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Covers Revealed - New and Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors


Here are some of the January 2021 novels by formerly featured Debut Author Challenge (DAC) Authors. The year in parentheses is the year the author was featured in the DAC.

Happy Book Birthday to Dan Koboldt and Stina Leicht!



Gerald Brandt (2016)

Threader Origins
Quantum Empirica 1
DAW, January 12, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 384 pages
This first book of a new sci-fi series introduces an alternate earth where powerful Threads have the power to alter reality as we know it.

Pulled from his world by an experiment gone wrong, Darwin Lloyd is one of the few that can see the Threads—quantum strings that can be manipulated to change or control reality. On an alternate Earth ravaged by war, Darwin is torn between the Qabal and SafeHaven, his only goal to find a way back home and stop the same fate from happening in his time line.

Threads—thought of as a gift from the machine he helped his father create—and Threaders are both loved and hated, treated as gods by some and as criminals by others. Out of his element, Darwin must learn how to control the Threads and possibly join the hated Qabal to find the path back to his dad.

But Thread use comes at a price. Follow the possibilities and probabilities too far and the human mind shatters, leaving the Threader a mindless, drooling husk. Yet the Thread’s pull is almost irresistible, and a constant battle for those that can see them.

In this strange new world, Darwin discovers what he could never find on his own: friends, family, love, a mother he lost years before, and a younger sister he never had.





Dan Koboldt (2016)

Domesticating Dragons
Baen, January 5, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages
BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP MEETS JURASSIC PARK WHEN A NEWLY GRADUATED GENETIC ENGINEER GOES TO WORK FOR A COMPANY THAT AIMS TO PRODUCE CUSTOM-MADE DRAGONS

Noah Parker, a newly minted Ph.D., is thrilled to land a dream job at Reptilian Corp., the hottest tech company in the American Southwest. He’s eager to put his genetic engineering expertise to use designing new lines of Reptilian’s feature product: living, breathing dragons.

Although highly specialized dragons have been used for industrial purposes for years, Reptilian is desperate to crack the general retail market. By creating a dragon that can be the perfect family pet, Reptilian hopes to put a dragon into every home.

While Noah’s research may help Reptilian create truly domesticated dragons, Noah has a secret goal. With his access to the company’s equipment and resources, Noah plans to slip changes into the dragons’ genetic code, bending the company’s products to another purpose entirely . . .





Stina Leicht (2011)

Persephone Station
Gallery / Saga Press, January 5, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 512 pages
Hugo award–nominated author Stina Leicht has created a take on space opera for fans of The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop in this high-stakes adventure.

Persephone Station, a seemingly backwater planet that has largely been ignored by the United Republic of Worlds becomes the focus for the Serrao-Orlov Corporation as the planet has a few secrets the corporation tenaciously wants to exploit.

Rosie—owner of Monk’s Bar, in the corporate town of West Brynner, caters to wannabe criminals and rich Earther tourists, of a sort, at the front bar. However, exactly two types of people drank at Monk’s back bar: members of a rather exclusive criminal class and those who sought to employ them.

Angel—ex-marine and head of a semi-organized band of beneficent criminals, wayward assassins, and washed up mercenaries with a penchant for doing the honorable thing is asked to perform a job for Rosie. What this job reveals will effect Persephone and put Angel and her squad up against an army. Despite the odds, they are rearing for a fight with the Serrao-Orlov Corporation. For Angel, she knows that once honor is lost, there is no regaining it. That doesn’t mean she can’t damned well try.

The View From Monday - August 7, 2017


Happy Monday!

There are 3 debuts this week:

Masked Possession (Masked Arcana 1) by Alana Delacroix;

The Talented Ribkins by Ladee Hubbard;

and

The Luster of Lost Things by Sophie Chen Keller.

The View From Monday - August 7, 2017The View From Monday - August 7, 2017
The View From Monday - August 7, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The End of Ordinary by Edward Ashton is out in print (Mass Market Paperback);

Blackthorne (Malorum Gates 2) by Stina Leicht;

Infomocracy (Centenal Cycle 1) by Malka Older is out in Trade Paperback;

Magpie's Song (IronHeart Chronicles 1) by Allison Pang;

and

World Tree Girl (Shadow Valley Manor 2) by Kerry Schafer.

The View From Monday - August 7, 2017The View From Monday - August 7, 2017
The View From Monday - August 7, 2017The View From Monday - August 7, 2017
The View From Monday - August 7, 2017
Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.



The View From Monday - August 7, 2017




Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

August 8, 2017
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The End of Ordinary Edward Ashton SF/GenEng
The Mystery Knight: A Graphic Novel George R. R. Martin
Ben Avery (Adapter)
Mike S. Miller (Illus)
F/GN - Game of Thrones World
The Medusa Chronicles (h2tp) Stephen Baxter
Alastair Reynolds
SF
Biketopia Elly Blue (Ed) SF - Bikes in Space / Collection
Binary System Eric Brown SF
Valerian: The Illustrated Treasury Pierre Christin
Jean-Claude Mézières
Art/SF
The Death and Life of Schneider Wrack Nate Crowley H - Tomes of the Dead Collection
Pack Enforcer Lauren Dane PNR - Cascadia Wolves 2
Masked Possession (D) Alana Delacroix PNR - Masked Arcana 1
The Marker Chronicles, The First Trilogy (e) Danielle DeVor Sup/Occ - The Marker Chronicles
Devil's Call J. Danielle Dorn Occ/Sup/W
Mark of the Moon Beth Dranoff PNR - Mark of the Moon 1
The Budayeen Cycle (e) George Alec Effinger CyP
The World of Tiers Volume One (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF - World of Tiers
The World of Tiers Volume Two (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF - World of Tiers
Dayworld Rebel (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF/Dys - Dayworld Trilogy 2
Dayworld (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF/Dys - Dayworld Trilogy 1
Riverworld: And Other Stories (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF - Collection
Dayworld Breakup (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF/Dys - Dayworld Trilogy 3
The Lovers * Dark Is the Sun * Riders of the Purple Wage: Three Powerful Science Fiction Classics (e)(ri) Philip José Farmer SF - Collection
Scythes of Emperor L J Goulding SF - Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine Battles
American Ghost Paul Guernsey CF/GH/Occ/Sup
The Talented Ribkins (D) Ladee Hubbard AA/F/CF/FL
The Luster of Lost Things (D) Sophie Chen Keller CoA/FL/ LF
Dead and Breakfast (h2tp) Kate Kingsbury PM - A Merry Ghost Inn Mystery 1
Ghost Talkers (h2tp) Mary Robinette Kowal HistF/P/GH
Witch's Hunger Deborah LeBlanc PNR
The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser: Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death, and Swords in the Mist (e)(ri) Fritz Leiber SF - Collection
Blackthorne Stina Leicht F - Malorum Gates 2
The Wingman Adventures Volume One (e)(ri) Mack Maloney Th/SF
Infomocracy (h2tp) Malka Older CyP/TechTh/Pol - Centenal Cycle 1
Magpie's Song Allison Pang SP/Dys - IronHeart Chronicles 1
The Meridian Ascent Richard Phillips SF - Rho Agenda Assimilation 3
World Tree Girl Kerry Schafer SupTh - Shadow Valley Manor 2
The New Springtime: The Complete Series (e)(ri) Robert Silverberg SF
Daemon (ri) Daniel Suarez TechTh/CyP
Garro James Swallow SF - The Horus Heresy 42
Bones of the Earth, In the Drift, and Vacuum Flowers (e) Michael Swanwick SF/Th
Desert Wolf Linda Thomas-Sundstrom PNR - Wolf Moons 11
The Story of Kullervo (h2tp) J.R.R. Tolkien F
Blue Plague: Survival Thomas A. Watson SF/AP/PA - Blue Plague 2
Lord of Undeath C L Werner F - Realmgate Wars 10



August 9, 2017
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Uncanny Valley: A Tor.com Original (e) Greg Egan SF
All in a Day's Work (e) Brian Francis Slattery F/Th - Bookburners Season 3 #4



D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Illus - Illustrator
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternate History
AP - Apocalyptic
CB - Coloring Book
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CoA - Coming of Age
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GN - Graphic Novel
H - Horror
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HU - Humor
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legends and Mythology
M - Mystery
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PI - Private Investigator
PM - Paranormal Mystery
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PP - Police Procedural
PsyTh - Psychological Thriller
R - Romance
Satire - Satire
SF - Science Fiction
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
Sup - Supernatural
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical
W - Western

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors


Here are some of the upcoming novels by formerly featured DAC Authors! The year in parentheses is the year the author was featured in the DAC.


Stina Leicht (2011)

Blackthorne
The Malorum Gates 2
Saga Press, August 8, 2017
Trade Paperback, Hardcover and eBook, 720 pages

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
In this sweeping sequel to the critically acclaimed Cold Iron—which NPR Books raved, “reminded me, pleasurably, of Robin Hobb’s Assassin’s Apprentice series”—the Kingdom of Eledore has fallen and Nel and Suvi lead a diaspora of their people to safety, but the magic that has kept the demon forces away is dwindling, and they must find a new way to protect themselves.

The Acrasian army has swept through Eledore, nearly massacring the entire race in fear and hatred of the magic they possess. This same magic is all that was keeping the demon incursion at bay, but now the great evil that was banished is seeping into the world. Watchers are formed to warn of any sightings of the demons, but little can be done if one encounters them in shadow or at night.

Meanwhile, Nels leads a precious few hundred survivors of Eledore through the wilds, hoping to find solace and rebuild their civilization while his twin sister, Suvi, seeks allies at sea.





Melissa F. Olson (2012)

Blood Gamble
Disrupted Magic 2
47 North, July 25, 2017
Trade Paperback and Kindle eBook, 300 pages

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
If there is one city that Scarlett Bernard hates, it’s Las Vegas. But when the cardinal vampire of Los Angeles convinces her to go investigate a new vampire-themed stage show, Scarlett quickly finds herself shoulder-deep in sequins, slot machines, and Old World intrigue.

The show’s creators are vampire celebrities Arthur and Lucy Holmwood, who once inspired characters from the original Dracula. Now, however, they have no qualms about announcing their true status to the human world, endangering the secrecy of the Old World and Scarlett’s mission to keep it hidden.

But before she can begin untangling the Holmwoods’ motives, Scarlett also discovers that their new production has attracted more than just fans: Las Vegas’s many vampires are suddenly disappearing, and rumors are flying that actual vampire hunters may have followed Arthur and Lucy to town.

Now, without her allies, her bargest, or her frequent partner Jesse Cruz, Scarlett must navigate a new underworld of secrets and murders in a city where nothing is ever as it seems. And the stakes have never been higher.


Switchback
A Nightshades Novel 2
Tor.com, October 24, 2017
Trade Paperback and eBook, 256 pages


Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors


The Bureau of Preternatural Investigations returns in Switchback, the sequel to Melissa F. Olson's Nightshades.

Three weeks after the events of Nightshades, things are finally beginning to settle for the Chicago branch of the BPI, but the brief respite from the horror of the previous few weeks was never destined to last.

The team gets a call from Switch Creek, WI, where a young man has been arrested on suspicion of being a shade.

The suspect is held overnight, pending DNA testing, but seemingly escapes in a terrifying and bloody massacre. But is there more to the jailbreak than a simple quest for freedom?





Max Wirestone (2015)

The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss
A Dahlia Moss Mystery 3
Redhook, January 9, 2018
Trade  Paperback and eBook, 288 pages

Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC Authors
Veronica Mars meets the World of Warcraft in this mystery romp with a hilarious heroine.

Working for a games development company is my dream job. So, when a slightly sketchy lawyer offered me the opportunity, I had to take it! Who cares that the company has some quirks? No job is perfect. Some questionable, but probably totally normal issues:
  • A mysterious whistle-blower is posting the industry's dirty laundry on Reddit.
  • An unidentified corpse is in the staff room.
  • The game under development is for filthy casuals, and unwisely involves matching talking peppermints.
  • My job, technically speaking, is "Industry Spy."
It's all just a typical day at the office. Right?

Dive into Dahlia Moss's brilliant, bonkers mystery and enjoy pure, geeky fun!

Dahlia Moss Mysteries
The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss
The Astonishing Mistakes of Dahlia Moss
The Questionable Behavior of Dahlia Moss

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20


This is the twentieth in this new series of updates about formerly featured Debut Author Challenge authors and their works published since their last update. The year in parentheses after the author's name is the year that author was featured in the Debut Author Challenge.



Part 1 here Part 11 here Part 21 here Part 31 here Part 41 here
Part 2 here Part 12 here Part 22 here Part 32 here Part 42 here
Part 3 here Part 13 here Part 23 here Part 33 here Part 43 here
Part 4 here Part 14 here Part 24 here Part 34 here Part 44 here
Part 5 here Part 15 here Part 25 here Part 35 here Part 45 here
Part 6 here Part 16 here Part 26 here Part 36 here Part 46 here
Part 7 here Part 17 here Part 27 here Part 37 here Part 47 here
Part 8 here Part 18 here Part 28 here Part 38 here Part 48 here
Part 9 here Part 19 here Part 29 here Part 39 here Part 49 here
Part 10 here Part 20 here Part 30 here Part 40 here Part 50 here



Sophie Jaff (2015)

Love Is Red
The Nightsong Trilogy 1
Harper Paperbacks, May 10, 2016
Trade Paperback, 384 pages
Hardcover and eBook, May 12, 2015

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20
“Ridiculously entertaining…. Jaff’s woozy supernatural saga is effectively scary and great fun to read.”— New York Times Book Review

This electrifying debut—Book I of the Night Song Trilogy—spins dark suspense and literary fantasy into a mesmerizing story of seduction and survival.

Katherine Emerson was born to fulfill a dark prophecy centuries in the making, but she doesn't know it yet. However, one man does: a killer stalking the women of New York City. People think he's the next Son of Sam, but we know how he thinks and how he feels . . . and discover that he is driven by darker, much more dangerous desires than we can bear to imagine. He takes more than just his victims' lives, and each death brings him closer to the one woman he must possess at any cost.

Amid the escalating hysteria, Katherine is trying to unknot her tangled heart. Two different men have entered her previously uneventful world and turned it upside down. She finds herself involved in a complicated triangle . . . but how well does she really know either of them?

As the body count rises, Katherine is haunted by harrowing visions that force her to question her sanity. With this unforgettable novel—one that combines the literary and the supernatural, fantasy and horror, the past and the present—Katherine's moment of awakening is here. And her story is only just beginning.2011







Mark Lawrence (2011)

The Wheel of Osheim
The Red Queen's War 3
Ace, February 28, 2017
Mass Market Paperback, 480 pages
Hardcover and eBook, June 7, 2017

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20
From the international bestselling author of the Broken Empire Trilogy, the thrilling conclusion to the Red Queen’s War…

All the horrors of Hell stand between Snorri ver Snagason and the rescue of his family, if indeed the dead can be rescued. For Jalan Kendeth, getting out alive and with Loki’s key is all that matters. Loki’s creation can open any lock, any door, and it may also be the key to Jalan’s fortune back in the living world.

Jalan plans to return to the three w’s that have been the core of his idle and debauched life: wine, women, and wagering. Fate, however, has other plans, larger plans. The Wheel of Osheim is turning ever faster, and it will crack the world unless it’s stopped. When the end of all things looms, and there’s nowhere to run, even the worst coward must find new answers. Jalan and Snorri face many dangers, from the corpse hordes of the Dead King to the many mirrors of the Lady Blue, but in the end, fast or slow, the Wheel of Osheim always pulls you back. In the end, it’s win or die.


Red Sister
Book of the Ancestor 1
Ace, April 4, 2017
Hardcover and eBook,  432 pages

[cover not yet revealed]
The international bestselling author of the Broken Empire and the Red Queen’s War trilogies begins a stunning epic fantasy series about a secretive order of holy warriors…

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don’t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls.

A bloodstained child of eight falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass’s care there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class Nona finds a new family—and new enemies.

Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona’s secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself.

Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.





Jessica Leake (2014)

The Order of the Eternal Sun
A Novel of the Sylvani
Talos, August 23, 2016
Hardcover and eBook, 308 pages

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20
Lucy Sinclair’s debut will be a parade of everything opulent Edwardian London society has to offer. Most importantly, it will be nothing like her older sister’s dangerous experience—especially if her overprotective brother-in-law, Lord Thornewood, has his way. As if screening her dance partners isn’t enough, Thornewood insists that his brother, James, train Lucy in self-defense. She wouldn’t mind so much if her treacherous mind didn’t continue to replay the kiss they once shared.

But awkward defense lessons are the least of her problems. Her arcana, a magical talent that allows her to mentally enter any scene that she draws, grows stronger by the day. Again and again Lucy is compelled to draw a portal to her mother’s realm of Sylvania—and with each stroke of her pen, she risks attracting the attention of the Order of the Eternal Sun, the sinister brotherhood that steals the power of Sylvani blood for their own dark ends.

When a bold new suitor arrives from India, Lucy can’t help but be intrigued—though her family questions his mysterious past. But as Lucy’s own suspicions grow, and the threat of the Order looms larger, Lucy will have to learn to harness her unpredictable power or risk falling under the Order’s shadow forever.





Stina Leicht (2011)

Cold Iron
The Malorum Gates 1
Saga Press, March 28, 2017
Mass Market Paperback, 688 pages
Hardcover, Trade Paperback and eBook, July 14, 2016

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20
In this epic fantasy debut, which NPR Books said, “it reminded me, pleasurably, of Robin Hobb’s Assassin Apprentice series,” fraternal twins Nels and Suvi move beyond their royal heritage into military and magical dominion.

Prince Nels is the scholarly runt of the ancient Kainen royal family of Eledore, disregarded as flawed by the king and many others. Only his twin sister, Suvi, supports him. But when Nels is ambushed by an Acrasian scouting party, he does something a member of the ruling family should never do: he picks up a fallen sword and defends himself.

Disowned and dismissed to the military, Nels establishes himself as a leader as Eledore begins to shatter under the attack of the Acrasians, who the Kainen had previously dismissed as barbarians. But Nels knows differently, and with the aid of his sister, who has allied with pirates, he mounts a military offensive with sword, canon, and what little magic is left in the world.


Blackthorne (The Malorum Gates Book 2) will be published in June 2017 (Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Books-A-Million : Google Play : iBooks : Kobo)





David D. Levine (2016)

Arabella of Mars
The Adventures of Arabella Ashby 1
Tor Science Fiction, May 30, 2017
Mass Market Paperback, 400 pages
Hardcover and eBook, July 12, 2016

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20
Since Newton witnessed a bubble rising from his bathtub, mankind has sought the stars. When William III of England commissioned Capt. William Kidd to command the first expedition to Mars in the late 1600s, he proved that space travel was both possible and profitable.

Now, one century later, a plantation in a flourishing British colony on Mars is home to Arabella Ashby, a young woman who is perfectly content growing up in the untamed frontier. But days spent working on complex automata with her father or stalking her brother Michael with her Martian nanny is not the proper behavior of an English lady. That is something her mother plans to remedy with a move to an exotic world Arabella has never seen: London, England.

However, when events transpire that threaten her home on Mars, Arabella decides that sometimes doing the right thing is far more important than behaving as expected. She disguises herself as a boy and joins the crew of the Diana, a ship serving the Mars Trading Company, where she meets a mysterious captain who is intrigued by her knack with clockwork creations. Now Arabella just has to weather the naval war currently raging between Britain and France, learn how to sail, and deal with a mutinous crew…if she hopes to save her family remaining on Mars.

Arabella of Mars, the debut novel by Hugo-winning author David D. Levine offers adventure, romance, political intrigue, and Napoleon in space!


Arabella and the Battle of Venus
The Adventures of Arabella Ashby 2
Tor Book, July 18, 2017
Hardcover and eBook, 432 pages

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20

[description not yet available]


What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3



This is the third in a series of updates about formerly featured Debut Author Challenge authors and their upcoming books 2015. This update covers some of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge authors.What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 4  will cover 2012 DAC authors.


See Part 1 here.
See Part 2 here.


What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3



Mark Lawrence

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
Prince of Fools
The Red Queen's War 1
Ace, May 26, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages
Originally published in Hardcover, June 3, 2014

First in a brand new series from the author of The Broken Empire Trilogy.

The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister—unseen by most and unspoken of by all.

The Red Queen’s grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth—drinker, gambler, seducer of women—is one who can see The Silent Sister. Tenth in line for the throne and content with his role as a minor royal, he pretends that the hideous crone is not there. But war is coming. Witnesses claim an undead army is on the march, and the Red Queen has called on her family to defend the realm. Jal thinks it’s all a rumor—nothing that will affect him.

But he is wrong…




What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
The Liar's Key
The Red Queen's War 2
Ace, June 2, 2015
Hardcover and eBook, 496 pages

Prince of Fools, The Red Queen’s War: Book One had all “the hallmarks of [Mark Lawrence’s] storytelling and writing style which made The Broken Empire trilogy such an incredibly addictive read” (Bibliosanctum.com). Now, The Liar’s Key continues the story of the unusual fellowship between a rogue prince and a weary warrior…

After harrowing adventure and near-death, Prince Jalan Kendeth and the Viking Snorri ver Snagason find themselves in possession of Loki’s Key, an artefact capable of opening any door, and sought by the most dangerous beings in the Broken Empire—including The Dead King.

Jal wants only to return home to his wine, women, and song, but Snorri has his own purpose for the key: to find the very door into death, throw it wide, and bring his family back into the land of the living.

And as Snorri prepares for his quest to find death’s door, Jal’s grandmother, the Red Queen continues to manipulate kings and pawns towards an endgame of her own design…




Stina Leicht

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
Cold Iron
Saga Press, June 23, 2015
Hardcover, Trade Paperback and eBook, 576 pages


Fraternal twins Nels and Suvi move beyond their royal heritage and into military and magical dominion in this flintlock epic fantasy debut from a two-time Campbell Award finalist.

Prince Nels is the scholarly runt of the ancient Kainen royal family of Eledore, disregarded as flawed by the king and many others. Only Suvi, his fraternal twin sister, supports him. When Nels is ambushed by an Acrasian scouting party, he does the forbidden for a member of the ruling family: He picks up a fallen sword and defends himself.

Disowned and dismissed to the military, Nels establishes himself as a leader as Eledore begins to shatter under the attack of the Acrasians, who the Kainen had previously dismissed as barbarians. But Nels knows differently, and with the aid of Suvi, who has allied with pirates, he mounts a military offensive with sword, canon, and what little magic is left in the world.




M.J. Scott

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
The Shattered Court
Four Arts 1
Roc, April 28, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

First in a new fantasy series from the author of the Novels of the Half-Light City.

Entangled in a court ruled by tradition and intrigue, a young witch must come to terms with newfound power and desire—and a choice between loyalty and survival.…

The royal witches of Anglion have bowed to tradition for centuries. If a woman of royal blood manifests powers, she is immediately bound by rites of marriage. She will serve her lord by practicing the tamer magics of the earth—ensuring good harvests and predicting the weather. Any magic more dangerous is forbidden.

Lady Sophia Kendall, thirty-second in line to the throne, is only days away from finding out if she will be blessed—or perhaps cursed—with magic. When a vicious attack by Anglion’s ancient enemies leaves the kingdom in chaos, Sophia is forced to flee the court. Her protector by happenstance is Lieutenant Cameron Mackenzie, a member of the royal guard, raised all his life to be fiercely loyal to the Crown.

Then Sophia’s powers manifest stronger than she ever imagined they would, and Cameron and she are inextricably linked in the process. As a witch unbound by marriage rites, Sophia is not only a threat to the established order of her country, but is also a weapon for those who seek to destroy it. Faced with old secrets and new truths, she must decide if she will fight for her country or succumb to the delicious temptation of power.…




Mazarkis Williams

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
The Tower Broken
Tower and Knife Trilogy 3
Night Shade Books, February 3, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 330 pages
Previously published in Hardcover, June 3, 2014

The Cerani Empire reaches a tipping point in the thrilling conclusion to the Tower and Knife trilogy.

The world is at its breaking point. The nothing, a terrible darkness caused by the festering wounds of a god, bleeds out the very essence of all, of stone, silk—and souls. Emperor Sarmin thought he had stopped it, but it is spreading toward his city, Cerana—and he is powerless to halt the destruction.
Even as Cerana fills with refugees, the Yrkmen armies arrive with conquest in mind, but they offer to spare Sarmin’s people if they will convert to the Mogyrk faith.

Time is running out for Sarmin and his wife, Mesema. The Mage’s Tower is cracked; the last mage, sent to find a mysterious pattern-worker in the desert, has vanished; and Sarmin believes his kidnapped brother, Daveed, still has a part to play. The walls are crumbling around them . . .

As the Tower and Knife trilogy thunders to the finish line, author Mazarkis Williams expands his masterful world-building a final time, putting the pieces in place for an explosive finale.




Jonathan Wood

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
Anti-Hero
Arthur Wallace 3
Titan Books, March 10, 2015
Trade Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

What do you do when your best friend becomes a supervillain? Agent Arthur Wallace is used to dealing with danger that is extraterrestrial, supernatural, or generally odd. But when a drone-strike interrupts his best friend’s funeral, it becomes clear that his next assignment is going to be stranger than usual. When it turns out that the drone was hijacked by a rogue, digital version of that friend… well then nothing is clear to Arthur any more.

Now the man Arthur counted on most is set on destroying humanity in a grand scheme to save the natural world. And the CIA is set on destroying that man. And Arthur can’t work out who the hero is any more. But he has to work out the all the answers fast, because now he’s staring into the bloody maw of the zombpocalypse itself.




Rebecca Zanetti

What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
Blind Faith
Sin Brothers 3
Forever, January 27, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 400 pages

A betrayal he couldn't forget . . .

For Nate Dean, love is a four-letter word. As part of a secret black-ops military unit, he and his brothers were genetically engineered by the government to be ruthless soldiers with an expiration date. They were loyal only to one another . . . until Nate laid eyes on the woman who stole his heart and blew his world apart. Now, years later, his family is still paying the price for his mistake. But as time runs out, there's only one person who can save his family: the very woman Nate swore he'd never trust again.

A love she couldn't deny . . .

The moment Audrey Madison spies Nate across a crowded ballroom, she can barely breathe. He's just as undeniably sexy as she remembers, yet there's an edge to him now that's as irresistible as it is dangerous. When he asks for her help, Audrey can't refuse. But she has secrets of her own--secrets that, if Nate ever discovers them, may cost them both their lives . . .




What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3
Total Surrender 
Sin Brothers 4
Forever, March 31, 2015
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

A fight he must win . . .

Piper Oliver knows she can't trust him. They warned her that the tall, dark, and sexy black-ops soldier Jory Dean would try to win her over with his steel-gray eyes and deadly charm, but she won't be conned by this man they call a traitor. All she has to do is figure out the science necessary to save his life, and she's done. Something isn't adding up, though, and she won't rest until she uncovers the truth-even if it's buried in his deep, dangerous kiss.

A passion she can't resist . . .

Jory will do anything to reunite with and save his brothers-even kidnap the gorgeous woman who's working to deactivate the deadly chip in their spines. But the forces determined to destroy his family won't let them go so easily. Keeping Piper alive is more than he bargained for-and so is his burning desire for her. But with every second bringing him closer to certain death, can he afford to lose himself in her hot and willing embrace?


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012

and the winners are....

1) Discount Armageddon (InCryptid 1) and October Daye 1 - 5 by Seanan McGuire and Feed (Newsflesh Trilogy 1) and Deadline (Newsflesh Trilogy 2) by Mira Grant.


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012



2) Discount Armageddon (InCryptid 1) by Seanan McGuire


3) Discount Armageddon (InCryptid 1) by Seanan McGuire


Ended March 17, 2012 - See the post here

I was able to obtain signed copies of Discount Armageddon for the 3 winners!


Question:  Who are some of your favorite Urban Fantasy novelists or novels?

1) Paul Weimer who said...

Who are some of your favorite Urban Fantasy novelists or novels?

I'm not a huge fan of Urban Fantasy, but the two authors I do follow are Laura Anne Gilman and her Cosa Nostradamus novels, and Jim Butcher. I've met precious few UF fans who don't like Jim Butcher, and many others besides...


2) Sullivan McPig who said...

You're doing it again: making me chose!!! Bad Qwill! ;-)
Ok:
Patricia Briggs, Laura Bickle, Jess Haines, Carolyn Crane and many more!


3)  BookAttict who said...

Wow! I read mostly UF & Fantasy, so my "UF Faves" list is pretty long, but topping the list....
Iron Druid Series - Kevin Hearne
Persephone Alcmedi Series - Linda Robertson
Conner Grey Series - Mark Del Franco
House of Comarre - Kristen Painter
Alex Craft - Kalayna Price
Kara Gillian - Diana Rowland
Chronicles of Elantra - Michelle Sagara (although it's more fantasy than UF)
Kate Daniels - Illona Andrews
Elemental Assassin - Jennifer Estep


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012


Choice of signed copy of one of Adrian Phoenix's novels - A Rush of Wings, In the Blood, Beneath the Skin, Etched in Bone, Black Dust Mambo, OR Black Heart Loa - Ended March 19, 2012 - Read the interview here.


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012

Question:  What book or books did you fall in love with in when you were a teen?

Denise Z who said...

Thank you for sharing with us today, I really enjoyed the spotlight. I love the Black Dust Mambo and Black Heart Loa series and would love to dive into the others as well. As a teen I pretty much had a pleasure reading hiatus due to the amount of mandatory reading in my studies, but in my elementary years I was a reading loving the Boxcar Kids and then as an adult started up again with Johanna Lindsay and historical genre. Now I am a pretty eclectic reader with a primary interest in the urban fantasy series! My fingers are crossed here and I thank you for the awesome giveaway opportunity. I absolutely love Adrian Phoenix's writing style!


and

amanda who said...

Thanks for taking the time to do this. It is fun to read about the book series and hear about what books got people hooked on reading!! As a teen I only read what I had to. I did enjoy Great Expectations, so I suppose that was the 1st book that didn't cause me physical pain to finish. Ha ha!! I didn't actually fall head over heels for books until my 30's. Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse books were the ones that won me over to hot and hilarious paranormal books. I've lived happily ever after... ;)


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012


Of Blood and Honey (The Fey and the Fallen 1) by Stina Leicht - Ended March 23, 2012 - Read the interview here.

Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012

Question:  What are some of your favorite books that feature the Fey?

Lesley D who said...

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull is a classic for me, and I also love Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye series. Thanks for the giveaway; I can't wait to read this one!


Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012


The winners have been notified and have until March 31, 2012 at 11:59PM US Eastern Time to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly choose new winners.

Thank you!

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - March 16, 2012

Please welcome Stina Leicht to The Qwillery. Stina's most recent novel is Of Blue Skies from Pain (The Fey and The Fallen 2) published by Night Shade Books.


TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery!

Stina:  Thanks for having me back. I'm both honored and thrilled to be here.

TQ:  What do you wish you'd known when the 1st book, Of Blood and Honey, came out that you know now?

Stina:  I'd tell myself three things: 1)Don't worry so much. 2)Don't freak out about writing the next book. You don't need another three more years of research. Have a little faith in yourself. 3)You're a terrible judge of your own work. Lighten up a bit, will ya? Sheesh.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Stina:  I've a love-hate relationship with my own writing. That's not unusual, really. Most writers are that way. The upside to that bit of bad news is that I'm driven to improve my writing. Then there's research. Luckily, I enjoy research, but I have to admit that aspect of writing can be pretty daunting. Particularly when the research in question involves history that people living today have witnessed. The touchiness of subject matter only added to the stress -- I certainly wouldn't recommend that anyone do what I did without being careful and thorough, but in the end, I'm very, very glad I wrote about The Troubles.

TQ:  Please tell us about And Blue Skies from Pain, the second novel in your Fey and Fallen series.

Stina:  I'll quote from the lovely jacket copy from Night Shade's website.

"Northern Ireland, 1977. Liam Kelly has turned his back on his land's bloody sectarian Troubles, but the war isn't done with him yet, and neither is an older, more mythic battle--between the Church and its demonic enemies, the Fallen.

After centuries of misunderstanding and conflict, the Church is on the verge of accepting that the Fey and the Fallen are not the same. But to achieve this historic truce, Liam must prove to the Church's Inquisitors that he is not a demon, even as he wrestles with his own guilt and confusion, while being hunted by enemies both earthly and unworldly.

A shape-shifter by nature, Liam has a foot in two worlds--and it's driving him mad."

Blue Skies is where Liam grows up a bit. He still has his problems communicating. Any male who went through what he did in the first book would. Plus, it's hard to learn to communicate when you've grown up in an environment that actively tells you your voice doesn't count -- let alone that it's dangerous to speak up. (Americans tend to forget this.) He's learning how to make choices for himself too and learning a bit more about his heritage as well as his powers. Unfortunately, he's also dancing on that thin line between sanity and insanity, and for Liam, the consequences are more than just a padded room. Father Murray, on the other hand, is learning how to navigate his new relationship with his Order -- who he can trust and who he can't. His dream of forging an alliance between the Church and the Fey is beginning to look more possible. At the same time, he's having to come to terms with the mistakes he's made in the past. Bran has a bigger role in the second book too. And can I say this time we've extra-added combat nuns?

TQ:  Which character has surprised you the most in the series so far?

Stina:  Father Murray, tops the list. He did some things in the first book that even I wasn't aware of at the start.

TQ:  Which character in the series is most like you?

Stina:  They've all got a bit of me in them -- even Haddock. That's just how things work. I can't say any of them are 100% or even 80% like me. They're all a mish mash of qualities I see in others and exaggerated bits of myself. Liam has a lot of my husband in him as well as a healthy dose of my own personality. I gave him my dyslexia and then made it much worse -- for example. Mary Kate is who I'd love to think I could be were I ever in that situation, but I know I'm nowhere near as brave, smart, or as foolhardy. Kathleen is aspects of who I used to be combined with some of the older women I know. Father Murray holds my childhood love and loyalty for the Catholic Church. That said, I think Liam is closest -- personality-wise. Only (I hope) I'm nowhere near as crazy.

TQ:  What appeals to you about writing urban fantasy and are there any other genres in which you'd like to write?

Stina:  I enjoy writing in a modern historical setting. The idea that something might be possible -- if you squint just so -- is something I enjoy thinking about. The more realistic the setting and the characters, the better. It's a lot of fun, making the mundane into something magical.

I'd love to be able to write Science Fiction. I'm afraid my science skills are utterly lacking, however. Although, I've a huge interest in biological technology and once thought I'd be a geneticist. (Until I hit chemistry and then I was eaten by eels.) Genetics is fascinating. Obviously, I adore good mystery-thrillers and might dabble in that pool some day.

TQ:  What's next?

Stina:  I've a YA Fantasy with a historical bent that I'm in the midst of finishing. It's a late 1700s era setting with my own set of evil twists. I'm afraid to say anything more than that, though. There's a part of me that will decide it's finished before it's finished when I talk too much about a work in progress.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Stina:  Thank you so very much for having me. If anyone has any more questions, they can feel free to contact me on my blog or on FB or Twitter.


The Fey and the Fallen

And Blue Skies From Pain
The Fey and the Fallen 2
Night Shade Books, March 2012
Trade Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - March 16, 2012
Northern Ireland, 1977. Liam Kelly is many things: a former wheelman for the IRA, a one-time political prisoner, the half-breed son of a mystic Fey warrior and a mortal woman, and a troubled young man literally haunted by the ghosts of his past. Liam has turned his back on his land's bloody sectarian Troubles, but the war isn't done with him yet, and neither is an older, more mythic battle--between the Church and its demonic enemies, the Fallen.

After centuries of misunderstanding and conflict, the Church is on the verge of accepting that the Fey and the Fallen are not the same. But to achieve this historic truce, Liam must prove to the Church's Inquisitors that he is not a demon, even as he wrestles with his own guilt and confusion, while being hunted by enemies both earthly and unworldly.

A shape-shifter by nature, Liam has a foot in two worlds--and it's driving him mad.


Of Blood and Honey
The Fey and the Fallen 1
Night Shade Books, February 2011
Trade Paperback and eBook,  300 pages

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - March 16, 2012
Fallen angels and the fey clash against the backdrop of Irish/English conflicts of the 1970s in this stunning debut novel by Stina Leicht.

Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that he was the bastard of a protestant--His mother never spoke of him, and Liam assumed he was dead.

But when the war between the fallen, and the fey began to heat up, Liam and his family are pulled into a conflict that they didn't know existed. A centuries old conflict between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970s era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts.

Only the direct intervention of Liam's real father, and a secret catholic order dedicated to fighting "The Fallen" can save Liam... from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within him. 


About Stina

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - March 16, 2012
Stina Leicht’s debut novel Of Blood and Honey, a historical Fantasy with an Irish Crime edge set in 1970s Northern Ireland, was released by Night Shade books in February 2011. The sequel, And Blue Skies from Pain hits bookstores on March 6th, 2012. She also has a flash fiction piece in Ann and Jeff VanderMeer’s surreal anthology Last Drink Bird Head.

Stina's Links:

Website
Blog
Twitter








The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a Trade Paperback copy of Of Blood and Honey (The Fey and the Fallen 1) from The Qwillery.

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

What are some of your favorite books that feature the Fey? 

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1)   Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2)   Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3)   Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. You MUST leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, March 23, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*

The View From Monday - March 12, 2012

Happy Monday! Hope that the time change (in the US) has not thrown everyone off! There is one less hour to read this week as we have sprung forward. I'm taking my hour away from sleeping though.

At The Qwillery this week:

Monday - Authors After Dark Author Spotlight Interview with Adrian Phoenix. Adrian is the author of The Makers Song series and the Hoodoo series.

Tuesday - 2012 Debut Author Challenge Interview with Deborah Coates. Wide Open will be published on March 13th (tomorrow).

Wednesday - 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blog by Carol Wolf. Summoning will be published in April.

Thursday - 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blog by Matt Adams. I, Crismonstreak will be published in May.

Friday - Interview with Stina LeichtAnd Blue Skies From Pain (Fey and Fallen 2) will be published on March 20, 2012.

Saturday - 2012 Debut Author Challenge Guest Blog by Chris F. Holm. Dead Harvest (The Collector 1) was published on February 28, 2012.

Sunday - March 2012 Debut Author Challenge Cover Wars - voting starts!


A book shopping list in PDF format may be found by clicking HERE. Click "File" on the left and then "Print (PDF)."


March 13, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
The Isis Collar
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Cat Adams UF - Blood Singer 4
The Steel Seraglio
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Mike Carey
Linda Carey
Louise Carey
F
Wide Open (d)
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Deborah Coates F
Witches of East End (h2tp)
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Melissa de la Cruz F - Beauchamp Family 1
A Crown Imperiled
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Raymond E. Feist F - Chaoswar Saga 2
Dark North
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Paul Finch F - Malory's Knight of Albion 2
Witches: Wicked, Wild & Wonderful
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Paula Guran (ed) F - Anthology
Bound by Desire
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Jaymie Holland PER - Taken by Passion
Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
William Irwin Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series
The Vanishers: A Novel
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Heidi Julavits H
Infamous
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Sherrilyn Kenyon UF/YA - Chronicles of Nick 3
The Games (d)
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Ted Kosmatka SF
The Company of the Dead (d)
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
David Kowalski SF
Shoebox Train Wreck
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
John Mantooth H - Short Stories
Chrysanthe
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Yves Meynard F
Autumn: Aftermath
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
David Moody H - Autumn 5
Hide Me Among the Graves
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Tim Powers PT
The Book of Lost Fragrances: A Novel of Suspense
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
M. J. Rose PS - Reincarnationist 4
Commedia della Morte
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro HP - St. Germain 25


March 16, 2012
TITLEAUTHORSERIES
Under the Harrow (h2tp)
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Mark Dunn F
Apocalypse and Post-Politics: The Romance of the End
The View From Monday - March 12, 2012
Mary Manjikian Literary Criticism



d - Debut
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback

F - Fantasy
H - Horror
HP - Historical Paranormal
PER - Paranormal Erotic Romance
PS - Paranormal Suspense
PT - Paranormal Thriller
SF - Science Fiction
UF - Urban Fantasy
YA - Young Adult

Winners x 10 - August 7, 2011

Lots of winners!

Of Blood and Honey by Stina Leicht

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011


Anassa who said...

I read about 4 books a month, and am developing a complex over being too busy to read more.

*****************************************

Bride of the Wolf, Luck of the Wolf, and Code of the Wolf by Susan Krinard

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

Saribonita who said...

I like Vampires, but LOVE werewolves! Always have, I guess maybe because of the shape-shifting mystique! :)

*****************************************

Miserere: An Autumn Tale by Teresa Frohock

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

Jack Provencher who said...

I like Spring, but I love Autumn. It can contain an Indian Summer, but it also can be cool & breezy. And for atmosphere, it can cause chills, and is a perfect time of year for gothic tales, as well as stories of horror.

*****************************************

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross and "Radioactive" Steampunk Necklace by Cemetery Cat Jewelry

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

RtB Admin who said...

I haven't read any steampunk. It's a genre I've kept meaning to try, but just haven't found the book to do it... perhaps this is the one. :)


*****************************************

Soft Apocalypse (2 e-books) by Will McIntosh

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011


Tore who said...

Dystopia but I do like both. Please enter me in contest.


and

Vivien who said...

This really sounds fantastic!!!
Dystopia


*****************************************

500 GFC Follower Giveaway: Ghost Story (Dresden Files 13) by Jim Butcher

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

Annette said...

Congrats!

I'd love to enter the contest. I'm follower Annette.


*****************************************

Signed copies of Shadow Fall by Seressia Glass (2 copies)

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011


Escape by Fiction who said...

I think all aspects of ancient mythology is cool - I'm really fond of Egyptian, Mayan and Greek.


and

Lee who said...

What is your favorite mythology? African? Egyption? Greek? Indian? Something else?Mine..Native American, east coast Cherokee, or southwestern Dine and just about all in between.. especially tales of coyote. But I also admit I like a Celtic tale or two about the Shide. But as Joseph Campbell says all mythos touch on each other.


*****************************************

Signed copy of Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011

Bethany C. who said...

Hmmm, usually doesn't matter to me if the story's good, but I guess I would like to see some (more?) set in the DC metro area.





The winners have been notified and have until 11:59 PM United States Eastern Time on August 14, 2011 to respond or The Qwillery will very randomly choose a new winner and winners.

Thank you to everyone who reads the blog!

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - July 15, 2011

Please welcome Stina Leicht to the The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews.


TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Stina:  My husband likes to call me a "Method Writer." That is, I prefer experiencing things before writing about them. Which means I do silly things like race outside when it snows so I can memorize what it feels like. (For the record, it doesn't snow much where I live.)

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Stina:  Some of my favorite writers are Stephen King, Shirley Jackson, Neil Gaiman, Ray Bradbury, Terry Pratchett, Charles de Lint, and Holly Black. I like to think that Stephen King influenced me in that I'm a writer who likes to delve into the psychology of characters to provide motivation. Always felt that Stephen King did that very, very well.

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantster?

Stina:  Pantster. Definitely.

TQ:  Describe Of Blood and Honey in 140 characters or less.

Stina:  "Of Blood and Honey" is set in 1970s Northern Ireland and is one part old school Urban Fantasy and one part gritty Irish Crime novel.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  A nonfiction book called "Those Are Real Bullets: Bloody Sunday, Derry, 1972 by Pringle and Jacobson -- two British reporters who were present when British soldiers fired on unarmed civilians. Thirteen protesters were killed and a fourteenth died of injuries he received that day. One of my favorite things about Science Fiction and Fantasy is that it uses story to address sensitive subjects. After reading that book and watching what was happening in the USA, I felt Americans could and should learn a great deal from the mistakes the British made with the Irish during that time.

TQ:  Why did you set Of Blood and Honey in Ireland?

Stina:  See above.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to for Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  I read a great deal about the Troubles and visited the University of Ulster's Conflict Archive online. (http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/) I interviewed people who'd lived in Belfast at that time, or had visited Derry during that era. I've been taking Irish language lessons for four years. (To help with the dialog structure.) Listened to Irish Crime novels written by Irish writers on audiobook. (Also to help with dialog structure.) And I took rally racing lessons.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Of Blood and Honey?

Stina:  Oh, let's see. It's kind of packed with those, really. I like the scenes between Kathleen and Bran. I especially like when Liam meets Oran at the taxi association. The rally race was particularly fun to write. The scene where Mary Kate attempts to fend off Liam with a thermometer made me grin. And the scene where Father Murray goes all Yoda while talking to Liam toward the end is a favorite of mine too. Oh, and I have to include the scene where we first meet Haddock. He's the best bad guy I've ever written, I think, and that scene highlights his complexity.

TQ:  In Of Blood and Honey, who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Stina:  I thought Haddock was pretty tough at first. Mostly because Americans are taught that cops are to be trusted and Haddock is definitely not one of those. Overcoming that was rough. But once I got through that, he was a breeze. He's a fanatic, you see. For him, the ends justify the means. The easiest character to write? That was Liam, I suppose. He's pretty easy for me to relate to. We're both dyslexic for a start.

TQ:  How many books are planned for the Fey and Fallen series?

Stina:  I prefer the way Terry Pratchett handles a series. Each book can stand on its own, and yet, they're related. So, off the top of my head... I know there's a third book, but beyond that, I don't know. There are other characters -- Liam's sister Moira for example -- that I'd like to expand on. We'll see if I get the chance.

TQ:  What's next?

Stina:  I've started a teen fantasy series set in a world with a Georgian era feel to it. We'll see how that goes. I'll be happy to write more about Liam and Father Murray, but I feel the need to do something else for a little bit. Writing about the Troubles is pretty stressful for me -- particularly since I've never been to Northern Ireland.


About of Blood and Honey

Of Blood and Honey
Of the Fey and the Fallen 1
(Night Shade Books, January 25 2011)
Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - July 15, 2011
Fallen angels and the fey clash against the backdrop of Irish/English conflicts of the 1970s in this stunning debut novel by Stina Leicht.

Liam never knew who his father was. The town of Derry had always assumed that he was the bastard of a protestant--His mother never spoke of him, and Liam assumed he was dead.

But when the war between the fallen, and the fey began to heat up, Liam and his family are pulled into a conflict that they didn't know existed. A centuries old conflict between supernatural forces seems to mirror the political divisions in 1970s era Ireland, and Liam is thrown headlong into both conflicts.

Only the direct intervention of Liam's real father, and a secret catholic order dedicated to fighting "The Fallen" can save Liam... from the mundane and supernatural forces around him, and from the darkness that lurks within him.

Amazon : Barnes&Noble : Book Depository : Borders : Indie Bound


About Stina

Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - July 15, 2011
Stina Leicht was born in Missouri where she attended Catholic school, climbed trees, fought pirates and rescued her sister's dolls from terrible fates. Currently, she lives in central Texas with her husband. She's totally famous for singing too loud to punk music in her car, reading too much, taking photographs almost no one has seen, and making art out of wooden cigar boxes. In the course of her research, she has driven in rally races, taken Irish language lessons and studied Northern Irish politics. She still fights pirates but has traded her trusty wooden stick for a rapier and dagger. Of course, pirate ships being somewhat rare in central Texas, she makes do with a friend's back yard--which is fine since she gets stabbed quite a lot and would only end up tossed into the sea anyway.

Links:

Stina's Website: http://www.csleicht.com/
CAIN (Conflict Archive on the INternet) Web Service - Conflict and Politics in Northern Ireland:  http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/


The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:   One commenter will win a copy of Of Blood and Honey generously provided by Night Shade Books.

How:   Leave a comment answering the following question:

Approximately how many books do you read per month? 

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, July 22, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*
Covers Revealed - New and Upcoming Novels by DAC AuthorsThe View From Monday - August 7, 2017Covers Revealed - Upcoming Novels by DAC AuthorsWhat's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors, Part 20What's Up for the Debut Author Challenge Authors in 2015? - Part 3Winners x 5 - March 24, 2012Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - March 16, 2012The View From Monday - March 12, 2012Winners x  10 - August 7, 2011Interview with Stina Leicht and Giveaway - July 15, 2011

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