Tag: epic fantasy

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Cirian War Saga Special Deals

Fallen King epic fantasy on sale for 99 cents

For a limited time, FALLEN KING, book 1 of the Cirian War Saga, will be on sale at Amazon for only 99 cents for the e-book.  The sale runs from January 22- 28, 2015, so hurry and get your copy at a reduced price.

Fallen King cover5

 

A fantastic tale of heroes, demons, and a desperate heir. In the land of Na Ciria, an ancient enemy has returned and there are only a few standing against the invasion:

A PRINCE ABOUT TO LOSE HIS REALM
The grizzled and weary Prince Wintron Dabe, longtime heir to the throne, inherits a kingdom on the same day that most of it falls under demonic invaders.

A PRAYER WARRIOR STRUGGLING TO FIND HIS POWERS
Young Afral must face his heritage and his uncertain abilities.  He flees those who want to capture him, while trying to reach a people who may reject him.

A WATCH RIDER FACING BETRAYAL BY SOMEONE SHE TRUSTS
The determined Mylana Farsight must lead other Watch Riders on a dangerous mission to warn the land’s long-hidden defenders. Dreadhounds pursue her, even as a traitor seeks to learn her secret.

FALLEN KING, an epic fantasy by Eric Lorenzen.

Content Advisory: This novel contains scenes of war violence, demonic possession, and human sacrifice.

Title: Fallen King
Series: Cirian War Saga, book 1
Publisher: Reader Hill

Click here to purchase at Amazon today.

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Fantasy Science Fiction Work Projects Update

November Writing Projects Update

This is just a quick update on my current writing projects for last month:

1. Ways of Camelot Arthurian fantasy series- I had to make a tough decision on ROAD OF CLOUDS, ripping up much of its beginning for a major redo. I had to remove the first 3 chapters and condense the next 5 chapters into 3. It’s hard to drop so much material but I think readers will appreciate the results once I’m done. This takes ROAD OF CLOUDS from 10% complete to only 5%, but I am still committed to getting it done by early 2015.

2. Tyrants of Tolerance science fiction series- While wrestling with RoC  (see above), I took a break to start the first book in this Science Fiction Dystopia: TAG WARREN AND THE FRAGILE CITY, set in a fallen California in the near future. I really love the characters and story line. This is going to be a fun series. I even have the website started: TagWarren.com, although it is still very basic. The site will become richer as the story develops. This book is about 15% complete. Expected publication is early 2015, to be followed by the next two novels in the series soon thereafter (hopefully).

3. Cirian War Saga epic fantasy series- I am about 30% done with Book #2, TRUTH MOCKER, and holding. I haven’t done much with this series in 2014, due to its huge size (these books are 2-3 times as long as the others). I do look forward to getting back to the series, but it won’t be until early next year. I hope to complete two books in this series in 2015.

4. Non-fiction series- This month I didn’t do any work on the various guidebooks put out under Genuine HR’s various series. I may do so when I have more time at the end of the year, but they aren’t a high priority right now. We just aren’t seeing enough sales on these books yet.

Well, that’s it for November. I was hoping it would be a more productive month, but it was still fun creating what I could. Thanks for reading.

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Fantasy Science Fiction Work Projects Update

October Writing Projects

This is just a quick update on my current writing projects:

1. Ways of Camelot series- I am about 10% done with Book #3, ROAD OF CLOUDS. I was stalled for a bit until I realized that I was trying to squeeze too much into one volume. So, yes, there will be a Book #4, tentatively titled ROADS’ END.

The book is hitting its stride now that I’ve split it into two and started the Sci-Fi novel (see below). I now have some breathing room to let Thom mature a little and improve his magical skills before he has to face his ultimate foe in Book #4. It also lets me ratchet up the energy even more. Good stuff!

Road of Water coverBook #2, ROAD OF WATERS, is now out in trade paperback as well as e-book and I really love how its cover turned out. Sales have started slow for this Young Adult Fantasy series, but those who have read it are loving it, so I’m happy with that.

2. Tyrants of Tolerance series- I have jumped into writing Book #1 of this new series because I needed a bit of a break from the Camelot series. This novel doesn’t have a name yet, but is a Young Adult Sci-Fi/ Dystopia.

Has a great start, full of energy and emotion. Look forward to really digging into the story. I’m about 10% finished on this novel too.

3. Cirian War Saga series- I am about 30% done with Book #2, TRUTH MOCKER, and holding. I haven’t done much with this series in 2014, due to its huge size (these books are 2-3 times as long as the others). I do look forward to getting back to the series, but it won’t be until next year. I hope to complete two books in this series in 2015.

4. Non-fiction series- This month I didn’t do any work on the various guidebooks put out under Genuine HR’s various series. I may do so when I have more time at the end of the year, but they aren’t a high priority right now. We just aren’t seeing enough sales on these books yet.

Well, that’s it for October. Hopefully, November will be a much-more productive month. Thanks for reading.

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Fantasy Fantasy Fridays Future of Writing

Is there something wrong with Epic Fantasy?

Recently, the website SFSignal posed this question to numerous writers, including Robin Hobb, Martha Wells, and Melanie Rawn. I thought it was an odd question- at least certainly a loaded question. The headline for Andrea Johnson’s article was even more confronting: MIND MELD: What’s “Wrong” with Epic Fantasy?

Some, like Marc Alpin and Teresa Frohock, saw no real issues except an overload of choice and maybe some wrong expectations. Others, like Martha Wells and Melanie Rawn, mentioned the tendency for epic fantasies to get weighed down from having so many viewpoint characters. Robin Hobb felt that readers sometimes couldn’t find what they really wanted in the glut of books offered. Each person’s reply is worth reading, so follow the link and read it yourself.

The various respondents gave decent answers, but I had some qualms with who was asked.

Let me explain. I though it was a decent article, but I’d rather hear more from the readers than from fellow writers and other insiders when it comes to any issues with a genre or sub-genre. As a writer, I want to avoid themes that are getting tired or predictable. However, the “experts” can get jaded from overexposure to insider things, like professional film critics do, and start nitpicking at stuff that most would never notice. As long as my readers are happy with my books, then I’m satisfied.

Are there things in the genre that I dislike? Yup. I’ll not go into all of them because much of it is a matter of personal taste, but I have written about  some of the ways Fantasy Series can fall short (Why Read the Whole Fantasy Series?). I will refrain from ranting on my other pet peeves though. Instead, I will try to write more novels that entertain. I want the readers to enjoy a good read and maybe have something to ponder afterwards. If I can consistently accomplish that, then I have found success.

 

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Fantasy Fantasy Fridays Story Lines

Fantasy Villains- How Close Should You Get?

How close do you want to get to the villains in a fantasy novel? Frankly, the closer you get to a really bad character, the more it influences the mood of the book.  In my epic fantasy, Fallen King, the story follows six characters and three of them could be called bad guys.  I had a concern that if I spent too much time within the thoughts of these villains, the book would start to feel like a dark fantasy or even like a horror novel. However, I also felt seeing events from their perspective added a richness to the novel.

Let me introduce these three “villains”:

1. Lord Drass Halen-Dabe. This young man is resentful of his cold father (General Fors Halen-Dabe) and ambiguous toward his older brother, Mordel. He joins his brother’s scheme to overthrow their uncle, the king. However, Drass tires of doing all the work while his brother gets the glory. When his brother’s allies tempt him to leave Mordel and join them, Drass must decide if the offering power is worth what it will cost him.

2. Brother Brodagar. He is a dragon priest of the Crimson Order but, more importantly, he is an Embraced One- a demon possessed man. Brodagar is sent to learn the secret of Warhaven. Getting the answer will bring him great power. Failing at the task will probably mean banishment of his Other and death for him.

3. Captain Galdon. He considers the army his only family and is fiercely loyal to it. He is so loyal that he chooses to remain even after Lord Silossiak declares himself emperor. He struggles to survive as one of the only Tlocanian officers who is not demon possessed. He despises what his beloved land has become, but he cannot imagine betraying his fellow soldiers.

There are worse characters in Fallen King, some so influenced by demons that they are now insane, but these three are the ones we get to know intimately. We learn of their fears and desires, their crimes and kind acts.

Keeping Villains at arm’s length. In the other fantasy novel that I have released this year, Road of Leaves, takes a different approach to the enemy. The point-of-view stays with the main character, Thomas the magician’s apprentice, never leaving his side. We never see into the minds of any of the people attacking the Road. That has some distinct advantages and challenges.

We only experience Thom’s confusion and fear, and it is the uncertainty of who the enemy is and what the enemy is doing that adds to the book. At least I think so.

So, what do you prefer? Do you want your villains close at hand or at a distance?

Categories
Fantasy Novel Publishing

Road of Leaves- a fantasy novel

Road of Leaves

Beware, for the Road stirs every night. When the leaves begin to blow, death follows.

Thom must travel the Road of Leaves for his master. He takes the enchanted, leaf-covered route to get to the hidden city of Camelot. As a magician’s apprentice he knows a little about enchantments, but when the Road’s magic goes wild, he has no idea how to stop it.

He and a few other travelers survive windstorms and attacks, reaching the Isle of Sun. But there he learns that a sorceress has captured Queen Guinevere and severed the Road’s link to Camelot. Thom must try to rescue the queen, in spite of his limited skills at magic. Not only is the queen in danger but so is Adele, the young woman who has captured his affection.

He goes back out onto the wind-torn Road, helped by a monk, a mercenary, and some pixies. Somehow, he must fight his way through to rescue his queen and his love, and to stop the attack on the Road of Leaves.

ROAD OF LEAVES- Book 1 of the WAYS OF CAMELOT, a fantasy trilogy.

Title: Road of Leaves
Series: a Ways of Camelot novel
Publisher: Reader Hill
Available from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Powell’s Books,
US Suggested Price: $2.99 e-book/ $11.99 trade paperback
Other Countries: Amazon UK,  Amazon Canada, Amazon Germany

Road of Leaves

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Categories
Fantasy Novel Publishing

Fallen King- a fantasy novel

Fallen King cover5

A fantastic tale of heroes, demons, and a desperate heir. In the land of Na Ciria, an ancient enemy has returned and there are only a few standing against the invasion:

A PRINCE ABOUT TO LOSE HIS REALM
The grizzled and weary Prince Wintron Dabe, longtime heir to the throne, inherits a kingdom on the same day that most of it falls under demonic invaders.

A PRAYER WARRIOR STRUGGLING TO FIND HIS POWERS
Young Afral must face his heritage and his uncertain abilities.  He flees those who want to capture him, while trying to reach a people who may reject him.

A WATCH RIDER FACING BETRAYAL BY SOMEONE SHE TRUSTS
The determined Mylana Farsight must lead other Watch Riders on a dangerous mission to warn the land’s long-hidden defenders. Dreadhounds pursue her, even as a traitor seeks to learn her secret.

FALLEN KING, an epic fantasy by Eric Lorenzen.

Content Advisory: This novel contains scenes of war violence, demonic possession, and human sacrifice.

Title: Fallen King
Series: Cirian War Saga, book 1
Publisher: Reader Hill
Available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Price: $5.99 e-book, $25.00 trade paperback

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