Guest Author TJ Therien

Today our guest is TJ Therien author of yesterday’s book The Scrolls of Scion: The Dark Queen Rising. Here is a link to my post. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5tO

TJ Therien

Let’s find out more about TJ.

First I would like to thank Rosie for having me here and thank her for reading and reviewing my debut novel. I really do appreciate her taking the time out of her busy schedule for an obscure independent author.

 

1) Where is your home town?

I was born in East York and raised in North York, cities which no longer exist, having been absorbed by the Megacity of Metropolitan Toronto when it was created. I have also lived in Calgary, Alberta, Perry Sound, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec and made my home in the Eastern Townships of Quebec for most of the last decade before returning to Toronto at the end of June this year in order to promote my writing in an English Province and large urban market.

2) You’ve climbed a very steep hill to become an author, would you care to share some of your journey with the readers?

I started my journey to become an author as an almost illiterate drop out at age 15. I could fill out a standard job application, but not a long form application, or an application that deviated from the standard set up. I basically knew what boxes to put the few words I did know. I quickly realized my job prospects would be severely limited if I did not learn how to read and write so I began to self-educate myself by picking up a book and a dictionary and referencing every word I did not know and referencing every word in the definition I did not understand. It was a very long and tedious process. I began writing Poetry because at the time I perceived it to be looser in structure than prose. That was when my love for the written word began.

3) What made you choose to write a fantasy book?

Fantasy was not the genre of my choosing for my first novel, it just kind of happened. I had tried to write a novel on several occasions mostly in the vein to Kerouac’s stream of conscious or in the genre of Romance, but never saw anything through to completion. In 2013 I decided to take part in NaNoWriMo. I didn’t have an outline for a story or even much of an idea so I fell back on a love of mine which is the genre of Fantasy; I figured Fantasy would allow me to fly by the seat of my pants. I prepared myself by making a childish map with the Paint program on my computer and writing down a few names. I then gave myself 30 prompts based on those names and locations and the rest is history. I posted the original draft as I wrote it on one of my old blogs “Fables, Fallacies and Short Form Fiction” The story took on a life of its own and the rest is history. Although the story itself was written in 30 days, it took nearly six-months of edits and rewrites to put the depth into the characters and the world.

4) How did you go about researching information for your book?

Here’s the thing, other than researching the names I would use I actually did no research for the book. It was completely improvised and drew upon my youth playing Dungeons & Dragons and the fantasy I read when I was older. I am a big Tolkien fan, but I did not want to tread on the creation of such a great. The Races I’ve chosen are all staple races in the fantasy genre, although I have tried to give them all a unique twist. I would mention, as I am a History buff, especially where Ancient History is concerned, I did try to incorporate that knowledge in ways that suited the story.

5) Can you tell the readers why the Drow were driven to the Iron Hills?

Elves, as I have laid them out in my world are divided primarily among three classes, The High Elf, The Wood Elf and The Drow. Savage Elves in my book predate Elven culture and since they worshiped the old Gods they were never accepted. Back to the Drow now, they were basically a slave class of Elf forced to mine the earth and work the forges in the time when Elves still did these things, they were also used as a military arm due to their ability to blend in with shadows. The Drow, led by Lolth, the original Queen of the Drow and High Priestess of the Cult of the Spider led the Drow in revolt against their Elven Overlords and sided with the Orc in the Great War that took place five thousand years before my story begins. I should mention that while Lolth is a Goddess according to D & D mythologies, in my novel she is not a Goddess, but a Drow that had acquired unique magical powers. The revolt failed and the Elves basically committed genocide in the destruction of Sion (the capital city of the Drow at the time.) A handful of Drow (a few low level priestesses and their guard) escaped the massacre and found a home in the Iron Hills where they rebuilt their numbers through selective breeding.

6) Tell us about some of the other races of species in your book.

Well I am using staple Races of the Fantasy genre as I said previously; I wanted to give them a unique twist. So I made my Orcs intelligent and there culture is kind of a Shamanic culture that has a code of honor and they are not outright evil, but were driven into the Barrenlands by the Dwarves in what was basically a territorial dispute and this is what the Great War was primarily about. On the topic of Dwarves, Dwarven females do not have beards, but they started wearing false beards in the time of the Great War to protect them from rape and they continued to wear them even after the war had ended. Savage Elves worship the ancient gods as I have said which were animals seen in the constellations. Savage Elves exist primarily in animal form and live extremely long lives, Lord Arthfeal, the Lord of Bears existence predates the Great War.

7) Who are the ancient sages and what is their role?

Ah, now that is an interesting question. I did not want to have typical Wizards in my story, so I created the Sages, who are very old and wise beings that spend most of their lives acquiring knowledge and magic which they are reluctant to use. They are often referred to as the First Ones and they perceive each other as brother and sister, although I have never gone into their origin. Each Sage represents one of the races and one of the Elements. Their primary function is as the Advisors of Kings and the Ruling Classes of the separate Races.

8) What is a Drider?

A Drider is a creature that is half Drow and half spider, they are magically created and it is the ultimate form of punishment for a Drow to be transformed into one. It is a particularly cruel fate and the transformation is very painful. A Drider retains his Drow memories and magical abilities, but this too is part of the curse. When a Drow is transformed into a Drider they are exiled from Drow society. The rite to transform a Drow to Drider had not been performed since the time of Lolth, before the Great War until Rianon performs the rite upon Prince Maelgad in the opening scene of the book.

9) Are you working on the next book in the series?

I will be beginning the penning of the sequel to “Scrolls of Sion: Rise of the Dark Queen” “The Scrolls of Sion: Broken Bloodlines” November 1st 2014 and will use the same NaNoWriMo process. All future books in the “Scrolls” series will also be done in this fashion, although I don’t know how many books it will be in the end, my intention is to produce one book each year (to be released on May 25th  the following year) as long as I can keep the books interesting and relevant. I have other projects I am working on other than “Scrolls” that are not in the Fantasy genre including a Romance (“Forever: The First Epoch”) set in the Stone Age which I am hoping to finish writing and editing by the time NaNoWriMo starts. I also am working on a book of experimental Poetry entitled “Crossing Main.”

10) Where can readers find out more about you and where can they get your book? Is it still free on these sites?

Readers can find me at my new Primary blog “Inside the Poet’s Mind” and also on my blog devoted to “The Scrolls of Sion” which goes by the same name as the series. My books can be found on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and the i-Store, although I can’t find me on the i-Store, books are being downloaded there. Like the Drow, “Scrolls” exists in shadow and secret in the world of “Apple.” I also have an anthology of Poetry (“Liars, Hypocrites & the Development of Human Emotion) available through the same retailers. I have decided to keep all my books free until I debut them on Amazon. I have not yet set a date for my Amazon launch, but it will be before November 1st and maybe as early as August 1st so those who haven’t taken advantage of this free offer, better hurry.

Thank you again Rosie for having me here on your Blog. I have enjoyed the experience and truly appreciate the exposure.

Links to Blogs

http://insidethepoetsmind.wordpress.com/

http://thescrollsofsion.wordpress.com/

Links to Book

scrolls fFINAL 3

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/434284

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-scrolls-of-sion-t-j-therien/1119459677

Thank you TJ and good luck with the next book.

Guest Author Kelly R Michaels

Today our guest is Kelly Michaels author of yesterday’s book Archer of the Lake. Here is a link to the post if you missed it. http://wp.me/p2Eu3u-5gm

Kelly R Michaels

Let’s find out more about Kelly.

1) Where is your home town?
It’s a small, rural town in southern Tennessee called Fayetteville, and I’ve lived here my entire life.
2) How long have you been writing?
 I’ve always created stories as a result of childhood insomnia, but I recall actually writing them down when I was about twelve years old.  I was very ambitious then, trying to compose a six book epic.  That particular endeavour faded away, but all throughout high school and college I’ve been very persistent about writing constantly. I have pile of old notebooks completely filled as well as abandoned Word files saved on flash drives.  It’s hard to actually put a quantifying number on how much I’ve written.
3) Is Fantasy your preferred genre?
Yes, you could definitely say that, but my interests also expand to science fiction, historical fiction, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and other genres as well. But fantasy is my favourite.  There’s a quote by J. R. R. Tolkien–“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory…” And I think that nicely sums up my fascination with fantasy.
4) What idea sparked the writing of Archer of the Lake?
 I hate to sound cliche, but it came from a dream.  In early 2012, I awoke from a very vivid dream, and it wasn’t exactly a dream in the sense of something happened. The last thing I remember before waking up that morning was a specific tableau.  The scene was a certain congregation of elves, all sitting about in a room.  There was one elf who sat alone, an obvious outcast to the others.  Another elf was not secluded from the main group but she was distinctly reaching out to the outcast, as a gesture of friendship and goodwill.  The image was so inspiring to me that I developed a story around these two elves, who eventually turned into today’s Feraan and Caelfel.
5) Can you tell the readers briefly about the seer’s first prediction
The Seer sees a dead city in flames.  She sees that the culprit behind this appalling act has the power and ability to use this method of mass destruction to wreak havoc and death across the world.  However, the one thing she cannot see is who is behind it.  The Seer charges Feraan with the task of eradicating this evil and bringing the one responsible to justice.
6) Why is Feraan a wanted elf?
Before the incident, Feraan had been widely known as an elf with a penchant for mischief.  Quite simply, he did not fit in with the typical serenity of elves.  After the incident, when Feraan completed his task of eradicating the evil in their forest, the Councilors are left with no explanation of how this evil came to be. Thus they seize the opportunity to frame Feraan for the crime, and his previous reputation easily casts him as the scapegoat in the eyes of his community.
7) What is it that the Princeling wants from Feraan?
The Princeling simply wants revenge from Feraan.  Feraan, with his notoriety as the Wandering Elf, often meddles in affairs when he believes powers are left uncheck.  A few years before the main events of the book took place, Feraan defeated a human sorcerer who was very dear to the Princeling, and the Princeling never forgave him.
8) What is the importance of Caelfel being called The Archer of the Lake?
When Caelfel is called into battle, she is an archer.  In fact, her primary combat skill is archery.  I mentioned in the book how her parents named her after a lake, Rumfel Lake, to be precise.  Specifically, it is where she was conceived, so the lake is her namesake.  It is a part of her.  Feraan has a dream about the Archer of the Lake, who is symbolically a guardian of the forest, as evinced in the battle hymn Olwen sings to himself.

So Caelfel essentially becomes the Archer of the Lake, fulfilling a role in the threads of fate, even so that her bow becomes significant, receiving the name the Lake Bow from the Seer.  The Blind Seer knows Caelfel has an important role to play, and Caelfel’s journey has not ended as Archer of the Lake.
I also took careful measures in choosing Caelfel’s name from a linguistic perspective.  “Ceallach” is a Gaelic words which can have many meanings, but a primary usage would be “warrior”.  And what is a warrior if not a defender of homestead?  The importance of the Archer of the Lake is a protector, and Caelfel fills that role many times.
9) Are you writing a second book in the series?
 I am!  I tentatively plan to title it “Prince of the West,” and as I mentioned before, Caelfel’s journey is not over.  I am about a third of the way completed with the first draft, and I can safely inform you that Caelfel has to confront another mythical creature on her ventures!
10) Where can readers find out more about you?
Readers can visit my website at www.kellyrmichaels.com
Archer of the Lake
Find a copy here from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Thank you Kelly and Good Luck with the next book.

Romancing September author Kylie Sabra (Day 24)

Day 24 and we are meeting author and artist Kylie Sabra a very talented lady. Step over to Stephanie’s blog later to catch up with her views on writing romance in today’s society.

Kylie Sabra authorLet’s find out more about Kylie;

1) Where is your home town?

I was born in Topeka, Kansas–an Air Force brat. I was shortly transplanted to Texas and finished my “growing up” in the small town of Liberty, about an hour east of Houston. I’ve called Seattle my home for the past 19 years and it ever shall be until they spread my ashes over Puget Sound.

2) How long have you been writing?

I started writing poetry, music and short stories in grade school, then went on a long hiatus to raise kids. Honestly, no clue why I stopped. Began writing again in the mid-eighties as a staff writer and corporate communications professional. I got all the touchy-feely articles. (grins) I wonder why?

3) You have a beautiful book cover, who designed it?

I am a graphic artist and designed my own cover. I escape to my art when I need to cry “refuge!”. Wow you are very talented!

4) “The Singing Dagger” is primarily a fantasy novel, but it contains romance too. Can you tell us the significance of the title?

There is indeed a dagger and it does sing. It is the embodiment of a depraved soul that seeks to own Erin. The dagger is the only way he can take her.  I’d say more, but . . .

5) This is book 1 in the “Caitriona Prophecy” can you briefly tell us what the prophecy said?

Ahh! I’d share more that even.  The book is based upon a poem I wrote.

The Bane of King Adaire

by Kylie Sabra

His son and his favored, sent King Adaire

to take them wives in Tara fair.

To steal their magic, so rich, so rare;

lay claim alone for Me’Doshaire.

The maidens found their hearts ensnared,

did steal the joy of King Adaire.

His hatred boiled that they should dare,

to slip so deftly through his snare.

Into their midst, a conspirator he set,

to mix and stir and brew events.

Ensure the king’s dark plot unfold,

e’re none deliver challenge so bold.

His anguish, would their issue reap,

lest others dare their sin repeat.

For naught but blood could now appease,

and bring his torment to its ease.

The Shadows tho, their will thus proven,

alas shall right ascend from ruin.

Two hearts so pure, shall bear an heir,

blood of his own and his favored fair;

Caitríona, the bane of King Adaire.

6) Tell us a little about some of the main characters, entice us to read your book.

Erin begins as a wounded young woman who finds solace in the arms of Aidan and strength in the eyes of Bradach. Both men want her and are determined to have her. Bradach is the fierce one of the immortals—possessively protective of Erin. Aidan wears his depraved past like a dark, prickly hair coat. As much as he loves Erin, he never feels worthy of her. As the two men tug at her, Erin feels herself rent asunder.

Finn and Brie are the second couple pronounced in the prophecy. Finn is Aidan’s brother and Brie is Erin’s life-long best friend. Brie is the Earth mother. She is sweetness and light and banshee all rolled up in an angelic soul case. Finn, her golden counterpoint, is the jester that hides his unspeakable pain behind his ready wit.

The foursome are brought together by powers far greater than their ken. They are aided by four immortals. Murtagh, their leader,  appears to be an ancient, but has an aura of congenial wisdom. His greatest power lies in his softest whispers.

Then there is Cormack. Ahhh! Cormack, the one sent to “mix and stir and brew events”, and he does so with impeccable grace. If he were not insidiously evil, one might take him for a stately gentleman.

7) Readers have praised your colourful descriptions, did this aspect of the writing come easily to you?

It does come easily. I took to reading from the time I learned and never stopped. I’ve read a wide variety of literature and I know that feeds into my work as well as have provided me an extensive vocabulary to lend just that right nuance to the thoughts I want to convey. There is so much to be said for that one perfect word. On the other hand I quail at lengthy descriptive paragraphs and tend to skim them. I prefer to convey descriptions within the context of dialog and thought—giving just enough data for the reader to begin to build the set in their own mind. I don’t think it hurts that I see the world through an artist’s—that intense attention to detail that an artist possesses. I also feel things very deeply. I’m curator for a famous art gallery in the Second Life Virtual grid. Artists ask me what I look for in the work I curate. I have one simple answer. Make me feel. I take this  approach in my writing as well. If I can’t make the reader feel deeply, then what’s the point? A brilliant answer!

8) The love interest looks complicated, will there be many twists and turns?

For love to be interesting, there must be push and pull, hope and disappointment, vision and delusion. The triangle between Aidan, Bradach and Erin begins early and doesn’t let up until the end.

9) How hot is the romance?

There is sex. I have jokingly referred to it as Tolkien with sex. Jokingly, Mr. Tolkien!  There is one brisk, violent sexual scene. The other sex scenes are between committed, loving couples. I’d describe my writing as sensual, but not pornographic; but then each must decide for himself. Sex is not the focus of my writing, but rather evolves from the plot(s).

Does it need an age warning?

I would be comfortable with my 16-year-old reading it, back when I had one of those that is.

10) You’re working on the sequel “The lost Child”, do you have an expected publication date yet?

I’m shooting for release in time for Christmas. I’d like to see it in my stocking.

The Singing DaggerThank you Kylie for a very interesting interview, I shall be reviewing Kylie’s book in October here on the blog. If you want your own copy before that here are the links to find it on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.