Nav Logan's Blog, page 43
December 15, 2013
The Gathering of the Clans promotion
Hi all.
Much though I'm a bit of a humbug at heart, I've decided to do my bit for the festered season I've set up a promotion for the Yuletide period. Starting just after the winter solstice (22nd)and embracing the whole tinsel period, until the 29th of December, the second book of the Storm-bringer Saga will be available for the bargain price of $0.99 on Amazon.com (hopefully, this promotion will also extend to Amazon.co.uk, but I'm a little confused with life the universe and Amazon Countdown Deal promotions, as it's my first attempt at this form of marketing.
It'll probably be a complete disaster, as everyone will be too drunk on sherry trifle to remember to download the book, but hey ... I tried.Smile You'll just have to pay full price for it in the new year, if you have too much brandy on your pudding.
Regards
Nav
Much though I'm a bit of a humbug at heart, I've decided to do my bit for the festered season I've set up a promotion for the Yuletide period. Starting just after the winter solstice (22nd)and embracing the whole tinsel period, until the 29th of December, the second book of the Storm-bringer Saga will be available for the bargain price of $0.99 on Amazon.com (hopefully, this promotion will also extend to Amazon.co.uk, but I'm a little confused with life the universe and Amazon Countdown Deal promotions, as it's my first attempt at this form of marketing.
It'll probably be a complete disaster, as everyone will be too drunk on sherry trifle to remember to download the book, but hey ... I tried.Smile You'll just have to pay full price for it in the new year, if you have too much brandy on your pudding.
Regards
Nav
December 8, 2013
A sample from the Gathering of the Clans
The snort of the horses woke Sile, and for a moment she lay still and listened. No further sound came. Just as she was falling back asleep, the horses snorted again, and she knew something was wrong. Carefully, she rolled out her blanket and placed a hand over Malachi's mouth. He woke with a start, but she held him firmly and motioned with a raised finger for silence. Releasing the fool, she rose quietly and peeked out of the makeshift tent. Obscure shadowy forms moved in the misty half-light of dawn. They stalked slowly closer to the hobbled ponies, so as not to spook them. At first, she thought they might be wolves, but their movements were not like the way of the wolf. The mists cleared for a moment, and she could make out small humanoid forms. Silently, she counted them. There were at least eight that she could see, and there were possibly more, hiding in the mist. There was no possibility of avoiding a confrontation against so many. The dawn raiders would be hoping to catch them unprepared, whilst they slept. "Stay here," she hissed at the fool. Slipping her daggers free, she slipped into the mist.
On silent feet, she circled the camp and approached the visitors from the flank, moving as quickly as she dared. When she was in position, she paused, fixing the position of as many of the shadowy creatures in her mind, as possible. Then, she leapt into motion.
The first of the creatures turned, sensing her at the last moment, and its eyes widened as her razor sharp dagger sliced across its throat, severing jugular and windpipe before it could cry out. Sile moved on, rushing at her second target. The creature let out a brief shriek as one of her daggers plunged into its neck and drove upwards. The cry was short, but loud enough to alert the others. … The misty battle had begun.
Within moments, they were charging at her from all sides. The first two assailants went down quickly, before Sile was forced to go on the defensive. Only her constant motion and dexterity saved her, as time and again, a variety of weapons were thrust in her direction. Spinning and flipping backwards and forwards, she prevented her opponents from any concerted attack. She even managed to wound a few of them, but she wondered how long she could sustain this frantic pace. She was outnumbered, and they had her surrounded. Hearing a war cry and sensing movement to her right, she dodged away from the expected blow, still trying to get a clear view of her opponents in the dense fog. She lashed out with a foot, catching one of them in the face and then ducked and spun, hamstringing her stunned opponent.
She heard the clash of weapons again to her right and back-flipped away from the noise, once, twice before spinning to confront another of the creatures. Her knives rose quickly to block its downward striking club, and her knee rose sharply upwards as she countered. Catching it in its solar plexus, she heard it grunt and smelled its rank breath, before she embedded both of her daggers into its kidneys. She had broken free and momentarily paused to catch her breath. She could still hear the strange war cry amongst the clash of blades. It came more clearly to her ears. "For Medb!"
"Malachi!" She exclaimed, rushing back into the fray. Only the Jester's bulk, distinguished him from the other creatures, as they were of a similar height. She was surprised at the ferocity of the Jester's attacks. Armed only with his toy-like sword, Malachi was forcing a pair of opponents back with powerful blows. Seeing one of the creatures, sneaking up behind the jester, Sile leapt forward and dispatched it.
Seeing the odds rapidly diminishing, the creatures broke away and fled into the mist. Within moments, it was as if they had never existed. The dead, however, lay on the ground as mute testament of the dawn raid.
Malachi bent over and groaned.
"Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, Sile, just give me a moment."
"Are you wounded, Malachi? Is there anything I can do?"
"The dirty scoundrel kneed me in the privates … I don't suppose there is any chance you could kiss them better?"
Sile grinned, relieved that Malachi was not seriously injured."Sorry, but its way too early in the morning for that sort of nonsense. Anyway, since you're no longer the Court Jester, you can't afford my services."
"Ouch! Have a little sympathy for a wounded comrade, Sile. Do you have to kick me whilst I'm down?"
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "There you go, a kiss for my heroic knight, though I'm not so sure about your shiny armour."
"What! I sleep better in the nude, and I didn't have any time to put clothes on. That get-up you gave me is tighter than a taxman's pity. I'd still be struggling my way into those damn shorts. Anyway … when you're a fine specimen of masculinity like me, you might as well share it with the world!"
Sile wisely refrained from comment. Instead, she looked down at the creature that was lying at their feet. "What are these things?"
"They're Na Coblinau-Dorcha. Dirty, little, sneak-thieves, the lot of them."
"Dark Goblins? I thought that they were just in fairy tales."
"Oh no, they're real, all right. There are loads of the smelly critters roaming around in the 'Teeth of the Draoidín', but you don't see many of them this far south. There must be a cave complex around here that they're hiding out in. They don't venture out much in daylight. It's safer for them to sneak about in the dark. This mist must've been too tempting for them. They must've smelled the horses."
"How is it that a court jester knows all about this?"
"Where I come from, way up in the wild north, there are large bands of Na Coblinau-Dorcha, plenty of Ciudach, and a few other nastier buggers I could mention. You learn to fight before you learn to walk, if you want to stay alive. My people tend to be quite reserved and serious, due to the harsh environments they live in. They don't have the same tolerance for fools, dreamers, and poets that you Pects do." Malachi explained. "I wasn't always a jester, you know, though I've always been a bit of a fool. I was cast out of my tribe when it became clear that I wasn't like the rest of them. Somehow, I managed to survive and headed south, looking for a better life. I've done a lot of stupid jobs over the years, stuff that no one in their right mind would do. Clearly, I was eminently qualified!"
"You mean to say that you're not a Pect, but I thought ..."
"You thought what? That I was some inbred, mountain runt, or that my mother had been sampling too many recreational mushrooms and I came out deformed. Is that what you were going to say?"
"Well, no… but."
"Don't worry, Sile. I've heard them all before, and the answer is no, I'm none of those things. I'm exactly how my gods meant me to be." He declared. "Though, I think I was left at the back of the brains queue." Malachi indicated his forehead with a tapping finger.
"So you're supposed to be… short?"
"Yep, that's probably why we're called Dwarfs."
"Dwarfs! As in … Dwarfs?"
"I know … fairy tales, right?" Malachi grinned and rubbed his arms against the chill.
"But I thought Dwarfs were supposed to have beards, hanging down beyond their wedding-tackle."
Malachi scratched his chin. "Medb doesn't approve of facial hair, and what the Queen wants ... anyway, it's hard to be a jester if no-one can see your face."
"I'd never thought of that."
"I'd better get those shorts on before my plums fall off. I can feel them creeping into my throat as we speak."
"I can do better than that, Malachi." Sile declared, stepping over to the baggage. Digging around for a moment, she pulled out a black and white cap, with attached bells. "There you go!"
"My suit … you've brought my suit!" Malachi blubbered, rushing over and hugging her enthusiastically.
"Please … put some clothes on first! I know where you've been!" She protested, quickly handing him the rest of his piebald regalia.The Gathering of the Clans- The Storm-bringer Saga Book Two
On silent feet, she circled the camp and approached the visitors from the flank, moving as quickly as she dared. When she was in position, she paused, fixing the position of as many of the shadowy creatures in her mind, as possible. Then, she leapt into motion.
The first of the creatures turned, sensing her at the last moment, and its eyes widened as her razor sharp dagger sliced across its throat, severing jugular and windpipe before it could cry out. Sile moved on, rushing at her second target. The creature let out a brief shriek as one of her daggers plunged into its neck and drove upwards. The cry was short, but loud enough to alert the others. … The misty battle had begun.
Within moments, they were charging at her from all sides. The first two assailants went down quickly, before Sile was forced to go on the defensive. Only her constant motion and dexterity saved her, as time and again, a variety of weapons were thrust in her direction. Spinning and flipping backwards and forwards, she prevented her opponents from any concerted attack. She even managed to wound a few of them, but she wondered how long she could sustain this frantic pace. She was outnumbered, and they had her surrounded. Hearing a war cry and sensing movement to her right, she dodged away from the expected blow, still trying to get a clear view of her opponents in the dense fog. She lashed out with a foot, catching one of them in the face and then ducked and spun, hamstringing her stunned opponent.
She heard the clash of weapons again to her right and back-flipped away from the noise, once, twice before spinning to confront another of the creatures. Her knives rose quickly to block its downward striking club, and her knee rose sharply upwards as she countered. Catching it in its solar plexus, she heard it grunt and smelled its rank breath, before she embedded both of her daggers into its kidneys. She had broken free and momentarily paused to catch her breath. She could still hear the strange war cry amongst the clash of blades. It came more clearly to her ears. "For Medb!"
"Malachi!" She exclaimed, rushing back into the fray. Only the Jester's bulk, distinguished him from the other creatures, as they were of a similar height. She was surprised at the ferocity of the Jester's attacks. Armed only with his toy-like sword, Malachi was forcing a pair of opponents back with powerful blows. Seeing one of the creatures, sneaking up behind the jester, Sile leapt forward and dispatched it.
Seeing the odds rapidly diminishing, the creatures broke away and fled into the mist. Within moments, it was as if they had never existed. The dead, however, lay on the ground as mute testament of the dawn raid.
Malachi bent over and groaned.
"Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, Sile, just give me a moment."
"Are you wounded, Malachi? Is there anything I can do?"
"The dirty scoundrel kneed me in the privates … I don't suppose there is any chance you could kiss them better?"
Sile grinned, relieved that Malachi was not seriously injured."Sorry, but its way too early in the morning for that sort of nonsense. Anyway, since you're no longer the Court Jester, you can't afford my services."
"Ouch! Have a little sympathy for a wounded comrade, Sile. Do you have to kick me whilst I'm down?"
She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "There you go, a kiss for my heroic knight, though I'm not so sure about your shiny armour."
"What! I sleep better in the nude, and I didn't have any time to put clothes on. That get-up you gave me is tighter than a taxman's pity. I'd still be struggling my way into those damn shorts. Anyway … when you're a fine specimen of masculinity like me, you might as well share it with the world!"
Sile wisely refrained from comment. Instead, she looked down at the creature that was lying at their feet. "What are these things?"
"They're Na Coblinau-Dorcha. Dirty, little, sneak-thieves, the lot of them."
"Dark Goblins? I thought that they were just in fairy tales."
"Oh no, they're real, all right. There are loads of the smelly critters roaming around in the 'Teeth of the Draoidín', but you don't see many of them this far south. There must be a cave complex around here that they're hiding out in. They don't venture out much in daylight. It's safer for them to sneak about in the dark. This mist must've been too tempting for them. They must've smelled the horses."
"How is it that a court jester knows all about this?"
"Where I come from, way up in the wild north, there are large bands of Na Coblinau-Dorcha, plenty of Ciudach, and a few other nastier buggers I could mention. You learn to fight before you learn to walk, if you want to stay alive. My people tend to be quite reserved and serious, due to the harsh environments they live in. They don't have the same tolerance for fools, dreamers, and poets that you Pects do." Malachi explained. "I wasn't always a jester, you know, though I've always been a bit of a fool. I was cast out of my tribe when it became clear that I wasn't like the rest of them. Somehow, I managed to survive and headed south, looking for a better life. I've done a lot of stupid jobs over the years, stuff that no one in their right mind would do. Clearly, I was eminently qualified!"
"You mean to say that you're not a Pect, but I thought ..."
"You thought what? That I was some inbred, mountain runt, or that my mother had been sampling too many recreational mushrooms and I came out deformed. Is that what you were going to say?"
"Well, no… but."
"Don't worry, Sile. I've heard them all before, and the answer is no, I'm none of those things. I'm exactly how my gods meant me to be." He declared. "Though, I think I was left at the back of the brains queue." Malachi indicated his forehead with a tapping finger.
"So you're supposed to be… short?"
"Yep, that's probably why we're called Dwarfs."
"Dwarfs! As in … Dwarfs?"
"I know … fairy tales, right?" Malachi grinned and rubbed his arms against the chill.
"But I thought Dwarfs were supposed to have beards, hanging down beyond their wedding-tackle."
Malachi scratched his chin. "Medb doesn't approve of facial hair, and what the Queen wants ... anyway, it's hard to be a jester if no-one can see your face."
"I'd never thought of that."
"I'd better get those shorts on before my plums fall off. I can feel them creeping into my throat as we speak."
"I can do better than that, Malachi." Sile declared, stepping over to the baggage. Digging around for a moment, she pulled out a black and white cap, with attached bells. "There you go!"
"My suit … you've brought my suit!" Malachi blubbered, rushing over and hugging her enthusiastically.
"Please … put some clothes on first! I know where you've been!" She protested, quickly handing him the rest of his piebald regalia.The Gathering of the Clans- The Storm-bringer Saga Book Two
December 1, 2013
November 25, 2013
Free eBook Promotion
Okay, so sorry about the delay, but I've now resolved the issue with Amazon KDP and Maerlin's Storm is now available FREE on the following days:-
Free Book Promotion from November 26, 2013 -November 28, 2013 to celebrate the release of Book Two of the Storm-bringer Saga: The Gathering of the Clans.
Enjoy
Nav
Free Book Promotion from November 26, 2013 -November 28, 2013 to celebrate the release of Book Two of the Storm-bringer Saga: The Gathering of the Clans.
Enjoy
Nav
November 23, 2013
November 21, 2013
The Gathering of the Clans- release update
Hi there,
Finally, Book Two of the Storm-bringer Saga:The Gathering of the Clans, is released on Amazon. All i need to do now is wait for it to be processed and get its ASIN number, to be officially available. It has been a long journey to get this second book out, but it was worth all the effort. A special thank you to all the people of KUF and Goodreads who have given me help and advice.
As for the blurb, I finally went with the following:
Conal has lived most of his life with a price on his head but as he approaches manhood, the list of people trying to kill him, continues to grow. He must attend the Gathering of the Clans and be declared a man, before he can claim his right to the throne of the Dragon Clan.
Meanwhile, Maerlin's dreams are still troubling her. The Gods has been manipulating her for her whole life. Now, it's time for Maerlin to make her own destiny.
At the quiet monastery of Leithban, the tranquillity of the monks' daily lives is torn asunder when a blind stranger arrives at their door.
Malachi's simple life of debauchery as a court jester is about to get wildly out of control. Is it possible to be a fool and a hero at the same time?
***This story contains some scenes of violence and nudity and may not be suitable for a younger reader. It is recommended for a mature audience***
Many thanks
Nav
Finally, Book Two of the Storm-bringer Saga:The Gathering of the Clans, is released on Amazon. All i need to do now is wait for it to be processed and get its ASIN number, to be officially available. It has been a long journey to get this second book out, but it was worth all the effort. A special thank you to all the people of KUF and Goodreads who have given me help and advice.
As for the blurb, I finally went with the following:
Conal has lived most of his life with a price on his head but as he approaches manhood, the list of people trying to kill him, continues to grow. He must attend the Gathering of the Clans and be declared a man, before he can claim his right to the throne of the Dragon Clan.
Meanwhile, Maerlin's dreams are still troubling her. The Gods has been manipulating her for her whole life. Now, it's time for Maerlin to make her own destiny.
At the quiet monastery of Leithban, the tranquillity of the monks' daily lives is torn asunder when a blind stranger arrives at their door.
Malachi's simple life of debauchery as a court jester is about to get wildly out of control. Is it possible to be a fool and a hero at the same time?
***This story contains some scenes of violence and nudity and may not be suitable for a younger reader. It is recommended for a mature audience***
Many thanks
Nav
November 18, 2013
Update on Book Two of the Storm-bringer Saga
Finally, after many long months of hard work, I can finally see the light of day, and the sequel to Maerlin's Storm is due for release at the end of the week. Maerlin's Storm was originally written nearly ten years ago and had sat collecting dust until early this year. Having been given a kindle for Xmas, I started to wonder about the whole self publishing thing. By the end of January, I'd figured out the formatting issues and it was released on Amazon.
Unfortunately, the version I thought was the finished book, proved to be an earlier version I had saved down, and there were many typo errors in the book. So, I have spent as much time re-editing and tweaking the first book, as I have writing the second over the last nine months. Writing is something I find easy to do, but the editing wrecks my head.
Still, it has certainly been a learning process and I think my writing is better for it. Perhaps, by the time I'm on my sixth book, I might be doing something right.
As you can imagine, with a ten year gap between the first and second novels in the Storm-bringer Saga, there is some changes in the story and the way it is told.
In the first book, I was a little uncommitted as to the audience I was targeting. In truth, I wasn't targeting any audience, as it was written as much for my own enjoyment as anything else. It just sort of happened. Up until then, my writing was mainly poetry. Now, ten years on, I had to decide whether this book was going to be an adult book, a Young Adult book or a children's book. Swearing was something I had tried to restrain from in book one, but at times, the speech felt false because of this.
Maerlin's Storm is generally without violence, until the last big scene, where Maerlin is tortured. This is an intense scene and really brings the book to a climax, so this rules out any thoughts of it being suitable for children.
To be honest, I'm really not sure what a YA book is, what is allowed and what isn't. My own teenage children enjoy the books, so perhaps it fits into this category, but maybe not.
Therefore, when writing the second book, I wrote it as a book that I would enjoy reading. It contains humour and good dialogue, some great characters and a strong plot. It also contains some strong language, (within context) and other scenes of an adult nature. It isn't 50 shades of grey, or Texas chainsaw massacres but neither has the story been dampened down or tamed to make it palatable for a wider audience. Personally, I'm very happy with it, but I'm sure it is not for everyone and I am bound to get some people who will either love it or hate it. It has been a hard choice for me to make, but I am pleased with the outcome and I hope you are too.
As my son once commented, 'Maerlin's Storm has one big dark scene at the end of the book, but the Gathering of the Clans has multiple smaller darkness's throughout the book.'
I'm just completing a final once over of 'The Gathering of the Clans' before release, thanks to some great work done by my Beta-readers. Thank you all so very much for all the hard work. I really appreciate all your feedback.
Looking forward, I am now on Chapter Ten of The Black Knights of Crom Cruach- Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga and hope to have that completed by next summer.
Unfortunately, the version I thought was the finished book, proved to be an earlier version I had saved down, and there were many typo errors in the book. So, I have spent as much time re-editing and tweaking the first book, as I have writing the second over the last nine months. Writing is something I find easy to do, but the editing wrecks my head.
Still, it has certainly been a learning process and I think my writing is better for it. Perhaps, by the time I'm on my sixth book, I might be doing something right.
As you can imagine, with a ten year gap between the first and second novels in the Storm-bringer Saga, there is some changes in the story and the way it is told.
In the first book, I was a little uncommitted as to the audience I was targeting. In truth, I wasn't targeting any audience, as it was written as much for my own enjoyment as anything else. It just sort of happened. Up until then, my writing was mainly poetry. Now, ten years on, I had to decide whether this book was going to be an adult book, a Young Adult book or a children's book. Swearing was something I had tried to restrain from in book one, but at times, the speech felt false because of this.
Maerlin's Storm is generally without violence, until the last big scene, where Maerlin is tortured. This is an intense scene and really brings the book to a climax, so this rules out any thoughts of it being suitable for children.
To be honest, I'm really not sure what a YA book is, what is allowed and what isn't. My own teenage children enjoy the books, so perhaps it fits into this category, but maybe not.
Therefore, when writing the second book, I wrote it as a book that I would enjoy reading. It contains humour and good dialogue, some great characters and a strong plot. It also contains some strong language, (within context) and other scenes of an adult nature. It isn't 50 shades of grey, or Texas chainsaw massacres but neither has the story been dampened down or tamed to make it palatable for a wider audience. Personally, I'm very happy with it, but I'm sure it is not for everyone and I am bound to get some people who will either love it or hate it. It has been a hard choice for me to make, but I am pleased with the outcome and I hope you are too.
As my son once commented, 'Maerlin's Storm has one big dark scene at the end of the book, but the Gathering of the Clans has multiple smaller darkness's throughout the book.'
I'm just completing a final once over of 'The Gathering of the Clans' before release, thanks to some great work done by my Beta-readers. Thank you all so very much for all the hard work. I really appreciate all your feedback.
Looking forward, I am now on Chapter Ten of The Black Knights of Crom Cruach- Book Three of the Storm-bringer Saga and hope to have that completed by next summer.
November 9, 2013
Maureen and the Big One review
A Coming of Aged Book.
Maureen and the Big One is not only humorous, it is also an insightful voyage of self discovery for Maureen. After previously reading Maureen goes to Venice, I'd developed a love/hate relationship with the character's brash manner and her hilarious escapades, but the Big One sheds knew layers on Maureen's onion personality.
In this book, Jonathan has maintained all that we knew about Maureen, and yet, he has managed to bring her even more to life. He has humanised her and made her even more lovable. We see into the depth of soul, her inner doubts and fears as well as the strong will that carries her through her difficult life.
Set in Blackpool, the tale brought forth many of my own childhood memories of summer holidays in the northern seaside town, and captured all its attractions with a sharp eye and a sharper wit. It brought me many a warm smile and a few out loud, belly laughs. It's well worth a gander.
Maureen and the Big One is not only humorous, it is also an insightful voyage of self discovery for Maureen. After previously reading Maureen goes to Venice, I'd developed a love/hate relationship with the character's brash manner and her hilarious escapades, but the Big One sheds knew layers on Maureen's onion personality.
In this book, Jonathan has maintained all that we knew about Maureen, and yet, he has managed to bring her even more to life. He has humanised her and made her even more lovable. We see into the depth of soul, her inner doubts and fears as well as the strong will that carries her through her difficult life.
Set in Blackpool, the tale brought forth many of my own childhood memories of summer holidays in the northern seaside town, and captured all its attractions with a sharp eye and a sharper wit. It brought me many a warm smile and a few out loud, belly laughs. It's well worth a gander.
November 4, 2013
Auto
Auto : by David Wailing.
Reading short stories can be like looking out of your bedroom window at the snowy world outside. The view can be awesome, but sometimes you just want to go out and make snow angels and have a snowball fight. Having previously read Timeline by David Wailing, I looked forward to reading some more of his work. I was far from disappointed.
At first, it seemed that I was reading a compilation of short stories, based in the same time in the future, but David has cleverly woven these stories together and I found myself within the world of Auto and not just looking out of my bedroom window. He creates a well thought out and realistic world, filled with genuine everyday people that you can easily identify with and plot lines that are believable and readily acceptable. This could very easily be a window into our future.
For lovers of short stories, you will love this and for those who like a bit more in their reading; look no further…
Reading short stories can be like looking out of your bedroom window at the snowy world outside. The view can be awesome, but sometimes you just want to go out and make snow angels and have a snowball fight. Having previously read Timeline by David Wailing, I looked forward to reading some more of his work. I was far from disappointed.
At first, it seemed that I was reading a compilation of short stories, based in the same time in the future, but David has cleverly woven these stories together and I found myself within the world of Auto and not just looking out of my bedroom window. He creates a well thought out and realistic world, filled with genuine everyday people that you can easily identify with and plot lines that are believable and readily acceptable. This could very easily be a window into our future.
For lovers of short stories, you will love this and for those who like a bit more in their reading; look no further…
