Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 5
November 8, 2023
Another Heathen Horde giveaway & Song of the Centurion special offer.
Signing copies at Waterstones Glasgow Fort store!The Heathen Horde is out at last! You can buy it as an ebook or paperback worldwide, but you can also enter another FREE competition to win a signed copy. David’s Book Blurg reviewed the book recently giving it five stars and a glowing recommendation, and he has a signed paperback to give away to a lucky reader. Click here to go to David’s blog and follow the instructions! You can also find his review there somewhere…
Waterstones Braehead branch also has copies.You can also buy the Kindle edition of Song of the Centurion (Warrior Druid of Britain book 2) for just 99p in the UK this November! Bargain! Find that HERE.
Exciting times for me. I hope you’ve got your copy of The Heathen Horde and are enjoying it. If so, please leave a good review wherever you can, it REALLY helps and I greatly appreciate each one.
If you enjoy podcasts, we did an episode of Rock, Paper, Swords! all about the book. Check that out below!
October 8, 2023
The Heathen Horde signed paperback giveaways!
There’s a giveaway running on my Facebook page right now. You can win a signed, lined and dated copy of THE HEATHEN HORDE paperback before they’re even available to the public! Head on over there now and just LIKE the post and leave a comment to enter, easy.
I know some people don’t do Facebook so I’ll also be giving away a signed paperback on my EMAIL LIST – make you’re signed up if you haven’t already. Email List signup link –> https://t.co/TyvY4s0iMj
Not long now, I can’t wait for readers to finally check it out!
September 29, 2023
The Heathen Horde Goodreads giveaway!
My brand new book – the first in a trilogy – comes out in less than a month! To celebrate, my publisher, Canelo, are running a Goodreads giveaway for readers in the USA. Click HERE to enter (it’s free)! I’ll also be giving away a signed paperback on here once I have some, so look out for that (I will post worldwide).
If you haven’t pre-ordered The Heathen Horde yet, please do. It really helps give it a boost up the charts and that means other readers will find it. Given this is my first novel with the publisher, and the first in over a year, I’m very excited but also rather anxious about how well it will do, so any help to get the word out there will be hugely appreciated! There’s already been some incredible endorsements from amazing authors so I’m over the moon at those.
Praise for The Heathen Horde‘Dark Age fiction has a new master’ Gordon Doherty
‘Packed with high drama and pulse-quickening battle scenes, The Heathen Horde is a superbly researched tale of a kingdom at bay and a young man thrust unexpectedly to the epicentre of power. A brilliant start to the series’ Douglas Jackson
‘Highly recommended for anyone who is a fan of Viking fiction, historical fiction, or just loves a rip-roaring read’ Peter Gibbons
‘The Heathen Horde brings Alfred vividly to life and left me anxiously anticipating its sequel’ Damion Hunter
‘An enthralling tale of one of England’s greatest kings!’ Donovan Cook
On the Rock, Paper, Swords! front, today’s episode sees yours truly interviewing Matthew Harffy about his brand new novel, A Day of Reckoning. We’ve also recently interviewed archaeologist Dr Jo Ball, Ben Kane, Angus Donald, Alex Gough, and loads more, so do check the podcast out HERE.
August 2, 2023
The Bear of Britain in UK Kindle deal!
Book 4 in my Warrior Druid of Britain series, The Bear of Britain, is just 99p in a UK Kindle Deal this August! Have you read it yet? If not, grab it now! Don’t forget, if you’re not in the UK, all of my books are free with Kindle Unlimited worldwide.
“AD 432. BRITAIN. The winter snows are melting at last, but spring will bring more than just rebirth this year. The Saxons are coming, and that means war. The post-Roman landscape of Britain is brought vividly to life in this exciting fourth novel in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles. Perfect for fans of Simon Scarrow, Bernard Cornwell and Conn Iggulden.”
GET The Bear of Britain HERE —>> https://amzn.to/3KmD0IE Also available on Audible!
July 10, 2023
Interview about music in my books and writing
I was recently invited to be part of a collection of interviews about music and how it plays a part in books and writing. You probably already know music is massive for me, so I really enjoyed doing this for the Witty & Sarcastic Book Club. You can find the interview HERE. Please check it out! There’s links to some of my own music included too.Check out the other interviews as well, you might find a new author you’ll enjoy.
W&S: It is not uncommon to see poetry and songs used in books. What role do you feel they can play in fantasy books in particular?
Steven: I think music is the ideal way to set a mood and really get across an atmosphere. If you think of a tavern in a fantasy novel, the addition of a bard singing a song can add so much, whether it’s a melancholy tale of loss they’re performing or, more often in my books, a loud drinking song that everyone can join in with. Not everyone has a good voice, but if you’re just doing a simple chant, that’s something even the most tone-deaf of drunk warriors can be a part of. It’s almost a team-building exercise to share a bawdy tune before a battle, isn’t it?
Just as a little fun musical connection, here’s my latest guitar – a metallic red Gibson Flying V from 2008. I LOVE it!
June 28, 2023
Have you heard our historical fiction podcast yet?
Chatting to my musical hero, Ian Anderson, about the Norse mythology themed new Tull album, RökFlöte!Did you know I co-host a pretty cool podcast called Rock, Paper, Swords! The historical action and adventure podcast? I’m joined by bestselling author Matthew Harffy (who writes the brilliant Bernicia Chronicles as well as Wolf of Wessex) and we talk every fortnight about writing, research, rock music, and sometimes interview guests. We’ve had some really incredible people on the show including Robyn/Erin Young (who has a TV series, The Fields, due out soon!), Bernard Cornwell, Simon Scarrow, Giles Kristian, Ben Kane, Dan Jones and most recently, Alex Gough. We’ve also interviewed musicians including Mark Deeks from black metal band Winterfylleth, Gregory Spawton from prog-rock kings Big Big Train, Todd Kerns from Slash’s band, and unbelievably for me, Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull. My favourite band ever!
Please check out the show, tell your friends about it, and join in with the chat on Facebook/ Twitter where you can tell us what you think of the episodes and if you have any thoughts for future topics or guests.
Coming up in the near future we have a chat with Jason Kingsley OBE, who is CEO of Rebellion who publish videogames like Sniper Elite 5 as well as classic comic 2000AD and Judge Dredd. After that, we hope to talk to someone from Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing so if you have any questions for them, let us know!
Listen HERE, and please subscribe and leave a 5 star rating if you can, it really helps us grow. We’re on all the major podcast outlets like Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple iTunes etc. Thanks for listening!
June 13, 2023
Have You Seen This? By Steven McKay – REVIEW
It’s out today! Enjoy it on your tea-break, or out in the sunshine, and please leave a review when you’re done!
First review is already in, from David’s Book Blurg, see what he thought below:
“For fans of the author the biggest thing you’ll notice is the change in genre, but you need not be worried it’s still a cracking tale!”
https://davidsbookblurg.co.uk/2023/06/13/have-you-seen-this-by-steven-mckay-review/
Today I’m reviewing Have You Seen This? By Steven McKay.
Here’s the blurb
“Have you seen this?” An innocent enough question, asked millions of times around the world every day, but tonight it will lead to a shocking, violent event that destroys multiple lives.
Glaswegian forklift truck driver Jack is quietly enjoying his tea break when a friend shows him something on the internet. Outrage follows, quickly spreading through social media, and within hours an angry mob has formed to put the world to rights. Modern justice is soft, as Jack knows, so perhaps its time things were done like they were in the good old days…
Steven A. McKay is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction novels and short stories includingThe Druid, The Heathen Horde,andWolf’s Head. “Have You Seen This?” is his first foray into the modern thriller genre and is every bit as…
View original post 408 more words
June 9, 2023
A brand-new short story for you!
I have a brand new short story available to pre-order! This is something different to my usual stuff because…it’s set in the present day. Glasgow, in fact.
“Have You Seen This?” came about because I’d been talking to Matthew Harffy about Artificial Intelligence. I came across a really shocking article about it and sent it to him with a possible scenario I’d thought of. He replied, “There’s a story there.” I agreed and started it right away!
I think you’ll like this if you like my other work, and, regardless of whether it’s an amazing tale, I really wanted to get it out there as it does raise some very worrying questions about where technology is going. Comes out on Tuesday, June 13th, it’s cheap, and also on Kindle Unlimited.
I hope you’ll check it out. Pre-order links here:
Worldwide – https://mybook.to/HaveYouSeenThis
“Have you seen this?” An innocent enough question, asked millions of times around the world every day, but tonight it will lead to a shocking, violent event that destroys multiple lives.
Glaswegian forklift truck driver Jack is quietly enjoying his tea break when a friend shows him something on the internet. Outrage follows, quickly spreading through social media, and within hours an angry mob has formed to put the world to rights. Modern justice is soft, as Jack knows, so perhaps its time things were done like they were in the good old days…
Steven A. McKay is the bestselling author of numerous historical fiction novels and short stories including The Druid, The Heathen Horde, and Wolf’s Head. “Have You Seen This?” is his first foray into the modern thriller genre and is every bit as powerful as his previous tales, making the reader ponder the very nature of our present reality, and just where technology is leading us.
Enjoy this quick read that will leave you questioning humanity’s place in the future and, more worryingly, whether it’s too late to do anything about it…
Based on a real event.
May 20, 2023
Wolf’s Head is FREE on Kindle!
For a few days the first book in my Forest Lord series, and my debut novel, Wolf’s Head is completely FREE with Kindle, worldwide. If you’ve never read it, now is the ideal time to give it a go! With over THREE THOUSAND four and five star ratings on Amazon UK alone this is pretty good value for a freebie…
Get it at the links below.
When a frightened young outlaw joins a gang of violent criminals their names – against a backdrop of death, dishonour, brotherhood, and love – will become legend!
ENGLAND AD 1321. After viciously assaulting a corrupt but powerful clergyman Robin Hood flees the only home he has ever known in Wakefield, Yorkshire. Becoming a member of a notorious band of outlaws, Hood and his new companions – including John Little and Will Scaflock – hide out in the great forests of Barnsdale, fighting for their very existence as the law hunts them down like animals. When they are betrayed, and their harsh lives become even more unbearable, the band of friends seeks bloody vengeance. Meanwhile, the country is in turmoil, as many of the powerful lords strive to undermine King Edward II’s rule until, inevitably, rebellion becomes a reality and the increasingly deadly yeoman outlaw from Wakefield finds his fate bound up with that of a Hospitaller Knight…
“Wolf’s Head” brings the brutality, injustice and intensity of medieval England vividly to life, and marks the beginning of a thrilling new historical fiction series in the style of Bernard Cornwell and Simon Scarrow.
“Well researched and enjoyably written, Wolf’s Head is a fast-paced and original re-casting of a familiar legend. McKay’s gift as a storyteller pulls the reader into a world of violence, passion, injustice and revenge and leaves us wanting more!” – Glyn Iliffe, author, The Adventures of Odysseus series
“The story is exciting and invites the reader to sit back and enjoy the journey through the forests and villages of northern England.” – Hoover Book Reviews
“McKay’s fresh new take on an age old legend was as refreshing as crystal clear water in the middle of the desert and this has become my absolute favorite telling of the story.” – ***** Amazon review
“Wolf’s Head is not at all what I expected when I bought it. It is far more interesting.” – ***** Amazon review
May 15, 2023
The Abbey of Death special offer!
Did you know The Abbey of Death, one of my Forest Lord novellas, is only 99p on Kindle (UK) this month? It sees Will Scaflock struggling with life and becoming a monk with explosive results! 
Grab it here if you haven’t read it yet (why not?!) –
https://amzn.to/3McwwfE
He wanted to find peace in prayer, but some men serve God best with a sword in their hand.
Will Scaflock wants only to live in peace. He had more than his share of adventure when he went by the name Will Scarlet and fought corrupt authority alongside Robin Hood. Now widowed and alone, and estranged from his adult daughter, he has taken holy orders and sought refuge in a remote Benedictine abbey. But even there, trouble and violence follow him. The abbot, John de Wystow, is a good man but a weak leader, and easily undermined by a faction of dissident monks. When the rebels, led by Brother Robert de Flexburgh, run riot in the local community—stealing, drinking, fornicating—Scaflock’s old instincts return. Reluctantly taking charge of the abbey’s moral defence, he finds himself embroiled in a series of fierce clashes with de Flexburgh’s rowdy gang.
As the abbey’s tranquility is shattered, its cloisters stained with blood, Scaflock is forced to reconsider the direction of his life. Has he really left Will Scarlet behind him—or has he simply been running from reality?
