Donny Swords's Blog

Inside The IX: Andrew P Weston

Inside The IX:An Interview With Andrew P. Weston Interview Conducted by Donny Swords  Buy

Soldiers from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds, including the IX Legion of Rome, are snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing, and transported to the far side of the galaxy. Thinking they have been granted a reprieve, their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a stark ultimatum:
Fight or die. *** I have to say I'm quite impressed with Andrew P. Weston. Not authors nor men could deny his achievements as a man and author. I am honored to have had the fortune of conducting this interview. Prior to conducting this interview I knew more about editor Janet Morris for Andrew's new novel The IX than I did about the author or his book. I found myself getting inspired over his responses to my questions, and I hope you will too. -Donny *** Thanks for agreeing to this interview Andrew. Would you mind telling us a little about yourself?

 Andrew P. Weston
Web (link)
Blog (link)
Amazon Author Page
(link)I was born in the city of Birmingham, in the UK, and grew up in the towns of Bearwood and Edgbaston. (Places synonymous with the ancient Forest of Arden – which in turn – was the larger part of Nottingham Forest of Robin Hood fame.)
In my latter childhood years, I attended Holly Lodge Grammar School for Boy’s where I became School Captain. I was an active sportsperson at school, college, and county level, and also managed to compete at national level.
After graduating in physics and astronomy, I joined the Royal Marines and served in a number of specialized roles both in the UK and abroad.
Upon leaving the military, I served as a police officer in a variety of uniformed and plain clothed departments until an injury on duty forced my retirement in 2009.
Over those years, I wrote and illustrated a selection of private books for my children regarding the life of a tiny kitten, called, “The Adventures of Willy Whiskers”, gained further qualifications in Law, was an active member of Mensa, and supported various local community projects by providing sports lesson/training free of charge.
Although that unfortunate accident meant I had to retire early, I moved to the sunny Greek island of Kos to speed up my recuperation, and was at last able to devote time to the “Guardian Concept” I had developed over the preceding thirty years.
I now work in the security industry, and write in my spare time. I still enjoy teaching martial arts, and attend Greek dancing and language lessons. I also support a number of charities.
  Buy

THE SACRED BAND GOES NORTH – TO WAR!
Here is the new, revised and expanded Author’s Cut edition of BEYOND SANCTUARY, the first ever full-length novel to take you BEYOND the notorious Thieves World™ fantasy universe, where gods still stalk the land, warring with demons and human sorcerers and trampling unfortunate humanity underfoot.
If you like stories of bold brave knights employed in meritorious duty, or tales of ladies delicate and fair, be warned. Beyond Sanctuary, set at the foot of notorious Wizardwall, may be too much for your sensibilities. There wizards, bards, and maidens mingle with murderers and thieves, and the fight breaking out at the next table may be the one that ends your life.
The hero of BEYOND SANCTUARY is Tempus, leader of mercenaries and warrior-servant of Vashanka, god of storm and war. With Niko, Cime, and the Froth Daughter Jihan, Tempus faces the archmage Datan and his unholy followers – in a battle for the Rankan Empire’s survival and that of his very soul. BEYOND SANCTUARY is the first novel in Janet Morris’ BEYOND series, followed by BEYOND THE VEIL and BEYOND WIZARDWALL. Your novel, the IX, was edited by Janet Morris. How long did that process take?

It’s been an ongoing process over the past four or five months or so. The team is very professional. Even after the ‘official’ editing process had ended, we continued pouring through the manuscript, weeding out little slips, here and there, that had crept in. Excellence is the key.
  What was it like to work with such an established force in fiction as Janet Morris?

In one word? Awesome. In more? It’s a great privilege to get to work with such a renowned writer/editor and her team, and I’ve certainly benefitted from the process. I hope that now reflects in the work I produce.
 When did the inspiration for the IX pop into your brain?

I undertook the writing of The IX following an animated discussion during a Royal Marines veterans reunion dinner in the early part of 2013. Military history has always been a hobby of mine, and several ex-colleagues started a debate as to the true fate of the legendary lost 9th Legion of Rome. Five thousand men marched into the mists of Northern Caledonia (Scotland) around AD100 – 120 and were never seen again.
That conversation stayed with me for several months until I happened to catch an old movie on TV, Millennium. In that film, time travelers visit the present day and steal passengers from doomed aircraft with the intention of repopulating a barren world of the future.
I am an avid science fiction buff, and the conversation from the reunion dinner immediately sprang to mind. Obviously, I began to imagine what if?
What if they were taken? Not into our future...but somewhere and some-when else entirely. And what might it be like if their antagonists were also snatched away with them?
I started to let that though roll, and came up with a nice twist. Would it be a good idea to include other groups of refugees from varying time periods, and throw them together into a nightmare scenario where they had to face the very real prospect of death all over again?
It took a great deal of research and preparation, but I was very pleased with the resulting outline, as it provided a fresh approach to an exciting genre.
The rest–as they say–is history
 How long did the IX take from word one to release?

It’s a large piece of work. Despite the fact I’m not a fulltime writer, it only took about five months to complete. After that, it went through the initial approval stage – acceptance – editing – and final polishing. In all, about eighteen months.
 Is it easy being an author?

No. As I mentioned, I have to write in my spare time, so I have to be incredibly disciplined to ensure I spend enough time writing every day. It takes a great deal of sacrifice, especially on my wife’s part, but I hope that one day soon, it’ll all be worth it. (And I’ll get to spoil her rotten” J)
  Why do you write?

Because my inner demons wouldn’t let me rest if I didn’t. I have imaginary worlds & characters demanding to have their stories told. They have to be let out.
  The IX must have required a lot of research, is this the case?

Hell yes. I had to do a massive amount of research for the IX. Remember, the inspiration was based on the 9th Legion of Rome. But, how were they structured? Who did what? How did they march, set up camp, and operate? What did they wear, and what weapons did they use. The Caledonian tribes of that time were vicious savages, and experts in ‘jungle, warfare. However, where did they come from? How did they fight? How far would they travel to engage in combat, and what made them capable enough to defeat entire legions?
Many, many facets like this had to be considered, and that was before I’d even started work on the composition and function of the many U.S. Cavalry companies and the Native American tribes of the eighteenth century. (Thankfully, I had a friend to assist me on that aspect – she’s of Cree descent, and proved to be a goldmine of information) J
The easiest part related to the Special Forces unit. For that, I drew on firsthand military knowledge and experience of sticking itto the bad guys!
 Once that was done, I then had to make certain the futuristic/scientific Tec referred to within the story had a basis in fact. I called on my educational background in astronomy and physics for that. Even so, I still had to research the very latest developments, trends, and breakthroughs to ensure the ‘theoretical’ aspects had that ring of truth. Even though this is a science fiction novel, I wanted it to be believable. There’s no doubt in my mind that if you make things too farfetched and super-convenient, it turns readers off.

 Despite the work involved, I really enjoy the research aspect, as it adds a depth of authority to your work that improves quality and reading enjoyment.

 There are several battle scenes, or so I am told. I do have a copy of the book, but I haven’t gotten to read it yet. (This actually makes you my first interview of an author whose work I am at disadvantage of having not read.) Anyways, back to battles, would you say your military background helped you with those fight scenes?

Certainly. It always helps when you can bring what you’re writing about up out of the written page and into the mind of the reader. The word-picture you create need to be expressive. Vibrant. Alive. What does that kind of experience actually feel like? What do you see? Hear? Taste? Smell? What weird things stick in your mind? I know exactly what it’s like to be involved in a variety of ‘blood-n-guts’ stress situations. Hand to hand, firefight, stealth, full-on aggression, jungle, water, urban, etc. There’s an odd sort of detachment that takes over as your training kicks in...how can I describe this...? A slow motion hyper speed, where certain sights, sounds and perceptions become heightened, while other senses – especially pain – sink into obscurity. When you can bring that kind of realism into a story, it shows.
As a writer, how do you prepare for battle?
I put myself in the moment and imagine how I would fight given the tools my characters possess. Then I live/relive the experience as if my life depended on it.
Tell us a bit about the IX’s plot.
Arden, home to a culture that has existed for thousands of years and which spans dozens of worlds. Regardless, their cultural and technical sophistication cannot prevent calamity at the hands of an unstoppable nemesis. Known only as the Horde, this enemy has proven relentless. They have not only stripped the outer colonies bare, but now threaten the existence of the entire Ardenese way of life.
Realizing there is nothing they can do to prevent the inevitable march toward extinction, the Ardenese governing body comes to a drastic decision. They gather together at their capital city, Rhomane, and place their remaining genetic heritage in a vast underground ark, in the care of an advanced AI construct called the Architect. Its mission? To use Rhomane’s dwindling reserves and safeguard their race by reaching out across time and space toward those who might be in a position to help reseed a devastated world at some time in the future.
That’s where we turn to the soldiers – and their antagonists - from varying eras and vastly different backgrounds. Although separated by more than a thousand years, each group finds themselves snatched away from Earth at the moment of their passing and transposed into the same moment and location on the far side of the galaxy. Initially, they think they have been granted a reprieve, but their relief turns to horror when they discover they face a stark ultimatum:
Fight or die!
The story highlights the seemingly insurmountable obstacles they face as they not only face a relentless foe, but the residual animosity of their former lives that clouds their views and impedes their judgment.
How does it all turn out?
You’ll see... J
A gripping excerpt from the IX
Too late, others rushed forward to assist.
Allowing his momentum to take him, Tiberius rolled forward and came up onto one knee in a battle ready posture. He drew his gladius and fought to regain his equilibrium, which for some reason, still seemed caught in a whirlwind of vertigo inducing motion.
An asperity hung in the air before him. A rent in the very fabric of space that confounded the eye, set his teeth on edge, and made him want to spill the contents of his stomach onto the floor.
A portal! Inside our defenses. I must warn the others…And Rhomane. If they can do this here, they might–
Without warning, the gyre flared and solidified into a more defined form. A pulse of light, carrying the force of an earthquake, radiated outward and bowled him over. Tiberius hit the ground hard, and his blade was knocked from his grasp. Clattering loudly across the floor, it came to rest against the legs of an adjacent computer station. He scrabbled forward, intent on recovering the only thing that might make a difference between life and death.
Suddenly, it felt to Tiberius as if one of the gods of Rome had reached into his chest and squeezed the air from his lungs.
Gagging for breath, he watched, helplessly, as a huge bulk manifested from out of the gateway. Wreathed in a scarlet and purple nimbus, its crown blazed brightly under the glory of the violet and blue flames that circled like dancing fangs about its head.
I’m done for. And there’s nothing I can do about it except die like a man.
Struggling to his feet, Tiberius charged the monster before him. A stifled gasp from behind, alerted him to the fact that he had an audience. He didn’t have time to wonder about who had been foolish enough to follow him inside.
The Horde Master anticipated his move. Reacting faster than he thought would be possible, the Boss swatted him aside like a bothersome insect. A moment’s agony, where every nerve seemed set ablaze in a sea of acid, ate its way into his soul. Tiberius collided with the opposite wall, bounced, and then fell, drained and exhausted at the ogre’s feet.
Finish what you came to do! His mind screamed.
The monster did exactly that, only not in the way Tiberius expected.
Tell us about your other books.
This is my first book with Perseid Press. As my readers will be aware, I am also the creator of the Guardian Series, (a science fiction saga dealing with the introduction to society of a mysterious group of benefactors who have been watching and guiding mankind from behind the scenes for thousands of years. They ‘out’ themselves, as it were, and the series takes a look at the implications of that bold decision...For the Guardians, for mankind, and for the future) – I also devised the Cambion Journals series, (a dark fantasy adventure following the life of Augustus Thorne, a human/demon hybrid and his fight to control his nature as he battles against those who would turn the human race into cattle. He also ties to find love along the way, which adds a bittersweet flavor to the story).
There are other works in the pipeline with Perseid Press, but you’ll have to wait and see what they involve.
Do you work a day job? If so, how do you balance writing with the rest of your life?
As I mentioned, I work in the security and personal protection industry, so life can be rather exhausting and intense. It takes a great deal of discipline and focus to ensure I get what’s in my head, down in writing, so I schedule things meticulously...(and end up hating it when distractions keep interrupting what I’ve planned). So, it’s a question of...keep plugging away.
But one day, I’ll be doing this full time. When I do? Watch out...THEN you’ll see something amazing.
  The IX is off to a pretty nice start so far… It’s gotten a lot of support right out of the gate (rare for most authors) how does that feel?

Incredible! It’s like I have my own guardian angels watching over me who are illuminating my work so its stands out. I keep pinching myself to see if it’s all real. (And I don’t want it to stop). It’s also a great incentive to keep pushing myself to be the best I can become.
 If you could say anything to your readers to get them to crack open the IX and give it a go, what would it be?

This book is special. It’s about strength of will and the tenacity of the human spirit...the will to survive in the face of overwhelming odds. Never give up, even when you think you’ve met your end. Remember, death might only be the beginning of the adventure.
  Thanks for the Interview Andrew.

You’re very welcome.Thank you for inviting me.  Buy

In Purgatory, there is one law. It is damnation.
The abyss plots as the gods use its powers to suit themselves. Born of the void, to the hostile landscapes of Purgatory, not as a child, and not as a man, Banner must overcome his roots. The realm of Purgatory does not forgive so easily, suffering is ceaseless. It is a realm where death grants rebirth so suffering can begin anew. Those of his race are bred killers, evil, and cold to their marrows.
Banner, a night stalker set apart from his peers in extremity faces an uncertain future as he attempts to leave Purgatory and the nightmares behind.
He cannot do it alone…

Remembering Dimebag Darrell/ Real Heroes

  Far Beyond Driven: Dimebag Darrell AbbottTen Years After: 12/8/2014   If you have ever played the guitar before, raise your hand.  Whether you play simple chords or shred, you have an advantage going into this article.  Why?  Because you know how tough it is.  Playing the guitar is one of the most challenging activities I have ever done.  I have owned and played guitars since I was 11, and I have gotten kind of good at it too.  There were plenty of people to look up to- and Dime, being my age, admired the same players as I did, guys like Ace Frehley, Tony Iommi, and Eddie Van Halen.  It was only natural that one day his playing would rip my stereo speakers.  He went out of his mind practicing legendary songs, studying for the day he would make our heads explode with a two-note riff like Walk , or make his guitar wail like a banshee in Cemetery Gates.  It is widely known that Dime won his Dean ML with the lightning bolt on it by playing Van Halen's Eruption note for note while earning a standing ovation.  I think he was 15 then...  This guy was great.  In the 90's, there was lull occurring with some of those 70's and 80's acts- and this was a troubling time to be a metalhead, which I most assuredly am.  Judas Priest lost Halford so they replaced him with Ripper Owens, Dio was playing small venues again, Sammy Hagar quit a perfectly good solo career to in my opinion, ruin Van Halen, Black Sabbath could barely hang onto a singer for a year at a time (until Tony Martin Joined)- Thriller, U2, and all that kind of stuff was blowing the music industry apart, and it looked like Metal was dying. That's why Pantera.  We needed something between the thrash metal, and classic rock around during that era.  Pantera were it, and Dime dubbed their sound, the "Power Groove".  That's what it was,  a 'Newfound Power'- to borrow from Dime's last band Damageplan.
  I've read a ton of articles about Dime.  He was wild, but kind.  He had respect for others and was well known to be "A good ole boy".  He had a tattoo of one of his/my childhood heroes on his chest, Ace Frehley, whom he later met and when he met the ex-Kiss lead guitarist they said he was like a little kid meeting his hero.  Ace signed Dime's tattoo and it was then immortalized as the newest part of the tattoo.  He used to show it off.  What that tells me is he was a lot like me.  When I shook Ace Frehley's hand at his book signing I almost fell over.  For three days, I walked around in a state of spacey shock, thinking: I met Ace Frehley!  Holy fuck.   Dimebag was human, but far-beyond driven.    His technical skill is sometimes overlooked.  But in a duel for rock grooves and inventive- blistering fretwork, Dime had few equals. When smiling and playing he had none.  I had the privilege of seeing him 9 times in concert, and every time he was the coolest.  It seemed so effortless.  To Dime playing the guitar really was as simple as breathing. If I'm lifting weights, its to Pantera.  When I trained for my black belts, Pantera... 
I'm betting if you're reading this you loved Dime too.  The last time I got to see Dimebag was two months before that ugly night, 10 years ago today.  The day my hero was gunned down in cold blood, while doing what he loved- probably with a smile on his face.   Dime's death was a tragedy.  I was on the way to pick up my guitar in Seattle after having some custom electronics installed when they came on the radio and broke the news.  I broke and cried. I did not want to believe it. I walked into the guitar shop with tear tracks on my face, and Mike went to get my guitar.  When he came back, he asked me what was wrong.  I told him Dimebag Darrell was just shot to death.  He had tears in his eyes as I left.  Later, I realized that Mr. Lull was the go-to guy in Seattle, all bands go to him.  I had probably just told him his friend was dead. Apparently, Dime was that kind of guy.  I know a bunch of players from Seattle, and everybody who met Darrell Abbott loved him. So, I'm paying tribute, because my hero would want me to do what I love, and that's writing.  I get to do it this time for him.   God Bless Darrel- Rock On Donny      Buy  Stuff About Dime:Phil Anselmo/Rolling Stone (link)Official Dimebag Site (link)     

Review: The Realmwalker Chronicles Vol 1: The Pillars of Natura

Buy Reviews From the Void: The Realmwalker Chronicles: The Pillars of Natura, Volume 1 (Kindle Edition)

I usually know within a few pages whether I will enjoy a read or not. The Realmwalker Chronicles: Pillars of Natura Vol 1. is one of those rare books that had the ability to catch me up and carry me along without resistance. I wanted to find out who the successor would be, and I loved the vast universe the author built, for what felt like my sole enjoyment. As is the mark of any great book, the worlds pulled me in, the richness of the characters, the importance of the plot- which revolves around who will wield the Sword of Angios and defend Erta.

This novel also contains great illustrations. The artwork cements the story in a meaningful way, building instant nostalgia. It reminded me of some of those old books I loved as a kid, which had pictures worth staring at when I should have been reading. It's a nice touch, and one that is rare- to have such quality art in a well-written fantasy book of such classic quality. The last time I recall seeing something so cool was in Tom Barczak's Veil of the Dragon and S.E. Lindeberg's magnificent Dyscrasia series. I thoroughly enjoyed this element.

These are magical worlds. I would recommend The Realmwalker Chronicles Vol. 1 for readers who love high fantasy, and artful prose. I plan to read them all. That's the best compliment I can give this book- that I want more, and you will too.  
Buy from Amazon

Destruction. To see something hated destroyed, gone. None can deny its appeal. To the abyss, nothing is forever. To the World-Eater, creation is flawed. Flesh is weak. Souls are fodder- fuel. Power is endless. The Stygia grants unlimited strength to the daring... Slavery and death are a means to an end. For Morgod, everything must burn. Ruination must reign immaculate. Heroes come in many forms. For who is truly evil? There are shades of light and dark. Left with two choices, survival, or total annihilation, the cosmos display signs of harmony... They face a common foe. 

Tom Barczak: 9 Heroes: Interview 7

Tom Barczak
Nine Heroes: 9 Questions
(Exploring Heroic Fantasy’s Nine Heroes)   Art: Tom Barczak 
This interview not only gets us one step closer in wrapping up this run of Nine Heroes interviews, but also It arrives at a key time for Tom Barczak, our featured author.  Tom is no stranger to this blog, I interviewed him not long ago after I read and reviewed his novel Veil of the Dragon.  At that time, Tom’s novel was in the process of getting narrated for audiobook.  If you are so inclined, please give Veil of the Dragon a look if you like audiobooks.

Describe your hero, or heroes.

He is Tabula Rasa. He’s nothing, but who is suddenly offered the chance to be anything.
Purchase audiobook here .
Tell us about your character in 9 heroes.

A man with no name, who has just been raised from the dead. He has no idea who he is, only that he’s lost everything he ever was. He’s forced to choose whether or not a life without himself is something worth dying for.

What type of setting did you place your story in?

A tunnel beneath a gladiator’s arena.

What inspired your story?

That moment in between, when someone realizes what it is really they’re willing to fight for.

Is your story a part of a broader work or series?

It is. It’s a glimpse into my Prophecy of the Evarun series.
Book One, Veil of the Dragon is out, with the audio book of it coming out in the next week or so. The sequel, Mouth of the Dragon will be coming out soon.
Also available is my Kindle serial, Awakening Evarun, which is the prequel for the novels.

In four lines, tell us about your story.

A Hero’s Journey implies a transformation from one thing to another.
But what if everything the would-be hero was before was suddenly lost?
What motivation would there be to overcome the suffering that would come from the
Purchase here.journey?
What motivation would be enough to overcome the fear of having nothing left to live for?

Which, besides your own is your favorite story?

Black Sword by Janet and Chris Morris. I just love their writing. It’s epic poetry.

How many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read?
All of them.

Would you make another anthology with Heroic Fantasy? 

Absolutely. Wouldn’t miss it. I really enjoyed getting to participate in this one. At first, I didn’t think that, with my schedule, that I’d actually get to. But fortunately it all worked out and I even got to illustrate the back cover / inside plate. That was almost as much fun as writing the story. Also, the quality of the people involved with this project is outstanding. And they write real good too.

It's FREE!
From horror to fantasy. Seven amazing short stories by Donny Swords. Sparks, Boots?, The Cleansing Bar, Sandra, Scotty, Dark Places, and Only a Dream Away.
 In closing, I would like to thank Tom for his insights on this, I feel, too overlooked
anthology.  I hope Douglas R. Brown comes forward to complete the set... we shall see. 

On a personal note, I recently put out a collection of short stories that has not received much attention called Seven Slices , it contains seven of my short stories, from fantasy to horror, including two from my Bitter Ends series.  I would love for you to read the eBook from Lulu, and post your reviews there, and under the paperback, (which sells for under $5) on Amazon.  I could really use some support with this title.  It's a short, varied, and entertaining read.  I'm sure you will enjoy it.  Just click the word Free above to get yours.

Thanks for your consideration and for reading this article.

Donny Swords

What do you want from me?

You're an author right? What do you want from me?  I normally stay somewhat tight-lipped over my feelings where they pertain to working a day job and being an author.  I do complain, mostly to my girlfriend about the way things are, but often I am guilty of being just as obnoxious as everyone on Twitter, Facebook, & Google+...  Ah yes, social networking.  For an indie author it's a necessary evil.   Some people must hate me.  I actually don't blame them.  I do post a bunch of stuff.  You actually have to, or no one will ever read your novels.  Some probably like me too, since I try to help other authors out as much as I can.  We live in a crazy time.  Technology has fast eclipsed our abilities to keep up.  There are such varied tastes, and so many millions that have them it must be a better time for books? I can't say for certain.  One of the things that is truly awesome about current times, as opposed to the early 90's when I had to write a book on an old typewriter is the ease a writer can experience in putting their material out.  Back then, you typed your manuscript until it was perfect, printed it out, and then mailed it to publishers to get it released.  Things like Createspace were not possible then.  Matters would have been financially impossible to go indie then.  Then there would have been no way to market it.  Not to mention, I can't see Cult of Morgod coming out through a mainstream publisher.  All I know is that I do this because I have to, I'm hardwired to create.  Always have been.  Now its become my way to stay sane, my hobby, and a way to push myself to get better.  My grandma used to say "You have every day to get better."  I get it now.  A guitar teacher told me if I played my guitar as often as I breathed then playing guitar would be as simple as breathing.   For right now, writing is a different bag.  Let me give you a short run through of this year: While finishing work on The Vampire Faus: Dragon Stone, I began to revise Fallen Song- a 194, 932 word Ways of the Stygia novel.  This turned into me re-writing large sections of that book.  Then came putting it out.  I acquired a new cover, and put it on Amazon first.  It took forever for me to get it right.  Then the Nook version- then Kobo.  Why does every company make you format your book differently?  I actually deplore Smashwords- so that's a no go.  So, I struggled with these, while getting ready to move, working a day job, etc.  then set to work on paperbacks. Jen had completed a second edit of The Bitter Ends, so feeling like this is a book for the masses, we put this new edit out on Lulu, which in turn released it on Nook, Kobo, and iPad.  This happened while I reworked the cover, and formatted the print copy.   Primal Publications was born.   Since The Bitter Ends, I have released several paperbacks, one after the other, to clear up my work load so that possibly next year I can focus less on formatting and more on writing... These are Ways of the Stygia: Fallen Song, Banner, & Cult of Morgod, along with 7 Slices. Oh speaking of writing, I appeared in four volumes with the Indie Collaboration including Tales From Darker Places, which I edited and formatted for Lulu and print.  If you missed those stories read 7 Slices.  This should catch you up. Steal this book here In addition to all those Indie Collaboration stories, I re-wrote Banner, plus did huge edits/rewrites on Fallen Song & Cult of Morgod, another 198k behemoth.  I'm writing two stories for two paid anthologies I'm in at the moment, while my novel, The Bitter Ends Otherside of Town is three stories away from completion.  I have decided to push it's release back until next year, not because it isn't done, but because I want it to have a chance.  I have enough new stuff to check out right now.  One story, Sandra, has seen the press already, and there's a great relative read out there right now- The Bitter Ends.  I honestly do not get the market.  I know Facebook limits you, but I swear, Walking Dead Fans would love my $10 paperback, or the .99 eBook if they gave it a read.  That wasn't intentional, I just wanted to make it a great zombie book if I was going to write it- and I love it.  That is what counts.
 At the end of the day I am glad some of its this way.  Nobody tells me what to write but my gut.  It's pretty fun.  Except for the minor annoyances.  It is tough being a part of a community where no two authors operate the same.  I try to edit my stuff first- some mistakes make it out there- but I try.  I write deeply textured stories.  They're bloody- they're dark- They're violent... but they have meaning.  I write what I want to read. Have I been successful?  Yes.  Even if I am not rich, I have a lot to be grateful for.  I am proud of all my novels.  It tickled me to hold the print copies- its been cool to connect with people who want them, to sign them.  It was fantastic to see my sales chart last month, where several units were sold of each book I sell over Amazon.  There was movement in every category.  I'm not bragging- and like I've said,  I'm not getting rich.  If Jen and I sat down and computed how many hours we put into this  versus pay, we would feel foolish.  We did.  For two seconds.  It gives us both something to try for.  And you know what?  It's working. Primal Publications doesn't only have me aboard as a writer.  We have author Lynn Kings, who is putting out her non-fiction book, tentatively titled "Lynn on Life" about her struggle with depression through Primal, and Dirk Fender has been staying busy putting out Kindle shorts through us for Kindle Unlimited. His first series is called Retail Hell.  He tells me there will 24 total episodes... Look for a new episode around Black Friday. His take on things is rather naughty by nature, but I laugh every time I read him.   So that's how much I have been doing.  Back to social networks.  Why are some of these people such hacks?  Why are they so pushy?  I turned down the opportunity to trade reviews today, since my immediate TBR list is gigantic, and I have promised reviews being waited on.  Also, I like to read something that is fiction, not some report, converted to eBook...  This author/publicist was so rude.  How does that serve anyone? ATTENTION AUTHORS: WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER. Does this mean I would not have shared her link?  Nope.  But because I wouldn't review her book she was upset.  Okay.  I've wished some people would have not read mine at all.  Different strokes.   Except this incident got me thinking...  those old synapses are really firing.  She's probably just as frustrated as I am.  If someone sends a Facebook invite, I like their page.  It feels rude to me to post on their wall with "I liked yours, will you like mine?"  To me, that's what invites are for.  Truth is, I don't even know if likes help you since Facebook regulates the number of times any post is viewed, unless you pay them for an advertisement... Likes on your Amazon page?  Who knows?  Goodreads?  The same.  Here's the thing, when my band was starting out we played at underage beer-keg parties to get exposure.  Our pay?  Beer.  I could have bought myself a few beers with the last payment I received from Amazon.  Don't get excited, I still have a day job.  Does it bother me?  Sometimes.  Mainly this is because I want to get all these stories out of my head.  There's only one problem, new ideas just replace the old ones.  So in the end, thank you, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! Here's to the annoying spammers, the obnoxious erotica covers, the drama over blogs, over a review, your 99 sale, your book, Dirk's Fender's books, the Walter Rheins & Matthew Keiths, the fine works of Bonadonna, or Rypel.  I love to see ads,  Why?  Because people are out there putting it on the line.  Through social networking I've gotten to know several of the people I just name dropped, and many more.  I would have never read Janet Morris if it were not for Facebook, and Walter's Heroic Fantasy page.  I will always be grateful to Walter Rhein for his page.  Just because I met Janet there.  That alone makes it all worth it for me.  I laugh every time I see Walter's greeting to a new Heroic Fantasy member.Why? Because that's what it's all about.  Yeah, I'm an author, and I self promote.   I also help others when I can. I believe in storytelling, and in reading. I'm never going to stop either.  Ever. What do you want from me?    

Chris & Janet Morris: Nine Heroes interview 6

Chris & Janet MorrisNine Heroes: 9 QuestionsInterview 6(Exploring Heroic Fantasy's Nine Heroes.)    Get paperback While I have deep respect for all the talent possessed by authors in this round of Nine Heroes interviews, I must confess I have reverent awe for these masters.  Chris and Janet Morris exude unrivaled passion for heroes in literature,  They evoke the spirit of the men and women they write, whether it is in their undeniably brilliant Sacred Band Series, or in novels such as their Sci-Fi masterwork, Outpassage.
The Morris’ go far back in the writing world, and are worth checking out if you take nothing else from these interviews.  They have talent often wept for and dreamed over.
So what do they offer Nine Heroes?
The right to call itself an edition scribed by legends.
Never ones to go light, The Morris’ delivered Rhesos.  Black Sword is one of the main reasons I loved Nine Heroes.  This is legendary stuff, literally.  The ease in which this story brings the ancient hero to life is an appalling feat for lesser writers than Chris & Janet Morris. 
Here is an excerpt from my review:
 
Black Sword by Janet Morris/Chris Morris

“Anyone who has read a Ways of the Stygia novel would know I love black steel. Regardless of the gods who forge it, it is a fascination of mine. Anybody who has read my blog would also have a comprehension of my respect for Janet & Chris Morris.
Here, armed with her new hero Rhesos, and he with his black blade, Janet Morris pierces the imagination, delivering a classic hero. The story was engaging. It smacked of brilliance. When I finished all I wanted was more.
Thank the gods there will be a full-length novel soon starring Rhesos, child of gods, red-haired, with a temperament that reminds me a little of Robert E. Howard's Conan, or El Borak... the troubled adventurer who is more than meets the eye... a hero steeped in myths and substantially viable for the ages.

If you are a Morris fan, do not miss Rhesos' first story.”
Describe your hero, or heroes.
The hero of The Black Sword is Rhesos of Thrace, in Greek mythology known as the youngest king to arrive at Troy to fight, a nearly forgotten hero today but a truly mythic warrior. Sources say Thracians of this period were often of “heroic” proportions, red-haired and blue eyed, so Rhesos has those traits. He was a horse-breeder as well as the king of Thrace, and wore gold-trimmed armor and bedecked his white horses’ harness with silver and their chariot with silver and gold. In our story, he is described as “more beautiful than daylight.”
Live beside heroes, click here .The female protagonist (one cannot truly call her a hero) of the Black Sword is Salmakis, the water nymph or naiad who became famous for her seduction and attempted rape of Hermaphroditos. When we first see Salmakis, she is an ancient crone, but she doesn’t stay old for long. She has bargained secretly with the gods to release Rhesos from his silver-veined cave in Rhodope and send him to her, so she can use him to restore her youth and beauty. When he meets Salmakis, he is a lowly mercenary who has just fought on the Macedonian side in a losing battle. The morning after they tryst, the crone is nowhere to be seen but a lovely young girl gives Rhesos a new panoply of weapons, all made from of black metal “kissed by blood.”
Tell us about your character in 9 heroes.

Homer counted Rhesos among the great heroes in the Iliad. Other classical writers including Euripides and even later writers such as Shakespeare extolled him. In the Iliad, at Athene’s urging, Diomedes and Odysseus murdered Rhesos as he slept on the night he arrived at Troy with “thousands at his back,” for fear of the oracles that said if his horses drank from the Scamander and he fought the next day on Ilion’s battlefield, the Achaeans would lose the war. Upon his death, since Rhesos’ mother was Calliope and his father Strymon, the river god, the Muse Calliope appealed to the other gods to allow her to resurrect him and grant him immortality. She won the right, but the agreement confined him to an underground cave for centuries. A hero-cult grow up around him in that interval, Heros Equitans. In our story, he remembers little of his life before the cave, and begins piecing things together…
What type of setting did you place your story in?
Our story begins in ancient Chaetae in the 1st century BCE, between Mygdonia and Macedon, and soon moves to a Greek settle in Asia Minor, Dicaea, and northward as Rhesos tries to get home to Eion.
What inspired your story?
The stories of Rhesos and his hero-cult and of Salmakis, the only nymph rapist in the Greek mythological canon, were stories we longed to tell. When the opportunity to create a new hero for Nine Heroes presented itself, Rhesos was the obvious choice:  a great mythic hero, cut down by treachery early in his prime, then immortalized. Combining a story of Rhesos post-resurrection and Salmakis, who could gift him with weapons made by Hephaestos by calling on a fellow nymph, was too perfect a chance to miss. This story also allows us to interweave other mythic beings and powers, including the Erinys Tisiphone and Athene’s priestess at Troy, Theano, as well as Calliope and Pallas Athene (First to Fight) herself.
Is your story a part of a broader work or series?
In the Sacred Band series, we had been working in the 1st century BCE culture and geography, so an epic set there was a good choice because we were conversant with Greek settlements in Asia Minor. This story may be read as beginning in the Mygdonia of the Sacred Band, but Rhesos does not encounter the Sacred Band of Stepsons in this story. Rhesos has his own fascinating mythos. The Black Sword is a mythic tale, partly historical if you credit recent research that uses an ancient solar eclipse in Homer's Odyssey to pinpoint April 16, 1178 BCE as the date Odysseus returned to Ithaca. If that much of Homer is true, then we feel comfortable taking as true Homer’s tale of Rhesos’ death at the hands of Odysseus and Diomedes.
Get AudiobookRhesos is a new hero for us with whom we are well pleased. We are currently working on a novel about him that begins with “The Black Sword” story, somewhat expanded, and goes fascinating places thereafter. We may well do more than one novel with Rhesos, but the book with the working title “Rhesos of Thrace: Black Sword” will be a complete adventure of epic scope.
In four lines, tell us about your story.
Fleeing a battle he fought as a mercenary in service to Macedon, fighting deserters and brigands as he goes, Rhesos comes upon a smithy’s hut late at night and asks to buy equipment. The old woman there gives him shelter, food, and agrees to sell him weapons, but she’s disappeared in the morning, replaced by a comely girl who provides Rhesos with a black-iron panoply. Heading north, he comes upon a mercenary band encamped before the hilltop town of Dicaea and asks for work. The mercenary leader challenges him to single-handedly kill a monster threatening travelers in a nearby cave and bring back the monster’s head, giving him a horse and a guide to go with him to make sure he doesn’t abscond with the horse. In the cave, Rhesos confronts an Erinys, Tisiphone the Avenger, who offers him a deal involving a monstrous head….
Which, besides your own is your favorite story?  “The Act of Sleepless Nights” by Walter Rhein and “Just One Mistake” by A.L. Butcher. Although very different, each story is character driven and those characters are memorable.

A Man and His God: A Sacred Band TaleWritten by: Janet Morris Narrated by: David Kudler Length: 1 hr and 52 mins  Unabridged Audiobook                                                     Release Date:02-12-13 Publisher: Perseid Press                                              An immortalized cavalry commander joins forces with the high-priest of the god of war.... Where myth meets legend, two men kiss and Tempus' world changes forever. Meet and mourn the Slaughter Priest in "A Man and His God." In this canonical short novel, the Sacred Band begins when Abarsis, Slaughter Priest, brings his Sacred Band to Tempus and dies in his arms. In this pivotal story, the Sacred Band is formed from love and death....  PurchaseHow many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read?
We read the entire book, each story in order.
Would you make another anthology with Heroic Fantasy?
We look forward to the opportunity.

A sample of Rhesos from Thrace.

"Rhesos of Thrace"
 The Black Sword
(copyright (c) 2013, 2014,
Janet Morris and Chris Morris:

Somewhere an owl hooted. Out of the night a bat came at him, then veered off, drawn by the smell of his blood but not bold enough to tackle anything as big as he and still moving. Not yet. His shoulder muscles ticced, remembering too many vampire bats and too many
teeth tearing at him in his gloomy cave.If the bat came back, he’d need to draw his dull and tacky blade again. He was a good killer of bats; he’d had lots of practice, underground.
But no bat dove at him again until he nearly reached the lighted hut. No cave, this. He’d lived in a cave long enough to know one when he saw one. He was relieved: if not a cave, then not a ruse
to pen him up again in some hoary underground prison. This place looked tumbledown, ramshackle and . . . real enough: a simple hut of wood and stone with one window, a closed door, a darkened shed that smoked from a banked fire within, and a fenced area between.
When the bat swooped once more at him, he instinctively yelled and drew his weapon. Or tried to: his sica’s blade hitched and caught so that he grasped hard with both hands, one on his hilt and one on the scabbard, to tug it loose. By then the bat was gone, but he’d made enough noise that the door to the hut swung open.
A stooped figure stood there, barely clad and backlit: “I’ll not surrender without a fight, mind you.” A woman’s voice, speaking common Attic, reedy and laced with laughter; a small shape, bent forward, withered arms akimbo: “And you’ll be needing what, this time of night, proud warrior?”
Teasing, now, was this ancient crone. He’d cast aside his leather mantle and armor; lost his helmet, quiver and bow, knife, shield, and javelins, whilst he’d fled that battleground of wicked haze and ghosts. So he was no better garbed than she, in only tattered chiton with sica girt. On her threshold, he realized he was shivering.
Two strangers, alike in prospects, with little to lose and little to gain, took each other’s measure silently until Rhesos answered her: “I’m looking for shelter, food, and better weapons.”
“Better weapons in the morning, if you can pay. My husband owns the only smithery you’ll reach afoot within a day’s journey, but you’d know that. And I yet do a bit of leatherwork and weaving. The rest –– food and shelter –– you’ll get if I like the look of you, the sound of your name . . . and your money.”
“Rhesos of Thrace, from north of Thessalia, southwest of Great Scythia.” Only the smallest of lies, close enough to truth for a northern boy raised by fountain nymphs; a youngling king who’d come too late to fight at Ilion and lost his men and horses there. He wasn’t about to explain how he’d come here, since he was hardly certain where here was: He’d been born in Eion, but common folk called every place north of Macedon either Thrace or Scythia. He jingled the coins in his purse instead.
“I can pay.”
“Then you’re lucky. You’ll not be my enemy, but my guest. We in Chaetae have no quarrel with Thrace. Come in and eat, and I’ll find you one of my husband’s sheepskins to chase the cold from you.”
So this was Chaetae, some backwater between Mygdon and Macedon.
“Of all I’ve been, I’ve never been lucky. Until now, little mother.” He could still turn a phrase and lift a skirt when the occasion demanded, even a skirt as old and filthy as hers.
“New days come then, Rhesos of Thrace.”
The stringy-haired crone retreated into her hut, beckoning him to follow.
Warmth waited in there, and food with aromas that made his mouth water –– and safety for a single night seemed tantamount to safety forever.
“Where is your husband?”
“He’s away somewhere,” said the crone, piercing-eyed, and smiled a long-toothed smile while she looked him over as if she’d pinch his buttocks next... 
In closing, I want to thank Chris and Janet for their patient mentorship and invite you to read their individual interviews found on this blog. This has been a tremendous string of interviews.  Don't be afraid to grab a copy of Nine Heroes, it is a distinctive read.   Thanks for reading this article.  Feel free to post feedback in the comments section below. Donny


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Shane Porteous 9 Heroes: Interview 5

Shane PorteousNine Heroes: 9 Questions(Exploring Heroic Fantasy's Nine Heroes)   BUY
 Shane Porteous has me at a disadvantage as he has read three of my novels, and posted some very insightful reviews on my Ways of the Stygia universe.  I have only gotten the chance to read his story in Nine Heroes- Dozen, but I plan on reading his other work.  Here is an excerpt from my review: Dozen by Shane Porteous
"This action packed story stars Seutzingol, a participant in a tournament gone wrong. I really enjoyed this story, which had me imagining such heroes as Robin Hood, or Legolas from the Lord of the Rings. The author was truly attempting to make a genuine effort to this volume- and did so. His language works well, and I found myself able to see the story in my mind's eye- the mark of a powerful author."Describe your hero, or heroes. His name is Seutzingol, he is the game master and former champion of the tournament of Nyvemsarm.

Tell us about your characters in 9 heroes.
Download Well there a total of 14 characters, Suetzingol and a young girl who had seen things no one ever should. The other 12 characters are the reason why she has seen such things.
  What type of setting did you place your story in?
It takes  place in Noonsva, the largest continent in my fictional medieval like world. 

  What inspired your story?
When Walter was putting the anthology together, the guide line was to write a short story that was what each author considered to be the embodiment of a hero. This to me is someone that puts themselves in incredible danger and great personal risk to themselves for the benefit of someone else. I feel this embodiment is no better exemplified when an individual performs such actions to help/save a complete stranger.

 
Is your story a part of a broader work or series? The story takes place in the same world as my novel How Gods Bleed, a book that has been  praised for its originality by more than one reviewer. Forgive me if I am back tracking here, but I feel this is interesting. I actually was going to write a short story around Cada Varl, the main character of How Gods Bleed. But as I really thought about it, he isn’t the embodiment of a hero. He is capable of heroic things and ultimately what he is doing can be seen as a heroic act. But Cada Varl is doing such things because he is a rather quite selfish individual. So he is more of an anti-hero or at least a hero by default.  That is why I created Seutzingol for this specific story, because I wanted a truly selfless character, a true hero.

 In four lines, tell us about your story.
Darkness isn’t empty.
Beasts live in the black.
What good is it to escape one horror only to live with another?
Sometimes there are more important things than surviving.

Which, besides your own is your favorite story? Well I have two favorites, the Act of a Sleepless Night by Walter Rhein, because its ending really threw me and I love it when short stories do that. You’re pretty talented if you can have a viable plot twist in a short story and Walter Rhein easily accomplished it.
My other favorite was Through the Sting of Fairy Smoke by R.A McCandless, it is incredibly well written and the way the author was able to describe addiction was remarkable.
How many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read? I have read The Bone Sword and The Reader of Acheron by Walter Rhein. The Bone Sword is entertaining pulp fiction. Reader of Acheron, is an excellent story because it was both educating and entertaining, an extremely rare mix.

I have read a Song of Betrayal by Jesse Duckworth, and really like the world he has created, there is some great mythology and world building within the world of Harren and I look forward to reading more from him down the line.
I’ve read Tears of Heaven by R.A McCandless, his prose is sharp, the story flows really well and is a highly enjoyable action novel. Finally I have read the first book in the light through the storm chronicles by A L Butcher. To be honest I really don’t enjoy erotica, but I definitely have to give her a lot of praise because her book has to be the most well thought erotic fantasy I have ever read or heard of. Her world is well developed, the characters fleshed out. It didn’t read like half baked Lords of the Rings fetish porn unlike the other 99.99 percent of erotic fantasy that is out there, so she definitely has my praise.

Would you take part in another Heroic Fantasy Anthology? Only on the condition that Walter Rhein was in charge and had the final say on it. Walter Rhein has to be the easiest, nicest and more professional organizer/editor that I have had the pleasure to work with.

I have had the misfortune of working with some very petty, insecure people. The kind of people that make idiotic accusations and condescend to you like a dog, all because you had the audacity to give your opinion about the project. In other words they mistreated me simply because I was discussing the project IN A DISCUSSION GROUP. I really dislike egotistically people who demand you respect them but they do not respect you back.

Walter was none of these things, he wasn’t petty, he treated me with respect, he didn’t talk down to me, and he didn’t demand that I follow him down any rabbit holes. Most importantly he treated me like an equal and sadly that is a very rare trait in a lot of authors who organize anthologies.

I apologize if I got off on a bit of a tangent there, it is just very important to me that Walter Rhein gets the praise he so rightfully deserves.  



The Bitter Ends
Somewhere in the Bible Belt Gateway has gone insane.  Who knew what would come?Thrust into the end of times, Gateway’s citizens attempt to outrun the zombie outbreak… 

Discover 12 unique stories, and see how Gateway’s main cast fares against the deadheads.  See how they live.  Watch lives expire and people become heroes or villains.  The Bitter Ends is more than just a book about zombies.  It is about the characters, like Anna.  It is seeing what ordinary people might do in a zombie apocalypse and unordinary ones too.  
Will any of them survive?  Or Will They All Meet Their Bitter Ends? 
 (Amazon)  (Facebook)  (iBooks)  (B&N)  (Kobo)
 

What scares you?

Push Play 

Well what gives?
What makes your spine tingle and crawl?
What frightens you most? 

When I was a kid, I remember telling ghost stories around the campfire on family trips with my sister Norma.  I also recall hanging out with an older cousin watching scary movies on TBS when I was around nine.  This was scary enough, but on my own, I began reading books like The Omen, and The Exorcist, then catching the movies as well.
I still remember my first though.  That unsettling feeling, in the Night of the Living Dead when the woman gnaws on that arm.  I remember realizing she was no longer human... that's scary.

Here's some of the action I remember:

Halloween (Highlights 98-07)
  Frankenstein 1970 (trailer)    Night of the Living Dead     I selected those few trailers to show the kinds of stuff I watched- even as a little kid.  To me Halloween was not that scary, just bloody.  Although the first Halloween was creepy, and I did enjoy Rob Zombie's version, even if it has been widely criticized.   What's the scariest movie you've seen? Personally, I don't know which one scares me.  I will say John Carpenter's The Thing is my favorite.   I love the tension in that movie, the suspicions- the mystery.    I have seen several.  When it comes to horror I have watched for a long time.  I must say it is easier for me to feel unsteady from reading a scary author than a movie.  My friend Aaron was telling me that picking the "cheap" approach where the villain is campy, and will run the gamut, gutting his fair share of victims, but would ultimately fall to the 'hero vibe' character, was one of the things he strongly disliked about horror films.  Perhaps this is why I prefer Night of the Living Dead to Halloween.   But is either really that scary?  How are movies scarier than terrorism, famine, war, or disease?  They aren't.  My girlfriend is new to my typical Octobers, where I watch as many horror films as I can. Jen asked me how I could watch so many horror films.  My answer was that by watching them, they made my real life seem awesome in comparison.  A little Hell to remind me there can be Heaven on Earth.  My favorite author is Clive Barker- because He can scare me!  The issue is, a good amount of his movies are lame.  Though they are still cooler than the B & C quality films like C.H.U.D and so on.  Stephen King is also far creepier in text- or even audiobook.   I feel language, and the art of speaking, or as expressed in literature have the power to move the reader beyond what they can see.  Why?  Because the images in a film are limited and/or brief, while the mind and imagination have no limits. I wrote a few rather dark and disturbing scenes in Ways of the Stygia Fallen Song.  The main character is a C.S.I.  who visits a few dark murder scenes...  I cannot express how interesting it is to have heard about the impact my writing had a select few, widely different other authors.  One stopped reading the book at around 10% and unjustly compared it to Robocop...  I find this moronic.  Now Robocop is scary.  Violence for the sake of violence anyone?  At least Fallen Song has a deep plot.  I definitely prefer suspenseful, over shooters and slasher flicks. The way I see it, you cannot skirt violence, but you mustn't glamorize.  Violence should seem as ugly as it is, but it is not a focus.  Nightmare on Elm Street was a scarier concept than some of its peers, because Freddy could control the dreams of his victims, and if they died there, it was for real. A Nightmare on Elm Street (Official trailer)   Is this idea as frightening as it was then?  I don't think any of it is.  A lot of what comes out these days seems redundant.  When I wrote The Bitter Ends, my zombie apocalypse short story collection, I tried to get into the psyche of my characters.  I wanted my readers to really feel for my cast.  How else would they keep reading?  I'm going to say this- zombies are boring.  Simply shooting zombies and surviving is 85% of most undead movie plots.  I had to do better than that.   But what scares me is not the same. What Scares You?   I'd love to know. Courtney Love scares Marilyn Mansion .  Did you know that?But this is not about the "Beautiful People " in stardom.  I recently compiled and edited Tales From Darker Places by The Indie Collaboration .  It was fascinating to me what my fellow authors deemed scary.  Because it was supposed to be designed to fall below the Smashwords adults only filter, I dialed my stories down a notch.  They are still considerably dark, and definitely, I find other things scary than my peers do. Buy Buy The blurb, Tales From Darker Places is referred to as chilling.  Please give it a read, it, along with my own short story horror collection  Seven Slices  is free on Lulu.  If you are interested in The Bitter Ends , its available on all e-reader stores for 99 cents...  and I bet I scare you.  Take the risk, read them to find out.  I feel readers live in the best age to find quality reading material, and in several cases they get to pay less than a dollar or read for free what took hundreds of hours of work on the author's part. 
 So why don't people read more?  That's what scares me. Our society is so inconsiderate- too self-absorbed.  People barely care about others out there.  That's scary.  Washington D.C. is scarier... There are a host of critics out there in the horror genre, from comics like Spawn, or the movie, even the soundtrack.  They say this is too much and that is too terrible- it should be banned. Are you kidding me? How are Slayer worse than the injustice going on somewhere outside your door every day of the week?   Horror movies offer bite-sized morsels of fear- which dissipates in most cases by the end of the film.  So then, by default someone like myself might even be more hellish than movies like Elm Street, simply because the written word can dig deep into the pits of the mind.  I can still see that milky eye, staring through the floorboards in Poe's Tell-Tale Heart.  FREE on Lulu  What gets me going?  I see The Rake in Clive Barker's Weaveworld .  The never ending terrors represented within his Books of Blood series...  Scary.   I can go on, indulge me and I will.  I loved The Omen when I was a kid.  That scared the bejesus out of me.  There was The Exorcist.  The short stories of H.P. Lovecraft and Poe were awesome reads.  So many gems were written by Stephen King too.  Good stuff to grow up on.   I've been experimenting with my fears- and looking at different aspects of the horror genre.  I recently did the 2014 downtown Phoenix, AZ Zombie walk with a friend.  While it was fun, and people's costumes made me look like a newb, it was not scary.  Loved the dedicated and hardcore zombie people though.  There's plenty of haunted houses in Phoenix, but I have chosen to skip them and read Dycrasia novels by Seth Lindberg, watch movies, and write the last few Bitter Ends, Other Side of Town stories. Words ignite my fears.  My 2014 Zombie Walk Shirt. Great Cosplay of Silent Hill's PyramidSo what about video games?  Doom?  Silent Hill?  Resident Evil?  Fear?  I feel video games are one of the best expressions of frightful content out there.  There's nothing like walking right into a chainsaw maniac or a cyber demon.  You are even somewhat in charge.    Videogame stories are often well told.  As in Legacy of Kain-Blood Omen...   I love to take myself there, into the skin of my characters and try to imagine how I would react.  While the character's actions might not mirror my own, I feel this gives my stories that extra little bit of terror that might be lacking in some other works.   I'm going to brag and say that a few people have told me they could not sleep after reading The Bitter Ends.  That's exactly what I wanted to accomplish.  I don't even feel guilty.  A little bit of terror never hurt any one.  It lets us feel grateful to be alive, makes us feel alive.  We are only excited by death because we are alive.  I don't know about you, but trick and treating was, and is fun.  Getting to dress up as something scary actually might help a person overcome their fears of the boogie man under their bed.  Halloween is awesomely a pagan holiday, which means it transcends religion.  Kids get to play the reaper, and don hockey masks spattered in blood.  What's not to like? In nearly every novel or story I have written I have explored fear.  My fears are as game as anyone's, more so.  I am not unique.  I just know I love the feeling a chilling story leaves me with- maybe its gratitude? In closing, let's get to the point.  I want to know.  Please post your response in the comments below. Tell me again, What scares you?    Donny Swords         

Teel James Glenn: 9 Heroes: Interview 4

Teel James GlennNine Heroes: 9 Questions(Exploring Heroic Fantasy's Nine Heroes)    While I haven't experienced any of Teel James Glenn's other stories, I really enjoyed his well thought out tale in Nine Heroes.  Here is a snippet from my Amazon review:  "Witness to death" by Teel James Glenn:
A hunting party has gone missing. Captain Uvan enlists Reverend Lord Enrique Shoutte's council... and together they face a horrific circumstance.
This story is well fleshed out and is an entertaining read. The author used descriptive phrases, interesting characters, and dark events well- in places I felt chills. This thirty plus page story kept me going until the end... A fun read. Describe your hero, or heroes. That is a big question; I guess I have a three-in-one-hero, one when I was young, one when I was growing up and one now. When I was young my hero on TV was the Lone Ranger- and as I grew older and learned more about his history and the man who played him, Clayton Moore and his/their code of personal conduct I admired him even more. Now that I have worked in the industry and read Moore’s auto-biography I came to realize I admired him even more. And he is the only celebrity whose autograph I have.     Tell us about your character in 9 heroes. The Reverend Lord Erique Shoutte is a young circuit riding adherent to his religion ‘the Kova.” He is triple branded, that is, he received a brand on his chest at the end of each three-year training period as priest singer, healer and warrior. He is young in experience but deeply committed to fulfilling his priestly duties. Learn more on Amazon    What type of setting did you place your story in? The story takes place on rural country roads in the wilderness between two towns.     What inspired your story? I wanted to confront him with several problems that tested both his faith and his ingenuity while at the same time highlighting an aspect of his religion I had not illuminated in a previous story.     Is your story a part of a broader work or series? I’ve explored the world of Altiva in two novels and over three-dozen short stories over the years. The first two Altiva novels (Death at Dragonthroat and Quest of the Sister Warrior) are about to be reprinted in new and expanded form in 2015. And yes, I am working on sequels.     In four lines, tell us about your story.Witness to Death starts with a mysterious slaughter of a caravan and Lord Shoutte begins to track the murderers, in the process encountering a victim of the trail of destruction. He finds he has to confront a monster with only the materials at hand.     Which, besides your own is your favorite story? That’s not an easy one, as I really liked most of the stories quite a bit. If I had to choose I’d say, ”The Act of Sleepless Nights” by Walter Rhein. It deals with heroism in a realistic way- as a case of one act at a time and might well have been told in any war zone in any time in history.     How many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read? About half of them—and now, after this book, all of them where ever I find their work!     Would you make another anthology with Heroic Fantasy?  Buy Paperback   A selection of chilling stories from some of the best Indie authors on the market. We dare you to venture into these pages of spine chilling tales and stories of dark shadows & darker tidings, shifters, ancient warriors, zombies, & demons… See the world through the Ripper’s eyes, and so much more. So many dark, foul things wait for you between these pages. Freely donated by the authors themselves, these dark passages are a great example of their various, unique styles and imaginations. Join us in Darker Places. Brought to you by The Indie Collaboration. Darker Places Authors: Donny Swords, Alan Hardy, Chris Raven, A.L. Butcher, Dani J. Caile, Adam Bigden 

Walter Rhein: 9 Heroes: Interview 3

Walter Rhein: Author-Editor
Nine Heroes: 9 Questions(Exploring Heroic Fantasy's 9 Heroes)    Buy   Anyone who has read Walter Rhein knows he is a gifted author.  His Heroic Fantasy page on Facebook is a great place for those who love Heroic fiction.  In Nine Heroes, Walter not only provides his story "The act of sleepless nights," he served as the compiler and editor for the anthology.  He did a fantastic job.  That paperback (seen above in my pet skull Yoric's  toothy maw) is one of the finest collections of short stories (by various authors) I have read.  Here is an excerpt from my Amazon Review of Nine Heroes:  "The Act of Sleepless Nights by Walter Rhein"

"Kinter is an unlikely hero. This story delves into the moralities of violence, and the responsibilities of leadership. It is a good read, with an unexpected twist near the ending. The tale left me thinking, which is good, about the framework of violence. When is violent action of use, and when is it not?"

 Describe your hero, or heroes.  My hero is a very flawed individual of which he is fully aware.  In my writing, I like to play with the “diamond in the rough” nature of heroism.  Mainly this is a cynical reaction to a world that presents us with unrealistic expectations about virtually everything.  I don’t know about everyone else, but in my experience just about everyone I know is flawed.  Maybe it’s just our current political climate that leads people to tear everyone down over the slightest misstep.  Honestly, the people I don’t trust are those that have a clean record – those are the people who are just clever enough to get others to do the dirty work for them. BuyMy heroes aren’t the type of characters that can run for political office.  They have opinions, and they actually have knowledge of what is right and wrong.  When the time comes for them to make a choice, they make the correct one, regardless of the negative effect it will have on their careers or lives in general.I wish I knew more heroes like that in real life.  What type of setting did you place your story in?  It’s a feudalistic, medieval setting.  I don’t go into too much detail, but there is a widespread conflict going on.  Groups of men are marauding around certain that they are champions of the greater good.  A lot of evil deeds go unpunished in times like that.  What inspired your story?  I came up with the idea of an opening scene in which a warrior awakens next to a woman he does not remember.  I think moments like that are not hugely represented in fantasy.  It sounds something like a frat party.  I figured a moment like that would be something a modern audience could easily identify with...plus it makes you kind of wonder how it all played out.   Is your story a part of a broader work or series?  No, this is completely a stand-alone story.  However, I haven’t ruled out the possibility of returning to that world.  “The Reader of Acheron” started as a short story I placed with Abandoned Towers Magazine (not sure if they’re still in business).  Short stories are seeds that sometimes sprout.  In four lines, tell us about your story.  A captain stumbles back to his troop after a drunken night, only to find that his superiors have arrived to check up on him.  They berate him for his disheveled appearance and tell him what a disgrace he is.  The superiors then march the troop out to a conflict. Upon arrival at the new battle zone, the captain is given the opportunity to regain his honor.  Which, besides your own is your favorite story?  That’s like asking me to choose between children.  There are a lot of great stories in this compilation and I like them all for different reasons.  The best work in the group is probably “Black Sword” by Chris and Janet Morris.  They’re the two most established writers in the book, and I understand their story is the first chapter in an upcoming book.  I ended the compilation with “Through the Sting of Fairy Smoke” by R.A. McCandless which added the twist of drug addiction (which you don’t see much in fantasy).  I was also really impressed with A.L. Butcher’s “Just One Mistake” was also a different take on heroism.  The other stories are all great as well – more in line with the standard hero concept.  I think my attention was drawn to the exotic exceptions, but all the stories in the book are good or I wouldn’t have accepted them.  How many of the other authors in Nine Heroes have you read?  I’ve read a lot of books by Chris and Janet Morris.  I’ve worked with Jesse Duckworth on a couple projects and read his book. Douglas Brown and I go back to the Rhemalda days, and I’ve read three of his books. I’ve read Tom Barczak’s excellent book. I’ve worked with Shane Porteous on two shared world novels. I’ve read A.L. Butcher’s novel. Teel James Glenn and I go back to the epress-online days, but I’ve never read one of his books – I need to. I’ve read R.A. MCCandless’s novel.  Would you make another anthology with Heroic Fantasy?    It was a lot of work putting this compilation together.  I’ve since been a little bit overwhelmed with projects, but I wouldn’t mind doing another anthology.  Shane Porteous suggested we do one with a central theme of the Hero’s journey – which isn’t a bad idea at all.  We’ll see. I have a lot of projects to complete, but there are also a lot of great writers out there. who need some publicity.  Perhaps it will happen.  
Stuff to Check Out:















Don't miss out on this one:  Lulu    Paperback     Kindle  A selection of chilling stories from some of the best Indie authors on the market. We dare you to venture into these pages of spine chilling tales and stories of dark shadows & darker tidings, shifters, ancient warriors, zombies, & demons… See the world through the Ripper’s eyes, and so much more. So many dark, foul things wait for you between these pages. Freely donated by the authors themselves, these dark passages are a great example of their various, unique styles and imaginations. Join us in Darker Places. Brought to you by The Indie Collaboration. Darker Places Authors: Donny Swords, Alan Hardy, Chris Raven, A.L. Butcher, Dani J. Caile, Adam Bigden.