Swift Six Author Interview – Jordan A Werner

Name: Jordan A. Werner

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

My (pen) name is Jordan A. Werner. I have yet to decide what the A is going to stand for. Maybe Alice. Or Arthur.

I grew up reading a pretty decent amount. I was never voracious or the like, but of the books I read as a kid willingly, a lot of it was fantasy. The Chronicles of Prydain, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, A Song of Ice and Fire. I spent my sophomore year of high school binge-reading most of Michael Crichton’s bibliography. I remember finishing Sphere during the break in the CAHSEE tests, then marching over to the school library to check out The Andromeda Strain.

I’ve been writing since I was eight, and I’ve recently started getting pretty okay at it. I wrote a lot of bad fanfiction while I was in high school, and I wrote my first book when I was in college. It was about a hundred-thirty-thousand words long and took me two months to draft. I’ve made up for it by staying far away from that level of productivity, and as a result, my work has gotten significantly better.

Nowadays, I do a decent amount of drawing as a hobby, I’m taking some blacksmithing classes, and I hope to get through my PlayStation backlog by the time I’m 50.

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

The Witch and the Ostrich is a fantasy book with a healthy dose of dark humor.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

I started writing The Witch and the Ostrich back in March 2021 or so. I’d wanted to draw on some of my own experience as a journalist and write a story about a character who reviews gladiator shows.

As for the ostrich part, I think I had this on the brain at the time.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I have a science-fantasy rock ‘n roll novel that I’ve been trying and failing to write for years now. I think it’s my best idea and would really like to get that done one day.

I also have a manga-and-Greek-mythology-inspired western to revisit; I’ve written two unpublished books set in that world. Neither of which are all that good, but I’d like to think there’s a decent enough idea there that I could finally write a decent enough story for that at some point.

What do you like to read?

I read a lot of comics and manga. Some personal favorites are Giant Days, BLAME!, Vinland Saga, Silver Spoon, Sandman, and Crowded. Lately, I’ve been listening to a couple of the new Discworld audiobooks (I am a proponent of audiobooks counting as a reading).

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your writing adventure?

“You can’t build up this threat and not have it actually affect the characters. Someone needs to get fried.”

Author bio and book synopsis

Jordan A. Werner is a Reddit-addicted bum who lives in the bowels of Southern California, just a way’s away from the beach. He was born in Salem, ate his first lost tooth with a burger in Baton Rouge and once aced a spontaneous Beatles trivia quiz from a Trader Joe’s bag clerk in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Never trust a necromancer ostrich.

The witch Quin Schumacher ekes out a living as the crotchety colosseum combat critic for the Daily Stardust newspaper. Complicating her job is Fergus, the former Death Lord of Jocrom.  Fortunately, Quin already turned him into an ostrich.

On their way to the dilapidated city of Queensworth to see heads roll in the local arena, Quin finds a note in a dead man’s pocket. Written in blood, it hints towards a nefarious conspiracy linking a gladiator to one of Quin’s fellow witches, all of whom are compelled to serve Her Majesty Queen Siobhan the Third.

Meanwhile, Fergus has his own plans to get his powers back, remove Quin’s spell on him, and re-establish his empire. He just needs a little help from a local vampire…

Bloody violence, proto-gonzo journalism and deadly women aplenty collide in The Witch and the Ostrich, Jordan A. Werner’s debut disaster book.

Coming Soon….

https://amzn.to/3tOyu0o

Swift Six Author Interview – Isaiah Burt #Fantasy

Name: Isaiah Burt

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

My name is Isaiah Burt. I’ve been doing writing for about twenty years, having started when I was eight years old, and I primarily work in the dark fantasy genre. However, I’ve also branched out to other fantasy projects, as well as science fiction and the occasional non-fiction essay. When I’m not writing, I can often be found formulating custom paint colors at my dayjob. I also love playing Dungeons & Dragons, and I have multiple Warhammer armies, too.

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

My novella Legacy of Flames is a high fantasy piece with sword and sorcery flavorings set in the world of Sundara created by my friend Neal Litherland. It tells the tale of Gnav, a lizardfolk barbarian touched by the spirits of fire, as he takes on a mercenary job to hunt down a dragon, and let’s just say that he gets a lot more than he bargained for…

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

The beginning of my writing journey had to be shortly after I discovered Bionicle when I was about six years old. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Bionicle is a franchise of action figures that was made by Lego from 2001-2011, then rebooted for a short second run around 2015 or so. The term “Bionicle” is short for Biological Chronicle and tells the tales of bio-mechanical beings with elemental powers. It set my mind ablaze the way nothing else did. Legos were already a fact of life in my household growing up, but Bionicles were my particular obsession, and I loved learning everything there was to know about the world and the lore. When I wasn’t playing with the figures and building my own, I could often be found drawing comics about them. My first attempt at a novel was at the age of eight after seeing the Bionicle: Mask of Light movie, grabbing a composition notebook, and recording every detail I could. Since then, writing has been my biggest passion in life.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

The most concrete plan I have for my writing is to continue to expand the stories and world of my Diabolical Ascension mythos, which I’ve been working on since I was about fourteen years old. Other than that, my goal is to write as much as I can as often as I can at the highest quality I can, and of course publish at least some of that.

What do you like to read?

I mostly read grimdark and dark fantasy. Elric of Melniboné is my all-time favorite fantasy character and the foundation of my own work. I also absolutely love the Warhammer stories that Black Library puts out; the Night Lords Omnibus by Aaron Dembski-Bowden is most excellent. However, my reading has included more high fantasy now that my wife has put Mercedes Lackey on my radar. Other than that, I do favor the Redwall series, and I like to pick up texts on philosophy and religion, too.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Economy, or Chekhov’s Gun. Every event has to meaningfully move the story forward. That would have kept me away from a lot of the aimless meandering that permeates my earlier work.

Author bio and book synopsis

Bio- Isaiah Burt is a dark fantasy author who has been telling stories since he was old enough to hold a crayon and likes to think that moving up to a pen has helped him. He considers Elric of Melniboné, the Death Gate Cycle, and Planescape to be his biggest influences, with Bionicle being a significant honorable mention. Along with writing, he also is an avid player of both Dungeons & Dragons and Warhammer, and he has a rather large Magic: The Gathering collection. He lives with his wife in their cave of wonders in Washington, USA.

Book synopsis-

A pariah brought out of hiding. A power as old as the world itself.

Gnav lives alone, and he likes it that way. He hunts; he eats; he sleeps. But when, when a messenger from the nearby city of Ironfire comes looking for him, the Cinderscale is offered a hunt that he simply cannot refuse:

A dragon hunt.

And the dragon is no ordinary dragon. It draws its sorcery from a primordial fire spirit threatening to raze Ironfire itself in an inferno the likes of which Sundara has never seen before.

Will Gnav defeat the dragon, or will his whole world turn to ashes around him? Buy your copy of Legacy of Flames today and find out!

Links/Social media

Social Media Links  

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/IsaiahBurtAuthor

Personal Blog- https://talesofvalorandwoe.wixsite.com/zeragabaalkhal

Links To Purchase My Books,

Legacy of Flames Purchase Link- https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/421383/Legacy-of-Flames Darkness & Glory- https://www.lulu.com/shop/isaiah-burt-and-victoria-blotta/darkness-glory/ebook/product-zg4n44.html?q=Darkness%20%26%20Glory&page=1&pageSize=4&fbclid=IwAR2IBOX6KZ7RhKY16VWoDkTHZtdv0gg4UcWCpG8Svs8h5MnQnVWhj79BUuM

Swift Six Author Interview – Max Willi Fischer

Name: Max Willi Fischer

What attracts you to the genre in which you write?  As a son of German immigrants growing up in a small Ohio village named after an exotic North African seaport (Mogadore), I have always had an innate love of history. After four decades of teaching intermediate grades and middle school, I knew quality historical fiction engages students like no history text ever could. Years before I retired, I set a goal of writing at least one Y/A historical fiction novel after I retired. This September I’ll be releasing my fifth novel.

What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures? I had written numerous resource books for teachers during my career. Initially, I didn’t think there’d be that much difference between non-fiction and fiction. I learned about that fallacy in a hurry. “Show, don’t tell.” I dove headlong into my first novel without realizing that paramount rule of engaging readers. With some help from a local author, I started editing my manuscript to remove the telling from an omniscient narrative and replacing it with descriptive actions from the characters.

If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose? Pino Lella, the teenage hero from Mark Sullivan’s Beneath a Scarlet Sky. His incredible courage and daring in resisting the Nazis in Italy during the Germans’ inevitable retreat from the Italian peninsula seems like a page out of James Bond. However, much of the novel was based upon actual events, and I’d have liked to have interviewed the young man whose courage only grew as the danger kept confronting him.

Who has been the greatest influence on your own work? Without a doubt, my high school English teacher, Vicki Wilkerson, set my writing pursuits into motion. She got me to think for myself and realize writing was a valuable tool for my self-expression. While I choose historical topics/eras of my interest, Vicki’s influence on my literary expression has never left me.

Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print? I think e-books will continue to grow in popularity, but I don’t envision the complete demise of printed books, at least not for some time to come. People love holding a book between their hands, and some even enjoy the smell of a freshly opened novel.

Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why? “The Life We Bury” by Allen Eskens—The Vietnam War coincided with my late adolescence. Wrapping a murder mystery around a veteran’s recollections seems fascinating to me.

“Fever 1793” by Laurie Halse—History often repeats itself and human nature is often to blame. Although we had, for the most part, the science with which to combat Covid, over a million Americans died from it, often from wanton ignorance of or resistance to science. One of my novels deals with an 1837 epidemic of consumption (tuberculosis) in the near complete absence of science. I’d love to see how Halse approaches the same topic in a slightly different era.

“We Germans” by Alexander Starritt—A letter from a German soldier on the Russian Front to his grandson and the subsequent struggle to survive after the war poses an intriguing plot for me. My father was a master sergeant in the German Luftwaffe on the Russian Front and survived the bombing of Dresden in 1945. He never spoke of the war and its aftermath until bits and pieces came out during the last weeks of his life. I wonder how closely, if at all, this book would mirror my father’s experiences as a common German foot soldier of the time under duress.

Author bio and book synopsis

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): Born into an immigrant family seeking new opportunity in America after World War II, I was raised in a village named after an exotic North African seaport—Mogadore, Ohio. With such a background, it’s little wonder I grew up with an inborn curiosity about history.  The first novel I ever recall reading was James Fennimore Cooper’s The Last of the Mohicans. I spent four decades as a classroom teacher, primarily teaching sixth, seventh and eighth grade. The latter half of my career was devoted solely to the teaching of the history of the world and/or American history.

All those years in the classroom made me realize that history should be a vibrant, well- told story.  My goal in writing is to engage adolescents (and adults) with an exciting, yet accurate, view into our nation’s past.

Retired, I live with my wife and trusted four-legged companions Kole, Bunnie, Lucy, and Izzy. I enjoy rooting for my favorite sports teams, dabbling as the home-handyman, and doing some volunteer work.

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

Hobbadehoy Rising (September 2023, self-published) Historical Fiction. An orphaned teen in the notorious Five Points district of lower Manhattan in 1854, Pencil is a “guttersnipe”, cursed to survive the unforgiving streets where trust is a stranger. Led by Sachem, his thieving mentor, the shady adults who surround him believe Pencil is a “hobbadehoy,” a youth who has not quite reached manhood. Even though he has been abused over the years by orphanages, reform schools, and criminals, he hasn’t lost his empathy for others . . . yet. As the lieutenant of Sachem’s pack of street rats, he craves greater control of his life. Pencil’s luck finally runs out when some unknown person’s treachery sets him up to face significant prison time.

Through a mysterious stranger, Pencil is given another opportunity when he is shipped off to Ohio on one of the first “orphan trains.” Life on the farm proves to be a different challenge under the demanding, and occasionally drunken, thumb of his new guardian, Samuel Gombert. As a one-sided romance blooms with the farmer’s much younger wife, Pencil protects the woman from the farmer’s alcoholic rage. He is forced to flee, a much stronger physical specimen than when he arrived.

Pencil ends up in Cleveland, where Miss Victoria Large, a daguerreotypist, takes him under her wing. She teaches him about capturing images on glass and copper while trying to impress upon him the importance of trust. Navigating encounters with corpses, kidnappers, and grave robbers test his acceptance of the idea … and his empathy.

The Corkscrew App (2016, Royal Fireworks Press); Historical Fiction. A mysterious time-warp app on a cell phone sends eighth-grader Justin Deveraux back to Fort Necessity and a young George Washington in 1754 where Justin learns about coming to grips with one’s mistakes.

American Brush-Off (2020, self-published); Historical Fiction. It’s 1942, and seventeen-year-old Lud Mueller is designated “a dangerous enemy alien” by the FBI as he and his family are shipped to an internment camp in the Texas desert. There, they become pawns in a secret government program that threatens to send the family to oblivion.

Revelations from the Dead: Chronicles of the Night Waster (2020, self-published); Historical Fiction. Faced with his father’s rejection, cabinetmaker’s apprentice Thomas Sullivan helps his master’s family deal with a deadly consumption epidemic in the 1830’s while uncovering the bizarre truth of the Night Waster, who allegedly is sucking the life out of the surviving family members. (No, this is not science fiction.)

The Reformation of Nate Adare (2021, self-published); Science Fiction/Historical Fiction. Fatherless for the past decade, Nate expresses his rage in various negative ways on a road to nowhere. A series of concussions awaken a dark ancestral secret, which begins to haunt him.

Links

Social media www.maxwilli.com (my author web page)

https://www.facebook.com/MWILLIFISCHER Facebook author page

https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-fischer-5b650647/ LinkedIn author page

https://www.instagram.com/maxwilliauthor/ Instagram author page

Swift Six Author Interview – Cyndi Brec #FantasyRomance #YAFantasy

Name: Cyndi Brec

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Cyndi Brec is a debut author of The Secrets Beneath Scars, book one of the Marked for Life series. Also, author of Scarred Secrets and Scarred Lies—short stories, prequels. She’s completed the second novel and plans to tie up the third in the series.

Cyndi is represented by Jonas Saul from Imagine Media Group Literary Management. Publicist Cristina Deptula at Authors Large and Small.

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

The Secrets Beneath Scars is a young adult fantasy romance

When did you start your writing adventure?

Oh, that is an easy question. I began writing The Secrets Beneath Scars several years ago as a hobby; now, it’s a deep passion.

What was the inspiration for it?

I’m an avid reader of several genres, a history lover, and a dreamer. Even more so, I appreciate mythological stories that stretch across civilizations that have been told for centuries. I like tweaking those stories, coming up with a different backstory that enriches the legend, and throwing in a character that has to fight against the odds and come out the victor. That’s what has fueled a desire to tell Callie’s story.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

Once this series is completed, I’ve tossed around the idea of writing other books related to my character and historical fantasy.

What do you like to read?

Historical romance, fantasy, mystery, some cozy, and especially Christian romance books.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Finish the novel and then edit  

Author bio

Cyndi Brec is a debut author of The Secrets Beneath Scars, book one of the Marked for Life series.

An Ohio native, Cyndi lives with her best friend, her husband, her two crazy-fun-loving kids, and her embarrassingly energetic dogs, who find unending trouble.

Her experience as a Recreational Therapy Technician for the Geriatric psych and mentally challenged, her love of travel, and creative story building has given her many facets to draw from when world-building.

Cyndi never thought of herself as an author, more of a storyteller. Her love of history was part of the driving force in writing the series, but more so, mythological stories that stretched across civilizations and time. The secrets hidden within those mythical tales cultivated an unending list of questions and inspired Callie’s story.

Book blurb

In the Shadows of back alleys, a charismatic schemer gives orders to kill—death is his weapon.

In an underground, dark vaulted library, a rare mystical feathered creature stalks bookshelves, hunting mysterious legends for critical information.

And in the heartland of Ohio, a young girl finds herself left injured, scarred, and alone in a world that makes less sense with every passing day.

Meet Callie, plagued by visions—the only thing she fears more than her cursed powers is someone discovering them. Desperate for answers, Callie’s world collides with Trystan’s when she uncovers a deadly conspiracy and an unlikely ally. As it turns out, Trystan’s secrets are chained to hers. But trusting him means exposing her scars.

Trystan protects the knowledge of the Theran world—a world cloaked in archaeological mystery. It’s off-limits to humans, and secrets stab deep when she realizes her entire life is a lie.

But what if the truth is worse than the lie? What if nothing is as it seems …

Links/Social media

www.cyndibrec.com

https://www.facebook.com/

Tweets by CyndiBrec

https://www.instagram.com/cyndibrec7/

Author Interview – Francis H Powell

Name: Francis H Powell

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

I was born in the UK, I spent some time living in Austria, and since 1999 I have lived in France. I live with my wife, my ten-year-old son, and our rescue dog, Bertie. I have spent a lot of time teaching at schools and universities. I went to art school, and I still do lots of creative things, like painting and sculpture. I also do music. We have a really nice house near Fontainebleau. We have a wonderful garden, but I know next to nothing about gardening. I have limited success planting things.

Sometimes we travel to Paris. Before, we lived in Brittany, near the sea, but I missed the life I used to have when I lived in Paris, lots of culture and things happening. I also have friends who live in Paris. As well as fiction, I write poetry. I put together a book called “Together Behind Four Walls” which was an anthology to raise money for Marie Curie Nurses. 

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

The book I am promoting at the moment is called “The Fish King and the Two Wise Ghosts”. It is my first children’s book. I also did all the illustrations and front and back covers. There are around thirty illustrations. The book was inspired by a drawing my son did, that looked like a king holding the hands of two ghosts. At first I wrote a long poem then changed it to prose, but kept a lot of the poetry.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

My adventure really began when I saw an advert in a magazine looking for short stories. I was living in Paris at the time and the magazine was called “Rat Mort”. I began writing short stories and sent them off to magazines and to web sites. I really enjoyed writing short stories, but later adapted to writing novels. I was inspired to write my latest book, because of my son. It is great to be able to read him, one of my stories, with him in mind.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I write a lot and in different genres. I would like to have more children’s books published, but to have some of my other stories published. My other stories are often dark and surreal. It would be great to have a book of my poems published.

What do you like to read?

At the moment I am reading Barcelona Dreaming by Rupert Thompson. I am also part of a book club, so I am obliged to read a different book, each month. I like to read a lot of different styles of books including biographies.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

It’s going to be a long and hard journey.

Author bio and book synopsis

BIO

Born in 1961, in Reading, England Francis H Powell attended Art Schools, receiving a degree in painting and an MA in printmaking. In 1995, Francis H Powell moved to Austria, teaching English as a foreign language while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Moret sur Loing, France writing both prose and poetry. Francis H Powell has published short stories in the magazine, “Rat Mort” and other works on the internet site “Multi-dimensions.” He has had three books published and  has also compiled a book of short stories, poems and illustrations, featuring other writers and poets. The book is called “Together Behind Four Walls” and is a book of lockdown stories and poems. The books has raised money for Marie Curie nurses.   He has had poems published in anthologies, for both adults and children.  He has done poetry reading for Paris Lit up as well as other events.

SYNOPSIS

A fishy tale that begins with a king who has two wise ghost friends and his tricky search for a queen. The first to try to win the king’s hand, the fishy Princess Chipolata, is discovered by the two ghosts, trying to steal the crown jewels. At first, the king refuses to believe them. Finally, Princess Chipolata is sent to prison.

The King continues his search by placing an advertisement on social media, “Fish Hook.” He gets a lot of responses; however, all the hopeful queens are most unsuitable. When he sets his eyes on one of his sister’s friends, his search comes to a happy end. Only one problem remains: he has to introduce two ghosts, who like to play jokes on people, to his future bride.

In the second part of the book, the king and queen produce royal heirs. Prince Erik likes ghosts in the same way as his father. A party takes place, and the ghosts spook some of the guests. When Prince Erik grows up, he tells his parents he wants to go on a long adventure. He sees and does some incredible things. After he returns, the kingdom is once again a happy place.

Francis H Powell Twitter

@Dreamheadz

Instagram

Francis H Powell (@francis_h_powell_writer) • Instagram photos and videos

Goodreads

Francis H. Powell (Author of Flight of Destiny) | Goodreads

Facebook

(20+) Francis H Powell author | Facebook

youtube

Francis H Powell – YouTube

Swift Six Author Interview – Hannah-Louise Smith #Fantasy

Name: Hannah-Louise Smith

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): I love reading, especially fantasy, I’m a huge Harry Potter and Star Wars fans, but only episodes 1-6. My preferred hot drink is tea and I have a Siberian husky called Logan, named after my favourite X-man

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short) Awakening and Darkness are the first two books in the Mythics and mortals trilogy. They are urban fantasy novels based on Ancient Greek mythology and center around our heroine Christina Jones

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? I started writing during the first 2020 lockdown, I always wanted to write a book so I just went for it. I had an idea and put my pen to paper

What writing plans do you have for the future? I have so many books planned, I’m currently working on an epic fantasy based on the popular role playing game dungeons and dragons, called Gameplay. After I plan on finishing the Mythics and mortals trilogy with the final book

What do you like to read? I like to read A song of fire and ice. George.R.R.Martin is truly a genius

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure? Don’t listen to the doubts, just go for it. The only time you will fail is if you never try

Author bio and book synopsis

Lover of books, tea and fantasy. I have a joint degree in English literature and history and a Siberian husky named Logan. Awakening and Darkness (first two books in the Mythics and mortals trilogy), are out on amazon.

Percy Jackson meets The Mortal Instruments

Christina Jones had always thought that she was normal, just your typical unlucky woman. But this all changes on her twenty-first birthday when she falls, quite literally, headfirst into a world that was thought only to exist in Ancient Greek mythology.

With her new friends, Sophie Romain and Lucas Teravin, by her side, Christina has to fight, not only to control her developing powers and remember who she is, but also to fight the demon that hunts her for a mysterious figure called The Master.

Links/Social media

https://www.facebook.com/hannahlouisesmith19

https://www.instagram.com/hannahlousmith/?hl=en

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22231590.Hannah_Louise_smith

Twitter-@HannahLouiseSm

TikTok- @hannahlousmith0

Swift Six Author Interview – T. Norman #EpicFantasy

Name: T. Norman

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): I am a self-published author from Southeastern Wisconsin. I started writing my first novel in 2014, and since then have published 5 within the Ascent Archives. I love spending time outdoors hiking or canoeing. One of my favorite things to do in writing is experiencing as much as I can in real life to what I’m writing about. I picked up archery to better write about it. I have been an avid horse lover for years, using my experience working with horses in my books. I also spent some time sailing on a Schooner in college and used that when writing about different ships and crews. I find it’s the easiest to help readers connect to my writing when it comes from personal experience.

Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short): I have written five books in the Ascent Archives. Blood-Stained Heir, Dead King’s War, Primordial Judge, and Brother’s Promise are books 1-4 and comprise the main series. They follow a wide cast of charaters as two nations are at war with one another. Book 5, Lost Lore of Draxos, is a collection of short stories following charactesr from the main series. Many of them are backstories and histories that are hinted at. All the stories are Epic Fantasy as a broad genre, but specifically NobleDark. (Noblebright/GrimDark combined). There is darkness in the world as a whole, but they’re stories about heroes and good people fighting against evil.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it? I started writing this series in 2014. The inspiration actually came from my childhood. When I was young, my brother and I would play with toy figurines together and we would create these in depth stories and characters. It was during that time that I started creating some of these characters, the world, and the conflict.

What writing plans do you have for the future? I am currently writing a spinoff series. It follows some familiar characters on a new adventure. It is looking to be a trilogy, and I can’t give away too much yet but the plans are to release it in Spring 2023.

What do you like to read? I love reading epic fantasy, specifically grimdark and noblebright. I try to read books similar to mine, because that’s what I enjoy but also to see what other authors are writing. I love finding stories with unique magic systems and worlds that I haven’t seen before. The more unique, the better.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure? The biggest thing I wish I knew was that no two writing journeys are the same. I struggled right away in writing when I followed others authors who started at the same time, and they published books faster than I ever could. I tried to rush my publishing to keep up, but couldn’t sustain it. I had to take a pause, and look at what worked for me. I’ve come up with a plan that fits my author career, and I’ve stopped trying to compare my journey to those of other authors.

Author bio

T. Norman, self-published author of the Ascent Archives, grew up in small town Minnesota where his passion for reading and immersing himself in to the fantasy worlds of his childhood grew in to creating and writing his own stories. T. Norman’s series, the Ascent Archives, was first formed during his childhood playing toys with his brother, and now it is set to become a four part series. With experience in a variety of fields, writing has become his passion. T. Norman currently lives with his wife, two children, and dog in southeast Wisconsin.

and book synopsis

After the sudden death of his beloved wife, Rysh Trell struggles to keep his life together and devotes everything to raising their son. When the King of Ansaroth seeks vengeance for the murder of his father, Rysh is forced to defend his home and family again.

As an army pursues him across Ansaroth, Rysh fights to honor a promise he made to a dying friend. With little hope of survival, he searches deep inside to find the soldier he spent years burying away.

Will Rysh keep his promise, or will evil forces stop him from reaching his goal?

Links/Social media

https://www.facebook.com/t.norman.author/

https://www.instagram.com/t_norman_author/

http://jntpress.com/

Swift Six Author Interview

Name: Thomas Kast

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Hello, I’m Thomas Kast, and I write absurdist philosophical science fiction. I’m also the author and illustrator of Bablah’s Odyssey — an upcoming comic book series.

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

The Great Convergence: science fiction and social satire. Two competing academics living ten million years in the future travel back in time to 2022, wrecking reality in the course of their investigation into a mysterious event — the Great Convergence.

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

Frankly, I don’t even remember how did it start. The Great Convergence took me about ten years to complete until I was happy enough with it to release it into the wild. It went through several editors and iterations.

I wanted to create a book that can be enjoyed, read and re-read and could give the reader a memorable experience. I’ve noticed that most contemporary sci-fi often ventures into the strictly commercial territory. Not entirely happy with this trend, I wanted to use science fiction as a vehicle to highlight many social and philosophical problems, but with a healthy dose of humour.

There are several recurring themes in my book, which result from observing and analysing the world around me. One of those inspirations would be stupidity. It’s a subject that has always fascinated me. All of my characters make inexplicably unwise and shortsighted decisions despite being exceptionally smart (some of them). Superheroes are great but, often being no more than mere archetypes, they often lack humanity. It’s the crazy ones who provide all the fun.

Another recurring theme in my book inspired by real-world observation is miscommunication. My characters are all stuck in uncomfortable situations. Constantly missing the point, they don’t understand each other’s motives, and they’re unable put themselves in someone else’s shoes. They oscillate between being inordinately overconfident or hopelessly insecure but can never think on two feet. Above and beyond, they’re blinded by their personal goals they consider of great consequence and which are insignificant and trivial. As irony would have it, they all have a profoundly important part to play on the universe’s stage — something they’re never to discover.

What writing plans do you have for the future?

Currently, I’m working on the humorous and philosophical comic book series Bablah’s Odyssey, which is scheduled for release in August 2022. Bablah’s Odyssey features a mad scientist, lord Bablah as he traverses the universe, mansplaining the ‘wonders of progress and civilisation’ to his unassertive yet perceptive mutant sidekick, the Pet-Thing. It’s colourful, psychedelic and contains a lot of irony and dark humour. I’m both a writer and illustrator.

I’m also working on another sci-fi mystery: Apoptosis. But this will take me another year to complete.

What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you’d started your writing adventure?

Someone asked me once: ’Is there a market for what you write?’ To which, I replied: ‘I hope there isn’t’. I believe the writer should create demand rather than try to fit into an existing trend. This is what all successful writers do. The unsuccessful ones will advise you to ‘write for the market’. There’s a strong need for original content that breaks the rules instead of following them. Write a good book, get your tea-box out and yell about it.

Bio:

Thomas Kast is an award-winning independent photojournalist and illustrator based in Zurich, Switzerland and has published a number of photography art books. Thomas spent a big part of his life in Israel, where he taught design, photography and illustration at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design and other Israeli colleges.

A long time in the making, his debut novel — a philosophical science fiction piece, the Great Convergence — evokes many of the author’s real-life experiences fused with his unhinged fantasies.

Synopsis:

10.000.002 A.D. A cantankerous scholar slipping into obscurity is out for revenge. He time-travels to the year 2022 to stop his nemesis, Scott — a successful scientist at a competing university — from thwarting his research into the origin of a mysterious phenomenon, the Great Convergence. Cunning and ruthless, Scott will stop at nothing to defend his tenure track. The feud quickly spins out of control, and the damage to reality grows unchecked.

Caught in the crosshairs are three characters responsible for triggering the Great Convergence: an art-hating professional art critic who, unbeknownst to him, spontaneously switches between universes wreaking havoc as he goes; a talentless artist whose sculptures act as trans-universal portals; and a schizophrenic astrophysicist trying to avert the invasion of alternate versions of himself from different realities. As their paths converge, the apocalyptic event takes place, and the inescapable tragedy of human existence unfolds. 

Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B099Z5KH33

Personal website: https://thomaskast.com

Writings: https://thomaskast.space

Comic Books: https://thomaskast.space/bablahs-odyssey

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Swift.Bromba

Stand Together – Author Interview – Joe Bonadonna

Author name:

Joe Bonadonna

How did you become involved with this project?

Alex L. Butcher, who put the project together, and I are Facebook friends, have worked together before, and are also involved in Janet Morris’ Heroes in Hell™ series.

Tell us a little about your work in this book?

I’d been writing short stories since fifth grade, and then I started playing guitar. Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Peter Sinfield who wrote lyrics for King Crimson, and Emerson, Lake and Palmer, and Keith Reid, who wrote lyrics for Procul Harum, I started writing poems and then soon afterwards, song lyrics. A couple of years ago I started dabbling in haiku.

Please tell us about your other publications/work.

I’ve written three books thus far in my sword & sorcery, heroic fantasy series, Mad Shadows. I’ve also written a space opera and a sword & planet novel, co-authored two children’s books with Erika M Szabo, and co-authored a pirate/horror novel with David C. Smith. I’ve published a number of short stories and novellas, and have appeared in six recent volumes of the Heroes in Hell™ series.

Do you think the written word (or art) brings power and freedom?

Yes! The pen is indeed mightier than the sword. Fascist, authoritarian governments fear the power of the word. They fear any artform they think is harmful to their “regimes,” to their plans: art is transformative, it teaches and enlightens us, it makes us hope and dream. To “them,” its greatest threat is that it makes us think, and gives us ideas. Art is truth, and oppressors the world over would bury Truth beneath the dirt of propaganda, censorship and book burning.

If you could have dinner with any literary character or author, who would you choose, and what would you eat.

I’ll pick an author, and not to offend anyone still living, I’ll pick a dead author: Raymond Chandler, because he was the key to my writing my Mad Shadows Triad. Oh, maybe we’d eat pizza or steak, drink whiskey and/or Guinness Stout. Since he lived in California, maybe we’d eat seafood and drink wine.

How influential is storytelling/poetry to our culture?

It’s not only influential, it’s important: it is life affirming. We need poems and literature, music and paintings, and all forms of art. It keeps us sane and healthy. Storytelling and poetry reveal what’s in our hearts. Every art form reveals what we think and dream and hope for. It reveals the depths of our souls. Once again, it teaches and enlightens, as well to help ease the burden of our worries and our troubles.

If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature, what would you be and why?

I’ll go with being a vampire. They dress well, only go out at night, have superhuman powers, and if they invested wisely during their natural lifetime, over the long years of their afterlife, they could live quite handsomely, indeed.

Which authors/books have influenced you the most?

Once again, I’ll stick with dead authors: JRR Tolkien, Fritz Leiber, Edgar Allen Poe, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ross Thomas, Larry McMurtry, and the list goes on and on ….

What’s your next writing adventure?

I’m hoping to write a fourth and perhaps final volume of novellas for my Mad Shadowsseries — making it a quartet instead of a trio. I’m also working on my seventh novella for the Heroes in Hell™ saga.

What is your greatest success?

That I’m still alive at age 70! Seriously, I’d have to say my Mad Shadows Triad, my, The MechMen of Canis-9, and the stories I’ve written for the Heroes in Hell™ saga are my greatest success stories, and my personal bundle of pride and joy.

What’s your favourite quote, who said it and why?

I actually have two, if I may: “Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. That’s because inside a dog it’s too dark to read.” — Grouch Marx. Why? Because he was a comedian, and his sarcastic wit often had truth and deeper, more subtle meaning. And: “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” — Anonymous. Why? Well . . . wouldn’t you?

Tell us a silly fact about yourself.

I collect Halloween knick-knacks and cheap snow globes.

What did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?

A rock-star guitar god. When I started growing up and growing older, I just wanted to be a kid again. I think a lot of us would like that.

Thank you for everything about this project and for asking me to take part.

https://books2read.com/StandTogetherUkraine

Swift Six Author Interview – John Wells #YA #Fantasy

Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):

Hello! My name is John Wells III. I love long walks on the beach and candlelit dinners— Okay, I am only joking—Well, not about the long walks on the beach. Or the dinners, But that is because I’m a San Diego Native, and who doesn’t love the beach and tacos? So let’s see, about me. Well, I am a nerd with a wild imagination. I love fantasy and the supernatural, which is why I write about them. I picked up my first Animorphs book in the third grade, and I haven’t left the genre since. (I know, I know, Animorphs is more science fiction, but eight-year-old me didn’t know the difference). I even thought I was an Animorph for a while. I wish I were joking, but I am not.

I love telling stories in all forms: books, plays, movies, etc. I am also a loving dog dad of two beautiful pitbull mix-breeds. But enough about me, let’s talk about well…me?

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

I write YA Contemporary Fantasy. I currently have two books published (The Last Angel Warrior & The Heir of Ambrose), A Novelette (The Forbidden World), A Short Story that will be released in August (They Call Him Destroyer), And an upcoming book that will be released at the end of the year (The Invisible City).

When did you start your writing adventure? What was the inspiration for it?

I have been writing stories for as long as I can remember. My first writing assignment was in the second grade when I was supposed to write a book report, and I wrote a story titled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Lizards.” Very Original, right? Throughout my childhood and adolescence, I wrote the stories that I wanted to hear. A lot of this started because I hated when books ended, so I continued the stories.

Later, as a teenager. My best friend invited me to write two scenes for an ambitious film script he was attempting to complete. Unfortunately, his lofty aspirations for the script never materialized, but the experience was enjoyable and helped me realize that writing as a career was a possibility for me. So, a year later, in 2008, I began my journey as an author. 

What writing plans do you have for the future?

I am excited to release my third novel this year, The Invisible City. My plans for the future include continuing the series with an additional four books and several compendium stories. I don’t foresee myself being done with the Kalib Andrews Universe for a very long time.

What do you like to read?

• I like to read the same genre that I write. Contemporary Fantasy and Magical Realism. I love books that bring magic to my world in a believable way. When I was a kid, I was fascinated with the possibility that what I was reading could be true and that the general public just didn’t know about it.

• When I choose a book, I look for a book that will take me on a journey with the protagonist. I love underdog stories or coming-of-age stories. I also really enjoy a sympathetic character that is forced to go through extreme circumstances. I suppose Dystopian and Post-apocalyptic stories also fit the bill of what I enjoy; basically, just give me a good fast-paced story with witty dialogue and a sympathetic character, and I am happy.
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What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your writing adventure?

Let go of perfection and just keep writing! It is the most basic advice you can receive but the easiest to forget. Don’t edit while you are writing. Let go of the need for the first draft to be “good” it doesn’t have to be good; that’s not the purpose of the first draft. The purpose of the first draft is to get the story out of your head and onto the paper.  Perfectionism is the enemy of progress. So just get the story out of you. True magic is made during the rewrite, but before you can uncover those hidden jewels, you must first write the story. So write!

Author bio and book synopsis

 John Wells III is a native of San Diego, Ca. He loves the beach, tacos, his two dogs, and all things supernatural. As a child, John had a vivid imagination and often found himself lost inside his own daydreams. So it was only fitting that he became a storyteller. John is the author of The Last Angel Warrior and The Heir of Ambrose. In addition to writing books, John also acts, produces, and owns a small theatre company in San Diego, Ca.

The Last Angel Warrior (available on Amazon).

Kalib Andrews discovers that maybe his life isn’t as normal as he thought it was. Not that it was ever really “normal” to begin with. He is the adopted son of the mayor, a detail that he never quite felt comfortable sharing, mostly because he always suspected that he was his adopted parents, the Donovan’s, “Humanitarian purchase.” Adopting the underprivileged African-American kid was good for their image. But when strange things start happening in town, like, a creepy-smelly-shadow-demon-thingy appearing out of nowhere and trying to kill him on the street during his walk home from work one day, Kalib starts to think that maybe there’s more going on in town, than he originally suspected. And furthermore, he starts to wonder if maybe, somehow, whatever was going on in town, had something to do with him.

The Heir of Ambrose (available on Amazon)

Legend has it that “Ambrose,” the first Magicborne, was behind the annihilation of the Angel Warriors. Now, Kalib fears that the mysterious Heir of Ambrose is determined to fulfill his predecessor’s vendetta both against him and his kind. And when citizens of Hainesville suddenly begin to vanish, he becomes more convinced than ever that this heir is coming for him. But the real question that Kalib is struggling to answer is… Should he let him?

The Invisible City (Coming Soon)

Kalib and his friends are forced to leave Hainesville after the town is afflicted with a supernatural plague. And the only way to save the city is to find one of the last remaining Enochian stonThates.  stone, combined with an ancient spell and the blood of the Angel Warrior, will vanquish the demon, Beelzebub, who is responsible for the city’s supernatural disaster. But where does one find an Enochian stone? Legend has it that a fragment of the stone was hidden inside an ancient city. So, what’s the dilemma? This ancient city has been veiled by magic, rendering it visible only to those who know where to look. A difficult piece of knowledge to come by considering that the city inhabitants have been forbidden to leave the city for thousands of years.

The Forbidden World: A Kalibverse Novelette (Available on Story Origin)

A demon market is no place for children. At least that’s what Manaan’s parents always told him. Besides, Nephilim were prohibited from entering the demon side of town without an escort. But despite the startling omen he’d been sent, warning of impending doom, Manaan knew one thing for sure. The peculiar ring he found tucked away in his father’s secret satchel was drawing him there. And if his hunch were correct, Manaan would find what he needed to reverse a curse, save his baby brother, and escape the clutches of the treacherous Shadow Man.

They Call Him Destroyer: A Kalibverse Short Story

After the Angels invade his town, Ravlyn and his younger brother, Mar, are rushed out of the town with one final message from their parents. Find the one the Angels call the Apollyon. Now Ravlyn is determined to honor his mothers final wish, but he has one question. Who is Apollyon?

Links/Social media

Facebook –https://www.facebook.com/TheKalibAndrewsChronicles

TikTok –https://www.tiktok.com/@johnwellstheauthor

Instagram –https://www.instagram.com/j.waymanwells

Twitter – https://twitter.com/jwaymanwells

Website/Blog – https://www.thekalibandrewschronicles.com