Wiley Petersen and The Bull Riding Witch

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

As I mentioned in last week’s post, Rodeo and Research (http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/2017/02/rodeo-and-research.html), my best source on Bull Riding and rodeo in general came when I found the website, http://bullridercoach.com/. First, the site itself has a ton of information, including instructional videos on everything to do with bull riding from how to rosin your rope (something I wasn’t even aware they did) to what to do if you get hung up.

They also sell an ebook titled Bull Riding Basics, which was enormously helpful. These things offered me a lot of technical knowledge. I put too much of the technical details into early drafts of the novel, which I then edited out of subsequent drafts. This is always a danger when doing research. Not everything you learn adds to the story, but the more you know, the more you can make sure that the details you do include are accurate and don’t throw your reader out of the story.
Despite how helpful this site was, I was still left with a ton of questions that weren’t covered. Things like: “How do you find out which bull you’ve drawn?” (the bull they are to ride that night) and “Is there any general attitude among bull riders about other participants in the rodeo (ropers, barrel riders, etc.)? Do the other participants in the rodeo have any general attitude about bull riders?” Questions that only a participant would generally be concerned about, but would affect certain scenes in the novel.
 
This is where Wiley Petersen came in. Since I don’t know any bull riders, I use the “contact us” tab on bullridercoash.com. I introduced myself as a fiction writer setting my novel in the world of bull riding and asked if they had anyone who would be willing to answer some questions. Wiley responded that he’d be happy to answer my questions, which he did in a thorough and friendly fashion. He thought some of them were weird, such as when I asked if they could touch the bulls. I wanted to know because Daulphina needed some of the bull’s hair to perform a spell. This was his answer: “We don’t really try to touch the bulls. We just go look at them and try to find the one we’ve drawn by looking at them in the back pens. Most bulls don’t really want to be touched.” I could hear him in my head, saying, “Bull aren’t pets, you know? We don’t get all warm and cozy with them.” I had to ask a follow up question to clarify why I needed to know, and it turns out it wouldn’t be a problem out. Just wait until the bull turns his back and grab a few. He answered my initial questions and any follow up questions that I had. 
 
Only later did I learn that Wiley was one of the country’s top bull riders. He is #16 in the Professional Bull Riders all time money winners. But he couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful.
 
So the moral of the story is, if you don’t know something that effects your story, ask. Most experts are happy to share their knowledge and like it when writer try to get the details right. 
 
One last video of Wiley in action to demonstrate why he will forever remain my bull riding expert:
 

The Bull Riding Witch‘s release date draws near.  On July 17, you’ll be able to get the whole story.

 

Ryan Mueller, debut fantasy author

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Meet my guest today, fantasy author Ryan Mueller, as he releases his debut novel, Empire of Chains.

  1. What made you want to become a writer?

When I was young, I always had all these story ideas in my head. I spent a lot of time putting them down in notebooks, usually in the form of imaginary video games. I was a huge fan of RPGs, so naturally my interests tended toward fantasy. Then, when I was ten years old, I first read Harry Potter. I knew from that point on that I wanted to be a writer. [Jamie’s Note: Great books Harry Potter. At least the first three or four times. My son was obsessed with them. I read him the first four nine times. They got a little old by then.]

2. What are your biggest literary influences? Favorite authors and why?

My biggest literary influences would be Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, and Jim Butcher. They have a way of writing high-magic, high-action books that I love. My books have a few more quest elements than theirs, though. More recently, I’ve come to enjoy the works of Phil Tucker, who came in second place in last year’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off. Then, of course, there’s The Wheel of Time, which had its issues but will always hold a special place in my heart.

3. Tell us something about how you write? i.e. are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have any weird or necessary writing habits or rituals?

I’m somewhere in between on the whole plotter/pantser thing. Recently, I’ve been more of a pantser, but I’m not sure that’s entirely accurate. I usually have a general mental outline of where I want the story to go. It’s just a very flexible outline that allows for me to come up with new developments as I’m writing. As far as writing rituals, I pretty much have to have music playing. Usually, it’s some Power Metal or Symphonic Metal. Some of my favorites to listen to while writing are Kamelot, Blind Guardian, Nightwish, and Epica. I also enjoy the pure cheesiness of the Power Metal band Gloryhammer.

4. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

Empire of Chains is a book that has been with me for over a decade now. My first versions of it were terrible and clichéd with a horrible prophecy and a quest straight out of Tolkien fan-fiction. Since then, I’ve evolved as a writer, and I’ve made into a much more complex and interesting story. On the surface, it appears to be a story about overthrowing an evil emperor, but as you read it, you realize the so-called evil emperor isn’t so evil at all. He’s a man willing to do anything to save the world, and for me, those make the most interesting characters. I’m a big fan of anti-villains. That is, they fill the role of a villain in the story, but you could actually look at them as heroes from a different perspective.

5. What else would you like readers to know about you or your work?

When it comes to writing, I’m a big fan of magic and action scenes. Those scenes are the types that flow from my fingertips, and I write a lot of them. Part of the fun of fantasy, for me, is that the fantasy elements allow you to write much more interesting action sequences. You’ll see this love of action in everything I write, including the next three books of World in Chains, which I’ve already drafted and expect to have out by the end of the year, as well as my Sunweaver trilogy, which is already drafted too, and should be out shortly after the rest of World in Chains.

6. Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer?  If so, what do you do during the day?

Currently, my day job is in retail. I work in the Shoe Department of a large retail chain. It’s certainly not an ideal job, though when I’m cleaning up the department at night, I often have the chance to think about story ideas. I’m also going to school for Electrical Engineering at the moment. I still have two years to go. I won’t say I’m in love with the field, but I like it enough that I’ll be all right working in it if I don’t make “quit your day job” money as a writer.

7. If you could be transported to any fictional world, which would it be? Why?

For me, it would be the world of Harry Potter. It was the first fantasy world that really captured my imagination when I was younger. I’d love to go to Hogwarts, as long as it’s in the post-Voldemort era. (As a side note, Microsoft Word actually knows the word Voldemort. I find that amusing.)

Where can we find you online?

Blog: https://ryanwmueller.com/
Website: https://ryanwmueller.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryanwmuellerauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RW_Mueller
Amazon: amazon.com/author/ryanwmueller
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16822285.Ryan_W_Mueller

Empire of Chains

Five hundred years ago, powerful magic sealed Emperor Darien Warrick inside a ring of mountains fashioned by his own magic. For five hundred years, his subjects have been trapped beside him. Some say he’s evil and these actions were necessary. Others say he’s a man willing to sacrifice anything for the greater good.

To young noblewoman Nadia, he is nothing but a murderer. On the day Warrick’s executioner takes her mother’s head, Nadia dedicates her life to one goal: killing Warrick. She spends her days training with the castle guard, her nights poring over the notes her mother left behind. In them, she finds the location of the only spell that can defeat the immortal sorcerer. But it feels too convenient. If she is to succeed in her quest, she must figure out Warrick’s true motivations.

For young woodsman Markus, Warrick is the man who owns him. Markus has spent his entire life training to become an Imperial Guard, but it’s a future he can’t stomach. However, it’s the only option he has, or at least the only sane one–until he meets Nadia.

Reformed thief Berig doesn’t care about Warrick one way or the other. Berig would rather keep his head down and try to scratch out what meager living he can. But in a world like this, he’ll never get what he wants.

After all, Warrick has other plans.

Excerpt

Prologue

The night Nadia lost her mother started like any other.

She and her mother were practicing their swordplay in the castle’s courtyard, evening sunlight glinting off their blunted blades. Nadia tried to ignore the sweat dripping into her eyes, focus on her footwork, and follow her instincts.

Her mother scored a hit on her chest. “You aren’t defending yourself well enough.”

“The sword is starting to feel heavy. I need a chance to rest.”

“Warrick isn’t resting.”

“I know, but—”

“I don’t want to hear your arguments,” her mother said. “If Warrick finds out what we’re planning, he will not hesitate to kill us.” She gripped Nadia’s shoulders, her touch firm but loving. “Both of us.”

Nadia had no response for that. She was only twelve, but she wasn’t stupid. She understood the dangers involved in opposing the emperor. They all did.

She hid her anger, though. Her mother had taught her to conceal her emotions. As nobility, they often had to speak with Emperor Warrick, and Nadia could not let slip that she intended to kill the tyrant.

“I know I sound angry,” her mother said, “but you’ve done well today. Perhaps we should wash up and join your father for dinner.”

After bathing, they joined Nadia’s father in the castle’s dining chamber, at a long wooden table draped in a red tablecloth. Magical torches cast blue light upon him as he sat alone, poking thoughtfully at some chicken with his fork.

“Is everything all right?” asked Nadia’s mother, taking a seat next to him.

“Oh, yes, everything’s fine.” He went back to his food, avoiding both their gazes.

“Father, are you sure nothing is wrong?”

He laid his silverware aside, leaving half his plate uneaten. His abrupt departure from the table caught Nadia by surprise. She tried to catch his attention, but he left the chamber, looking like a defeated man.

“Do you have any idea what might be bothering him?” Nadia asked her mother.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him like this before. Perhaps Warrick is making his life difficult again.”

“Warrick makes all our lives difficult.”

If Ryan has intrigued you, his book can be purchased below:

The Last Wife of Attila the Hun Book Tour & Giveaway

Jamie Marchant Posted on by
The Last Wife of Attila the Hun
by Joan Schweighardt
Genre: Epic Fantasy, Historical
Two threads are flawlessly woven together in this sweeping historical
novel. In one, Gudrun, a Burgundian noblewoman, dares to enter the
City of Attila to give its ruler what she hopes is a cursed sword;
the second reveals the unimaginable events that have driven her to
this mission. Based in part on the true history of the times and in
part on the same Nordic legends that inspired Wagner’s Ring Cycle
and other great works of art, The Last Wife of Attila the Hun offers
readers a thrilling story of love, betrayal, passion and revenge, all
set against an ancient backdrop itself gushing with intrigue.
Joan Schweighardt is the author of five novels, and more on the way. In
addition to her own writing projects, she writes, ghostwrites, and
edits for individuals and corporations.
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!

Cassandra Fear, Demon Hunter

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Welcome today’s guest, Cassandra Fear, and enter the world of demons and angels.

Cassandra Fear lives in Ohio with her husband, two kids and two dogs. Hiking, taking care of her fish tank and reading are her favorite hobbies. She loves chocolate, hates driving in the snow, and could eat macaroni and cheese every day. In her spare time, she loves to write and has always dreamed of becoming an author. Her dreams will become reality with her first book, Above the Flames.

Interview

  1. Tell us a little about yourself?

I love to write, of course, and read, but I am a mom of two and a wife of thirteen years. I have two dogs and a cat and a mortgage. Underneath the books, I am just an ordinary person trying to put my stamp on the world, one book at a time.

2. What made you want to become a writer?

I have always been a writer. In high school my teachers used to yell at me when I turned my essays in and say, “This is not creative writing class.” I knew then and there I wanted to write, but life got in the way for a while.

3. What are you reading at the moment? Would you recommend it to readers of this blog? Why?

I am devouring everything from Sarah J Maas and definitely recommend.

4. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

I would like to share with you Above the Flames, which is the first book I wrote. It follows the story of Jasmine Reynolds as she finds out what has always made her different from everyone else actually has the ability to stop the demons from taking over her world. She goes through obstacle after obstacle and has a hard time finding who she is, but eventually she does. If you like demons and angels, this book is an exciting adventure into their world.

5. If you could have dinner (and dessert) with any fictional character who would it be and why?

Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. For one, I always wanted to visit the English countryside, and for two, I would love to see what she would wear in this day and age. Haha.

6. Titles have always been extremely difficult for me. How do you come up with yours?

I have a hard time with them too, but I had the titles for all three books in The Flames Trilogy before I even wrote one word. It is crazy how that happens sometimes. I usually brainstorm with my friends until I find the perfect title.

Where can we find you online? (please cut and paste links):

Blog: www.writingforwords.wordpress.com and www.cassandrafear.com
Website: www.cassandrafear.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cassandrafearauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/CassieFear
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-Fear/e/B01DR0T4FQ/
Instagram: @cfear_27

Above the Flames

Jasmine’s sixteenth birthday was the worst ever…

All in one day, her dad died, she met a demon, and her mother rejected her existence forever. After all, the demon who killed her dad was there to take her, and all because of her stupid powers—the ability to conjure blue flames.

Two years later, she’s happy. But happy never lasts…

After moving to Idaho to live with her grandparents, Jasmine has a new life. Almost nobody knows about her powers, and she’s just a normal teenager with normal problems. Then comes her eighteenth birthday—and the earthquake that changes her world forever.

An army of demons rise from Hell. And Jasmine is right in the middle of the battle…

When demons claw their way to Earth, Jasmine is surrounded by hundreds of fire-eyed beasts. Worse, she is captured by a big-shot demon named Bael. He’s a tricky foe with a chip on his shoulder—and the desire to make Jasmine use her powers for evil.

Amon is a fallen angel with an attitude—and everything to lose.

Successfully escaping the underworld undetected, Amon is on a quest to regain God’s grace when he rescues Jasmine from the clutches of a particularly nasty demon he knows all too well. The attraction between him and the not-entirely-human captive is instantaneous. Heavenly sparks fly, but ideas of romance will have to wait. First they have to stop the demon race from wiping out the mortal realm. Humanity’s fate rests in their hands.

Can two fallen angels rise above the flames to ensure a future for mankind? Or will Jasmine and Amon’s souls be bound together—in hell?

Excerpt

She continued toward the sidewalk, taking in all the small shops that lined Main Street. Each side looked the same. Blood splatters. Broken windows. Glass sprinkling the street. She saw another body sprawled face down on the sidewalk, a puddle of crimson soaking into the concrete, turning dark brown. It seemed like she was walking through a haunted house, not the town she fell in love with.

Jasmine covered her mouth and she gasped as she passed Mr. Gregory’s barber shop, where Pa always got his hair cut. Mr. Gregory sat with his back to the wall in the doorway; his neck cut open and red streams flowing down it.

Footsteps pounded the asphalt behind her, and she knew the others had joined her, but it didn’t register. She rushed to the barbershop and grabbed the barber’s wrist, checked for a pulse, and let his dead arm fall to the ground. It landed with a thud that echoed off the walls in the small entrance. She cringed at the sight of blood coating his skin. Her stomach roiled and she stepped backward until she slammed into the wall behind. She turned her head, not wanting to see what lay before her.

Caim came forward and crouched down next to the body. “His body’s still warm. They can’t be far.”

“Everyone stay close. We don’t know what we are walking into,” Lamia said quietly but firmly.

Jasmine walked forward mechanically, and Beau matched her pace. She took steps, one after the other, like a zombie. Trash littered the sidewalks. Glass shards crunched under her feet as she followed Caim. The coppery smell of blood filled her senses. Dead bodies surrounded her. So many bodies.

Her voice shook. “Is there anyone left alive?”

 

If Cassandra has piqued your interest, tell us in the comments. Book can be purchased here:

Rodeo and Research

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

You may rightly wonder how a college teacher of literature and all round city girl knows enough about rodeo to set her novel in that world, especially when she views rodeo as a fascinating anachronism. (See last week’s post http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/2017/02/inspiration-for-bull-riding-witch.html).

After I attended that rodeo discussed last week, I kept attending more as the idea for The Bull Riding Witch simmered in my head. The incredible skill combined with the complete uselessness of such skill in the modern world continued to work on my imagination. When I was read to start writing the book, having attended a hand full of rodeos was hardly sufficient knowledge of the world of rodeo.
I tried to find a book on bull riding. There are a ton of romance novels starring bull riders.

 

But I couldn’t find a “how-to” book. The best I could come up with was Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, & Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour.
 
 
I read it. It taught me some things. In case you are wondering, the flank strap does not go around the bull’s testicles. It would be impossible to put it there even if they wanted to. It is an irritant, but the bull isn’t in real pain. I also learned that buckle bunnies, rodeo groupies, will ask bull riders to sign their breasts. (That detail didn’t end up in my book). But it didn’t tell me what I really needed to know, especially Joshua Killenyen, my bull rider is distinctly small time.

I did some internet research. While the bulls don’t often get hurt, the riders do. Injuries, often serious ones, are ridiculously common. This article from the LA Times sums it up with examples from one bull rider:
Bulls ripped open his chin, blackened his eyes and broke his nose, ribs and legs — the right leg three times.
But that all paled in comparison to what happened about a year and a half ago, when Beau Schroeder climbed on a snorting, bucking 1,800-pound monster called 800 Night Moves.
The bull threw him into the red dirt of the arena in Fort Mojave, Ariz. Its massive hooves trampled his chest, punctured his lungs and tore open his throat.
He couldn’t walk. He couldn’t talk. He could barely breathe.
Bull riders can even be killed or paralyzed. As bull riders like to say, “It’s not whether they’ll get hurt, it’s when.” Bull riders are crazy about it, too. The rider in the above story was back riding only two months after almost being killed. And that’s considered normal in bull riding.
I hit pay dirt when I cam across bullridercoach.com. More on that and Wiley Peterson next week.
Remember The Bull Riding Witch is coming on July 17.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve research? Tell us in the comments below.

What does Solar want? Character as Desire

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

In character development, one of the most, if not the most important, aspect to think about is your character’s motivation. What does he or she want? It is a character’s desires that controls their actions, and if you don’t have a clear idea of what those desires are, you end up with an inconsistent character that acts in ways that don’t make sense. You need to know what your character desires in the abstract as well as what achieving that desire will mean practically in any specific situation.

King Solar in The Goddess’s Choice has ruled over 50 years of unbroken peace. What he wants is for that peace to outlive him, to be the legacy he leaves his people. This is his great desire, what he wants in the abstract. For that to happen practically speaking, he knows he must have an heir. Without one, rival claimants will tear the country apart. But he reaches 70 without having fathered an child despite having had two wives and numerous mistresses. The priest tell him that the only way for him to have an heir is to take a wife just entering puberty. He finds this distasteful, but since peace is so important to him, he takes a thirteen-year-old wife. If you don’t understand his motivation, this might seem a little creepy of him, but if you know what he wants, it makes perfect sense. Achieving his desire of peace means in this particular circumstance he must marry someone he views as a child. When his young wife Fenella also fails to get pregnant, he is forced to face that fact that he is indeed sterile and decides that if he can’t get his own heir, someone else will have to do it for him. He manipulates circumstances so that Fenella will have an affair. Thereby, he gets his heir.

However, this complicates his life in ways that he hadn’t anticipated. Solar, like many characters, finds himself wanting more than one thing. Before Samantha’s birth, the nearly only focus of his desire was for lasting peace, but against his expectations, he falls in love with his daughter and finds himself wanting her to be happy.

 

When those two desires come into conflict, he becomes indecisive. Samantha is so young that he knows she needs a strong husband to ensure the stability of her reign, but Samantha doesn’t want to marry, and he is convinced that she will hate him if he forces her into a marriage. Desire #1 one–continued peace–is now in conflict with desire #2–his daughter’s happiness. Which will win out? You’ll have to read The Goddess’s Choice to find out.

 

What do your character want? Discuss them in the comments.

 

 

 

A Meddle of Wizards Cover Reveal

Jamie Marchant Posted on by
A MEDDLE OF WIZARDS
by Alexandra Rushe
Genre: Fantasy
Pub Date: 1/9/2018
Welcome to Tandara, where gods are
fickle, nightmares are real, and trolls make excellent bakers . . .
Raine Stewart is convinced she’ll die
young and alone in Alabama, the victim of a chronic, mysterious
illness. Until a man in a shabby cloak steps out of her mirror and
demands her help to defeat a bloodthirsty wizard.
Raine shrugs it off as a
hallucination—just one more insult from her failing body—and
orders her intruder to take a hike. But the handsome figment of her
imagination won’t take no for an answer, and kidnaps her anyway,
launching her into a world of utmost danger—and urgent purpose.
Ruled by unpredictable gods and
unstable nations, Tandara is a land of shapeshifters and
weather-workers, queens and legends. Ravenous monsters and greedy
bounty hunters patrol unforgiving mountains. Riverboats pulled by
sea-cattle trade down broad waterways. And creatures of nightmare
stalk Raine herself, vicious in the pursuit of her blood.
But Raine isn’t helpless or alone.
She’s part of a band as resourceful as it is odd: a mage-shy
warrior, a tattered wizard, a tenderhearted giant, and a prickly
troll sorceress. Her new friends swear she has powers of her own.
If she can stay under their protection, she might just live long
enough to find out…
Alexandra Rushe was born in South
Alabama, and grew up climbing trees, searching for sprites and
fairies in the nearby woods, and dreaming of other worlds. The
daughter of an English teacher and a small-town judge, Rushe
developed a love of reading early on, and haunted the school and
local libraries, devouring fairy tales, myths, and tales of
adventure. In the seventh grade, she stumbled across a worn copy of
The Hobbit, and was forever changed. She loves fantasy and
paranormal, but only between the pages of a book—the flying monkeys
in The Wizard of Oz give her the creeps, and she eschews horror
movies. A psychic friend once proclaimed the linen closet in Rushe’s
bedroom a portal to another dimension, and she hasn’t slept well
since. Rushe is a world-class chicken.

Y’Keta Book Tour & Giveaway

Jamie Marchant Posted on by
Y’keta
The Sky Road Trilogy Book 1
by Sandra Hurst
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Banished. Cast out. Powerless. Y’keta is exiled to the small village of
Esquialt as his father’s punishment for his rebellious spirit.
Village tradition gives him one Cycle, from spring to spring, to earn
the right to stay.

The villagers have a legend about mighty beings called the Waki’tani,
mythical lords of the wind and lightning who can shapeshift into
human form. Y’keta knows the truth behind these stories. Could there
be more to them than just tales shared around the campfire?
If Y’keta reveals what he knows to the villagers, it will tear their
history and traditions apart…but sharing his secrets may be their
only hope for survival when Esquialt is threatened by the brutal,
ferociously destructive Utlaak.
Loosely based on the Thunderbird of North American legend, Y’keta is an epic
fantasy set in an ancient world where legends walk and the Sky Road
offers a way to the stars.
Hi, my name is Sandra Hurst, the author of the Sky Road fantasy
series.
As a child growing up in England stories and legends
surrounded me, I learned how important imagination was. When I was 8,
we moved to northern Canada and the legends changed. Stories of the
Fae and the little people were replaced by legends of the Thunderbird
and stories of the woodlands. I never stood a chance. What could I be
but a writer?
Growing up in Northern Alberta gave me a great love and respect for the wild
lands and indigenous cultures which made its way into the worlds I
create. A mythmaker at heart, I started writing poetry in middle school and
graduated to epic fantasy.
Myths give us a way to interpret the world past our normal experience. To
ask questions and explore answers in a larger-than-life game of ‘what
if.’ We need to make room for myths and mythmakers in our fact
driven world. To give space for worlds that are brighter and clearer
than our own. For it is in doing so, that we have room to become more
fully human.
My first book, Y’keta, is loosely based on the Thunderbird of North American legend, Y’keta is a Young Adult, high
fantasy set in an ancient world where legends walk and the Sky Road
offers a way to the stars.
I now live in Calgary, Alberta with my husband and son, both of whom I
love dearly, and have put for sale on e-bay when their behaviour
demanded it. My day to day life is a balance between my outside life
as a paralegal counsellor and my inner life as an author/poet. In
between, I work on courses to improve my writing, learning the Cree
Language, book reviews and blogging on my website, and studying
mythologies from around the world.

 Hi, my name is Sandra Hurst and I’m a YA Fantasy author, thank you for the opportunity to talk to you and your readers today!

 

 What is something unique/quirky about you?

Ooh, you really want to go there? I think that answer would depend on who you talk to. My son would cringe and point to ‘opera nights,’ evenings when I don’t speak and insist on singing my answers to any questions. My husband might point to my fits of insomnia and my late-night Facebook addiction. But really! You meet the best people online at 3am.

If there is one thing I would say was unique or quirky about me it would be my breadth of interests, I’m a bit of a Hermione, a collector of odd facts and knowledge about anything from the Kaiju culture of manga Japan, to Shakespeare, to Opera, or the band Nightwish. There isnt much that I wont listen to, read, learn about and find value in.

What inspired you to write this book?

My first novel, Y’keta, came out of two unconnected events about four years ago, the first was an off the cuff comment made by a relative on the reactions she dealt with when she came out as LGBTQ in the early 80’s, the other was a long night sitting beside a campfire in Grande Cache, Alberta watching the Northern Lights dance over the horizon.

Myths give us a way to interpret the world past our normal experience. To ask questions and explore answers in a larger-than-life game of ‘what if.’ In my novel, Y’keta, the question is about identity. Is Y’keta willing to give up his identity to please his father? Is he willing to risk being honest about himself, even though he may lose everything he has grown to love.

Who is your hero and why?

I don’t think that I have a real-life hero. There are so many people that inspire me, whether they are historical figures or literary ones. I think the common thread in all of them is that they had the opportunity to quit, every reason to say I’m too old, too tired, it’s just easier to let it be someone else’s problem. This kind of hero, unwilling, often flawed, yet willing to step up, gets me every time. These heroes all have one thing in common. They are people very much like I am, broken and damaged people just trying to do their best with the time they are given.

As far as literary heroes, I love the authors who can make words dance and sentences MEAN things. This has led me to authors like Guy Gavriel Kay, and Don Dellilo. I would give my left ovary (not so dramatic a thing since at 54 those parts are hardly crucial) to sit down with either of these gentlemen, or even better their writing notes, for an afternoon!

What book do you think everyone should read?

Mine? Oh, you mean someone else’s book! Picking one book that everyone should read? Oh, that’s hard. If I had to make a choice I think that I would choose The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay. The writing is lyrical and holds enough legends, enough magic, enough historical reference, and enough action to please most people and to delight word birds such as me.

Describe your writing style.

I think that question would be more appropriately asked of someone who has read my work. It’s hard to describe yourself without being either self congratulatory or somewhat delusional. If I had to say something about my own style, I think I would call it lyrical. I was a poet long before I accepted the challenge of writing prose. I would compare my style to current writers I think I would say that it is somewhat like early work by Guy Gavriel Kay or Neil Gaiman, although I think I smell the self-delusion rising on that one.

What makes a good story?

To me, a good story is one that has characters with depth and nuance. I think it’s important that the characters in a story face conflict, something has to push them out of their safe zones and into situations that they aren’t prepared for, whether that something is a ‘bad guy or an internal crisis. The book has to be driven by the growth and decisions of the character, not just a plot that moves them from place to place like players on a chess board.

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Hell Holes: What Lurks Below Book Blast

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…

 

Excerpt

After seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity, the cigarette butt tumbled past Mark and eventually reached the depth where the concentration of methane and hydrogen sulfide reached explosive levels.

There was a deafening whoosh, and a huge fireball the size of the hole erupted from the pit. Luckily, the blast from the explosion blew us backwards, away from the hole. That was the only thing that saved us from the intense heat radiating from the colossal swirling ball of fire and smoke that had roared from the crater. It felt like I was standing next to a hundred heat lamps, and I heard the sizzling sound of my hair and beard beginning to burn on the side of my head that faced the flames. Turning my back to the hole, I immediately used my hands to extinguish my burning hair before it could seriously burn me. Disgusted by the stench of a mixture of burnt hair and rotten eggs, I picked myself up and looked back towards the hole. Above us, a huge pillar of smoke rose like the ash cloud of an erupting volcano. Looking back down, we saw the burning nylon rope continue to rise until its end slipped over the edge of the hole. Only a little of Mark’s smoldering body harness was still attached to its end.

“No!” We heard Jill’s horror-filled scream coming loudly over our walkie-talkies, followed less than a second later when her anguished cry reached us from across the pit. I could just make out Jill’s wavering form through the turbulent superheated air rising up between us as she raced back around the hole.

I looked over to where Kowalski was standing, staring in disbelief at the fiery pit his thoughtlessness had created. I was beyond furious. The next thing I knew, I had him by the jacket and was screaming in his face, “You Goddamned careless son of a bitch! Weren’t you listening? Didn’t you hear me say there was hydrogen sulfide in the pit?”

“Buh, buh, but…” he stammered as he tried to back away from me.

Without realizing it, I was slowly backing him up to the hole. I might have backed him over the edge had Bill not forced himself between us. “That’s enough!” he commanded.

Suddenly, I realized what I was doing and let go. It was clear from his expression that he’d had no idea that the gasses in the bottom of the hole were flammable, let alone sufficiently concentrated to be explosive.

My fiery rage died as I turned my anger inward. Kowalski hadn’t killed Mark. I had. I was in charge and responsible for the lives of my team. I should have spotted the danger sooner. Mark was my student, so I should have sent him up first. Worst of all, I had seen Kowalski smoking next to the hole and done nothing. I turned my back on the hole and wearily walked away across the empty tundra.

 

About the Author

A computer geek by day, at night and on weekends Donald Firesmith writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from magical woods and mystical gemstones.

A computer geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He is also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat worrying whether the term “distinguished” makes him sound more like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still more red than gray.

By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.

Links:

Website: http://donaldfiresmith.com/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonFiresmith

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1290902.Donald_G_Firesmith

Buy Links: The book is free

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Praise Quotes

“I enjoyed my time in Firesmith’s world. I did not want to leave. I really got a kick out of it, and would happily come back for more. Recommended.”  MJ Kobernus, author of The Guardian: Blood in the Sand

“This book rocks.” Barton Paul Levenson, author of Dark Gods of Alter Telluria

“a quick, enjoyable read. Full of action and fraught with danger” Dave Robertson, author of Strange Hunting, Strange Hunting II, and The Brave and The Dead

“The book is an easy and quick read and an action-filled one that you’ll imagine as a TV series or a movie with no difficulty.” Olga Núñez Miret, author of Escaping Psychiatry

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 Donald will be awarding an autographed copy of the Hell Holes 2: Demons on the Dalton (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Author, Mariah Avix

Jamie Marchant Posted on by

Mixing fantasy and science fiction, Mariah can do it.

Mariah Avix is the creator of 600 Second Saga. A space for developing authors to explore the realms of science fiction and fantasy in 10 minutes or less every week. Mariah writes magical tales of how technology will change our world, and technologically laced tales of magic, that probably isn’t real. She is currently working on a series of novellas about shapeshifters who fight wildfires, a trilogy about a woman who refuses to admit that she has the M word (magic), and endless flash fiction. When she’s not writing she walks along the rivers and parks throughout her city looking for inspiration.

Interview

  1. Do you think people have misconceptions about the speculative fiction? Why do you think it is a worthwhile genre?

 

Yes! I think the biggest misconception is that it is a singular thing. Or that it is a less powerful thing. Humans have been telling speculative fiction as long as there have been stories. Where did lightening come from? Why does it flood? What are the sparkly things up above us and why do they mostly show up at night?

Speculative fiction lets us explore the unknown, cope with change, and better understand ourselves as we are today. There is something for everyone in speculative fiction. From stories projecting what the applications of future tech will be, to stories with the barest hint of was it magic or was it real? So many love stories have a spark of magic. So many underdog sports stories have a whisper of the impossible come true. It really laces through everything.

2. Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book?

Summer Solace is a love story. All three of the main characters the story follows feel like they won’t ever have the ability to love or trust again and discovering that people are flawed and having to live with it or deciding not to.

3. Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

Right now I think it is Faye. She is a middle aged woman who is sort of a park ranger, a fire fighter, a widow, the person who keeps the shifters in her community in line, and a peregrine falcon. She’s very dedicated to her community and loves the people and animals around her completely. She’s also open to a chance at love again after having lost her husband and son, and she’s willing to struggle but not compromise.

4. Titles have always been extremely difficult for me. How do you come up with yours?

Titles are extremely difficult for me too! In all cases except for 1 I have the same process. When I start the book, I label it the worst possible thing. My current WIP for the first 3 drafts was “Mountain Lion Man” because the story centered around a man who was a mountain lion shifter… The book I just put out was titled “Peregrine Falcon Woman” (I’ll bet you can guess what it is about!) I start fairly early on in the book listing key words, themes, and ideas in a file. As I go along, I start to remix them. Then I’ll talk through my best ideas with a good friend who usually manages to say oh! and remix those ideas in a new way. Rinse and repeat a handful of times until I like something. I’ve had as many as 20 title iterations.

Dangerous Metal is the only title that ever felt easy and obvious. I still think it is a fantastic title for that novel and is my favorite title.

5. What is your favorite writing tip or quote?

Always read your work out loud. It makes a lot of sense to me as someone who does audio work, but it is also partly a throwback to story telling has been around longer than writing has. Humans have told stories as long as they could. Sometimes the story is don’t eat that root because it makes you sick. Sometimes it is the best berries are over there. And sometimes it is look up to the sky and guess what’s out there.

Those stories were told out loud. Passed along. Intended to have rhythm and motion. And that’s still the case for the best stories. Reading your work out loud lets you hear if there is rhythm and motion; it lets you feel the pacing and stumble. If you stumble when you read something aloud, then your reader will stumble. It is a good way to proofread. It is also a good way to fall in love with your own work after a lot of editing. (Though I recommend taking a break before you go right into reading again.)

6. Tell us a little about your plans for the future.  Do you have any other books in the works?

I’m working on a couple things right now. I am reworking from scratch a novel about a woman who is very unhappy to discover she might have the m word (magic). It’s an urban fantasy with a lot of magic on technical items (versus technical magic). I think the intersection of technology and magic is a wonderful space for stories.

I’m also working on the next of the Smoke Jumpers series, I have 2 novellas in progress for that. Each of them will feature different lead characters though they are all in the same world.

Where can we find you online? 

Blog: http://insani-x.com/

Website: http://insani-x.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/600SecondSaga/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariahAvix

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mariah-Avix/e/B01AWKQYI4/

Good Reads https://www.goodreads.com/mariah_avix

Summer Solace

Malcolm needs a summer away to decide if he wants to stay with his cheating wife. His daughter Daisy never wants to see the people who betrayed her.

In a cabin as far from the city as they can get Faye, the park ranger, warns them of fire, woods, and wildlife.

Will either learn to love or trust again, or will the forest devour them first?

Excerpt

Daisy frowned and picked up the binoculars by the window. She wasn’t sure but it looked sort of like a wisp of smoke. Looking closer there were no other wisps in the area. It didn’t seem like fog.

She held the binoculars pointed at the wisp and grabbed for the phone. She dialed the park office and Faye answered. “Hi Faye. I think I maybe see something that looks a little like smoke.”

“Where are you?” Faye’s voice was tense and high.

“I’m in my room, I’m looking down–” The line went dead.

Daisy frowned and looked down at the phone, it didn’t seem like Faye to hang up before getting all the details, but maybe she was going to race up the path. She’d done that before, gotten up to the cabin inhumanly fast. Daisy didn’t know if she should try the next number of the list.

She looked through the binoculars again, the wisp was still there, she was feeling more confident that it was fire. A screeching call and a huge bird seemed to fly right at her. She dropped the binoculars. She reached out to grab it but the bird grabbed it in its claws and flew back up to her. The bird set the binoculars down and screeched at her.

Daisy had been looking through the birding books and recognized it as a peregrine falcon as it perched on the window ledge. It screeched and pushed the binoculars toward her. Daisy picked them up. The bird of prey wanted something from her. She’d never been this close to a bird.

The bird called again and used its head to bump her hand, raising the binoculars closer to her eyes. Daisy got the feeling that the bird wanted to know where the fire was. She frowned and decided to play along.

She spotted the wisp again and pointed in the direction. The falcon took off. Daisy kept her eyes focused on the smoke. The falcon was diving into the spot incredibly fast. Daisy stared at the spot for a while longer but all she could see was that the amount of smoke seemed to increase.

Daisy dug out the list of phone numbers that Faye had given her and started at the top of the list. A man who sounded like he’d just woken up gruffly answered the phone. Daisy relayed the last few minutes of the morning to him.

She heard a loud roar that sounded for all the world like a bear through the phone, it got quieter quickly. A younger man who sounded surprisingly calm spoke into the phone. “We are on our way. Call this number immediately if you see anything change. Keep an eye from above. Do whatever the bird wants.”