Nav Logan's Blog, page 40
May 1, 2014
Winner of Goodreads Book Giveaway
I'd just like to thank everyone who participated in the Goodreads Book Giveaway for the paperback version of Maerlin's Storm.
Sadly, there can be only one ... so I would like to congratulate the winner: Emily Reed of Kent. I'll be sending on the book a.s.a.p.
Sadly, there can be only one ... so I would like to congratulate the winner: Emily Reed of Kent. I'll be sending on the book a.s.a.p.
April 27, 2014
April 26, 2014
April 25, 2014
Synopsis: - Maerlin's Storm
This includes many spoilers so be warned before reading any further!****
Maerlin’s Storm: The Synopsis
Word count: 125,000 words : 373 pages (at 6x9”).
Maerlin’s Storm is the first book in a series called The Storm-Bringer Saga. It is an Epic Fantasy, coming of age story, about a young girl who is destined to save the world from catastrophe. It is based in a fictional kingdom called Dragania.
The Prologue.
The Prologues of Maerlin’s Storm, and the subsequent books in the series, are based in a more modern time and feature a history professor who has travelled to the site of the ruins of the Temple of Deanna, searching for the lost library that is rumoured to be hidden within the ruins.
The area around the site still reeks with ancient magic, and it is said to be haunted by ghosts that protect the temple from grave robbers. Soon after arriving, the professor gets caught up in a thunderstorm. Quite by accident, he stumbles across the hidden treasury and library of the Order of Deanna, when he falls through an illusory wall.
Within the vault he finds many scrolls, and with these, he begins to piece together the secrets of the Storm-Bringer, and the lost pieces of history that led up to the cataclysmic events that reshaped the very world around him.
The prologues are a separate story within the series, which help to link the books together as the professor delves more and more into the hidden scrolls within the vault.
MAERLIN’S STORM PLOT SYNOPSIS.
The main story starts with Maerlin hiding in a cave, sheltering from a summer storm. The story then explains the events that led up to the storm, and why she is hiding in the cave.
She has been ostracised by the other villagers of High Peaks, who believe that she is responsible for the recent storms that are causing such destruction throughout the region and which has caused the deaths of a number of people, including Maerlin’s mother.
Maerlin’s father is a quiet and introverted man who would rather work in his smithy than speak to people. He has been hiding his grief in a bottle since the passing of his wife, and he is ill-equipped to deal with the pressure being exerted by his neighbours. Finally, under duress, he agrees to send for a well-known healer, in the hope of curing Maerlin of whatever ailment is troubling her.
The healer: Nessa MacTire, takes Maerlin under her wing, and they begin to wander around the mountainside together, while she works on curing Maerlin. She explains to Maerlin that the coming of her womanhood has triggered a power within Maerlin, a power that she will need to learn to control or suppress. She tells Maerlin that it is a gift from the goddess, Deanna.
This gift is a special form of magic called Wild-magic, which is an ability to communicate and manipulate the very elementals that make up life: the Elemental creatures of Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Maerlin is particularly attuned to the Elementals of Air: the Sylphs. This seems to be causing her affinity with storms.
Nessa tells Maerlin that the key to controlling the Wild-magic is for her to control her emotions. She starts to teach the girl how to do this, and the basics for using magic. Maerlin is fascinated and an eager pupil, though at times the lessons seem quite bizarre.
Nessa soon realises that Maerlin has been blessed with not one, but two gifts. She also has the abilities of a Dream-catcher. Becoming concerned by the dark visions within Maerlin’s dreams and feeling a little out of her depth, Nessa decides to abandon their meandering education and seek help from her fellow priestesses. She decides to take Maerlin to the headquarters of the order of Deanna, which is located on an island, hidden deep in the Great Marsh. Maerlin has already met the High Priestess, Ceila, within her dreams.
They head for the city of Manquay, located at the edge of the mountain range, where they must find a river boat to take them downriver to the edge of the swamps. While stopping overnight in one of the city’s taverns, they meet up with a young boy called Conal MacDragan.
Conal, as we later find out, is the only surviving heir to the Dragon Clan, one of the most powerful of the ruling clans within Dragania. He is currently hiding out in the tavern which is owned and run by the Order of Deanna. He is disguised as a stable hand, and only allowed to venture into the rest of the city under the cover of darkness. Frustrated, and hungry to avenge his father’s death, the young prince has become a bit of a handful, as well as a rogue.
When Lord Boare, the Usurper-king, finds out that Conal is hiding in Manquay, he sends troops out to scour the city and find the young prince. Luckily, Conal manages to overhear a conversation and is forewarned. Together with Nessa and Maerlin, he escapes the city and flees back to the Holy Isle, where Lord Boare and his pet mage: Dubhgall the Black, cannot harm him.
Conal and the High Priestess have had a long history of conflict over his guardianship, and Conal has made his opinions quite clear as to his reluctance to live on the Holy Isle with the Priestesses. Ceila, however, thinks she has found a solution. She has found a most unlikely candidate to take over as the boy’s guardian, until such time as he comes of age and can claim his throne.
Cull, the heir to Manquay’s Beggar’s Guild, is a man of many talents, many of them deadly, and he is well capable of looking after the young, and somewhat impetuous, prince.
An issue arises, however, and that is, the Dragontooth sword. This sword belonged to Conal’s ancestors and has become symbolic of the throne of the High King of Dragania. If the legendary sword falls into the hands of Lord Boare, his claim to the High Kingship will be assured.
History has seen the country fall upon dark times under the leadership of the Boare Clan, and the Order of Deanna and the Beggar’s Guild, both firmly believe that the reign of the new Lord Boare as High King would be just as disastrous as his ancestors was. Therefore, it is imperative that the sword stays out of his grasp.
Believing that they know where the sword is hidden, Cull, Conal, Nessa and Maerlin make plans to set off and retrieve it. They are joined by another novice of Deanna, Cora, who is also blessed with Wild-magic and is a Water-sister: a wielder of Water Elementals.
Disguised as a family of Pectish traveller folk: Na Teincheor, they head north in a barrel-topped wagon. Their plans to slip quietly onto the Plains of the Dragon, and retrieve the sword fall apart, however, when war breaks out between the forces of Lord Boare: the Boarites and one of the Pectish Clans within the region: the Brocians.
Maerlin and her companions, which by now include a bard named Taliesin, who they picked up along the way, barely escape the clutches of the Boarites with their lives, but in doing so, they are captured by the War-leader of the Brocians, a fearsome warrior called: Vort MacAiden Na Broce.
Despite his orders to kill all invaders to their territory, Vort befriends the companions and decided to take them to the city of Broca. There, they will be judged by the Clan’s Council of Elders. Having learned the true identity of his prisoners, Vort believes that the fate of his clan and that of the rest of Dragania lies in the hands of the young prince.
During the trial, things go terribly wrong, and Vort opts to flee, taking the companions with him. Together, they travel to the ancient burial mound, where the body of Conal’s father was hidden after the Second Battle of the High Kings. Here, in the ancient burial chamber, is the remains of the last High King, and still clutched within his grasp is the magical sword of his ancestors: An Fiacail Dragan.
As Conal removes the sword from his father’s hands, a magical trap is activated, and the companions fall asleep.
They wake to find themselves strapped to the dolmens which are situated above the burial mound, and they find that Dubhgall the Black, Lord Boare’s mage, has been guiding them here all along, in order to perform a dark and forbidden ritual.
By slaughtering the innocent over many years, Dubhgall has managed to prolong his own life. Now, he has prepared the ultimate sacrifice: Maerlin, a priestess of the goddess of life and a Wild-magician, along with the last prince of the Dragon dynasty, and also he hopes, Cora, another Wild-magician. With the ritual slaughter of these three virgins upon the Maiden Stone, he will finally achieve his lifetimes work. He will also satisfy his master’s will and defy Maerlin of her destiny.
Strapped to the Maiden Stone and being brutally tortured, Maerlin will be the first under the sacrificial knife. Before he can kill her, however, he must dedicate all of the pain and fear she is suffering to his god. In return, he will receive longevity and power beyond his wildest dreams. He will no longer need to serve Lord Boare. Once this sacrifice is complete, he can claim the kingdom for his own. With the blessing of his master, none will be able to defy him.
Terrified out of her wits, Maerlin must find the inner strength and power to deny him.
Maerlin’s Storm: The Synopsis
Word count: 125,000 words : 373 pages (at 6x9”).
Maerlin’s Storm is the first book in a series called The Storm-Bringer Saga. It is an Epic Fantasy, coming of age story, about a young girl who is destined to save the world from catastrophe. It is based in a fictional kingdom called Dragania.
The Prologue.
The Prologues of Maerlin’s Storm, and the subsequent books in the series, are based in a more modern time and feature a history professor who has travelled to the site of the ruins of the Temple of Deanna, searching for the lost library that is rumoured to be hidden within the ruins.
The area around the site still reeks with ancient magic, and it is said to be haunted by ghosts that protect the temple from grave robbers. Soon after arriving, the professor gets caught up in a thunderstorm. Quite by accident, he stumbles across the hidden treasury and library of the Order of Deanna, when he falls through an illusory wall.
Within the vault he finds many scrolls, and with these, he begins to piece together the secrets of the Storm-Bringer, and the lost pieces of history that led up to the cataclysmic events that reshaped the very world around him.
The prologues are a separate story within the series, which help to link the books together as the professor delves more and more into the hidden scrolls within the vault.
MAERLIN’S STORM PLOT SYNOPSIS.
The main story starts with Maerlin hiding in a cave, sheltering from a summer storm. The story then explains the events that led up to the storm, and why she is hiding in the cave.
She has been ostracised by the other villagers of High Peaks, who believe that she is responsible for the recent storms that are causing such destruction throughout the region and which has caused the deaths of a number of people, including Maerlin’s mother.
Maerlin’s father is a quiet and introverted man who would rather work in his smithy than speak to people. He has been hiding his grief in a bottle since the passing of his wife, and he is ill-equipped to deal with the pressure being exerted by his neighbours. Finally, under duress, he agrees to send for a well-known healer, in the hope of curing Maerlin of whatever ailment is troubling her.
The healer: Nessa MacTire, takes Maerlin under her wing, and they begin to wander around the mountainside together, while she works on curing Maerlin. She explains to Maerlin that the coming of her womanhood has triggered a power within Maerlin, a power that she will need to learn to control or suppress. She tells Maerlin that it is a gift from the goddess, Deanna.
This gift is a special form of magic called Wild-magic, which is an ability to communicate and manipulate the very elementals that make up life: the Elemental creatures of Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Maerlin is particularly attuned to the Elementals of Air: the Sylphs. This seems to be causing her affinity with storms.
Nessa tells Maerlin that the key to controlling the Wild-magic is for her to control her emotions. She starts to teach the girl how to do this, and the basics for using magic. Maerlin is fascinated and an eager pupil, though at times the lessons seem quite bizarre.
Nessa soon realises that Maerlin has been blessed with not one, but two gifts. She also has the abilities of a Dream-catcher. Becoming concerned by the dark visions within Maerlin’s dreams and feeling a little out of her depth, Nessa decides to abandon their meandering education and seek help from her fellow priestesses. She decides to take Maerlin to the headquarters of the order of Deanna, which is located on an island, hidden deep in the Great Marsh. Maerlin has already met the High Priestess, Ceila, within her dreams.
They head for the city of Manquay, located at the edge of the mountain range, where they must find a river boat to take them downriver to the edge of the swamps. While stopping overnight in one of the city’s taverns, they meet up with a young boy called Conal MacDragan.
Conal, as we later find out, is the only surviving heir to the Dragon Clan, one of the most powerful of the ruling clans within Dragania. He is currently hiding out in the tavern which is owned and run by the Order of Deanna. He is disguised as a stable hand, and only allowed to venture into the rest of the city under the cover of darkness. Frustrated, and hungry to avenge his father’s death, the young prince has become a bit of a handful, as well as a rogue.
When Lord Boare, the Usurper-king, finds out that Conal is hiding in Manquay, he sends troops out to scour the city and find the young prince. Luckily, Conal manages to overhear a conversation and is forewarned. Together with Nessa and Maerlin, he escapes the city and flees back to the Holy Isle, where Lord Boare and his pet mage: Dubhgall the Black, cannot harm him.
Conal and the High Priestess have had a long history of conflict over his guardianship, and Conal has made his opinions quite clear as to his reluctance to live on the Holy Isle with the Priestesses. Ceila, however, thinks she has found a solution. She has found a most unlikely candidate to take over as the boy’s guardian, until such time as he comes of age and can claim his throne.
Cull, the heir to Manquay’s Beggar’s Guild, is a man of many talents, many of them deadly, and he is well capable of looking after the young, and somewhat impetuous, prince.
An issue arises, however, and that is, the Dragontooth sword. This sword belonged to Conal’s ancestors and has become symbolic of the throne of the High King of Dragania. If the legendary sword falls into the hands of Lord Boare, his claim to the High Kingship will be assured.
History has seen the country fall upon dark times under the leadership of the Boare Clan, and the Order of Deanna and the Beggar’s Guild, both firmly believe that the reign of the new Lord Boare as High King would be just as disastrous as his ancestors was. Therefore, it is imperative that the sword stays out of his grasp.
Believing that they know where the sword is hidden, Cull, Conal, Nessa and Maerlin make plans to set off and retrieve it. They are joined by another novice of Deanna, Cora, who is also blessed with Wild-magic and is a Water-sister: a wielder of Water Elementals.
Disguised as a family of Pectish traveller folk: Na Teincheor, they head north in a barrel-topped wagon. Their plans to slip quietly onto the Plains of the Dragon, and retrieve the sword fall apart, however, when war breaks out between the forces of Lord Boare: the Boarites and one of the Pectish Clans within the region: the Brocians.
Maerlin and her companions, which by now include a bard named Taliesin, who they picked up along the way, barely escape the clutches of the Boarites with their lives, but in doing so, they are captured by the War-leader of the Brocians, a fearsome warrior called: Vort MacAiden Na Broce.
Despite his orders to kill all invaders to their territory, Vort befriends the companions and decided to take them to the city of Broca. There, they will be judged by the Clan’s Council of Elders. Having learned the true identity of his prisoners, Vort believes that the fate of his clan and that of the rest of Dragania lies in the hands of the young prince.
During the trial, things go terribly wrong, and Vort opts to flee, taking the companions with him. Together, they travel to the ancient burial mound, where the body of Conal’s father was hidden after the Second Battle of the High Kings. Here, in the ancient burial chamber, is the remains of the last High King, and still clutched within his grasp is the magical sword of his ancestors: An Fiacail Dragan.
As Conal removes the sword from his father’s hands, a magical trap is activated, and the companions fall asleep.
They wake to find themselves strapped to the dolmens which are situated above the burial mound, and they find that Dubhgall the Black, Lord Boare’s mage, has been guiding them here all along, in order to perform a dark and forbidden ritual.
By slaughtering the innocent over many years, Dubhgall has managed to prolong his own life. Now, he has prepared the ultimate sacrifice: Maerlin, a priestess of the goddess of life and a Wild-magician, along with the last prince of the Dragon dynasty, and also he hopes, Cora, another Wild-magician. With the ritual slaughter of these three virgins upon the Maiden Stone, he will finally achieve his lifetimes work. He will also satisfy his master’s will and defy Maerlin of her destiny.
Strapped to the Maiden Stone and being brutally tortured, Maerlin will be the first under the sacrificial knife. Before he can kill her, however, he must dedicate all of the pain and fear she is suffering to his god. In return, he will receive longevity and power beyond his wildest dreams. He will no longer need to serve Lord Boare. Once this sacrifice is complete, he can claim the kingdom for his own. With the blessing of his master, none will be able to defy him.
Terrified out of her wits, Maerlin must find the inner strength and power to deny him.
April 15, 2014
April 14, 2014
Nav's Naked Blog Tour
Hi all, I thougt I'd share my Naked Blog Tour incase you missed it- I did.
Nav’s Naked Blog
Oops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
Firstly, let me thanks Ava K Michaels, for letting me be a part of this multi-author Blog Tour. Here is a link to her blog: http://akmichaels.com/blog/
Now, it’s question time on the Naked Blog Tour...ooops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
1) What am I working on? I’m currently working on Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga which in titled ‘The Black Knights of Crom Cruach’. It follows on from the previous books as part of the series, but should be a stand-alone novel in its own right, with new characters and a new storyline, which weaves into the overall greater plot. As with the last book, The Gathering of the Clans, it gets a little darker as the tale progresses, but there should be plenty of humour in there too. I hope to have it completed before the summer is over, as long as I don’t get distracted too much. I can’t wait to find out how it will end. I love the cover for this particular book. It’s by far my favourite.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? Well for one thing, I only ever write in the nude. No, I’m just kidding there. That’s a tough question as we are all influenced by what we read. As an author, you should never stop reading and learning your trade, but to answer your question. I write very much from the heart and from my past experiences. Also, as I am not formally trained, my work tends to have a free style to it that is easy to read and, hopefully, draws the reader in. I have never been taught how to write, I just do it my way. Like most things in life, I’m self-taught, so I have a unique style that I’ve created myself.
3) Why do I write what I do? I generally write epic fantasy as I have always loved this genre. When I went to school, they never taught me to love books, so my formal education was poor. Soon after leaving school, I discovered fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and role playing games. I found that I could create whole worlds to explore with my mind, and read other peoples books about worlds that they created. I fell in love with reading at that point and I’ve never looked back. I sometimes explore other genres but I will always come back to Epic Fantasy.
4) How does your writing process work? It usually all starts while I’m sleeping. I sleep in the nude and this allows the mind to fully open up to the cosmos. Seriously though, a lot of my inspiration is from dreams. They give me the ideas that create the story. I don’t have a set structure for my writing process. I just sit down at the laptop and start writing. I start with a basic concept or idea, something I want to achieve in the book, and then I start to write. I don’t preset chapters or plot lines, as I find that this would make the story too obvious for my readers. If I don’t know how it’s going to end, neither will my readers. I like to keep it open and unstructured. It’s a bit like freeform jazz. I like to add lots of twists, leave clues and misdirection’s to keep readers guessing. There are subtle one-liners in Maerlin’s Storm, seeds that are planted and will only come to flower in book three or four. I’m not even sure when they will pop up, but they are there. Just when you think they aren’t part of the story, they will appear.
Anyway, I hope you liked my naked blog... now, it's getting a bit nippy so I'm off to put some clothes on.
For the video version go to http://navlogan.com/naked blog/expose/inyadreamsbaby!
Nav’s Naked Blog
Oops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
Firstly, let me thanks Ava K Michaels, for letting me be a part of this multi-author Blog Tour. Here is a link to her blog: http://akmichaels.com/blog/
Now, it’s question time on the Naked Blog Tour...ooops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
1) What am I working on? I’m currently working on Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga which in titled ‘The Black Knights of Crom Cruach’. It follows on from the previous books as part of the series, but should be a stand-alone novel in its own right, with new characters and a new storyline, which weaves into the overall greater plot. As with the last book, The Gathering of the Clans, it gets a little darker as the tale progresses, but there should be plenty of humour in there too. I hope to have it completed before the summer is over, as long as I don’t get distracted too much. I can’t wait to find out how it will end. I love the cover for this particular book. It’s by far my favourite.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? Well for one thing, I only ever write in the nude. No, I’m just kidding there. That’s a tough question as we are all influenced by what we read. As an author, you should never stop reading and learning your trade, but to answer your question. I write very much from the heart and from my past experiences. Also, as I am not formally trained, my work tends to have a free style to it that is easy to read and, hopefully, draws the reader in. I have never been taught how to write, I just do it my way. Like most things in life, I’m self-taught, so I have a unique style that I’ve created myself.
3) Why do I write what I do? I generally write epic fantasy as I have always loved this genre. When I went to school, they never taught me to love books, so my formal education was poor. Soon after leaving school, I discovered fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and role playing games. I found that I could create whole worlds to explore with my mind, and read other peoples books about worlds that they created. I fell in love with reading at that point and I’ve never looked back. I sometimes explore other genres but I will always come back to Epic Fantasy.
4) How does your writing process work? It usually all starts while I’m sleeping. I sleep in the nude and this allows the mind to fully open up to the cosmos. Seriously though, a lot of my inspiration is from dreams. They give me the ideas that create the story. I don’t have a set structure for my writing process. I just sit down at the laptop and start writing. I start with a basic concept or idea, something I want to achieve in the book, and then I start to write. I don’t preset chapters or plot lines, as I find that this would make the story too obvious for my readers. If I don’t know how it’s going to end, neither will my readers. I like to keep it open and unstructured. It’s a bit like freeform jazz. I like to add lots of twists, leave clues and misdirection’s to keep readers guessing. There are subtle one-liners in Maerlin’s Storm, seeds that are planted and will only come to flower in book three or four. I’m not even sure when they will pop up, but they are there. Just when you think they aren’t part of the story, they will appear.
Anyway, I hope you liked my naked blog... now, it's getting a bit nippy so I'm off to put some clothes on.
For the video version go to http://navlogan.com/naked blog/expose/inyadreamsbaby!
Nav's Naked Blog Tour
Hi all, I thougt I'd share my Naked Blog Tour incase you missed it- I did.
Nav’s Naked Blog
Oops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
Firstly, let me thanks Ava K Michaels, for letting me be a part of this multi-author Blog Tour. Here is a link to her blog: http://akmichaels.com/blog/
Now, it’s question time on the Naked Blog Tour...ooops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
1) What am I working on? I’m currently working on Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga which in titled ‘The Black Knights of Crom Cruach’. It follows on from the previous books as part of the series, but should be a stand-alone novel in its own right, with new characters and a new storyline, which weaves into the overall greater plot. As with the last book, The Gathering of the Clans, it gets a little darker as the tale progresses, but there should be plenty of humour in there too. I hope to have it completed before the summer is over, as long as I don’t get distracted too much. I can’t wait to find out how it will end. I love the cover for this particular book. It’s by far my favourite.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? Well for one thing, I only ever write in the nude. No, I’m just kidding there. That’s a tough question as we are all influenced by what we read. As an author, you should never stop reading and learning your trade, but to answer your question. I write very much from the heart and from my past experiences. Also, as I am not formally trained, my work tends to have a free style to it that is easy to read and, hopefully, draws the reader in. I have never been taught how to write, I just do it my way. Like most things in life, I’m self-taught, so I have a unique style that I’ve created myself.
3) Why do I write what I do? I generally write epic fantasy as I have always loved this genre. When I went to school, they never taught me to love books, so my formal education was poor. Soon after leaving school, I discovered fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and role playing games. I found that I could create whole worlds to explore with my mind, and read other peoples books about worlds that they created. I fell in love with reading at that point and I’ve never looked back. I sometimes explore other genres but I will always come back to Epic Fantasy.
4) How does your writing process work? It usually all starts while I’m sleeping. I sleep in the nude and this allows the mind to fully open up to the cosmos. Seriously though, a lot of my inspiration is from dreams. They give me the ideas that create the story. I don’t have a set structure for my writing process. I just sit down at the laptop and start writing. I start with a basic concept or idea, something I want to achieve in the book, and then I start to write. I don’t preset chapters or plot lines, as I find that this would make the story too obvious for my readers. If I don’t know how it’s going to end, neither will my readers. I like to keep it open and unstructured. It’s a bit like freeform jazz. I like to add lots of twists, leave clues and misdirection’s to keep readers guessing. There are subtle one-liners in Maerlin’s Storm, seeds that are planted and will only come to flower in book three or four. I’m not even sure when they will pop up, but they are there. Just when you think they aren’t part of the story, they will appear.
Anyway, I hope you liked my naked blog... now, it's getting a bit nippy so I'm off to put some clothes on.
For the video version go to http://navlogan.com/naked blog/expose/inyadreamsbaby!
Nav’s Naked Blog
Oops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
Firstly, let me thanks Ava K Michaels, for letting me be a part of this multi-author Blog Tour. Here is a link to her blog: http://akmichaels.com/blog/
Now, it’s question time on the Naked Blog Tour...ooops I mean: My Writing Process - Blog Tour
1) What am I working on? I’m currently working on Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga which in titled ‘The Black Knights of Crom Cruach’. It follows on from the previous books as part of the series, but should be a stand-alone novel in its own right, with new characters and a new storyline, which weaves into the overall greater plot. As with the last book, The Gathering of the Clans, it gets a little darker as the tale progresses, but there should be plenty of humour in there too. I hope to have it completed before the summer is over, as long as I don’t get distracted too much. I can’t wait to find out how it will end. I love the cover for this particular book. It’s by far my favourite.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre? Well for one thing, I only ever write in the nude. No, I’m just kidding there. That’s a tough question as we are all influenced by what we read. As an author, you should never stop reading and learning your trade, but to answer your question. I write very much from the heart and from my past experiences. Also, as I am not formally trained, my work tends to have a free style to it that is easy to read and, hopefully, draws the reader in. I have never been taught how to write, I just do it my way. Like most things in life, I’m self-taught, so I have a unique style that I’ve created myself.
3) Why do I write what I do? I generally write epic fantasy as I have always loved this genre. When I went to school, they never taught me to love books, so my formal education was poor. Soon after leaving school, I discovered fantasy, Dungeons and Dragons, and role playing games. I found that I could create whole worlds to explore with my mind, and read other peoples books about worlds that they created. I fell in love with reading at that point and I’ve never looked back. I sometimes explore other genres but I will always come back to Epic Fantasy.
4) How does your writing process work? It usually all starts while I’m sleeping. I sleep in the nude and this allows the mind to fully open up to the cosmos. Seriously though, a lot of my inspiration is from dreams. They give me the ideas that create the story. I don’t have a set structure for my writing process. I just sit down at the laptop and start writing. I start with a basic concept or idea, something I want to achieve in the book, and then I start to write. I don’t preset chapters or plot lines, as I find that this would make the story too obvious for my readers. If I don’t know how it’s going to end, neither will my readers. I like to keep it open and unstructured. It’s a bit like freeform jazz. I like to add lots of twists, leave clues and misdirection’s to keep readers guessing. There are subtle one-liners in Maerlin’s Storm, seeds that are planted and will only come to flower in book three or four. I’m not even sure when they will pop up, but they are there. Just when you think they aren’t part of the story, they will appear.
Anyway, I hope you liked my naked blog... now, it's getting a bit nippy so I'm off to put some clothes on.
For the video version go to http://navlogan.com/naked blog/expose/inyadreamsbaby!
April 9, 2014
Hotspot by David Wailing- book review
Always a fan of David Wailing’s Auto series, I am glad to see that this new short story has not lost its appeal, far from it. Hotspot is not only a great short story, it is also an in-depth look into the human psyche and our social order. Hidden within the storyline are deep statements about social networking and the social stigmas we place upon ourselves. I am eager to see what happens next, now that Siobhan has found the path to social liberation. Once you have opened that door, there is no going back!
