Gillian Bronte Adams's Blog, page 11

Guest Post from Suzannah Rowntree

As most of you know, I am always on the lookout for more books to add to my (admittedly already extensive) collection. I grew up reliving tales of King Arthur and his knights—whenever I wasn’t playing make-believe with Robin Hood and his merry band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest, that is—so I was quite excited to hear about a new Arthurian retelling from Suzannah Rowntree.

And I’m even more excited to have her visiting the blog today to talk about the works that inspired her novel. Ladies and gents, welcome Suzannah!

About the Book

Blanche Pendragon enjoys her undemanding life as the ward of an eccentric nobleman in 1900 England. It's been years since she wondered what happened to her long lost parents, but then a gift on the night of her eighteenth birthday reveals a heritage more dangerous and awe-inspiring than she ever dreamed of—or wanted. Soon Blanche is flung into a world of wayfaring immortals, daring knights, and deadly combats, with a murderous witch-queen on her trail and the future of a kingdom at stake. As the legendary King Arthur Pendragon and his warriors face enemies without and treachery within, Blanche discovers a secret that could destroy the whole realm of Logres. Even if the kingdom could be saved, is she the one to do it? Or is someone else the Pendragon's Heir?

Find Pendragon’s Heir on Amazon/Ebook/Add Pendragon’s Heir on Goodreads

Meet the Author

When Suzannah Rowntree isn’t travelling the world to help out friends in need, she lives in a big house in rural Australia with her awesome parents and siblings, trying to beat her previous number-of-books-read-in-a-year record. She blogs the results at www.vintagenovels.com and is the author of both fiction and non-fiction.

Pendragon’s Heir is her debut novel.

The Books That Built Pendragon’s Heir

I sometimes think that there is no such thing as a born writer; only enthusiastic readers who see a shortage of the kind of books they like best.

This was certainly true for me. My own novel, Pendragon’s Heir, grew out of a rich reading experience over many years. It bears the impress of many different books in many different ways, and today I’d like to discuss just four of those influences.

King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green

I don’t recall exactly when I first fell in love with the Arthurian legends. I know I must have been very young, because the memory has a dreamlike quality to it. I also know that when it happened I had my Dad’s old copy of Roger Lancelyn Green’s King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table in my hands. I was reading this passage:

Then she said: ‘Sir, follow this path and it will bring you to the Chapel Perilous; and I shall remain here until you return … And if you do not return, then will there be no knight living who can achieve this adventure.’

Down the path went Launcelot, and came before long to a strange lonely chapel in a little clearing. Then he tied his horse to a tree and went into the churchyard on foot. And on the end of the chapel he saw hanging many fair shields turned upside down: and suddenly thirty great knights dressed in black armour stood beneath the shields, taller by a foot and more than any mortal man: and they gnashed their teeth and glared horribly at Sir Launcelot.

Something of that spooky, yet courtly medieval scene has remained with me ever since. So has that battered old paperback; it is lying on my desk as I write this. And though I have gone on to read many more retellings of the Arthur myth, from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King to Rosemary Sutcliff’s Road to Camlann and Stephen Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle, though I have read and enjoyed a host of medieval documents from the pseudohistory of Geoffrey of Monmouth to the Welsh Mabinogion and Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur, Roger Lancelyn Green’s retelling was and remains for me the definitive Arthurian story. If you want to know more about the legends behind Pendragon’s Heir, or if you would like to introduce the best of those legends to young readers—or if you are simply in search of a beautifully-written classic retelling of the Matter of Britain, you cannot do better than this book.

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

If Roger Lancelyn Green prepared me with a love for Arthurian legends, the spark for the story idea which at last became Pendragon’s Heir came from quite a different quarter: Scottish mystery novelist Josephine Tey. In her very unconventional novel The Daughter of Time, Alan Grant, her star detective, suffers an injury in the course of duty and spends his recovery time detecting the solution to the coldest possible case in English history: the disappearance of the young princes from the Tower of London during the reign of Richard III. Up until that point in my life (long before Richard III’s corpse was discovered under an English parking-lot), I only knew about this English king through Shakespeare’s play, having watched with horrified fascination as Laurence Olivier schemed his way across the screen and into Lady Anne’s heart. Tey’s novel, with its impassioned defense of Richard and what seemed to me an airtight rehabilitation of his character, fired me with enthusiasm. I, too, might try to resurrect some much-maligned figure! But who?

At the time, I settled on Guinevere from the Arthurian legends, someone who I felt very passionately should have been properly in love with Arthur all along. Pendragon’s Heir started its long, long life as a way for me to figure out if Guinevere was worth redeeming. But was she? You’ll have to read Pendragon’s Heir to find out!

That Hideous Strength by CS Lewis

In Lewis’s book, as in his friend and fellow-Inkling Roger Lancelyn Green’s retelling of the legends, the Arthurian kingdom of Logres is used as a symbol of the kingdom of heaven in Britain:

“…Something we may call Britain is always haunted by something we may call Logres. …There has been a secret Logres in the very heart of Britain all these years…In every age [the Pendragons] and the little Logres which gathered round them have been the fingers which gave the tiny shove or the almost imperceptible pull, to prod England out of the drunken sleep or to draw her back from the final outrage.”

When I was wrestling through the deeper meaning of the Arthurian legends in an attempt to flesh out the themes in Pendragon’s Heir, it was CS Lewis’s interpretation of Logres which I kept coming back to: Logres a desperate attempt, a forlorn hope, a lost cause which might, in the end, be won after all…

And this, I believe, is what distinguishes Pendragon’s Heir from just about every other popular contemporary retelling of the Arthur legend. I’m not about the adventure and romance (although that’s in there, too). I’m not about the fantastic world or the court intrigue. Pendragon’s Heir is about what, as far as I can tell, the Arthurian legends always have been about: the glory and pain, the close walk with judgement and destruction, that comes with any attempt to draw down Deep Heaven upon the earth.

Le Morte D’Arthur by Thomas Malory

Finally, I couldn’t possibly write a novel based on Arthurian legend without reading the classic English romance, Malory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. Curiously enough, I almost hated Malory the first two times I attempted to read the book. I only made it to the end on my third attempt, three years ago, and all the way I had to struggle mightily with all the things in the book that made no sense to me. If Arthur’s knights were meant to be Christians, pure and meek and defenders of those weaker than themselves, why all the murder, seduction, and injustice? Making sense of Malory forced me to come to terms not just with the Arthurian legends but also with significant aspects of medieval life. Eventually, I came to realise that in Malory’s book, Arthur’s grand hope is eventually destroyed not by a freak of fate (as we might expect) but by sin and compromise at the very heart of Logres. With that as my key, the whole epic fell into place—and so did significant elements of the Pendragon’s Heir plot.

Today, I admire Malory for his wonderful, graceful writing style and the epic scope of his remarkable tale. But the part of his book I love the best is his account of the Grail Quest, which provided a great deal of the raw material for my plot. In his essay on Le Morte D’Arthur in Studies in Medieval and Renaissance Literature, CS Lewis describes the Round Table in its failure to properly achieve the Grail as “the peak which failed to reach heaven.” Like Green, Lewis, and Malory before me, I remain fascinated by that vision of a doomed yet glorious attempt to reach heaven.

However fictional they may be, the legends of Arthur will always capture our imagination. And the reason is not that they give us a glimpse of something different—but that they give us a fresh look at something very old, something that is basic to humanity, both our curse and our calling.

Gillian here: Thanks, Suzannah, for a fascinating look behind the scenes!
How about you, folks? Do you have a favorite retelling of Arthurian legend? Share in the comments!

Out of Darkness Rising is going on tour!

Going on Blog Tour, at least. Over the next week (or more, depending on how much fun we’re having!) I’ll be hopping all over the blogosphere visiting the sites of fantasy authors and fans alike to share insights into the setting, characters, and allegorical themes of Out of Darkness Rising.

Today, I’m thrilled to be visiting the site of fellow Enclave author, Morgan L. Busse to talk a little bit about life on the accursed Island where it’s been a thousand years since the villagers have seen the full light of the sun.

Read the full post here: The Sun Yet Rises.

I’ll be stopping by throughout the week to update the list of sites that I’ll be visiting, but the best and quickest way to get updates is to follow my Facebook Page.

Monday: “The Sun Yet Rises” – Morgan L. Busse

Tuesday: “To All Who Are Weary” – Laura Pol at Crafty Booksheeps

Wednesday: “A Love Letter” – Ashlee Willis

Thursday: “Death Reigns” – Nadine Brandes

And the best part? For each blog tour post that you share online, you can earn an extra 3 entries into the giveaway! Only 4 days left!

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Allegorical Fantasy Giveaway #2: The Word Changers

As if there weren’t already enough giveaways going on around here, I am thrilled to present the second selection for our focus on Allegorical Fantasy in the month of March. Picking only two books each month has been beyond difficult, because there are so many fabulous stories I would love to share with you. But this was one of the first ones that popped into my mind as soon as I had settled on the theme for this month … and I hadn’t yet had a chance to read it.

Curious?

Our giveaway today is for a paperback copy of The Word Changers by Ashlee Willis. I can’t recall exactly when I stumbled across Ashlee’s blog, but somehow she and I got to chatting a few months ago—close to the release of Orphan’s Song—and once I started following her blog, I knew I had to read her book, though it was several months before I had the time to do so.

March had scarce broken upon us when I set The Word Changers down and slid it back into place on my shelf and breathed a mighty contented sigh. This book has a classic quality to it, with all the timelessness and agelessness of the Chronicles of Narnia. Definitely a keeper.

So I’m quite glad that Ashlee Willis has agreed to offer a giveaway copy and provided some fascinating insight into one of her most intriguing characters (in my opinion) in The Word Changers. Enter through the Rafflecopter below, but first read a bit about the book …

The Word Changers

Escaping from the turmoil of her home, fifteen-year-old Posy finds herself at her usual haunt: the library. When she chooses an unfamiliar book from the shelf, she does not devour its words as she usually does…

Its words devour her.

Posy is pulled into the pages of a fairy tale in turmoil. Characters whisper of rebellion against their Plot. And Posy must find a lost princess whose role in the story is crucial, before her own role in the book comes to a horrible end.

With the haughty Prince Kyran as a reluctant companion, Posy ventures past the Borders of the Plot, into the depths of the treacherous Wild Land forest that lie beyond. Secrets are buried there, dangerous and deadly.

Yet the darkest secret of all is the one Posy carries within herself.

Soon it’s clear that finding the lost princess is the least of Posy’s concerns. The Author of the book must be found. His Plot must be put to rights again, his characters reminded of who they were first created to be. Only then will the True Story be written, both for Posy, and for the tale she has now become a part of.

Find The Word Changers on Amazon/Add The Word Changers on Goodreads

Meet the Author

Ashlee has a passion for three things: God, family, and books, and is happiest when all three can be enjoyed together.  She divides her time chiefly between homeschooling her young son, reading about fantasy worlds she wishes she could visit, and dreaming up fantasy worlds of her own to write about. She loves taking walks in the woods, drinking tea with friends, and spending time with the ones she loves most.  Ashlee lives in the heart of Missouri with her husband, son, and six cats, where she is busily at work on a brand new YA fantasy series.

Find Ashlee on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, or email her at AshleeW@zoho.com.

An inside look with Ashlee Willis:

How can a mist be a character, you might wonder? I’ll admit, it wasn’t in my original plan when I was outlining The Word Changers. It came about of necessity, and then grew beyond even the bounds that my imagination had for it to begin with. Its role in my book became a rather unexpected one, yet one

Posy, my main character, falls into a book and is forced to become one of its characters, acting out the Plot each time a reader opens the pages. The problem is, she’s new to the story and doesn’t know her part. So the Mist is assigned to her. It follows her around, hovering about her shoulders, prompting her with lines, directing her where to go, how to eat, what to wear, even gently scolding her when she errs.

Yet when the Author of the book originally wrote it, he had intended much, much more for the Mist. Even so, when Posy enters the Plot, King Melanthius has reduced the Mist to a mere prompter of lines and direction-giver. It is kept, stoppered and silent in a bottle, until it is wanted, and only freed for very particular needs.

But as Posy’s actions begin to change the story around her, so the Mist changes, too. It grows both inward and outward. And though its voice grows softer and calmer, the reach of that voice grows further, even to the very edges of the Kingdom and beyond. Once the Mist is free, it begins to free others as well, whispering softly to them. It reminds them of whom they were first written to be. It reminds them of the beauty their story once had, and can have again.

The Mist was a character I never intended to write at all. But as it grew, almost of its own accord, within my story, it became one of my best-loved ones.

Thank you, Ashlee, for visiting with us today and offering a giveaway copy!

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Out of Darkness Rising Release, Amazon Blitz, and Launch Giveaway!

If you’re reeling from the vast amount of awesomeness packed into the title of this post, don’t worry! It’s completely understandable. I’ve been reeling since Out of Darkness Rising came out yesterday.

I am just that excited for the chance to share this story with you. This moment has been a grand total of five years in the making. The first four years dragged on like a horse slogging through knee-deep mud, but the past twelve months have been so intense, hectic, and action-packed, that this day was nearly lost in the middle of it.

So I am forcing myself to slow down and step back to enjoy this moment.

As a part of the celebration, there are two things I want to share with you: an Amazon Blitz and a medieval themed Out of Darkness Rising launch giveaway. You can earn extra entries for the latter with the first so this is one instance where you’ll want to read through the terms and conditions (like Bilbo) and not simply skip all the way to the rewards section at the end. It can be tempting, I know. :)

To help promote the release of Out of Darkness Rising, we have scheduled an Amazon Blitz for today, March 16th! Are you planning on adding Out of Darkness Rising to your collection? If so, please join me for the Amazon Blitz by purchasing the book (either ebook or paperback) today. Focusing the purchases during a specific time can help increase the sales ranking which means more people are likely to see the book!

Find Out of Darkness Rising on Amazon.

As a thank you, participating in the Amazon blitz will earn you an extra 10 entries in the super fun medieval themed Launch Giveaway below!

That’s 10 entries you can only earn today.

Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below. Help spread the news about Out of Darkness Rising and enter for a chance to be one of three winners who will take home the following awesome prizes.

What’s At Stake?

1) A copper quill pen and ink set and a paperback copy of Out of Darkness Rising

2) A medieval wax and seal set and a paperback copy of Out of Darkness Rising

3) A gorgeous leather journal and a paperback copy of Out of Darkness Rising

How do I win?

There are a couple of different ways you can earn entries into the contest to gain an even better chance of winning one of these awesome prizes. The more entries you earn, the more times your name is entered into the contest. Winners will be announced after April 3rd! Good luck.

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When Destiny Comes Calling - Installment Eleven

Now that BOOK TWO in the Songkeeper Chronicles has been turned in to my editor, and Out of Darkness Rising is coming out in less than a week, I decided to take a wee bit of a break from my serious writing projects and turn my attention to the fun stuff for a little while.

Like When Destiny Comes Calling!

As always, check out the previous installment here, find out more about the serial short(ish) story here, and be sure you read to the end to vote on what happens in the next installment.

Doomsday bustled over to the table with a tray full of tea things. He set it down with a thump in front of Destiny and the mismatched cups all rattled in their saucers. “Do help yourselves. The cream’s gone sour and the ants have been in the sugar. But what can expect when the world is ending?”

Destiny poured a cup and took a dainty sip. “It isn’t the world that’s in danger of ending, only our fine Empire, now that poor Emperor Caldwell V is dead and his son, as you well know, passed on earlier this year, leaving only the grandson to take the Imperial Seat.”

“A babe to take the Imperial Seat?” Doomsday looked as though he was about to launch into another fit of woe is me cries, but Destiny cut him off.

“Only as Fate would have it, little Emperor Caldwell VI has been kidnapped!”

A cunning gleam appeared in the wizard’s eye. “I see, and you have come to petition my inestimable help in finding and recovering the poor babe.”

“Not quite.” Destiny smiled, and it was the sort of smile a spider might give a fly. “That is well in hand. Your unique talents are required for something rather more … dangerous.”

The way she rolled the word over her tongue, almost as though she savored the taste of it, sent a little shiver down Alexander’s spine. Doomsday clutched the back of a chair and lugged his bulk around and into the seat. His head rolled back and he looked as though he were about to pass out.

“No.” He gasped. “Not that!”

Destiny took another sip, set her cup down, and folded her hands with deliberate grace. “I’m afraid so. The time has come for you to fulfill your oath and for dear Alexander here to fulfill his family’s curse. Between the two of you, we shall ensure that Emperor Caldwell VI survives to take his grandfather’s seat.”

“I see.” Doomsday ran a shaking hand through his thick black bush of a beard and tugged it away from his face, revealing a narrow, clean-shaven jaw and a mouth set in the most doleful expression a man could imagine. Of course the beard would be a fake. Was there anything about the man that was as it appeared?

“Doom is indeed upon us.” Doomsday gazed pensively into the fire and said no more, while Destiny went back to sipping her tea with an expression of the utmost serenity painted across her face.

“Oh hang it all!” Alexander shot to his feet. The handle of his right dueling pistol caught on his chair and tipped it over with a clatter that nearly made him jump. “He might see. You might see. But I certainly don’t. Now, you’ve said I might die, ma’am, to fulfill the family curse, and I expect that provides me with some right to know just what is going on and how I’m supposed to ensure Emperor Caldwell VI’s path to the throne!”

“Come now, Destiny.” Fate’s voice drifted through the open trapdoor. “Just tell him and be done with it. It’s time we were moving on!”

Destiny rolled her eyes and poured a second cup of tea which she offered to Alexander. He snatched it from her hand and slammed it back down on the table, splashing tea across the red-checkered cloth and earning a heart-broken cry from Doomsday.

“Not Mumsie’s beautiful linens!” The con-wizard hastened to mop up the mess, grumbling beneath his breath, and casting baleful glances at Alexander over his shoulder.

But Alexander had eyes only for Destiny. Her eyebrows had arched up almost into her hairline, and the disapproval in her gaze was enough to make Alexander wish (for the five hundredth time) that he was back at home in his father’s study where his greatest concerns had been figuring out the inner workings of his cannon, solving problems like trajectory and range in a strong wind, cleaning gunpowder residue from his mother’s drapes—an accident—and dealing with the constant turnover in servants—definitely not his fault!

“There is no need to make a scene, Alexander Mitus Scott Beauford III.” The way she said it sounded so much like his mother, it made the hair stand up on Alexander’s neck. “I shall tell you what you need to know.”

“I’m afraid that shan’t do.” Alexander adjusted his pistols and his sword, dusted off his clothing in a vain attempt to make himself look presentable, and marched toward the trapdoor. “I think I’ve been more than reasonable given this most irregular situation. Unless you agree to answer my questions as I ask them, this ridiculous adventure we’ve embarked upon will be over.”

He had reached the trapdoor where he could make out Fate peering down at him from above, the baby emperor clutched tight in her arms, and was just trying to figure out how to climb up and out of the con-wizard’s secret lair without a ladder, when Destiny’s voice stopped him from making a complete fool of himself.

“One question and then we must move. Our enemies cannot be far behind.”

Alexander executed a neat military turn. “You will answer the rest later? When and where and whatever I ask?”

“Yes.” Destiny forced the word through clenched teeth. “Later.”

“Well, then it seems we are agreed. First question: just what dangerous thing are Wizard Doomsday and myself supposed to do?”

“That, I thought, was obvious.” Destiny took another sip of her tea. “You must assassinate the Lord Chancellor, Baron Von Horben. Tomorrow night.”

What happens next? Choose your favorite option below and vote in the comments! Then stop by next time to see how your vote changed the course of the story.

Option 1: Enemies attack the Plucky Lass, forcing Alexander, Destiny, Wizard Doomsday, Fate, and baby Emperor Caldwell VI on the run to complete the mission.

Option 2: Alexander, Destiny, and Wizard Doomsday return to the surface to discover that Fate and Emperor Caldwell VI have been captured by an unknown assailant.

Option 3: Alexander stands up to Destiny and refuses to take part in any assassination attempts because Baron Von Horben is a close friend of his father, Baron Midsig.

  Can’t get enough of When Destiny Comes Calling? Join the Pinterest Inspiration Board!

This week, we’re looking for pictures of Fate and Wizard Doomsday.

Here’s how it works: In order for me to invite you to the board, we have to follow one another on Pinterest. So if you would like to join the board, leave a comment once you follow me and then I will follow you back and send the invite!

Follow Gillian's Inspiration Board for When Destiny Comes Calling on Pinterest.

Allegorical Fantasy Giveaway #1: Out of Darkness Rising

Well, ladies and gents, March is here. BOOK TWO of the Songkeeper Chronicles has been turned in, Out of Darkness Rising is about to release, and I’m about to start the initial writing stages for BOOK THREE.

I’m not entirely sure why March and Allegorical Fantasy seem to go together, though I think perhaps it has something to with how the expression below reminds me of both names and allegorical representations of Jesus.

“In like a lion … out like a lamb.”

The Lion of Judah. The Lamb of God.

Aslan.

Perhaps it’s just me.

In any case, I settled on Allegorical Fantasy for March and decided to start off the month with another giveaway for Out of Darkness Rising, my allegorical fantasy novella that’s releasing in less than two weeks!

So, if you missed out on a chance to win Out of Darkness Rising last time, this could be your lucky day! Enter through the Rafflecopter below. I’m offering a paperback copy for the US and ebook copies for any international winners.

But first, make sure you read through the end to get a sneak peak into the book … Yes, my lovelies, you did read that right!

Darkness reigns unchallenged.

For the villagers on the accursed Island, life has only one meaning - death. Bound to the Island by the curse, the villagers suffer beneath the iron claw of the Serpent, daily breathing the poison of his breath and dying to appease his insatiable appetite.

When Marya’s parents are slain by the serpent for their belief in a legendary king, she becomes an outcast. Struggling to survive and avoid the vengeance of the Tribunal, Marya is torn between legend and the harsh reality of the Island. Yet when a forgotten promise springs to life, she cannot help wondering if the old stories might in fact be true. And if they are, will the promise prove stronger than the curse?

Meet the Author

This is where I would normally introduce you to a new author, but since you’re here on my blog, I assume you already know at least a little bit about me. So instead of my usual bio, I thought it would be fun to share a few things you may not know about me. Warning: expect randomness and much tongue-in-cheek to ensue …

Dr. Pepper is the way to my heart. Not seriously. But almost. Hand me an ice cold Dr. Pepper on a hot day (or a cold day for that matter) and we will almost certainly be friends.
As a member of a little bitty volunteer fire department in a little bitty rural area, I’ve learned that fire and the 4th of July tend to go together, which in Texas means a lot of sweating in your gear.
I cannot count the number of times I’ve fallen off my horse … on purpose! *grins* Really! My horse and I have a penchant for drama, so in the past, I’ve taken to using him in western skits where I enjoy playing the bad guy who gets shot off and dies dramatically at the end. So much fun!
(The first time we did the skit, my horse started nudging me while I was lying on the ground – so cute! After that, he figured it out and just gave me an annoyed look whenever I came off. Yes, he has a lot of personality.)
I would be perfectly happy living in a tiny cabin in the woods. If I wasn’t a writer, I wouldn’t even care so much about whether it had electricity or not. I once fell in love with a house that had a roof full of … unplanned … skylights. Cutest thing ever. In need of much tender loving care.
I think you folks are the coolest people ever!

Betrayal.

The word had a pleasant ring to it. Arientyl could become accustomed to the shape of it on his tongue, the ring of it in his ears, the tint of it covering his clothes and staining the skin of his sword-hand. After centuries of bowing and scraping and smiling through gritted teeth, the freedom that came with finally allowing the mask to fall was pure relief.

Who could have imagined betrayal could be so sweet?

The wet thud of his boots echoed before him down the stone hallway toward the massive hardwood door that led to the King’s chambers. So close now… so close. His hand involuntarily tightened about the grip of his sword. He allowed himself a quickening of breath as he envisioned driving the blade into the King’s heart and feeling the strong form that had ever stood in his way finally crumble, the breath of opposition finally release in vain.

He halted before the door and lifted his hand to the latch. A whisper of movement behind sent him spinning into a defensive position. The figure of a warrior stood in the center of the hallway, surrounded by the bodies of the slain, cloak hem soaking up the blood that was Arientyl’s handiwork.

There was no mistaking that sword stance.

Or the one it belonged to, the King’s own son.

Add on Goodreads // Watch the Book Trailer

This giveaway is super easy to enter! Since I’m trying to spread the word about Out of Darkness Rising before its release, all I ask is that you share the book somewhere online – whether you mention it in a blogpost, link to the giveaway or book trailer on facebook, or tweet about it is up to you.

If you’ve already mentioned Out of Darkness Rising in a blog post, you may count the original post as long as you share the link to your post somewhere online after the start of the contest.

You can do this once a day until the end of the giveaway! Easy way to rack up those entry points and increase your chances of winning. :)

I’m offering a paperback copy for the US and ebook copies for any international winners.

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I’d like to get to know you better too. If you could share one random fact about yourself, what would it be? Share in the comments!

Fantasy February Giveaway #2: Of the Persecuted

Well, ladies and gents, I’m afraid I went into radio blog silence for the past two weeks without any warning, so I must apologize. BOOK TWO of the Songkeeper Chronicles is currently in the homestretch and gearing up to cross the finish line to my editor’s desk on March 1st, so until then, I have a bit of a single track mind … double track, actually, since I’m also thinking through last minute stuff before Out of Darkness Rising releases in one month!

In any case, expect me back and blogging full steam ahead after March 1st.

For this giveaway, I’m quite excited to be able to introduce y’all to Angie Brashear and her fantasy romance Of the Persecuted. I met Angie at an ACFW conference about a year and a half ago and was thrilled to discover that she was not only a fellow fantasy writer, but warm, friendly, and a fellow Texan to boot!

I’m ashamed to admit that I have not yet had a chance to read Of the Persecuted. It’s on my list, but BOOK TWO … well … enough said

Angie was sweet enough to offer three ebook copies of Of the Persecuted for the lucky winners, so you have triple the chance of winning this one. Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below, but first a little bit about the book …

About the Book

Laila Pennedy awaits death by hanging. For the Rendow Clan rules the Woodlands Region, aiming to slaughter the Faithful. And she deserves to die. But Lars Landre, the man destined to lead the Faithful out of persecution, has other plans hidden behind his rare and mysterious blue eyes. Rescue.

Following the daring escape, Laila seeks the path of a warrior and vows revenge against the Rendow Clan. She embarks on a dangerous journey with Lars, one in which they endeavor to reach the promised safety of a magical village, to train for battle, and to ultimately assure freedom for those with faith in the Maker.

Clashes of weapons and souls. Brutal loss of lives. Unrequited love. How in all the Woodlands will Laila survive?

Add Of the Persecuted on Goodreads

Meet the Author

When Angie Brashear isn’t working or taking care of her family, she writes. Usually at night after her kids fall asleep. She’s a fan of speculative fiction and an avid runner, both of which perplex her nonfiction-reading, football-loving husband. Saved in her early twenties, Angie is grateful for the Lord’s presence in all aspects of her life. She is originally from Rockland, Maine and currently resides in Cameron, Texas with her husband and three children. Follow her on Facebook (where she connects regularly with her readers), on Twitter, and on her website.

Since I wasn’t able to write up my own review or give y’all a behind-the-scenes look into the story, I figured it would be a good idea to share a little of what other readers have been saying about Of the Persecuted. Enjoy!

I could not put this book down! I read it cover to cover in less than 48 hours. The descriptions used by the author create a vivid image in the reader's mind of the magical setting for this spiritual journey of the characters. Definitely a must read!!! I've already recommended to friends and my online book club put it next in line.

Angie uses words in such a way that you feel like you could be watching a movie instead of merely reading words on a page. The integrity and simple, yet bold faith of her characters challenged me to consider the depth of my faith and my willingness to "fight the good fight". I would highly recommend this book to young and old (I am 57). You will not be disappointed. I'M HUNGRY FOR BOOK 2!!!

Step into a world of magical cities, heroic wars, creatures bound in evil and good, and a community of which you will miss once you close the book. Angie Brashear's writing impressed me from the start and I already itch for what her future writings will bring! Of the Persecuted is a fantastic debut. It's not just a story, it's a journey...and you'll be glad you took it.

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Thanks, Angie, for offering three copies of your book! I know the winners are looking forward to reading them.

Fantasy February Giveaway #1: Storm Siren

February’s giveaway theme is Fantasy with just a touch of Romance! Because who doesn’t enjoy at least the possibility of a happily ever after thrown into the midst of a world filled with battles and peril?

Our first book is Storm Siren by Mary Weber.

Ever since this book came out, I’ve run into it so many times online and stumbled across so many glowing reviews that I just knew I had to read it, but it wasn’t until last week that I actually had a chance to pick it up.

Read on for my thoughts, but first, a bit about the book.

STORM SIREN

“I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth—meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Mary Weber is a ridiculously uncoordinated girl plotting to take over make-believe worlds through books, handstands, and imaginary throwing knives. In her spare time, she feeds unicorns, sings 80’s hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California, which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands, Joss Whedon, and the ocean.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter, or her Blog.

{photo courtesy of Sarah Kathleen Photography}

 

MY TWO CENTS WORTH

Once I picked up Storm Siren, I had a hard time setting it back down. Set in a world of magical abilities, horrifying foes, friends and frenemies, (and with just a touch of a steampunkish feel slipping through now and again), Storm Siren is a fascinating, enjoyable, and altogether intriguing YA read.

Not to imply that the story is all fun and games. The story progresses at a rapid pace, pausing only to explain the histories of the nations involved as needed. No fantasy adventure would be complete without a fair share of battles and training and desperate escapes, and Storm Siren is no exception. By the end of the book, the death toll is fairly high, but rather than feeling gratuitous, it only serves to highlight the dangers of the war facing Nym’s people and all that is truly at stake.

Nym makes for a sympathetic main character. Although she has lived as a slave in some form or another for most of her life, she is anything but a victim. And Colin is just too much fun. He’s sweet, a little goofy, and slightly adorable, but that doesn’t stop him from being quite formidable in battle.

(Slight Spoiler Alert: Can I just say that, despite all the readers who’ve been swooning over Eogan, I personally liked Colin so much better! I never really got Nym and Eogan’s “connection,” or saw anything between them other than that she thought he was really, really, really handsome … and we’re supposed to believe that he thinks the same about her … so it’s got to be love, right? Not exactly a firm basis for a relationship, if you ask me.)

As for Adora, well, let’s just say it’s been a long time since I have so thoroughly disliked and despised a character. From the first time I met her, I couldn’t help hoping she would get her comeuppance and that it would be a doozy! Note: partly because of Adora, and partly because of Nym and Eogan, I’d suggest reserving this book for older readers, ages 14+ or so.

I was not overly fond of the hissing speech pattern given to one of the slightly more dubious characters in the story. It seemed like too much of a desperate attempt to make this character seem stereotypically evil, but that’s just my two cents.

Long story short, I did enjoy reading Storm Siren, and I’m sure I will pick up the next book, Siren’s Fury, when it releases!

Note: Due to the vast difficulties and expenses involved in finding a carrier pigeon large enough to make a transatlantic flight with a book bound to its leg, this particular giveaway is open only to the US.

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Out of Darkness Rising Announcement and Giveaway

It is with great excitement that I can finally announce the upcoming release of another book! Mark your calendars, my dears. 


Out of Darkness Rising comes March 15th!
(Houston, we have a date.)
This book has been a long time in the making. I cut my writing teeth on it way back in the day. It began as a short story. The short story became a novella. The novella found a publisher, and now, a good many years later, you will be able to read it in just a month and a half.

To say I’m over the moon would be a slight understatement!

In the meantime, scroll down to feast your eyes on this beautiful cover, watch the book trailer, enter the giveaway for a chance to win a copy, and enjoy the rest of the goodies below …




Darkness reigns unchallenged.
For the villagers on the accursed Island, life has only one meaning - death.  Bound to the Island by the curse, the villagers suffer beneath the iron claw of the Serpent, daily breathing the poison of his breath and dying to appease his insatiable appetite. 

When Marya’s parents are slain by the Serpent for their belief in a legendary king, she becomes an Outcast.  Struggling to survive and avoid the vengeance of the Tribunal, Marya is torn between legend and the harsh reality of the Island.  Yet when a forgotten promise springs to life, she cannot help wondering if the old stories might in fact be true.  And if they are, will the promise prove stronger than the curse?

COMING MARCH 15, 2015
ADD ON GOODREADS





THE FUN STUFF:
Visit the Out of Darkness Rising Pinterest board to get a sneak peak into the story. You know you want to!Add the novella on Goodreads to showcase your marvelously good taste.Meet Marya, one of the main characters. (Did I mention I enjoy throwing on a costume now and then?)Enter the giveaway! To celebrate this exciting occasion, I’m offering 3 Advance Reader Copies of Out of Darkness Rising so three lucky winners will have the opportunity to read the book before anyone else. The prizes will be shipped out to the winners as soon as they’re ready.

Paperbacks are available only to US residents, but I hate leaving all you lovely folks across the pond out, so I'm happy to provide digital prize copies for y'all.
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Thanks to these wonderful folks for highlighting Out of Darkness Rising on their blogs today and helping to spread the word! Y’all are positively the best.

Allison RuvidichAngie BrashearAnne Elisabeth StenglAshlee Willis Deborah O’CarrollJaye L. KnightJ.L. MbeweLaura PolRachelle Rea

Villainy 101: Master-Minding Murder and Mayhem—Weapons of Intelligence

TOP SECRET COMM. #10

FROM: THE SPY

TO: READERS OF THE BLOG

By the time, this reaches you, I’ll probably be dead. Not really … but more than likely. I’m smack dab in the middle of my next assigned. (No, can’t tell you what it is. Top secret, remember?) I’m deep undercover … really deep. And dark, too. Communication is only possible through homing bats—weird, I know.

All I can say is it’s a harrowing world out here.

Almost makes me wish for the relative safety of my time spent spying at the Academy of Ultimate Villainy. You know it’s bad when a fellow gets nostalgic about three months spent studying villainous deeds under villainous professors, rooming with villainous students, and getting flunked for not cheating on villainous exams.

Yeah. Go figure.

Anyway, figured I’d send y’all the next lecture from Professor Hornbuckle’s class. Hope you enjoy and learn lots of villainous little tricks so you can prepare your heroes to fight. That is why you’re reading this, right? Cause if I thought you authors were using these lectures to train your villainous characters, well, I might just up and quit.

The Spy, signing off.

Master-Minding Murder and Mayhem: A Villain’s Arsenal Part Two

Spy’s Note: Nineteen minutes and thirty seconds after class was supposed to begin, Professor Hornbuckle crashes through the door. A couple of students were already gathering up their things and preparing to leave. Before they can sit down again, guards appear and drag them away.

Professor Hornbuckle doesn’t even wait for their pleas for mercy to die down before he begins.

The pop quiz will be at the end of class. We are continuing our discussion on the vast array of weapons in a sage villain’s arsenal and focusing on three main classes of weapon: force, intelligence, and subterfuge.

Last week, we focused on weapons of force. Today we shall discuss, weapons of intelligence.

Weapons of Intelligence

A villain should not rely on force or strength alone to achieve his or her dastardly schemes. The second class of weapons in our deadly arsenal are of a somewhat more refined and intellectual sort … but no less dirty than the others.

To quote a rather modest and troubled young villain, “… in this splendid world of ours, information is currency.” (Top marks to the student who can recall to which villain that quote is attributed!)

Though he, sadly, was not a graduate of our nefarious institution, that in no way lessens the truth of his words.

Indeed, he who holds the knowledge holds the power. There are many ways in which to gather, utilize, and disseminate information. We shall touch upon only a few.

Spies and Informants

Whether they be computer hackers, eavesdropping enchantments, or minions in disguise, spies and informants are a villain’s prime means of gathering information. Any spy ring should be multi-layered and vast, like a spider’s web. (Cliché, I know. Bear with me.)

But while spies and informants are invaluable, they can also prove your greatest weakness. Rest assured that any man who is willing to sell you information is undoubtedly also willing to sell it to your enemies for an equal price.

Spies and informants must thus be doubly expendable. Loose ends do not a strong spider web make.

Blackmail

Aside from using your knowledge of his affairs to foil your enemy again and again, blackmail is one of the most useful aspects of intellectual warfare. An army of minions and evil henchmen—excellent. A spy ring—top marks. A vast web of unconnected sleeper agents who appear to be ordinary people going about their ordinary lives, with no ties or connections to the criminal world, just waiting for the word to spring into action—brilliant!

And that can be achieved through blackmail.

Dig up the right bit of dirt on the right sort of people and the world will fall at your feet.

Frame Job

Most of the time we villains like to lay claim to our evil deeds—watching our rep and building cred and what not. But on occasion, there can be nothing more delightful than laying the blame for our reprehensible crimes on our enemies and watching their worlds crash and burn.

All it takes is a little tidbit whispered here, a wad of cash inserted there, with a dash of forged evidence on the top, and voila, a masterpiece.

Controlling information enables you to disseminate what you want to who you want in whatever form you want. Which brings us rather handily to our final point …

Control

In the end, information is all about control. Selectively spreading or withholding information or seeding misinformation will enable you to govern the actions of not only your minions but ordinary citizens and those desperate heroes as well.

For example, should your civilians comes under the notion that you are a tyrant, simply spread a little panic with rumor of upcoming threats, and they’ll buckle down beneath your tyrannical rule to keep the safety it provides.

And that is just one tiny glimpse of the innumerable options that control of information provides you.

Always remember, a good villain should always have another secret … and the victor writes history.

Ah, that would be the bell. It appears we are out of time. Turn over the quizzes on your desks. I hope you brought a lot of pencils—you have a lot of writing to do and only ten minutes to make your next classes—and I don’t need to remind you that you don’t want to be late.

In our next lecture, we shall move on to weapons of subterfuge. For your homework assignment, you must read pages 17-37 in Unearthing Skeletons—A Blackguard’s Guide to Blackmailing, pages 78-113 in Spy Rings for Dummies, and chapters 7, 11, and 21 in The 10 Step Plan for Achieving World Domination. I expect a twelve page, single-spaced essay detailing the various instances in which the different aspects of intellectual warfare might be most effective by tomorrow morning.

Seven minutes until your next class. I suggest you get to work on that quiz…

Whew, glad I’m not in Professor Hornbuckle’s class! Do you have any tips for the aspiring villain on how to go about choosing or using intellectual warfare? If so, share in the comments!

Did you enjoy the post? Share with a friend, leave a comment, or pin it on Pinterest! Need more villainous humor to start off your day?

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