Miles Cameron on Re-enacting and Martial Arts on Podcast Episode 9

miles cameron author

Good day and welcome to this episode of the Fantasy Focus podcast. I’m your host, podcaster and author of Fun Fantasy Reads, Jamie Davis. This podcast is exactly what the title says it is, a show focused on everything in fantasy books. 

From Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, and everything in between, expect to find the best and brightest authors from all the various corners of the fantasy book world. Plus we’ll add in a few other very special guests as well along the way.

First an update on what I’ve been up to. I’m getting ready to work on a brand new Urban Fantasy Gamelit story alongside another author I can’t name at the present time. This is going to be a whole new twist on the genre and I think will be a welcome addition to the genre. I can’t wait until I can share a snippet of the story with you all over on my Facebook group.

If you are an audiobook listener and want to listen to it for free, all my audio books are available via your local library system, just ask your librarian to check them out and order them. I’ll bet some of them are there already. Cyber’s Change will be there, too, in early April.

As always, if you’re interested in more information on what I’m up to, check out my fan group on Facebook, Jamie’s Fun Fantasy Super Fans and on my website and blog, JamieDavisBooks.com.

Now it’s time to get into our special guest for this episode. Today, I chat with Miles Cameron, also known as Christian Cameron. He is a Canadian novelist, who was educated and trained as both a historian and a former career officer in the US Navy. His best-known work is the ongoing historical fiction series Tyrant and the book Cold Iron. Follow him on Twitter @phokion1.

Here’s my chat with Christian (aka Miles).

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Rob Hayes Talks About Dark Fantasy on Podcast Episode 8

rob hayes, viking author

Good day and welcome to this episode of the Fantasy Focus podcast. I’m your host, podcaster and author of Fun Fantasy Reads, Jamie Davis. This podcast is exactly what the title says it is, a show focused on everything in fantasy books. 

From epic fantasy, Urban fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, and everything in between, expect to find the best and brightest authors from all the various corners of the fantasy book world. Plus we’ll add in a few other very special guests as well along the way.

First an update on what I’ve been up to. I’m getting ready to work on a brand new Urban Fantasy Gamelit story alongside another author I can’t name at the present time. This is going to be a whole new twist on the genre and I think will be a welcome addition to the genre. I can’t wait until I can share a snippet of the story with you all over on my Facebook group.

If you are an audiobook listener and want to listen to it for free, all my audio books are available via your local library system, just ask your librarian to check them out and order them. I’ll bet some of them are there already. Cyber’s Change will be there, too, in early April.

As always, if you’re interested in more information on what I’m up to, check out my fan group on Facebook, Jamie’s Fun Fantasy Super Fans and on my website and blog, JamieDavisBooks.com.

Now it’s time to get into our special guest for this episode. Today, I chat with author Rob Hayes about his writing adventures. He’s been a student, a banker, a marine research assistant, a chef, and a keyboard monkey more times than he cares to count. But eventually his love of fantasy and reading drew him to the life of a writer.

We chat about his new book, Never Die, coming soon and also about his love of reading and meeting all the fellow fantasy readers out there. You can catch up with him on Twitter @RoboftheHayes.

Here’s my chat with Rob.

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Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer Review by Noelle Nichols

Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer by James Jakins

Review by Noelle Nichols

Freelancer is the second novel following the character of Jack Bloodfist, fantasy’s most humble half-orc, half-goblin character. It’s another enjoyable read from James Jakins that shows the growth of the author—with a story that expands the universe and storytelling on grander scale—while still staying true to the core of this story.

For someone who doesn’t read much Urban Fantasy, it’s been interesting being introduced to such a vast world with so many supernatural beings. At times, I found it a bit overwhelming. I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoy a story where we center around one character, with a strong character-arc, so this one felt a little more distant in the sense that we see the story being played out from different points of view and writing styles.

However, this is a matter of taste, and there’s certainly lots of scenes where you get to experience Jack’s witty banter and commentary that you feel close to the characters, so much so that you wish you could just pop over to play a few games of Mario Kart. (Which would be awesome, btw).

This is a different book than the first one, but I liked it for being different, and I appreciated the author keeping me guessing at where the story was heading. When I picked it up, I certainly was not expecting where it was going, which is always a pleasant surprise as a reader. 

As with the first book, I enjoyed the bits of humor and pop culture references, one of my favorite being a little easter egg for writers where he calls out the info-dump coming. I laughed at that part, and was smiling through a lot of the others witty scenes and humorous lines.

As for the main plot is starts off with the spear of destiny and spirals out from there, adding in a trip to the fae world, a run-in with some werewolves and a trip to New York city. All in all, an enjoyable tale that expands on what the first book created, with new and old characters. 

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Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer Review by Steve Caldwell

Review by Steve Caldwell

Author: James Jakins

Length: 326 Pages

Publisher: Robber’s Dog Pub

Release Date: April 21, 2019 (expected)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

I read the first book in this series, Jack Bloodfist: Fixer, last year. I found it to be a refreshing change of pace from the usual wizard PI and shape changer mechanic/bounty hunter tropes in urban fantasy. The story about a group of orcs, goblins and elves on the run from their own dimension settling in a small town the US is creative and fleshed out really well. This book takes off months after the climactic events of the first book.

After the events of the last book, Jack is now working for anyone who will write him a check. From guarding werewolves locked up for their monthly change to working with a corporation that fights supernatural menaces, Jack finally has the respect he has craved. Unfortunately, he also has more responsibility, as a case Jack is working on, a break in of a pawn shop, has consequences far greater than he could have imagined. 

When a necromancer attacks Jack and his family at a gathering, Jack must fight with his friends to find out what her plans are. What he finds out has potential consequences for the entire world, since it goes far beyond just orcs and wizards, to some truly powerful divine beings with plans that don’t involve peace and love for everyone. Jack finds out the universe is a much bigger place than he expected, and their are beings he never would have expected pulling the strings behind reality. Jack has a role he could have never imagined in the scheme of the world.

While the first book did a good job setting up the characters, This book really expands on them. We get little bits and pieces revealed throughout, really fleshing out the characters pasts and their motivations. The setting is expanded as well, and we get to see how the new arrivals to earth interact with the larger world. The new additions with the reveal of a larger universe work in the story, and some mystery is still left for later books to flesh out. All in all, it improves on an excellent series debut in just about every way. 

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Interview With Andy Peloquin

Andy Peloquin writes a lot. He has a massive and impressive output of novels, especially considering he’s only been prominent in the indie Fantasy scene since 2015. His work is also of an incredibly high quality, both from a literary standpoint and an editing one, and his creative vision is epic in scale and ambition.
His world which to date has been fleshed out with intricate detail in three series, Hero Of Darkness, Queen Of Thieves, and Heirs of Destiny offers a combination of Grimdark Fantasy, Assassin action, and traditional high Fantasy, all while offering Easter eggs to his readers through references to other series and well placed character appearances.
Aside from having written over 15 novels with many more coming in 2019, he’s also Fantasy Focus’ own Six-and-a-half foot Chief Administrator, intimidating spammers since 2018, and he hosts a regular video podcast every Thursday night with Fantasy Author Stevie Collier called Fantasy Fiends. Andy is in the process of completing the first book of yet another career milestone, a character based Military Fantasy set in the same world as his current work.
I got a chance to talk to Andy about his work and here is that interview 

ME: Your Hero of Darkness series recently got a rebranding. Can you explain how the series started, and why you chose to go with new titles and cover designs?

AP: The series started out under the title “The Last Bucelarii”—chosen because the Hunter of Voramis is, in fact, the last of his kind, a race of half-demons known as Bucelarii. The covers were originally very “hard rock”, with simple black, white, and red sketches that looked like something off a heavy metal cover.But, over the years of publishing, I came to realize that the covers just weren’t selling the books the way I wanted. There wasn’t enough detail on the cover to give readers a real sense of what the books were about, or anything making it clear that it was epic fantasy. And, given how many people struggled to pronounce the word “Bucelarii”, I knew it was time to change the name.The name “Hero of Darkness” is perfect for the character. Despite the fact that he is a half-demon assassin with a cursed dagger that drives him to kill, deep down (like REALLY deep down) there is a “hero” in him. Ultimately, he wants to do the right thing, he just doesn’t always know what it is. And, throughout the course of his trials and tests, he learns to become a hero. A violent, murder-y assassin, but still a hero in his own way.

ME: How did you come up with your world? Did you have a plan from the start to have multiple series all taking place in the same world and all interacting with each other or did that sort of happen as you began writing?

AP: I actually started the world in just the city of Voramis from Darkblade Assassin. From there, I knew I wanted the Hunter to go traveling the world in search of his past, so I expanded the world one book at a time: Malandra in Darkblade Outcast; Azmaria, Nysl, Drash, the Advanat Desert, and Twelve Kingdoms in Darkblade Protector; Kara-ket and the lands of the Hrandari in Darkblade Seeker; and so on.But when I sat down to write my second series, the Queen of Thieves, I knew I wanted to tie it into my already-created world. Not only because it saved me from having to do a lot of worldbuilding, but because I loved how Marvel and DC Comics set all of their stories in the same world. I decided I’d do the same.Thus was born the idea to not only have my characters share the same world, but actually cross over with each other—just like Marvel does, and just like I LOVE when reading comics. The first proper crossover came in Thief of the Night Guild, when the main character Ilanna travels to the city of Voramis and is warned to stay off the rooftops because it’s “the Hunter of Voramis’ domain”. She also meets the Hunter’s alchemist friend, Graeme, and ultimately steals the alchemical clay that is used to make the Hunter’s masks.From there, I was absolutely hooked on trying to find more ways to make my stories cross over. The Bloody Hand (criminal gang) is the Hunter’s antagonists in Darkblade Assassin, and they made the perfect antagonist for Ilanna in the Queen of Thieves. From there, it was a short step to writing Traitors’ Fate and finding a way for Ilanna to actually be indirectly responsible for everything that happens to the Hunter. Her hiring him to kill a nobleman is what sets off his enmity with the Bloody Hand, which is the catalyst for his journey. Then came Darkblade Justice, when I had the Hunter and Ilanna actually meet—by popular demand from my readers who loved both characters equally. Then came the idea for a young adult spin-off, and both series had characters that fit the bill perfectly. It’s a huge thrill to find ways to bring the stories together and blend them into each other. I love how it makes everything feel connected, like a small part of a larger story. That, for me, is one of the greatest joys of setting it all in the same world.

ME: One of the things I love about your Hero of Darkness is the time we get to spend in the mind of the MC. He’s truly a conflicted character and fascinating to read about. How much of yourself do you put in to the characters that you write? Any examples?

AP: When I set out to write the Hunter, I was pretty certain I had little in common with this half-demon killer-for-hire. But as he came to life, I found more and more of myself filtering into his story. I’ve spent much of my life as an outcast (thanks to my Autism Spectrum Disorder), so it came naturally to put in the Hunter’s desire to find his place in a world where he doesn’t belong. We all wrestle with our own “inner demons”—it just happens the Hunter’s literally ARE demons.With every book, I found myself identifying more and more with the Hunter. Not the killer (though it was very cathartic to write his fight scenes), but the man beneath. The struggling man, the one who puts up a façade to protect himself from the world he doesn’t quite understand. The Hunter is very much a part of who I am, masked in the disguise of an assassin far more bad-ass than I really am.

ME: Heirs of Destiny was a major project with 5 long multi-POV novels released in a very short time frame. Why did you decide to go this route? What were some of the challenges of writing the series? What were some things you really enjoyed about it?

AP: I wanted to go this route for two reasons:1) I wanted something that younger readers could enjoy. All of my other series to date have been DARK, and I’ve often had to tell parents not to let their younger teens read them. Heirs of Destiny is the series written to give younger audiences a taste of my word. 2) I wanted to tie both the Hero of Darkness and Queen of Thieves series together, and I had all these young, strong, fascinating characters whose stories needed to be told. It was just too perfect to have them struggling to find their own destiny after living in the shadow of giants like the Hunter of Voramis and Ilanna, Queen of the Night Guild.The biggest challenge was writing four Point-of-View characters in the same city at the same time. I had to not only jump back and forth between each character and give them their agency and emotional development (which required a lot of brain-power), but I had to make sure their stories aligned and their timelines fit. Let’s just say it’s not a challenge I will take up again lightly!But I really enjoyed being able to explore the world through the eyes of these younger characters. Instead of the darkness and cynicism expected from older, hardened characters, these young people still had a much more positive, “good” outlook on life. It was nice to be able to write lighter, brighter fantasy.

ME: For those wanting to jump in to your world, how would you suggest they do it while keeping with the chronology you intended?

AP: If you’ve seen the Star Wars movies, you know there’s two ways to do this: chronologically or according to the world created.

Chronologically:
• Queen of Thieves 1-3

• Traitors’ Fate

• Hero of Darkness 1-7

• Heirs of Destiny 1-5

This gives you an accurate chronological timeline of the events of the world.

World Created
• Hero of Darkness 1-6

• Queen of Thieves 1-3

• Traitors’ Fate

• Hero of Darkness 7

• Heirs of Destiny

In my opinion, this was the way I imagined the world, so it seems the most balanced approach. You get a great sense of the story at large, the scope of this world I’ve created, then you get to enjoy the thrilling characters that share the world with the Hunter. But, both reading orders make for one hell of an adventure spanning 16 books and growing!

ME: What was your experience like with the 2018 SPFBO competition? How did you decide on the book to enter with so much choice? And is it something you plan to pursue again?


AP: When entering the SPFBO, I had to submit a Book 1 of a series. At the time, I only had Darkblade Assassin and Child of the Night Guild. I know that Child of the Night Guild is a bit dark for a lot of readers, so Darkblade Assassin seemed the better choice. Darkblade Assassin didn’t quite resonate with the judges, but it did get an excellent review and quality feedback. I think out of the 30 books in its category, its ranking was among the Top 5 or Top 8, so it was awesome to know the judges did enjoy the story even if it felt a bit too dark for them at times.And yes, I absolutely intend to enter SPFBO 2019! I’ll have The Silent Champions Book 1 published by then, and I’ve got high hopes that it will be well-received. Even if I don’t win, just being able to participate again is an absolute thrill.

ME: If you had to pick a favorite novel that you’ve currently written, which would it be and why?

AP: Man, tough call! Instead of “favorite written”, let’s go with “favorite published”. I’d say either Thief of the Night Guild or Queen of the Night Guild. Thief was an epic Ocean’s 11-style heist that was one hell of a fun time to write, and it makes a kick-ass read. Queen is much darker and more revenge-driven, but that was the first time I got to see all of my awesome plot threads from Books 1 and 2 come together beautifully. Plus, it has one of my favorite scenes of all times!

ME: Who are some of your biggest influences in the Fantasy genre, and what have you read recently that has blown your mind?

AP: My biggest influences are probably Brandon Sanderson (his world, the scope of his stories, and his sheer imagination blow me away) and Scott Lynch (his humor, characters, and plots are my “gold standard”). But it was David Weber’s Safehold series that made me want to write bigger military stories, and I’d say that was the last book/series that really blew me away.

ME: What is the key to your prolificacy? How are you able to write such immensely high quality work at such a fast pace?

AP: It’s a combination of fast typing (90ish accurate WPM), long hours spent sitting (20ish hours a week), a clear outlined path of where I want the story to go, and the confidence that comes with writing a lot. I don’t second-guess myself half as much as I used to, and I’ve developed a sort of trust that even if I can’t figure out where a story or plot point is going at the moment, I will figure it out and it will fit within my world. I’ve come to trust the creative part of my brain, and it helps me to write without doubting my story choices.I can’t speak to the quality of my writing, but I will say that my #1 drive is to make the story as good as I can. I care about the characters, the world, the accuracy of everything I include into it, and the emotional and psychological aspects of the story. So I make sure that I do a lot of research beforehand to understand everything I can. When I sit down and write, it just flows out because I’m so full up on the subject.

ME: When you aren’t writing, what takes up most of your time and how do you manage to balance your life with your writing regimen?

AP: I’m actually pretty good at “being done when I’m done”. Don’t get me wrong: it’s hard to shut off the creative brain, and I often find myself writing down ideas while driving, shopping, trying to sleep, even at the gym.But I know how much time I’ve got to put into the job, and how much I can reasonably expect of myself to get done in that time. Once I reach my self-imposed goal or deadline, I’ve trained myself to stand up and walk away from the keyboard. I don’t feel the urgent drive to push harder because I know I’ll have tomorrow to keep working at it.I still put in long hours of work—most days I’m working at 6 AM and, with only a few meal and brain-resting breaks during the day, I finish anywhere between 5 and 6:30 PM. But once I finish a task, it’s easy for me to get up and walk away.

ME: What one piece of advice would you be able to offer new writers?

AP:Take your time to make it great! My first self-published book (which will not be named) was released in a hurry because I wanted to get my name out there. The fact that it’s no longer in existence is proof that I rushed things and didn’t do the job right.At the same time, that was a huge learning experience because it showed me how much more I needed to work at making my stories great. So, when I sat down to write what is now Darkblade Assassin, I made sure to take my time to get it right, to really build the world properly, to get a proper sense of the character I created and wanted readers to fall in love with. The fact that it’s my best-selling book of all time proves that it’s always best to work the story until it’s done right, no matter how long it takes.

ME: I’ve heard about Silent Champions which I expect to be massive. How does it fit in to your world and what can we expect?

AP: I’m seeing Silent Champions as a “Rainbow Six/Ghost Ops” set in my fantasy world. A team of specially-chosen, elite military operatives from my Roman-style Legion are chosen to work behind the scenes on impossible missions to defeat overwhelming odds and turn the tide of war in their favor.
The main character, Aravon, is a Captain who watched his company slaughtered in an ambush by the enemy, and he accepts the offer of his Prince to remain “dead to the world” so he can operate in total secrecy. His team is made up exactly like a modern spec-ops team: an axe-wielding giant (heavy machine gun), a healer and shaman (medic), scout, sniper (elite archer), alchemical genius (demolitions), native-born hunter/tracker/soldier (rifleman), and the Captain himself (officer/gunner).
The series is set on a continent across the Frozen Sea, south of the mainland continent of Einan (where all the other stories take place). It’s set during the Eirdkilr Wars, a war with seven-foot-tall barbarians who are trying to push out the mainlanders that invaded their land centuries earlier.
Most of the characters are native to the continent of Fehl, and it’s a story about their fight to put an end to the war and bring peace to their lands. But I still found ways to tie it into my other stories, even if it’s a continent away!The soldiers who come to fight this war are primarily mainlanders who serve in the Legion of Heroes—sort of soldiers-for-hire, but trained to the level of a proper military force and driven by a desire to serve the Swordsman, god of heroism (monetary, military, and religious motivations combined). The fact that they’re from the main continent means I get to bring characters from my other stories into the world.Anyone who has read Queen of Thieves will immediately recognize Captain Elodon Phonnis (from Silent Champions 1), who is the Duke Phonnis that serves as Ilanna’s primary antagonist. Fans of the Hunter will find he makes an appearance (either in person or his handiwork) in Silent Champions 3, as does a few of my favorite characters from Heirs of Destiny. Silent Champions 2 features a few characters who will appear in a future series (see details below). And, not to spoil the story, but Book 4 has a face that every long-time reader of mine will immediately recognize!

ME: Aside from this series can you see anything else already looming on the horizon in terms of new work?

AP: So I’ve got three projects that I’m kicking around for completion next:• Hero of Darkness 8 to ?? – I need to finish the Hunter’s story and give him a second story arc to complete the mission he signed up for in Darkblade Savior (Hero of Darkness 6). World-shattering stuff that is going to have long-term consequences, so it’s a story that definitely needs to be told.• Unnamed Prison Story – This will be set in the city where my alchemically superior steel comes from, and I intend to make it a bit of flintlock fantasy (primitive gunpowder weapons). However, it’s going to take a bit of work to get it ready to write.• Unnamed Bounty Hunter Story – This one’s a bit more fleshed out in terms of characters and an outline, but I still don’t know if that’s the route I want to go.I won’t be able to start writing anything new until late 2019, so I’ve got enough time to figure out my next step.

ME: How important is reader interaction to you? Do you find it helps with your sales and marketing strategy?

AP: It’s my favorite part! I love checking my Facebook ads to see what people comment—both the good and the bad. Good comments are always nice, and it’s wonderful to know that readers connect with my stories. But the bad comments are kind of fun—I take it as my personal challenge to convert them into readers. You’d be surprised by how well it works!And it’s amazing how much of an influence fans can be. I wrote Traitors’ Fate, Darkblade Justice, and the Heirs of Destiny series because of comments my fans made—about wanting to see Ilanna and the Hunter face off, or how much they loved the young characters. Some of my most hardcore readers have been drafted to beta-read stories, or I’ll ask them for advice about their areas of interest/expertise.Readers are what this business is all about. Even if I never make a sale through the time I spend connecting with readers, it’s a thrill to share this work of art I’ve created with others who enjoy it as well.

ME: Im a huge fan of Fantasy Fiends, your video podcast with Stevie Collier. How did it come to be? What do you guys aim for with the podcast and why should we be watching?

AP: Stevie actually reached out to me, said he really enjoyed Darkblade Assassin and it inspired him to write his own novel, The Four Territories (Dark Assassin Book 1). We got to talking, and he watched a few of the live readings I did in my Facebook group. When he pitched the idea of doing a fantasy podcast together, I was totally intrigued by the idea. I could do my readings and talk about fantasy stuff, and let him handle all the business! Hehe, don’t tell him I said that.The Fantasy Fiends Podcast is a place where we have fun discussing all things fantasy—not just the stories, but the emotions, feelings, thoughts, and psychologies behind the stories and the characters. We delve into the more sensitive topics: humanity, religion, race, sexuality, gender, politics, and more, all through the context of a fantasy world. I want to believe that our discussions on these topics brings a bit more positivity to our world and helps people connect with us and our stories on a deeper level because of it.Plus, we have a blast doing live readings of our authors’ books. I get to break out my best (worst) accents and reenact new stories every week. It’s the most fun a job could be!

ME: What do you hope people get from your novels? Is there an underlying theme you are trying to convey in your writing?

AP: Absolutely! I want people to walk away from my stories feeling hopeful. The world I’ve written is dark—just as the world around us—and filled with all manner of hardships, suffering, pain, and loss. But, at the end of the day, if my characters can emerge from their challenges alive and better for them, then there’s hope that we, the reader, can as well.That sense of hopefulness is my main priority. At the end of the day, I want people to put down my books and feel better because their world can be brighter and happier one day. I want readers to feel hope that no matter how dark things are now, they will be better if they just hang on and keep fighting.

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Interview With Josh Erikson

ME: At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer? What was the journey like to your first published novel ?

JE: The writer part happened with the birth of my son, 9 years ago. I was working a stressful job for 60 or 70 hours a week, plus commuting an hour each way. And I realized I had to do something to be there more for my family. So I started teaching myself to write by churning out a massive 300,000 word epic fantasy as a “practice” piece, which…probably wasn’t the smartest way. It took four years to finally finish, and it won’t see the light of day until I have lots of time to polish it up! But I learned a ton from the experience–including that I wanted try writing as a serious career. So I started fiddling around with other genres that I might be able to write at a more efficient pace, and I found Urban Fantasy. From there, it was just a matter of becoming better at it. I had to learn to un-purple my prose, improve my pacing, and generally be a smarter storyteller. But eventually I got to the point that I was proud of what I had, and I started shopping it around to agents. And since this answer is already super long, let’s just say I had an uninspiring time with that process, so I decided to devote my full efforts to publishing/narrating it myself. It turned out to be a pretty good choice!

ME: How was SPFBO for you? Hero Forged was one of the books I heard talked about a lot and I found out about it through the competition

JE: SPFBO was fantastic for me, and I could honestly go on for paragraphs explaining why. But I’ll sum up by saying that there’s an entry in the Acknowledgements of Fate Lashed thanking the judges in my group for their generosity and Mark Lawrence in particular for creating the contest. I think it’s one of the coolest things happening in the Fantasy world today, and I’m just thrilled to be a part of the community in any form. I started it knowing nothing and nobody, and I came out with the foundation of a career. So it’s safe to say I’ll be singing its praises for quite a while!

ME: What inspire you to write the Ethereal Earth series? How would you describe it to a new reader?

JE: Ethereal Earth is a bigger idea that I’ve had for a long time, stemming a bit from childhood when I wished my favorite fictions could be real somewhere out there. I wanted Star Wars or Dungeons & Dragons to be happening where I could visit, and I had all the confidence of youth whispering that of course I’d be a super powerful Jedi or Wizard on the other side of that portal. But then I got older and more jaded, and I started thinking about how most of us would REALLY react when faced with nightmares in the flesh. That’s where Gabe came from. Our biggest collective ideas (good and bad) are able to come to life, and this regular guy who lives purely on wits now has to figure out how to cope…without picking up the nearest machine gun.

ME: There’s a lot of well timed comedy in the book. Did you know at the beginning that you wanted to write a humorous story or did it come with the writing?

JE: Thanks! I’ve always used humor to deflect more serious emotions, so this book is really just an extension of that. Without delving too deeply into my psyche, I’ll just say that I wanted to write things that are deeply personal and serious, without bumming everyone way out. There are some deep themes in this series, and some dark philosophy, but the humor is like a candy coating to make it all go down easier. And, ultimately, I liked the idea of writing in layers. The humor level is very accessible and there for everyone to have fun with. Then the deeper stuff is underneath if people want to dig for it. So the book can be easy and fun, or hard and fulfilling, depending on what you’re looking to get out of it!

ME: How much of your own personality finds its way in to the characters in the series?

JE: So, so much. It’s a little worrying, actually. I didn’t intend for it to happen that way, but several of the characters took on some pretty clear traits of mine as the writing progressed. Gabe and Heather in particular have quite a bit of me, but pretty much every character in the book has a dash in there. (For better or worse.) But then, doing the audiobook was in my head from the beginning, so I suppose it was inevitable that I’d write characters I could convincingly portray!

ME: You narrate your own audio books which is awesome and something I don’t see often…how has that been? Why did you choose to go this route ?

JE: I could seriously talk about this for hours, and if there’s anyone interested in that, hit me up! But the short version is that I’ve been singing since I was 12, and I started acting in local theater about the same time. Consequently, I’ve worked on vocal training and performance for fun ever since. And audiobooks have been a passion since wearing out a cassette tape read-along of a Ghostbusters picture book when I was 6. So when I decided to take the writing thing more seriously, those disparate skills came together in a way that no other job in the world could have provided. It seemed like a pretty decent sign that I should give it a shot. In retrospect, it was a massive gamble that probably shouldn’t have worked. Fortunately, it seems like I didn’t screw it up too badly!

ME:What were some of your biggest literary influences both Fantasy and not?

JE: Neil Gaiman is my biggest influence overall. American Gods had a huge impact on me, and my story pulls a little from those ideas. Plus the guy narrates his own stuff, and I’ve always really admired that. Stylistically, Joss Whedon is my other big hero. He writes deep, compelling characters with smart dialogue to keep things light over some pretty dark backgrounds. Combining the two was really a perfect recipe for me.

ME: When not writing what takes up most of your time?

JE: Hanging out with my wife and two kids, mostly. But when I’m not doing that, I’m bouncing between books, movies, and video games in equal measure. I’ve learned that I need creative input to get decent creative output, so there has to be a little leisure time built into the schedule if I want my writing to be at maximum okayness.

ME: You’ve chosen to self publish . How has that been for you so far?

JE: This is another thing I could talk about for hours, but I won’t put that evil on you. Send me a message sometime when you need to fall asleep, and I’ll tell you a story about profit margins and creative control. The “short” version is that indie publishing has been amazing for me. I initially decided to go this route because the endless cycle of querying and submitting was taking up an obscene amount of time and energy that I wanted to devote to other projects. That process culminated in a sit-down meeting with an agent who told me Urban Fantasy was dead, and that no publisher would ever let me narrate my own book. It was a sad day. So I figured if I was going to deal with rejection and failure, I might as well do it on my own terms. Fortunately, things have started off pretty well! It’s far more work than I anticipated, but it’s also more fulfilling than I ever imagined a job could be. I get to talk directly to cool people who like my stuff, and then write and narrate more stuff for them to like and talk about. No walls, no board meetings, no nonsense. Well…lots of nonsense, but it’s MY nonsense. That’s a big difference. I’d obviously consider publishing traditionally if an offer came along, but at this point it’s pretty cool not to have to go out looking for one. Just me and my trusty keyboard, delivering sustainably produced, 100% organic fiction directly to you!

ME: How important is reader interaction to you? Do you find it helps you increase awareness and sales?

JE: Reader interaction is everything. Writing is the first thing outside of marriage and fatherhood I’ve ever gone 100% at, and the reviews and emails I’ve gotten in response have honestly been crucial motivation for me. I think, as a reader, it’s easy to assume that anyone brave enough to put themselves out on paper or audio must be fairly self-assured. But that’s definitely not the case. Sometimes we’ve scraped together every bit of gumption we had just to publish this thing, so your feedback is a massive part of what replenishes the fire to keep at it. Plus, I could write snappy advertisements all day, but they’ll never be half as good as a few reviews from real readers. It helps sales so we can afford to keep going, and it helps balm our tender little writer hearts. Vocally supporting the things you love leads to more of the things you love. Then we all win!

ME: What are a couple of Fantasy books from the past couple of years that you would recommend to readers?

JE: I turned all my friends onto Game of Thrones, American Gods, and Name of the Wind before any of them were the mega hits they are. So I feel like I’ve done my duty as a literary scout for my sliver of the world. But if I had to pick something to champion to everyone, it would be Pratchett. I know quite a few people who’ve read little or none of Discworld, and it blows my mind. It’s so clever and fun, and there’s a ton of heart in there if you bother to look for it. I’m actually talking myself into a reread right now…

ME: What one piece of advice would you offer to writers, both your peers, or those aspiring to write their first novel?

JE: Honestly, nothing replaces quality. Your story can be great and your ideas fresh, but if you don’t get an editor and at least one proofread, your awesomeness won’t matter. The smallest missed detail can ruin the delicate magic your storytelling works on the reader, and that’s a massive disservice to your work. There will ALWAYS be typos that make it to publication somehow, but that’s no excuse to turn a blind eye. Take the book and your career seriously and give it everything you’ve got. Also, go get more advice. I barely know anything.

ME: What can we look forward from you next? Anything you can let us in on yet?

JE: The next Ethereal Earth book is coming together now, and I’ve got a few ideas for novella-length stories in the same universe. I’ll be polishing up a couple short stories too. And then there’s always my first book, just sitting off to the side and taunting me with how much revision it’ll take to be suitable for reading. That’s the secret monster I keep in my basement.

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Interview With Jamie Edmundson

At what point did you decide you wanted to be a writer? Describe the journey that led to the publication of Toric’s Dagger

Since my teen years if not before. I loved reading fantasy fiction and it was natural to want to emulate the writers I loved. I studied History at university and that reinforced and refined my interest in the genre. At that point I had a go at writing, but it went slowly, and I went into teaching to earn a living. It’s very hard to put in a full day of teaching, come home with worksheets to write and marking to do, and then have the creative energy to write regularly. Nonetheless, I never gave up on the idea, and the first draft of Toric’s Dagger slowly emerged.

When I had two young children it became EXTREMELY hard to do much writing and I kind of put things on hold at that point. In 2015 I left full time teaching, my kids were at school, and I determined to give myself a proper crack at it. At that point, in all honesty, I was a bit detached from the genre and the industry. I had been knocking around the idea of setting up my own business, while writing and reaching out to agents. It took me what seems now to have been a long time to realise that self-publishing was the best option, since it allows you to write and run your own business.

How was SPFBO for you? Talk a bit about the experience

I followed SPFBO 2016 with interest and so entered Toric’s Dagger in the 2017 edition. This was before it had even been published, so I really was incredibly green at that point, but what an opportunity to have been given! What the competition really did for me was give me a push in meeting the online fantasy community, who have proven to be unbelievably friendly and generous.

At that point Toric’s Dagger had zero reviews, so I had no real idea what kind of reaction it would get. I soon realised that the group I was in was pretty tough with some established names, but the amazing thing about the competition is that everyone comes in on an equal playing field. The blogger thought the book was good enough to give it a full read and a review, and I felt that was a good result for someone in my position. Beyond that, it starts to come down to personal taste.

What did you set out to accomplish in your Weapon Takers Saga? What did you hope readers would get out of the series.

I think writers write stuff that they would like to read. My objective was to write a great fantasy series that sits squarely in the epic fantasy genre but with enough in it to make it a unique read.

Worldbuilding is important to me, in that the setting needs to feel real enough for me to suspend my disbelief. The characters need to act and make decisions in a world that has a logic to it.

I wanted to write something with lots of characters, from multiple perspectives: men and women; powerful and without power; heroic, evil and in between.

I wanted there to be magic, that comes at a cost. I wanted it to remain mysterious, with no scientific explanation behind it.

I wanted a complex plot, but at the same time I wanted the books and the series to be relatively short, to feel fast-paced, and not get bogged down.

I wanted the characters to come ready-made: rather than a coming of age tale, these characters are adults each with their own beliefs, prejudices and values.

I wanted to explore themes of family, friendship, leadership and heroism.

Reviewers that have ‘got’ what I was aiming for have said it feels like a film or tv series – it’s meant to be easy to read and visual.

Much of the series deals with the relationship between twin siblings Belwynn and Soren. Did you have any personal experience that went in to the creation of these great characters?

With so many characters, I felt like the series needed to have an emotional core and characters that stood at the centre of the story line. Belwynn and Soren provide that in terms of their relationship with each other and respective roles. Belwynn is neither a great warrior nor a great wizard and, while not ‘ordinary’, she gives the story some grounding. Soren does have magic powers and that helps the reader to understand how magic operates in this world.

In terms of personal experience, I think they appeared on the subconscious level. I grew up with a younger brother and sister and I am lucky that we all remain close and get on. I also have a daughter and son who are close in age. So sibling relationships have definitely played an important role in my life.

If you were going to describe the series for new readers how would you do so?

The series is called The Weapon Takers Saga and it has a quest style plot that develops over the series. In Book One, Belwynn and Soren are tasked with retrieving a stolen relic—Toric’s Dagger. But they learn that an ancient enemy is threatening the people of Dalriya. Seven weapons of power must be found to defeat this enemy. But no-one seems to know what, or where, they are.

Who are some of your biggest literary inspirations?

This series is inspired by the fantasy novels I read when I was younger – The Lord of the Rings; The Dragonlance Chronicles; The Belgariad; Memory, Sorrow and Thorn.

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Be brave enough to do your own thing, your own way. There is tons of advice out there, from writers saying how they do it. And that’s worth listening to. But at the end of the day, you take what works for you and discard the rest. You need to learn how YOU are going to do it.

What are you working on now? What do you have planned once this series wraps up?

I have one more book of my current series to write. After that, I have so many ideas for a new series it is going to be hard to decide where to go. I would certainly like to go in a historical fiction direction eventually, perhaps an alternative history setting. I also have a character in my head demanding their own series. Watch this space!

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Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer Cover Reveal

Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer Cover Reveal

By James Jakins

Jack Bloodfist: Fixer released in October of 2015. And now, more than three years later, the sequel is finally coming.

Today I am going to share a short excerpt from the new book as well as reveal the brand new cover.

Let’s start with that cover, shall we?

The talented Pen Astridge is the force behind that cover, and I couldn’t be happier with it.

Now, how about that excerpt I promised?

Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer

I hurriedly checked my gun, an old .38 revolver my father had given me, and made sure I had a few speed loaders in my pocket before rushing out of the room into the clubhouse proper.

The bullets were silver, if you were worried. Kirk had told me once that I should invest in silver. Luckily, I hadn’t had to. One of the perks of the job was that he supplied it.

I rushed through the kitchen and into the main room of the lodge. Several people were milling about, enjoying a nightcap, staring out the large window into the snow covered forest outside, or just sitting by the fireplace. 

They all seemed so comfortable. Just spending a few days at the lodge. 

None of them failed to notice me barreling into the room waving a gun around.

“Jack?” someone asked.

I answered the man with a glare that I hoped conveyed the situation.

Mike’s wife, Cecilia, asked the important question. “Should we be worried?”

I tried to put on a calm, nonchalant exterior. “I think it would be a great idea if all of you made your way upstairs. Lock your doors behind you.”

I stood in the middle of the room as they all filed upstairs. I was impressed with the lack of a mad dash and trampled bodies. I guess living with a werewolf helps with the mindless fear.

When I heard the last lock click I turned my full attention to the basement door. It was a wooden panel that perfectly blended into the wall. You wouldn’t know it was there without someone pointing it out.

I really hated it down there. I considered that at least this time I would be able to go down there with the lights on. Not that that really made it better. I’d still have to deal with Officer Mike.

I froze in a sudden panic. What if Mike wasn’t the only wolf loose? I’d reacted so quickly. I hadn’t even checked the rest of the monitors. 

I felt like I might throw up. 

Before I could convince myself to make any sort of move, the panel clicked and the door swung open.

I know I probably don’t need to tell you this, but werewolves are scary as fuck.

I was frozen in place as the massive, fur covered, claw tipped, hand—God, I’d never realized before that they were actually hands, not paws—slowly came through the opening. It was followed by a second, then the large snout. It snuffled loudly as the black, intelligent eyes swept the room.

Watching them on a screen is one thing, but when one of those bastards steps from around a corner and stares you down, you better hope your stomach is empty or your pants are gonna be full.

His fur was caked in the gore and viscera that comes with every change. And the smell, holy shit, the smell. 

His muzzle curled back to reveal the row of overly-white, sharp teeth. Claws dug furrows in the hardwood as he approached.

“Uh,” I said, bravely.

Mike replied with a deep, chest vibrating growl.

Here’s the crazy thing: I liked it. God help me, I liked it. The rush. The knowledge that I might die. It had been months since I’d felt anything like that.

I took a deep breath and slowly leveled my .38. I tried not to move too quickly. I didn’t want to startle him.

His eyes, reflecting red from the fire, darted to my hand and he roared as he pushed himself off the ground toward me.

I now knew what a werewolf sounded like and I didn’t like it anymore.

I roared back as I rolled out of the way.

The wood floor where I’d been standing splintered at the impact of the wolf’s heavy frame.

I spun toward him, gun raised, and froze.

He stood on his back legs, front legs dangling at his side like misshapen arms, and glared down at me.

I swallowed and forced myself to squeeze the trigger. “Sorry, Mike,” I said as the sound of gunfire mixed with Mike’s angry cry of pain.

The beast that was Mike lumbered forward, blood pouring from his side, and swiped at me with a clawed strike. I managed to dodge the first swipe but was caught by the backhand.

My feet left the floor and my back connected, painfully, with the rough wood of the expensively rustic wall.

My gun slipped from my hands as I bounced off and my face hit the floor.

Now, despite what some might say, there are some real advantages to having an orcish heritage. I apologize if this offends your pride in your species, I’m sure there are perks to being whatever you are, but you probably don’t have the inborn survival and battle instincts that we orcs enjoy.

I also have the added advantage of owning a magic axe, so, that’s pretty cool.

With one arm I pushed myself up and away as the wolf’s claws dug into the wood where my head had been, and with my other hand I pulled Ukufa—my magic axe—from the custom holster I wore on my back.

I slipped as I moved and landed hard on my ass, but I was facing Mike and that was good enough for the moment.

He lunged forward, mouth open and hungry. I moved Ukufa up in front of my face, just in time to catch the too many teeth of the werewolf on the wooden handle.

Mike dropped back down to all four and pushed against the weapon as I shoved it as far back into his mouth as I could. His jaws opened and closed uselessly against the wood of the weapon. 

In the six months or so that I’d had Ukufa I hadn’t found anything that could hurt her. And, before you ask, yes, my axe is a girl. Get over it.

Mike narrowed his eyes before shooting one of his front legs up toward me. I rolled away, pulling Ukufa out of his mouth as I did so. I spun her around in my grip and punched the stiletto blade that rested opposite the axe head into the wolf’s temple.

It bounced off the thick skull and cut a long line in the beast’s fur. I moved with the momentum of the punch and pushed the blade in harder as I ran past him. The blade dug deeper as I found less bone to resist.

I pulled the blade out and dove forward just as five angry claws carved through the air behind me.

I landed, luckily enough, right next to my gun. I scooped it up as I rolled over, already sighting down the barrel. I’m not the best shot, but Mike was close enough that it didn’t really matter.

“Mike!” a woman’s voice.

Both Mike and I looked to the sound. He stood straight and spun toward her.

On the second floor of the clubhouse Cecilia Jensen stood on the landing, hand to chest, eyes wide in fear.

I sighed. I couldn’t kill him now. Not with his wife watching. That’s basically the king of dick moves. Probably for the best. I actually kind of liked Mike.

With him distracted I pushed myself to my feet and rushed toward the werewolf, gun out in front of me.

He spun back at the sound of my approach.

I wound up a pitch, Ukufa back behind my head. With a grunt of effort I threw her. The axe and stiletto blades reflected the firelight dully as they spun through the air before the axe head buried itself between the wolf’s eyes.

Mike reeled backward and grabbed clumsily at the weapon sticking out of his head.

I slid to a stop as close to the wolf as I could and placed my gun on the thigh of his right hind leg.

The cry of pain was louder than the gun. I was sure I’d hit bone, and I really hoped I’d missed any vital arteries. I dodged out of the way of his frantic counterattack and sidestepped to the other leg. Again I placed the barrel on his thigh and fired.

He snarled angrily as he collapsed to the ground and I quickly back stepped away from him. His front legs moved out, claws digging into the wood. He pulled himself—much faster than I was comfortable with—toward me.

His full attention was on me again. He’d completely forgotten about the woman crying on the second floor landing. 

I knew I wouldn’t be able to surprise him with a close range shot again, so I took a valuable few seconds and aimed.

My first shot splintered the wood two feet to his right. The next was closer but still missed. I only had one shot left. 

That bullet hit him in the left shoulder.

I darted in again as he howled in pain. I didn’t want to waste any more bullets if I could help it. In the back of my mind I was still considering that others may have gotten out. I’d need to deal with them, too.

I pulled Ukufa out of Mike’s skull and jumped back just in time to dodge the swing from his one good arm.

I knew that if the bullets hadn’t been silver the wounds would have healed already. The gash down his side from my axe was already closing up. But I figured some things would take longer to heal, even if they weren’t caused by silver. 

I holstered my revolver and held Ukufa like a baseball bat. I didn’t have to wait too long for the pitch.

Mike pulled himself forward with his good arm then took another swipe at me. I swung back.

Cecilia screamed at the sight of her husband’s hand as it landed in the fireplace. 

The smell of burning fur and meat filled the room instantly.

He howled and snarled in equal measure as his body writhed, still trying to reach me. 

I pulled Ukufa back up again and with a snarl of my own I chopped through his neck until I hit the spine. He stopped snarling and began to whine. It was kind of pathetic.

Over the quiet whine I could hear the other guests stirring in their rooms. I was sure they’d heard the whole thing, but no one other than Cecilia had left their room to watch. Now, though, they all swarmed out of their silver lined fortresses to see what had happened.

I stood in the middle of the now blood soaked room, moaning werewolf at my feet, and looked up at them.

“Okay, anyone with silver bullets, please aim them at Officer Jensen. I’m going to go check downstairs. When I get back I’m going to need someone to help me carry him back to his room.”

Jack Bloodfist: Freelancer releases 21 April, 2019

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Book and a Pint with Michael and James: Coilhunter by Dean Wilson

JJ: hey man..So, tell me about that project you’re working on? How’s the writing going?

ME: Going well , I’m about a liberal 45% in to this draft which I suspect will be about 55k words. It’s kind of a genre bending thing with multiple stories happening at the same time but at the core it’s humorous military fantasy featuring seals and Walruses fighting over an underwater Alehouse monopoly

JJ: So, seals and walruses drinking and fighting?

ME: Pretty much with some abstract existentialism thrown in. Speaking of which..Freelancer is done! People are reading it! You’re about to reveal a badass Pen Astridge cover…How does that feel?

JJ: Feels really good. I’m so ready for it to be released. Kick the orc outta the nest and see how he does.

ME: Old mad half-Orc Jack

JJ: What?

ME: What do you mean what ?

JJ: What do you mean “Old mad half-Orc Jack?”

ME: Nothing ..forget about it..anyway today I’m very stoked , and I hope you are too to be talking about an awesome book, by a really great author, Dean Wilson’s Coilhunter!

JJ: Ah yes! The Adventures of Mr. Wacky and Mr. Quacky.

ME: That’s right! For those of you that are lost to that reference why don’t you fill them in Mr. Jakins

JJ:Well, Mr. Wacky is a whimsical toy maker who travels the Wild North bringing joy to all the children of the wasteland with his mechanical wonders! And Mr. Quacky is his robot duck companion…Okay, not really. Nox is anything but whimsical. But he does have some nice toys.

ME: The first part sounded a lot more family friendly , which Coilhunter, despite being 100% swear free, definitely is not

JJ: Yeah. This shit gets dark.

ME: Wait..I thought we said we were doing the non sweary segment to match the book. Damnit we fucked this up already!

JJ: Fuck… I mean… Sorry… Uh… I don’t know how to fix this…

ME: Old mad guttermouth Jakins

JJ: Okay, how about instead of swearing , we talk about gratuitous violence and mayhem?

ME: Of which there is a great deal in this book which is in fact a “Weird Western” set in a steampunk/cyberpunk world of wanted posters, bountyhunters, quick draw shooting and sand beasts.

JJ: Oh yeah. Dean really captures the essence of the “Western” right away with the book. I always say tropes exist for a reason and the opening scene with Nox just walking into a saloon looking for the guy on that wanted poster proves why.

ME: Totally! I was blown away right from that chapter as well. The first thing I thought of was how happy I was that there were more of these to read. It felt almost like this weird Tim Burtonesque world that was made for cinema

JJ: Oh man, yeah. This world would look so good on the big screen. I love the steampunk aesthetic and the mix of that with the western genre is such a satisfying one.

ME: And then there’s Nox’s ride! How much did you want a Monowheel?

JJ: Oh, Monowheel. Yeah, that’s pretty great. His trusty steed. I don’t envy the terrain he has to ride it on, though.

ME: Not at all, total dystopian wasteland. Perfect place for killer mechanical structures and the aforementioned sand beasts..come to think of it, isn’t there a sand beast at the beginning of Freelancer?

JJ: Hm… Not really a sand-beast. More of an extra-planar-eldritch-tentacle-thing that just so happens to land in the sand while trying to eat Jack.

ME: And book 3 is going to be about seals?

JJ: Sort of? I want it to be a very Mogayne heavy book, which means, yes, lots of seal/selkie presence.

ME: Old mad content thief Jakins

JJ: Yeah, but probably no walruses.
Actually…That’s a good idea…Seals versus Walruses…Yeah. I like where this is going… Hang on. I have to write this down. I don’t know where these ideas are coming from…And they’ll drink so much beer…

ME: Dude…I had one idea! Seals and Walruses drinking beer and fighting. It’s probably the only idea I’ll ever have! It may not even be a good idea. I’m currently begging military fantasy authors to ghost-write the battle scenes because seals have fucking flippers and can’t hold swords and guns. Can you just take one of your 8,000 mega-creative ideas that I’m green with envy over and use one of those and not outclass me on this one…please?…And consequently where the fuck are my blue cheese combos?

JJ: … This got really antagonistic and I don’t feel comfortable… I ate the combos, Michael. They’re gone. Okay?

ME: Fuck! I’m grabbing another beer. Gotta calm down.

5 minutes later

ME: Alright well that got off track but I did a bit of meditation and I’m feeling focused again..so let’s get back to the book shall we?

JJ:Yeah. I like that plan.

ME: What did you think of Handcart Sally?

JJ: I really liked Sally. When she was first introduced I kinda just assumed she was just gonna get crossed off Nox’s list and he’d move on to the next bounty, but I liked the direction the story went with her. And, I gotta say, I really liked the nicknames everyone got. Handcart Sally, Nine-finger whatever-her-name-was. The million and one names for Nox.

ME: Yep Dustrunner, Lostlander etc. Consequently each of the 9 intended Coilhunter book are named after one of these Nox pseudonyms!

JJ: I noticed that and immediately felt a surge of anger that I never thought of it.

ME: Old mad prolific multiple series writing Dean

What I really dug about the dynamic between Sally and Nox was how she humanized him. We’ve got a freaky killer who everyone is terrified of..an urban legend even, and with her he kind of turns in to this sympathetic character

JJ: Yeah. He’s still not a very nice guy. He’s so single minded and black-and-white about everything that it’s kind of impossible for him to be completely relatable, but she definitely helps us understand why he is who he is.

ME: And anyone that loves the tragic backstory, does this one ever offer that in droves

JJ:Oh yeah. Again, perfect example of why tropes are tropes. It’s a classic backstory done right. Those scenes are brutal, too.

ME: Kinda Punisher, Kinda Edward Scissorhands. I know I keep going back to Burton but all the way through it I couldn’t help but feel that weird tragic ambience. Like a Danny Elfman theme would fit perfectly

JJ: I’d never considered it, but I can’t argue. I can actually see the duck animated in that classic Burton style. And, Nox is basically a cowboy Batman.

ME: Yup..and I’d urge anyone that reads this one to read on. It’s really a lot of set up and book 2 and 3 really add even more dimension to this awesome character and there’s definitely more duck for your buck!

JJ: I haven’t read on yet, but I did grab the omnibus edition off audible so I’m ready to go. Speaking of audio, for those that like that format, this one’s really good.

ME: Yea I’m not a huge audio guy but RC Bray kills it on this

JJ: He is definitely good at what he does.

ME: So let’s sum this thing up. Overall thoughts on this one?

JJ: I really enjoyed Coilhunter. It’s a great example of the Weird West genre that does a fantastic job of using established tropes from both Western and Steampunk to make itself a stronger, better story. Nox is a great protagonist and one I’m definitely excited to see more of as I continue reading these books.

ME: I fully agree. I feel like Dean Wilson has created an iconic character that I can imagine growing even more over the course of the planned 9 books.

So before we close this thing out, why don’t you plug your anthology because I love the cause and it looks awesome.

JJ: Oh, for sure! Releasing on February 28th is my little imprint’s first anthology, Where There Are Dragons. It’s a mixed genre collection, meaning we have everything from literary fiction, to poetry, to bizarro. The only thing all stories have in common is that they, in some way, feature dragons, real or otherwise. Proceeds from every sale will be going to benefit suicide awareness and prevention.

ME: And none of them were written by my wife..

JJ: Sorry…

ME: I’ll let it slide, wife denying, combo eating, Orc writing Jakins

JJ: Don’t forget, Old and Mad.

ME: I’m older and I’m madder that you ate those combos

What are we doing next?

JJ: I dunno, that’s usually up to you. I thought you had a list somewhere?

Pulls out imaginary list. 

ME: Oh look! It’s Andy Peloquin’s Darkblade Assassin, and as a special Book and a Pint treat, because we know you love him, Andy will be answering some of our nonsense questions that will surely have nothing to do with his books.

JJ: Sounds good to me!

ME:We’ll be back in a few weeks with that one. Until then Read some books and support the literary community

JJ: Read all the things!

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Thoughts on World Building

Thoughts on world building

By Ulff Lehmann

There’s a kingdom, it should be based on renaissance Florence, next to it are the Gauls pre-Roman conquest, next to that the elves who are pretty much like elves everywhere, next to the elves the orcs.

Etc. etc.

Sounds familiar? If you’ve spent any amount with D&D and related games and its fiction, you will know what that means.

Oh, here’s a desert and in that desert a city.

I made the mistake myself. Well, some of the mistakes. It’s hard not to when you have been reading books set in and game mastering D&D in the Forgotten Realms for years. It’s also wrong. It’s a different level of wrong that, say, having to “level up” a character before his or her story actually begins, thus creating a lot of useless skirmishes for said character before they go on THE QUEST. Or some such.

The orcs were created by the same pantheon of gods as the elves, and the Florentine kingdom worships a trinity of deities that work together, and the Gauls have an entirely different pantheon of course based on the ancient gods.

And all the gods are real!

All too familiar, right?

Now, we’re dealing with a mythical world. A world in which the gods supposedly created everything, which in turn means we are dealing with what I call creation fact. It can’t be a myth because then we’d just get the same stuff as Earth, with many competing mythologies and none of them real. (Yes, none of them are real, get over it.) Since we have already established that all the gods are real, we actually have competing literal gods that have their own creation fact… and that’s where shit usually hits the fan.

If the world was created by deities, or peopled by deities, how come they’re now responsible for other groups of people, even within the same species? It may seem trivial, in the light of the big ass epic story you want to tell, but the instant you have priests of opposite sides calling upon their respective deity and either side gains a boon that definitely proves both gods are real, you will have people asking wtf is going on. And rightfully so.

If both groups are real, then both creation facts are also real, and if one god or group of gods created the world by slaying the big sky turtle, while the other god or gods built the world with stones and mortar, things are getting interesting. As long as no side can actually prove their faith is right, something that goes out the window as soon as boons are granted by both sides thus making both right, the world cannot be built from the carcass of the sky turtle and by stones and mortar. It makes no sense, and I would like to think that readers will pick up on such discrepancies.

But is all of this important? Some might ask.

Yes, it is, because everything comes from somewhere, especially in fantasy. Magic can just be there and the “gods” are just the strongest users. That can work, but if you pull on that thread, as a creative mind is wont to do, you’ll again end up wondering who created the world and how.

The Forgotten Realms solved this problem by creating an Overgod who was sort of like the creator who then attracted a patchwork of other gods and peoples to his world. Sort of like a toy box into which you tossed everything because it is cool. The instant you have utterly different cultures living side by side with none of them gaining the upper hand things are really messed up.

Yes, you might say, that’s how history works, but in your world things are different. Then you introduce some harebrained scheme to have it all make sense, because things are so much cooler if you have Florentine and Gaul people living right next to each other. It’s not like these cultures weren’t neighbors before, right? I mean Italy and France are right next to one another, so why not have these cultures together as well? And add some Native American tribes into the mix as well, while we’re at it! Why not have renaissance blunderbusses go against Celtic battle chariots? Why not have the Native American tribes join with the Gauls to attack the Florentine?

I can see the madness unfolding. Can you?

Nothing happens in a vacuum. Nothing happens without a reason. The Gauls and Florence were separated by a millennium and then some years of technical advances, regresses, renewed sciences, and such little things as reading and writing, not to mention gunpowder and whatnot. Look at what happened in areas where a technologically advanced civilization meets on that’s technologically inferior. History books are full with those stories. Realistically speaking, a Florence based civilization would have conquered the Gauls with ease. The proud barbarians would have looked so much worse against artillery and cavalry than they did against the Romans.

So, let’s ditch the multiple pantheons and whatnot. It’s one of the things I always appreciated about Dragonlance, they had only one pantheon. Sure, it didn’t create the world, but that’s another story.

Diversity of peoples. In the real world. We have a variety of melanin levels, making humans all kinds of different shades. We also have different hair colors and structures, and different features. A result of hundreds of thousands of years of evolution, parallel evolution, interbreeding, and so forth. Also hundreds of different religions which are, of course, all real to the believers.

Since we already decided to ditch the multiple pantheon approach (because it causes too much hassle, when we want to focus on story) we also ditch different skin colors. Now, this does not mean our world will be populated by whites, it can also be populated by purples, or blacks, or pinks, or or or.

If we look at real world mythology, we always have every actor in whatever tale be of the same people. Greeks in Athens and Sparta, as well as in Troy and across the Bosporus, again, it only makes sense. The moment you have non-Greeks showing up in tales filled with Zeus’s bastards, who worship an entirely different set of gods and have never heard of Mount Olympus, your carefully maintained suspension of disbelief will crumble. So the folks in Troy spoke Greek, so did Circe and everyone else… they all worshiped the same gods as well. Because it fit the narrative, and made things far less of a hassle.

We have bigger, more tasty fish to fry.

Myths everywhere deal with similar people. Etzel of the Nibelungenlied also spoke German, even though the character was based on Attila the Hun. Because it fit the narrative of dragon slaying heroes and intrigue.

I want them to all speak different languages! I need to develop grammar, syntax, vocabulary!

Tolkien much? Do you write in whatever language the people are talking? Did Tolkien have that much dialogue in Sindarin? How about the Dark Tongue of Mordor? The drawings were a nice gimmick, sure, but each phrase was also translated into English, because the story was written in English. Again, since the good old professor was British, he wrote in his native tongue. He wanted people to read the damn thing, and no publisher would have printed a manuscript written in various different, MADE UP languages!

Does knowing a language help you with the story? Of course not. You could write a tale set in Prussia or Spain or Italy without knowing more than a few words of either language, and even then you’d probably not pronounce any of them like a native of whatever time. And that’s good the way it is. You don’t need to know the language to write a story set in a country. There’s brilliant stories written by Americans that take place in Nazi Germany… the few German words that crop up are mostly used in the wrong way anyway, so why bother? Yes, you have created your own language, but you will never use it for a dialogue. Why? Because you want people to bloody read the book or story and you want them to continue reading it!

But names… Names are not language.

What you must know, and understand by heart is context and consequence. There’s a reason why bodkin arrows were used against chain armor, and scimitars were not. How did people live in the period that you modeled your world on? That’s stuff you need, because otherwise you will get reviewers pointing out that kukris against chainmail are utterly point and useless, or that leather armor just wasn’t, at least not the fetish-like stuff people wear in so many “period” dramas.

Stuff like that is as important as understanding history. Real world history, because our fantasy stories are based on some history or other, and it really doesn’t matter if it’s Ancient Egypt, Feudal Japan, pre-Christianization Celtic Ireland. It does not matter which culture, just know and understand it, and why they had specific technologies. The hodgepodge approach of throwing every conceivable weapon and armor and fashion into a blender and having something that makes sense is good for games, not so much for coherent worlds.

Research, understanding of context, cohesion, these are the keys.

I prefer mythical realism, but I do understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. There are those who want a world without such confines. No gods, no reason for stuff being there, the irony about that is, you still have to adhere to certain rules. It matters little if you’ve made up the rules, or if you basically adjust real world physics. Let rivers flow uphill or up-mountains, for all I care, as long as it makes sense, internally, it matters not.

Look at Pratchett’s discworld. It makes sense, internally, and it is more mythical that, say, Krynn or the Forgotten Realms. Sure, a disc carried on the backs of four enormous elephants that in turn stand on the back of a massive turtle which in turn swims through the cosmos is about as absurd as it gets, but it’s founded in real world mythology. You can go the route of magical realism, have magic just be a part of everyday life. In the end it has to make sense.

For instance, if you have magic in the world, and it is readily available, what use is there for technology to advance? We don’t have magic in our world, we don’t have gods in our world whose priests heal our illnesses (despite the faux faith healers and shit), so we needed to figure out how to perfect fire making, or the creation of tools and weapons. If you have mages who can create fire by merely looking at a bit of wood, why bother with firestones and such? If said mages can kill over a distance, and you have enough mages available, why develop weapons?

Any such technology requires a need. Now, one could say that magic is rare. Surely there is a way to determine whether a child is born with the gift or not. Also, if mages are born randomly but the chance of one mage parent increasing the chances for a mage offspring, and two mage parents make such a birth a certainty, why would there not be breeding programs? People are bastards, so in a society where mages are the “solution” to every technical issue, why would that society not perfect this “technology”? If there are no deities to set limits and curb such development, why would you not have strong male mages impregnate as many women as possible in order to increase the chance for mage offspring?

If everyone is a mage, why would they develop houses? They just have to not get hit by cold or rain. The lack of houses, in turn, would let people remain nomadic for much longer. If your magic can slay animals from a distance, why develop spears or bows or slings? Fire? Magic. Cooking? Magic. Transportation? Magic. There is a reason why we developed technologies to aid us in all these things.

Sure, you might say that mages are working in secret, a la Harry Potter, but even in that world you have witches or wizards born from Muggle parents. The Wizarding world on its own works well enough, mix it with reality and things become a little more muddled. What prevents the mages from taking over? Nothing really… it’s not even evil… sure, there’s rules that say one can’t use magic in front of Muggles, but in the end that rule is Rowling’s attempt to not delve deeper into the complications that arise when mixing magic with the real world. For instance: why an old steam train? Yes, it harkens back to a simpler time, but why steam? You have plumbing in the castle which is used by a basilisk to move about, leading into a secret chamber that was constructed with the castle a millennium ago. You also have secret marks on spigots that surely were not installed when the castle was built. Unless the wizards kept the knowledge of spigots and plumbing from Roman times. That, however, opens its own can of worms since Rowling said that the plumbing and such was changed comparatively recently. Which in turn makes this author wonder why the fuck they laid the pipes into a chamber with a basilisk? Also, was there a secret provision with the contractors to put Slytherin’s sigil on a spigot that incidentally leads to a secret door, which the contractors would have found while working. Mages don’t have any problem with normal illnesses, but they must be cold hearted bastards for not helping Muggles in times of the Black Death.

Enough of Rowling.

I must admit, living in a medieval city makes things easier. I know what the houses look like, I just have to go outside and I will see. To expect every writer of fantasy to know all this from the get go is preposterous. For the writers to not do their research, however, is ludicrous.

Did Tolkien develop a homogenous world? I don’t think so. Please let me explain. Sure, I have never been able to get through Lord of the Rings, nor have I read the Silmarillion, so I may well be utterly wrong here, but somehow I doubt it. We have a history that spans several thousand years, the sword Aragorn uses is old, still sharp, maybe a bit old fashions, but still a sword whose design hasn’t really changed for a great many years either – be it on our world or Middle-earth. Neither has armor. And therein lays the problem. Armor is a response to weaponry, once an armor is created that can stop a certain kind of weapon, another weapon is designed to get through that specific armor, which in turn leads to new armor. Etc. etc. Why would technology stand still? There may have been a Dark Age after the first great war, but that would imply technology dropped down a notch or three. Minas Tirith and the whole of Gondor remained, however. There were bound to be conflicts, pirates, marauders, whatever, and to not have technology evolve further is something one would expect in a few thousand years. Especially if a peoples like the dwarves are lacking in magic. That the elves stagnated is kind of logical, they had magic, humans and dwarves did not. Yet they had the tech to build bigass cities, and maintain them.

Maybe I’m too nitpicky, but there has to be a reason for such a retardation of technological development. And “Because Tolkien said so” is no reason whatsoever.

Enough of the Prof.

So, you want a world that is similar to our own, without true gods, but with magic. Also, the world revolves around a sun, is part of a solar system, is part of a galaxy etc. Is magic like the Force? Will such abilities be passed on from parents to children? Again we come to selective breeding programs.

You may not think about such things, or dismiss them as trivial as long as the story is good. And you’re right! The story is all that matters. Sadly, we live in a day and age where everyone obsesses over certain properties. Harry Potter, Middle-earth, Star Wars, basically anything with a fandom has people out there who do dissect every minutiae. And if you don’t have the answers to some of the questions people come up with (see the entire Chamber of Secrets illogic above) that will actually satisfy such people, you may be in deep shit.

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