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Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 18
October 15, 2019
Book Corner: Song of the Centurion by Steven A. McKay
“Song of the Centurion not only builds on the story started in The Druid, but takes it in a wholly unexpected direction. Sequels can often suffer by being ‘much of the same’. Not this time.”
Superb review by historian Sharon Bennett Connolly of my latest book. Check it out!
October 4, 2019
Forest Lord special UK offers this October plus a new novella!
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UK readers have TWO special Kindle deals to check out this month! Wolf’s Head, book 1 in the Forest Lord series is FREE on Prime Reading, while book 2, The Wolf & The Raven, is only 99p (usual price £2.99)!
WOLF’S HEAD link – https://amzn.to/2IjWP31
THE WOLF AND THE RAVEN link – https://amzn.to/2MeaE4j
Sorry, it’s only the UK but all of my books are available for free on Kindle Unlimited worldwide.
While I’m on the subject of the Forest Lord series, I have just about completed a brand new novella starring Friar Tuck and Little John! It’s a kind of medieval mystery thing, with our heroes playing something of a Holmes & Watson routine. It’s actually based on a true story from the 1980’s which really freaked me out when I heard about it on the Strange Matters podcast. I think anyone that liked the other books in the series will enjoy reading this one which is titled, for now at least, Faces of Darkness.
Look out for it probably around December/January. I want to focus on the Audible release of LUCIA before that (pre-order your copy NOW)!
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September 25, 2019
LUCIA cover reveal & pre-order available!
The pre-order is now live on Audible for my standalone novel Lucia, which tells the tale of a young girl taken from her home to be a slave in Roman Britain. The cover art is beautiful!
LINKS –
UK – https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Lucia-Audiobook/B07XTPZQFW
USA – https://www.audible.com/pd/Lucia-Audiobook/B07XTPCHRL
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Narrated by Imogen Church, who has an incredible portfolio, I haven’t even heard this myself yet, but I think it will be EPIC. When Audible suggested her to me I checked out the samples of her reading and thought she was absolutely perfect for Lucia.
It’s ONLY available on Audible for the first 6 months, so if you’ve not tried audiobooks yet I hope you’ll give them a go for this title. I honestly believe Lucia is something special, at least in terms of my own books, and I cannot wait for you all to hear it!
[image error]Imogen Church – narrator of Turn of the Key, Bridget Jones’s Diary and LOADS more!
Summary
At eight years old, Lucia is torn from the life she knew. Her village burned to the ground and parents murdered by Romans, she is kidnapped, sold and shipped abroad to the Villa Tempestatis in Britannia to serve the young Roman army officer Castus.
Faced with a bleak future of decades of servitude to her master, as well as sadistic brutality at the hands of his slave and manageress, Paltucca, she finds herself fixated by one thought alone. Fueled by hatred and a belief that the gods saved her for a reason, she vows to never taste freedom until she gets her revenge.
As she and her fellow slaves are exploited mercilessly by the master and his ‘noble’ friends — and brutally punished for even the smallest misdemeanours — Lucia’s longing for vengeance only grows stronger. Despite warnings from her loyal friend, Sennianus, that her hatred won’t bring her happiness, she continues to plot the downfall of Castus and Paltucca.
When Paltucca performs an unforgivable act, cruelly destroying a chance of happiness for Lucia, the manageress seals her own fate and unwittingly becomes her own undoing. But what will become of Castus? Risen within the ranks and trusted by the master, Lucia must decide whether or not to exploit her power and risk everything to fulfill her lifelong desire.
©2019 Steven A. McKay (P)2019 Audible, Ltd
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September 22, 2019
First review of Song of the Centurion: “This is the action I need.”
Now this is exactly what an author likes to see – an interesting, thoughtful and (phew) very positive review of my new book. Check it out, David is a big fan of historical fiction but he doesn’t mince his words if he isn’t totally drawn in by a book. He only gives five stars if he really believes a novel is worth it, so I’m very pleased indeed with this!
https://davidsbookblurg.co.uk/2019/09/21/song-of-the-centurion-by-steven-a-mckay-review/
September 21, 2019
The Druid location – Duntocher again.
I was working the day job in Duntocher recently, a place Bellicus travels through in The Druid (he speaks to a woman there and she finds a coin under her foot if you recall the scene). Obviously there’s a LOT of history in this area as it was on the Antonine Wall in Roman days and there was even a little fort here along with a bath-house. You can actually see Castlehill Roman Fort from here (the grove of trees in the distance on the far right).
So I was pleased to see on twitter that some work was going on in the park – I hoped they were finally going to make the most of the area’s rich heritage and build a replica Roman fort or something like that. Unfortunately not (I should have known). All they’re doing is making a kiddies playpark, BUT, they have included a couple of quite fantastic wooden, carved centurions (one of which is left-handed…).
It’s better than nothing I guess.
While I was about I spoke to an 80-year-old local lady who told me some of the folklore of the area. Apparently, when she was a child there was a place they called the “Roony Plantin” which, I assume, translates to something like “Round Plantation” – she seemed to think the place might have had Roman or other historical significance but I can’t find anything about it online. If you are from Clydebank and have any info on it, please get in touch!
She also told me there was something the children thought was a “Roman throne” either in the burn (stream) or on its bank. It might still be there, whatever it is, but again, I’m not sure where it might be located. Perhaps beneath the road bridge which was rebuilt in the 1950’s after a German bomb destroyed the original in WW2.
It’s a shame the authorities in Scotland won’t do more with our Roman heritage – it would be nice if some Time Team-style crew turned up and started digging as there must be some incredible stuff buried here. Maybe one day.
In the meantime, I hope you’re enjoying Song of the Centurion – the first few reviews have certainly been hugely encouraging so that’s a relief! I am currently writing a brand new Friar Tuck/ Little John novella, in which they have a very disturbing mystery to solve. It’s based on a real life case from the 1970’s but, obviously, with a medieval flavour. I’m really enjoying writing it which is always a good sign. Look out for it in early 2020, after Lucia hits Audible this autumn!
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September 15, 2019
Want a free, signed PROOF copy of Song of the Centurion?
GIVEAWAY TIME! I had 4 proof copies of Song of the Centurion made up, 2 of which will be kept for my kids. But who wants this one for FREE? I’ll sign, line and date it of course.
To win, just leave a comment at the bottom of this page telling me what song/band you like to listen to the most when reading my books!
If you haven’t bought a copy yet, you can get it here: mybook.to/SongOfTheCenturion
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I’m running the giveaway on Facebook and my email list too. Good luck!
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September 12, 2019
Song of the Centurion is OUT NOW (plus some exciting news for fans of my Forest Lord Series)
Song of the Centurion, sequel to 2018’s The Druid, is now available to buy in paperback or on Kindle (and you can read it for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited). I hope you all enjoy Bellicus and Duro’s latest adventures!
Get your copy at the links below:
KINDLE VERSION – mybook.to/SongOfTheCenturion
UK Paperback – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1690148829/
USA Paperback – https://www.amazon.com/dp/1690148829/
There will be an Audible edition but not for a couple of months.
Please, if you enjoy the book, leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads and spread the word on social media – it is a massive help and really appreciated.
Now, if you’re wondering what I might write next…I am toying with the idea of doing another Forest Lord novella, starring Friar Tuck. Would you be interested? Novellas never sell very much, it seems to be a simple fact that most readers don’t really care for them. But I have a story idea that I don’t think would work as a full length novel and Tuck would be the ideal character to carry it off. Let me know what you think – I might even pair him up with Little John.
September 2, 2019
Song of the Centurion available to pre-order! AND – cover reveal. Wow!
Yes, it’s here at last! You can pre-order Song of the Centurion NOW at the links below, and it will be available to read on your Kindle on September 12th. Paperback hopefully available same day. Audiobook will follow in a few weeks/months.
UK pre-order link CLICK HERE
USA pre-order link CLICK HERE
AUSTRALIA pre-order link CLICK HERE
CANADA pre-order link CLICK HERE
What do you think of the cover art? Pretty awesome eh? My original idea was to have the stag as more of a shadow, with a Centurion’s spatha in the middle of the page, crossed by a wooden flute (which he – Duro – plays in the book). But I thought the sword and flute really took away from the enigmatic, powerful image of the stag so asked my cover artists to go with the simpler design you see here. I think it will look great as a thumbnail on Amazon, which is supremely important when trying to entice new readers. Let me know what you think!
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[image error]Duro says, “Pre-order it now. Or else!”
September 1, 2019
SONG OF THE CENTURION blurb & release date! It’s almost here.
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It is AD 430. Against all odds Princess Catia has been saved from her brutal Saxon captors and Bellicus is taking her home at last.
As the giant warrior-druid knows, however, the gods rarely make things easy and even if he can escort the girl back to the North safely, their troubles will be far from over…
In a land beset by the rivalries of petty warlords, Dun Breatann has stood solid and secure for untold generations. Trouble brews though as King Coroticus has cracked under the pressure and, as well as starting a war with the neighbouring kings, he has become jealous, suspicious, and often blind drunk. When the king’s paranoia finally boils over during a winter feast, Bel finds himself with two choices – accept exile, or complete another seemingly impossible undertaking. So much for the returning hero…
Accompanied by his massive war-dog, Cai, and the ever-loyal former centurion, Duro – who has his own painful issues to contend with – Bellicus must somehow survive a journey east into enemy-held lands. There, he will need to use his gods-given talents to the full if they are to survive the winter frosts and carry out the mad king’s orders without being captured or killed by the men of Dalriada.
Folklore, superstition, the healing power of song, and even a wondrous white stag will all play a part in the companions’ continuing adventures, but, no matter the outcome of their mission, it will take a miracle to untangle the mess they’ve left behind in Alt Clota. Armies are gathering to the north and east and, when spring returns, the people of Dun Breatann will be under siege once again.
Will their legendary warrior-druid be there to defend them, or will the new ways sweep away the old once and for all? Find out in Song of the Centurion, the action-packed sequel to 2018’s The Druid!
PRE-ORDER WILL BE UP EARLY NEXT WEEK, LOOK OUT FOR THE COVER REVEAL AT THE SAME TIME!
Then, just a few weeks later….LUCIA will follow from Audible and it is going to be EPIC.
August 9, 2019
Summer 2019 update, and another cool synchronicity!
Hi all, I hope you are enjoying the summer so far. Here’s some news from me…
First off, Audible are just finishing recording Lucia and I can’t wait to share the narrator and also the release date with you, so keep an eye out for that – soon hopefully. I think this could turn out to be my best book yet, it’s really different!
[image error]Now on AUDIBLE!
Secondly, Song of the Centurion, sequel to last year’s The Druid is almost complete. I am just tidying it up and my editor will look over it in the middle of August. That suggests it will be available some time in September but I can’t promise anything just yet as the final release date will depend on various things. I have come up with some ideas for the cover and sent them over to my designers at More Visual, and that leads me to my synchronicity story…
I was at work, sitting in my car thinking about what to put on the cover and, since there actually IS a song in the book, I thought it might be good to have some kind of ancient musical instrument. I Googled Roman flutes and this is the kind of thing that came up:
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Strange looking thing isn’t it? Apparently the Greeks and Romans played these. It’s a woodwind instrument with two reeds, known as an aulos or tibia. As someone who owns a modern flute, and loves Jethro Tull, I can honestly say I have never seen one of these before (that I can remember anyway). It’s hardly an everyday object.
Anyway, I thought it was interesting, but I had work to do (reading electric meters) so I headed for the next block of high flats on my list and started knocking on doors. Imagine my complete shock when, at the very first house I visited, an old man on the ninth floor opened his door and the painting on his wall showed someone playing one of these twin-piped instruments! It really made the hairs on my arms stand up, it was very strange indeed. When I got back to my car I phoned my wife to tell her what had happened and she told me not to blog about it as it sounded too fantastic and people would think I made it all up, but I love stories like this. I really believe when a synchronicity happens it’s the universe telling us we’re on the right track. Remember I found the LUCIA charm a while ago? And the house called Sherwood that put the idea of writing a book about Robin Hood into my head?
Ultimately, I decided the double-flute instrument wouldn’t make a very good cover image so I found other things to use instead. The aulos did make its way into the secret project I’ve been working on this year though, as I kinda felt obliged to use it in some way, or risk angering the gods!
Stay tuned for the Song of the Centurion cover reveal within the next few weeks. I have a feeling it’ll be just as stunning as the one that graced The Druid.
One final piece of news, only really of interest to German readers – Wolf’s Head has been translated by Susanne Doring and will be available to buy (or free on Kindle Unlimited) hopefully in August. The German version of Knight of the Cross has done remarkably well for a novella so I have high hopes for Wolfskopf.
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Plans for the future? Well, once all this is out of the way it will be right onto book 3 of the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles. But that’s a tale for another day…
Enjoy the rest of summer everyone!
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