on the theme of forbidden or unrequited love, and often including erotic scenes.

 Find Catherine:

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Catherines-Creations-and-Concerns/235748973239333?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/catherinelbyrne

Blog: https://catherinelbyrne.wordpress.com/

Tour Stops:

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A Good Family Man; by Thianna Durston—Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Blurb:

Jack Carmichael’s natural instinct is to take care of people. In his job as a U.S. Marshal, he has done that for 25 years. Unfortunately, being married to his job has left his love life in tatters. Now classified unfit for duty, he retires and comes home to Colorado to figure things out. Dominant and used to taking control like his brother Brent, he has never been interested in spanking. Until a cute Nurse Practitioner catches his attention.

Josh Martin feels lucky. He’s not only accepted into Corbin’s Bend, but he’ll be working at the brand new Corbin’s Bend Medical Clinic as its only Nurse Practitioner. At thirty-two, he figures this is his last-ditch attempt at finding a dominant partner who isn’t abusive. He finds more than his share of dominant men in Corbin’s Bend, not the least of which are the Carmichael brothers. Brent’s dominance is both comforting and unnerving, Jack’s turns him on.

Josh is unlike any submissive male Jack has encountered and when the younger man asks him out, he decides to give it a go. One day of fun turns into two, three…until Jack, with more failed relationships than he can count in his past and unsure he can be the head of house Josh needs, leaves, burying himself once again in work. Forced to see the error of his decision, he puts aside the worries that have plagued him for months and returns to Corbin’s Bend. To become the good family man he wants to be, he has to earn back Josh’s trust and truly take on a role he’s never considered before: head of a loving discipline household.

Publisher: Blushing Books
Cover Artist: Anthony Walsh
Excerpt:

Leaping from his current spot, he landed on one of the pads down below, reveling in feeling alive for the first time in months. After chalking up his hands, he turned toward the man next to him who was stretching out his arms and gazing up at a particularly evil looking angle. “When do you have to go home?”

Looking over at him, for a moment Josh looked unsure of himself and finally he smiled, a cute dimple showing in his left cheek. “When I’m done. I didn’t actually forget anything. I just wanted to see you and, well, see if there was anything there.”

Grinning, Jack nodded as he looked at his watch. “Well, then. What do you think about dinner and possibly dancing later on at Tracks?”

Josh’s eyes practically popped out of his head. “I love Tracks! There’s a great bistro nearby. What do you say we meet there in…” He looked at his wristwatch. “Two hours? Then hit the club after?” The grin on his face would have been impossible to resist even if Jack had wanted to.

About the Author:

Thianna likes to say she’s eclectic, fun, and just a bit naughty. She can also add, subtract, multiply, and divide in her head, but if people ask her to do it at parties, she isn’t impressed. While she would love to say there wasn’t a genre she had read that she didn’t enjoy, it would be a lie. For some reason, she keeps skipping to the ends of mystery books to find out who done it.

The creator and acquisition editor for the Corbin’s Bend Romance series, she wants to know: Who else wants to be safe, secure, and spanked in Colorado?

Under the name Thianna Durston, she writes M/M romance. Under Thianna D., she writes M/F romance.

 

Where to Find Thianna:

Thianna’s Website – http://mm.thiannad.com/

Thianna’s Blog – http://blog.thiannad.com/

Facebook Author Page – https://www.facebook.com/ThiannaDurst...

Twitter – https://twitter.com/ThiannaDurston

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ThiannaD...

Tour Date and Stops:

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Giveaway:

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Release Day For The Eye And The Arm -

It’s finally release day. The Eye and the Arm has been a work in progress for a while. When I submitted book one in…wait, really? No way…yep way back in the Summer of 2012, I absolutely expected I’d have the next book released six months later and then a new one every six months until the series was finished. After all, the entire series is written in rough draft, how hard could it be to get them out like clockwork? Yeah, we see how that worked out.

For different reasons, none of which matter anymore, it took considerably longer to get book two out. The good news is Book Three—Kings of Lore and Legend is on schedule for a March ’16 release. And I’m very hopeful that the rest of the series will follow on schedule.

If you’ve not read Book One, The Last Grand Master, it’s still on sale for .99 cent but not for much longer, so get started now.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Title: The Eye And The Arm

Series: Champion of the Gods Book 2

BLURB: 

After defeating Meglar at Belsport, Farrell returns to Haven to recover from his injuries, but Khron, the god of war, has other ideas. He gives Farrell a new mission: free the survivors of the ancient dwarf realm of Trellham from their three-thousand-year banishment. To fulfill Khron’s near impossible task, Farrell will need the help of his distance ancestor, the legendary wizard Kel. But Kel has been dead for a thousand years.

Farrell finds information hinting that Kel is alive, so he moves his search to Dumbarten, Kel’s birthplace. To reach Dumbarten unannounced, Farrell and Miceral disguise themselves as mercenaries on board a merchant vessel. Their journey is disrupted when pirates attack their ship. While attempting to subdue the attack, Farrell is struck down by one of Meglar’s minions.

Unconscious and trapped in his own mind, Farrell’s only chance for survival rests with Miceral and the peregrine king Rothdin entering his thoughts and helping him sort fact from illusion. To reach Farrell, they will need to rely on an untested spell from one of Kel’s spellbooks. If they succeed, Miceral can guide Farrell home safely. If not, Farrell will destroy not only himself, but Miceral, Rothdin, and everyone around him.

DSP Publications

Length: 99,775 words/296 Pages

Release Date: April 14, 2015

Check out the Video Trailer:

  EXCERPT:

“Relax, my friend.” Klissmor’s voice calmed Miceral’s growing anxiety. “You won’t feel my presence.”

Miceral took a deep breath. “Will I be able to hear?”

“Every word. Ready?”

“No, but let’s do it.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

“I need your eyes open for everyone to see.”

He snapped his lids open, blinking several times before could focus again. “Sorry.”

“Master Teberus.” Miceral knew the words came from him, but as promised, he didn’t feel anything. “I have Masters Erstad and Wesfazial as well as Wizard-Priestess Glendora. Ask your questions to Miceral and we four will also hear you.”

“Astounding.” The elder Arlefor glanced at the high priestess. “All four at once?”

“Wizard.” Miceral had heard that tone enough to know Klissmor’s mood. “Maintaining this link, this far away with this many minds, is a strain. If we are to save Farrell, you must focus on him.”

“Of course. My apologies.” Teberus bowed deeply. “My examination of the one who did this to Farrell confirmed that he is no wizard.”

“Then how in the eight gates of Neblor did that man defeat Farrell?” Even though Teberus couldn’t know, Miceral recognized the voice as Wesfazial’s.

“The obvious answer is the correct one. A wizard gave this man the weapon.”

“But Farrell could defeat all four of us and all the other wizards you brought with you and not be tested.” Erstad’s steady temperament sounded tested. “No weapon used by a nonwizard should be capable of this.”

Teberus raised the crest of his hairless eyebrow. “But since that is what happened, we must use it as the basis of our search for a cure.”

No one answered. As the silence dragged on, Miceral’s anxiety slowly returned. If Haven’s senior wizards didn’t know what to do, who could?

“Tell us what happened.” Erstad’s request almost didn’t register with Miceral.

“No,” Klissmor said. “Show them. Let them see the memory.”

Miceral closed his eyes and focused on reliving the attack. The clarity of the image caused his chest to tighten, making it hard to breathe. He knew the result, but watching it again, almost in slow motion, added to his agony.

When the image played over again, he realized Klissmor must have been guiding his thoughts.

“My apologies, old friend—the need is great.” Klissmor’s voice didn’t interrupt the stream of images.

“Do whatever you need. Just find a way to save Farrell.”

“Your friends are doing all they can. Have faith that Lenore will send us what we need.”

When the memory started for the third time, he didn’t find any comfort in Klissmor’s assertion. The Six wouldn’t—couldn’t—help. He needed something that didn’t exist—a great wizard like Heminaltose or Kel.

“In theory, I recognize the magic.” Erstad sounded confused. “But I’ll need to find a reference to be sure.”

“What about Farrell?” He knew he shouted, or at least what Farrell told him passed for shouting, but he couldn’t prevent it. “He could be dead before you find that.”

“It can’t be helped, Miceral. I need to be sure before I suggest a counterspell. If I’m wrong, whatever I try might kill him.”

“He is in no immediate danger.” Teberus put his hand on Farrell’s forehead. “But my fear is the number of spells that draw on him for power. I can only give him but so much. If he doesn’t wake, his body will burn out.”

“Do what you can, Master Teberus. We’ll begin searching immediately and contact you when we find the answer.” When Erstad stopped speaking, Klissmor’s presence left with him.

“Hurry. Please.” Miceral knew no one heard him.

BUY LINKS

DSPP Link: http://www.andrewqgordon.com/2015/04/champion-of-the-gods-books-one-and-two-available-now/

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Eye-Champion-Gods-Book-ebook/dp/B00VGZB6SS

Amazon UK Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Eye-Champion-Gods-Book-ebook/dp/B00VGZB6SS

Are Omnilit Link: https://www.omnilit.com/product-theeyeandthearm-1773344-234.html

 GIVEAWAY

FIVE Winners will win one e-copy of ANY book* each from DSP Publication’s backlist.

*Giveaway is of any currently released DSPP book, which excludes the books that are on pre-order and “The Eye And The Arm”.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In The Flesh; by Ethan Stone – Guest Post & Giveaway

We are here today talking to Cristian Flesh and Colby Maddox of In the Flesh fame.  Thanks for being here.  Can you each tell us a little about yourself?

CF: Well, I’m a fucking awesome cop. And sexy as hell.  I’m pretty much the best at whatever I do. Oh yeah, I’m quite humble.

CM: How do I top that? Wait…I top him all the time. I’m a lawyer, a pretty good one I think. I somehow got pushed to help this guy, and I’m damn lucky. It was the best thing ever to happen to me

Can you each tell our readers what your first thought was upon meeting the other?

CF: I was stunned when this black guy walked in. He damn near filled the doorway. I figured he was some spoiled, arrogant rich dude. And I was right.

CM: Whatever. If anyone is spoiled, it’s you. I give you whatever you want. I was pretty taken with Cristian the minute I saw him. Not just his looks, though he was, is, drop dead gorgeous, but it was more than that. I could see something sad and beautiful in his eyes and wanted to know more.

Flesh, what is it about Colby that allows you to break your infamous rules?

CF: I wish I knew. I might’ve been able to maintain some control. Not that breaking the rules haven’t been fun. He’s able to see something in me no one else ever has. Colby cuts through my bullshit and even though I hate it, I also love it.

 Colby, you and Flesh have settled into an open relationship of sorts.  Have you been in such a relationship before?  Do you have any misgivings about the arrangement?

CM: I had an open relationship with a guy when I was younger, but that’s something I don’t talk about. I admit it’s not my preferred relationship, especially this early in being together, but I also know it’s what Cristian needs.

CF: By the way, even though I can sleep with other guys, I haven’t yet. I appreciate that Colby understands I need a little freedom.

Flesh – Why did you continue to investigate Sanchez’s murder after you were suspended?

CF: It was my goddamn life on the line. I didn’t trust anyone else to do it right. Lex, my partner, is a good cop, but there was only so much she could do. I’m wasn’t afraid to do whatever it took to my clear my name. Not everything I did was smart, but I didn’t think I had a choice.

Colby – At one point you say that you know how to get blood out of leather. How did you come by that information?

CM: The answer to that question is connected to the boyfriend I mentioned earlier. Things I don’t talk about.

Flesh – Would you ever consider getting married?

CF: Fuck no. Not because I don’t love Colby or want to spend the rest of my life with him. I do, on both accounts. But I don’t need a judge or a piece of paper to prove it. The paper means nothing to me; it’s just as easy to break your word as to break your vows. My promise comes from my heart.

Rapid Fire Time

Coffee, black or doctored?

CF: I like my men black, and my coffee doctored.

CM: Doctored.

Apple or Android?

CF: Android

CM: Apple

Pickup Truck or Sedan?

CF: Truck

CM: Corvette

Favorite beverage?

CF: Coffee

CM: Coffee

To-may-to or to-mah-to?

CM: To-mah-to

CF: Who gives a fuck?

Star Wars or Star Trek?

CM: Is there a difference?

CF: Star Wars

Sweet or Savory?

CF: Sour

CM: Sweet

Paper or Plastic?

CF: Plastic

CM: Paper

Dragon or Unicorn?

CF: Dragon

CM: Unicorn

Join us on 16 April at MM Good Book Reviews for Part 2 of the Colby/Flesh interview. And read through to the end to find out how to win an eCopy of one of Ethan Stone’s back list books.

Blurb:

 

Reno Detective Cristian Flesh is an out and unashamed cop, but his slutty ways might be his downfall. Cristian lives by a strict set of personal rules, preferring hook-ups and anonymous encounters to committed relationships. His guidelines work for him… until one of his tricks is murdered and he becomes the prime suspect.

Leave it to handsome lawyer Colby Maddox to save Cristian’s life. He takes the case and the attraction between them is quick and undeniable. After several passion-filled encounters with Colby, Cristian unexpectedly wants to break all his rules. However, before they can contemplate a future together, they’ll have to clear Cristian’s name and find the real murderer.

 

Series: Flesh Book 1

Author: Ethan Stone

Publisher: DSP Publications

Date: 7 April 2015

Edition: Second (re-edited and new cover art)

Sales Links:
DSP Publications:
Amazon US:
Amazon UK:
OminLit:

Author Bio

Ethan Stone is an out and proud gay man. Which is fairly new in his life, the out part, not the gay part. He’s been queer his whole life, though he tried to deny it for years with a wonderful woman. The years in denial weren’t all bad, he has two amazing kids out of it. His son is a teenager and his daughter has made him a grandfather, three times over. A way too young grandfather.

Ethan has returned to Oregon after almost a decade in Nevada. He no longer has a day job and is doing his best to make a living at this writing thing. If he can’t make a living, he at least wants to support his Mt. Dew and beef jerky addictions.

Readers can find Ethan online.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ethan.stone.54

Twitter: @ethanjstone

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+EthanStone92

Ello: @ethanstone92

Website: www.ethanjstone.com

Email: ethanstone.nv@gmail.com

Giveaway:

Ethan is giving away a eCopy of a backlist title at each stop. Please leave a comment to be entered.  All comment left by 11:59 pm, EST on April 19, 2015, will entered to win.