Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 3

2024 Recap

We’ve made it through another rotation around the sun. Hurray us! What happened during this time? Lots. Let’s recap in a bullet list summary in case you missed some:

World Mother Ascension: An Ash Born Novel released in January as an ebook newsletter exclusive. If you don’t have it, hit reply and I’ll send it to you.Obsidian’s Command: Ash Born Book Two released in October and it reached BookRaid’s bestseller.My short story Human, in The Whumpboratory by The Whumpy Printing Press, was released in October.My short story Respect the Monkey, in Violent Advents: A Christmas Horror Anthology, was released in December.Relaunched my website (twice) letting readers buy directly from me.Awarded first place in BookFest 2024 Fall in two categories for World Mother Ascension and second place in Author Shout Recommended Read for Crystal Moth Conspiracy.Presented at the Wine Country Writer’s Festival in Penticton, British Columbia in October. First in-person speaking event since 2019.I had two in-person signings since moving to Vancouver, first time.I hit my 10-year anniversary for freelancing as a graphic design and web developer.I re-wrote my cosmic horror novel. More on that to come.

What will 2025 comprise? Let’s find out.

The post 2024 Recap appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Manybooks Interview: Obsidian’s Command

I am pleased to be on manybooks.net’s featured author section to chat about my latest book, Obsidian’s Command. We discuss:

What its aboutInspirationLola CabelloAsh DrugTransmedia StorytellingThe MacrocosmScalebaneReal-world concerns of power and corruptionScifi, myth, and fantasy themesWhat’s nextRead the Interview

The post Manybooks Interview: Obsidian’s Command appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Here Be Dragons: Where the Map Ends, Adventure Begins

I am pleased to share that I will be at the Here Be Dragons Mini-con hosted by the WCSFA – West Coast Science Fiction Association. There will be costumes, games, panels, presentations, readings, workshops, and of course . . . the Cave of Vendors where I will be signing copies of my novels.

When? October 24 from 10am – 6pm

Where? Burnaby BCIT Campus, 3700 Willingdon Ave, Burnaby BC, Bldg SE02 & SE06

Grab your ticket!

The post Here Be Dragons: Where the Map Ends, Adventure Begins appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Interview on Bold Journey: New Novel and Imposter Syndrome

New interview: I chat about my latest novel Obsidian’s Command and overcoming Imposter Syndrome.
Link in bio.

Read the Interview

The post Interview on Bold Journey: New Novel and Imposter Syndrome appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Featured on Positively Literary Halloween Special

A thank you to Positively Literary for featuring me on their Halloween special episode where I chat about why people enjoy horror and why I enjoy writing it. Watch the episode below:

Follow them from the links below:

Youtube

Facebook

The post Featured on Positively Literary Halloween Special appeared first on Konn Lavery.

World Mother Ascension Award

Some great news happened over the weekend – World Mother Ascension placed first in two categories within The BookFest‘s 2024 Fall Awards!
Fiction – Fantasy – Dark, Fiction – Fantasy – Urban

This book was an experiment from conception to launch. The story happens in parallel with my horror cult novel Cultivate (Seed Me). Protagonist Synarion faces the cult’s goddess – the World Mother – and their planned apocalypse.

I am honored to receive the recognition.
Thank you!

If you haven’t downloaded the newsletter exclusive ebook, do so here.

The post World Mother Ascension Award appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Simon Rose and Konn Lavery chat about Obsidian’s Command

I am pleased to return on fellow Canadian author Simon Rose’s blog to chat about my new novel, Obsidian’s Command. We cover:

This is a sequel to your 2023 novel, Crystal Moth Conspiracy, correct?Lola Cabell is the main character, as you mentioned. What made her take centre stage?The Macrocosm? Let���s refresh readers on what that is.How does Obsidian���s Command fit in The Macrocosm?Who���s your favourite character in the book?Who���s your least favourite character in the book?And what���s next for you?Read the Interview

The post Simon Rose and Konn Lavery chat about Obsidian’s Command appeared first on Konn Lavery.

An Untimely Death: Calgarian Author Sime Rose’s New Novel

My guest today is author Simon Rose, who has published nineteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Today, we’re looking at his latest novel for young adults, An Untimely Death.

So, what’s the book all about?

An Untimely Death is an exciting science fiction and historical fantasy adventure for young adults. When Peter’s great-grandfather, Ted, passes away, Peter is looking through his belongings in the attic. Peter knows about Ted’s experiences with the Canadian Army in World War II and absentmindedly flips a coin. To his astonishment, Peter finds himself in the heat of battle in 1944, where he embarks on a highly dangerous mission to ensure that history is placed back on track.

And what’s the story behind the story?

In the present day, Peter is fourteen and lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He’s long known about the stories concerning the experiences of his great-grandfather during World War II. Peter knows that Ted participated in the invasion of Normandy in 1944, then in the Allied advance across Europe and into the Netherlands and Germany following D-Day.

When Ted passes away, Peter is looking through his great-grandfather’s belongings. Peter looks at some of Ted’s campaign medals, although Ted’s friend, Frank, had received the Military Medal, after saving the life of a young Dutch girl. The medal was awarded posthumously since Frank had been killed in action shortly after his heroic act. Peter also examines an old coin, which he knows Ted had found in a ruined house during the fighting in the Netherlands. The coin depicts the head of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and Peter is aware that Princess Juliana, who later became the Queen, lived in Ottawa during the war, establishing strong links between Canada and the Netherlands.

When Peter flips the coin, the attic around him vanishes. To his astonishment, Peter finds himself in the Battle of the Scheldt in the Southern Netherlands in 1944. He encounters the younger versions of Ted and Frank, as well as the Dutch girl, but Peter’s presence in the past has disastrous consequences for the world he knows when he returns to his own era. Suspecting that he may have very limited opportunities to make a difference, Peter embarks on a highly dangerous mission to ensure that history is placed back on track, before it’s too late.

You must have done quite a lot of historical research for this novel.

Yes, the story, main characters, and some of the settings in this novel are fictional but are based on true events that took place in World War II. I did lots of research into the latter stages of the conflict, the Canadian soldiers and their battles to liberate the Netherlands, the connections between the Dutch Royal Family and Canada, the beginnings of the Canadian Tulip Festival after the war, and the links between Canada and the Netherlands that still exist today.

Following the story, the glossary has links to online sources where readers can learn more about the historical events, military campaigns, settings, and leading characters from World War II that are featured in the story. On my website, there’s a page dedicated to the book, along with links to separate pages featuring information regarding the book’s historical background and links to many online sources.

What are you currently working on?

I always have a few current projects and right now I’m working on another historical fantasy novel series, this time set in the early years of World War II. I’m also working on more books in the same genre as my previously published paranormal Flashback series, a fantasy series, and a historical fiction novel. I also continue to work on the adaptations of my Shadowzone series into screenplays for movies and TV shows, some other scripts, as well as teaching writing courses at the University of Calgary.

Anyone interested in keeping up to date with the projects that I’m working on is always welcome to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which you can do at www.simon-rose.com.

You work with other authors, as well as on a variety of projects related to writing and publishing, don’t you?

Yes, I offer coaching, editing, consulting, and mentoring services for writers of novels, short stories, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and in many other genres, plus do work with writers of scripts and screenplays. I’m also a writing instructor and mentor at the University of Calgary and served as the Writer-in-Residence with the Canadian Authors Association. You can find details of some of the projects I’ve worked on with other authors, along with some references and recommendations, at www.simon-rose.com.

So where can people buy An Untimely Death?

The book can be purchased at most of the usual places, as follows:

Ebook: Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Kobo, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Scribd, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany, Amazon France, Amazon Japan, Smashwords

Paperback: Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Amazon UK

Thanks Simon, for being my guest here today and the very best of luck with the An Untimely Death. I hope that the book sells thousands and thousands of copies in the coming months.

You can learn more about Simon and his work on his website at www.simon-rose.com, where you can also link to him on social media and at other locations online.

The post An Untimely Death: Calgarian Author Sime Rose’s New Novel appeared first on Konn Lavery.

An Untimely Death: Calgarian Author Sime Rose���s New Novel

My guest today is author Simon Rose, who has published nineteen novels for children and young adults, eight guides for writers, more than a hundred nonfiction books, and many articles on a wide variety of topics. Today, we���re looking at his latest novel for young adults, An Untimely Death.

So, what���s the book all about?

An Untimely Death is an exciting science fiction and historical fantasy adventure for young adults. When Peter���s great-grandfather, Ted, passes away, Peter is looking through his belongings in the attic. Peter knows about Ted���s experiences with the Canadian Army in World War II and absentmindedly flips a coin. To his astonishment, Peter finds himself in the heat of battle in 1944, where he embarks on a highly dangerous mission to ensure that history is placed back on track.

And what���s the story behind the story?

In the present day, Peter is fourteen and lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He���s long known about the stories concerning the experiences of his great-grandfather during World War II. Peter knows that Ted participated in the invasion of Normandy in 1944, then in the Allied advance across Europe and into the Netherlands and Germany following D-Day.

When Ted passes away, Peter is looking through his great-grandfather���s belongings. Peter looks at some of Ted���s campaign medals, although Ted���s friend, Frank, had received the Military Medal, after saving the life of a young Dutch girl. The medal was awarded posthumously since Frank had been killed in action shortly after his heroic act. Peter also examines an old coin, which he knows Ted had found in a ruined house during the fighting in the Netherlands. The coin depicts the head of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, and Peter is aware that Princess Juliana, who later became the Queen, lived in Ottawa during the war, establishing strong links between Canada and the Netherlands.

When Peter flips the coin, the attic around him vanishes. To his astonishment, Peter finds himself in the Battle of the Scheldt in the Southern Netherlands in 1944. He encounters the younger versions of Ted and Frank, as well as the Dutch girl, but Peter���s presence in the past has disastrous consequences for the world he knows when he returns to his own era. Suspecting that he may have very limited opportunities to make a difference, Peter embarks on a highly dangerous mission to ensure that history is placed back on track, before it���s too late.

You must have done quite a lot of historical research for this novel.

Yes, the story, main characters, and some of the settings in this novel are fictional but are based on true events that took place in World War II. I did lots of research into the latter stages of the conflict, the Canadian soldiers and their battles to liberate the Netherlands, the connections between the Dutch Royal Family and Canada, the beginnings of the Canadian Tulip Festival after the war, and the links between Canada and the Netherlands that still exist today.

Following the story, the glossary has links to online sources where readers can learn more about the historical events, military campaigns, settings, and leading characters from World War II that are featured in the story. On my website, there���s a page dedicated to the book, along with links to separate pages featuring information regarding the book���s historical background and links to many online sources.

What are you currently working on?

I always have a few current projects and right now I���m working on another historical fantasy novel series, this time set in the early years of World War II. I���m also working on more books in the same genre as my previously published paranormal Flashback series, a fantasy series, and a historical fiction novel. I also continue to work on the adaptations of my Shadowzone series into screenplays for movies and TV shows, some other scripts, as well as teaching writing courses at the University of Calgary.

Anyone interested in keeping up to date with the projects that I���m working on is always welcome to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, which you can do at www.simon-rose.com.

You work with other authors, as well as on a variety of projects related to writing and publishing, don���t you?

Yes, I offer coaching, editing, consulting, and mentoring services for writers of novels, short stories, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, and in many other genres, plus do work with writers of scripts and screenplays. I���m also a writing instructor and mentor at the University of Calgary and served as the Writer-in-Residence with the Canadian Authors Association. You can find details of some of the projects I���ve worked on with other authors, along with some references and recommendations, at www.simon-rose.com.

So where can people buy An Untimely Death?

The book can be purchased at most of the usual places, as follows:

Ebook: Amazon Canada, Amazon USA,��Kobo,��iBooks, Barnes and Noble,��Scribd, Amazon UK, Amazon Germany,��Amazon France,��Amazon Japan,��Smashwords

Paperback: Amazon Canada, Amazon USA, Amazon UK

Thanks Simon, for being my guest here today and the very best of luck with the An Untimely Death. I hope that the book sells thousands and thousands of copies in the coming months.

You can learn more about Simon and his work on his website at www.simon-rose.com, where you can also link to him on social media and at other locations online.

The post An Untimely Death: Calgarian Author Sime Rose���s New Novel appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Canadian Comics Vancouver Comic and Toy Expo October

I’ll be at my first Vancouver comic convention this October 21-22 at the Canadian Comics Vancouver Comic and Toy Convention.

Get the Show Info Today

The post Canadian Comics Vancouver Comic and Toy Expo October appeared first on Konn Lavery.