Brian McClellan's Blog, page 7

Page Break: A Podcast Hosted by Brian McClellan

It’s finally time! I’m excited to announce I’ve started a podcast called Page Break.

Page Break with Brian McClellan

Page Break is a collection of casual conversations between me and fellow creative professionals—like two friends sitting down over lunch to discuss career, craft, family, and hobbies.

Authorhood is a quiet sort of minor fame where the person behind the words is often obscured by the works they’ve created. I aim to use this podcast to find out more about my friends and colleagues.

Look forward to weekly conversations with creators like romantic fantasy author Charlie Holmberg, podcaster Veronica Belmont, epic fantasy author Peter V. Brett, science fiction author Wesley Chu, and many more!

Listen NowEpisode 1: Joseph Mallozzi

My first guest is writer and producer Joseph Mallozzi. Joe is known for his long stint with Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate Universe, as well as Dark Matter and Utopia Falls. Joe is also working with the production company that purchased the Powder Mage TV rights and he gives us a little insight into what that process looks like. We also talk about his start in children’s TV, navigating creative control inside Hollywood, and what it’s like to write collaboratively for the small screen.

Check the podcast out , and subscribe through your listening platform of choice!

From the Backlist: Ghosts of the Tristan Basin

Missing the Powder Mage Universe? Check out my backlist!

Ghosts of Tristan Basin is set eight months before the events of Promise of Blood and is also a great bridge to Sins of Empire, the first book in the Gods of Blood and Powder trilogy. This was the first glimpse readers got of Ben Styke before he was a viewpoint character in that book.

As you might expect from a cover featuring Taniel Two-Shot creeping through the swamps of Fatrasta, if you’re in the mood for another adventure with Taniel and Ka-Poel, this novella has you covered.

Here’s the official blurb:

Ghosts of the Tristan Basin

Taniel Two-Shot is a powder mage with the Tristan Ghost Irregulars, a band of volunteers who have made a name for themselves fighting in the Fatrastan Revolution. They range through the swamps of the frontier, cutting off enemy supplies and raiding towns while Taniel hunts the Privileged sorcerers that make the Kez armies so powerful.

When a desperate call for help comes from the nearby city of Planth, the Irregulars aren't the only ones to answer and Taniel must deal with another hero of the revolution: Mad Colonel Styke. But not all is well within the young Fatrastan government, and more hangs on the defense of Planth than Taniel and his companions could possibly know.

Available directly from Brian in ebook and hardcover and at popular retailers in ebook and audiobook!

Buy the Book Ebook from Brian Signed Hardcover Ebook bundle Hardcover bundleAudiobook and Ebook Available at Your Preferred Retailer! Amazon B&N Audible Kobo Apple Google iTunes Overdrive

BingeBooks Author Spotlight

Here’s something cool: I’m being featured as the Fantasy Spotlight Author at BingeBooks for the next two weeks!

I'm a founding author of Bingebooks and have neglected mentioning them until now, so indulge me for a little plug:

BingeBooks is a new—and free!—online community for book lovers designed to help folks discover new books and authors they’ll love.

One of the things that makes BingeBooks different is that you can read or listen to book chapters right away, interact with authors and other readers, and find deals to buy the book in whatever format you want all in one place.

It’s also an independent enterprise run by authors based on input from readers. The goal isn’t to sell you things you don’t want: it’s to help sort through all the stories out there to find the ones you do want to read. That’s why I’m one of the founding authors.

So take a look, sample my books or any others on the site, and find something great to read!

Check out BingeBooks

From the Backlist: Blood Tally

Looking for more great urban fantasy? Return to the paranormal underbelly of Cleveland Ohio!

Blood Tally is the second book in my fast-paced and action-packed urban fantasy series The Valkyrie Collections. If you'd like to re-familiarize yourself with the world, check out the wiki over on World Anvil!

Here’s some more trivia about this series: it’s set in my hometown! Most urban fantasy tends to take place in big cities like LA, Chicago, or New York. As a storyteller, I get why that happens, but as a rust belt kid, I wanted to see more representation of the Midwest.

So I set out to write a story about a Cleveland guy working a Cleveland job… collecting debts for the supernatural.

Here’s the official blurb about what Alek and Maggie get up to in this book:

Blood TallyValkyrie Collections Book 2

Alek Fitz is the lead reaper for Valkyrie Collections, an agency that gathers debts for the paranormal elements of the world. Bound into modern-day slavery by a contract he cannot break, sold by parents he never knew, Alek works alongside demons, spirits, witches, and even Death himself to collect on deals made with humanity.

When Alek is forced to take a job from a local vampire hunting down a run-away thrall, he is immediately thrust into a world of blackmail and backstabbing, where the Rules are nothing more than an inconvenience to ancient, supernatural predators. For the first time, Alek has more to fear from his clients than from his debtors.

But Alek is the best in the business. It’ll take more than a Vampire Lord to keep a good reaper down.

Available directly from Brian in ebook and hardcover and at popular retailers in ebook and audiobook!

Buy the Book Ebook Direct from Brian Signed HardcoverAudiobook read by Luke Daniels and
Ebooks available at your preferred retailer! Amazon Audible Apple B&N Kobo Google

From the Backlist: Uncanny Collateral

A lot of readers find me through the Powder Mage Universe, but did you know I also have an urban fantasy series?

Uncanny Collateral is the first of the Valkyrie Collections, novels that are fast, punchy books meant to be read in a couple of sittings, following a collection agent who works for the supernatural out of Cleveland, Ohio.

There are also audiobooks read by the fantastic Luke Daniels, known for his work on the best-selling Iron Druid series!

A bit of trivia on where this story came from: My last job before becoming an author was working for a collection agency in Cleveland, Ohio, and the idea of a supernatural collection agency had been floating around my head ever since. I finally put it to use for this series!

Here’s more about the first book:

Uncanny CollateralValkyrie Collections Book 1

Alek Fitz is a reaper, a collection agent who works for the supernatural elements of the world, tracking down debtors and solving problems for clients as diverse as the Lords of Hell, vampires, Haitian loa, and goblins. He’s even worked for the Tooth Fairy on occasion. Based out of Cleveland, Ohio, Alek is the best in the game. As a literal slave to his job, he doesn’t have a choice.

When Death comes looking for someone to track down a thief, Alek is flung into a mess of vengeful undead, supernatural bureaucracy, and a fledgling imp war. As the consequences of failure become dire, he has few leads, and the clock is ticking. Only with the help of his friend Maggie—an ancient djinn with a complex past—can he hope to recover the stolen property, save the world, and just maybe wring a favor out of the Great Constant himself.

It’s a hell of a job, but somebody’s got to do it...

Available directly from Brian in hardcover and ebook and at popular retailers in ebook and audiobook!

Buy the Book Ebook Direct from Brian Signed HardcoverAudiobook read by Luke Daniels and
Ebooks available at your preferred retailer! Amazon Audible Apple B&N Kobo Google

Promise of Blood Available in Spanish!

I’m super excited that Promise of Blood is now available in Spanish in Spain, Argentina, and Mexico!

I have several Spanish-speaking family members and they're thrilled. Many thanks to my Spanish publisher Gamon Fantasy for making this happen.

Here are some of the international bookstores where you can order copies.

SPAIN FNAC Casa del Libro El corte inglés CyberdarkMEXICO Gandhi El sótano La mexicana GonvillARGENTINA Cupside Yenny Eterna Cadencia Entelequia

From the Backlist: The Mad Lancers

Curious about what was happening elsewhere in the Powder Mage world? Check out my backlist!

The Mad Lancers is set twelve years before the events in Sins of Empire and explores the history of the Fatrastan war hero “Mad” Ben Styke. This is the story of the battle for Landfall that cemented a young colonial lancer’s fame and ended the Fatrastan War for Independence.

Two fun facts about this one:

The Mad Lancers won the Stabby Award for Best Novella!

There’s an official Mad Lancers ring licensed by Badali Jewelry that you can buy!

Pictures of those below, and here’s the official blurb for the novella:

The Mad Lancers

In the colonial cities and towns of Fatrasta, peace has never been easy. Immigrants fight amongst themselves or turn on the native population, while the governing power of the Kez Army steps in only to enforce the will of apathetic local governors assigned by a distant crown.

Young war hero Ben Styke commands a colonial garrison in a sleepy frontier suburb. When the governor’s cruel brother stops for the night, rising continental tensions force Styke to protect the people of his town in a brutal escalation that threatens to destroy everything—and everyone—he has fought for.

Available directly from Brian and at popular retailers in ebook and audiobook!

Buy the Book Ebook Direct from Brian Signed HardcoverEbook And Audiobook Available At Popular Retailers

The Mad Lancers with Stabby Award.

Buy the Mad Lancers Ring at Badali Jewelry.

From the Backlist: Murder at the Kinnen Hotel

In the mood for a Powder Mage read? Check out my backlist!

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel is a little different than the earlier stories, because it's a murder mystery! Set twenty-two years before the first trilogy, this novella features a young Adamat long before he became the private investigator you meet in Promise of Blood.

Here’s the official blurb:

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel

Special Detective Constable Adamat may be the most capable young investigator in all of Adopest. He's sharp, thoughtful, and his particular sorcery gives him a flawless memory. A transfer to the First Precinct seems like the perfect opportunity to showcase his abilities and advance his career. 

But things work differently in the First Precinct. The murder of a businessman's mistress quickly pulls Adamat into an unexpected world of conspiracy and politics where he's forced to use all his wits to stay one step ahead of unseen enemies and keep his friends—and himself—from the guillotine. 

Available directly from Brian and at popular retailers in ebook and audiobook!

Buy the Book Ebook Direct from Brian Powder Mage Novella Collection in Ebook Powder Mage Novella Collection in Hardcover (Signed)Ebook And Audiobook Available At Popular Retailers Amazon B&N Audible Kobo Apple Google iTunes OverDrive

Birthday Present! To You People Friends!

Hey everyone! It’s my birthday! And as as become a bit of a tradition, I’m giving away a novella to any and all who’d like it. Ghosts of the Tristan Basin follows Taniel Two-shot’s adventures in Fatrasta before the events of Promise of Blood. It can be read independently of the main Powder Mage books, but I recommend doing so after becoming familiar with the world. It’s free on my website store from now until tomorrow morning or whenever I remember to change the price back to normal. So get your hands on it and enjoy!

Powder Mage TV Adaptation

Hey everyone! I’m pleased to announce that I’ve sold the TV rights to the Powder Mage Universe! Joe Mallozzi (of Stargate and Dark Matter) is on as showrunner, and I couldn’t be more excited. There’s not much to say at this moment, so I’ll simply direct you over to the press release on Deadline.

If you’re excited about this, kick off the fandom! Tell your friends, show us your fanart, yap about it online! The more buzz we’ve got going the more chances there are of this reaching fruition!