Liars In Hell – Blog Tour and Giveaway #HistoricalFantasy #Fantasy #PerseidPress

In Hell, everyone’s pants are on fire.

Liars in Hell

A Heroes in Hell Anthology

by Janet Morris

Genre: Dark Fantasy Anthology

In Hell, everyone’s pants are on fire.

Hell is a real place. Anyone who has broken a commandment winds up there. That’s pretty much everybody.

Satan is the boss. You’re okay until you’re not. But never fear, all your friends are here. As well as everyone you’ve ever heard of.

For what they have been up to lately, be sure to check in. Thrill to new stories by Hell’s damnedest: Janet Morris, Andrew P Weston, Michael H. Hanson, S. E. Lindberg, Joe Bonadonna, Chris Morris, and Richard Groller.

The Seven Degrees of Lying – Janet Morris & Chris Morris

The Liar, the Witch, and the Ward Robes – Andrew P. Weston

Bait and Switch – S.E. Lindberg

Fibbers in Hell – Michael H. Hanson

The Münchhausen Trilemma – Richard Groller

Hell’s Bells – Joe Bonadonna

School of Night – Janet Morris & Chris Morris

**On Sale for Only $2.99 until the end of the month!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Bookbub

Amazon * Amazon * Goodreads * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

choice of print or ebook copy of Liars in Hell,

$10 Amazon giftcard

– 1 winner each!

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

What is something unique/quirky about you?

We breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose breeding combinations to achieve a desired result.

We are also song writers; Janet plays bass guitar and Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com

Can you, for those who don’t know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Janet wrote her first book in 1975 and Chris was the first one to read and comment on it. Their marriage survived. A routine emerged where Chris would read aloud all the new drafts and we would make edits on the spot. After a few books Chris’ ideas became frequent enough that we agreed he should have credit for writing, whereas before we had kept separate Janet’s storytelling and Chris’ songwriting. The rest, as they say is history.

Who is your hero and why?

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures undertaken without knowing the destination. I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, Outpassage and M.E.D.U.S.A. are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to write School of Night?

We are trying to change what many people think hell is. In other words, we don’t believe in a hell below when people right here and now are struggling to address all sorts of social ills. So in a way, we’re just showing in our stories that no matter where you are in life, you have to learn to deal with people and situations that are very different from your expectations. Of course people are suffering torments, many of which are self-generated from failing or refusing to understand what’s going on. What inspires us is the notion that even the devil needs rehabilitation, perhaps more than any of the damned souls. In our last story in Liars in Hell, the spymaster Frances Walsingham is forced to explain to a plague god that human souls are totally misunderstood by the likes of angels, demons, and that that misunderstanding is the root of all suffering.

Convince us why you feel Liars in Hell is a must read.

Liars in Hell is a collection of stories by different authors expressing different viewpoints about handling difficulties which at times seem to threaten everything we hold dear. Amazingly, writers from different backgrounds converge on main themes that are sure to strike a chord with readers who simply love a good tale.

Who designed your book covers?

Most of our covers, including Liars in Hell, are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.

Advice to writers?

As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if you, as the writer, can’t feel what it’s like being there, your readers can’t either. So close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell me what you see. Tell me what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it, wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to me.

Excerpt – Tales of Erana: Just One Mistake

Excerpt from Tales of Erana: Just One Mistake by A. L. Butcher

Darkness oozed lazily in the remainder of the room, nosing into corners, under furniture, and behind Coel, unseen, part of it detached. “That was quite a performance, bard. You have some talent, and not just your music. Although your judgement is flawed, it’s never wise to steal from a thief,” the voice was smooth, like liquid velvet and very sure of itself.

Coel’s hand moved towards the dagger nestling in his belt; it would not be the first time he had been called on to defend himself, although that was how he had ended up in this mess he thought bitterly. Just one mistake, then another and now, it would seem, another.

“I do not know of what you speak! I am not a thief.” His brain caught up and he continued, “How did you get into my room? The door was locked. I’m not a bloody fool.” Coel could hear his own heart pounding. There was something about this man which frightened him. He felt like a mouse beneath the gaze of a cat. Perhaps the hangman’s noose would have been the better option.

The slate-grey cloak swirled around boots of ebony leather and the cowled figure chuckled. “That lock was barely a moment’s work. I must have a word with the owner of this place about his security. I have yet to find a door in Erana which will not yield to me. You may as well remove your hand from that blade, or would you bet your life you are swifter than the Thiefmaster? I doubt it, boy, I doubt it. Believe me when I say you would be dead before that knife left its scabbard. It would be a pity to waste such talent, would it not?”

Coel removed his hand from the dagger, his sense telling him that continuing to draw it would be a terminal decision. Instead, he placed his hand on the table and the voice breathed into his ear, Coel shivered, he had not heard the man move.

“I thought not. Sensible lad, if a lying one. This too can be a skill which can save your life, if it is used correctly and with assurance,” Darius, the Thiefmaster told him.

This menacing shape was right behind him, and Coel began to turn, opening his mouth to protest; he found a gloved hand on his jaw, firm but not unduly painful. “Curious are we not? This may sometimes serve you well. As for other occasions, it is wise to accept things as they are, this is one such occasion… Coel.”

The bard caught his breath, how did this man know his name? The sweat began to pool in his back, making his shirt stick unpleasantly to his skin. Had this man been hired to kill him? Had his mistake finally caught him up? Yet as Coel’s brain frantically grasped at any hope and his fingers tried to overrule his brain and reach for the dagger he realised the man had said he was a thief. A robbery, that was not so bad. It would not be the first time.

“This is not a merely social call; you are honoured for the Master of Thieves does not always test a potential recruit’s skills for himself.”

“I usually charge for my skills, music and other kinds if that is what you prefer. I can be flexible and my tastes are…varied. Perhaps just this once I might offer them for free. Take the coin and the trinkets, take it all.” Coel’s brain finally caught up with the conversation, “What do you mean potential recruit?”

Please note – contains scenes of sex and violence.

Book Synopsis and Links

Ebook, print and audiobook,

An ill-conceived notion of earning more money to pay off his debt and escape a dark past leaves the minstrel in a situation he can’t escape and with a deadly bargain.
https://www.books2read.com/Justonemistake #Fantasy #DarkFantasy Adult rated.

The World of Erana – The People -Part I

The fantasy world of Erana – which features in my Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles series, and the Tales of Erana is a complex world. Magic is illegal – but magic doesn’t know that and it doesn’t care. Mages are illegal, adepts are illegal but still magical people exist, mainly in hiding or unaware that’s what makes them a little faster, a little more talented, a better healer, a craftier thief or whatever. The Order of Witch-Hunters hate magic and seek to divide and rule.

But who are the people of Erana?

Races:

Humans – humans are the predominant race and the shortest-lived. Most humans are not magical if they are pure-blood humans, but it’s not unheard of. They come in many colours – the mainland people are largely pale-skinned but in the Far Isles and some of the Northern areas the people are dark-skinned, and the people who dwell in the Emerald Valley are dark-haired, olive-skinned folk.

Witch-Hunters are all human (or at least look human).

‘Passer’ humans – they have in their ancestry Elven or Trollish blood. It can be several generations back. They look human, but often these are the folk with a bit of magic. If they know of their elven ancestor most would keep it quiet.

Elves – Legally all elves are the property of humans – slaves. They have no rights in law and any elf who moves around must have papers from the human who owns them.

The Forest Elves dwell in the Shimmering Forest, their ancestral home. Much of it is remote, mysterious and unexplored by humans. Many elves are magical to a degree, but at a cost. The elves were once the predominant and most powerful race, but wars and the feared Plague decimated them – spreading to the human and Trollish lands and bringing much death. The elves are still blamed for the Plague and humans are wary.

There are a few Elven towns and villages within the Shimmering Forest, but for the most part the once-great civilisation is gone. Technically even Forest Elves are slaves – and periodically the Slaver raid the Forest, or the Witch-Hunters purge any elven settlements.

Hunters and traders (where they can be) the Forest elves live precariously on what the Shimmering Forest has to offer – with a little light agriculture where the land permits it.

City Elves – these folk live among the humans, either having been born there or having been captured and sold by slavers. Within the larger towns and cities, they are forced to dwell in the poorest area – the Enclave. Some elves live in the homes of their masters and many are harshly treated.

Elven women are considered attractive and are often taken (mostly against their will) to be Kepts to rich men. Male elves too – are taken to work in the brothels, and elves of both sexes usually end up with the hard, dangerous jobs – mining, physical work in the quarries, servants in the houses of the rich humans doing….whatever the human wants.

Half-Elves – legally with the same rights as elves (i.e none) half-elves are the offspring of an elven (or half elven) parent and usually a human parent. They are taller and stockier than elves but generally have pointed ears, an angular face and the wider set eyes of their elven heritage.

Trolls – The Trollkind live in the mountains and hills, and generally avoid humans. They are large, with curved horns on their heads and the male warriors have hard dermal plates on their bodies. Their skin colour ranges from black through to red, grey, even blue now and then, and often similar to the land around their home. They have long, curly hair and pointed ears.

A warrior race they are the only matrilineal race. Their rulers are always women – Shaman – powerful, wise women renowned for their ability to tell fortunes, and the future. The male warriors – called Hirik – are shapeshifters – able to transform into wolves or bears. They are a spiritual people – they honour the gods and respect for their patron god or goddess is very important.

Outsiders see them as strange, rather barbarian as the are often tribal wars, but kin is very important – and alliances can span decades and mountain ranges.

Most humans would never have seen a troll in the flesh.

In a dark world beset by tyranny and lies can love and magic entwined bring freedom? Dark adult fantasy with sizzling sorcery, romance and revenge.

The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book I

In a world of forbidden magic, slavery and lies a group of outlaws seek a legend. Facing monsters, Witch-Hunters, hardship and unwelcome truths they must find what has been lost, and discover who they are.

Dare you follow?

The Shining Citadel – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book II

Mirandra Var must prove her worth to rule and find the deadly mystery within the StolenTower. If she succeeds, she will become the leader of her tribe. If she fails, there will be no tribe to lead.

The Stolen Tower – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book III

All the books are available as ebooks, paperback, large print paperback, hardcover and audiobooks.

Swift Six Author Interview – Tahani Nelson #Fantasy #MilitaryFantasy #Femaleheroes

Name: Tahani Nelson

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): My name is Tahani Nelson, and I’m the author of the Faoii Chronicles, a female-led military fantasy series. I’ve always loved reading, but growing up I struggled to find heroines that I could identify with or aspire to be. Women in classic fantasy always seemed to be damsels in distress or love interests. Even when I could find an awesome heroine with dreams and aspirations, more often than not it seemed she’d meet a guy halfway through the novel and that would be her main focus. I was so over love triangles by the time I turned 16. So now I write all the heroines that young me looked for and couldn’t find—and it turns out I wasn’t the only one searching. Together, we’ve built the Faoii Army—readers that have followed me through everything and come out the other side triumphantly through every obstacle. I think at this point I’m most famous for always attending readings, signings, and events in full armor and warpaint. I know a lot of people told me it was weird when I first started doing it, but you don’t get anywhere in this world without taking a few risks. And let me tell you—a fantasy lover will cut across a room to talk to someone in cool-looking armor. It’s a great conversation starter, and even if someone doesn’t buy my books the first time they pass my booth, there’s no question that they’ll remember they saw me.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short) The Faoii Chronicles is a completed military fantasy series that focuses on the unforeseen aftermath of war. We all have the power to forge new destinies and futures—but ripples can cause tidal waves, and even the smallest actions can change the Eternal Tapestry in monumental ways.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? According to my father, I’ve been writing “books” my entire life. I didn’t really start exploring it seriously until high school, though, when I wrote a 360,000 word monstrosity filled with tropes and two-dimensional characters. But I’ve always had supportive, loving people in my life, and they helped me to practice and hone my craft. I published my debut novel, The Last Faoii in 2017, and with the incredible support of the Faoii Army, it’s grown beyond anything anyone ever expected. It’s truly been an honor.

What writing plans do you have for the future? Honestly, I don’t know right now. The Faoii Chronicles have been the center of my existence for so long that I’ve kind of forgotten what my life was like before I started it. Now that the series is complete and available everywhere, I’m paralyzed by choice. I can keep writing military fantasy or I can move on to something with dragons or I can explore the science fiction world I created in a short story called “Honeysuckle Sky.” I’m free to do anything. I have no doubt that inspiration will strike and carry me forward the same way it did for my first series. You haven’t heard the last of me.

What do you like to read? I love fantasy, but I also come back to the classics quite often. Fahrenheit 451 is my favorite novel of all time, and I read it anytime I worry about whether or not my words have worth. When I search for something new, I try to support indie authors, because I know how much of a difference a single sale can make sometimes. And ripples can cause tidal waves.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure? Stop comparing yourself to other writers. There will always be someone who writes more than you each night. Who sells more copies or who attends more events or makes more in royalties. It is so easy to get discouraged when you’re constantly comparing yourself to other authors—especially on social media. Those highlighted reels of other people’s “best of” moments while you only focus on your “bloopers” track. Comparison is a thief of joy. It is a soul crushing habit made specifically to extinguish whatever sets your soul on fire. Instead, I encourage you to think about where you were a year ago. Or five. Or ten. That person in the earliest stages of writing would have believed you could ever come this far. They would be so proud of you. And rightfully so. You’d be their hero. YOUR hero. And that’s exactly how it should be. If you must compare, then only compare the author you are now to the author you were then. And keep going. I can’t wait to see what author you’ll be.

Author bio and book synopsis

Tahani Nelson is an author and English teacher in Billings, Montana. With hundreds of 5-star reviews and an ever-growing army of Faoii at her back, Nelson has become a common attendee at author events, Renaissance festivals, news programs, and conventions across the US– always wearing full armor and a face resplendent with warpaint. While her most notable appearances have been at the Indie Audiobook Awards and Fantasycon discussion panels, she most frequently gives presentations about empowerment and creating strong, healthy female role models in modern media.

Synopsis of The Faoii Chronicles

The Faoii Order is the shield of Imeriel. Wielding both magic and blade, these women have held back ancient evils and maintained sacred rites for millennia. But when a dark war uncovers secrets that even the Faoii cannot keep hidden, it starts a chain of events threatening the free will of an entire continent.

As old leaders fall and new ones rise to take their place, a warrior, a thief, and a launderer all strive to fix what’s been broken. But none can see how their actions affect the Eternal Tapestry—and all are unknowingly bound to the Threads that the others grasp.

In an intricate tale that spans centuries, The Faoii Chronicles is both empowering and immersive. Everyone has the power to forge their own destiny—and even the smallest actions can change the Weave in monumental ways.

Links/Social media

https://www.TahaniNelson.com

https://www.facebook.com/TheLastFaoii

https://www.twitter.com/TahaniNelson

Instagram: TahaniNelson

TikTok: TahaniNelson

Swift Six Character Interview – Saelth #Fantasy

Tell us about yourself: (Name, race/species, etc.) I am Saelth, a warrior lord and slayer of monsters. My band has ventured where none other dare tread to best creatures of legend.

Which book/world do you live in? Erana – from the Tales of Erana – The Warrior’s Curse

I’m an adventurer – why should I recruit you to accompany me? Did you not hear me? I do not fear the monsters who infest this realm. I will slay them, large or small. If I am victorious so much the better and if I fail, I shall go to the Halls of the Dead a hero, not one who cowers behind the table, or beneath the bed. I am no coward, nor simpering woman. Nothing is all powerful, or unable to be vanquished, save the gods. My name shall live forever.

Tell us about your companions? How do they see you? I am their chieftain, they respect me. Perhaps they speak of my arrogance, but so long as they praise my exploits I do not care. I like women and have bedded many. So perhaps there are husbands, brothers and fathers who would speak ill of my exploits.

What’s your most heroic exploit to date? Slaying the witch-born monster of the Hellirinn mountain – that foul beast had brought many warriors to the Halls of the Dead and near-ruined the old king.

What’s your greatest failure? I have none. (Although fate would say it’s my love of a pretty face and a seductive smile).

Where do you think you’ll be in a decade? Lord of this land, renowned in song and tale and in the bed of the most beautiful women.

Do you have a great love? (This could be a person/trait/item). Glory

Links to book etc

He who bargains with monsters beware! A hero forges an unholy bargain with a witch and learns magic never forgets.

Mythic tales in a land of forbidden magic.

A Tales of Erana dark fantasy novella.

Audio editions narrated by Rob Goll

Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/WarriorsCurse

Fortellinger om Erana – Tales of Erana – Norwegian Edition

Erana er en verden full av magi og selv om forbudt, holder trolldommen seg fast for trolldom er mektig og følger ingen lov. Det er en verden styrt av undertrykkelse, men håpet vandrer i skyggen, alltid letende etter en sjanse til å blomstre. Det er en verden full av kjærlighet og fortvilelse i like mengder. Dette er fortellingene og mytene fra en slik verden.

https://books2read.com/TalesErana-Nor-Fortellinger-om-Erana

https://www.kobo.com/gb/fr/ebook/fortellinger-om-erana

https://books.apple.com/us/book/id1531993869

Amazon.Com https://amzn.to/33mULCr

Amazon UK https://amzn.to/3cP3IHM

https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=JPH_DwAAQBAJ

Prisbelønnet fantasi, historisk fantasi og erotisk fantasi forfatter.

Britisk fødte A.L. Butcher er en ivrig leser og skaper av verdener, en poet og en drømmer, en elsker av vitenskap, naturhistorie, historie og aper. Hennes prosa har blitt beskrevet som ‘mørk og mektig’ og hennes poesi som ‘tankevekkende’. Hun skriver med en sikker og noen gang erotisk følsomhet om ting som kunne ha vært, ikke var, men kan bli.

Alex er forfatter av ‘Light Beyond the Storm’ krønikeren og ‘Tales of Erana’ lyrisk fantasi serie. Hun har også skrevet flere korte historier i fantasi og romantisk fantasi stil, og har streifet innom gotisk skrekk stil, innkludert ‘Legacy of the Mask’ serien. Med en bakgrunn i politikk, klassiske studier, oldtids historie og myte, bringer hun et eklektisk og unikt preg til arbeidet sitt, som blander virkelighet og drøm i alkymistiske deler og bringer figurene og verdenene til live.

Cronache de La Luce dopo la Tempesta – Libro I

https://books2read.com/LBTSItalian 5x8_BW_490 Wraparound Light Beyond Italian

In un mondo oscuro in cui la magia è illegale e gli elfi sono schiavi, una giovane elfa maga scappa dalla casa del suo malvagio Custode per salvarsi la vita. Inseguita dai suoi uomini e dal corrotto Ordine dei Cacciatori di Streghe, deve trovare un rifugio. Mentre i trafficanti di schiavi si muovono per i territori, rubando elfi da quel che resta delle loro case ancestrali, i Cacciatori di Streghe chiudono un occhio davanti alla tragedia, e una storia di potere, amore e terribile vendetta prende forma.

LBTS Book I - ITALIAN3

Geschichten aus Erana

https://books2read.com/Geschichten-aus-Erana-German

Wer möchte die alten Legenden aus einer Welt hören, in der die Ausübung von Magie vom Orden der Hexenjäger verboten wurde? Hier findet man fünf Geschichten aus einer Zeit der Magier und der Monster.

Der Mond auf dem Wasser: Eine Geschichte der Liebe zwischen einer Göttin und einem Krieger und des schrecklichen Fluches, den diese Liebe nach sich zog.

Die Legende von Treyna: Wenn eine sterbliche Frau von zwei rivalisierenden Göttern umworben wird, werden Himmel und Erde von der Magie bewegt.

Sturmkind: Ein einsamer Magier findet Freundschaft und Liebe in einem Wesen, dass während eines schrecklichen Sturms erscheint. Doch die Magie fordert immer ihren Preis.

Die blaue Phiole: Hier lernen wir wie wichtig es ist, Anweisungen genau zu befolgen!

Die Legende von Oeliana: Die Geschichte einer Nymphe und einer Kröte, Eifersucht, Magie und einer Lektion, dass Schulden beglichen werden müssen.

TalesErana cover german

Author Interview – Simon Williams #Fantasy

Author name: Simon Williams

*Please tell us about your publications.

I’ve written the five-book Aona series, as well as two novels for all ages (Summer’s Dark Waters and The Light From Far Below) and Embers Drift, a standalone metaphysical fantasy work.

Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’?

Definitely a pantser- I start with a collection of concepts / ideas and situations, a few characters, and then I work on it and see where it goes. The plot is determined by how it all turns out, not the other way round.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?

Don’t bother trying to get noticed by the big publishers and well-known names. Unless you’re incredibly, unbelievably lucky, they won’t notice you and they won’t care about you. If you believe in your work and your creations, stick at it and carve your own destiny.

What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work?

Whilst I don’t think authors should (or need to) offer all their works for free, there’s nothing wrong with offering a few of your books (e.g the first in a series) for free if it helps readers to discover you.

What are your views on authors commenting on reviews?

One word: don’t! Everyone is entitled to their opinion and not everyone is going to like your creation.

How do you deal with bad reviews?

Generally, it isn’t for authors to “deal” with reviews at all, good or bad. If a review is misleading, offensive or makes categorically untrue statements then you can contact the people who run the medium, whether it be Amazon, Goodreads or whatever else, and ask that it be removed. But if a review is simply by someone who doesn’t like your work- leave it alone. I refer you to my answer above.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?

To keep going until you’ve found your “voice” i.e your particular style and method- and if you’re comfortable with it, then stick with it.

Which authors have influenced you the most?

Alan Garner, Clive Barker, Cecilia Dart-Thornton, C J Cherryh, Tad Williams,

Tell us about your latest piece?

Embers Drift is a standalone novel of metaphysical fantasy / mystery with elements of sci-fi and psychological horror, in an industrial / slightly dystopian setting. But although it bridges many genres, it’s conceptually consistent and is really about the lives of four main characters- specifically, the parts of their lives that they’ve forgotten.

I’m happier about the result than I’ve been with any of my previous works. I reworked it a number of times until I realised that- at last- I was telling the exact story I wanted to tell. So I’m relieved to have finished it but also very satisfied.

The process of creating was different to the Aona books, largely because they were more complex on a practical / logistical level. But at the same time the process required more effort in other ways- because there’s an overarching concept to Embers Drift which requires some explaining, and my goal was to do this through the lives of these four main characters. It wasn’t easy but in the end it was very rewarding.

What’s your next writing adventure?

So many! Well, several.

I’m part of the way through writing the first in a new dark fantasy series which will probably seen as more “traditional” fantasy but which will have a number of unique features to it. It explores the nature of magic and of conflict and there isn’t going to be a clear-cut “good vs evil” thing going on- I’m not a fan of such absolutes, I want to explore characters’ motivations, whether or not most people think of them as acceptable. What made them this way? Are they able to change- either for the better, or worse? It’s that aspect that interests me.

I also have another standalone book in progress- this is more a sort of cosmic horror about three demonic beings who have existed in a vast city for hundreds of years, weaving mischief and woe wherever they go, and a young man from an ancient family of magicians and thieves, who is the only one to suspect their existence.

Lastly, I’m also working on a somewhat leftfield YA magical realism novella- I’m not entirely certain how this one will turn out but I’m pleased with some of the concepts involved so this may see the light of day shortly.

What was the last book you’ve read?

The last book I finished was Scar Night by Alan Campbell, which I greatly enjoyed. Industrial, violent fantasy with angels. I’m currently reading The Witchwood Crown by Tad Williams and it’s as good as all his other books.

Is this the age of the e-book? Are bricks and mortar bookshops in decline?

I think shops of most kinds are in decline, but in my experience, the number of paperbacks sold has stood up pretty well. I think about a quarter of my sales are paperback, which I don’t think is too bad.

How important is writing to you?

Very. It’s the only thing I’m any good at really, so if I didn’t do it I would truly be a non-entity.

embers-drift-cover-small2 (1)

#Heroika Skirmishers – A L Butcher and her Character #Historical Fantasy

Author section

Name A.L. Butcher

Give us a brief synopsis of your story A new religion sweeps the land on the point of a sword, and the old gods are none too happy. A mysterious plague fells lord and peasant alike, a woman on the margins of society knows a cure – but to seek it brings a risk of death and unleashes awful magic.

What is your usual genre? Fantasy/Fantasy erotica.

How do you define a hero? A selfless person – who will do what others won’t, someone, even at great risk to themselves.

Is being a writer ‘what you do’ or ‘what you are’? I’ll rephrase that as ‘being a storyteller’. Being a storyteller is what you are. If you don’t have that it can’t be what you do. Not everyone who tells stories writes them down. Not everyone who writes tells a story. Storytelling is as old as humanity – it helps to make sense of the world, to explain the unexplainable, to find a better life, and place for a while, to escape, to be brave, to be loved, to be noble. And to be wicked.

I think if you are a storyteller those tales, those adventures will find a way to be told – to your kids at bedtime, secret files no one will ever see on your computer, that hidden notebook, the distraction at meeting times.

Many people who do write down their stories will never publish them, or if so beyond their family and friends. There is a craft to writing – oral storytelling is probably more forgiving than the written word, but there are certain rules, of course. And that’s the ‘what you do’ bit – the learning of that.

What did you want to be when you grew up? A squirrel. When I was little I was obsessed with them (I still am to a degree). My first stories were about two squirrels called Patch and Silky, they had many adventures

Name three things you really love about writing and three things you don’t like.

3 things I love: I can create something from nothing. I am never alone. I can go anywhere.

3 things I hate: Too many characters wanting their stories told at once. Marketing books. Typos.

If you could invite anyone from history or literature to dinner who would you choose and why? Let me see…. Shakespeare, Terry Pratchett, Tolkien and Homer to provide the after-dinner stories; Mozart, Erik, the Phantom of the Opera and Freddy Mercury for the music; Tempus, King Arthur, Frodo Baggins, Boudicca for the anecdotes. We’d have a dish from each of their favourite foods. I dare say there would be a drink or two.

Character Section

Name: Moira

Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a herbalist, I hold some of the old knowledge – my father and brother were Guardians – protectors of the old religions – but I only barely knew my father and my brother his disappeared. The women of my line are what you would call witches. My land is overcome with the fierce new religion of Arun, and so I must hide what I am.

I live alone, my mother is gone and I have none who care except Mordicai, the Smith’s son, and Old Robin – the village recluse. Mordicai is set to marry another and Robin is frail and elderly. Soon I shall have no one. But the people here need me, at least when it suits them.

How do you come to be on this adventure? There is a plague on our town – much death and sickness. The new god, Arun, has done nothing to allay it, so someone must seek an answer or everyone will be taken.

Tell us a bit about the society in which you live. The Lord-Reeve is reasonable enough – he tries to keep the peace in a time or fear and uncertainty. He is the Duke-Regent’s man – and that too is an unsettled state of affairs. The Archduchess rules in the name of her daughter – the old Archduke’s only living heir – and there has never been a woman on the throne. The Duke Regent is a dragon-rider – not a nobleman and assists her in governing the land, but they are distant from us.

This new religion is brought with sword and fire and all must convert or die. The old ways allowed for many gods, many beliefs – and the magics and rituals which went with them.

It’s less than a decade since the end of the war, and the lands are still recovering.

I am female, of the old bloodlines and the old beliefs and so I must take care. I cannot appear to be what I really am – Arun’s priests despise my kind – they are afraid they may be wrong, I suppose.

Are you brave? I do what must be done when others will not. But I fear many things – the new god’s followers, the loss of knowledge, the sword and the flame.

If you could have three wishes what would they be? I wish for the plague to be gone, I wish to be allowed to live my life in peace and safety, I wish that people would get on with one another.

Do you think you make a difference in your world? I hope so.

AUTHOR BIO (short)

British-born A. L. Butcher is an avid reader and creator of worlds, a poet, and a dreamer, a lover of science, natural history, history, and monkeys. Her prose has been described as ‘dark and gritty’ and her poetry as ‘evocative’. She writes with a sure and sometimes erotic sensibility of things that might have been, never were, but could be.

Alex is the author of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles and the Tales of Erana lyrical fantasy series. She also has several short stories in the fantasy, fantasy romance genres with occasional forays into gothic style horror, including the Legacy of the Mask series. With a background in politics, classical studies, ancient history and myth, her affinities bring an eclectic and unique flavour in her work, mixing reality and dream in alchemical proportions that bring her characters and worlds to life.

She also curates speculative fiction themed book bundles on BundleRabbit – for the most part the speculative fiction Here Be Series

Awards: Outside the Walls, co-written with Diana L. Wicker received a Chill with a Book Reader’s Award in 2017.

The Kitchen Imps and Other Dark Tales won best fantasy for 2018 on NN Light Book Heaven.

Echoes of a Song – one of her Phantom tales – won best fantasy 2019.

Alex is also proud to be a writer for Perseid Press where her work features in Heroika: Dragon Eaters; and Lovers in Hell – part of the acclaimed Heroes in Hell series. http://www.theperseidpress.com/