April 2014 New Ongoing Comic Series To Watch For

Well, to me this has been a great month for some newly started ongoing comics series. So, I will just make a post about the new series' that I find 'to watch for' in the future. I will just post about the series with a synopsis.

# Aquaman and the Others
   Published by - DC comics
   Story by - Dan Jurgens
   Art by - Ed Tadeo, Lan Medina
A “FUTURES END” prelude! Spinning out of AQUAMAN, the King of Atlantis and his teammates find themselves targeted by an unknown foe that wants their Atlantean artifacts! Don’t miss the start of this all-new series!

# Inhuman
   Published by - Marvel Comics
   Story by - Charles Soule  
   Art by - Joe Maureira
The newest super heroes of the Marvel Universe are born! A cloud of Terrigen mist is moving around the world turning regular people into Inhumans with amazing powers. But not everyone thinks this is a good thing. Discover the secret history of the Marvel Universe and get in at the ground floor of the next big Marvel franchise!

# Caliban
   Published by - Avatar Press
   Story by - Garth Ennis 
   Art by - Facundo Percio
Master storyteller GARTH ENNIS and Fashion Beast artist FACUNDO PERCIO team up to deliver a haunting new epic of science fiction horror.  The crew of the Caliban travels hyperspace on nothing more than a routine trip for the giant vessel.  Just human beings that have been inside a bit too long, confident of no other life in the Galaxy, and all the vastness of space to remind them how far they are from home.  But when an impossible accident suddenly causes the Caliban to slam into an abandoned alien ship, a nightmare in space begins to unfold.   Ennis delivers his unique brand of flawed characters, spot-on dialog, and trademark flare for the unexpected in a new series in the vein of Alien.  This is the beginning of the end for the crew of the Caliban.

# Batman Eternal 
   Published by - DC comics
   Story by - Dan Jurgens
   Art by - Ed Tadeo, Lan Medina
Don’t dare miss the start of the Bat-story so big it’s going to take every week of the month to tell! A massive cast of Gotham City’s best (and worst) examines the relationship between Batman, his allies and his city. In this debut issue, Commissioner James Gordon is caught on the wrong side of the law!

#  Iron Fist: The Living Weapon
    Published by - Marvel Comics
    Story & Art by - Kaare Andrews
High above the city, in a multi-million dollar penthouse, Danny Rand, a.k.a. Iron Fist, “The Living Weapon,” is haunted by the consequences of choosing death over life. A message from Iron Fist’s mystical homeland of K’un-Lun brings Danny back to his blood soaked origin of betrayal and vengeance! Revenge is a weapon that cuts both ways.... Will Danny survive the bloodletting? A one-of-a-kind kung fu action epic directed by the inimitable Kaare Andrews!

# Solar: Man of The Atom
    Published by - Dynamite Entertainment
    Story by - Frank J. Barbiere
    Art by - Joe Bennett
"This all started with an accident..."AN ALL-NEW CORNER OF THE GOLD KEY UNIVERSE! Flooded with experimental radiation that grants him unbelievable powers, the brilliant-and-obsessive Dr. Phil Seleski seeks to unlock the secrets of the universe, begrudgingly becoming a "hero" along the way. But can a single man be trusted with near-limitless abilities? What will this mean to the ones he loves? And will his choices lead to utter chaos and destruction?

# Sinestro
   Published by - DC comics
   Story by - Cullen Bunn
   Art by - Dale Eaglesham
Thaal Sinestro has lost everything he’s ever loved: his home, his family, his only friend. But no matter how desperate he becomes, Sinestro will never be without fear...a lesson his one-time ally, one-time enemy Lyssa Drak is eager to teach him! Can he take back the despicable Yellow Lantern Corps? Or does the universe have a new destiny in mind for Sinestro?

# Conan The Avenger
   Published by - Dark Horse comics
   Story by - Fred Van Lente
   Art by - Brian Ching
Nursing his broken heart, Conan drinks himself into a stupor in the troubled city of Shumballa—until a brazen act of thievery launches the Cimmerian into a wild hunt and a supernatural adventure!

# Secret Origins
   Published by - DC comics
   Story by - Greg Pak, Kyle Higgins, Tony Bedard
   Art by - Lee Weeks, Doug Mahnke, Paulo Siqueira, Sandra Hope, Keith Champagne, Christian Alamy, Hi-Fi
At last, the SECRET ORIGINS of the World’s Greatest Heroes in The New 52 can be revealed! This new series gets off to an awesome start with the origins of The Last Son of Krypton and Kara Zor-El, Supergirl, plus the first Robin, Dick Grayson.

# Elektra
   Published by - Marvel Comics
   Story by - W. Haden Blackman
   Art by - Michael del Mundo
Witness the beautifully violent return of the world’s deadliest assassin. A life spent in silent pain has led Elektra to the precipice of despair. As she prepares to shed her past and take her next step, everything you know about her will change! Death is no escape, but she will find her way as a new option opens up that will take Elektra to places no other Marvel character can go.

# Flash Gordon 
   Published by - Dynamite Entertainment
   Story by - Jeff Parker
   Art by - Evan Shaner
Flash Gordon never fit in on Earth. But on the bizarre planet MONGO, Flash's thirst for thrills and daring danger makes him the perfect weapon against world-breaking Ming the Merciless and his awful inter-planetary swarms of terror! Can the cocksure Man From Earth funnel his overconfidence into saving worlds, or will the universe fall to Ming?

# Southern Bastards
   Published by - Image Comics
   Story by - Jason Aaron
   Art by - Jason Latour
Welcome to Craw County, Alabama, home of Boss BBQ, the state champion Runnin’ Rebs football team...and more bastards than you’ve ever seen. When you’re an angry old man like Earl Tubb, the only way to survive a place like this...is to carry a really big stick. From the acclaimed team of JASON AARON and JASON LATOUR, the same bastards who brought you Scalped and Wolverine: Japan’s Most Wanted, comes a southern fried crime series that’s like the Dukes of Hazzard meets the Coen Brothers...on meth.

# Amazing Spider-Man
   Published by - Marvel Comics
   Story by - Dan Slott, Christos Gage, Joe Caramagna, Peter David, Chris Yost
   Art by - Dan Slott, Javier Rodriguez, Giuseppe Camuncoli, Chris Eliopoulos, Will Sliney, David  Baldeon, Ramón Pérez, Victor Olazaba, Alvaro Lopez, John Dell, Cam Smith, Jordi Tarragona
The Greatest Super Hero of All Time RETURNS! The world may have changed since Spidey’s been gone, but so has Peter Parker. This is a man with a second chance at life, and he’s not wasting a moment of it. Same Parker Luck, new Parker attitude. Putting the “friendly” back in the neighborhood, the “hero” back into “super hero,” and the “amazing” back into “Spider-Man!” Also returning: The recharged and reenergized ELECTRO! 

Author Interview - Ryan Hill

Time for another author interview. This time it's "Ryan Hill", writer of "The Book of Bart'. Thanks to the author for making time for us and also to the wonderful people at "Curiosity Quills" who made this possible.

My questions for "Ryan Hill" -

1) Welcome to the blog and thanks for talking to me. So, why don't you start by telling us a bit about your new novel 'Book of Bart'?

Thank you so much for having me! "The Book of Bart" is about a demon forced to work with an angel in training to find a powerful religious relic before a mysterious being can get to it first. Their search leads them to go undercover as high school students. Think "Fletch" meets John Hughes, except the main character is a demon and not Chevy Chase.

2) As far as I can tell this is your first book for adults, how does it feel may I ask?

It's very exciting, but equally terrifying. Exciting in that my work will be unleashed upon the world, but terrifying because MY WORK WILL BE UNLEASHED UPON THE WORLD.

3) Will you give any advice for aspiring authors who want to be published?

Everyone says this, but just keep writing. The more you write, the more you learn, the better your writing will be. And the better your writing, the better your chances of getting published. Also, remember there is no one set road to getting published. Everybody's route is different. Network with other writers. Twitter has made this easier than ever. Find people to read your work that aren't friends of family, someone who will honestly evaluate and critique your work. Lastly, embrace constructive criticism. It almost always makes your work better.

4) So what genre would you describe your new novel belonging to and why? Or whose taste would it cater to in your opinion?

The genre is paranormal, since the book is full of demons, angels, and a buffet of otherworldly creatures. It's a very silly, sarcastic book, and anyone who's a fan of Christopher Moore's works would (hopefully) enjoy "The Book of Bart." Basically anyone who likes to laugh or read will enjoy it.

5) Tell us a bit about your protagonist 'Bart', if you will?

Bart is like a well-dressed Han Solo. A scoundrel of the highest order. When we meet him, he's at the lowest point in his existence. He'd been serving out a punishment for trying to take over Hell, and now he's forced to work with an angel in training, or face an even worse punishment. Having been around since the dawn of time, Bart grew tired of the typical demonic shenanigans eons ago. He likes to make a game of things to keep his interest. He likes to think he's really good at being a demon, but in actuality he isn't. At all.

6) Did you read any good book recently?

I'm currently in the middle of reading Christopher Moore's "Sacre Bleu." It's quite good, and the level of detail Moore presents with 19th century French painters is astounding. It's also really funny.

7) Will you tell us a bit about your future projects?

I have a zombie novel, "Dead New World," coming on Oct. 13 from Curiosity Quills. Other than that, I'm putting the finishing touches on a manuscript for submission to CQ, then I'm diving head first into a sequel to "The Book of Bart," which I'm calling "Bart of Darkness."

About the Author -

Growing up, Ryan Hill used to spend his time reading and writing instead of doing homework. This resulted in an obsession with becoming a writer, but also a gross incompetence in the fields of science and mathematics. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Ryan has been a film critic for over five years. He lives in Raleigh, NC, with his dog/shadow Maggie. Ryan also feels strange about referring to himself in the third person.
Social Links:  
 Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads
 

About "The Book of Bart" -

Only one thing is so powerful, so dangerous that Heaven and Hell must work together to find it: the Shard of Gabriel.

With a mysterious Black Cloud of Death hot on the shard’s trail, a desperate Heaven enlists the help of Bart, a demon who knows more about the shard than almost anyone. Six years ago, he had it in his hands. If only he’d used it before his coup to overthrow the devil failed. Now, he’s been sprung from his eternal punishment to help Samantha, an angel in training, recover the shard before the Black Cloud of Death finds it.

If Bartholomew wants to succeed, he’ll have to fight the temptation to betray Samantha and the allure of the shard. After an existence full of evil, the only way Bart can get right with Hell is to be good.
 Is Being published on May 22, 2014 by "Curiosity Quill Press".

PS: I am currently reading this book, full review of the book coming in a few days.

New Book Review - Phone Call from Hell and Other Tales of the Damned

Book - Phone Call from Hell and Other Tales of the Damned
Writer - Jonathan Woods
Published By - New Pulp Press

First things first, I got this book from the publishers, so thank you New Pulp Press for this opportunity.
Well, a short story collection is always nice to read, specially of a genre you already like.So a noir short story collection is always a treat. Jonathan Woods does quite extraordinary job here in some of the stories, but sadly like most collections out there the other ones are not up to the mark compared to the great ones. The book is filled with clever imagery and some typically lovable noir characters, packed with booze and sex and a real fun short read at times, while at others it kinda drags and doesn't seem to quite gel together.

Books I got recently: Part 2

Now on to part 2, as I said earlier these are the books I got for reviews and such from various publishers as ARC mostly. Thank you guys, you make it worthwhile leaving for geeks like us.

Books I got as ARC
(doing book blurbs for these new books)

"Shield and Crocus" by Michael R. Underwood from 47north

In a city built among the bones of a fallen giant, a small group of heroes looks to reclaim their home from the five criminal tyrants who control it.
The city of Audec-Hal sits among the bones of a Titan. For decades it has suffered under the dominance of five tyrants, all with their own agendas. Their infighting is nothing, though, compared to the mysterious ?Spark-storms? that alternate between razing the land and bestowing the citizens with wild, unpredictable abilities. It was one of these storms that gave First Sentinel, leader of the revolutionaries known as the Shields of Audec-Hal, power to control the emotional connections between people?a power that cost him the love of his life.
Now, with nothing left to lose, First Sentinel and the Shields are the only resistance against the city's overlords as they strive to free themselves from the clutches of evil. The only thing they have going for them is that the crime lords are fighting each other as well?that is, until the tyrants agree to a summit that will permanently divide the city and cement their rule of Audec-Hal.
It's one thing to take a stand against oppression, but with the odds stacked against the Shields, it's another thing to actually triumph.
In this stunning, original tale of magic and revolution, Michael R. Underwood creates a cityscape that rivals Ambergris and New Crobuzon in its depth and populates it with heroes and villains that will stay with you forever.

"Hinterkind Vol. 1: The Waking World" by Ian Edginton, Francesco Trifogli from DC entertainment

In a post-apocalyptic world where humans have been pushed to the edge of extinction by the creatures of fantasy and fables, THE HINTERKIND tells the story of one young woman's quest to fulfill her destiny and put the world right again.
Fifty-seven years after an unspecified biological event has all but wiped out the human race, a green hand has moved over the face of the Earth. Leaf, root and shoot have steadfastly smothered the works of man, remorselessly grinding the concrete, glass and steel back into the minerals from whence they came. Mother Nature is reclaiming what's rightfully hers but she's not the only one...
The Hinterkind have returned. They come from hiding places in the lost corners of the world: Centaurs, Satyrs, Elves, Dwarves, Ogres, Trolls, Werewolves, Vampires...
They're also known as 'the Hidden,' 'the Twilight People,' the 'walkers-in-shadow', collective names for the menagerie that mankind has hung its tales of myth and magic upon--but these aren't fairy tale creatures. They are flesh, blood and passion, and they have a long simmering hatred of humanity.
They are a divergent species. Exotic evolutionary try-outs that couldn't compete with the rapacious ape. Hunted to near extinction through fear and ignorance, they fled to the great forests and deserts, losing themselves in the shrinking wilderness of an ever-expanding world.
Now the wilderness is the world and mankind is in the minority.
Collects THE HINTERKIND #1-6.

"Genesis" by Eduardo Galeano from Open Road Media
Eduardo Galeano’s monumental three-volume retelling of the history of the New World begins with Genesis, a vast chain of legends sweeping from the birth of creation to the era of savage colonialism. Through lyrical prose and deep understanding, Galeano (author of the celebrated Open Veins of Latin America) recounts creation myths, pre-Columbian societies, and the brutality of conquest, from the Andes to the Great Plains.
Galeano’s project to restore to history “breath, liberty, and the word” unfolds as a unique, powerful work of literature. This daring masterpiece sets the past free, weaving a new kind of history from mythology, silenced voices, and the clash of worlds. Genesis is the first book of the Memory of Fire trilogy, which continues with Faces and Masks and Century of the Wind.



"Smiler's Fair" by Rebecca Levene from Hodder & Stoughton

Yron the moon god died, but now he's reborn in the false king's son. His human father wanted to kill him, but his mother sacrificed her life to save him. He'll return one day to claim his birthright. He'll change your life.
He'll change everything.
Smiler's Fair: the great moving carnival where any pleasure can be had, if you're willing to pay the price. They say all paths cross at Smiler's Fair. They say it'll change your life. For five people, Smiler's Fair will change everything.
In a land where unimaginable horror lurks in the shadows, where the very sun and moon are at war, five people - Nethmi, the orphaned daughter of a murdered nobleman, who in desperation commits an act that will haunt her forever. Dae Hyo, the skilled warrior, who discovers that a lifetime of bravery cannot make up for a single mistake. Eric, who follows his heart only to find that love exacts a terrible price. Marvan, the master swordsman, who takes more pleasure from killing than he should. And Krish, the humble goatherd, with a destiny he hardly understands and can never accept - will discover just how much Smiler's Fair changes everything.

From The Wonderful People at Angry Robots -

"Some Fine Day' by Kat Ross

Sixteen-year-old Jansin Nordqvist is on the verge of graduating from the black ops factory known as the Academy. She's smart and deadly, and knows three things with absolute certainty:
1. When the world flooded and civilization retreated deep underground, there was no one left on the surface.
2. The only species to thrive there are the toads, a primate/amphibian hybrid with a serious mean streak.
3. There's no place on Earth where you can hide from the hypercanes, continent-sized storms that have raged for decades.
Jansin has been lied to. On all counts.

"Hangtown" by Karen Sandler

Marooned in her despised hometown of Greenville, California, private investigator Janelle Watkins wants nothing more than to keep her head down and make enough money to move back to the City. But even in the sleepy town of Greenville, the edgy, smart-mouthed private investigator seems to attract mayhem.
It starts with the apparent suicide of a nineteen year-old off a highway bridge. Then another young man goes missing and Janelle begins to suspect that there might be a connection between the incidents. With the help of her former SFPD partner and occasional lover, Sheriff Ken Heinz, Janelle begins to follow the convoluted trail, not realizing that the darkness of her past might finally be catching up.


"The Buried Life" by Carrie Patel

The gaslight and shadows of the underground city of Recoletta hide secrets and lies. When Inspector Liesl Malone investigates the murder of a renowned historian, she finds herself stonewalled by the all-powerful Directorate of Preservation – Ricoletta’s top-secret historical research facility.
When a second high-profile murder threatens the very fabric of city society, Malone and her rookie partner Rafe Sundar must tread carefully, lest they fall victim to not only the criminals they seek, but the government which purports to protect them. Knowledge is power, and power must be preserved at all costs…


"The Shadow Master" by Craig Cormick

In a land riven with plague, inside the infamous Walled City, two families vie for control: the Medicis with their genius inventor Leonardo; the Lorraines with Galileo, the most brilliant alchemist of his generation.
And when two star-crossed lovers, one from either house, threaten the status quo, a third, shadowy power – one that forever seems a step ahead of all of the familial warring – plots and schemes, and bides its time, ready for the moment to attack...
Assassination; ancient, impossible machines; torture and infamy – just another typical day in paradise.  


 
"The Blasted Lands" by James A. Moore
The Empire of Fellein is in mourning. The Emperor is dead, and the armies of the empire have grown soft. Merros Dulver, their newly-appointed – and somewhat reluctant – commander, has been tasked with preparing them to fight the most savage enemy the world has yet seen.
Meanwhile, a perpetual storm ravages the Blasted Lands, and a new threat is about to arise – the Broken are coming, and with them only Death.


From The Wonderful People at Curiosity Quills - 

"Too Much Dark Matter Too Little Gray" by Mike Robinson

Award-winning speculative fiction author Mike Robinson offers up 19 of his creepily provocative short stories in his new book, Too Much Dark Matter, Too Little Gray: A Collection of Weird Fiction.
A beer run becomes an interdimensional excursion. Two men settle their differences after discovering an extraordinary secret in the wilderness. A woman faces the bureaucratic logistics of a digital afterlife. A grieving man seeks to know where his wife was reincarnated. Strange lights in the sky begin to transform the lives of a small town. God and the Devil play billiards for people's souls. A teenage deity's science fair project sprouts a startling discovery.
These and more dream-like detours into the surreal, interstitial and inexplicable await within the pages of Too Much Dark Matter, Too Little Gray: A Collection of Weird Fiction.


 
"Valcoria: Children of the Crystal Star" by Jason King
History repeats itself like a song. The verses may vary, but the melody is always the same. The eastern empire of Aukasia has a new leader, a man who means to bring war to all the land. Yet, even in all his bloody ambition, he does not realize that he is but the puppet of a greater evil. Only the Kalyra - The Children of the Crystal Star - can stand against what's coming. Only they can protect the world of Valcoria from the mad hatred of the fallen god, Aedar. A new verse of the song has begun. The last verse.



"Salvation: by James Wymore

A man wakes on a frozen battlefield when a scavenging couple finds him among the dead. As they nurse him back to health, he is struck with the horrible realization he can’t remember who he is or anything about his past. Taken in by the kind pair, he begins helping with their farm. She even takes him to meet her family, especially her single sister. The ideal life offered in the high mountains of Winigh is shattered when he sees a transport bringing enemy monsters to the shores below. Cut off by high snow on the pass, their fate will soon be the same as the town his company failed to protect in the last battle, if this estranged soldier cannot help them fight off the next wave of invaders. Even worse, the people of the town don’t trust this Selene soldier. He has a strange resistance to their folk magic which some say make him as dangerous as the enemies preparing to destroy them.

"Book of Bart" by Ryan Hill

Only one thing is so powerful, so dangerous that Heaven and Hell must work together to find it: the Shard of Gabriel.
With a mysterious Black Cloud of Death hot on the shard’s trail, a desperate Heaven enlists the help of Bart, a demon who knows more about the shard than almost anyone. Six years ago, he had it in his hands. If only he’d used it before his coup to overthrow the devil failed. Now, he’s been sprung from his eternal punishment to help Samantha, an angel in training, recover the shard before the Black Cloud of Death finds it.
If Bartholomew wants to succeed, he’ll have to fight the temptation to betray Samantha and the allure of the shard. After an existence full of evil, the only way Bart can get right with Hell is to be good.  
  
PS: from these ARC list, many of the authors will be coming for interviews and such. I won't reveal the names yet, but if you are fans of any of them keep your eyes on my blog.
 

Books I got recently: Part 1

Well, I went to the best used book stores in Nilkhet, Dhaka and bought some nice books (mostly oldies and I'm kinda broke after the spree, lol). I also get a lot of awesome ARC's from some nice people from different publishing companies over the last week as well. I just want to share this with you guys.

Books I bought

"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse 
I got interested in this mostly from a close friend of mine's interest and then I read a review from one of my goodread friend. Seems to be a very promising story and a short enough read. Hopefully it will leave up to expectation.








"The inimitable Jeeves", "Carry on, Jeeves" and "Joy in the Morning" by P G Wodehouse

I love P G Wodehouse and I love anything to do with Jeeves and Wooster. I read my first novel of P G Wodehouse when I was in school in Bengali and loved it, then I read a few more in Bengali and some more in English whenever I got my hands on them. I read Carry on, Jeeves in Bengali but would love to read again, rest I didn't read before.

"The Horn of Time" by Poul Anderson

I read "Three heart and Three Lions" by him and enjoyed it a lot, and meaning to check out his other classics for some time now. So as I don't have any physical books by him this was always a must buy and its a short story collection which makes it a win-win.








"The Once and Future King" by T.H. White

One of the all time best Arthurian fantasy. How could I miss the chance. It promises to be a very good read and a big book so I think I'll enjoy it very slowly.










"Doctor Who: Eater of Wasps" by Trevor Baxendale and "Doctor Who: Timeless" by Stephen Cole
To be honest my experience with Doctor Who franchise has not been good actually, I watched some episodes of the 2005 series but didn't really get into it. But I always keep thinking the franchise must be good cause so many people love it, so I decided to buy these two books which seemed like a nice bet.

 

Guest Post - Jay Posey

Mixing up the chaos of western and apocalypse

 

When I tell people my Legends of the Duskwalker series is a post-apocalyptic western (with cyberpunk!), sometimes they get a look in their eye that suggests those are things that should never go together, kind of like chocolate and bleach.  But there’s a fairly long-standing tradition of mixing the two genres, and playing with both gave me some interesting ways to explore the story I wanted to tell.

For one thing, using a post-apocalyptic setting let me include a lot of advanced technology while still maintaining the sort of frontier feeling I wanted to explore.  At the same time, having my characters navigating a dead cityscape brought a nice texture to the world that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve had I gone with a more typical Western-style setting, like a newly-settled planet.  Rather than having vast expanses of wasteland separating small outposts, I liked having a world where the characters were constantly aware of how much had been lost.

Another benefit of combining the two genres was the types of challenges it enabled me to put in front of my characters.   Whether resources are scarce because civilization has collapsed, or because we’re beyond its current borders, those limitations provide good opportunities for everything to matter.  Stories don’t have to be about Saving The Entire World when you’re not even sure your characters can survive long enough to make it to the next town on the water they’ve got left.   The decision to pull the trigger means a lot more when you’ve only got one round left, especially if you don’t know when you might find another.  

Along those same lines, the moral choices characters have to make have greater significance when the only law is the one they make for themselves.  Adding the strong survival element from the apocalyptic side to the general lawlessness of the Western frontier made for some interesting character dilemmas along the way.  When you remove even the social pressure from the concept of what’s truly right or wrong, it says a great deal about your characters when you see what they’re willing to sacrifice for or what they’ll let themselves walk away from.

And finally, mixing the two let me add greater depth to the characters themselves.  With Three, I knew I’d wanted to play with the lone gunslinger trope, but I didn’t want to stick too closely to just the usual elements.  And with the sequel Morningside Fall, having that post-apocalyptic side left me a lot of room to explore other kinds of characters that wouldn’t seem quite as at home in a purely Western tale.

Overall I found it both fun and effective to be able to draw from both traditions.  They mix well together, but each brings certain textures to the world that the other lacks.  Adding the cyberpunk elements into the mix brought another interesting angle that rounded out the experience I wanted to create with the series, but without the foundation of the chaos of the Western and the post-apocalyptic the Legends of the Duskwalker series just wouldn’t be the same. 

   

About Jay -

Jay Posey is a narrative designer, author, and screenwriter.  Currently employed as Senior Narrative Designer at Red Storm Entertainment, he’s spent about 8 years writing and designing for Tom Clancy’s award-winning Ghost Recon and Rainbow Six franchises.  He started in the video game industry in 1998, and has been writing professionally for over a decade.
A contributing author to the book Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing, Jay has lectured at conferences, colleges, and universities, on topics ranging from basic creative writing skills to advanced material specific to the video game industry.
He has been described as “fascinating”, “insightful”, “highly entertaining”, “extremely handsome”, and “one of the most dynamic speakers in the Posey household” by parties who may or may not have been biased or himself.
You can learn more about him on his site & follow him on Twitter at @HiJayPosey


About Morningside Fall -

The lone gunman Three is gone, and Wren is the new governor of the devastated settlement of Morningside, but there is turmoil in the city. When his life is put in danger, Wren is forced to flee Morningside until he and his retinue can determine who can be trusted.

They arrive at the border outpost, Ninestory, only to find it has been infested with Weir in greater numbers than anyone has ever seen. These lost, dangerous creatures are harbouring a terrible secret – one that will have consequences not just for Wren and his comrades, but for the future of what remains of the world.

The book will be released on 29th April 2014.

Author Interview - Cassandra Rose Clarke

It is time for another author interview. This time its highly acclaimed "Cassandra Rose Clarke (author of "The Assassin's Curse" series), here in part of her blog tour for her new novel "The Wizard's Promise". Thanks to the awesomely friendly writer for this chance and once again thanks to the supportive and brilliant people at "Angry Robots" for the opportunities.

Here is the Q and A -

1) Hi and welcome to the blog. First, would you be kind enough to tell us a bit about yourself and your new novel "The Wizard's Promise"?

Thanks for having me! I’m Cassandra Rose Clarke. I write speculative fiction of all sorts and across all age groups. The Wizard’s Promise is a YA adventure fantasy that follows the adventures of Hanna Euli, an apprentice fisherwoman who would much rather be a witch. She’s off at sea with her apprentice master, Kolur, when a storm sweeps through and blows them wildly off course. At that point, of course, adventure ensues.

2) As far as I know, you have already got quite a bit of acclaim through your debut series "The Assassin's Curse", which was something both readers and critics liked, is this new series related to it in someway?

It is related! It’s actually set in the same world, although a different part of it. Hanna is also named after the main character in The Assassin’s Curse and has grown up hearing stories about her. One of Hanna’s big motivations is trying to live up to her namesake.

3) A fantasy story now-a-days always has to be unique or interesting in case of world-building and magic system, would you please tell us some things about these two aspects of your new novel?

The worldbuilding was a lot of fun in this book. The Assassin’s Curse is set primarily on a southern continent, where it’s very hot, and there are deserts and jungles and beaches. The Wizard’s Promise is set further north, up among the ice-islands—the name of which should give you an idea about their climate. The culture in The Assassin’s Curse grew out of the setting, and the same is true for The Wizard’s Promise. But with such wildly different climates, you get wildly different cultures, and the culture in The Wizard Promise is more rural and primitive than the one in The Assassin’s Curse. I also developed a different religion for this culture, one that’s focused on ancestors and magic.
The magic system is actually another thing that reflects the change in setting. Although the magic is the same in both duologies, the characters in The Wizard’s Promise have a different taken on it. Magic is more integrated into their religious beliefs and, in many ways, their daily lives. Becoming a witch is more or less a viable career option, although you have to study extensively for it. The magic is also elemental in nature. Hanna’s speciality is wind magic--she has an affinity with the south wind--although she’s talented enough to do the other sorts of magic as well (earth magic, sea magic, and so forth).

4) So what is the attractive point about your protagonists? What you think will make the readers root for 'Hanna Euli'?

I think Hanna is a very relatable character. Her initial struggles--wanting to be a witch when her family wants her to be a fisherwoman, dreaming of having adventures on the high seas and then reconsidering when she realizes how adventure is nothing like what she expected--are very much things I think everyone has gone through. (Substitute “adventures on the high seas” for “going to college” or “starting a new job”.)  Hanna learns a lot throughout the book and the series both, and I think that’s what makes her an attractive character: that we can see her grow and develop.

5) As like your previous series will this new series have a romantic sub-plot? And would you call your new novel to be of 'young adult' genre if I might ask?

The Wizard’s Promise does have a romantic subplot! When Hanna’s out at sea, after her boat has been blown off course, she notices a strange boy swimming along beside the ship. Considering they’re far, far up north, in what we’d call the Arctic circle, this is pretty unusual. She gradually starts talking to the boy--his name is Isolfr--and a friendship forms over the course of the book. We’ll have to wait until the sequel, The Nobleman’s Revenge, to see if anything more develops ;)

6) So do tell us about some of the novels you read or liked in 2013? Any book in particular that you would like to mention?

My absolute favorite novel of last year was Night Film, by Marisha Pessl. I’d never heard of the author--she’s written one other book, Special Topics in Calamity Physics, which came out back in 2006. I promptly devoured it as well, but Night Film was the one that really grabbed me and held on. It’s about a investigative journalist looking into the suicide (or possible murder) of the daughter of a mysterious Stanley Kubrick-like film director. This sounds pretty straight forward, but the book adds a veneer of occultism and even worldbuilding, since the film director doesn’t really exist and Pessl goes to great lengths to make him and his work feel real.

7) Are you looking forward to any upcoming novels in 2014? And what more can we expect from you this year? Will you tell us a bit about your future projects?

The Wizard’s Promise is the only novel I have coming out this year, but I recently published a few short stories--you can find links to them on my website. I’m actually hoping to do a bit more work with short fiction this year. It’s been awhile since I’ve written any and I suspect I’ve been bitten by the bug again. I’m also working on some new novels, both YA and adult, but I don’t want to say too much about them yet.

As for books I’m looking forward to--I’m really excited to read The Burning Dark, by Adam Christopher. It’s already out, but I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy yet. Soon! It’s a dark space opera about a haunted space station, and he somehow manages to bring lost Soviet cosmonauts into play. Super awesome.

8) As a new writer who achieved much adoration and success would you please give some advice to aspiring reader in closing please? 

I always give the same advice to aspiring writers, but that’s because it was so useful to me when I was starting out. That advice is to learn to tell the difference between goals and dreams. A goal is something you can control: a daily word count, for example. A dream is something you can’t control, like getting published--that’s dependent on a whole mess of other people. The idea is to create goals that will help you achieve your dreams. So instead of saying, “I will be published in the next five years,” say, “I will write 500 words a day on the same project until it’s finished, and then submit it to agents.” The latter is one hundred percent within your hands, and as such it’s a much more empowering way to think about a career as a writer.

About the Author -

Cassandra Rose Clarke grew up in south Texas and currently lives in a suburb of Houston, where she writes and teaches composition at a local college. She graduated in 2006 from The University of St. Thomas with a B.A. in English, and two years later she completed her master’s degree in creative writing at The University of Texas at Austin. In 2010 she attended the Clarion West Writer’s Workshop in Seattle, where she was a recipient of the Susan C. Petrey Clarion Scholarship Fund.
Cassandra’s first adult novel, The Mad Scientist’s Daughter, was a finalist for the 2013 Philip K. Dick Award, and her YA novel, The Assassin’s Curse, was nominated for YALSA’s 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults. Her short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons and Daily Science Fiction.
Cassandra is represented by Stacia Decker of the Donald Maass Literary Agency.
Author photo by Brittany at Flashbox Shop.

You can get in touch with her at her -

site, twitter & facebook

About "The Wizard's Promise" -

All Hanna Euli wants is to become a proper witch – but unfortunately, she’s stuck as an apprentice to a grumpy fisherman. When their boat gets caught up in a mysterious storm and blown wildly off course, Hanna finds herself further away from home than she’s ever been before.

As she tries to get back, she learns there may be more to her apprentice master than she realized, especially when a mysterious, beautiful, and very non-human boy begins following her through the ocean, claiming that he needs Hanna’s help.

Will be released on May 6th from "Angry Robots"