A Week with the Dragon Eaters – Alexandra Butcher/Ilsa

At the risk of being self serving I thought I’d join in the fun of Heroika week.

Heroika: The Dragon Eaters

Character questions (choose from):

*Who are you?

I am Ilsa, of the Order of Blood Sisters. My past is my own concern, the Order do not ask such questions and most of us tell no such answers. My kind know the wisdom of the old ways, we know the power of blood, and the old gods.

Why are you embarking on this quest?

Why? Because the Followers of Arun have brought us to this. The Archduke Darrin is dead, murdered, his sons are dead. The only hope we have is a dying girl-child of his line and her noble mother. If the Ivory Throne does not hold the pure blood there will be civil war as the nobles squabble over it. Not a worthy man among them to rule this land, puppets and sycophants all. War striped this land of its dignity and the return of war will ruin it. I embark on this quest for love, for love of this land, of what it once was and could be again and for the love of the peace which is so fragile.

*Tell us about dragons in your world.

The dragons are ancient creatures, from a time when the world was free. Thus they are of the world, far more so than humans, who merely live on it until such time as it is cleansed. In the old times they were revered as the primal beasts they are. Now the people forget, but the land does not. The dragons do not. Their blood hold much magic, the ancient magics from before the coming of Arun, that fool. Do not think them kind, or noble, or even possessing the morals most people claim they have. Dragons are killers, the ultimate killers. They once ruled and may do so again when the time of Mankind is done. Dragons have the hunger which drives all creatures and none of the illusions with which we fool ourselves.

They fly, they fight, they hunger. They kill with caustic breath, claws and fangs like blades and sheer power. Not many dare fight them, and of those who do most die.

What is the best way to kill a dragon?

With courage, luck and a very good plan. If any of those fail….

Do you see yourself as a hero? What is a hero?

I am merely a Bloodsister, no greater or lesser than my sisters who share my skills. I would not say I was a hero, for those are far too few these days.

What is a hero? One who will risk all for what is right. One who will stand and do what must be done. One who does not turn from the job in hand and one who will speak for the voiceless.

Author questions (choose from):

*Who are you?

L (Alexandra) Butcher, fantasy author, poet, lover of history and nature. I’m a scholar, a dreamer, a lover and a writer.

How do you define a hero?

Someone who does not think about their own wellbeing when faced with a dangerous challenge. A person who will defend what they see is right, and those who often cannot defend themselves. A person who is selfless, brave and modest about it, they simply do what is needed without expecting any thanks, indeed sometimes despite criticism. There are many heroes in our world.

How much research did you need for your story?

Spear usage, flying creatures, and mountain terrain. I tend to do quite a bit of research for novels.

Have you written for anthologies before?

I have an anthology of mythic-style tales, plus another short story set in the world of my novels. I also have several poems and short fantasy and/or horror tales in anthologies with the Indie Collaboration and a group of Smashwords authors.

How does it differ from writing a novel?

Telling a tale in, say, 5000 words instead of 50000 has a number of challenges. One needs to be a lot more succinct and there is a lot less room for character or complex world building. In many instances it depends on the length and style of the story. For example I have some short tales about the Kitchen Imps – pesky little creatures that steal socks, knock food from shelves and generally get up to no good unseen by people. There is not enough material for a novel but they work well for short tales. Another example – the tales of lore for my Tales of Erana are good ‘fireside tales’ of monsters, myth and legends of the world of Erana, but again only as part of a novel or short story.

A novel, at least for me, needs a lot more background, more character building and a continuous level of action and excitement. I hate books with little or poor world/character building. Make me care what happens.

What book(s) are you currently reading?

I’ve just finished re-reading the Odyssey, I read it some years ago when I was studying Classics, and I’d forgotten what a gem it is. This time the read through was for a course on Greek and Roman mythology. I’m about to start the Aeneid, which I’ve not read before.

I’m also reading the other Dragon Eaters stories, plus a fascinating book about pirates. Oh and an account of true crime in the 17^th Century (which is hard going).

How important is the fantasy genre to our society?

I believe fantasy, myth and folklore are core to our cultures. Why? Look around you – it’s everywhere. In Britain we have a rich mythic heritage – George and the Dragon, fairies, elves, Welsh dragons, Scottish monsters, imps, sunken towns, ghosts, goblins, witches, King Arthur. Even Robin Hood – the outlaw who robbed the rich to give the money to the poor. The Heroic mythic is all over the place. There are influences from Scandanavia, Rome, Celts, Christian, Pagan, Indian, Chinese and many more. In such a diverse country the folklore is rich indeed. Storytelling is vitally important – be it via books, movies, even games. This is how we learn about ourselves, dream, adventure, and seek the past – albeit a fantastical one. How many kids dress up as St George? Fantasy Princesses? Fairies? Monsters? As adults perhaps we lose a lot of the wonder of fantasy – but it’s there in the background. Novel reading is an escape from real life, it’s a way to find a new world and meet new people.

Tell us one unusual fact about yourself.

I am claustrophobic and caulrophobic.

Tidbit:

Hot and Sour Dragon Soup

Prep time 10 mins (plus however long it takes to kill the dragon) Cooking time 30 mins- 1 hour depending on size of cauldron.

1 large cauldron spring water or watered wine or ale as preferred.

1 small goblet fresh dragon’s blood (for stock)

2 large handfuls St George’s mushrooms (if in season)

1 small handful Penny Bun Bolete

Selection of bamboo shoots

2 cloves chopped garlic

3 slices fresh ginger

1 spoon chopped dragon’s breathe chilli (size of spoon according to taste –mild to certain death as required)

1 dragon cullion per person

1 dragon’s egg – lightly beaten

2 table spoons of cornflour

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Sesame oil and herbs to flavour

Cooking instructions

In large cauldron combine the dragon’s blood, water (ale) mushrooms, ginger, garlic, and crushed chilies. Bring to boil then cover the pot, settle on the heated stones or reduce the heat to simmer.
Place the cullions in a bowl, toss in sesame oil to coat and roll in the herbs. In a separate bowl stir together cornflour, wine vinegar (or wine) and set aside.
Bring stock back to boil as add the coated cullions, drizzle in the beaten egg until long strands are created. Add in the beaten cornflour and vinegar. Simmer until the stock is thick and the cullions cooked through.
Serve with ricebread, hardtack, bread or noodles.

Paperback UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/HEROIKA-1-Dragon-Eaters/dp/0986414034/

Paperback US http://www.amazon.com/HEROIKA-1-Dragon-Eaters/dp/0986414034/

Blog: https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6430414.A_L_Butcher

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandra-Butcher/e/B008BQFCC6/

Twitter:@libraryoferana

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

A Week with the Dragon Eaters – Seth Lindberg

Day 3 of the Dragon Eaters Week brings us Seth Lindberg

*Who are you? Seth (S.E.) Lindberg. I live near Cincinnati, Ohio working as a microscopist, employing my skills as a scientist & artist to understand the manufacturing of products analogous to medieval paints. Two decades of practicing chemistry, combined with a passion for the Sword and Sorcery genre, spurred me to write graphic adventure fictionalizing the alchemical humors: Dyscrasia Fiction. I co-moderate a Goodreads- Sword & Sorcery Group and invite you to participate.

*Tell us about dragons in your world; and please share some lore/myths from it. There is just one dragon in the Legacy of the Great Dragon. Therein, the Father of Alchemy entombs his source of magic, the Great Dragon. Many think of medieval chemists and occult witchcraft of the 1500’s as being the origin of alchemy. Indeed there was a popularization ~1500 with the teachings of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. Peeling back the onion of myths and history, we learn that alchemists professed knowledge having come through the Greek god Hermes; hence the lore of alchemy is often referred to the Hermetic Tradition.

One of the earliest known hermetic scripts is the Divine Pymander of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus. Within that, a tale is told of Hermes being confronted with a vision of the otherworldly entity called Pymander, who takes the shape of a “Great Dragon” to reveal divine secrets. Digging into history more, one learns that Hermes is a reboot of the Egyptian deity Thoth (who was called by Greeks as Hermes Trismegistus). According to Greek and Egyptian myth, Thoth was able to see into the world of the dead and pass his learnings to the living. The other most known script of the Hermetic Tradition is the Emerald Tablet’s engravings; the original stone has long since been lost, but translations and recordings have persisted over centuries. Even Sir Isaac Newton was fascinated with the Tablet and made his own translation readily available (presented below answers).

Legacy of the Great Dragon fictionalizes the Hermetic Tradition, presenting the “Divine Pymander–Great Dragon” as being the sun-eating Apep serpent of Egyptian antiquity (a dragon who ate the sun each day from under the horizon, in the underworld).

How do you define a hero? Heroes take many forms; “good “ones seek to help humanity even at the expense of their own lives, property, or family. If there is a hero in Legacy of the Great Dragon it is Thoth who strives to maintain learning while seeking the divine. He is posited as a non-violent hero/protagonist. His antagonists include Horus and Set who wish to use alchemy in war.

Tidbit:

Other Heroika authors will be sharing “Dragon-Eater recipes” in this post series. Keeping in mind that the Emerald Tablet is thought to be a recipe for transmuting the natural, to artificial, to the divine—we share it instead. Below is Sir Isaac Newton’s translation; it is not a recipe for eating dragons—rather it is a recipe provided by a Great Dragon:

‘Tis true without lying, certain & most true.

That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below to do the miracles of one only thing

And as all things have been & arose from one by the mediation of one: so all things have their birth from this one thing by adaptation.

The Sun is its father, the moon its mother, the wind hath carried it in its belly, the earth is its nurse.

The father of all perfection in the whole world is here.

Its force or power is entire if it be converted into earth.

Separate thou the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross sweetly with great industry.

It ascends from the earth to the heaven & again it descends to the earth & receives the force of things superior & inferior.

By this means you shall have the glory of the whole world

And thereby all obscurity shall fly from you.

Its force is above all force. For it vanquishes every subtle thing & penetrates every solid thing.

So was the world created

From this are & do come admirable adaptations whereof the means is here in this.

Hence I am called Hermes Trismegist, having the three parts of the philosophy of the whole world

That which I have said of the operation of the Sun is accomplished & ended.

Links Galore:

S E Lindberg Author-Reviewer Blog

S E Lindberg – Amazon Author Page

S E Lindberg on Goodreads

Dyscrasia Fiction – Facebook

S E Lindberg – Twitter

Character Interview Number Twenty-Eight – Mirandra

Tell Us About Yourself

Name (s): Mirandra Var, Shamania of Varris, daughter of Kherak Var, and daughter of the storm.

Age: 30 winters.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. Female troll, blonde hair, grey eyes, slate grey skin, horns.

Do you have a moral code? If so what is it? I must behave with honour, I must be wise and courteous, and the good of the tribe outweighs my own. Trolls value kin and alliances highly and these relationships must be maintained. I should not turn away from those who need help, guests are welcome and shall be accommodated.

I should question all, expect little and give much. A Shaman’s door is never closed to her people, for who knows when guidance might be needed. Knowledge is power.

Honour is most prized by the Trollkind. A troll without honour is not a troll. I am Shamania, it is my duty to maintain the hour of the tribe. It is better to die in the service of others, or a worthy cause than to live as a coward. That is what my brother says, and I agree.

Would you kill for those you love? Yes, if it is the correct thing to do. It would depend on why and whom, however. I have fought with monsters to protect those for whom I care. I would kill for my tribe at need.

Would you die for those you love? Oh yes. If my death would save them I would go to the Goddess without regret.

What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses? Strengths – I have more magic than I received from my mother alone. I am unique amongst my tribe, for I carry a little of the elemental magics. I have been taught well.

Weaknesses – I am young among my people and have little experience.

Do you have any relationships you prize above others? Why? My brother Talfor, he has always been there for me and now his wife, the elf M’alia for she is courageous and clever. M’alia sees things from another point of view. She makes Talfor happy and that makes me happy. My mother, although she is now with the Goddess Ethnii’a, Kherak was a remarkable woman, although sometimes hard she was fair and wise.

My father and his wife. I did not know my father until recently, he was not part of our lives. It is common amongst the Trollkind for women, especially Shaman, to raise children without a man around. We are matrilineal and Archos knew not of my existence but as my mother was in her last years she agreed he would be a good ally for the War Which Will Come, and so now we are learning about one another. The Lady Dii’Athella, the Lady of the Light, is a good friend, she visits when she can. My mother cared deeply for her.

Thain. I will leave you to discover who Thain might be…after all a woman needs some secrets.

Do you like animals? Do you have any pets/animal companions? I have a horse, Tempest. He was a gift from my father, Mir’Rillith, known as Lord Archos of Tremellic to the elves and humans. We trolls rarely have horses, for they do not fare well in the mountains. Tempest is lively and bold. He is a trollish horse now, and he knows it.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them. My mother, Kherak, my brother Talfor and his wife, my father Archos – Mir’Rillith and his wife, the Lady Dii’Athella. We are trolls, and elves and men, and we are strengthened as a result. Soon I must find a consort, for I must bear a daughter so that when the time is ready she may rule when I have joined the Goddess.

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. I have blonde hair – blonde is very rare among our kind and it is seen as a blessing.

Please give us a little information about the world in which you live. My home is Varris, in the Jagged Peak Mountains. It is on a small plateau, and very beautiful. We are safe from the Order of Witch-Hunters there, but they are known to take trolls, for they hate all whose blood flows with magic. The world of Erana is a dangerous place, for my kind, for elves and any who are magical. Yet there is beauty in it, for the land remembers when the magic flowed, and the stories tell of a time when we were free. We must preserve these tales and the hope which goes with them.

Does your world have religion or other spiritual beliefs? If so do you follow one of them? Please describe (briefly) how this affects your behaviour. The Witch-Hunters pretend they do not believe in the gods but call their names often enough. There are many gods, and minor gods of Erana. Our tribe reveres Ethnii’a Goddess of the Sky, above the other gods, for she sends the rain, her sons the moon and sun warm us and light our way and her daughter Sendrillia guards the sacred waterfall which marks the way to the Temple of the Sky. Sendrillia was cursed by wicked magic and turned from woman into a flower. If one honours the goddess’ daughter correctly, with petals from the flower which grows high in the mountains, the waterfall may be crossed on the Path of Rock behind the curtain of water. If one does not honour her, one will get very wet and cannot cross.

We are blessed for one of Ethnii’a’s servants – the Avi Tam, an air elemental, visits the Temple. She was entrapped by a wicked creature and freed and now she blesses us. One must honour the gods, for one never knows when one may need their assistance. The elves share many of our gods, often with different names but the humans tend to be faithless, unless they are mages of course. Mages know that which is true, not the lies of the Order of Witch-Hunters.

Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where? We travel to Khar’atuk, my place of Proving. I must endure and survive my ordeal to be deemed fit to leave. Khar’atuk is far from our lands, in the lands of our kin. The Emerald Valley is people by humans, who are not friendly to us. Khar’atuk is an old ruin, a labyrinth from the past times and filled with danger.

Does your world have magic? If so how is it viewed in your world? *Laughs. You need ask that question? Of course there is magic, although the Witch-Hunters seek it out to destroy wherever they can. Magic persists. I am Shamania, my mother and grandmother, and her mother, and hers were Shaman, my father is a sorcerer, and my brother a shape-changer. Does that answer your question, human?

What form of politics is dominant in your world? (Democracy, Theocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Kakistocracy etc.) The trolls are matrilineal. I suppose you would call us city states, as a Shaman will rule a town or towns. There is no ruler of all the trolls. I am sure, where you to ask the Order of Witch-Hunters they would claim they rule this land, trolls included. They merely think this is so. I am unfamiliar with their command structure, I try to avoid their notice. Witch-Hunters rarely dare to attack trolls, but it is known.

Does your world have different races of people? If so do they get on with one another? We have Trollkind, Elfkind and Mankind. But there are truly the magical races – the elementals, the fae, the dragons and keres.

The humans fear the elves – for they are blamed for the Plague, many humans fear the trolls – we are seen as barbarians, where in truth it is the humans who would fit that description. Most people, be they elves, men or trolls do not know of the elementals, the dragons, the fae and the keres. My father tells me the fae should not exist – their Realm is closed to us. They have wicked magic – the raising of the dead, they feed on fear and shame, on lust and anger. Certainly they are rare, which is fortunate. I have never seen a great dragon – but my grandfather did.

Elementals – they exist. One at least walks among us….

And here’s a Thunderclap Event for Stolen Tower. http://thndr.it/1GxUUlp

Author notes:

Book(s) in which this character appears plus links

The Shining Citadel (briefly)

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

What stalks the land cannot be, but is.

Where magic is outlawed a troll Shaman calls from her deathbed to her heiress, Mirandra Var, daughter of the storm. Mirandra vows to find her missing kin, sort friend from foe, and claim the dangerous secrets guarded by unthinkable creatures. If she succeeds, she will become the leader of her tribe. If she fails there will be no tribe to lead.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Tower-Light-Beyond-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00U8A9044/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Tower-Light-Beyond-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00U8A9044/

Author name: A. L. Butcher

Website/Blog/Author pages etc.

New Release – The Stolen Tower – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles III

I am delighted to announce the release on pre-order of The Stolen Tower – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book III.

http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Tower-Light-Beyond-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00U8A9044/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Tower-Light-Beyond-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00U8A9044/

This one has been a pesky blighter, if I am honest but now it’s here! So what is it about? Courage, sex and sorcery, monsters and mayhem with a goodly helping of love and loss thrown in.

In a dark world where magic is forbidden Mirandra Var, heiress to Varris, must endure her Proving, save her kin and defeat the strange and impossible monsters which stalk the Emerald Valley. She is not alone, and others seek answers to questions as yet unasked. The options are success or death, not just for Mirandra but her companions, her allies and her people.

The search for the missing kin take the adventurers toward Khar’atuk – the mysterious tower labyrinth far from home, where allies must be found and decisions made. On the run mages, elementals, humans with their own agenda, elves, monsters, Witch-Hunters, and a shadowy past – many elements fill this roaring adventure.

So – you may ask how does this link into the previous books? Archos and Dii feature, although not as main characters and Talfor and M’alia from book II accompany Mirandra on her quest. This is a book of new characters and old, pooling their knowledge and skills and finding more questions than answers. Events from Book II have a wider implication, but that would be SPOILERS….

Archos, Dii and their friends will be back soon as primary characters.

Synopsis

What stalks the land cannot be, but is.

The Preorder is currently available on Amazon, to go live on April 3rd 2015.

Interviews with some of the characters will follow.

ALEXANDRA BUTCHER: SUCCESS IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

Here’s my latest author interview:)

Land Of Books

Alexandra Butcher a.k.a. A.L. Butcher released earlier in 2014 the second part of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – The Shining Citadel. The British author writes fantasy, loves astronomy, history, animals, films and gaming. We’ve got a chance to speak with Lady Butcher for the products of her creativity and her great blog.

– Alexandra, what is your last novel The Shining Citadel about?
– The Shining Citadel is the second in the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles fantasy series. It follows the main characters, an elven sorceress Dii and Lord Archos as they seek out at first a missing elven artefact and later discover the lost Citadel. The world of Erana is a dangerous place; magic is illegal, punishable by death and elves are little better than slaves so an elven sorceress seeking out a lost elven city is a very dangerous proposition. There’s a lot of…

View original post 861 more words

Author Interview Number Seventy-Five – Lazlo Ferran

Welcome to Lazlo Ferran

Where are you from and where do you live now? I live and work in London.

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. That is a difficult question to answer because I don’t feel limited by genres, have never recognised them and my readers have come to expect that I will cross any genre boundary without recognising it. I have published fourteen books; three collections of short stories, two science fiction stories, two occult thrillers, one spooks thriller, one historical epic, one contemporary literary novel in two volumes, one war thriller and now Lotus. The best way to put this is that I look for a story that stimulates me and tests my philosophical limits. If it doesn’t stretch me, I will not be able to engage and excite the reader. Categorising my books is a constant necessity of modern publishing and a challenge for me. I would say that Lotus is a suspense story. But you will have to read it to decide yourself!

Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration most often comes from dissatisfaction with the world, either general or specific but this will be mixed in with my ideals to make a good story because I don’t want to operate on just one level. If I did, I would alienate more readers than I attract. Occasionally, my need to understand the world around us alone will generate a story idea. Occasionally too, I simply want to write a good yarn, as is the case with Attack Hitler’s Bunker! Lotus, however, comes from none of these places. It comes from a very dark place, a place that needed illuminating, a place that I took 64000 words to describe! I hope it will at least give readers a jolt when they read it. I hope they will say, “Yes, I know this place. I have been there!”

Do you have a favourite character? If so why? No. All my characters are my favourites and they all do things I can’t predict or stop! If my books are my children, their characters are my grandchildren!

Do you have a character you dislike? If so why? Yes. But he is in a book yet to be published and he is the hero!

Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources? I do extensive research for my books and this usually takes about a year. I generally write about what I know but I want every detail to feel ‘right’ so I dig.

I am lucky enough to know a lot about WWII and the early Medieval. I have always been fascinated by WWII so I have extensive knowledge of it. I know quite a bit about the Medieval because I spent ten years researching my family tree, which I have now traced back to 1240 France. As an offshoot of this, I became interested in the Cathars and early medieval religion so I read widely on the subject, mostly academic works. When I came to write a sequel to Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate, the 13^th Century seemed a natural setting for me to attempt. However, I ambitiously decided to depict the Battle of Bouvines. This meant an extra few months of research.

Research is not something I crave, however, so a purely romantic novel is on the cards. That shouldn’t require much research!

In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? All my books, apart from the short stories, are available both as eBooks and paperbacks. Too Bright the Sun is also available, with an audio track to accompany the first chapter, on Booktrack.com. I want to do large print books but I simply haven’t had the time, so far. Audio books will be the next step when I find the time and money. I have sampled some mixed media formats, mostly those piloted by the big players like BBC, which look very interesting. These include video, interactive elements like quizzes and forms, slideshows, picture galleries, links and text to tell stories. The BBC had a nice one recently about a murder story in Iceland. I am always looking for new ways to engage with readers and I will be watching for the next format that comes along.

Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? I self-edit initially but then I go to Beta readers. They will have the book for at least two rounds and there may even be a professional editor for a third round, as I had for Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate. I find that I cannot realistically edit my own material because I am too close to it.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? Yes, they are and this is a shame. I personally know a traditionally published writer who had to significantly modify a novel in an attempt to get it published. Indie writers don’t have to do this. Of course, we should edit a book so that our main idea will be presentable to readers but we don’t have to compromise. That is why some of the freshest fiction out there is published independently.

The prejudice against indie writers can come from surprising sources and is painful to see. I had one of my kindle books banned (blocked is their term) by Amazon because it deals with incest. It’s set in 17^th Century Central Asia (about descendants of the Mongols), and, quite frankly, not only in Central Asia but Europe too, incest was common among royalty. A European king married his sister and had children with her! When I pointed out that Amazon distributes books by both Nabokov and Thomas Pynchon, both of which include themes of incest, the support staff member told me that Amazon makes these choices based on ‘artistic merit.’ I guess I have to conclude that some highly qualified literary critic, employed by Amazon, sat down and read my book from cover to cover and made that choice. It seems unlikely, however, since Amazon had displayed that book for almost ten years at the time without quibble! I had the last laugh because Createspace has a different idea about artistic merit, even though it’s owned by Amazon, and still published my paperback to…wait for it…Amazon! You couldn’t make it up!

Do you read work by self-published authors? Yes. Some indie writer are probably the best out there because they don’t have to modify their work for a publisher. I doubt I would get Lotus published in its present form with a trad publisher and that would be very sad. I can recommend the work of Khalid Muhammad, Kristen Stone and Morgan Wyatt

What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot? I began as a musician but found the framework of music and lyrics too limiting so I switched to writing novels. Our modern way of living has become very visual; video games and movies exemplify this way of experiencing the world. But the most profound emotions are not caused by visual, aural or any other sensory input; they simple bubble up from very deep places. This is why books will, I believe, always have a profound effect on us. Although Lotus might make a very good video game or film, some of its deeper elements would be lost or else would need to be forced on the viewer/player, thus taking away their free will and the power of the book to stimulate thought.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? I will give just one. Get some Beta readers. Good Beta readers will have a go at your book and give you invaluable feedback; where the novel’s pace is not right, whether you use words that are too big or make the characters speak unrealistically, whether the climax works etc. I have often rewritten up to 50% of a novel based on this feedback. I know my books are better for it. As I think Mark Twain once pointed out, the problem when you think you are reading back your own work is that you are actually reading your own mind. You know what the story should be and this is what you hear in your head. You will not notice when an idea doesn’t get across, which frequently happens. A Beta reader will notice. Without the final 2 Beta readers, Lotus would never be the tight, well-developed story it is now.

Beta readers can also offer encouragement. Lotus has been around for over six years now, initially as a rough draft of one short passage. It existed as a personal sketch and I felt it too outrageous to give to a reader. If I hadn’t taken the step of letting somebody read it, I wouldn’t have heard that phrase ‘You must publish it!’ This is what all writers want to hear.

Book links, website/blog and author links:

Lotus: http://bit.ly/amlotus

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/lotusswds

Blog and website: www.lazloferran.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/lazlo_F

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lazloferran

Google+ https://plus.google.com/102697264562597755987

Review – Poets In Hell – Fantasy

Review of Poets in Hell (c) Janet and Chris Morris 2014.

Where could one find Shakespeare, Marlowe, Homer, Diomedes, Frank Nitti, Victor Frankenstein, Emily Dickinson, Mary Shelley and Merlin in one place? The answer is Janet and Chris Morris’s shared world of Hell. Aspiring authors, renowned poets and playwrites vie for attention, fame and recognition, with the odd exception most fail in many diabolic ways.

The stories range from the deeply moving, to the heroic, to the downright amusing as the denizens double and triple cross one another, form uneasy alliances, and try and outwit Satan, not to mention try to win the poetry slam….

Although written by a variety of authors the stories flow well, and the characters complement each other. Dark and delicious, devious and deadly with devilry aplenty in the darkest realm – is a perfect summing up of this instalment of Heroes in Hell. Most certainly fantasy at its darkest and wittiest!

To meet some of the characters please see the Hell Week Character Interviews.

Character Interview Number Thirty Daemon Grim

In the run up to Halloween I’d like to return to Hell and meet some more of its denizens.

Welcome to the Hell Interview Channel, brought to you infernally hour after hour.
Name: My name is Daemon Grim
Age (before death and after you ended up in HSM’s domain): I have no idea. I only know I look about thirty-five years old.
Please tell us a little about yourself. I’m the Reaper. And yes, before you ask, I’m that Reaper, Satan’s bounty hunter. As the title implies, I hunt down and silence anyone who is – or is likely to become – a threat to public security, or an embarrassment to His infernal or demonestic policies.

Who were you in life? Please see below answer.

How do you think you ended up in Hell? What sins have you committed? Who I was before I came to Hell, or what I did, I haven’t got a clue. There’s a hole in my mind that prevents the retention of any memories from the time before. My first recollections are of waking up before a roaring log fire, in the presence of His Satanic Majesty himself, and being welcomed home like a long lost son. It was He who invited me into his inner circle, and appointed me to what was to become my true vocation. I haven’t looked back since.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. Your worst nightmare, squeezed into a kick-ass, gothic ensemble.

Where do you live in Hell? Tell us about your residence and area. My suite is situated at the top of Black Tower, in what humans would call, the Tower of London, smack-bang in the middle of Olde London Town itself. For those who don’t know, that’s in the Juxtapose level of Hell. I’ve lived there since I can remember. My Hell Hounds, (fellow bounty hunters) and the Inquisitors, (Satan’s Special Interrogators), have their own apartments there as well, so we can be close to our base of operations.

The entire complex and grounds is known throughout the many layers of the Underworld as the Den of Iniquity, but my team and I just refer to it as The Den.

Juxtapose is a great place to live, as its environs constantly blend into other epochs and levels of Hell. You can be walking along a busy, traffic-clogged street one minute, and find yourself having to jump out of the way of a horse-drawn carriage as it clatters along cobbled roads the next. It’s confusing when you first arrive, but once you get used to it, well…I wouldn’t want to stay anywhere else.

Do you have a moral code? If so what is it? Is your moral code the same as it was in life? Yes, I have a moral code, I never lie. That might sound weird, coming from a denizen of Hell, but I’m keenly aware of how my role reflects on Satan’s integrity. So, I always ensure to act in a way that can never be criticized. And when it comes down to it, I’ve found displaying such a trait really strikes fear into the hearts of my prey. Once I’ve been set on you, there’s no escape. I can’t be bribed, fooled, or conned. I don’t feel sorrow or remorse. If you appear on my list, you’re dead. You might as well turn yourself in at the Undertakers and save yourself a lot of bother. Annoy me and make me work for it – and I’ll let my Inquisitors cut you up and feed the choicest parts back, bit by juicy bit, before they let you pass on.

Would you kill for those you love? After all sending someone to the Undertaker is not very nice! I do kill for the one I love! Satan is like the father I never had. I will execute anyone and everyone who crosses him. And sending scum back to the Undertakers is my soul – excuse the pun – purpose in this afterlife. Never forget that. It might save you a whole mountain of grief in the future.

Would you die for those you love? Die, being a relative term…. I’m already dead and impossibly hard to kill. And as I intimated in the last question, I would do absolutely anything for my Dark Father. Your readers need to understand, I’m one hundred percent loyal, and the quickest way to incur my wrath is to try and corrupt me. Don’t ever make that mistake, as my team and I are incredibly inventive when it comes to ways of making you suffer. So inventive, we’ve even made the Undertaker hurl.

Do you have any phobias? Are you plagued by anything particular in Hell? Other than the dread of not being able to track down and capture a fugitive from injustice, I don’t have any phobias. But I must admit, when I’ve been away from the Bâlefire for too long, I get plagued by the strangest dreams of falling stars, burning skies, and gaping pits of dense darkness from which nothing can escape. If only I could understand what they all mean, I think I’d be that bit closer to understanding my origins.

What do you think Satan’s most creative punishment is here? Ha! Without a doubt, the twisted idea of giving the masses what they crave, so long as it’s perverted in some way. For example, there’s nothing quite like witnessing the suffering of some poor fool who happens to be the world’s most accomplished pianist, only to watch him literally crash and burn before an audience. And there’s so many ways to torment them! I’ve watched several souls begin to play, only to forget how to read music midway through their recital. In other cases, their fingers might break during the chorus, or they’ll be driven mad by the notes they hear. I’ve even heard of one idiot who was determined to create a new opus magnum, despite the fact Satan had blighted their hearing, and cursed them with a form of tonal dyslexia. It was hilarious listening to the beginning of an absolute masterpiece, only to watch the performance disintegrate into utter farce by the close of the first movement, because what they’d written ended up sounding like total gibberish.

Brilliant!

You can probably appreciate why I love it here so much.

Who are your friends here? Because of the sheer volume of souls I’m sent to reap, I keep my circle of friends small, and limit them to just the Hell Hounds and the Inquisitors.

For those who don’t know them, the Hell Hounds are as follows:

Nimrod, King of Shinar, and my lead Hound. A mighty hunter in opposition to God. Then there’s Yamato Takeru, otherwise known as Prince Ōsu. Yamato is a legendary ninja killer from first century Japan, who brutally murdered everyone who ever stood in his way. My final hunter is a guy called Champ Ferguson, a notorious Confederate guerilla fighter from the American Civil War.

Then we come to the Inquisitors.

First of all, I have to mention the person who keeps me sane. Strawberry Fields, aka Red Riding Hood. She’s a siren of death who will happily eat your liver as she showers you with kisses.

Then there’s Leonard Skeffington, a previous Lieutenant of the Tower of London itself. We affectionately refer to him by the pseudonym, Crusher, as he invented several remarkable torture devices in life that we still use today.

Baron Ferenc Nádasdy, a sixteenth century Hungarian nobleman, and his wife, Elizabeth Báthory come next. While relationships are usually frowned upon in the Underworld, His Satanic Majesty has made an exception for these two.

Ferenc goes by the codename, Red Baron, a tongue-in-cheek reference to the foes he has vanquished in battle. For a denizen of Hell, he’s an honorable man, who prefers to give prisoners a chance to spill the beans before he spills their guts. History refers to his wife as, ‘the Blood Countess’, but we know her as, Nutcracker Sweet, because of her fetish for crushing certain parts of male prisoners anatomy.

Finally, there’s Myra Belle Star, aka, Black Velvet. An infamous outlaw from the end of the nineteenth century, Myra is a crack shot, who has adapted to the position of Inquisitor rather well.

Who are your enemies? Everyone who has ever been condemned to Hell, for I’ve reaped their souls a thousand times, and will continue to do so until creation falls. Then there’s the Sibitti of course. I have a special ‘hate – hate’ relationship with them.

***Kisses guys – I’m keeping my scythe extra sharp – see you soon***

If I recall relationships are… difficult, is this the side of humanity you miss the most? As I mentioned, I don’t recall anything about my previous life. However, I am one of the few denizens who is allowed the freedom of expressing my desires in any way I wish. Of course, my Dark Father has seen fit to capitalize on this golden opportunity in a typically sadistic way. Remember, anyone I touch – skin to skin – dies instantly. A bit of a bummer during those intimate moments, unless that person also happens to have special dispensation, of course.

Ah, you’ve gotta love His sense of humor!

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. Despite the fact I’m out and out evil, I have to recharge my essence on a regular basis in one of the most powerful satanic power sources in existence, the Bâlefire. Without its arcane puissance, I would lose my augmented strength and become like anyone else. Weak and pathetic.

Apart from that? I’m really light on my feet, and just so happen to be a pretty good dancer. I’d be fantastic, if I could just get a partner who managed to stay alive long enough.
Book(s) in which this character appears plus links

The forthcoming “Doctors in Hell” anthology.

AND

Stay tuned…you’ll be seeing much more of Daemon Grim in the future…

Author name

Andrew P. Weston
Website/Blog/Author pages etc.

Website: www.andrewpweston.com
Blog: http://andrewpweston.blogspot.gr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestonAndrew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-P-Weston-Author/102335216581151?ref=hl
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Andrew-P-Weston-Author/102335216581151?ref=hl
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-P-Weston/e/B00F3BL6GS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Author Interview: A.L Butcher

Here’s my latest author interview.

Katherine's Bookcase

Hey, Alexandra!
Hello and thanks for the interview.

Before we get started, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a British author of fantasy and fantasy romance. I was raised in Buckinghamshire but now live in the southwest. When I am not writing I like to read; mainly fantasy, history, and crime. I’m studying an online course on Roman Britain at the moment, it’s too early to comment on it beyond it looks fascinating. I’m also keen on science, nature, astronomy and gaming.

Brilliant. Thank you.
So, what inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always written. When I was a child it was usually me who provided the poem or short story for the class display. From that continued the poetry, short fan-fic style tales and horror and then adventures for roleplaying games. These graduated into the novels and short stories I have published.

Is there anything…

View original post 505 more words

Author Interview Number Sixty-Two – A.L Butcher – Fantasy/Fantasy Romance/Erotica

Welcome to A.L Butcher, also writing as Alexandra. OK so this is a bit self-serving as it is my blog but perhaps it is time my readers get to know me a bit better.

Where are you from and where do you live now? I grew up in the South East of the UK, in a small town and I now live in Bristol, which is in the South West. I moved as I studied Politics and Sociology at university in Bristol and as I now work there never left.

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I write fantasy and fantasy romance with a hint of erotica. To date I have two novels – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I and The Shining Citadel, which is book II of the series. I am working on book III. I also have Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends, which features five fantasy tales in the form of mythic tales set in the same world, this is also available in audio.

I have poetry in a number of anthologies and some to come out in the next few weeks. I also have short stories in a number of other publications. The poetry doesn’t often get an airing, if I am honest but it is good that people enjoy it.

Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources? I like research, but it is easy to get lost in it all and half the time I’ll go off and look up something not strictly relevant. Although fantasy allows for quite a lot of creative scope I do think there are some aspects which really need to be researched, such as weapon and armour usage, terrain, food, herbalism and defence. For The Shining Citadel I researched swamp and mountain terrain, flora and fauna, whether salamander is edible, medieval weapon use and herbs used in healing. For my current book I researched mythic creatures, herbs, horsemanship and fishing.

I think accuracy is important, as is consistency. I hate reading a book where something is simply implausible, or plain wrong. If a writer changes something for his or her world, fair enough but they need to justify how that thing now works and stick to it.

Resources are predominately the internet, Culpeper’s Complete Herbal, another herblore book, various books on medieval warfare and weaponry which we have in the house and the Mythic Scribes website, which often has good advice. I read a lot of history and have a background in Classical Studies so all off that helps. It is also great to research story-telling itself. Homer and the Greek classics, Roman mythology, Nordic tales, and sometimes further afield. People have been telling stories as long as humans have been sitting around a fire, sometimes to explain and sometimes to amuse. Creativity is goes hand in hand with humanity; humans need stories, the ability to escape and to understand the world and often this curiosity leads to more – to science and the sharing of knowledge.

Sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important…) Great characters, great world-building, solid plot, technically perfect. I hate books with weak characters and world building. If I don’t care about the characters I am reading about I don’t give a stuff what they do. I’ve read several books where the plot was a bit weak but the characters were fun enough that it didn’t matter. Typos and poorly written books are not just in the indie market – I read a book by a well-known crime author with 5 typos in the first few pages and she was traditionally published. I am not saying that is right, but I am saying it happens a lot and not just to indies despite what many people think. I’m fairly forgiving so a few misplaced commas or a stray typo will not make me stop reading but terrible characters or a distinct lack of world building will. That said ideally a book should be the best it can be. I have also read plenty of books with errors – did the errors reduce the reading experience? Yes if they were too bad.

I also appreciate within the indie market that many authors work within a very small budget and although not ideal I’d rather have a cracking story with one or two issues than a technically perfect book with no soul. There are a few of those around. That said I have seen indie books which are so bad as to be unreadable.

In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason?

The Light Beyond the Storm – Book I is available as an e-book on all the major online retailers and in print on Amazon, Createspace and Barnes and Noble, it is also available in large print. Hopefully next year I may pursue it as an audio.

The Shining Citadel is available in all the above except large print (as it is too big and I’ll have to split it in half) and audio.

Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends is available as an e-book and audio.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? Yes, certainly. I think there is quite a lot of prejudice against indie authors. Why? Because some indie books are badly written, badly formatted and badly edited. Unfortunately once stung by a book like this many readers will assume all indie/SPA books are like this, which isn’t the case. Trad pubbed books are not necessarily well written, but are generally edited and formatted correctly. Some readers seem to think that a writer self-publishes because he or she has been rejected by a ‘real’ publisher. Whilst this is certainly the case for some, and I am not saying their books are substandard they are just not what the publisher wants at that time, it is not the case for all. Many authors like the freedom self-publishing brings, including a better royalty rate (generally) and fewer deadlines. It also depends what an author wants from his or her book. Is it a case that he or she wants to publish for a smaller audience, or isn’t so bothered about sales figures? In this case self-publishing might work quite well. Hopefully as the great Indie and self-published books are recognised the division will diminish.

Do you read work by self-published authors? Of course, I’d be a hypocrite if I didn’t. I buy a lot of books and these days more than 50% of my purchases are self-published. Some are good, some aren’t – the same as trad pubbed.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? Don’t. Generally authors commenting on reviews, particularly negative ones is bad and will lead to far worse. Reviews are a reader’s opinion – nothing more and there will always be someone who doesn’t like the book, for whatever reason. Look on Amazon at the reviews and I’ll bet most books have a mix. Yes the review might not say what the author wishes it said but reviews are for readers and people review in many different ways and for different reasons. This is particularly the case on Good Reads, there are a lot of reviewers there and many are extremely active. An ‘author behaving badly’ will only get him or herself in more hot water by bitching. Remember on the internet once something is said it can be very difficult to take it back, and it is likely to end up on someone’s blog, Facebook or wherever. Unless the review is personally spiteful or racist etc. I’d say let it go, if it is personally abusive then report it to the correct moderators. Most readers will pick and choose which reviews they take into account and an obvious hate-review will be just that – obvious but the flip side is those same readers are likely to notice an author getting upset/angry in the comments.

How important are reviews? I wish I knew. Personally not that important as I tend to make the choice to buy a book on other factors but good reviews certainly can’t hurt and I know there are several book promotion sites that won’t even consider a book with less than 50 reviews. Because reviews are so varied and posted for so many reasons I am not convinced they are vital. Many disagree.

What are your reviews on authors reviewing other authors? I have no problem with it, if the review is genuine. Most authors are also avid readers and so why shouldn’t they. Yes sometimes there is a ‘If you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours’ type of attitude, which I am not keen on. When I review I’ll try and be honest. I don’t often find books I don’t like but it does happen. I’ll try and find something positive – good characterisation, a touch of humour but I will say what I don’t like, including if it is badly written. I tend not to be bitchy, as I am not that sort of person but I do think saying a book is wonderful when I don’t think it is won’t help anyone – not the author and not other readers. I can separate being an author and being a reader.

What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot? So I am a bit of a nerd, I do enjoy playing PC games, especially fantasy based ones such as Dragon Age and Skyrim but I do tend to think even the immersive ones are fairly linear. I like to imagine the world, the characters and such like in a book and I live the vivid descriptions which often don’t appear in a game. A book is truly immersive. I watch a lot of films, but again the people and the settings are laid out for the viewer and less imagination is involved.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?

Keep writing.

Be realistic – you are unlikely to be a best seller overnight.

Read the FAQ/TOS and the small print. Please!

What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst? Hmmm. Best – I suppose author interviews, both giving and receiving. It helps to build a network and authors generally are a helpful and reciprocal lot – readers like to know about an author. Also I use Facebook a lot, but it helps to check out what the promotional rules are for particular groups and don’t just spam your book, interact, hang out, post other stuff.

Worst –Twitter but that is probably because I don’t know the best way to utilise it. Personally it seems like a constant stream with no conversation or interaction and I, personally, have never bought a book via Twitter, although I have clicked on article links. I do know quite a few people who have a lot of success on Twitter – how I have no clue.

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it?

The Tripods trilogy. I loved these books when I was younger and so this is a great journey back to my younger days. Before that I read a medieval romance called Creating Memories by Lisa Shea. I have read her work before and enjoyed it. Her heroine was a feisty lass and the love story built slowly with many twists.

I am currently reading a book about Lunacy and Mad-Doctors in Victorian Britain.

Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? And your favourite indie/self-published author? Too many to name, but picking a few – traditionally published – Gaston Leroux, Alexandre Dumas, the Brontes, Bram Stoker, Janet Morris, Tolkien, Agatha Christie, Ellis Peters, Colin Wilson, Terry Pratchett, HG Wells, Jules Verne. Indie/SPA – Walter Rhein, Lisa Shea, Diana Wicker, Janet Morris, JD Hallowell, Ross Harrison, Thaddeus White, Leeland Artra.

What are your views on authors offering free books? I actually did a blog post on the Mythic Scribes blog last year about this – leading a debate for authors and readers who were for and against this. My own view – it can work but needs to be handled carefully. Many readers download books BECAUSE they are free and don’t read them. It is not a guaranteed way to get reviews or more readers but it might work for some. As a reader I have read an author’s free book and then bought a follow up. Some readers assume that a free book will be rubbish – or why would it be free? I think it depends what an author expects from a freebie campaign – do they simply want to get their name out there and hope that a few people will take the chance and read the book, then tell their friends? I think exposure is the main reason for offering freebies. I download free books and I do read them but not as many as I used to. Smashwords has a useful tool – an author can offer a voucher to discount a book – which is handy for review copy or giveaway prizes. In my view that works better than a generally free book as it is easier to target.

The Great Free Book Debate: The Readers

The Great Free Book Debate: The Authors

Do you have a favourite movie? I have many, I watch a lot of films. Let me see – in no particular order: Dead Poets Society, Star Wars IV-VI, Schindler’s List, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Alien et al, Monty Python films, Silent Running, Dune (miniseries), Pale Rider, High Plains Drifter, Jane Eyre, Guardians of the Galaxy, Batman Begins, Dark Knight Rises, Star Dust, Bram Stoker’s Dracula….

Can you name your worst job? Do you think you learned anything from the position that you now use in your writing? I worked in a kitchen in my student days. I hated it. The money was diabolical, the hours sucked and some of the other staff were just plain nasty. I don’t think I learned anything from that job except to respect people in menial jobs – they get a raw deal.

Can you give us a silly fact about yourself? I’m Caulrophobic. I hate puppets too.

Book links, website/blog and author links:

Please see the side bar for links – but here are the main ones:

Light Beyond the Storm Amazon http://tinyurl.com/oxttl4y

Shining Citadel Amazon http://tinyurl.com/nek3zs2

Nine Heroes http://tinyurl.com/qzgre7x

Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JCHQWJK

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCHQWJK

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tales-erana-myths-legends/id867836913?mt=11

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-erana-alexandra-butcher/1119319325?ean=2940045846837

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/tales-of-erana-myths-and-legends