Interview With Author Jonathan Fortin

I have a real treat today with an interview with author dark fantasy and horror Jonathan Fortin. Enjoy!

Interview With Jonathan Fortin

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

My name is Jonathan Fortin, and I’ve just come out with my first published novel: Lilitu: The Memoirs Of A Succubus. I won HorrorAddicts.net’s Next Great Horror Writer Contest in 2017, attended Clarion Writing Program in 2012, and graduated summa cum laude from San Francisco State University in 2011. I’m a native of the San Francisco Bay Area, California, and love all things dark and Gothic.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

Lilitu: The Memoirs Of A Succubus is a Dark Fantasy novel about a woman in Victorian England who becomes a succubus, and must battle both a devilish new monarchy and her own repressed upbringing. It’s the first chapter in an epic Gothic saga, being published by Crystal Lake Publishing.

How long have you been writing, and how many books have you published to date?

I’ve been writing more or less all my life. I wrote children’s books in elementary school and completed my first (embarrassing) novel trilogy in middle school. Lilitu is my first published novel. I have about a dozen short stories published prior to this, some of which are available as ebooks, such as Requiem in Frost (HorrorAddicts.net) and Nightmarescape (Mocha Memoirs Press).

Do you have a favourite character? If so, why?

I’m very fond of Maraina Blackwood, the protagonist of Lilitu, because she’s extremely dynamic and has a very complicated arc. Maraina is a rebellious young Victorian woman who becomes a succubus in the wake of a demonic uprising, leaving her torn between the teachings of her youth and her desire to survive. Determined to make things right, Maraina seeks to end the demonic rule over England, but learns that doing so will mean seducing one of Hell's most wicked demons—and embracing a side of herself she was always forced to repress. Lilitu chronicles Maraina’s emotional transformation from a frightened Victorian girl into a powerful succubus warrior, hell-bent on overthrowing an empire. Through her, Lilitu fashions a heroine from an archetype long demonized: that of the seductress who takes control of her own sexuality.

What do you enjoy most about writing in the Dark Fantasy genre?

Fantasy and Horror have always been my two favorite genres, and Dark Fantasy combines elements of both—mixing the sprawling scale and magic of fantasy with the dark atmosphere and nihilistic tone of horror. Another thing I like, though, is that fantasy in general usually mixes together many different genres. You’ll probably have at least one epic battle in there, but there may very well also be a romantic sub-plot, ongoing mysteries, and horrifying monsters. My interest is in how these genres combine with each other. A streak of comedy or a compelling love story can do wonders to make you care about the characters because you’re laughing with them, falling in love with them, hoping that they can find happiness against all odds. So when things get dramatic later on, it hits harder. The horror is scarier. The tragedy is sadder. The battles are more emotionally intense.

That said, juggling so many genres is a very tough balancing act. Not only do you have to make sure the tone feels consistent, you also have to successfully pull off every single one of those genres on their own terms. If you have a romantic sub-plot, it can’t be boring. If the reader feels like their time (or the character’s time) is being wasted, it’s no good. Similarly, ongoing mysteries need enough development and seeding that their eventual reveals will carry weight, and not just feel like deus ex machinas. Dark Fantasy can also be particularly tricky to get right because Fantasy often features characters with some form of magical powers, and Horror focuses on disempowering the characters as much as possible. So you really need to make sure that your characters remain helpless and vulnerable no matter what magic they have on their side. So Dark Fantasy is a very tricky genre to do well, which makes it all the more rewarding when an author pulls it off.

Why did you write this book? What was your inspiration?

I wrote Lilitu: The Memoirs Of A Succubus because I was frustrated about the lack of serious succubus fiction out there. I felt that the world needed a book that used succubi and incubi to explore issues of gender/sexuality, a book where they actually had wings and entered dreams and generally possessed the dark mystique that they command in the folklore.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

Be persistent. Making it in this business is mostly about not giving up. You’re going to be rejected a lot, and that’s okay. The first draft is going to be garbage, and that’s okay, too. Workshop what you write with writer friends who you trust to be honest, and accept that it’s better for them to pull it apart now, so that you can fix it. Recognize that even when people complain about some things, there will still be other things in there that are wonderful and amazing—scenes and passages that move you and everyone else. Recognize that in later drafts you may have to cut those things out to fit with the bigger adjustments. Recognize that anytime anyone says “This isn’t good enough,” all it means is, “This isn’t ready yet.” Practice the bafflingly difficult art of self-compassion. Don’t listen to the critic on your shoulder telling you that you suck. Just put in the time to write, suck up your anxiety about showing it to anyone, and tell the stories you dream of telling.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?

In addition to writing, I am a trained, working voice actor. I’ve been studying at Voicetrax, a school in Sausalito, for the past four years, and have a few small credits under my belt.

Are you working on another book?

Yes, several. I am currently working on the next books in the Lilitu saga, as well as a horror novel with a protagonist who is on the autistic spectrum, and a Lovecraftian epic that is mostly done but needs serious editing. You can follow my endeavours at www.jonathanfortin.com/ or on Twitter @Jonathan_Fortin.

Lilitu: The Memoirs Of A Succubus is available at Amazon

Interview With Author Shane Wilson

Today I have another interview, this time with fantasy author Shane Wilson. He stops by to chat about his writing and his latest novel, The Smoke in His Eyes. Enjoy.

An Interview With Shane Wilson

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself?

Sure! I never really know where to start with this and say something interesting, but we will give it a shot. My brain has always had me in interesting situations. I put myself through college as a mobile disc jockey—DJ Biscuit. I directed a play for a local theater in college—Neil Simon’ Fools. I started publishing short stories and poetry in graduate school (shout out to Valdosta State University), and my first low-fantasy/ magical realism novel, A Year Since the Rain, was published by a small press in 2016.

Why did you decide to write in the low-fantasy/ magical realism genre?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately because of my coursework in my MFA program. Low-fantasy and magical realism are not genres that get a ton of buzz right now. All of the low-fantasy genres are getting beat up by our big brother, Fantasy (with a capital F). Hard fantasy is having a big moment right now—Lord of the Rings is getting another adaptation and Game of Thrones is one of the most successful shows on television right now. The one low-fantasy genre that is doing well in publishing right now seems to be urban fantasy. There is clearly a cultural desire for fantastical stories.

That being said, I suppose I started writing the particular brand of fantasy that I write because of what I read in graduate school. I had a professor who was really into reading and teaching Salman Rushdie novels. I ended writing about his novels Midnight’s Children and Fury for my Master’s thesis. I was just exposed to a lot of magical realism, and I studied that aesthetic and the kinds of stories that genre can tell, and I fell in love.

What do you enjoy most about writing in the low-fantasy/ magical realism genre?

The thing that drew me to the genre to begin with was the hybridity of the genre. I have always loved gritty realism, and I have also always enjoyed more speculative works. I grew up on Star Wars and Goosebumps. Finding a genre, like magical realism, where gritty realism intersects with the magical and mystical was a revelation.

I love the idea that I can tell stories about people and places that feel very real, and then I can plunge those people and places into something other-worldly. I think it allows me to get at some interesting things about human nature that I couldn’t get to in a story that was all the way in one genre or the other.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

Certainly! The Smoke in His Eyes is about this young guy—a musical prodigy who is technically proficient at guitar and who also has some intense visions that seem to strike at random. He starts making music with this girl in one of his classes at the university. She pushes him to write something original, which ultimately highlights his insecurities. The two musicians go their separate ways and he meets this mysterious visual artist who teaches him how to take his wild and unruly visions and translate them into art.

Why did you write this book? What was your inspiration?

The inspiration for the novel was publishing my first novel. My first novel was largely an accident, but when it was done, I thought I should probably see if someone might like it, so I started to pitch it and I found a publisher for it. I will forever be indebted to the guys at Snow Leopard Publishing for giving my little story a chance. It gave me confidence and assurance.

But the longer it was out, the more I started to wonder: who am I? I’m just some guy who sat at a computer long enough to write a novel. Anybody could do that if they wanted to, right? So what makes me special? And what makes my book special enough to assume that anyone would actually want to read it? From that line of questioning, I arrived at the inspiration for The Smoke in His Eyes. The inspiration, then, was wondering about art and artists and why we feel the compulsion to create and ultimately share that creation with the world. The book explores the different reasons people make art and the different places we derive our inspirations.

What did you enjoy most about writing your book?

I love the journey of the writing, ya know? I love to sit down and see the blank page. It’s terrifying, for sure, but it’s also a really exciting time. I like the experience of the story. I am a pantser for sure—I do very minimal plotting before things get started. I know who my protagonist is, and I have some idea about central plot and the decisions he or she will have to make, and I have some idea about where I want to end up. The stuff in the middle is usually a surprise, and it’s a journey that I thoroughly enjoy taking.

What advice would you give beginning writers?

One of the most common reactions to someone finding out that I’m a writer is: “Oh, yeah! I’ve always wanted to write a book.” I’m sure you get that, too. I think we all do. What I tell those people is the same thing that I tell anybody else who I think might actually be serious about wanting to write a book: write it. If you want to write, write. That is the only advice I can give, and it is advice that has been given a million other times in more interesting ways by people more qualified than me. But you either have a story you believe in or you don’t. Park your ass in the chair and write. None of us really know what we are doing our first time at bat. The only way to figure it out is to try.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? Any hobbies?

When I first started writing this book, I decided to try my hand at the guitar. I had never played before. I mean, I played piano when I was a kid, but I didn’t stick with it the way I should have. But I had this idea for a guitarist. I decided I needed to know at least something about what playing guitar felt like before I wrote about it and came off like some jackass who didn’t know what he was talking about. So, I started teaching myself guitar. I’m still not an expert, to be sure, but I’ve really enjoyed it. I play some shows around town these days, and I write songs when the inspiration strikes. Guitar has really given me a nice emotional outlet.

Beyond guitar, I enjoy some pretty basic stuff—video games and movies and the like. A lot of my free time is spent working on my MFA these days. That has also been a huge boon to my thinking and creativity.

What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you care to reveal?

I have a third novel drafted and awaiting revision. This third novel is set in the same world and on the same timeline as the first two novels. I am currently working on branding these stories together, so folks can look for more information on that mythology and that world in the near future.

You can find Shane's latest book, The Smoke in His Eyes, at Amazon

About the Author

Shane Wilson is an author of magical realism stories. His debut novel, A Year Since the Rain, was long-listed for the 2017 Southern Book Prize. His follow-up novel The Smoke in His Eyes is available now from GenZ Publishing.

Shane is the winner of the 2017 Rilla Askew Short Fiction Prize. His short story "The Boy Who Kissed the Rain," is nominated for a 2018 Pushcart Prize. He has been published in Conclave, Tethered by Letters, and the Stonepile Writers' Anthology, Volume III, and he is a contributor for New York Journal of Books. He is currently at work on a new novel.

Website  Blog  Twitter  Facebook  Instagram

Book Spotlight: Assassin Marked

Today I have another book spotlight, this time for the sci-fi/fantasy novel Assassin Marked by Michael C. Sahd. Enjoy!

Assassin Marked by Michael C. Sahd

Damian DuFonte, a professional assassin working for the Crime Syndicate, just can't seem to get past his need for revenge. So when the only woman he's ever loved asks him not to kill one of their bosses, her pleas fall on deaf ears. Although Victoria may be willing to forgive this transgression, the Syndicate certainly will not.

To prove Victoria's loyalty, the Syndicate tasks her with leading a group to hunt him down. Somewhere in the solar system, on the outs with his lover and on the run from trained killers, Damian is ... an Assassin Marked.

Assassin Marked is available at:

Amazon

Author Bio:

Michael C. Sahd grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico. From a young age, he read voraciously, particularly in the fields of fantasy and science fiction. Shortly after becoming a teenager, he learned to play and enjoy fantasy games such as Dungeons and Dragons. At around the same time, he began writing stories and D&D campaigns of his own.

As an adult, Michael attended New Mexico University, studying in the fields of English and literature. During this time, he honed his writing skills and expanded his writing portfolio. Although he has completed numerous short stories, "Assassin Marked" marks his debut published work.

Currently, Michael lives with his wife and four children in a small town in Texas.

#‎B2BCYCON Interview With Author M T McGuire

Over the next couple of months I will be doing a series of author features on this blog and on In the Spotlight (in fact you can check out the first feature interview here).

Now why am I doing this you ask?

Here’s why…

A great event for authors and readers alike is afoot in the virtual world. Coming this April, on the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th, is the Brain to Books Cyber Convention. Being held on Goodreads, with adjunct events on Facebook and elsewhere, it works much like a real world convention only online. With “author booths”, panels, readings, and more, it will be a fabulous gathering for all book lovers. You can find all the details and pertinent links for the groups here: http://www.angelabchrysler.com/brain-to-books-cyber-convention-2016/

Just be sure to join both Goodreads groups if you are an author. One is for convention preparations and information, and the other is the convention site itself.

Now on with the main event, our first Brain to Books author feature.

Today I have a great interview with humorous sci-fi author M T McGuire, so enjoy...

 Interview With M T McGuire

Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself.

M T McGuire enjoys the real world but wouldn't want to live here full time. That's why she writes books. She grew up, or at least, got bigger, half way up a windy down in Sussex. Her home was also the first location choice for Hogwarts, in the Harry Potter films, so maybe it's not so strange that she's ended up writing spec-fic. Perhaps there's something in the water up there, apart from chalk. She used to do stand up but sat down and started to write books when she got married. She now lives in Bury St Edmunds, in Suffolk, with a McOther, a McMini and a selection of very silly cars. She hasn't found a way to make any of the cars fly, and none of them is fitted with ordnance like the ones in her books, but she and her team of evil scientists are working on that.

Despite being nearly 50 now, and supposedly, an adult, M T checks all unfamiliar wardrobes for a gateway to Narnia. She hasn't found one so far but she lives in hope.

Could you tell us a bit about your latest book?

My latest book, Escape From B-Movie Hell, is a standalone humorous science fiction novel about a female student who discovers that a) her best friend is a space lobster and b) that the human race is about to be wiped out in a meteor strike. The story is, basically, what happens next. Thinking about it, the blurb would probably help. Here it is.

If you asked Andi Turbot whether she had anything in common with Flash Gordon she’d say no, emphatically. Saving the world is for dynamic, go-ahead, leaders of men and while it would be nice to see a woman getting involved for a change, she believes she could be the least well equipped being in her Galaxy for the job.

Then her best friend, Eric, reveals that he is an extra terrestrial. He’s not just any ET either. He’s Gamalian: seven-foot, lobster-shaped and covered in marmite-scented goo. Just when Andi's getting used to that he tells her about the Apocalypse and really ruins her day.

The human race will perish unless Eric’s Gamalian superiors step in. Abducted and trapped on an alien ship, Andi must convince the Gamalians her world is worth saving. Or escape from their clutches and save it herself.

Why did you decide to write in the humorous science fiction/fantasy genre?

To be honest, I don’t really have a choice. I write what comes out and what comes out 99.9% of the time, is humorous science fiction fantasy. There’s also adventure, action and some clean romance in a couple of books.

If I tell you that the first book I attempted to write, when I was five, was called ‘Charles the Dragon Slayer’ that probably says it all. But I suppose it’s because I read to escape. I really don’t want to think about everyday life, I read to get away from all that so when I write I want to pimp reality to make it more interesting. Although, having said that, what I really, really like about writing humour is that you can get away with some quite hard-hitting stuff because it’s funny.

Who is your intended readership?

To quote Terry Pratchett, I write for, ‘anyone who is interested.’ I also write for me in the hope that if I like my books someone else will. So far, it’s definitely a mindset rather than an age range. My youngest fan was 9, he’s probably older now and he’d read all the Harry Potter books so he was probably pretty advanced. My oldest fan is in his 90s and there is a big mix of pretty much everyone in between.

So yes, I’m speaking to people with a certain outlook rather than a particular age range. I think that may be quite usual for humour books.

Are there particular challenges in writing for your core readership?

Yes. Trying to sell books to folks with a certain state of mind, rather than a rigidly delineated set of interests, or age band, or the like, is definitely an ... interesting challenge. I’m getting better at finding them and luckily some of them have braved signing up to my mailing list. At least now I can keep them informed on progress with my new books and if they enjoy my stuff some of them may even recommend it to their friends, which is handy. Also, on the whole, once I’ve persuaded someone to read one of my books (albeit at gun point most of the time) an insanely high number of them go on to read the rest.

What did you enjoy most about writing your book?

The one thing I’ve enjoyed writing more than anything else was not in a recent book but in the K’Barthan Series, books 1 and 2 especially, and that was the flying cars – snurds. I absolutely love cars and I have always wished mine would fly – so handy in traffic. So I wrote these amazing James Bond cars which could have dogfights and chases and... yeh... that was a LOT of fun. And baddies, I like a really, really bad baddie they are an absolute gas to write.

Can you tell us about your writing process? Where do your ideas originate? Do you have a certain writing routine?

The way it starts is usually a news story, or a factual book. I’ll read it and think, ‘that’s an interesting idea.’ The next thing I know there are characters and a scenario and a final scene. Then I just sit down and start writing about what they’re doing. It takes a little while for them to settle, usually, and for me to write myself in and then off we go. I love just seeing what happens next. Once I get to know the characters I learn what they will and won’t do, how they react to stuff, it feels more as if I’m a fly on the wall, watching them than that I’m orchestrating the whole thing. Although I know where the end point is I tend to let the characters sort out the logistics of getting there themselves. My theory is that so long as they act true to form, and they usually do, I should end up with an entertaining book.

Where this technique gets tricky is when you’re writing the fourth book of a series which is really one huge 600,000 word story. Because by that time, remembering who has done what and with what and to whom can be a bona-fide brain-fry. I wrote the last two books of the K’Barthan series in one go and I confess for most of that time it felt as if my brain was practically bleeding out through my eye sockets. I binned at least 70,000 words where I’d gone off on a tangent or which just didn’t work. If you take into account that my latest offering is 85,000 words or thereabouts it puts it all into perspective! So it takes me a long time to write a book. And for that reason, alone, I’m experimenting with the idea of having several on the go at once. I don’t think it will extend the completion time by that much but it might make it easier to pop one out every 6 months or every year, rather than taking 18 months each.

Do you have a favourite author, or writing inspiration?

Yes there are three main flows of inspiration on the author front, the really obvious ones are people like Adams, Pratchett a dash of Wodehouse and stylistically, Bryson. Those are the styles I aspire to and the Hitch Hikers’ Guide is the work my stuff is compared to most often (which is very flattering but also very scary). I love music, all sorts. Sometimes I’ll hear a piece and a scene will appear in my head so vividly that putting it in the book is a simple case of writing it up. I also love B-Movies and crap 1960s TV like the original Star Trek and the Men From U.N.C.L.E. and all that 60s UK stuff like the Prisoner, the Avengers, the Saint and Randal and Hopkirk (Deceased). I love films, Star Wars, obviously but also the James Bond films have a big bearing on my work. I love books like the Lord of the Rings and the Narnia series but I also draw a lot of inspiration from historical novels like The Children of The New Forest, the works of Dumas and other unexpected authors like Graham Greene, HE Bates, Neville Shute and even Dr Seuss.

How do you research your books?

McOther is a robot building engineer who has had inventions patented, in the past, and now works as a lawyer specifically to assist folks who invent stuff. These guys are mostly based around Cambridge University so they are often top of their game and as well as inventing stuff, themselves, they are massive geeks and always very switched on about what their contemporaries in other parts of the world are working on.

As a result a lot of the ‘science’ in my books, it’s very soft science fiction by the way, is just concepts McOther’s clients are talking about. For example, things like charging water so it’s positive or negative, 1 or 0, and using it as the mainframe as they do on the ship in Escape From B-Movie Hell is a concept McOther brought home in a ‘hey you’ll never guess what thingwot was telling me about today...’ kind of manner. So the science starts out stacking up, in theory, anyway, but it usually doesn’t by the time I’ve had a go at it! Phnark!

Are you working on another book?

Yes. At the moment I’m thinking about the cycle of civilisation. The human race has got smart and invented loads of amazing things like technology and what happens? The ‘Christian Right’ (there’s an oxymoron if ever I heard one) and ISIL? People who threaten to throw us back into the dark ages where science is denied and it’s better for a woman stay home and starve to death than go out to buy food without a male chaperone. How come we can get so clever but still can’t grow up? It’s like we have some built in self destruct button.

Then you read stories about people finding things in coal, metal bowls and the like. How do those get there? Coal is supposed to be millions of years old, so who put those in there before humans even evolved here? Had humanoid life already evolved and died out? Was Earth an outpost for folks from somewhere else and if it was where did they go? Is it that coal isn’t really that old could we have we got Carbon Dating totally and utterly wrong? Was there some inter-galactic travelling civilisation at some point? All that stuff about wars in heaven in the bible, did we have a sister planet where the asteroid belt is now, Atlantis, which was destroyed? Is civilisation a cycle of progress and destruction? Is the chronic shortage of interesting aliens in our galaxy because we’re the last life forms left after an apocalyptic inter-galactic war?

Then, up pops an idea and the current w.i.p. begins. Mwah hahahahargh! It’s provisionally entitled ‘Space Dustmen’.

I'd like to thank M T McGuire for stopping by today, and be sure to check out her virtual booth at the convention this April.

Book Spotlight - Kingdom City: Revolt

Today we welcome a little dystopia, and join the blog tour for the sci-fi novel Kingdom City: Revolt by author Ben Ireland. It is the sequel to Kingdom City: Resurrection, and continues the riveting story. I have a peek at the book, an interview with Ben Ireland, and a fantastic Rafflecopter giveaway.

So may I present...

Kingdom City: Revolt by Ben Ireland

Paul Stevens has survived a terrorist attack, medical experimentation, and an attempt by the government to “neutralize” their rogue subjects. However, his escape cost him his wife, and now he battles to overthrow Brian Shuman, the dictator responsible for her death. With the kidnapping of his daughter and the disappearance of his son, he must choose between saving what may remain of his family or the fledgling rebellion on the verge of collapse.

Available at:

Amazon

Xchyler Publishing

Interview with Author Ben Ireland

How did you come up with the concept of your story?

Before I wrote books, I thought to myself “I want to write something, but it needs to be cool.” I decided that epic items, like swords, are cool. And then those epic items being needed for something completely unexpected. It was around the swords Fury and Serenity that the entire Kingdom City universe grew. Admittedly, it’s a much more manual thought process than i’ve had with most of my other story ideas; they usually just come to me. But I don’t think that Kingdom City is any less rich or exciting for that.

How did you come up with the title?

My little brother LOVES Dungeons & Dragons. Years before I called myself a writer, he was drawing a map for a campaign he was planning and I walked up behind him. He couldn’t think of a name for the capital city of the kingdom, so he called it Kingdom City. I thought that had an amazing ring to it so I stored it away for later use. Once you read the books, you’ll understand why they are subtitled Resurrection, and Revolt.

Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.

Revolt is not just about the physical fight against what the Representative is trying to do to the population of Kingdom City, it’s also about the internal revolt of the characters against their internal natures. Paul is torn between leading the revolt and forsaking everything to save his family. There are also several characters that are dealing with internal conflicts that aren’t apparent at first. Through a careful reading, I think you’ll be able to figure out who is hiding something.

What was the most surprising part of writing this book?

I was most surprised by how dark it was. I was always fascinated by things that were a little dark and gritty, so I set out to create something edgy. Once I was done and I reread the book, I was taken aback by how dark it had actually become. Reading the first chapter again after not seeing it for several months made me think ‘oh gee, I wrote that?’ I think darkness in art is important to help us see the light and good in life. Though I believe some authors take that too far. RR Martin is a prime example. I feel that artists that write darkness simply because it’s “realistic” miss the point of art.


What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you overcome it?

Finding time! I love writing and I love telling stories. I haven’t experienced writer's block, so to speak. My mind it brimming with stories and ideas and the fountain hasn’t run down, let alone run out. As a worker and a father I did the only thing I could do to find time. Sleep less. Some weeks I was going on three and a half hours a night when I had to.

What activities best give your brain a break? How do you unwind?

Anime and X-files. Though i’m all caught on on X-Files.

What's up next for you?

Kingdom City part 3. Working title is Retribution. The original working title was Redemption, but that sounded way too optimistic for Kingdom City.  

And now for some important geeky insight from the author:

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Trek

Hunger Games or Divergent? Hunger Games

James Bond or Jack Ryan? Who is Jack Ryan? (Googles it...) I still don’t know who he is.

Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Downey.

Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? They’re both so good in different ways. Not a fair question.

X-Men or Avengers? I would have said X men up until the recent Avengers movies.

Aliens or Predators? Aliens. I mean, there is no escaping them. I don’t care how many wrist mounted bombs you have.

Minions or Penguins? I’m insulted by this question.

Batman or Superman? I’ll get back to you after I see the movie.

Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? Is it even a comparison? Harry Potter.

Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles.

Peter Jackson or James Cameron? James. Peter lost my respect with the Hobbit movies. Seriously, though, how could we not see that coming after he made King Kong?

Steven Spielberg or George Lucas? Steven. George lost my respect with episodes 1-3.Go watch the Red Letter Media review on Star Wars 1 -3 and get back to me.

Vampires or Werewolves? To fight with, against, or to kiss passionately?

LARP or MORPG? MMORPG.

KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT by Ben Ireland hits the interweb January 30, 2016!

Follow our blog tour and Rafflecopter giveaway for the chance to win great prizes!

Visit each blog each day for more ways to enter. KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT is Book 2 of the near-future dystopian series by Ben Ireland, with strong science fiction and urban fantasy elements.

January 30 through February 6, 2016

Find Ben Ireland on the web: AMAZON | WEBSITE | GOODREADS | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Saturday, 01-30	Where the Words Take You
Sunday, 01-31	Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind
Monday, 02-01	Ben Ireland Books
Tuesday, 02-02	JD Spero, Author
Wednesday, 02-03	Slithers of Thought
	Creativity from Chaos
Thursday, 02-04	Are You Afraid of the Dark
	Semi Short Chic
Friday, 02-05	Songs of Mann
	Omega W
Saturday, 02-06	The Cult of Me
	Book Reviews & Giveaways

Don't forget to enter our KINGDOM CITY: REVOLT blog tour Rafflecopter give-away below, on the blogs above, on our Facebook page, or on Rafflecopter, with daily chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal: The Bookminder

Another cover reveal today from those busy folks at Xchyler Publishing. This time it's for the historical fantasy novel The Bookminder by the very talented author M. K. Wiseman. Plus, I have another delightful book trailer.

And Now Presenting...

Just wonderful, with a nice spooky touch. I love it.

~*~

And now for a bit about the book.

The Bookminder by M. K. Wiseman

Istria, 1679 A. D.

Sired by magick and violence, sixteen-year-old Liara is found guilty of witchcraft and banished from her tiny village by the very priest who raised, then betrayed her. However, a mysterious mage steps forward to assume custody of her: Nagarath, the Wizard of Parentino, whose secret spellwork has long protected both Liara and Dvigrad from the ravages of war.
Despite Liara's best hopes, Nagarath refuses to apprentice her to his craft but tasks her instead with the restoration of his neglected library. Liara gleans what magickal knowledge she can on the sly, determined to learn, come what may. But the first test of her stolen knowledge goes awry and renews an evil wizard's interest in the people of the Limska Draga valley.
Only by tapping Liara's ingerent magick and joining it with his own can Nagarath protect Parentino from suffering a horrible fate. However, her discovering of his secrets destroys their fragile trust and ignites the darker tendencies of her gift. Now, he must rescue her from the influence of his mortal enemy before their powerful new alliance destroys them all.

Magick and the truth. 

Through both, Liara may unravel the mystery of her origins. But at what cost?