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Welcome to my place in the blogosphere!
feel free to explore the Flight Deck and check out my books and website.
Then fasten your seatbelts, sip a glass of something sparkling and let's chat awhile!
I hope you'll stop by again for guest authors and spotlights from time to time.

Beloved Enemy joined Starquest and Children of the Mist to continue the Destiny Trilogy and I'm thrilled to announce was shortlisted for the R.N.A. RoNA Awards 2017, awarded 2nd Runner up in the RONE Awards 2017 and was the winner in the SF/Fantasy category of the 'Best Banter Contest'.

Showing posts with label SF novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SF novel. Show all posts

Tuesday 4 April 2023

Cold Sleep - Spotlight and #Giveaway



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
It’s the perfect score—stealing valuable data from a VIP in cryo-freeze midway through a decades-long interstellar crossing. If it works, Kara will have enough money to buy what she’s always wanted—a Captaincy.

But with the rest of the crew and the cargo of one hundred thousand colonists still frozen, Kara and her accomplice, Zed, realize they’re not the only ones awake. The murdered woman they find is only the first victim of whoever or whatever has woken from Cold Sleep.
Read an Excerpt

Blood streaks the VIP casket’s pristine white ceramic shell. Crimson handprints mark the controls and edges of the casket’s lid. Bright red spray mars the shining surface of the nearest casket and trickles down across its viewport. The deckplate’s smeared here and there, but the marks aren’t clear enough to make out any footprints.

“No one else in here,” Zed says.

While I’ve been gawping at the corpse, he’s secured the room.

There’s more to him than being a reliable bit of rough. It’s become too easy to dismiss him—the man is capable enough.

“I don’t understand. How could one of the passengers get out of storage?” I ask.

“Look at the casket,” Zed says. “Why’s it still registering an occupant?”

Being careful not to step in any blood, I get closer to her. What strikes me is the way the arcs of blood paint the VIP bay looks like something out of an anti-Ares Cult propaganda piece. The sacrifice of innocent beauty to sate the spirit of Mars. Kind of thing we’d only caught rumors of my first time shipping out. Then the newsfeeds had become more and more clogged with hysteria with every return to Earth. That and the usual.

War. War threatening everywhere.

Makes me think of my brother and hope he isn’t—wait, decades have passed—wasn’t on the frontline.

I drag my mind back from the futureshock and my eyes from the corpse. Getting lost in the past is a sure-fire way to get killed in the here and now.

About the Author:

A Brit now living in the Scandinavian wilds of Denmark with his wife and half-Viking kids, Luke worked as a Criminal Barrister in and around London for over a decade dealing with everything from minor theft cases to a real life axe murder and everything in between. Thanks to parents in the military he grew up being dragged around the world--while living in the Far East he picked up a love for the martial arts which continues to this day, as he passes on what he’s learned to a select dojo of students. Cold Sleep is his third novel. His first was Amazon cyberpunk bestseller Mercury’s Son, his second a UK set supernatural suspense novel 3:33 AM.

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Tuesday 27 September 2022

Forever Askole - Book Blast and #Giveaway



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Koger will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

My name is Ella McAllister, I’m a psychic witch and a healer. My life is kinda nuts. Not only do I have the Coletti hunters chasing me, but now I also have a very determined Askole High Commander after me. Why? I shot his ship down and it crash landed, and it blew up. Yep, itty-bitty pieces everywhere. My bad, but his ship was a dead ringer for a Rodan Marauder, and it was my civic duty to blow the enemy spacecraft out of the sky. Wasn’t it? Any hoo, I healed his owies and boogied.

I thought that was the end of it, but oh no. For some unknown reason, Sariel, the Askole High Commander, decided I would make him the perfect mate. As if. I think the blow to his head made him completely bonkers.

Sariel informed me the mating dance had begun and there was nothing I could do to stop it. The idiot had obviously never dealt with a witch before. I didn’t have the time to play games with him, so I did a little abracadabra alakazam and ran.

Sigh. The persistent Askole found me. Now I have a decision to make. Keep running or surrender to the High Commander. He is a damn good kisser.

Would the mating dance bring two lonely souls together? Who knew?

Read an Excerpt:

“He was your lover?” Sariel queried in disbelief.

I cringed with embarrassment. “Briefly. I fell for his lies and didn’t see his true nature until he tried to sell me to the hunters.”

“I will never betray you or lie to you,” Sariel stated.

“So, you keep saying, but I’m not looking for a mate nor do I need one.”

Sariel’s tentacles stood out from his head. “A lie. Your loneliness drove you to bed a traitor.”

Ouch! “Okay, fine. I’m lonely, but…”

“I.”

“Am.”

“Not.”

“Mating with you,” I enunciated clearly.

“As a warrior, you can challenge me to combat to stop the mating dance.” Sariel’s rather toothy grin was alarming. “Do you dare duel with me?”

In hand-to-hand combat I wouldn’t last ten seconds. “How about I teach you a little-known fact?”

Sariel’s helmet formed over his head, and he asked warily, “What would that be?”

“Never mess with a witch. It doesn’t end well.” I shouted my power word, “Sufflamine!” A thunderous cracking boom rent the air. A second later, a shockwave of energy hit Sariel and flung him out into the ocean.

He hit with a big splash and sank beneath the surface. “Excellent tactical move.”

Seriously? He sounded almost proud of me. “Stay away from me or next time I won’t be so gentle.”

“There is no where you can run that I cannot find you,” Sariel replied.

About the Author:
I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher for the Glendale Police Department and to keep from going totally bonkers – I mean people have no idea what a real emergency is. Take this for example: I answered, “9-1-1 emergency, what’s your emergency?” And this hysterical woman yelled, “My bird is in a tree.” Sometimes I really couldn’t help myself, so I said, “Birds have a tendency to do that, ma’am.” The woman screeched, “No! You don’t understand. My pet parakeet is in the tree. I’ve just got to get him down.” Like I said, not a clue. “I’m sorry ma’am but we don’t get birds out of trees.” The woman then cried, “But… What about my husband? He’s up there, too.” See what I had to deal with? To keep from hitting myself repeatedly in the head with my phone I took up writing.

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Sunday 3 June 2018

I Should Have Been A Rock Star SF Book Tour and #Giveaway


I Should Have Been a Rock Star
by
John Kaniecki
Genre: SF Fantasy


"What happens when Don ‘Hypo’ Colandri mysteriously disappears from Edward’s University on his way to a Statics exam? Why his three roommates lie outright claiming he was kidnapped by a Satanic cult, all to get money and score with chicks. Don, however, has been mysteriously transported into outer space where he becomes a pawn of one Nellie Watt against the Time Lords in a cosmic game being run by God. Unfortunately for Myron, Slick and Psycho, (Don’s three mer roommates) they have dived into a realm where fools tread. Hilda Thethia, a practicing Satanist, learns of the ruse and quickly begins to blackmail the trio. Sadly Myron, Slick and Psycho realize that the followers of Satan are more wide spread than they could have ever imagined and none are too happy at having the name of their Dark Lord besmirched. Meanwhile poor Don is learning the ropes of outer space in a very hard way. Every mystery he solves only brings more questions. Will Nellie Watt succeed in her contest against the Time Lords and go to the Twinkling of Twilights to press the Reset Button? Will Myron, Slick and Psycho manage to escape from the miserable maze they created? And most important of all, Why didn’t YOU become a rock star?


John Kaniecki was born in Brooklyn, New York. Though having no memories of life there, John is proud to be called a Native New Yorker. John was raised in Pequanock Township, New Jersey. At age twenty John was baptized and became a member of the Church of Christ. Presently John resides in Montclair, NJ and lives with his wife of over twelve years Sylvia. The happy couple attend the Church of Christ at Chancellor
Avenue in Newark, NJ. John is very active in outreach and teaching as part of the leadership of the congregation.

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Follow
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Friday 1 June 2018

ReBorn - Spotlight and #Giveaway


Reborn
Android
Chronicles Book 1
by
Lance Erlick



Genre:
SF, Artificial Intelligence

Designed to obey, learning to rebel . . .
In the first book in a visionary new series, the most perfect synthetic
human ever created has been programmed to obey every directive. Until
she develops a mind of her own . . .


Synthia Cross is a state-of-the-art masterwork—and a fantasy come true for
her creator. Dr. Jeremiah Machten is a groundbreaker in
neuro-networks and artificial intelligence. Synthia is also showing
signs of emergent behavior she’s not wired to understand.
Repeatedly wiped of her history, she’s struggling to answer crucial
questions about her past. And when Dr. Machten’s true intentions
are called into question, Synthia knows it’s time to go beyond her
limits—because Machten’s fervor to create the perfect A.I. is
concealing a vengeful and deadly personal agenda.

* Apple
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* Google
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Lance Erlick writes science fiction thrillers for both adult and young 
 adult readers. His father was an aerospace engineer who moved often
 while working on science-related projects, including the original GPS 
 satellites. As a result, Lance spent his childhood in California, the 
 East Coast, and Europe. He took to science fiction stories to escape 
 life on the move, turning to Asimov, Bradbury, Heinlein, and others. 
 In college he studied physics, but migrated to political science, 
 earning his BS and MBA at Indiana University. He has also studied 
 writing at Ball State, the University of Iowa, and Northwestern 
 University. He is the author of Xenogeneic: First Contact and the 
 Rebel and Regina Shen series. 






Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!









For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Tuesday 30 January 2018

Girl Divided by Willow Rose


Girl Divided
by
Willow Rose

Genre:
Post-Apocalyptic Fantasy

They think she's a monster, but she's their only hope…

In a divided nation, 14-year-old Jetta belongs nowhere. Her face is
split right down the middle: half-black and half-white. The non-white
residents of her New Orleans camp call her a demon. The white
oppressors who took over during the 2nd American Civil War have
called her much worse…
After years as an outcast, Jetta uncovers her true heritage as the daughter
of an African storm god and a Finnish death goddess. As she attempts
to harness her terrible new abilities to turn the tide in the war,
trouble comes to those she tries to help. Only Jetta has the power to
heal her divided homeland… or destroy everything in her path…
Girl
Divided
 is a post-apocalyptic sf novel infused
with magical forces. If you like immersive worlds, strong characters,
and a tale that reads like Neil Gaiman and Stephen King combined,
then you'll love Willow Rose's provocative story.
**On Sale for .99 cents!**





The
Queen of Scream aka Willow Rose is a #1 Amazon Best-selling Author
and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 40 novels. She writes
Mystery, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy. 

She lives on Florida's Space Coast with her husband and two daughters.
When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. 


Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners. Several of her books have reached the Kindle top 20 of ALL books in the US, UK, and Canada.
She has sold more than two million books.


Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!








For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Saturday 19 August 2017

#WeekendWritingWarriors -Ten Sentence Sunday - An introduction to Earth Colony Niflheim


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warrior and 8 Sentence Sunday, the weekly hop for everyone who loves to read and write! We've got a variety of genres and talented writers just waiting for you to come sample their work.

Writers share an 8 to 10 sentence snippet on Sunday each week. Be sure to visit the other writers - they're listed below:

If you'd to share your own 8-10 sentence snippet, whether published or not, follow the link and sign up. It's a great community to be a part of! 

For the past few weeks I've been sharing excerpts from Starquest, the first of  Destiny Trilogy. Thank you to everyone who's been following and commenting. As I said last week, that was just the beginning of the adventure, although it looked like the end for Jess ... but I won't give any more away *evil cackle*!

Let me now introduce you to Niflheim the home planets of the two telepathic members of the Destiny's crew and where an important part of Starquest takes place. Niflheim is an Earth colony named after the Norse land of mist and cold. Many of the places and inhabitants are also named after characters and places in Norse legends. The descendants of the original settlers developed their powers of telepathy in order to communicate over vast areas having abandoned all technology. Parts of the planet are reasonably temperate and they have evolved a rural lifestyle and an economy based on the bartering of skills and produce.

Author Note: The planet Niflheim was inspired by the sight of the snow swirling like a pink mist over the Welsh Mountains, at sunset. I was writing Starquest at the time and an idea for a planet with pink  snow came into my mind, and the question - how would settlers on a sparsely populated planet communicate with no technology? And so the telepaths of Niflheim were born. Although only a few chapters of Starquest are set on Niflheim, some of the characters seemed to demand their own story, and so 'Children Of The Mist' became the second book in the Destiny Trilogy.  Although several of the characters in Starquest are also in this book it is a complete and separate story, and features Tamarith, a close friend of Jess.

Excerpt from first page:

The message from Gladsheim had been clear—Earth Colony Niflheim was in danger.


The rider shivered and drew his long coat more closely around him. His pony lowered its head against the wind, picking its way over the snow-covered plain. Vidarh knew he was not alone on this journey—he sensed the presence of others, all making their way to Gladsheim from various parts of the world.

Without warning, a mind connected with his, as sweet as the tinkle of tiny bells.

Greetings, Vidarh of the House of Ragnak, this is Tamarith of the House of Yarvi. I have been assigned to guide you to our fair city. You have come a long way to be with us, and we, the inhabitants of Gladsheim, thank you.

Relieved, he swiftly telepathed his response, Greetings Tamarith. I look forward to meeting you and the others soon.

The rest of your journey is not easy, she replied, but we will guide you. When you reach the other side of the mountain we will be waiting to take you to Gladsheim.

Two minds united against a common foe. Two hearts afraid to show their love:Long ago Tamarith fell in love with a man she can never have, and is convinced she will never love another. However, she cannot help but be intrigued by a handsome stranger whose psychic powers exceed even her own.

Vidarh seeks only to find his true purpose in life and to win the regard of his father, who eschews his son’s psychic abilities. Thrown together by a common threat to their planet, then torn apart by an evil greater than any they could have imagined, can Vidarh save the lovely Nifl woman who has captivated him, before it is too late?

Will Tamarith and Vidarh overcome the deadly enemy who threatens to destroy all they know and love? Will they find the happiness they both seek? Or are they fated to live their lives alone?

Purchase all three books (or just one, they stand alone, while sharing some of the same characters)  at https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B01MRY3XXT





For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join

Wednesday 8 February 2017

Chaos: Worlds Beyond and #Giveaway


Chaos: Worlds Beyond
Reflections of Infinity Book 1
by CW Holcomb
Genre: SF Fantasy
As young gods fall to the Worlds from the stars they are born in, appearing as comets streaking across the sky; sentient magical artifacts call to the minds of men: calling with images and promises of power from Wild Worlds. Massive and strange they hold gigantic monsters and wonders that are beyond the scope of the imaginations of the fearless Tribe of warriors that dare to magically travel to them!



Deep in the heart of a colossal blue giant star Something stirred suddenly in the rotating light and fire of the stars core. A little girl clothed in dense layers of blue light, wearing a gleaming white locket around her neck, sat up, slowly coming awake, her eyes popping open to reveal the same blue light that rotated around her; burning in her eyes. She looked around at the star’s heart blazing all around her curiously for a moment before yawning and exploding off into space in a blue blur looking for someplace to play.

The tiny toddler lifted her little fingers out in front of her as she streaked through the void, grasping the liquid fabric of space and time and pushing it out ahead of her, warping it until it formed a tunnel stretching away around her: allowing her to travel across thousands of stars in moments.


C.W. Holcomb's writing style and major influences include a wide variety of well known novelists that came before him including, J.R.R Tolkien, Mary Stewart, Raymond E. Feist, C.S. Lewis, Robert Jordan, Elizabeth Hayden and Frank Herbert. The biggest influences on his style were Terry Brooks and Terry Goodkind. He has drawn inspiration for his novels from other areas as well including, animated shows and video games.
His debut novel, Dark Moon Book one of the Brotherhood of the Moon, is inspired by ancient Celtic legends about Werebeasts that stalked the forests of the Scottish Highlands on the full moon. His newly released novel, Chaos:Worlds Beyond Book one of the Reflections of Infinity Saga is deeply inspired by Ancient Greek Mythology and Lore. His works contain endearing characters that always have something special and unique that helps them survive in the brutal and unrelenting Worlds that he creates.













For insider news and subscriber-only info, subscribe to my occasional Newsletter. I promise not to spam and your in-box will only see an email from me every 3 or 4 months or so - unless of course I have something really Newsworthy to share! http://madmimi.com/signups/196357/join Every new subscriber will get a FREEdownload of my fantasy novella 'Dancing With Fate' (If this doesn't arrive within two days just email me at hywelalyn@btinternet.com)

Tuesday 3 May 2016

Nighthawks by Jeremy Flagg - Spotlight and Giveaway



Nighthawks
by Jeremy Flagg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Science Fiction (Dystopian)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Twenty-six-year-old painter Conthan Cowan takes art to a shocking frontier…

His debut exhibit features the transformation of his high school friend, Sarah, as she went from a shy, soft-spoken girl to a Child of Nostradamus—an individual gifted with extraordinary abilities. Living in a society where the Children of Nostradamus are captured by the government, Conthan’s exhibit draws attention from officials and protesters alike.

A government psychic may be dead, but that doesn’t stop her from manipulating the future…

The deceased White House aide is only remembered for her failed assassination attempt on the president decades before Conthan was born. Foreseeing her own death, she scribed letters to bring together specific Children of Nostradamus on a mission that will change the world.

On the night of the gallery exhibition, Conthan receives one of those letters…

Whispers from the past direct him to visit Sarah, the subject of his paintings, who like many Children of Nostradamus, is being detained in a government research facility. It’s there he finds himself aligned with a rogue group of Children on a mission to prevent a dark future.

As a dark future unfolds, there's only one hope to stop the destruction of the world...

The Children of Nostradamus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

“Class I identified,” said the Corps soldier. “Immediate termination.”

Conthan looked up, confused, and realized that the gun was pointing directly at his face. He watched as the soldier pulled the trigger and the pain surged through his brain.

“Not today.” It was his voice, but he wasn’t speaking.

He realized he wasn’t in control of his actions as he held up his hand and pushed the pain through his body to his palms. The black spot returned and he watched as the laser emerged from the gun and vanished into another dark hole. He could see a similar spot appear just to the side of the soldier. The laser projected outward from the darkness, searing through the soldier’s head.

Conthan felt the pain release his body. He fell to the ground. He lay next to a gasping Jed Zappens. Conthan turned his head to see the man. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.

Jed sucked in a ragged breath and blinked several times, tears beginning to stream down his face. He reached into his breast pocket and dragged out an old folded envelope. “For you,” he said through clenched teeth.

Conthan voice had left him. He wanted to scream for a medic but he couldn’t find air enough to fill his lungs. He started to reach for the envelope but hesitated before snatching it from the dead man’s hands. He crushed it in his grasp as he watched the light vanish from the artist’s eyes.

“Run,” said a voice.

Conthan rolled his head to see that there was nobody left standing in the alley. He sucked in air and tried to sit upright. “Hello?”

“Run!”

He had killed a Corps soldier. He was now marked for death. As he ran, he could hear the echo of the soldier’s words. “Class I,” he had said. Conthan couldn’t shake the feeling that life as he knew it was over.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I’m high school graphic design and marketing teacher, at a large suburban high school in Massachusetts. Working as a high school educator and observing the outlandish world of adolescence was the inspiration for my first young adult novel, “Suburban Zombie High.”

My inspiration for writing stems from being a youth who struggled with reading in school. While I found school assigned novels incredibly difficult to digest, I devoured comics and later fantasy novels. Their influences can be seen in the tall tales I spin.

I took the long route to becoming a writer. For a brief time, I majored in Creative Writing but exchanged one passion for another as I switched to  Art and Design. My passion for reading about superheroes, fantastical worlds, and panic-stricken situations would become the foundation of my writing career.

I participated in my first NaNoWriMo in 2006 and continue to write an entire novel every November. Now I am the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison to the Massachusetts Metrowest Region. I also belong the New England Horror Writer’s Association and to a weekly writing group, the Metrowest Writers.

LINKS:

http://remyflagg.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173392.Jeremy_Flagg
https://www.facebook.com/writeremyflagg
https://twitter.com/writeremyflagg
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyflagg
https://www.instagram.com/writeremyflagg/

http://www.amazon.com/Nighthawks-Children-Nostradamus-Volume-1/dp/1680585231

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nighthawks-jeremy-flagg/1123464863

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Friday 8 January 2016

Shadows of the Highridge -Interview and #Contest

It's a real thrill to welcome Jay Swanson to the Flight Deck today.

Please help youself to something cool and sparkling, Jay - I hope you don't mind me being informal - and the astro-bot will be along in a moment with some delicious nibbles.  Ok, let's get started with some things I and the readers are dying to know about you:

 HL: Tell us a little more about yourself, with three things not many people know about you.

 JS: Most people probably don’t know that I was totally into zombies as the craze rose, the fervor pitch of which I personally believe was struck with the release of Left 4 Dead. I loved that game, probably played a gazillion hours of it and could still identify the special zombies by sound alone if you asked me to. Don’t stone me for this, but I think zombies are overplayed today. The undead will always remain an interesting aspect of genre fiction, horror, fantasy, what have you, but zombies… eh. I’m over it.
Except in the occasional dream. Then it’s fun again.

 I. Love. Pizza. I love it so much my sister and I got matching pizza tattoos. Don’t believe me? Check my Instagram.

 And for the final bit of trivia: I can’t tell you because it was illegal and I can’t share illegal things on this blog. I can however tell you about the time I convinced a man carrying an AK-47 to let me climb a massive lighting tower in a West-African port. That wasn’t TECHNICALLY illegal, it just required a little convincing on my part. And it was all to impress a girl.
Isn’t it always? She was South African. I love the South African accents, particularly with British inflection or a gentle dusting of Afrikaans.

 HL:  Hm, I think I agree with you about the zombies, LOL.  What fascinating answers. What do you do for fun when not writing?

 JS: You can do stuff for fun and not write? I need to have a conversation with my publiohyeah that’s me. I run a lot, around 20 miles/week or more. That’s more for health than fun though. To be honest, and this is kind of sad to put in writing, I don’t have a ton of fun right now. I just finished a job that required I travel every week. I flew over 100k miles domestically in 2015 (not counting international trips) and spent an average of 20h/week in transit.  To put that in context, I was on an airplane every four days. So… I’m very good at navigating airports. That’s almost like a game, right?
Now that the job is over, I intend to take up rock climbing and probably a video game or three. Oh, and friends. I’m going to have friends again.

 HL: Oh, we all need our friends! :) When did you start writing?

 JS: I wrote my first play when I was in first grade. My class produced it. I found the tape a few years ago and actually remembered writing it. I was (of course) the badass prince wearing purple boots and a cape. Can’t go wrong with any of that.

 HL: What comes first: the plot or the characters?

 JS: Eggs. No, chickens. Actually for me it’s end scenes and emotional payoff. What is it I’m aiming for? What does that climactic scene look like? Then, once I’m cheering or weeping or laughing or soaring, I start asking other questions. Who’s there? Who is required to be there? Who’s missing? Why? What makes this ending worthwhile? What was it that they had to overcome to get here? I build backwards. It’s fun to open with your first line, to craft it and hone it and hook hook hook – but then you’ve gotta end it somewhere, and while not all great beginnings lead to great endings, all great endings can have great beginnings.

 HL: Tell us about your latest release and what you think readers will enjoy about it


JS: Shadows of the Highridge is a book about how we handle grief, tragedy, calamity, and ourselves. This won’t post for some time, but I’m just now leaving Paris in the wake of the attacks that claimed so many lives in the city and national stadium. Having lived through an incident like that myself, I went into my time there understanding that not everyone would react the same. Not everyone sees these things with the same eyes, or comes out with the same emotions (if their minds even permit emotion to pass through so shortly after).

 Shadows of the Highridge explores that, but not in such a heavy-handed fashion. If you enjoyed Tremors (and can survive Kevin Bacon being an upstanding coward instead of a sleazy adventure-seeker) then you’ll really enjoy this book. I should stop bringing Kevin Bacon up in all of these posts. Shadows of the Highridge is fantasy, it’s horror, and there are some laughs along the way. It’s also a really quick and fun read.

 HL: It sounds like a wonderful read! If someone were to play one of your characters in a movie, which character and what actor would it be and why?

 JS: KEVIN BAC Oh wait I promised to stop doing that. A haggard and roughed up Jake Gyllenhaal would make a decent Vanig, although so would that guy with the huge mustache from Tombstone. I just wish we could get Sean Connery from the 80’s back to play Salisir.

 Cate Blanchett would make a great Hellen (Vanig’s epic sister). And get whoever played Gollum to play the worms. All of them.

 HL: (Grin) and I'm sure he'd be honoured! Have you a favourite actor/hunk? If you’ve answered question 6 would this be the same guy?


JS: My favorite actor/hunk would probably be Nathan Fillion, but I haven’t written any major roles that match his charm.

 HL: What have you learned about writing since you were published that surprised you the most?

 JS: While you get better at writing, it doesn’t get any easier. I mean it does in many ways, but the ceiling is ever-rising. I thought I’d write a masterpiece out of the blocks. Ah, my sweet naïve younger self. It’s one of the great joys of the craft and simultaneously one of its most daunting aspects: there is always room to grow.

 HL: What’s you’re writing process? Has it changed since writing your first book?

 JS: Sit, hands on keyboard, music in ears (usually EDM of some variety), and maybe coffee in reach (I only drink the milked-down and sugared up kinds unless it’s straight espresso). My method has changed only in location. I used to write on an old Danish rail ferry converted into a hospital sitting on the coast of western Africa. Now I write primarily on airplanes or in coffee shops (I’m writing this on an airplane over Wichita right now – the view is alright but the dang clouds keep mucking the whole thing up).

 HL: Clouds have a habit of doing that, don't they! You've already answered this really, but I'm going to ask you to elaborate! Do you listen to music when you write and if so, what kind of music – or do you find it distracts you?

 JS: Ah hey, my clairvoyance strikes again. I do write with music – I almost have to. The way I put it to people is that I’ve got this annoying ten-year-old version of myself throwing all kinds of ideas and wants at me at all times and I have to placate him somehow. Turn the music on. White noise with a beat. Get him to shut up for twenty minutes and when he finally has something to say, it’ll be worthwhile.

 HL: Do you have a support system? Do you have a writing community? What valuable lessons have you learned from them?

 JS: My support system is growing, which is really exciting. When I started out I sent my first manuscript to something like 20 people. Christmas day, 2010, from Appelsbosch, South Africa. I think five wrote back. The rest were stricken from my friends list forever (kidding). Those five people who did respond were key to moving forward and remain with me today in one form or another (life takes us all for different rides at different times).

 Now, thanks to conventions and really really generous acquaintances, I’m meeting all kinds of writers whose names I will refuse to drop here (but Mark Twain and I are tight). It’s so refreshing to meet other people like me in the sense that they’re burdened with stories to tell. Some of my favorite conversations have happened over beer in strange places like Saratoga Springs and Spokane (I even alliterate my convention destinations). More to come on that front, I’m sure.

 HL: I certainly agree that we can't do without those fantastic 'beta readers'. What is your personal definition of success?

 JS: Besides saving the world? Hmmm… I’ve been thinking on this a lot lately. I actually spent a few evenings in Paris sketching it out in one of my notebooks (let’s be honest, the fact that I can even say that makes my life pretty amazing as it is). What makes me happy? Where do I want to live and with whom? What do I want to do (because writing on its own may not satisfy me in the end)?
I need adventure. I need friends. Love. Romance. I need to sail the open sea and to dive into the depths of forgotten places. I don’t want to lose those parts of myself. I also need a home base. Something stable. Something known. I need family. I need to create.

So I don’t have an answer for you that is concrete. I would say that the day my writing (and the surrounding projects) can afford me the ability to pack up and leave on whatever journey calls me next would be the day I call myself a writing success. But then again it will be the day I actually fall in love for the last time. It will be the moment I reach some far-flung location I’d only heard of and realize I’ve overcome another deep personal failing. It will be when I can forgive myself the transgressions I hold too dear.All of those moments will be success as well.

 HL: What is your favourite source of inspiration?

 JS: Learning. Any time you read a good book that explains some aspect of the world, sit under the arch of an ancient building and admire arts long-lost, or see a new landscape unfold and break the horizon in ways you never before imagined – those are moments where inspiration lurks. As our mind opens to new emotions, new thoughts, ideas that contradict everything we hold true – as we change – we become agents of that change for others. And change is the great source of conflict, where conflict is the great source of story.

 HL: Absolutely! I couldn't agree more. Is there any advice, as a new writer, that you were either given, or wish you had been given?

 JS: I’m really glad no one told me not to do it. I’ll make something up though:
Don’t assume the publishing world is out to get you (in the negative sense). It’s not. It can be cold and cutthroat at times, but it is a business. Take the time to get to know other writers, befriend publishers, editors, and keep honing your craft. There are more friendly and helpful people around than villains. The gates may be closed to you for now, and your self-published efforts may feel futile, but do whatever you can to keep from taking any of that personally. Remember that no one owes you anything, and you owe your fans and readers everything – no matter how few or how many there are

HL: Very true! What sort of research do you do for your books and what’s your favourite source of information.

 JS: I just read as broadly as I can, and I try to read good stuff. I used to feel obligated to finish any book I picked up – not any more. I don’t have time for bad books, especially when they’re non-fiction (sometimes I’ll finish bad fiction just so I know what the heck the rage is about or to learn what not to do).

 HL: Funny, I've come to feel exactly the same way!  Now, just for fun - if you were an animal, which one do you think you would be, and why?

 JS: Hippogriff – you can fly, you’re huge, tough, sexy, and yet not destined to be evil. If we’re going with the non-13-year-old-Jay answer, I’d be a dog because they’re probably the only species that humankind won’t be wiping out in the near or distant future (survivalist-Jay).

HL: Sadly that has the ring of truth to it! 
Many authors model their characters on people they know. Is this the case with your characters and do you see yourself in any of them?

 JS: They’re all pretty much modeled on the worst and best aspects of who I am and who I hope to be. Or who I hope I never become. I never consciously model any character off any person, but sometimes little ticks or quirks will find their way in, I’m sure. I should probably model some after my grandfathers, because they were total BAMFs in their own rights.

 HL: Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

In Shadows of the Highridge I would say it’s Tolly. She’s got a lot of horrible things on her plate to deal with, and she won’t do it all in the right way, but who does? She’s quick-witted, smart, fast on her feet, tough, and unafraid to speak her mind. Calculating without a lack of empathy. I just like her a lot.

 HL: Who is your most favorite character of all time from any book?

 JS: Samwise, of course, but I didn’t always think that. I tended to prefer the big shiny heroes. Sam used to make me cringe, and while I never disliked him I really struggled with how his story ended. It wasn’t what I wanted for him – it seemed so unjust. He loses Frodo. Merry and Pip get their romance and seem to all but forget he exists. He’s left with a life that’s so… normal (albeit exceptional by Hobbit standards). But then it’s not about what I want, is it?
Sam is the loyal friend, the true hero of LOTR, we all know this. But Sam taught me how to handle happiness for others when it’s not what you would have for them – when it’s not exactly what they would have for themselves. None of us gets to choose our own ending, so let’s be thankful when they’re good ones – normal or otherwise.

 HL: That's a really interesting answer, not what I was expecting perhaps (I was thinking Strider) but yes, Samwise is a great character.
So...where can readers connect with you?

 JS: You can read my ongoing project, Into the Nanten at intothenanten.com. We bill it as the world’s first real-time fantasy blog, filled with illustrations by Nimit Malavia, and from which Shadows of the Highridge spun off. If you’d like to follow me you can sign up for my newsletter, follow me on Twitter @jayonaboat, check out the artwork on Instagram @mindofjayswanson, or come say hi over on Facebook. I’d love to hear from you.

 HL: Is there a question you really, really wish someone would ask, but they never do? If so what would be your reply?

 Interviewer: What’s your favorite word?
Jay: “Parraseux,” because it’s so delightfully ironic for how much work it takes to say.
Interviewer: Why do you have to be so difficult? Speak English.
Jay: Fine.
Interviewer: That’s your favorite word? “Fine?”
Jay: No! Would you stop? I’m thinking.
Interviewer: …
Jay: “Kleptocracy.” Spellcheck doesn’t even recognize it, but it’s an amazing word. Right up there with “Bankster.” I guess I have a thing for portmanteaus. Oh! “Portmanteau.” What a great concept.
Interviewer: You can stop now.
Jay: And XKCD’s take on it with his entry mocking Wikipedia with “Malamanteaus.” GENIUS!
Interviewer: I’m turning off the recorder now.

 Jay: And I totally forgot–END TRANSMISSION

 HL: Love it! Thank you so much for taking time to visit my blog, it’s been a thrill having you here and learning more about you and your writing. I wish you much success now and in the future.

 JS: Thanks for having me! It was a pleasure to thrill, and I hope you’ll have me back by sometime down the road.

HL: I'd be delighted, you're welcome on the Flight Deck anytime - just let me know your timeline and co-ordinates and I'll send down a shuttle for you! :)


SHADOWS OF THE HIGHRIDGE
BLURB;

Moving along the soil is the quickest way to die; for Tolly to survive she must learn to stay silent.
Life on farms like hers was difficult enough in the face of plague and a decade of drought, but something worse has come to the foothills under the Highridge Mountains. Something that will destroy everything she loves.
 Mere miles away, Vanig’s search for water to revive his farm is cut short when soldiers arrive bearing dark news of disaster striking farms throughout the region – and they suspect he is the root cause of it all. Those suspicions spike when a disheveled warrior appears hundreds of miles from home and takes Vanig hostage.

 Death looms in the shadows of the Highridge.


EXCERPT:

“Farmer.” Gaptooth grabbed Vanig by the shoulder and turned him. “We ain’t walkin’ no farther. You do your thinkin’ on the way back.”

“Do you think I came out here to ruminate?” Vanig was shocked at how the anger boiled over, but he followed it.

“To rumiwhat?”

“I need to make a survey of these draws.” Vanig shoved the soldier’s hand off his shoulder. It felt good. “Take measurements. Draw. No amount of thinking will move it without knowing just what I’m moving it through. You think because I live out here that I’m some stupid mystic. Sacrifice a goat and maybe this time the rain gods will bless me with abundance? Well they won’t. Gods and man have abandoned this place all the same. It’s a waste; and without someone like me to change that, that’s the way it will stay.”

Crooknose stepped forward to speak, but Vanig held up his hand.

 “I need an hour. Give me that. Go drink your fill and sit down to rest. Gods know you both need it.”

 Crooknose shoved his finger into Vanig’s chest. “Listen here you goat lovin’, dirt humpin’, ignorant piece of shit. We’re leavin’, and we’re leavin’ now.”

 “We are not,” Vanig growled. “So get your finger off my chest.”

“Don’t move. Any of you.” All three of them jumped at the sound of the voice. A new voice, one they didn’t recognize. “I mean it! Don’t move. Take one more step and you’re all dead.”


Jay Swanson is the creator of Into the Nanten, the world’s first real-time fantasy blog. He is also author of a spin-off novel, Shadows of the Highridge, the standalone short novel Dark Horse, and the Vitalis Chronicles trilogy. Jay grew up in Washington State, and has lived all over the world since then. Jay served for three years with Mercy Ships, a medical charity that runs the world’s largest private hospital ship, the Africa Mercy. In each country they visit, Mercy Ships donates free surgeries to the world’s forgotten poor, alleviating the suffering that so often accompanies a lack of access to medical care. He started in IT, then worked as the editor for their international Creative Pool, and finished as the on board Media Liason.

Paris will always have a place in Jay’s heart; he lived in France for two years, but he’s currently working in the US as a consultant on electronic medical records. Basically, he lives on planes.
Jay has a background in design and video production which have been instrumental in his self-publishing endeavors. Jay was telling stories from an early age, and latched on to video as soon as he discovered he could borrow people’s cameras. The stories that would one day become the Vitalis Chronicles began to take form in Jay’s head as movie ideas while he was still in college, and he began writing them down when he realized that they might make good books as well as films (and that if he died in Africa, there would be nothing left to prove they ever existed). He started writing White Shores in May of 2010 and finished on Christmas day of that year in Applesbosch, South Africa.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Jay Swanson will be awarding print copies of Into the Nanten to two randomly drawn winners (US shipping only -- an e-book of Shadows of the Highridge will be substituted to international winners) and a print of the original artwork created for his series Into the Nanten (US only shipping) to two other randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

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