New Fantasy Covers...

Good evening folks! It has been a while since last we spoke. Hope all is well with you and yours. 

The reason that I have posted today was that I have reworked my fantasy series book covers in the Realm of Ashenclaw setting and wanted some feedback.

Are they too simple? Do they suggest fantasy? Are they something you might take a look at, does it draw you in?

I like to test things quite a bit with my work and wanted to try something to shake up the series, despite the excellent artwork on the prior covers. Here they are:

Please comment and let me know.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Stephanie O' Brien Interview

First off, tell us a little bit about you, Stephanie... 

I’m a genre-hopping fan and creator of fiction, who spends more time with my head in fictional worlds than is entirely good for my schedule and navigational skills. (Oh, I was supposed to turn left there? Shoot, I was busy writing a novel in my head.) My favorites tend to be sci-fi stories, but I also love fantasy, and if something is really good, genre is no object.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider them? 

I’ve written in multiple genres. “My Fugitive” and “Voice of a Silent Fugitive” are wartime psychological suspense novels, starring a mute, wounded warrior and a young civilian girl who are trying to keep each other alive in enemy territory. “Heroic Lies” is a superhero sci-fi novel which takes the classic hero-villain-reporter trio and puts a dark new spin on it, and “Catigrl Roommate” is a comedy novel.

When did you start writing? 

About as early as I knew how. I finished my first full-length novel when I was 12, and wrote a short book and a few half-finished projects before then.

Why do you write? 
Because I enjoy it. I like creating and exploring worlds and characters, and evoking emotions, that reflect and yet differ from the ones we encounter in everyday life.

What would be your choice for a superpower? 

The ability to magically create any object I wanted, with no negative side effects to myself or the universe. This would pretty much enable me to replicate any other superpower.

Who is your favorite author? 

That’s a tough one, but I’m going to say Karen Hancock.

What are you reading now? 

 “The Wizard’s First Rule”.

Who is your favorite character to write? 

I think so far Zorei from “Heroic Lies” has been my favorite. He’s one of those rare gems who practically writes himself, but I enjoyed writing Alexandra, too. They play off each other so well.

Do you have a writing process? 

 First, I write a quick outline. As much of each scene as pops into my head at the time. This lets me see an outline of the whole story, and rearrange parts of it if need be to ensure that it flows well and that all the events are in order. Then I go through the whole book and flesh it out. If a new scene pops into my head, or I get a burst of inspiration to write a scene later in the book, I write it down and then go back to where I left off.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? 

For one thing, don’t wait to write “candy bar scenes” until you get to that part of the book. If you’ve got a scene that you’re REALLY looking forward to writing, and it’s vivid and wonderful in your mind, write it down NOW. There have been several times when I’ve had an amazing scene write itself in my head, but I waited for months to actually type it out, and by the time it did, the sparkle was gone. It was three times as hard to write, and the result was half as good.

Another piece of advice is, don’t be afraid to make your characters really unusual or unique. Give them quirks, even if the characters and quirks are minor. How many times have you seen a minor character become an internet sensation, just because people loved the one little oddity that they displayed?

A third is to remember that bestselling authors are just that: best SELLING authors, not best WRITING authors. I really hated this piece of advice when I got it, but it’s true: if you don’t sell many books, it isn’t necessarily because you’re a bad writer; it’s because you aren’t marketing and selling your book effectively. So if you plan to self-publish, or even if you want to catch a publisher’s attention, you need to learn how to get people interested.

What inspired you to pursue writing? 

As noted earlier, I enjoy it. Despite my above advice, I’ll admit that I probably don’t spend nearly enough time marketing my books, because most of my marketing efforts are focused on my other business. And yet, I keep writing, because I like it.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? 
“Farscape” is my current favorite. “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, “Firefly”, “Serenity”, and “Star Trek” are also high on my list.

What are your current projects? 

I’m currently working on a comedy novel for cat lovers, called “Catgirl Roommate”. It’s about a poor college student who accepted an offer of free rent in exchange for taking care of his “special needs” roommate. Unfortunately for him, his new roommate is a catgirl. She’s the size of a human, but with all the bad habits of a cat, so I’m sure the cat owners reading this can imagine the crap he has to put up with.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? 

Would it be cliche and obvious of me to say “check out my books”? Haha. (PS. Go check out her books here! ~ GFV) Just as importantly, for all the fans and writers who are reading this: have fun with it, fearlessly. If you have a story to write, go and write it, just the way you want to – not the way that you think will sell best, or the way you think other people want you to write it. And if you have a story or franchise you totally adore, geek out about it. Get into communities of people who share your passion, and be honest about your obsession. After all, fiction helps us to connect with each other, and with parts of ourselves that don’t have enough room to stretch their legs in day-to-day life, so why not love it?

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Cats, even if their bad behaviour inspired me to write a book.
Coffee or tea? Tea.
Favorite food? Chocolate.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Chocolate, of course. :)
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My purse, the clothes on my back, and my cell phone.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop.
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? Masashi Kishimoto, Wayne Pygram, and Mary Morrissey.

TV or Movies? TV. I like how it has more time to develop the characters, world and plot.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Wothlondia Rising FREE (mostly) Everywhere!

Amazon.com has finally come around and I am hoping that the rest of the Amazon stores will follow suit and reflect the price change soon enough. As the title says, the introductory book to my Realm of Ashenclaw series is finally FREE, almost everywhere. I must say, there's never been a better time to dive in and experience the tales that set these heroes on their path to become legends in Wothlondia.

Art by William Kenney

If you are so inclined to begin the journey and experience the tales that introduce you to my world and it's inhabitants, it can be found mostly everywhere now for free. And I am excited for that.

The book can be found here:
➲ KINDLE ➲  iTunes ➲  NOOK ➲ Smashwords  ➲ WattPad

I wanted to re-post some lovely things that the editor of the series, Stephanie Dagg, said in an interview--things which I could never have even conceived about my own writing, etc. And so, this is what she had to say about Wothlondia Rising...

I’ve worked on all sorts of books during my 25 years of editing, most of them as a freelance, and it’s true to say that fantasy is one of the more interesting literary genres. Fantasy authors are not only creative, extremely so, but of necessity also very methodical. Does that sound contradictory? What I mean is that because they’re creating a unique universe, they have it all mapped out in their heads, and often physically too. I made plenty of use of Gary’s map of Wothlondia during my editing, to check that when he said certain characters were heading northwest towards Greymoors from Chansuk that they were. (Editors have to keep an eye on everything!) Gary clearly knows his way around Wothlondia like the back of his hand since and he never put a foot wrong there!

Another example of fantasy writer organization. In one of the new stories, A Rose in Bloom, I felt we needed a couple more sentences in one part where a character, Ganthorpe, was rattled by the ringing of the bell for midnight. So I sent a request to Gary. Now, some authors tend to panic when an editor asks for extra material, and rattle something - anything - off. You duly slot it into place, only to find a few pages later that this new stuff proves to be inconsistent with later events, so it’s back to the drawing board. Not with Gary. He sent me a well-constructed replacement paragraph that lent the clarity I was after, and mentioning Brogan the timekeeper, so I put those in. I’m currently reading Covenant of the Faceless Knights and was delighted to come across a mention of Brogan and his bells in an early chapter! Everything fits together perfectly, not only in this story but in the way all Gary’s tales interact.

Fantasy has its own lexicon with words such as phylactery, mage and goblinoid that you won’t find in other genres. The language also tends to be more formal with some archaisms. I’m always delighted to come across those since I’m all for using as diverse a range of vocabulary as possible in writing. And the different races that inhabit the fantastic world have their own way of speaking. You can tell an elf from a dwarf from an ogre simply by listening to them.

Other distinguishing features of fantasy, on top of these elements of a cracking good plot, organisation and rich language, are the idea of a hero (or heroine) on a quest, the common ‘humanity’ of this central figure that means we empathise with him or her, the existence of magic and the supernatural, and the fight of good against evil. Alongside the quest there often comes a journey of self-discovery, and this is very much the case with Gary’s characters. You’ll see this strongly in the Wothlondia Rising series of short stories, particularly in Maturation Process and Reflections.
I guarantee that you will be deeply moved by the latter.

And all Gary’s heroes and heroines are likable because they’re so real. We get clear, detailed physical descriptions of them and their personalities quickly emerge. We can see parts of ourselves in them, even if they’re elves, or barbarians or half ogres. For example, Rose Thorne enjoys a glass of wine, Rolin Hardbeard doesn't like riding horses, Saeunn has her eye on the handsome lad from the next village, and Elec lets his personal hygiene slip a little when he’s on his own. They could be any one of us... But imperfect as they are, when put to the test they’ll do what’s right.

Fantasy mirrors not only real people but a real world. Wothlondia has many of the same terrors and threats that we have, such as racism, dishonesty, violence and crime. I’m just grateful we don’t have the added complication of Blood Rot Zombies!
In conclusion then, editing fantasy, and especially Gary’s Wothlandian fantasy, is an interesting and rewarding challenge. And memorable. Here are a handful of sentences from Gary’s stories that have stuck in my mind because of their sheer power or beauty:

Nimaira still lay on the cold ground, rubbing her jaw, with tears—not tears of pain, but tears of what might have been—welling in her beautiful eyes.
His eyes were reflections of the bluest of skies, quite unlike those of any ogre, whose eyes were always as black as the darkest caverns of the Subterrane.
The Paladin felt the darkness closing in on him, wresting control of his soul.
He merely stood frozen in place while a tumult of emotions bombarded him.
She had wept for countless hours and felt there should be no more tears left to cry, yet still they came, unbidden and unending.

You’re going to enjoy Wothlondia Rising, make no mistake.

(Originally posted here on Feb 12, 2012) 

Thanks and I hope to see you in Wothlondia!

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE  and my SMASHWORDS PAGE!

Also, Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Joseph Murphy Interview

M. Joseph Murphy kindly offered to do an interview here on Eye on Ashenclaw and is working on two series at once! He considers his books to be YA friendly, fantasy and a few other things, and so, with all of that in mind, let's get to know Joe!

First off, tell us a little bit about you...I write under the name M Joseph Murphy but just call me Joe. I live in Windsor, ON, Canada, right across the river from Detroit Michigan. I’ve taught accounting and business classes at local colleges for the last 8 years. I’m engaged; the wedding is set for November 16th, 2013. I’m an obsessive video game addict but I rarely have time to play. Writing and my other projects keep me too busy.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books? 
I’m writing two series simultaneous. One, set on Earth, is a paranormal thriller/urban fantasy. The other, set on another planet, is epic fantasy. Each series is YA-Friendly. Both series are tied together. Characters from one series will show up in the other and vice versa.

I published my first book, Council of Peacocks in July. I’m currently revising the 3 draft of my next novel. It will be out to beta readers in September with a publishing date scheduled for early December.

When did you start writing? I started writing novels in Grade 4, so over 30 years ago. My first was a horror novel about an old, haunted school house. Since then I’ve written several hundred poems, 50 or so short stories and 8 novels. Although it was my first published, Council of Peacocks the first polished enough to be worthy of publishing.

Why do you write? For the same reason I breath. I do it or die. Also I may have a death wish.

What would be your choice for a superpower? Telepathy just like Professor Xavier. If you can control the minds of every other person on the planet, you don’t need any other power. 

Who is your favorite author? 
Tough Question. From a pure craft perspective Alice Munro. She’s a Canadian writer who works mostly in short stories. She has a way of transmitting a great deal of story into very small number of words. I’m envious. From a story telling perspective either Clive Barker of Jim Butcher.

What are you reading now? Nowadays I read mostly independently published work. I belong to several Read for Review groups on Goodreads. I also belong to a writers group called Suckersguild. I beta read and edit for our members. I just finished The Nightlife: Paris by Travis Luedke. It was easily one of the best-written vampire books I’ve ever read. No sparkling but a good deal of sex and violence.

Who is your favorite character to write? The most fun to write is a character from Council of Peacocks named Jessica. She’s a really bitch young girl with insane amounts of telekinetic power. Emotionally, I’m very connected to a character from my next book, Tadgh Dooley. He’s a young man turned into a werecat by a demon. Even though he does some unspeakable things, he is the most human, fully realized character I’ve ever written.

Do you have a writing process? Yes. Vomit on paper for the first draft then revise, revise, revise. For my first draft I set daily page goals (usually 5-10 pages). I don’t stop writing until I hit my quota. I make a conscious decision that the first draft will need massive work so I don’t get hung up on making it perfect.

First drafts are fun. The real artistry comes in the hard work of revision.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Stop thinking about being a writer and just write the damn book. There is no secret to it; just hard work. Don’t wait for “muse”. Sit down every day for at least an hour and just write whatever comes to mind. Who cares if the first draft is terrible. Usually, I don’t even know what the book is about or why I’m writing it until I’ve finished the first draft.

Don’t expect a quick road to fame and fortune. That’s very rare. Focus on writing as many high quality books as you can. It’s the only sure-fire road to success.

What inspired you to pursue writing? I had a teacher in high school, Mrs. Elizabeth Christie. She pulled me aside one day and told me she saw something in my writing that she had only seen in a handful of students. She told me she had faith that I could make it as a writer. It gave me the courage to be a writer. It also made me want to become a teacher. I saw the way she helped transform my life simply by believing in me. Now, I get to affect people’s lives every day. I’m the luckiest person on the planet.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? Currently I’m watching Homeland and 24. I like the tension and the confined nature of the story telling. In September I work on the 2nd draft of the direct sequel to Council of Peacocks. It’s called Beyond the Black Sea. I want it to be a little bit Homeland and a little bit X-Men.

What are your current projects? Too many. I’m promoting Council of Peacocks, revising A Fallen Hero Rises, assisting the members of the Suckersguild with promotion of their works, and I beta read or review 3 books per month. I’m also working on a documentary about the Windsor Hum. If you’re not familiar with the phenomenon you could Google it. It was recently showcased on Joe Rogan Questions Everything.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? Thank you. All my reviews have been positive, even those that concerns or criticisms , in general, have thrown high praise at my work. Hearing those kind works is the greatest feeling in the world.  My blog is http://CouncilOfPeacocks.blogspot.ca.

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? – For food or companionship? I’m going to go with cats.
Coffee or tea? - Coffee
Favorite food? - Taco Bell. No seriously
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? - vanilla
What are 3 things you never leave home without? - cell phone, wallet, pants
Laptop or desktop? – laptop for work, desktop for video games
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? - Joss Whedon and Jane Espenson because they are super cool. Liam Payne from One Direction because hanging with him would make me instantly famous.
TV or Movies? – I love big screens and I cannot lie. Imax 3D. I’m spoiled.

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Covenant of the Faceless Knights Re-Release (kind of)

As a writer, artist, musician, or whatever it is that you do for work, hobby, fun, torture, etc...there comes a time when you find your stride. It is something inexplicable and as mysterious as the cosmos. But, when it happens, suffice to say, you will know it. The reason I am bringing up the topic, is because I believe I have finally hit a stride with my writing. It is just coming much easier to me these days and with fewer drafts/revisions. As my writer friends might empathize, that stride occurs when your voice takes the jumbled mess in your head and spits it out on the page in a cohesive way that makes you say: 'yep, that's what I meant to say!'

And I could not be more excited.

I had been working my 4th manuscript in the series over the last year, entitled Tower of Torment. This was in between medical issues, starting a new career and other nonsense, but I have since finished it up. I have an editing procedure in which I read my written word out loud. (not gonna say how or go into details to bore you) Anyhow, I wrote it, listened to it one time, did my edits, and am happier than a pig in...well, you know what.

William Kenney's artwork, unimpaired by words!

For those of you who do not partake in the often torturous and typically flighty mistress that is independent writing, finding your voice is something to be achieved and somewhat expected...hopefully. Spending less time editing is just a boon! Independent writers more so than any other author, can relate to this arduous task. I liken finding your voice to when a musician identifies a note clearly for the first few times, or an artist sees the image inside his or her head so vividly, that the image comes out with ease, clearer and more vibrantly than ever. All writers hit their stride at some point in their career and I feel that I have recently hit mine.

Let me clarify something. That is not to say my prior work was poor, it simply means that I can say what I meant to say a few years prior with a bit more clarity and ease.

So, I have spent the last few weeks painstakingly re-working Covenant of the Faceless Knights, my first written work, and have made some changes, edits and other things. The content is much the same, but the minimal changes in sentence structure, dialogue and action, I would hope are worth another (or perhaps an initial) look! This is something that I had wanted to do for a long time, but could not find the time or patience. Now I have a publisher that may or may not be interested and decided that this was the right time. I was going to do it anyway, so this was as good a time as any after finishing the 4th manuscript in my Realm of Ashenclaw series.

Also, as a one time courtesy, if you have purchased the book before, and would like the updated version free of charge, please contact me with a DM on Facebook or twitter and I will gift you a copy! Or email me your contact info at the address below.

The almost-chosen blue background!

And for those of you who haven't read it yet--and you know who you are!--I am giving away up to ten free copies in exchange for reviews. All you have to do is comment below using the tag, 'give me my free book!', and then send an email to info@ashenclaw.com with the same subject line and body text. That's it! It’s that simple! The first ten to place comments below are the winners. First come, first served. PLEASE understand that I would like the review! I have given away work in the past and have yet to receive the promised reviews, (some) so please keep this in mind.

Cover art to Wothlondia Rising

And in celebration of this accomplishment, I am reducing the price of Wothlondia Rising: The Anthology back down to 99 cents indefinitely! Get all of my previously released short stories that build up our favorite heroes together in 1 tome! Plus the never-independently-released tale of our favorite half-ogre barbarian, Orngoth, entitled REFLECTIONS.

Ever wonder what a sets a hero  on his or her path? Wonder no more! Grab your copy today!

Thanks for listening to my rants and pitches as usual, and please feel free to comment on how you may have found your own writing voice or artistic stride, or musical ear, or whatever it might be that you do well!

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All Artwork and covers by William J. Kenney

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

FOR NOW

TOWER OF TORMENT Preview

First off, Happy Father's Day where applicable!

Secondly, my fourth book in the Realm of Ashenclaw series, the first of a new trilogy, is in the final stages of editing. It is entitled Tower of Torment, the trilogy will be entitled Embers of War, and it picks up right where Secrets of the Ebonite Mines left off. If you haven’t been keeping up, shame on you!

To recap, The BEGINNINGS trilogy starts with Book 1, Wothlondia Rising, which is a collection of short stories, but is important in that it lays the ground work for the next book. I feel that getting to know the protagonists before they get together is very important and so, this book has become a must-read in the series. Book 2 is the first full-length novel, entitled Covenant of the Faceless Knights and is actually the first book I wrote, but is second chronologically. This book picks up right after the last short story in the Wothlondia Rising Anthology and puts our group of lovable heroes together on a quest to recover a dangerous artifact, an amulet that contains the soul of an evil being—one that would grant lost power to the lich he has become.

Book 3, Secrets of the Ebonite Mines, continues our heroes on their quest, still looking for the artifact. However, as they continue their search, they meet up with a group of highwaymen led by a dwarven ex-noble, and his unique group of sellswords. Things escalate quickly as the two groups meet and some unexpected events leave our heroes with more disturbing information on the whereabouts of the artifact.

Book 4, TOWER OF TORMENT, progresses our story-lines as romance develops, new evils are discovered and tragic events become all-too-real for the group of companions along their quest. An underlying evil grows in strength and tragedy is faced all too often. All of this must be overcome, lest the realm fall to that very evil.

Without further ado, here is a preview from the 4th installment in the Realm of Ashenclaw series…

The incredible artwork of William J. Kenney

Garius immediately realized the futility of that last spell of healing. The man was dead instantly and the precision of the shot did not offer him even the slightest of chances at using his gift of divine healing.

 The bolt had not only penetrated the man’s heart, rendering him dead before Garius could even begin to tend his wound, but the area around the injury appeared covered in a poisonous substance. He could smell it.

Instead he removed The Repentant from its resting place upon his back and gripped its handle firmly. He infused the hammer with the divine magic that flowed freely within him and the runes lit up along with the hammer’s head. It felt light in his hands and he swung it hard, its massive head connecting with a slagfell warrior at the base of the three steps leading up and to the wine cellar, who was unwittingly—and justifiably!— giving his full attention to Orngoth.

 He recalled the first time he’d laid eyes upon the half-ogre as he shattered the skull of a slagfell warrior beneath his own helmet and smirked in remembrance. He quickly climbed the steps into the wine cellar and mouthed the words to another spell. That enchantment sent forth a blessing of divine power that settled over his allies. As the spell bathed them in holy light, he gripped The Repentant firmly in his hands once more and moved to intercept another of the slagfell assailants. 

Elec’s seat radiated with pain as his tailbone slammed against the floor. That was the least of his concerns though as he peered down to examine the pair of bolts that extended from his chest. He immediately refocused on the threat of the poison and carefully ran his fingers along his bandolier of elixirs until he found the proper one. Using his teeth to clamp down onto the plug, Elec removed it and downed the contents of the flask before replacing the stopper, and then the flask, into the bandolier.

He looked up in time to see one of the slagfell standing over him, an axe raised above his head in one hand, a crossbow in the other. A cruel grin was evident on his face beneath his thick, black beard and a crazed look was in his eyes beneath his steel helm.

“Time ta’ die, methinks!” But instead of a death blow, Elec witnessed a shadow fall over them both. The slagfell craned its neck about slowly in time to see the unforgiving surface of a club as it crushed both skull and helm. Elec winced at the ferocity with which the blow was struck, glanced up to see that both the helm and everything beneath had conformed to the shape of the heavy club, and also took note of the mask of rage set upon the half-ogre’s features. He silently thanked the gods that he was not the recipient of that unbridled ferocity.

Elec quickly returned his attention to the twin shafts and winced as he removed them from his flesh as quickly as possible. His lifeblood emerged in excess from beneath his leather jerkin and he removed a rag, soaked it in the alcohol that gathered in puddles on the floor, and placed it firmly against his chest, waiting for his potions to do their work.

He hoped that they would take effect before he passed out from the pain.

 

With that, Ganthorpe stood and stared deep within the shadowed recesses of the hall leading back to the kitchen. He caught a glimmer of auburn hair as it disappeared within the darkness. 

His heart raced and he became flush.

She is here!

“Are you all right?”

Ganthorpe turned and regarded the huge man who stared at him. He blinked at him a few times before realizing he’d asked him a question.

“Of course,” he lied, straightening his jerkin and running a hand through his dark hair. He sat back down in the chair and leaned in close again.

“I need to make use of your private office.”

Fabian looked at him queerly and then nodded. “Of course ya’ can use it. Do I—“

“No. no questions asked. Just give me the key. Or don’t. Either way.” Fabian reached below the collar of his apron and removed a chain with a key dangling on its end. He handed it to Ganthorpe who accepted it absently and looked to his guards. “Stay here. I will return soon enough.”

His men also looked at him as if they all wanted to question him, but none of them uttered a word.

He nodded to them and proceeded up several flights of stairs to Fabian’s private office, inserted the key, turned the knob and walked in. The space was bathed in shadow as it only had one window on the opposite side of the room. Fabian had it built that way as the man was more than a bit distrustful. And reasonably so, as he operated an illicit gambling setup as well as a delightful kitchen.

“Hello, lover boy.” His heart skipped a beat. A shadowy figure emerged from the recesses of the darkness and a flash of auburn hair shone briefly in the light of the window.

“Are you trying to have me killed?” 

Saeunn realized Elec’s plight with horror. She hoped that it would not be the last time she spoke to the elf, realizing that he was finally beginning to excel in the ways of combat. The thought of losing another made her angry beyond words. She’d felt terrible loss before—many times, she recalled. And she would not allow another to die while she still had life within her.

Her bloodlust came calling just then and she did not contest it. Instead she kicked out and shoved one slagfell back, diving forward and under a wide arcing swing of an axe, landing further away, where she could make good use of her powerful sword. Until now, she’d been choking mid-way up the sword to the top of the handle and using it defensively.

The time for defensive fighting was over.

I hope this enticed you, teased you and made you squirm a little. Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

The Tracy Falbe Interview

I have known of Tracy for well over a year now and judging from her covers and descriptions, I am going to have to pick them up and give them a read! She writes epic fantasy, which is exactly the kind of stuff I read. So, I want to thank her for stopping by and Tracy was kind enough to let me interview her. This is what she had to say...

First off, tell us a little bit about you.

 I’m a native Midwesterner but I lived out West in Nevada and California for many years. I’m currently living in Michigan again and appear to be a nondescript soccer mom. I take care of my kids, attempt to train my juvenile German Shepherd dog, and volunteer at my kids’ schools. But when no one is looking I write novels. In my head I’m plotting daring escapes, the conquest of civilizations, love triangles, and mortal duels. My imagination has always saved me from an existence punctuated by boredom and stress. Surprisingly people have often described me as “down to Earth.” This must stem from my intuitive connection to the natural world. I’m an advocate for the local food movement. I source as much food as I can from local farmers and grow food in my yard. Yes, I process my kitchen scraps with a worm composter in case you were wondering.

What genre do you consider your books?

 So far I have written 8 epic fantasy novels. They have magic, high stakes, many characters of all ages, and span years of time. There are two magical races: the rys and the tabre. Plus there are humans and a few monsters.

When did you start writing?

 To be entirely honest I started writing when I was taught to write in grade school. By second and third grade I was writing my own stories, illustrating them, and stapling the pages together into books. I’m a born self publisher! As an adult I began to seriously pursue a career as a novelist in 1997 when I started writing Union of Renegades. More or less, I’ve been writing daily ever since.

Why do you write?

 I need a creative outlet. I feel physically, mentally, and spiritually good after each writing session. My stress increases if I go days without writing. It’s therapy basically.

What would be your choice for a superpower?

 I’m rather fond of Magneto’s ability to precisely control magnetic metals.

Who is your favorite author?

 Many authors over the years have touched my heart and intellect. Picking one is difficult, but J.R.R. Tolkien is an author whose work I not only contemplate but continually lean on as a source of comfort in difficult times. His epic taught me courage, and I identify with his deep environmental themes. I’ve talked to trees since I was a child. Don’t call me weird. They’re good listeners.

Other favorites include Jean Auel, John Steinbeck, Frank Herbert, and Stephen King.

What are you reading now?

 The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Devil’s Doctor by Philip Ball

Furies: War in Europe 1450 - 1700 by Lauro Marines

Who is your favorite character to write?

 I’ve written so many characters over the years. I don’t know if I could choose one. Honestly I adore writing them all. It was great to write Amar because he’s so bad ass and troubled by his conscience very little. I loved writing Cruce because he has a good heart and always stands in the defense of his people no matter his fear or dread. Although it really is not apparent, Dreibrand from The Rys Chronicles is very close to my heart. Writing the character of Demeda was an indulgent trip into pure teenage female rebellion. I also find special challenges in writing the rys and tabre characters because I have to imagine having great magical powers and a non-human perspective.

Do you have a writing process?

 Lots of daydreaming plus a disciplined approach to daily writing unless something absolutely prevents me from doing it. To begin I read what I wrote the day before to warm up my brain and then I start writing. At the end of the writing session I’ll write a little note about the next scenes. Later I’ll go over what I wrote and fix it up a bit.

What advice would you give an aspiring author?

 My main advice is having a concept of how you want your story to end. I believe you need a goal to write towards. Knowing the ending will help you create the whole story. It’s best to write as often as possible because I believe the skill is like a muscle. You need to use it to make it stronger and better.

What inspired you to pursue writing?

 My need is innate. I imagined myself as a novelist as a young girl. I always wanted to build a business around what I love to do. My hope has always been to express myself and create stories that entertain others. Truly connecting with a reader is an amazing achievement for me as an artist.

What are your favorite TV shows and movies to watch in between writing?

 TV - current favorites

Mad Men

Sons of Anarchy

Trailer Park Boys

Portlandia

Movies - old favorites that I watch over and over

 Wall Street

Conan the Barbarian

Chronicles of Riddick

Doctor Strangelove

The Godfather

Thank You for Smoking

Spartacus

I’m also a massive documentary junkie.

What are your current projects?

 I recently announced my newest work in progress with the working title of Werelord Thal. It’s a werewolf novel set in Renaissance Bohemia. Although I’m keeping magic in my fiction and adding paranormal elements, I’ve chosen a real historical setting instead of a purely imagined fantasy world. It’s been a good challenge and I love studying Early Modern Europe.

Do you have anything specific to say to readers?

 To those who have read my novels I say thank you for giving me a chance. I’m glad I entertained you. To readers in general, I will advise them to keep an open mind about indie authors. Publishers are businesses and they only have limited and tightly defined production slots. They can’t take on or even look at everyone. There are tens of thousands more talented people than there are publishers to produce them. Self publishing is how these creative people seek an audience.

Quick Fire

 Cats or Dogs?

Both!

Coffee or tea?

Coffee

Favorite food?

Fried chicken

Vanilla or chocolate ice cream?

Chocolate but I like vanilla too.

What are 3 things you never leave home without?

Water, a lighter, and money.

Laptop or desktop?

Desktop, but I use a portable word processor called a Neo for most of my writing. It’s way better to type on than a laptop. I find laptops tremendously uncomfortable.

Who are 3 famous people you’d like to hang out with?

Jimi Hendrix (if he was alive)

Woody Harrelson

Roseanne Barr

TV or movies?

Movies

Published novels

Rys Rising, Savage Storm, New Religion, Love Lost, Union of Renegades, The Goddess Queen, Judgment Rising, and The Borderlands of Power.

Find them all at:

Brave Luck Books

http://www.braveluck.com

Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/braveluck

Amazon Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Falbe/e/B002BLWI3S/

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/tracy-falbe

iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/tracy-falbe/id365797627?mt=11

Sony Reader Store http://ebookstore.sony.com/author/tracy-falbe_160285

Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=%22Tracy+Falbe%22&t=none&f=author&p=1&s=none&g=both

OmniLit http://www.omnilit.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Tracy+Falbe

DriveThruFiction http://www.drivethrufiction.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=5363

Thank you for the great interview!

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!


Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Skulldust Circle Anthology Live!

A Gathering of Dust is live! 

If you enjoy fantasy in any style, than this might be the book for you. You will be getting a sampling of 6 different authors that make up the anthology which is easily the size of a full-length novel. It includes works from Jeremy Laszlo, William Kenney, Ross Kitson, Benedict Martin and yours truly.

Please take a moment to check it out on Amazon Kindle and it is enrolled in the KDP select, so if you are a Prime Member, you can borrow it for free! We will be making it available in print very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for those of you who want the actual print copy.

And as usual, if you don’t have a kindle, please go to Amazon home page here and download the app for FREE for any of your devices (tablet, iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, android, etc.)

 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Ross M. Kitson Interview

I had the opportunity recently to interview fellow 'Skullduster' Ross Kitson, Author of the Darkness Rising series. He believes (and I agree) that we have very similar writing styles and influences along the way that made it so.

I admire Ross as a writer and as a human being. He is a doctor in the UK with a family and still somehow finds time to gift us with some amazing fantasy. Do yourself a favor and check some of that out here:

http://amzn.to/DarkChainedUS

http://amzn.to/DarkChainedUK

http://bit.ly/DarkQuestUS

http://bit.ly/DarkQuestUK

The Interview:

Explain your main characters briefly~

The main character in the Prism series is Emelia. We first meet her as a teenager, serving as a housemaid in a noble house in a land called Eeria. Emelia was sold into servitude by her father, and is still coming to terms with that. She begins to have prophetic dreams and develops odd powers, which we learn are the emergence of a type of (vilified) sorcery called Wild-magic.

The series follows Emelia’s growth as a woman. The price of utilizing Wild-magic is mental illness, and Emelia struggles with bipolar disorder through the books. Her relationships with other main characters, both intimate and friendships, become a key factor in the fate of the world she lives in.

I was aware that the’ rags to riches’ story has been done to death, especially in fantasy. What I wanted to avoid was the idea that Emelia is secretly some reborn hero, or prophesized great hope that’ll save the world. She isn’t: she’s just a naïve, slightly screwed-up girl, with powers she struggles to control.  I think I drew more from the world of comics, such as X-men or Spiderman, in the creation of Emelia and Wild-magic (well, minus the Spandex pants….).

Give us a brief synopsis of your storyline~

Well, some I’ve alluded to above, but here goes. Emelia, who works as a servant, begins to develop strange powers. One of her friends at the Keep (where she serves) dies mysteriously, and Emelia suspects the Lord’s son is the culprit. Her days there are numbered after she confronts him, and she then escapes with two thieves- Jem and Hunor- one of whom is a Wild-mage. He takes Emelia under his wing and trains her.

The thieves have stolen a strange crystal, which later turns out to be part of an ancient Prism of Power. A group of knights arrive to reclaim it, and then that’s when the adventure really kicks in. You see, a group of undead sorcerers, led by a ghast called Vildor, need the Prism for their nefarious plan. So the chase is on, and will continue to be on for all six books!

What are you reading now?

I have three books on the boil. Firstly, I’m slogging through Robert Zelazney’s Amber chronicles: all ten books in one 8 font tome! Slow going, but very very good.

Second, on my kindle, I’m reading Clive Johnson’s Leiyatel’s Embrace. It’s a fantasy book with a degree of eloquence that I’ve not read in years.

Thirdly, I’m reading Elise Stoke’s Cassidy Jones and The Secret Formula with my daughter. It’s a YA superhero book and is simply fantastic.

Who is your favorite character to write?

That is really tricky. I love the slightly affected indulgence of Vildor, the bad guy in the Prism series. He has a trace of melodrama to his actions, and a confident patter that makes you want to slap his smug face. At the same time, the Fire-mage, Ygris, has such fun dialogue that he’s a close contender. His people, the Pyrians, learned their ‘common’ tongue from old Imperial literature and so speak everyday like they are eloquent actors. He certainly provides the best quotes in the book.

Do you have a writing process?

LOL, when I can!

In seriousness I tend to plot and re-plot continually and jot these all down. I create a framework of a plot, then the characters within that framework, and then I write. I find that sub-plots, scenes and dialogue sort of evolves as you do it. With the first draft, which is a sort of ‘splurge’ writing, I then go back and tweak it for consistency, style etc. Next stage is running it past my friends who beta-read, and then I generally take their suggestions on board. Final stage is then to get it out to the editor.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Self-belief is vital. Be happy with what you do, do it because it is fun, and don’t continually seek reassurance from others. Don’t be afraid to say ‘screw it’ to traditional publishing and do-it yourself, but be aware of the work involved and ask others for advice, via social networks. Refine your book again and again, but be aware there comes a point when you just have to put it out and sit back…

What inspired you to pursue writing?

I just love it. I’ve always enjoyed creating, and I was a big-RPGer when I was younger. Then my creativity focused into convoluted campaigns and mashing up pre-written modules to fit my vision and ideas. It all got put on hold as I trained as a doctor, but then about five years ago I started writing a story based on old DnD characters. A friend said I should try something new, and so off I went!!!

What sets your books apart from others of the genre?

What I think I’ve done is to take a traditional epic/heroic fantasy storyline (small bunch of heroes against vast evil power; hero in menial role becomes saviour) and then throw in loads of other influences to make it feel fresh. So I’ve tossed in some real DnD/RPG vibes, superhero style Wild-magic, comedy, modern dialogue style (rather than pseudo-medieval), some curious races, a villain who is quite intricate and tortured, and themes such as mental illness and self-discovery. I hope the world, with its long history, comes across as detailed and well-structured.

You are obviously a huge D&D guy, which I can tell from your other blog posts and whatnot. What inspired this current storyline?

I think the nature of the storyline is very D&D in principle: we have a quest, with a bunch of cool characters. We have a magic system and magical artifacts. We have a bunch of bad guys and demons, a mythology, weird races and detailed battles. The D&D influences are glaring in my work, and I’m proud of that. After all, D&D was written as a modification of table-top wargaming into role-playing, with many classic fantasy influences such as Tolkien, Lieber, Anderson, Howard, Moorcock et al. That’s a heck of a pedigree.

Also playing and DMing D&D taught me about structure, rules, plot and characters and how all of these need to hand together in a rational way. Your magic has to be consistent in your world, it has to have rules and rationale.

And finally it taught me that, ultimately, it all has to be fun or no-one will be interested in it.

If your books were made into a movie, who would play the roles of your characters?

I love this question! My current fave cast list would be:

Emelia: Emelia Clarke (who plays Daenyrs Tarragon in Game of Thrones)

Hunor: James McEvoy

Jem: David Thewlis (Prof Lupin in the HP films)

Lady Orla: Anna Torv (from Fringe)

Vildor: Tom Hiddleston (Loki in Thor/Avengers)

When did you start writing?

Over the last five years I’ve really started up with the writing. In that time I’ve written five of the six Prism books (two are published, one being edited, two are in draft and need a little more tweaking), a YA sci-fi/steampunk, and several short stories.

At the moment I’m awaiting the final edit on my YA book, The Infinity Bridge. It is set in York and tells the story of two brothers who can see rifts between dimensions, one of whom gets labeled as schizophrenic. It’s a fairly action-packed story with touches of steampunk in it. It’s being released in October. I have two anthology stories written: one is in the Skulldust Circle collection, and that is about Jem and Hunor in their early days as thieves; the other is a steampunk short story called the Boat of Ra, which is a collection by a new imprint, Kristal Ink. I’m putting the final touches on Darkness Rising Book Three – Secrets, which I hope will be out in e-book around New Year.

Why do you write?

I find the escapism from the pressures of my working life is perfect. I work as a consultant in intensive care medicine and anaesthesia, which is fairly full-on and can be emotionally draining. So writing speculative fiction is a great release. I’ve also found that writing stuff is inspiring for my kids, especially my daughter, who now writes her own short stories all the time!

Who is your favorite author?

Ahh, that’s such a tough question. Can I cheat and have a few? Philip Pullman’s series, His Dark Materials, remains an all time favorite and I love his style. Contemporary literature I’ve always loved Roddy Doyle’s books. Comics has to Alan Moore, and Neil Gaiman, who made the cross-over from comics like Sandman to novels. In fantasy I really enjoy George RR Martin and Steven Erikson, although they can be rather bleak.

Thanks for the interview, Gary. I’ve really enjoyed answering the questions!

Here are some more links to find Ross on social media and don't forget that he will be included in the Skulldust Circle Anthology to be released very shortly!

http://rossmkitson.blogspot.co.uk

http://mouseroar.blogspot.com

http://thenuknights.weebly.com

https://sites.google.com/site/worldofnurolia/home

 Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.