Monthly Archives: June 2013

by | June 19, 2013 · 3:51 pm

Welcome to the 2013 Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek of Reign of Ash!

The Hawthorn Moon Banner
It’s time for the Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek on June 21—and you’re invited!

Get a look at Reign of Ash, plus new short stories, book giveaways and more!

Reign of Ash

Reign of FINALReign of Ash won’t be out in bookstores until April, but you can get a first look at the cover and read four different excerpts, enter to win free copies of my books, plus plenty of other free downloadable fun like interviews and blog posts in my Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek event June 21!

Disgraced lord Blaine McFadden returned from exile to restore magic after a mage war devastated his homeland of Donderath. The king is dead, the army is scattered, and the once-powerful kingdom has been reduced to chaos and rubble. Blaine may be the only one who can bring back the magic, so it’s up to Blaine and his small group of ex-convicts to save the kingdom, but the price might be their lives.

Reign of Ash is Book One in my Ascendant Kingdoms Saga. Reign of Ash will be available in stores and online world-wide in April of 2014. But you can read an excerpt here, plus get exclusive Q&A, interviews and other online goodies by visiting the partner sites, which are listed on my web page.

Monthly Excitement with New Short Stories on Kindle, Kobo and Nook

Each month, I bring out a new .99 short story on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. You’ve got two different series to choose from, and plenty of exciting entertainment!

The Deadly Curiosities Adventures

This series of adventures spans over 500 years, from the 1500s to modern day as a small cabal of vampires and their human helpers battle supernatural enemies to find and destroy dangerous magical items and keep the world safe from dark forces.

Vanities—Jewel thief and newly-turned vampire Sorren sets out to steal a priceless brooch possessed by an ancient evil before it sets the Black Dragon loose in medieval Antwerp.

The Wild Hunt–When a strange relic shows up in town and people start dying, Sorren and Dietger battle dark forces and the hounds of Hell.

Coming July 1—Dark Legacy—Sorren and Dietger follow a series of cryptic clues to discover the dangerous secret of a Viking chalice, and fight a powerful supernatural enemy who will stop at nothing to destroy them.

Steer a Pale Course—Two young fishermen in post-Revolutionary America are forced to retrieve a deadly object from an ancient burial mound or face the vengeance of raiders who have taken their village hostage.

The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures

Soldier. Fight slave. Smuggler. Warrior. Brigand lord. If you’ve met Jonmarc Vahanian in the Chronicles of the Necromancer and Fallen Kings Cycle books, you don’t really know him until you take his journey.

Raiders’ Curse—The legend begins. When sea raiders threaten the villages along the Margolan coast, young Jonmarc Vahanian risks everything to save his family.

Caves of the Dead—To make ends meet, Jonmarc Vahanian sold a few odd items from ancient graves. When a stranger offers him gold for a particular relic, it could be a lucky break…or the beginning of a nightmare.

Storm Surge—When the caravan is beset by danger and a black beast stalks the shadows, Jonmarc Vahanian fears he is being stalked by a blood mage with a dangerous vendetta.

Bounty Hunter—Three bounty hunters come prowling around the caravan. Are they after Jonmarc, or does one of his fellow travelers hide an even darker secret?

During the Hawthorn Moon event, you can find never-before-released excerpts, interviews, audio, and other goodies on a variety of great fantasy sites that have agreed to be part of this debut party.

Here’s where to find the goodies:

@GailZMartin Book Giveaway on Twitter—Every day from June 21 – June 28 I’ll be choosing someone at random from my Twitter followers to win a free signed book. Invite your friends to follow me—for every new 200 followers I gain between 6/21 – 6/28, I’ll give away an additional book, up to 20 books!

OrbitBooks.net—First look at the cover art for Reign of Ash plus an original guest blog post Q&A on the new books and the future for the Ascendant Kingdoms. Plus exclusive excerpt #1

Goodreads—Book giveaway of Ice Forged! https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway

SolarisBooks.com—All-new guest blog post!

https://www.tonivsweeney.com/—Guest post on Settings that Feel Real

SFSignal.com—Exclusive guest blog post on Digging Deeper Into Chaos and a book giveaway!

MagicalWords.net— Guest blog post on Writing for an Ensemble Cast posting on 6/25

WriterFunZone.com–Exclusive guest blog post on Surviving the Publishing Apocalypse

https://SandraSaidak.com/ — Read my exclusive blog post on The Line between Fantasy and Mythology. Plus Excerpt #3

www.thewriterslens.com—Catch my new blog post on Promoting Your Book with Podcasts and Trailers

ecambrose.wordpress.com—New blog post on History Vs. Fantasy (Posting July 11)

https://maggie-secara.com—Guest blog post on Why We Can’t Get Enough of Medieval Magic (posting on 6/26)

https://nickvalentino.blogspot.com/—More Exclusive Q&A for a Behind The Scenes Look at Reign of Ash

https://sitwritebleed.blogspot.com/—10 Answers You Won’t Find Anywhere Else!

https://erosesabin.wordpress.com/— Exclusive Q&A plus excerpt #4

The Book Whisperer—A Romanian interviewer digs into what to expect from Blaine McFadden’s world at https://www.bo0kwhispere.blogspot.ro

https://melissa-melsworld.blogspot.com/—Take a look at my all-new blog post on What Comes First, Plot or Character? Posting on 6/25.

TheFutureAndYou.com—Watch for a live interview with me at ConCarolinas with host Stephen Euin Cobb.

Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms—(Please “like” the page while you’re there!) Audio readings and excerpts from short stories Vanities and Steer a Pale Course and the upcoming Dark Legacy.

DisquietingVisions.com—Audio readings and excerpts from short stories Raiders’ Curse, Caves of the Dead and Storm Surge.

GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com—Brand new audio of me reading an excerpt from Reign of Ash plus new short stories Wild Hunt and Bounty Hunter!

MySpace (GailZMartin) and my ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer newsletter will also have all the details and updates.

And on my AscendantKingdoms.com site, you’ll find links to everything plus excerpt #2

Thank you for checking out my Hawthorn Moon sneak peek party. Enjoy!

 

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by | · 9:45 am

The Beginning of The End (Of The World)

by Gail Z. Martin

BookLifeNow asked me about the story behind the first chapter of Ice Forged, so here we go!

Ice Forged begins with a murder. Blaine McFadden murders his father for molesting his sister. Ian McFadden has had it coming for a long time. He’s an abusive bully who beat his sons, killed their mother, and believes he’s entitled to anything he wants from anyone. After years of enduring his father’s abuse, Blaine is finally pushed too far. Ian McFadden dies.

We step into the middle of this family drama at its climax. Blaine expects to die for his crime. He figures his death is a small price to pay for his sister’s safety and for an end to his father’s abuse. He doesn’t count on mercy from the king, who decrees exile instead of execution. Now, instead of a quick death, Blaine is shipped out to a notorious prison colony in an arctic wasteland, where death isn’t to be feared—it’s to be courted.

I chose to begin the book at this point because it shows us who Blaine McFadden is. We see what he’s willing to give up, what he values above all else, and just what he’s made of. By stepping into Blaine’s story at this point, we also see his homeland, creating a contrast between the world from which he came and the world into which he is being thrust. And when the world that sent Blaine into exile comes crashing down as a result of a devastating war and a doomsday magical strike, the fate of civilization depends a man it threw away.

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

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by | June 17, 2013 · 9:03 am

Q&A with Natalie Silk

1. What is the title of your newest book or short story?  What’s it about?  Where can readers find it?

The title is Stars’ Fire, science fiction for young adults.

Dahliea Gherac, a twelve year old girl, is the sheltered daughter of a politically powerful father. She is also from a very wealthy and prominent family. Yet, Dahliea is treated as an oddity by the dominant society, is hounded by the media, and is bullied by her peers because her mother is a blonde-haired, fair-skinned woman from Earth. Dahliea so desperately wants to be accepted by her schoolmates and wishes that she is like every other S’Renen.

Even though this is a science fiction novel, anyone who understands what it’s like to be bullied, excluded, or different may also find Stars’ Fire appealing.

Readers can find Stars’ Fire at Dark Oak Press (www.darkoakpress.com), Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. Readers can find me on: Facebook (Natalie Silk, Author), my blog (NatalieSilk.blogspot.com), and Twitter (NatalieSilkSF).

2. How did you choose to become a writer?

I always wanted to be a writer since I was a little girl.  I would spend hours in my room making up stories.  I started to really write when my sister gave me a journal for my thirteenth birthday.

3. What inspired your new book or story?

When I was twelve or thirteen, I had a dream about five men in monk robes standing in a circle.  I could only see their chins under their hoods.  One of the monks turned to me and he said, “You’re not ready.”  I wrote down the dream.  I had another dream where I was   standing on the side of a mountain overlooking beautiful trees and a huge monolith.  I wrote this dream down also.  Those two dreams became the foundation for Stars’ Fire.

4. What do you read for fun?

I love reading reference and spiritual books; just about anything that stretches my knowledge.

5. What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Don’t give up your dreams, ever.  Don’t listen to anyone who tells you ‘never.’  Believe in yourself and believe that your dreams will come true someday.

Bonus: Listen to Natalie read from Stars’ Fire: https://ghostinthemachinepodcast.com/?p=398

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by | June 12, 2013 · 9:44 am

Breaking In A New Pair of Boots—Or a New Fictional World, As The Case May Be

by Gail Z. Martin

Ever buy a pair of boots—or shoes or jeans—and while they fit, they don’t really “fit.” Not yet. They haven’t molded to your contours. You haven’t broken them in.

As a writer, there’s a “breaking in” period when you leave one fictional world that you’ve painstakingly developed and nurtured to begin a new fictional world. And I know that, as a reader, there’s a little bit of adjustment that also goes along with following a favorite author from one series into another, new set of books. It takes some getting used to.

I spent many years and six books developing my Chronicles Of The Necromancer/Fallen Kings Cycle world of the Winter Kingdoms, and writing in that world was as comfortable as slipping into a favorite pair of jeans or a well-worn pair of boots. I knew the neighborhood. I understood the culture like a native. I knew the characters well enough that I would sometimes dream in their voices. It was home.

Then those stories came to a natural resting point and I decided to create a new series in a totally new world with very different characters, which begins with Ice Forged. And the process of breaking in the new boots began again.

This time around, however, I knew what to expect. I knew it would take a while to hit my stride, to feel at home. I gave myself time to get to know the characters and their world. I sat with the story, explored the culture, and questioned the characters in my mind, and they became real to me. It’s a gradual process, like learning to feel at home in a new city. For a while after you move, everything seems strange. Then one day, like magic, you know where you’re going without thinking about it. And you realize that you’re home.

Just as I went through an adjustment moving from one series to another, I know readers of my first six books will also feel a little displaced. The worlds, characters, and cultures are very different, but I believe they are each intriguing in their own way. Yes, there’s a pang when you miss a favorite character, but my hope is that the concept of Ice Forged and the new series will intrigue readers enough to get past the “new kid on the block blues” and that they will move into the new neighborhood with me and share the adventure.

There are lots of stories I still hope to tell in my world of the Winter Kingdoms, but the plot line takes a natural break for a while, and as readers of my books can attest, I’ve put my characters through an awful lot—they deserve a chance to put their feet up and have a few beers. Duty will call them back to action soon enough.

In the meantime, c’mon over to my other world and explore the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, beginning with Ice Forged. It’s full of new favorite characters you haven’t met yet, a whole new world to explore, and an impossible quest (or two). Their story begins with the end of the world. Come join the adventure!

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

 

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by | June 10, 2013 · 9:26 am

Q&A with James C. Gillen

My name is James C. Gillen author of the Paul Isaac Vampire Series with Kerlak Publishing.

1) What is the title of your newest book or short story? What is it about? Where can readers find it?

I currently have two books out, 1) Tortured Skin and 2) Crimson Madness, both are part of the Paul Isaac Vampire series. The main idea of the series is set in Orlando, Florida among the tourist district downtown.

In my first book, Tortured Skin, Paul Isaac, vampire executioner, has a problem. In spite of public opinion and politics, he still has a macabre job to do. He finds himself in pursuit of a sadistic monster and injected with a deadly virus designed to turn him into the thing he hunts. Now, he must chose between being manipulated by vampires and solving a bizarre case.

Paul uncovers a sinister night club that caters to the dark side of pleasure and pain that might not only be the key to his survival, but may bring him closer to the rogue killer. He must learn to face his own inner demons and trust in those who may just turn out to be less monsterous than himself.Isaac, vampire executioner, has a problem. In spite of public opinion and politics, he still has a macabre job to do. He finds himself in pursuit of a sadistic monster and injected with a deadly virus designed to turn him into the thing he hunts. Now, he must chose between being manipulated by vampires and solving a bizarre case.

Paul uncovers a sinister night club that caters to the dark side of pleasure and pain that might not only be the key to his survival, but may bring him closer to the rogue killer. He must learn to face his own inner demons and trust in those who may just turn out to be less monsterous than himself.

In my second book, Crimson Madness, Paul Isaac is back and had found himself between a rock and a hard place. Someone or something is killing the human supporters for vampire rights, known as the Knights of the Night. An ancient master vampire has been targeted as the killer. But when Paul discovers the vampire may be innocent, he is forced to confront the police and their possible cover up or turn his back on the monster that may hold the only clues to the deaths.

In order to protect the humans being targeted, Paul must set aside his fears and prejudices and walk through the doors of a new vogue vampire art gallery known as Crimson Madness. What he finds there might be more frieghtening than anything with fangs.

Both books are available through most major bookstore chains, Amazon, iTunes and is available in book form as well as electronic.

2) How did you choose to become a writer?

I have loved writing and creating stories, songs and poems my whole life. When I was in first grade, I even re-wrote the Bible!  After that, I began to write easier material such as a book on a killer shark, inspired after sneaking into a theater and seeing Jaws. I’m very musical and in a few of the bands that I was in, wrote a lot of the music and lyrics to original songs. Life took over shortly after high school, got married, bought a car and house, got a real job, became a father, so writing took a serious back seat.  As time went on, I was able to free up some time and began to write again. In my head I had so many ideas trying to crawl out that it was almost overwhelming. Joined a writers group and after a couple of years of holding on to my manuscripts for dear life, finally took a chance with letting others read it and eventually met up with Kerlak Publishing.

3) Where can readers find you on social media?

My web site : jamescgillen.com, goodreads.com, James C. Gillen on Facebook

4) Was there a book you read in your childhood or teen years that changed your world? 

Not a book, but an author. Edgar A. Poe. It was about 3rd or 4th grade and we read The Raven and a couple of his short stories in class and I was blown away. Until then, everything I had read was puppies and rainbows with happy endings, and now here was this dark, sinister writing that had been placed before me. I was hooked on horror from then on.  After that, every year when school started, the first thing I would do was go through my reading book as see if there was anything from EAP. A couple of years ago, my wife bought me a hard cover edition of the complete works of Poe. Sometimes I’ll slip away, light a candle and read a page or two.

5) What advice would you give an aspiring writer?

Join a writing group. Not just any writing group, but one that will give you honest critiques. If you’re in a writing group and all the feedback is positive, it’s not the group for you.  No ones writing is perfect, much less every time, so be selective when you look for a group. Also, look for one where you are not the best writer in the group.  These environments are the best way to learn how to write well and improve your characters and ideas. Plus, it will be a great way for someone to question the plot or characters along the way and help you with issues in your writing that you might not even know were there.

Beyond that, do the following: Pull up a chair to the computer/typewriter (Do they still make those), sit down, place hands on keyboard and get lost in a great story.

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by | June 5, 2013 · 9:36 am

It’s the End of the World as We Know It (Again)

by Gail Z. Martin

What is it about an impending apocalypse that captures the imagination?

Having just survived the “Mayan Calendar” apocalypse, the idea is pretty fresh in everyone’s mind. Thanks to the Internet, warnings of immanent doom seem to crop up fairly often, so much so that most of us roll our eyes, mutter “another one” and go about our daily business.

Until the time it turns out to be true.

In my new book, Ice Forged, I look at an end of the world scenario in a medieval setting, through the eyes of the survivors. The magic on which they have come to depend—in much the way we are dependent on our power grid—has vanished. With it goes the monarchies it upheld, the conveniences and necessities it had provided, and the control over the natural world it imposed. Amid the chaos and anarchy, the survivors are faced with the challenge to survive long enough to see if there is truth to ancient legends about a way to restore the magic.

I set my apocalyptic story in a medieval setting for several reasons. First off, most modern-day end of the world stories don’t capture my attention. I’m jaded, and they sound too much like overhyped headlines. That wasn’t the setting in which I wanted to immerse my imagination for the better part of a year.

Secondly, I wanted to explore the magic-instead-of-technology angle, as well as the idea that when we have a simple shortcut to do vital tasks, we are at risk of forgetting how to do things the old way. If the technology (or magic) fails, how do individuals or communities survive if the low-tech ways have been lost?

And the third element that intrigued me was the idea of who a society values and who it throws away. In Ice Forged, the man who may be able to restore the magic is a disgraced lord who has been exiled to a prison colony in the arctic. When social norms and civilized culture collapse, the skills and characteristics that made a person an exile—or even a criminal—just might be what it takes to survive.

It’s especially interesting to me because Western Europe did experience an apocalyptic scenario in the Black Plague. The sheer magnitude of casualties, the swiftness of the disease’s spread and the fear that accompanied it changed the economic, cultural, political and religious fabric of a continent. Most of the time, we read the 30,000-foot overview and see the Plague years through the lens of time. But to those who endured it, I’m certain it felt like the end of the world was upon them.

Books and stories are interesting things. They germinate from the odd bits and pieces in a writer’s memory, shaped by the question, “what if?” I’m looking forward to further exploring my medieval post-apocalyptic world, and I hope you’ll join me!

Gail Z. Martin’s newest book, Ice Forged: Book One in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books), launched in January 2013. Gail is also the author of the Chronicles of the Necromancer series (Solaris Books) and The Fallen Kings Cycle (Orbit Books). For more about Gail’s books and short stories, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com. Be sure to “like” Gail’s Winter Kingdoms Facebook page, follow her on Twitter @GailZMartin, and join her for frequent discussions on Goodreads.

Read an excerpt from Ice Forged here: https://a.pgtb.me/JvGzTt

 

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