Steven A. McKay's Blog, page 8

Warrior Druid of Britain Book 5 – title AND cover reveal!

I exclusively revealed the name of my new Druid book on Rock, Paper, Swords! over a week ago but if you didn’t listen (why not?!), well, check the image to see what it is!

Yep, Wrath of the Picts is the title and I’m pretty happy with the first draft as Bellicus, Duro, Cai and Eburus try to figure out what’s happened to the Princesses Aife and Catia! My editor will start going over it tomorrow so, all being well, it should be ready to buy on Kindle and paperback by the end of August. I’m actually making a road-trip to one of the locations in the book tomorrow – I’ve made up a picnic for me and my crazy little dog, Pippi – so hopefully I can add a real feeling of that place which does play a BIG part in the closing sections of the novel, including one of my favourite ever scenes….

Look out for the pre-order very soon, and don’t forget the next episode of Rock, Paper, Swords! will be out on Friday, July 29th! Matthew Harffy and I will be discussing great beginnings in novels, reading from some fantastic books and talking about what makes them draw readers in, so please do subscribe and give us a listen! Check out the podcast HERE.

Rock, Paper, Swords! episode 2 out now – listen to find out the title of my next Druid novel!

We released episode 2 of our new podcast last week. In it, Matthew Harffy and I discuss some things you might find interesting, from food in historical novels (and the pitfalls of talking about things that weren’t around at the time your book is set!) to weaponry. It’s a fun episode, and perhaps even more appealing to my readers as I exclusively reveal the title of my new book on it! I will, of course, announce it soon on here and my social media channels along with the cover art but if you’d like to find out now, please do give the podcast a listen. You can find it (for free) HERE.

We’re also running a giveaway where a lucky listener can win signed books from BOTH me and Matthew – all you have to do is give Rock, Paper, Swords! a 5 star review/rating on Apple/Spotify or wherever else you listen and let us know you’ve done so. Or, just share the episode on Facebook, Twitter etc and, again, let us know you’ve done it so we can put your name into the hat. Do subscribe as we have some cool stuff coming up, including interviews with people like Robyn/Erin Young and Tim Hodkinson.

Happy listening, and look out for that Druid book 5 cover reveal, coming soon!

New historical action & adventure podcast!

I’ve teamed up with fellow historical author Matthew Harffy for a brand new podcast called Rock, Paper, Swords! Every fortnight we’ll be discussing historical fiction, history in general, action, adventure, writing, and various other things (including a bit of rock music)! We’ll also have other authors on as guests from time to time so there should be plenty for people to enjoy.

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I hope you’ll join us on July 1st for episode 1. If there’s any topics you’d like us to cover, or guests we might invite on, drop us a message on Facebook, Twitter, or on here. Rock, Paper, Swords! will be available on Apple, Google Podcasts, Spotify etc so look out for us going live on July 1st.

We’ll also be doing a giveaway for some signed books so give episode 1 a listen for more details on how to enter.

The Druid now FREE with USA Prime Reading

After 99p/99c offers, and being free with Prime in the UK, The Druid, is now free to readers in the USA who have Prime Reading. I hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t already, and please tell your friends about it too. Get it HERE, or click the cover art above and enjoy!

THE DRUID on special offer UK and USA!

If you are a Kindle owner you might like to know that the first book in my Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, The Druid, is just 99p in the UK all May, and now it’s 99c in the USA for a few days too! If you’ve yet to start this series, why not try it now when it’s so cheap? Remember too, if you buy the Kindle edition, even when it’s on special offer, you get a BIG discount on the Audible version if you’re into audiobooks. It’s also FREE on Prime Reading in the UK just now, and always free with Kindle Unlimited. Bargains galore!

Get your copy at the links below and join Bellicus and his wardogs as they hunt the Saxons who abducted little Princess Catia!

UK LINK

USA LINK

I’m now a full-time author…

After eighteen years as a meter reader (gas and electric) for Accuread, G4S, and Morrison Data Services, I decided it was time to give it up and put all of my efforts into writing. This was an extremely hard decision because, surprising as it might seem, reading meters was an enjoyable job, at least for the first fifteen years or so and then, as all jobs do, it felt like things were getting worse and I wasn’t looking forward to it anymore. It’s a situation probably most of you have been in, and it’s always hard to give something up after so long, especially when it provides a steady wage, but the time seemed right.

No more black meter reader uniform, but perhaps more time to write music for book trailers…? Photo by my daughter.

I first published Wolf’s Head nine years ago, in 2013, and, ever since, my books have continued to sell steadily so I thought I should take this opportunity to live the dream, as it were, and become a full-time writer. I’ll be able to, hopefully, publish more books and concentrate more on marketing and trying to actually “grow my brand”.

Milngavie

I’ll miss meeting colourful characters, driving around Glasgow and the towns and villages that surround it. Not everywhere was beautiful, but many places were (all the photos here were taken by me when I was at work over the years). I always looked forward to reading meters in the likes of Milngavie, Balloch, Strathblane, and, of course, Bearsden. That’s where I was working the day in 2009 when I decided I wanted to try and write a historical novel but I had no idea what, or who, it should be about. The very next electric meter I went to read was in a house named, guess what? “Sherwood”! Well, I just had to write about Robin Hood after that sign from the gods, and it certainly worked out well for me.

The very street in Bearsden I was working in when I decided to try writing a novel back in 2009 (the photo is from 2016). The Erskine street I was working in ten years later in 2019 (I think) when almost the entire plot for Lucia just popped into my head!

So, hopefully this is the start of a very exciting and rewarding new chapter in my life. If you enjoy my books it should mean you get more of them than ever before! Book 5 in my Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles has a title and is half finished so look out for that being published this summer. And after that, well, I’m planning on branching out into a brand new series, and a new historical era, although the Druid novels will continue too. Like I say, this should be an exciting time and I hope you’ll all stick with me to see where my writing will go next!

I stopped to take this photo after a jaunt to read a handful of meters in Rowardennan.

Thank you to every one of you who has bought, read, and reviewed my books – none of this would be possible without your support and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.

Now, I might have quit my job, but the hard work never ends.

Onwards…

High rise flats being torn down in Drumchapel. I remember trying to read a load of meters in those one day, and NOT A SINGLE PERSON answered the door to me! Flats in Bellsmyre (not Soviet Russia). These have all been demolished since I took the photo. A row of standing stones I noticed in a field when I was installing data loggers (similar to smart meters) down in Dalmellington in 2015. You can read more about the stones by clicking the photo. The day I took a quick break from reading meters to pop into the local radio station to record an interview about Wolf’s Head.

New interview with me on The Whispering Bookworm

“I’ve not really thought about it before but I feel a bit guilty now for what I made him go through because he starts out as a good husband, friend, and father!”

Check it out! https://thewhisperingbookworm.blogspot.com/2022/05/an-interview-with-steven-mckay-author.html

THE DRUID just 99p in the UK during May!

Yep, not only is The Druid, book 1 in my Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, in the UK Prime Reading program just now, but during May the Kindle edition will only cost 99p! If you haven’t read it yet, now is the best time to give it a go! Click HERE to check it out.

It is, of course, available free to Kindle Unlimited subscribers worldwide, you can find it at your own local Amazon by clicking HERE.

The fifth book in the series now has a title which I’ll reveal soon. I’ve come up with an idea for the cover and I’ll share that too as soon as my usual designers complete the artwork. I’m sure it will be as stunning as all the others they’ve made for me! The book is about half finished so still on track to come out mid/late summer.

Then, after that, well, I have some pretty big news to share with you all on my next project….Thank you again for your support, none of this would be possible without everyone buying, reading, and reviewing my books!

The Druid – FREE with Prime Reading UK!

Amazon UK have very kindly included The Druid, book 1 in my Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, in their Prime Reading Program which means anyone with a Prime account can read it for FREE! Tell your friends and family, even your mortal enemies and your nemesis if you have one – it would be great to see the book climbing the charts again and more readers discovering my work. And don’t forget, if you don’t have Prime, it’s free with Kindle Unlimited (all my books are)! That means you could spend just £7.99 for a month’s Kindle Unlimited and read ALL of my books for that single payment, what’s not to love? If you prefer “real” books, send me a message and you can buy a signed copy of The Druid directly from me.

Get the Kindle edition on Prime or KU HERE or click the cover image below to go straight to to Amazon.

Northern Britain, AD430

A land in turmoil. A village ablaze. A king’s daughter abducted.

In the aftermath of a surprise attack Dun Buic lies in smoking ruins and many innocent villagers are dead. As the survivors try to make sense of the night’s events the giant warrior-druid, Bellicus, is tasked with hunting down the raiders and thwarting their dark purpose.

With years of training in the old ways, two war-dogs at his side, and unsurpassed skill with a longsword, Bellicus’s quest will take him on a perilous journey through lands still struggling to cope with the departure of the Roman legions.

Meanwhile, amongst her brutal captors the little princess Catia finds an unlikely ally, but even he may not be able to avert the terrible fate King Hengist has in store for her.

This, the first volume in a stunning new series from the bestselling author of Wolf’s Head, explores the rich folklore and culture of post-Roman Britain, where blood-sacrifice, superstition and warfare were as much a part of everyday life as love, laughter and song.

As Saxon invaders and the new Christian religion seek to mould the country for their own ends one man will change the course of Britain’s history forever. . .

. . . THE DRUID.

“Steven A. McKay’s archetypal villains and heroes step vividly onto the page from a mist-veiled past of legend to battle for the life of a princess and the fate of Britain.
Dark age adventure at its gripping best.” – MATTHEW HARFFY, author of The Bernicia Chronicles

“The Druid is richly imagined, confident and gripping, full of memorable characters that fair leap from the page, and with a protagonist who, despite his calling, is written with just the right mix of the earthly and the unearthly, the spiritual and the realistic… instantly engaging storytelling on a par with anything you’ve read before by him there Cornwell, or Kane, or Kristian…a triumph, an honest to goodness, self-assured triumph.” – STEVE DENTON/SPEESH READS

“The Druid tells a story as stunning as the cover art suggests.” – SHARON BENNETT CONNOLLY, author of Heroines Of The Medieval World

“…the historical detail is seamlessly melded into a plot bursting with adrenaline and suspense…To my mind this novel is everything historical fiction should be and more.” – JAMES VELLA-BARDON, author of The Sheriff’s Catch

Shadow of the Eagle by Damion Hunter – Book Review

You might be familiar with Damion Hunter (actually a pen name for Amanda Cockrell) – their books regularly show on my Amazon page as “suggested reading” and, with great titles and cover art, I’ve always wondered what they were like. Until now, I had no idea.

I was very kindly sent an advance copy of Hunter’s new novel, Shadow of the Eagle, by the publisher Canelo and told this was to be that publishing house’s first ever historical fiction hardback. That’s how much they believe in the book so I thought it better be good! Canelo publish fantastic authors like Glyn Iliffe, Robert Low, Simon Turney, and Angus Donald, yet they’ve chosen Shadow of the Eagle to be their first hardback in this genre. Does it live up to and deserve that distinction? Conn Iggulden, Simon Scarrow and Gordon Doherty have all endorsed it, but did I enjoy it? Read on…

First off, the book is set in Roman Britain which is probably my favourite “fictional” place so that’s a good start. And we follow the adventures of a young centurion, Faustus, learning his trade which, again, is something I really enjoy in a book. There’s battles, moments of tenderness with the girls our hero meets (Eirian was my favourite, she totally kicks arse!), and some politics (not too much though). Sounds like your typical historical romp, doesn’t it? Well, not quite. It’s certainly got enough elements of that kind of fiction so if you love, say, Simon Scarrow’s work you’ll enjoy this too, but there’s more than that here.

Hunter brings in mild fantasy elements which I know some readers might find off-putting but please don’t be, as, for me, it added an extra dimension to the story. There’s two things in particular which I was surprised by at first, but one in particular I found myself wanting to read more about. First, Faustus meets his dead father on quite a few occasions – I was never sure whether this was a ghost, a hallucination, or merely some kind of daydream the young centurion was having. It came across to me as if it was a ghost, which did jar the first time I realised what was going on, but no-one else ever sees this ghost, so it’s quite possible the whole thing is in Faustus’s head, keeping the book safely in the historical fiction realm rather than moving into fantasy. I’m interested to see how this idea develops in future books, as it does give us an idea of the hero’s internal struggles, and how he’s dealing with the fact he sold his family’s farm to leave it all behind and become a soldier.

Secondly, during Faustus’s travels through Britain with the legion he meets “small, dark people” who are almost magical, faery-like beings. Now, as the author says in the note at the end, these characters are not based on any real, historical, people who were around at that time – in fact, there may well have NEVER been anyone like it. And that, I imagine, will upset historical purists who view novels of this type as a history lesson as well as a story. I understand that mindset, but, to me, a book should be a great tale first and foremost and, if the addition of some very minor “mystical” elements adds something to the overall flavour I’m all for it. And, in this case, it really does. I found myself being greatly intrigued by these little folk who remain on the periphery of the story without ever really coming that much into it, and that just added nicely to their mystique. Again, I’m interested to see how this idea develops as the series goes on as it added something a little different to the book and, given how congested – and often rather dryly written – this Roman subgenre is nowadays, I thought it elevated Shadow of the Eagle from the pack.

There’s not a huge amount of action but there’s enough to keep readers entertained, and the whole thing barrels along at a good pace. I’ve mentioned the fantastical themes, but there’s also quite a bit about Agricola and the history of the legions in Britain at this time, along with the various native tribes – one scene in particular, a fight between a couple of rival Caledonian chiefs, is superbly written and really gets the reader’s adrenaline going, true edge-of-the-seat stuff! Overall, the story never feels at all lightweight – this is a well-researched historical epic with various ingredients adding up to a very tasty dish and it covers a LOT of ground, right up to the Orcades in the far north, really bringing Britain to life along the way.

Shadow of the Eagle is the first book in the Borderlands series which, given all the various themes running through it, will surely become a real fan favourite for years to come. It’s a riveting, rich, and rewarding novel that every historical fiction lover needs to read. Due to be published on May 22, 2022 in hardback and ebook, you can click the link HERE to go to the publisher’s page where you can find buy/pre-order links and more info!

P.S. – In my review I mentioned the distinction between historical fiction and historical fantasy. I wrote a blog post about that a few years ago which now seems even more relevant as, when my agent was trying to find a publisher for The Druid, he said the editors he was submitting it to weren’t sure if it was fiction or fantasy and some even wanted me to add a load of magic and stuff to it which I was dead against. You can find my blog about it HERE.

THE RESCUE

Yorkshire, 1325 AD

“Your brother ain’t here lass,” the man spat, stepping towards her. “And this time you are going for a swim.”

There was a snap and a shocking blur of motion as an arrow tore from the thick summer foliage behind the girl and hit the approaching man’s thigh. The missile buried itself in the muscle so hard that it knocked him off his feet and he screamed in agony as the excited dogs began barking and straining at the ropes that tethered them to the cart. In contrast, the great brown bear in the cage looked on in silence.

“My brother IS here, lad,” Marjorie hissed, eyes moving from the fallen man to his stunned companions. “And so are his friends.”

“The Rescue” is a Forest Lord short story. To read it for FREE, and to keep up to date with my new books please join my mailing list. You’ll also get exclusive VIP content, giveaways and freebies you can’t get anywhere else!

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