Rob J. Hayes's Blog, page 18

CONFESSIONS OF A FANTASY AUTHOR – M.L. Spencer

Hello again, sinners and heretics. This week I have guest author M.L. Spencer stepping into the confessions booth to entertain beg forgiveness from you all. And as an added bonus, her books are currently on sale, so go buy some!

When I was a kid, I used to use an audio tape recorder to record episodes of Battlestar Galactica and then transcribe them into books, fleshing the dialogue out with my own narrative. Only much later did I realize that Glen A. Larson had already written these books. DOH!

 

My first manuscript was Ghostbusters fanfiction.

 

When I was a kid, writing was discouraged so I had to hide in the attic to write. I had a coke-bottle alarm tied to string that would make noise when anyone came up the stairs.

 

I used to write and smoke in my back yard. I once was on such a roll that I couldn’t stop even during an enormous mountain fire behind my house. I ended up having to go the doctor because my throat was burnt from smoke inhalation because I couldn’t stop writing/smoking to go inside for two days. (I have since quit smoking!)

 

I used to collect and scrap book rejection letters from short story submissions and agents. I had quite a collection! I finally decided it was too morbid to keep around and trashed it when I self-published.

 

Even though I put myself out there a lot on social media and in my books, I am a very shy and socially awkward person. I used to be bullied incessantly as a kid.

 

I have a problem with hair. I love it, and I love it on my characters. Unfortunately, my editor is constantly having to edit hair and hair-related character motions out of my narrative.

 

I was a huge fan of Robert Jordan right when WoT first became popular. I would preorder his books then drive at midnight to the nearest Barnes and Noble (about 45 minutes away) to pick them up. I would read them in one day (max two), taking time off work if necessary. I used to attend Darkfriends Socials with similar nerds. We would carry our armloads of hardback Jordans to local pubs where we would discuss such literary enigmas as “Who killed Asmodean?”

 

These are my confessions. Forgive me, audience!

M.L. Spencer was born in Southern California and grew up on the works of Steven R. Donaldson, Stephen King and Frank Herbert. She wrote her first novel-length manuscript at thirteen.

By day she works as a biology teacher; by night she sweats over a beaten-up keyboard. Her novel Darkmage won the Indie-Reader Discovery Award for Fantasy.

Her favorite authors are Robert Jordan, C.S. Friedman, George R.R. Martin, David Eddings, Patrick Rothfuss, and Terry Goodkind.

Confessions of a Fantasy Author – Rob J. Hayes

This is my new weekly blog spot where I invite a fantasy author over to confess to everyone their sins. It’s a new thing so for my first confession slot I will be the Heretic! Feel free to judge me.

 

When I was younger so much younger than today… I wrote Star Wars fan fiction. It was awful, but had lots of lightsabers. I cast myself as a Jedi… these days I’m fairly certain I’m more Sith.

 

I used to participate on a Blade (the Marvel hero) inspired forum where I would interact in character and write co-write stories with other members. The setting was based in a pub in London called ‘Our Absinthe Friends’. My character was an Angel by the name of Exodus.

 

When I was 14 I wrote a story inspired by the film Falling Down. I called it ‘Cheese Burger, No Salad’, and it was the first story I ever let others read and sent it to a literary competition. It did not do very well. You can read it in all it’s unedited glory here.

 

My first real attempt at original fiction was made after reading Maggie Furey’s Artefacts of Power series. It was basically a Dungeons and Dragons style adventure… and it was so awful I myself got bored of it half way through the 1st dungeon.

 

I used to write Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan fiction in penpal letters to a friend. She never asked for them, I just used to write a new story in each letter. I sincerely hope she has cast them into the fires of the Hellmouth.

 

Even after publishing 8 books I still have very little clue on how to actually use a semi-colon. Thank fuck for editors!

 

I’ve never been to a literary convention. This is because I am awful at talking about my books in person. When people ask I tend to respond in 1 of 2 ways.  A) “I don’t know. It’s about witch hunters and magic and demons and shit.” or B) Sweats profusely and looks around for the nearest bar.

 

My characters have a habit of running into bakeries in my stories (literally and figuratively). This was not originally by design, but rather just my love of baked goods seeping into my imagination. It is now a little bit by design.

 

So those are my confessions. Bless me, audience, for I have sinned.

Review Blog – Winter’s Reach by Craig Schaefer

Winter’s Reach is the first book in the Revanche Cycle by Craig Schaefer. It is also one of the #SPFBO 2017(Self Published Fantasy Blog Off) contestants in Fantasy Book Review’s group… that is to say, in the same group as Where Loyalties Lie. That’s right! I’m checking out my direct competition, but I do so on the recommendation of a couple of trusted bloggers who assured me I would enjoy it.

Winter’s Reach follows a whole bunch of characters as they either plot to undermine a regime, plot to stabilise a regime, plot to bring their families bank balance back to the black, plot to do witchy things, plot to start a war, or plot to make a bit of easy cash. Yup, this book is plots on top of plots on top of schemes. Everyone has an angle, everyone has secrets, and everyone wants something. In some ways it’s a bit like Game of Thrones in that there are tons of characters to follow and each one is some kind of bastard or another. Well, all except Felix the erstwhile nobleman, and Mari the knight aspirant. I don’t think those two have a bastard bone to share between them.

The title (Winter’s Reach) refers to a town up north in the arse end of cold nowhere. It’s an interesting concept of a ex slave colony turned free city and it’s run by a woman who seems very much like a mistress from a wild west town… only with more knives up her skirts. Unfortunately it barely features in the story. It’s a kick off point for Felix Nobleman’s quest to save his family coffers, but by about a third of the way in we’ve left the city never to return. It was a bit of a shame in many ways as I thought there could have been a lot more said about the town and its shaky politics.

The book has some real stand out scenes. One of these is early on and features a sea monster ripping a ship apart as the people on board attempt to flee through frozen waters to reach the relative safety of frozen tundra. It’s a really tense scene full of vivid imagery, and saved what was a fairly slow first quarter.

I struggled a little with the number of characters whose PoV (point of view) we ride along with. There are about a dozen, and it’s not exactly a long book. I kept finding myself having to remember who a certain character was because we left them behind a long time ago and suddenly we’re back in their head. This large number of characters also meant we didn’t get to spend too long with each one, so I struggled to connect with many of them. They were well fleshed out with aspirations and motives, but it felt like a bit of a whirlwind of PoVs and it rarely stopped on any one of them long enough for my liking. That being said, it’s a complicated plot so most of those PoVs were required. There was also a measure of head-hopping going on throughout chapters and as a personal taste, I really dislike head-hopping.

One last thing I do want to mention is the witches. I’m a fairly big fan of witches done well and they definitely are in Winter’s Reach. They operate in a coven of sorts that stretches far and wide. Each witch takes on an animal name and wears a mask depicting the face of that animal. Their magic too is a cool concept that seems to be focused through blood (and occasionally other bodily fluids). And one witch in particular, who we come to know as Owl, is a wonderfully dangerous character as intriguing as she is terrifying.

This all boils down to me really quite enjoying Winter’s Reach, but finding some flaws which kept me from loving it. I’m giving it 3.5 stars and rounding up to 4 for the purposes of Goodreads and Amazon.

Review Blog – Fool’s Quest by Robin Hobb

This is going to be a weird one to review. I’ll start with the TL;DR version. I LOVED THIS BOOK! This what the new Fitz book I’d been looking forward to. Now, don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Fool’s Assassin, but on some levels it really didn’t work for me. The first book in this new series was like a recap for the world and characters that I know and love. It was like reminiscing with old friends about those insane times we had when we were younger… while sitting around a cozy fire supping on a pint. There was no action, no adventure, nothing really new save for a new character. Fool’s Quest fixes that issue by giving Fitz… a quest.

There’s a lot more and also quite a bit less going on in this book. Gone are the lazy days of Withywoods and Fitz’s quiet life with Molly and Bee. In Fool’s Quest he finds himself thrown head first back into the swarming pit of Buckeep politics and intrigue. And I couldn’t be happier about that. Hobb has a flair for making spy work sound exciting… even when it’s actually just Fitz listening to some bloke about shipping taxes. Moving on Fitz finds his own quest, to recover his kidnapped daughter, and goes at it in true Fitz fashion. And later on he finally sets out on the Fool’s Quest. There is a lot happening. More characters to interact with, more locations to explore, more people to kill. But in some ways there is a bit less as well. We get fewer chapters from the perspective of Bee and those we do get aren’t so much about exploring her character, but more about exploring what her character means to the world.

This book deals heavily with pain and depression and anger, and riding along with Fitz we feel it. As usual with Hobb, she is a master at making you feel what the character is feeling by really putting you inside their head. At times you’re not sure if you’re you, or if you’re Fitz, or if you’re just some old friend he’s telling his story to. It’s immersive and mesmerising and bloody hard to put down.

BUT… the book doesn’t so much end, as pause half way through a section. It’s very much a 2nd book in an epic fantasy trilogy in this way. The tension ramps up and up, and then it just leaves you on a cliffhanger. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it didn’t feel like the end of a book so much as an acceptable place to stop.

Not a long review this time, but I’m finding it difficult to review without spoilers, especially because of its 2nd book feel. I’d say the general gist is, if you like Robin Hobb and Fitz and the Fool, you will love this book.

So it’s a 4 stars from me. Though that doesn’t really get across just how much I enjoyed reading it. Still, doesn’t quite manage the 5 stars I’d love to give it.

The Importance of Taking a Break

This will be a short blog post to emphasize the importance of taking a short creative break from time to time. Yesterday I finished part 2 of the book I’m writing and started part 3. The words had been flowing smoothly and then I stopped. I titled my new chapter “What happens next?”, and I realised I had no idea. I knew where the story was going, but I had no clue as to what I would write for this next chapter.

So I took a break. I did some exercise, and had a cup of tea. I played a bit of Diablo 3 (always great for getting the brain to shut up for a while), and read on my kindle a bit. Eventually I pulled out my notepad and jotted down some ideas for what is going to happen in part 3. One of those ideas took hold and grew into a monster (literally, in this case). I didn’t sit back down to write there and then, but let the scene unfold in my head, putting in details and tension, throwing characters into the thick of it.

This morning I sat down to write the first chapter of part 3. Less than 1 day ago I had no idea what was happening in this chapter. This morning I have written over 1,000 words in less than an hour. And it’s all thanks to taking a break and letting my mind work on it while I did other things.

State of the Union

So this post is just going to serve as a how things are going and what to expect from me in the near future. Because I’m writing… A LOT!

All my books are now back under my control. I am once again completely self published! I feel there should be some fireworks here.

OK, I went with sky lanterns instead because they’re prettier.

The Ties that Bind and The Bound Folio are all re-released and selling again, new covers and all. And Where Loyalties Lie is FINALLY out in the world. Not just out in the world, but also entered into the 2017 Self Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO). Fingers crossed it does well, but it’s in Fantasy Book Review’s group and there is some fierce competition in there. Whether it proceeds to the next round or not, I’m just happy that my piratical tale is finally out in the world for people to read.

So what’s next?

Well next is The Fifth Empire of Man, the second book in my piratical duology. Time to show off the cover.

The Fifth Empire of Man is releasing on September 26th of this very year, and concludes Best Laid Plans. Believe me when I tell you it ramps up the tension and action from the first book, but keeps the gallows humour. I’m fairly certain most people will be pleased to know that Elaina Black and T’ruck Khan get much larger roles in this one. And for fans of The Ties that Bind, there’s a brief stint in the Wilds and a catch up with Black Thorn and Rose.

Later in the year, probably November or December time, I am hoping to release Drones. This book is a sci fi noir thriller set in a world where emotions can be harvested and sold. I’ll be getting a cover and blurb sorted soon, but one release at a time and all that.

Moving on to 2018 I have City of Kings written and ready. This is another First Earth book and follows on from the events of The Ties that Bind as Thorn and Rose attempt to rid the Wilds of the blooded once and for all. It’s all set around the siege of Crucible, and it is wall to wall action and chaos. This one earns its grimdark brand, and no one is safe from the chopping block.

After that we’re in to unknown territory. I’m currently working on a YA-ish fantasy series I’m calling The Source of All Things. I’m two books in on that and I’m planning it to finish at four. But I’ve taken a quick break from it to write a stand alone eastern-inspired fantasy called Never Die. As yet I’m not sure when I’ll be releasing these ones, but you can expect at least two books from me in 2018, three if I’m feeling frisky.

So that’s about it with where Rob J. Hayes is right now and what you can expect from me in the coming year. I will be writing and fingers crossed you will all be reading.

Review Blog – Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Where to start with this book? For those familiar with Robin Hobb’s Fitz books, this will need no introduction. It’s the 3rd series of books featuring our boy Fitz, and the emotional rollercoster he keeps dragging us on. For anyone not familiar with the character, you should really go back and read Assassin’s Apprentice… and then the rest of the Farseer trilogy… and then the Tawny Man trilogy. Not to give too much away, but Fitz is one of the most complex and relatable characters in fantasy literature, and the world he inhabits is both rich and wonderfully realised. Reading this book was like meeting up with old friends I haven’t seen in years; not the awkward meeting up though, but that falling straight back into a lifelong friendship style of reacquainting.

So the book picks up years after the end of Tawny Man. Fitz and Molly are finally together and happy and living peacefully on the Withywoods estate, away from court intrigue and world-threatening events. Actually, 90% of the book is set inside the manor at Withywoods, and it’s a testament to Hobb’s writing that it never gets boring despite the fairly stale location. Now the 1st third of the book is a little bit… odd. There is a lot of reminiscing, almost like an extended prologue where Hobb reminds us of everything else Fitz has done in his life, everything that has led up to where he is. For some it might become a little tiresome, especially for those hammering straight on after reading Fitz’s past accomplishments, but for me it was kinda wonderful. It’s been years since I read Tawny Man and, though I haven’t forgotten it, having that reminder made me think back over the highs and lows of Fitz’s life, and the desire to re-read the previous two series was strong. STRONG!

We get a lot of time skips during the book, before the half way mark is done we have lurched forward about 15 years in time, long enough for Fitz’s new daughter to be born and for her to grow up enough that… We get a new point of view character. It almost feels like heresy to say it, but Fool’s Assassin gives us Bee as a new point of view to run alongside Fitz. It was a little jarring at first, and that was partly because it felt a little wrong… almost like cheating on Fitz somehow. But I read on, and it didn’t take long before I warmed to Bee. Her chapters run as an interesting counterpoint to Fitz’s in many ways and even shed his actions in a new perspective. To have rode along inside Fitz’s head for so long, to suddenly see him through the eyes of his infant daughter instead, was quite eye opening; especially as we’re seeing through the eyes of someone who is new to the world and has a relatively poor understanding of it.

There is less of the usual supporting cast in this one, but they’re still around, popping up from time to time, but so much of the book is very insular. Not only is it set inside a single building, but it’s very limited in scope. As with any Fitz book, a lot of the pages are dedicated to seeing how he copes with emotion, be it love or loss, anger or joy, fear or anxiety. But because the book has nowhere to go, no quest to propel our main character along, we get the full force of him agonising over his feelings. It slows the book down. But I didn’t really mind. It is a slow paced book, but at no point did I find myself putting it down in frustration. In fact the only time I put the book down for any reason other than time constraints was due to Fitz’ trauma. Hobb remains the only author to ever make me cry at a book, and though she didn’t quite manage it with this one, I did put the book down and it took me a couple of days to pick it up again.

So here’s the conclusion. I really want to give this book 5 stars. I loved it. But it is slow. The first third of the book is pretty much just reminiscing and catching up with Fitz, and the plot doesn’t really feel like it kicks in until the last 100 pages. I loved it, but I also wished it would go somewhere a bit sooner than it did. So I’m giving it 4 stars, though it’s really more like 4.5. Regardless, I have the next book lined up and ready to go and I am chomping at the bit, and also dreading what might happen to the characters I love so dearly.

Review Blog – Arm of the Sphinx by Josiah Bancroft

 

Arm of the Sphinx is the 2nd book in Josiah Bancroft’s Books of Babel series, following fairly directly from Senlin Ascends. Our main character, still very much on the hunt for his missing wife (now absent for over a year), is no longer the uptight Niles Crane he once was; his adventures have changed him quite fundamentally, and he’s not entirely certain it’s a good thing. Senlin finds himself the rakish captain of a struggling pirate airship, with a crew easily as oddball as himself. Making a return appearance from the 1st book (and each with far larger parts to play) are Adam Boreas (still fairly bland and struggling to find his character), Voleta Boreas (a charming adrenaline junky with a quick wit and a quicker tongue), Iren the amazon, and Edith Winters (who may well be the master piece of this particular book). Oh, I should also point out that Senlin is addicted to a narcotic and is being haunted by visions of his missing wife. And that’s where the book kicks off.

Just going to say: How much did I love Senlin Ascends? Enough that as soon as Arm of the Sphinx arrived on my doorstep, I put off starting the new Robin Hobb trilogy. That’s right, I bumped the Hobb to continue my journey with Senlin.

The poetry is still very much there. No I doubt mean fancy rhymes or well constructed lyrics. There is a poetry in the way Bancroft writes, his prose is often so damned witty it fair leaps off the page and slaps you in the face. Each chapter starts with a little excerpt from a book and each is poignant and thoughtful. I mean, the book starts off with this:

“Civilization is like sunshine. Spread it about, and the world blooms with culture, innovation, and fraternity. But focus it all upon one spot, and mankind scorches the earth like a ray from a magnifying glass.”

This passage should also tell you a lot about Senlin himself, who has adopted a very healthy (maybe unhealthy) attitude of cynicism. But there is a lot different from Senlin Ascends. The first book was a dizzying tour of fantastical locations that had the reader’s head spinning along with Senlin’s. The action was few and far between, but the pace never suffered, because it was all such a wonderful charming mystery. In Arm of the Sphinx, the mystifying locations are dialed down (there’s still a couple), and the action is ramped up (which is possibly the book’s biggest failing). We ride along inside the heads of all of Senlin’s crew of would be pirates, and the chapters chop and change to leave cliffhangers here, there, and everywhere. In some ways it’s great to get inside the other character’s heads and get to know them properly, but in other ways it really slows down the pace during the action.

As always I’m trying to do this review without spoilers so I can’t give specifics, but the action scenes actually hurt the narrative somewhat in places. I found they were sometimes there simply to generate some tension, whereas the 1st book relied on mystery and suspense to give the same effect. I found I preferred the approach of the 1st book, because it felt more natural. But, as I have said, this is a different book and is obviously trying different things… which is manages to an extent.

One of Bancrofts greatest gifts is his ability to make you care about his characters. With just a few words he can endear a character to the reader to the point where you find yourself wrapped up in their plight. By the end of Arm of the Sphinx I found myself rooting for everyone, even those who were quite bland and unremarkable, and it’s very clear all of the characters have a major part to play in the future.

Which brings me to the finale. No spoilers, but WOW! It is actually one of the freshest takes on a finale I have read in a very long time. In some ways it saves the book from all of the oddly paced action that had come before it. It answers some questions, asks others, and tells us what to expect (I have no doubt it will shirk those expectations) from the book to come. HOWEVER… it is also very much a 2nd book. There is a lot of setup for what is to come, and very little resolution.

All in all I loved Arm of the Sphinx, in some ways more than Senlin Ascends, and in some ways less. I’m giving the book 4 stars because as wonderful as it is, it suffers from some odd choices, and also from 2nd book syndrome. I still whole heartedly recommend the entire series.

 

Also, a GIGANTIC congratulations to Josiah Bancroft for signing with Orbit (They’re a fairly big publisher!) But the travesty is this means I’ll probably have to wait a very long time before I can read Book III: The Hod King.

Review Blog – Faithless by Graham Austin-King

First things first. I was given an Advance Reader Copy of Faithless in exchange for an honest review. I’m very grateful to Graham for allowing me to read his book before it has released.

Faithless follows along behind two protagonists, Wynn and Kharios, as they struggle through life in a giant colonised mine, as well as the decrepit religious temple above. The religion of the Forgefather (it’s all based on fire and smithing) is a lot like Christianity in some ways. They believe in the one god, much of their time is devoted to prayer and rituals, and there is a rigid hierarchical structure to the priesthood. There’s also pedophilia and rape, and in fact a lot of the book’s time is spent on this, both the dread of it happening and the aftermath of it. Down in the mines below the temple it’s much more of a dog eat dog world with everybody struggling to meet a mining quota, and a savage overlord ruling over the citizens.

So first off I want to say the world building is pretty top notch. The whole book takes place almost entirely in the mines and temple, so we know almost nothing about the wider world, but Graham makes the mines of Aspiration feel like a real living city. The religion of the Forgefather also feels very well fleshed out with ritual names and levels of advancement within the structure. And he certainly seems to know his stuff about smithing… I assume. I know nothing about smithing myself, other than pumping bellows is tiring work.

The main draw for me reading this was the mystery. We’re told the priesthood used to commune openly with their god, but he has long since fallen silent, and the priesthood is decaying because of it. In some ways this is kind of a shame, because they apparently used to have big badass paladins who could wage war against all sorts of demons all on their own… but we never really see any of that. Well, we get a little glimpse near the end. Honestly, the possibility of paladins is what made me want to read it in the first place.

The supporting cast are interesting, though often fleeting in many ways, and felt quite real in many ways. They each had their own concerns and this really helped bring them to life on the page, far more, in fact, than the main characters.

But the book just never really gripped me beyond the mystery of what happened to the faith. It’s well written and a good book in many ways, but just not really my sort of thing. I found the pace a bit lethargic, especially the beginning which felt a lot like an introduction to mining. I found the main characters a bit wet. And the whole thing came across as a little too YA for my liking. There’s terms thrown out all over the place; the Fall, Listerners, a Reckoning, Deeplighters, and many more. Every time one of these terms is used the main character has to stop and ask what they mean and at times it seems all he is doing is asking questions. He felt wet to me because he felt like tool for Graham to tell us about this deep, rich world he has created, rather than a fully fleshed out character struggling to get through a hard life.

So I’m giving Faithless 3 stars. Excellent world building wrapped up in a good mystery, and a great sense of claustrophobia, but let down by weak characters and slow pacing.

It’s been a long road

It’s May 25th 2017 and I have a new book releasing tomorrow. WHERE LOYALTIES LIE(WLL) is finally releasing. You can even order your copy here.

This post is a short history of exactly why it has taken so long for me to get the follow up to The Ties that Bind (TTtB) out there. I’m no GRRM or Rothfuss, I certainly didn’t mean to leave such a long gap between books. I’ll start by saying this: TTtB was originally published in March of 2013. It sold quite well. The epilogue to the series is a hint at what was to come… Pirates. It was always my plan to follow up TTtB with a piratical adventure featuring Drake Morrass as the primary protagonist.

I took a short break from First Earth after publishing my debut trilogy and wrote It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise. I needed to spend some time doing something a bit lighter and happier and Jacques and Isabel kept demanding my attention. The book took a bit longer to write than I expected. In mid 2014 I finally sat down and started writing WLL and I finished it on December 21st 2014. By this time I had signed with an indie publisher and had every intent of publishing my new swashbuckling piratical novel through them. I sent them the manuscript and went to work on the sequel, The Fifth Empire of Man (FEoM).

My publisher at the time slated WLL for a December 2015 release and I’ll admit I was quite excited to get it out there and see what people thought of my pirates. By November 2015 I had finished FEoM and sent that manuscript to my publisher… but I was still waiting on the edits for WLL. December rolled around and I received no word of release. Finally, with only a few days before the scheduled release, I was told it would be delayed until January 2016. January rolled around and still no release and still no edits. In February 2016 I was told it would be a May 2016 and in May I was told it would be a December 2016 release. A pattern began to emerge. Actually I think it had been there a while, but I had my head buried firmly in the sand.

In October 2016 I was told WLL was in audio production… I had still yet to receive any edits. Turns out my publisher had just sent then unedited version of the manuscript to Audible… I was less than pleased. In December 2016 the WLL Audible book was released to very little fanfair, in large part because I refuse to endorse it. It is not a finished version of the book and should not be available for purchase. Unfortunately I can’t do much about it. Around the same time I was told the ebook and paperback versions of WLL were being delayed again with no set release date… just a blanket delay. I was assured the manuscript was finally being edited by a professional and was almost done.

In January of 2017 I decided enough was enough and pulled all my rights from the publisher. They were already in breach of contract for the unreasonable delays to WLL and I no longer saw a future with them as the trust was irreparably gone. I set about getting the book ready for release under my own steam. I hired a professional editor, the brilliant Toby Selwyn, and also agreed terms for the cover from my old publisher. Self-publishing (done correctly) is not quick, but I set myself the deadline of May 2017.

Which pretty much leads us to where we are. May 26th 2017, the day of my 34th birthday, and also the day my pirates are finally unleashed upon the world. I just wanted to make this post to all those who have been waiting for this book. I know I promised it about 3 years ago and I’m very sorry it has taken so long, but it is finally here. There will be rum and there will be shanties. Thank you for waiting.

AND… I have put up my piratical short story, Black Blood, to read free on my website. It features a few of the characters introduced in Where Loyalties Lie and gives a taste of the Pirate Isles.