Jamie’s Comments (group member since Mar 26, 2015)

Jamie’s comments from the Net Work Book Club group.

Can anyone recommend an artist to do cover art that isn't terribly expensive?

My third novel came out in November. It is a one off from my series, The Kronicles of Korthlundia, meaning it makes a minor character from the first novel in the series and tells his story. You don't have to have read the other books to enjoy it. The blurb is below:

The Ghost is going to hell. Not even the goddess can forgive his sins: assassin, oath-breaker, traitor (an affair with the queen earned him that title). No one can ever learn the princess is his daughter. To keep this secret, he flees to the land that turned him from a simple stable groom into an infamous killer.
His mission now? To find evildoers and take them to hell with him. But when an impulsive act of heroism saddles him with a damsel who refuses to be distressed, her resilience forces him to questions why he really ran from his daughter.

Groovy wrote: "Indubitably!"

That is a pretty fantastic word. I must agree.

Kevin wrote: "I think this a very interesting topic as an author myself, in fiction there are many variable characters and there are some who are written perfect and some who who are not.

I prefer flawed main c..."

It certainly depends on the reader, but for me, I don't care how interesting the plot may be if I don't like the main character. If I don't care about the character, I don't care about what happens to him/her. Not everyone feels this way, but a likable main character is essential for me. Not perfect, but one you can connect to and feel sympathy for. Without this, I don't like the book.

Groovy wrote: "Gotcha! Y'all are right, the sound doesn't fit the meaning."

Exactly. That's part of my problem with the word.

Virginia wrote: "Thanks for your thoughts - strong opinions about likeability. For me it's a balance between "real" and "likeable". Some characters are just too likeable to be true, but there needs to be a hint of ..."

Perfect characters aren't interesting to me because they aren't realistic. I like flawed characters; however, flawed doesn't mean unlikable. If I don't like the main character, I don't care what happens to him/her, and I usually don't finish the book.

Can I add "pithy" to the hated words list? I'm unsure why, but I cringe and feel ill whenever anyone calls a piece of writing "pithy"? First, the word sounds stupid and not at all like it means. My hatred for the word may also have something to do with the number of times my least favorite graduate professor used it.

I have kept a blog for several years, but never very seriously. I have decided to change this and begin posting regularly. I am going to make Wednesday a day to feature interviews and excerpts from other writers. All featured books must have some type of speculative element. If you are interested in appearing on my blog, please send me an email at jamie-marchant@jamie-marchant.com. If you'd like to host me in return, I'd love it, but that isn't required.

I'm looking for reviews for a collection of fantasy short stories that I have coming out at the end of the month. I'm offering it free to anyone willing to leave a review. Please message me if interested.

Parallel worlds. Angst-ridden assassins. And rodeo bull riding?

This collection of short stories by Jamie Marchant covers the fantasy genre from deadly serious to ridiculous. When a blood curse threatens his daughter, a former assassin must break his vow never to kill again. The stakes are even higher when his victim turns out to be the king. A werewolf begs a college secretary who doesn't know she's a shaman to save her toddler from being trapped in her were form. She is reduced to singing nursery rhymes to rescue the child from her own stubbornness--despite the fact that she sounds like a "wounded cow." A witch from a parallel world wakes up in the body of a rodeo bull rider's body. She's forced to adapt to being a man in a world filled with technology instead of magic. And more. The collection ends with an excerpt from Marchant's epic fantasy novel, The Goddess's Choice. If you love fantasy from urban to high, this collection has something for you.