Showing posts with label heroic fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heroic fantasy. Show all posts

Saturday, December 2, 2017

Book Spotlight: Aure the Topaz #OurAuthorGang

By Rich Feitelberg

Twenty-five years ago, invaders captured Andropolis, the capital of Thalacia, and ended the rule of King Leonard. According to prophecy, the invaders can be ousted and the royal line restored only by wielding the Aglaril, seven elven gems of unprecedented power. 

However, the circlet in which the gems were set was destroyed millennia ago and the gems lost. At least, that was the common belief. Evan Pierce, a priest of St. Michael, discovers one of the gems belongs to the town jeweler. He also uncovers a plot to steal the gem and does what he can to keep it safe. But it is not enough. 

Now, Evan must recover the gem by relying on a motley group of adventurers for help. Together, they must overcome a series of obstacles or humanity's one hope for restoring the royal line will be lost forever.


From amazon.com: Five stars. Possibly one of the best books I have read so far this year and the best fantasy I have read in a while. This book read surprisingly quick, it is easily appropriated for younger readers even early teens but it still very much so appeals to adults. There wasn't a lot of detailed world building that you normally expect, it just naturally flows and you learn as you read but don't feel lost at any point. There are a wide variety of characters, each with their own clear back story. There are several storylines going on at once but they mesh so well you don't feel you need to keep track of them. This was a very well written fantasy novel and now I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!


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Sunday, November 5, 2017

Book Spotlight #OurAuthorGang

Telep the Diamond, Book 3 of the Aglaril Cycle
By Rich Feitelberg

While traveling to Ravenhurst, Sir Ahlan, a Michaeline knight, and his companions encounter a woman, Nancy, who has been beset upon by brigands. Ahlan comes to Nancy’s aid, driving off the thieves, and escorts her to town.

She claims to be a sword master for the Duke of Argentos, who lives in the castle outside of Ravenhurst, but the story Nancy tells of how she got separated from her companions and attacked by bandits raises many questions about the woman. Ultimately, Ahlan suspects Nancy of being a spy and plans to exposed her in open court. But unbeknownst to the knight, their fates are intertwined and she is critical in retrieving the next Aglari.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Aure the Topaz, Book 1 of the Aglaril Cycle

By Rich Feitelberg

Twenty-five years ago, invaders captured Andropolis, the capital of Thalacia, and ended the rule of King Leonard. According to prophecy, the invaders can be ousted and the royal line restored only by wielding the Aglaril, seven elven gems of unprecedented power. 

However, the circlet in which the gems were set was destroyed millennia ago and the gems lost. At least, that was the common belief. Evan Pierce, a priest of St. Michael, discovers one of the gems belongs to the town jeweler. He also uncovers a plot to steal the gem and does what he can to keep it safe. But it is not enough. 

Now, Evan must recover the gem by relying on a motley group of adventurers for help. Together, they must overcome a series of obstacles or humanity's one hope for restoring the royal line will be lost forever.


From amazon.com: Five stars. Possibly one of the best books I have read so far this year and the best fantasy I have read in a while. This book read surprisingly quick, it is easily appropriated for younger readers even early teens but it still very much so appeals to adults. There wasn't a lot of detailed world building that you normally expect, it just naturally flows and you learn as you read but don't feel lost at any point. There are a wide variety of characters, each with their own clear back story. There are several storylines going on at once but they mesh so well you don't feel you need to keep track of them. This was a very well written fantasy novel and now I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!


Sunday, July 16, 2017

Guest Author Walter Rhein #OurAuthorGang

Our Guest Author today


Walter Rhein

Walter Rhein is the author of Perseid Press release Reckless Traveler, an expat novel dealing with his adventures living and traveling in Peru. He runs the blog StreetsOfLima, and writes for Silent Sports and other print and online publications. He can be reached for comments at: WalterRhein@Gmail.com

What inspired you to start writing?
Writing is a compulsion. If I don't get up in the morning and write for an hour or so, I don't feel like the day is complete. It's a nice ritual of keeping your life in order. Writing helps you to organize your thoughts and, eventually, make sense of them. If you are unable to make sense of them, you can at least arrange them in a fashion that is pleasing to look at. Sometimes the nonsensical result ends up being the best.

What genre do you write?
Dystopian Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Humor

Book Links:
The Reader of Acheron
Reckless Traveler



Excerpt from “The Reader of Acheron”
“Did you know there once was a time when all children were educated in a great variety of subjects?”
Kikkan shook his head.

“That building we were staying at was such a place.  It was called a school.  Every day children were brought to similar buildings in their village and separated into groups.  They were then instructed in subjects such as writing, mathematics, and history.”

“It sounds like a significant undertaking for children.”

“Concepts were simplified.  Subjects were separated and the children worked on relevant concepts for an hour or so before being dismissed to the next lesson.  These dismissals were signaled by a bell.”

Kikkan marveled at the ingenuity of it.  “It must have been wonderful.”

“It could have been,” the old man admitted, “but it wasn’t.”

“But I thought you had respect for the concept of education.”

“I do.  But these schools were not truly about education.  You see, it was all a grand deception.  Learning the skills of reading, writing and arithmetic were secondary goals.  The real purpose was to trick the children into thinking they were obtaining something useful, to get them to submit to the necessary conditioning to make them a functional workforce.  The schools were not really designed to expand the children’s minds or encourage them to embark on grand new thoughts.  No, the true purpose was to give them the most basic level of competence at rudimentary skills then train them to work in groups, conform to an hourly schedule, and obey a central authority figure.  The whole system was designed to proliferate the submissive mentality necessary for maintaining an industrialized nation.  The goal was never to create packets of individual, creative, maverick thinkers.  The system was designed to make followers not leaders; drones who willingly bowed to a higher authority – any higher authority.”

“Why was that bad?”

“Because a need for a central authority figure is an unnecessary remnant of primitive, semi-savage civilization.  Adherence to that misguided need creates a cultural ceiling that results in the prolonged, unnecessary suffering of every member of the society.”

Adam spat the last words to emphasize his disdain.

Kikkan found his head was spinning, he found he needed something to connect to.  “Were the slaves taught as well?”

“There were no slaves,” Adam replied.  The question seemed to take the wind out of him.  Then he laughed.  “Well, not officially anyway.”

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

This Is Me #OurAuthorGang


Rick Haynes



I was born in South London, England, not long after the end of the Second World War. My family was poor, but I never knew because my childhood was fun. I was always outside, playing in the street. I was happy.

I passed the 11+ exams and was lucky enough to be offered a place at a local grammar school, but any desire to read was lost in a world of sport and watching those strange and beautiful creatures - girls. 
My sister gave me a copy of The Devil Rides Out by Dennis Wheatley, a story of the occult and black magic. Risqué it was for a thirteen-year-old, but a revelation. Yet even though I had to study English Literature, general reading still didn’t grab me at all. 

I left school and little changed until, in my 30’s, I read the book that would engulf me. It took a long time to read The Lord of the Rings, longer to understand it and even today - having read it 7 or 8 times - I find bits that I have missed. I began to devour books, gobbling them up one after another. Anne McCaffery with her dragons, Isaac Asimov with his robots, Brian Herbert with his giant sand worms, I was hooked, but once again as the years passed my interest in reading faded.

In my 50’s an author appeared who would subsequently change my reading life forever. I read a book about a hero, Druss, a giant with a code of honour, and my love of David Gemmell’s work exploded. 
Like a kid I fell under the spell of pure imagination, yet whilst I still had no desire to write, I’d fallen in love with reading once more. I collected all his books and have read them many times since.

But time waits for no one and my body started the downward spiral into decay. I was diagnosed with cervical spondylitis in the neck in 2006 and was forced to give up my job that I loved, due to the pain, but I wasn’t finished at the hospital, not by a long way. I went so many times that they nearly gave me my own parking space. As if? But as a substitute, they did give me a lollipop for being a good boy.

In all, I had 7 knee ops, 2 shoulder ops, several injections in my neck and was diagnosed asthmatic.  
Why is it they give you a nice shiny metal knee and forget the oil can? My knee squeaks louder than a horde of mice at times. 

After so many months of housebound imprisonment, I was sitting in the lounge, feeling sorry for myself and going stir crazy as the walls closed in. I shouted, asking my wife where I should go, to release me from my incarceration.

‘Try the kitchen,’ she said. 

‘Come on love, what should I do?’ I asked seriously.

‘Try the washing up,’ she said. That didn’t go down too well either.

But then my beloved suggested that I write my feelings down. It was that wonderful light bulb moment. I was up the stairs just faster than a snail, and I started typing. Only I couldn’t type - and I still can’t even now - but I’m a tenacious sod and I refused to give in.

I eventually wrote a diary of getting old. I had no idea what to do next but a new local writing group had started and I joined. Full of pride, I showed them my diary. Euphoria lasted just 5 minutes as I saw their faces. They were trying to be kind but sympathy was written all over their faces.  My writing was crap; I was crap. I did the only thing that I could. I listened, learned and spread my wings through the written word. My teacher was very inspirational and her style of teaching suited my fledging career perfectly.

I started writing Drabbles, those little 100 word gems, and won an international Drabble competition. 
SPECTRAL MORNING by Rick Haynes

As the dew gently caressed the leaves in the wood, a soft light slowly grew in luminance. The coalescing sparkles began to take the shape of a young girl. A pure white gown swished and swirled around her as she moved towards the graveyard, her slender feet leaving no tracks in the soft soil. 
The fresh grave had been hastily refilled but all her attention was focused on the sobbing cries of a terrified infant.

Holding out her hands to the cold earth, she spoke soothingly.

“Come forth you beautiful child, for I will take you to your true home.”

From that I got my first break. Four authors had decided to write an adult story for Halloween, Drabble style, but one pulled out and I was invited. It’s a naughty, sexy, adult tale, as you can guess from the name of my character HumpZeLot. I was way out of my comfort zone but it was great fun to write, and all the proceeds went to a charity.

My confidence grew. Along came a novella for all the family, short stories and eventually two novels.
Yet being an author is not all a bed of roses as you can’t please everyone. For those that want me to change, I say this - throw money at me, lots of it, and I’ll think about it.

Thanks to Tolkien and Gemmell, my passion is heroic fantasy, but writing my first novel, Evil Never Dies scarred me to death. Maybe the title had something to do with it. I remember talking to myself. ‘How do I start? Where do I start?’ I had the shakes, the trembling and the panic as it suddenly hit me that I was writing a novel. In the end, the answer was simple. I found the right cover and drew a map of my imaginary world, and then I was up and running like a three legged donkey. The imagination flowed, I became a recluse, and divorce papers were issued. 

Eventually, Evil Never Dies was professionally edited and published. We took a holiday as my wonderful wife needed a break more than I did. How she puts up with me is beyond all logic and I love her dearly for all her wonderful support. 

I am pleased to say that so far it has received 15 reviews all 4 or 5 star. And it made my day when 2 top reviewers likened by book to those of the great David Gemmell.

After a good break, to recharge my batteries, I started the follow-up but had no idea where it was going. Heroes Never Fade is the 2nd in the Maxilla trilogy but is a standalone book. It follows on about one year after the first book. It’s once more a tale of good and evil, yet shows that all men and women are flawed, for I show that war brings out the best and the worst in even the gentlest of folk. Once more a reviewer has compared my work to that of David Gemmell, but this time it was an Amazon top 500 reviewer after reading Heroes Never Fade. My head is currently in the clouds but with much humility.

Heroes Never Fade has.

Short chapters – I want you to keep turning the pages.

Strong male and female characters – I want you to emphasize with them.

Many twists – It’s a good job I have an editor who loves my genre.

As one well-respected reviewer posted, “To say it is a well- researched book shows how believably the characters, both human and fantasy, have been created. A definite 5* for fans of the genre, and highly recommended for other lesser mortals.”

That is a tiny insight into the world of my creation as all is never as it seems.

When I finished the book and it had been edited, my mind refused to function. It was if all my imagination had been used up as my head was as empty as a new dustbin. Once devoid of all superfluous thought my brain initially failed to respond to a long list of chores that I had promised to do over the previous 12 months. What a pity. I thought I’d got away with it. 

I’ll continue to write until my time is up, for the power of my imagination is beyond measure and I love to see my words on paper. Like tiny seeds, they gradually grow and blossom into one magnificent tree.

I always say this to my wife. This time next year love, we’ll be millionaires, so I’ll leave you with this thought.

If you don’t have dreams, how can they ever come true?

Thanks very much for reading. Please let me know what you think.

Love and laughter. 
Rick.


Heroic fantasy


Heroic fantasy


Humorous fiction


Sunday, June 4, 2017

Our Author Gang

Today is the launch day of our brand new blog

A Small Gang of Authors 

We are a group of authors and we write various genre books.


We will take turns and post something new, interesting an fun every day.
Follow us, and share our blog with your friends.
Thank you!

What brought us together on this blog:
First and foremost, our shared love for writing.
We like to "hang out" together, helping each another other
by promoting each other's books, blogs, events,
and doing whatever we can to support one another.

We take turns posting about our books,
the rewards as well as the difficulties of publishing and book promotion,
and about things we enjoy in everyday life.

We need your support, please visit our blog often,
comment on our posts and share our posts.
Thank you!


Every hug is greatly appreciated, and thank you for your support!


The Authors in this group



Joe Bonadonna

Read about Joe's books on his PAGE

Hello out there in cyberspace! I write Heroic Fantasy, Space Opera, Sword & Planet Sci-Fi, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Children's Books, and I also dabble a bit in Horror stories.

Why do I write?
My Dad gave me not only a love for old movies, but also my love of reading by bringing home children's books and teaching me to read before I was in kindergarten. I've been writing off and on over the years since 5th grade. In my 30s and 40s I settled down and got serious about writing. I retired in 2010, and have not stopped writing since. I can't. Storytelling for me is an addiction.




Erika M Szabo

Read about Erika's books on her PAGE

I became an avid reader at a very early age, thanks to my dad who introduced me to many great books. I write alternate history, romantic fantasy, magical realism novels as well as fun, educational, and bilingual books for children ages 4-12 about acceptance, friendship, family, and moral values such as accepting people with disabilities, dealing with bullies, and not judging others before getting to know them. I also like to encourage children to use their imagination and daydream about fantasy worlds.

Why do I write?
Writing is my passion and my hobby because I'm not a big talker but because I have a lot to say, I write. I do have as much anxiety about my writing as any author:
Are they going to like what I write?
Am I going to get a lot of criticism?
Will my books become popular?
When I'm in doubt, I always recall the day when we had to do a book report on one of the assigned books back in school. It was the War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. Half of our class absolutely loved the book, and half the kids hated it. One girl asked the teacher why he assigned such a boring, stupid book, the other one hushed her saying, “You’re stupid and boring. This book is brilliantly written.”
The teacher smiled and replied, “Now kids, today you’ve learned a valuable lesson. Every reader's likes and preferences are different, but every writer who has the courage to put their thoughts and feelings on paper has something to say. And, eventually, every book finds its reader. If you have something to say, say it. Even if only a few friends and family members will read it, you will leave a mark with your book, 'I was here'.”




Mary Anne Yarde

Read about Mary Anne's books on her PAGE

Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best  Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.
Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

Why do I write?
I think, for me, writing is like breathing. It is something that I have to do. It is an addiction that I have no intention of trying to quit!




Tima Maria Lacoba

Read about Tima Maria's books on her PAGE

I'm Tima Maria Lacoba, a former ancient historian and archaeologist who accidentally smashed a 3,000 Egyptian vase while on my first dig! My supervisor made me glue it back together again. It took a week. From there I went on to specialise in late Roman-British archaeology, and the military forts along Hadrian’s Wall, because buildings don’t smash as easily. Now I’ve combined my love of history with another passion – story-telling – to create a gothic romance series laced with action, mystery and suspense.




Zrinka Jelic

Read about Zrinka's books on her PAGE

Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two children. A PAN member of the Romance Writers of America and Savvy Authors, she writes contemporary fiction—which sometimes leans toward the paranormal—and adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic’s love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but that’s about the only break they get.




Mackenzie Flohr

Read about Mackenzie's books on her PAGE

Mackenzie Flohr grew up in the heartland of America, chasing leprechauns and rainbows and dreaming of angels. Her parents nurtured a love of fantasy and make-believe by introducing her at a very young age to the artistic and cultural opportunities that the city of Cleveland had to offer.
From the time she could hold a pencil, Mackenzie was already creating pictorial interpretations of classic stories, and by the age of nine, she and a childhood friend were authors and reviewers of their own picture books.
While following her love of adventure, Mackenzie found a second home, the Beck Center for the Arts Children's and Teen Theater School. It was there that a world of wonder was only a script and a performance away.
Yet it wasn't until she was on a trip to Indiana, viewing a Lord of the Rings exhibit, that the innermost desire of her heart became clear to her. She wanted to write a fantasy of her own, one that could inspire imagination in others and lead them into a magical world of their own making. She hopes The Rite Of Wands will do just that.
Wherever we live and wherever we come from is our individual heartland. Anything is possible and everything can happen. Pure imagination is in all of us—we only need to discover it, and sometimes story telling helps.

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