Review – Magic for a Rainy Day #fantasy #fairytales

Tags

Book review, celtic mythology, fairy tales, Fantasy, Ireland, modern fairytales, Modern Fantasy, Scotland

5 stars #fantasy #fairytales

This delightful collection of short stories twists and turns with Celtic magic from Scotland, to Ireland, to Fairyland. Fairytales retold, and with a heart and passion that is apparent in every word. None of the stories is particularly long or heavy; there is a lightness of phrase from the author which is refreshing and fits the ambience of the collection.

I found myself laughing, smiling and recalling tales from old – particularly with the Irish tale of Banoffee Pie and Black Pudding. This is a fine tale of fairy gifts and being careful what one wishes for.

The last tale –They Stole My Love Last Night was poignantly told, sad and moving with a bittersweet ending. It was a good finale to the collection.

I’d like to learn more about these characters, especially the half-wyndling Skye, and read more of her adventures. Definitely recommend this to readers of fantasy, fairy tales and mythical stories.

 

Set in Scotland, Ireland, and the Pacific Northwest, these five stories share three things: a little rain, a little fantasy, and a lot of heart.

In “Sidewynd,” Sky Patel balances life between Edinburgh and its mirror in the faerie realm. Until the balance breaks.

In “The Flat Above the Wynd,” Sky’s inherited responsibilities double when past mistakes come back to haunt her.

In “Banoffee Pie and Black Pudding,” Alyssa Granville’s troubles begin with a strange gift from a stranger Irish man.

In “(Not a) Fairy Tale,” a bullied teenage girl learns a startling truth. But fairies don’t go to high school…do they?

In “They Stole My Love Last Night,” Celtic music, fairies, and ghosts collide, turning a bitter story sweet.

Book Spotlight – Traitor’s Prize – Thaddeus White #Fantasy

Tags

book spotlight, Fantasy, Indie Promo, support an Indie, Thaddeus White

 

Title: Traitor’s Prize (The Bloody Crown Trilogy book 2)

Author: Thaddeus White

Genre: fantasy

Main character description (short). William Penmere is king of Denland, accused of bastardry by the rebellious House of Esden. Facing treachery within his own ranks and outnumbered on the field, he battles to save his throne. And his head.

Synopsis: Internal divisions threaten to rupture both the Houses of Penmere and Esden. William Penmere has to grapple with a barbarian invasion and the joys of buying soldiers with his marriage bed, whilst Stuart Esden is angered to be sent south to deal with the Earl of Hurstwood rather than confronting Black Will.

Bloodshed and betrayal abound, battles rage and cities are besieged, but a knife in the back can be worth a thousand swords.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

James stepped forward, and heard the men behind him re-forming the line. The noonday sun brightly illuminated the battlements of the fort. A score of men had their bows strung, but none were aimed at him. Yet.

“I have come to parley,” he called.

Hushed whispers between the defenders soon gave way to silence.

“We are willing to accept your surrender,” one man answered, to the defenders’ laughter.

“Sir Ralph Boulton, I take it?”

The man stood atop the wall nodded. “Aye. You’re taller than I expected. I heard Stuart Esden was a stumpy little bastard.”

James smiled. “The prince is neither stumpy, nor little, nor a bastard, good sir. I am his brother-in-arms, Sir James Seidmore, sent to acquire the Maiden, whether by your consent or by your death.”

“And what do you offer for the surrender of this fine fort?”

“Your lives,” James answered. “All will be ransomed, if possible, and kept from harm if not. Those who prefer freedom may buy it at the cost of two fingers from the right hand, that they cannot fight against Esden upon release.”

Ralph spat over the battlements. “Imprisonment, ransom and having fingers snipped off does not sound very appealing, Sir James.”

Aren’t we an astute little rabbit?

“I agree. But all of those things are better than death. Prince Stuart will have this bridge in his hands by dusk.”

 

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)? Traitor’s Prize is a twisting tale of treachery and heroism, grim bloodshed and valiant deeds, an intoxicating blend of backstabbers and noble men and women trying to do what’s right in an unkind world. [NB It follows immediately on from Kingdom Asunder (reduced to $0.99 until 5 August).]

 

 

Links etc.

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Smashwords

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

 

Author links:

https://twitter.com/MorrisF1

http://thaddeuswhite.weebly.com/writing-blog

http://thaddeusthesixth.blogspot.co.uk

 

 

Book Spotlight – Quest for the Sundered Crown #fantasy #new release

Tags

book spotlight, dragons, epic fantasy, Fantasy, MS Olney

Title: Quest for the Sundered Crown

Author: Matthew Olney

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Main character description (short).

Luxon Edioz now nineteen fights to save the Kingdom of Delfinnia from the evil that threatens to consume it. He has short sandy blonde hair, blue/grey eyes and strong jawline. Typically, he wears a simple tunic, breeches and boots with his green wizard’s cloak over the top. Strapped to his back is his staff ‘Dragasdol’ a powerful staff forged in a dragon’s flame.

Synopsis:

Danon’s army sweeps across the Kingdom of Delfinnia and Luxon, the only one capable of stopping the annihilation of the realm embarks on a desperate quest to cure himself of the deadly Void Sickness that threatens his life. To find the cure, Luxon must travel through the Magic Gates and find the Waters of Magic, but in doing so, he will be sent to new worlds and even through time. There he will uncover the shocking truth about Danon and another he calls friend and mentor.

Elsewhere, dragons ravage the eastern lands spurring Kaiden to reform the Knights of Niveren and in the south, the King’s Legion, led by the usurper Ricard makes a desperate stand against Danon’s hordes. As the world turns ever darker, one hope remains. The legendary sacred sword Asphodel remains hidden.

The Quest is on to claim the blade and perhaps push back the evil threatening creation itself.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

The little girl cowered in the cellar of the town’s tavern. Around were other citizens who had fled blindly from their beds and who had been smart enough to seek sanctuary underground. Deafening booms, roars and screams sounded from above.

An hour before the horror now unfolding around her began the girl had been sound asleep in her mother’s house on the next street over from the inn. It had been a night like any other. She’d been carried up to her bed by her father, and as usual, he had sung her a nursery rhyme. She’d drifted off to sleep with not a care in the world feeling loved. Then the roars had started and then came the screaming. A powerful explosion had tossed her out of bed, and the smell of smoke quickly filled the bedroom. Crawling over splinters and broken glass, she reached the landing and cried out for her parents. Where their room had been was now a gaping hole that revealed the hellscape beyond.

The fire was everywhere, and people were screaming and running in all directions. The roar had sounded again, so loud that the girl covered her ears lest the noise burst her eardrums. Dazed and confused she staggered down the ravaged staircase and outside the front door which had been blown off its hinges. She cried out for her parents once more, but her voice was drowned out by the chaos happening all around her. She noticed the people running and watching the night sky. She looked up and screamed. Massive winged shapes flew over the town.

Dragons.

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

Quest for the Sundered is the third book in the epic Sundered Crown Saga. If you love dragons, magic and epic conflict then this is the book for you!

 

Links etc.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07231N8YV

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07231N8YV

 

 

Swift Six Author Interview – Stefon Mears #Fantasy #Bookbundle #Heroictales

Tags

Author interviews, book bundles, Heroic Tales Bundle, Meet an author, Swift Six

 

Name: Stefon Mears

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

I write in a number of genres, but since the Heroic Tales Bundle has one of my fantasy novellas, I’ll stick to fantasy for now.

I cut my teeth on the fantasy genre. As a small child, my picture books were children’s versions of Greek and Norse myths. After those came Uncle Wiggly and Kipling’s Just So Stories. After that, straight to Tolkien and Moorcock, Howard and Leiber. Anywhere I could find dragons or magic or both, I was happy.

That led naturally into playing Dungeons and Dragons, and suddenly I wasn’t just reading fantasy stories, I was playing interactive fantasy stories. From there to writing down my own was not a big step.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

Well, I’d love to go back to my teenage self and shove a copy of Heinlein’s Rules into my hand, but failing that, I’ll go with, “It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be finished.”

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

The answers to questions like these will change any time you ask me, but for right now…

Famous person: I’d love to have dinner with Roger Zelazny. Partially because I’d love to pick his brain about writing, but more than that I’d love to hear his stories.

Character: Bilbo Baggins. He was the first fantasy character I remember really identifying with as a child, and I think it would make for marvellous conversation. Plus, the food would be amazing!

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

That’s a tough call. There are so many. I’d like to say Zelazny, because in many ways I think his work made me want to write. But it may be more honest to say Tolkien, because the wonder I found in his stories probably underlies everything I do.

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

No. I think it’s just given readers more options, which is always a good thing.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

Three books. Whuf. Another one of those that will change every time it’s asked, but for right now…

The Complete Book of Amber by Roger Zelazny, which might be cheating because it’s ten novels in one, but it is a book. So, number of stories is a factor in this one, but also because these stories always fire off my imagination in a different direction.

The Ultimate Survival Manual (from Outdoor Life) for obvious reasons. And it’s not cheating, because I own a copy.

The Complete Enchanter by DeCamp and Pratt. Always gets me thinking along philosophical lines, which would probably be a good thing, since I’ll have a lot of time to myself.

Author bio and book synopsis

 

Stefon Mears earned his M.F.A. in Creative Writing from N.I.L.A., and his B.A. in Religious Studies (double emphasis in Ritual and Mythology) from U.C. Berkeley. Stefon’s short pieces have sold to magazines such as Fireside and Strange Horizons and anthologies edited by Kevin J. Anderson, Rebecca Moesta, Kerrie L. Hughes, and John Helfers. He has published eighteen books to date, including the Rise of Magic series.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

My book in this bundle is With a Broken Sword.

One knight stands between invaders and conquest.

His secret mission ended in an ambush. Now Ser Colin awakens on a battlefield under the bodies of his friends, the last knight still alive. And the invaders have seized the town of Three Bridges, with river access to the whole kingdom.

How can one lone knight lead a ragtag group of townsfolk to victory over warriors and wizards?

With a Broken Sword, a rollicking fantasy adventure full of magic and excitement. From Stefon Mears, author of Half a Wizard. Fans of Game of Thrones won’t want to miss this one!

 

Links

Website: www.stefonmears.com

Newsletter: www.stefonmears.com/join

Patreon: www.patreon.com/stefonmears

Social media

Facebook

Twitter

GooglePlus

Swift Six – Author Interview – Diane J Cornwell

Tags

Author interviews, Bundle authors, Fantasy, Swift Six

First Glimpse of Secondary Worlds Fantasy Bundle

Name:  Diane J Cornwell

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

While writing my stories I do not consider genre, which leaves me free to follow my muse and have fun while writing. I only consider genre after finishing each story, but so far, thankfully, I stick to traditional genre descriptions.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

Ignore all advice and just have fun writing each story.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

David Attenborough, because I would ask him to do a documentary on dragons, showing them flying, breathing fire, resting on top of high mountains, and many other abilities of the dragons in my Tracker series.

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

Anne McCafffrey with her Pern series of dragons, Mercedes Lackey with her Valdemar series, and L. E. Modesett, Jr. with his Recluse series, as well as his Science Fiction stories.

Also, Tara Harper, Terry Goodkind, and many other great authors in different genres.

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

No.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

I would not go to a desert island because the sun would blister my fair skin, but if I landed on a desert island by some freak of nature, I would call for a dragon to fly me back home.

Author bio and book synopsis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

I do not like talking about myself so you can read my About the Author in the back of each story that my publisher wrote.

One thing people might not know about me is that I love all animals, and understand each and every one has an individual personality. And for some reason, animals and birds are not scared of me.

I have ordered magpies out of my back yard because they were scaring my Sussex hens. I told them they could go to my front yard. And they did. I have told many a stray dog to go home when I catch them outside the fence looking at my hens. They all go, eventually, when they realise I will not play with them. Even my resident blue tongue lizard in to my vegetable garden is not scared of me.

So, I live in hope that one day a dragon will land in my front yard, as it is the only space large enough for a dragon to land. I just hope I will hear it talk to me.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

Tracker Series – Fantasy

Rider (Novel)

Guard (Novel)

Judge (Novel)

Mage (Novel)

 

Broken Series – Science Fiction

Broken Faith (Novel)

Broken Land (Novel)

Broken Agreement (Novel)

Fire Starter (Short Story)

 

Young Adult Books – Science Fiction

Jazz’s Asteroid (Novel)

Machani Diplomat (Novel)

 

P.I. Robins – Cosy Mystery

Divided Loyalties (Novelette)

 

Galaxy Freight Series – Science Fiction

Crash Landing (Novelette)

Altien Rescue (Novelette)

Harry’s Detour (Novelette)

Crew Extraction (Novelette)

Evasive Action (Novelette)

Truth Revealed (Novelette)

Galaxy Freight Omnibus Edition

 

Sensing Danger Series – Science Fiction

Sensing Danger I: Rescue (Novella)

Sensing Danger II: Capture (Novella)

Sensing Danger III: Freedom (Novella)

 

Links

First Glimpse at Secondary Worlds Bundle

 

Publisher with links to distributors:

https://tiftpublishing.com/books-available/

 

Social media

https://dianejcornwell.wordpress.com/

 

 

Swift Six Author interview – Louisa Swann – #HeroicTales #SFF #Paranormal

Tags

book bundles, Crime, Meet an author, Paranormal Fantasy, Swift Six, vampires

 

Name: Louisa Swann

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

I tend to write in three genres: mystery, science fiction, and fantasy. I’m drawn to these genres as I’m drawn to the same things in real life: I love a good mystery, am fascinated by science and inventions, and am enthralled by magic and magical creatures.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

“Go where your obsessions take you.” (Neil Gaiman)

I still have difficulty with this one. Writing about my obsessions in whatever form means stepping outside my comfort zone, but my best stories come from doing just that.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

Neil Gaiman. Not only do I love his writing, he’s had some really interesting “adventures” (i.e. visiting refugee camps). Would love to pick his brain!

 Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

Dr. Seuss J. Not only did I devour Dr. Seuss books as a child, I channelled that writing style when I wrote my first poems and stories!

 Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

I think ebooks will coexist side by side with print and audio for the immediate future. Personally, if I really like a book, I end up with all three versions. As our dependence on non-renewable resources decreases, however, I believe ebooks and audio will become more prevalent, though I think print books will always be around.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

Stephen King’s Duma Key. I love the visuals King evokes in this book as well as the way the main character transitions after his accident.

Tom Brown’s Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. Might as well have a book that’s practical as well as being interesting to read!

One of Patrick F. McManus’s books, probably The Night the Bear Ate Goombaw. Love this author’s sense of humor regarding everything outdoors and being on a desert island would probably need a touch of humor or three!

Author bio and book synopsis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

I grew up in the wilds of the Sierra Nevada mountains, surrounded by deer and beaver, muskrat and bear, all of which provided ample fodder for my equally wild imagination. As an adult, I spin those childhood experiences into tales that span multiple genres, including fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and my newest love—steampunk. My short stories have appeared in Mercedes Lackey’s Elementary Magic and Valdemar anthologies; Esther Friesner’s Chicks and Balances; and several Fiction River anthologies, including the newest Reader’s Choice. I have a new steampunk/weird west novel series, Abby Crumb, debuting this summer.

 

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

A little background: I am not a vampire fan. Vampires give me nightmares. But another word of writing advice from David Morrel (and Stephen King) has to do with writing about what scares you. So I tried to figure out how I could write about vampires. As often happens to me, my mind went to humor and the ridiculous: What if a bicycle cop was stalked by a vampire dwarf with a fetish for muscular calves? “The Girl With the Candy Cane Legs,” an urban fantasy, is the result!

Summary:

Three months ago, the gates to the Otherside failed, flooding the normal world with creatures both supernatural, demonic, and just plain weird.

Diane Swift, a bicycle cop with thighs of iron, calves of steel, and the ability to see the strange monsters infiltrating her world, keeps the beaches and her city safe from scumbags. Then someone steals her patrol bike along with a bag of fossilized fairies.

And Diane ends up patrolling the beach with a partner straight out of a lunatic’s nightmare.

Fast and furious, wet and wild, “The Girl with the Candy Cane Legs” delivers a rollicking adventure where almost anything goes.

 

Links

http://www.louisaswann.com

 

Social media

https://www.facebook.com/SwannWriter/

 The book also appears in Heroic Tales – Bundle

BundleRabbit https://bundlerabbit.com/b/heroic-tales

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/heroic-tales

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2u33Tfd

I books https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1257100962

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073T45HYB/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073T45HYB/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Swift Six Author Interview – Barbara G. Tarn – Fantasy Secondary Worlds Bundle #Fantasy #Specfic

Tags

Bargain books, book bundles, Fantasy, Meet an author, Spec Fic, Swift Six

 

Name: Barbara G.Tarn

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

It’s speculative fiction! I can make up stuff! Or so I thought when I started writing. I still write more fantasy than sci-fi because historical research is easier for me than science and technology…

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

I think I unknowingly followed most of Heinlein’s Rules… I wrote. I finished what I wrote. I moved on. Problem was putting it out there. In the 20^th century and legacy publishing world. Sigh.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

Since I’m currently mad with Da Muse who posts pictures of snow in the middle of the hated long hot summer, I’d go back to the previous Muse who lasted some 15 years anyway (but then, they say he’s immortal, LOL)… that would be Keanu Reeves!

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

When I grow up I wanna be Dean Wesley Smith. Or Kristine Katryn Rusch. Or both. For the work ethic, mostly, although I have my own! 😉 Stylistically, dunno. I have found my own voice long ago. Even the English voice is now quite established and I don’t know where I got it from.

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

I doubt it. Probably not. And audio books will rise in the new illiteracy. I’d understand visually impaired, but other people listening to a story? Not for me. I still prefer paper for non-fiction and comics and graphic novels. But fiction? E-book are just fine!

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

My Kindle Keyboard has a long lasting battery! Besides, I’m afraid I’d use any paper available to write or draw (if I have a pen or pencil, that is). Of course, if it’s a shipwreck, none of this would be possible. And if it’s a willing vacation… it’s even more impossible. You’ll never see me on a desert island willingly! 🙂

Author bio and book synopsis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Barbara G.Tarn had an intense life in the Middle Ages that stuck to her through the centuries. She prefers swords to guns, long gowns to mini-skirts, and even though she buried the warrior woman, she deplores the death of knights in shining chainmail. She likes to think her condo apartment is a medieval castle, unfortunately lacking a dungeon to throw noisy neighbors and naughty colleagues in. Also known as the Lady with the Unicorns, these days she prefers to add a touch of fantasy to all her stories, past and present – when she’s not wandering on her fantasy world of Silvery Earth or in her Star Minds futuristic universe.

She’s a writer, sometimes artist, mostly a world-creator and story-teller. Two of her stories received an Honorable Mention at the Writers of the Future contest. She writes, draws, ignores her day job and blogs at: http://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com.

She can now be found on Patreon, where you can pledge as little as 1$ a month to read exclusive content and sustain her and other creators in their endeavors.

Check her Vimeo channel for book trailers and other funny stuff.

 

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short) (I’ll put both bundles here, and then send a Book Spotlight for both)

The Path of Water (Quests Book 1) also included in the Fantasy Secondary Worlds Bundle with 11 other fantasy novels

Hinrik survives the battle outside the walls of Moriana, battered and hurt. He drags himself to the River Ondan to put an end to his misery.

But it’s just the beginning of a new life of discoveries about himself and the world, a quest for his true calling in life. He is a half-blood and must learn what it means with the help of Bellinda the healer and Keneith the magic user.

The warrior, the healer and the magic user are all outsiders or outcasts looking for a place to call home in a hostile world, away from the aggressively expanding Varian and Blackmore Kingdoms.

A story of the northern kingdoms of Silvery Earth with magic and pain, loss and rebirth.

Star Minds Next Generation also included in the Sci-fi July Fever Fun with 10 other sci-fi novels

A sequel to Star Minds – the Trilogy, it’s the story of Shan-leo, Ker-ris’s son, now no longer an imperial prince.
Raised as imperial prince, Shan-leo doesn’t miss his former status. At twenty-two, he gets to define his destiny without being forced on a path traced by his family. Following his love for calligraphy, he discovers a black market of stolen manuscripts, which starts the adventure of a lifetime.
Aristocratic adventurer on a starship called “outlaw”. The next generation of Star Minds is out in the galaxy.

Links

Social media

blog: http://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BarbaraGTarn

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4717133.Barbara_G_Tarn

Author Central http://www.amazon.com/Barbara-G.Tarn/e/B0050P0R2G

Where to find everything: www.unicornproductionsbook.com

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/BarbaraGTarn

Vimeo (book trailers): https://vimeo.com/user65901088

SFF Bundles Galore on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sff4bundles

 

Book Spotlight – The Path of Water/Secondary Worlds Fantasy Bundle

Tags

book bundles, book spotlight, Fantasy, Indie Publishing, Science fiction, Spec Fic

Title: The Path of Water (Quests Book 1)

Author: Barbara G.Tarn

Genre: fantasy

Main character description (short).

Hinrik is a warrior and a half-blood trying to find his place in the world. Interview wih Hinrik and Bellinda on author’s blog.

Synopsis:

Hinrik survives the battle outside the walls of Moriana, battered and hurt. He drags himself to the River Ondan to put an end to his misery.

But it’s just the beginning of a new life of discoveries about himself and the world, a quest for his true calling in life. He is a half-blood and must learn what it means with the help of Bellinda the healer and Keneith the magic user.

The warrior, the healer and the magic user are all outsiders or outcasts looking for a place to call home in a hostile world, away from the aggressively expanding Varian and Blackmore Kingdoms.

A story of the northern kingdoms of Silvery Earth with magic and pain, loss and rebirth.

 

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Hinrik’s eyes widened in shock. This couldn’t be. He was already dead and the underworld was underwater.

The man’s hand on his chest calmed his heartbeat. He looked sorrowful now.

“You are my son, Hinrik. And you are badly hurt. But the kingmaker is coming this way and he is with an excellent healer, she will help you.”

Hinrik closed his mouth and gulped. He still couldn’t believe all this was happening underwater. His mother had told him his father was a magical being, but he wasn’t expecting this! She’d been blamed all of her life for having a son outside of marriage and now, twenty-five years later, this… stranger walked, no swam up to him and told him he was his father!

“You are half-Waiora, Hinrik, that’s why water heals you. But what you’ve been through needs more healing power, and only the Genn can give you that. Go back to the surface, the kingmaker is making camp on the river shore with his friends, you will find him easily and they will help you.”

“I don’t want anybody’s help!” Hinrik’s scream was lost underwater. He didn’t want anybody to see him right now. He was naked, bruised and hurt. He wasn’t going to go back to the surface and meet people.

His father hugged him and gently rocked him as he burst into sobs. His tears were lost in the water and he was too weak to free himself from the unwanted embrace.

 

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

A personal, non-heroic quest to find one’s place in the world in the company of other “different” people.

 

http://www.unicornproductionsbooks.com/books/the-path-of-water-quests-book-1/

is also in Quests Volume one http://www.unicornproductionsbooks.com/books/quests-volume-one-the-paths-of-water-and-air/

and the First Glimpse of Secondary Fantasy World bundle along with 11 other authors.

 

Title: Star Minds Next Generation

Author: Barbara G.Tarn

Genre: science fantasy

Main character description (short).

Shan-leo Shermac is the descendant of the last emperor, but he’s never going to sit on his grandfather’s throne. He’s not interested.

Synopsis:

A sequel to Star Minds – the Trilogy, it’s the story of Shan-leo, Ker-ris’s son, now no longer an imperial prince.
Raised as imperial prince, Shan-leo doesn’t miss his former status. At twenty-two, he gets to define his destiny without being forced on a path traced by his family. Following his love for calligraphy, he discovers a black market of stolen manuscripts, which starts the adventure of a lifetime.
Aristocratic adventurer on a starship called “outlaw”. The next generation of Star Minds is out in the galaxy.

Brief Excerpt 250 words:

Shan-leo got out of bed, showered and dressed, grabbing his bandanna. He went downstairs and found his father and uncle in the living room, seated at the breakfast table side by side as usual.

Uncle Kol-ian saw him first and greeted him. “Good morning, birthday boy!”

“Good morning,” he answered as his father rose to give him a bear hug.

“Already twenty-two… where did time go?” he whispered in Shan-leo’s ear.

“You mean the past twelve years went even faster than the previous ten?” Shan-leo teased, giving the bandanna to uncle Kol-ian who wrapped it around his nephew’s arm with a smile. Shan-leo knew his father disapproved of his showing off the bionic arm – especially when he had on a tank top like today – but Uncle Kol-ian was very supportive, having had prosthetics himself.

“Shan-leo…” his father chided.

Shan-leo smiled at him. It wasn’t his fault if he’d been mind-controlled for all the time he’d been married to Shan-leo’s late mother and had missed most of his son’s childhood.

“I love you anyway, Father.” He sat with them to eat breakfast. “Even if you want to hide my beautiful prosthetic! Why don’t you ever suggest Uncle Kol-ian cover the scars on his back with synthetic skin?”

“Your uncle doesn’t go around bare-chested to show off his scars!” his father protested while Kol-ian guffawed.

 

Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?

If you loved the Trilogy and the Snippets or if you’re new to the Star Minds universe, you will enjoy this wandering prince’s adventures in space.

.

 

 

Swift Six – Author – P A Wilson – Fantasy/Heroic Tales Bundle

Tags

anthology., Author interviews, Fantasy Author, Heroic Tales Bundle, Swift Six

Here’s the first author interview from the Heroic Tales Bundle

Name: P. A. Wilson

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?

I love stories that all you to break the rules and then glue them back together. Creating a world where I control how things work is fun and challenging. When it comes to magic, people sometimes think any problem can be solved with magic, and that means there’s no real story. I think in a good fantasy tale, there needs to be a cost of doing magic, something that will restrain the wizard, witch, fairy, whatever creature is in the world, from simply pointing a wand and getting what they need.

In my fantasy, I tend to make the rules either a resource issue, you can’t use magic all the time because you use up something, or I make it ambiguous. Yes, you can get your answer, but it’s not going to help much.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?

I’m always learning new things. I think that’s the advice most people miss at the beginning. Writing isn’t a ‘learn it and you’re good to go’ kind of thing. Every book is different and my process changes a little each time. Other than the fact that I need a loose outline that is.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?

If I had to choose one, I would dine with Isaac Asimov. The conversation would be me fangirling out and him explaining how he was able to be so prolific.

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?

Anne McCaffrey. Her Pern books enthralled me when I first read them; excellent world building, excellent characters. When I started to write my own stories, I often re-read her books to find her techniques.

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?

I think we have yet to see the final and ‘perfect’ method of storytelling. Ebooks are convenient, and there is a lot of anecdotal evidence that people read more when they choose ebooks. As authors, we love to hear people are reading more. But print, both soft and hard cover, are different experiences. People like to feel the weight of the book in their hands, smell the ink and paper, and feel like they own something.

What I do see right now, is a segmenting of the market into people who only read digital, people who read either format, and people who only want print. The market is big enough to carry both.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?

The Dragonriders of Pern, I never seem to get tired of reading them. The Pillars of The Earth, Ken Follett, the way he deals with complexity and the epic scope of the work means I find new things every time I read it. The complete works of William Shakespeare, maybe on a desert island I will finally get time to read all the plays and sonnets.

Author bio and book synopsis

Perry Wilson is a Canadian author based in Vancouver, BC who has big ideas and an itch to tell stories. Having spent some time on university, a career, and life in general, she returned to writing in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. She writes the Quinn Larson Quests an urban fantasy series, the Charity Deacon Investigations, and two science fiction series. A member of the Royal City Literary Arts Society, the Vancouver Writer’s Social Group, and the Surrey Writers Group, she spends much of her time creating new books, and learning the craft.

 

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)

I write in multiple genres, currently focussing on Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Mystery, and Science Fiction. You can find a list of my current books on my website at pawilson.ca

Links

Website: https://pawilson.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorPAWilson/

Twitter: @perryawilson

 

Heroic Tales can be found here

BundleRabbit https://bundlerabbit.com/b/heroic-tales

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/heroic-tales

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/2u33Tfd

I books https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1257100962

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073T45HYB/

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073T45HYB/

Smashwords Summer Sale 1-31st July #Fantasy #Booksale

Tags

book sale, Fantasy, fantasy books, Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles, Smashwords Sale, Summer sales, Tales of Erana

It’s that time of year again! Smashwords are having another sale.

This year I am offering the following in the sale at 50% discount with code SSW50.

(Please note the Light Beyond the Storm, Shining Citadel and Stolen Tower are 18 rated for sexy scenes, themes and some violence).

Shattered Mirror – A Poetry Collection  

Now $1.50

 

The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I 

Now $1.50

The Shining Citadel

Now $1.75

The Stolen Tower

Now $1.62

 

And Free!

Tales of Erana: Just One Mistake  

Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends