fantasy – Page 3 – Cindy Young-Turner

Blogger Book Fair Day 4: Interview with Nicole Zoltack

Day 4 of the Blogger Book Fair! There’s still time left to check out the BBF directory for links to all of the great authors and bloggers who are participating. Thief of Hope is doing well in the Reader’s Choice Awards over at Shut Up and Read, so stop by and cast a vote if you haven’t done so yet. And don’t forget, leave a comment on any of my BBF posts this week and you’ll be in the running for a $10 Amazon gift card!

Today I’m pleased to welcome fantasy author Nicole Zoltack to the blog! First let’s check out her books.

Woman of Honor (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 1)

Aislinn of Bairbhe dreams of becoming a lady knight to honor the death of her fallen brother. To her mother’s horror, King Patrick grants Aislinn’s wish and she begins her long years of training.

Despite the mockery of the other pages, and the disdain of Prince Caelan who also trains to be a knight, Aislinn commits herself to her dreams and embarks on a journey of self-discovery and bravery. Through the years, Aislinn and Caelan grow from sparring classmates to good friends. They both know that someday Caelan will marry for the sake of the kingdom, but even that cannot keep them from falling in love.

The threat of war with the Speicans is a constant threat, and one that grows more frightening as she and Caelan train toward their eventual knighthood. Aislinn has committed herself to serving Arnhem, and has promised herself as King’s Champion when Caelan claims the throne. She is willing to give up everything… her childhood, her life, even her heart for Arnhem. No matter the pain it brings.

Available formats: ebook and paperback

Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6370163-woman-of-honor

Purchase links for Woman of Honor:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Honor-Kingdom-Arnhem-ebook/dp/B0021L9YDK

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kingdom-of-arnhem-book-one-nicole-zoltack/1111374792?ean=9781612529905

Knight of Glory (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 2)

Ranulf, the Speican lord, is dead, and Arnhem is safe, or so the Arnhemians believe.

Sir Geoffrey and his companions have just completed a mission for Queen Aislinn when he receives word of the Speicans attacking Arnhem. Geoffrey and his party, which now includes exile Jenanna, split up and rush to different kingdoms to ask for aid. Even as he fights for his kingdom and his life, Geoffrey finds himself torn between his new friend Jenanna and the mysterious lady Celestia he left behind in Arnhem.

Enlisting help is infinitely more difficult than they anticipated and to make matters worse, rumors abound that the Speicans have enlisted a mage to work unspeakable, forbidden magic. The war between Speica and Arnhem has just begun. Will Geoffrey survive the battle to live another day and discover which woman he truly loves?

Available formats: ebook and paperback

Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7801193-knight-of-glory

Purchase links for Knight of Glory:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Knight-Glory-Kingdom-Arnhem-ebook/dp/B003AKY5U8/

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kingdom-of-arnhem-book-two-nicole-zoltack/1111929175?ean=9781612529745

Champion of Valor (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 3)

The war between Specia and Arnhem now reaches the sea after the selkies discover the Mystical Conch Shell of the Sea has been stolen. Selliki the selkie sets out to find it, and Gabrael, the mage she loves. No union between a selkie and a human has ever had a happy ending, but neither can ignore their feelings. Each night, they experience terrible, real dreams that show how doomed their love is. Add the war, and their love is impossible. Only one kingdom will prevail; that is, if the world doesn’t end.

Available formats: ebook and paperback

Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11150044-champion-of-valor

Purchase links for Champion of Valor:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Arnhem-Book-Three-ebook/dp/B004YTFGLQ

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kingdom-of-arnhem-book-three-nicole-zoltack/1103130624?ean=2940012459756

Coming Soon:

Black Hellebore, first in a new superhero romance trilogy – Heroes of Falledge

Expected release: October 2013

Available formats: ebook & possibly paperback

Publisher: Desert Breeze

Nicole is also doing a Rafflecopter giveaway for the Book Fair, so check it out and you can win some fun prizes:

Interview with Nicole

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?

J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling (There’s just something about authors that use initials…) I have always loved fantasy and these two writers are masters at creating rich worlds you can’t help put fall in love with.

2. If you could meet one of your favorite fictional characters, who would you choose and why?

Oh, tough question! Since I love dragons, I guess I’ll go with Saphira from Eragon. Would be so amazing to ride a dragon!

3. What fictional world would you most like to visit?

I would love to be a student at Hogwarts!

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?

Never give up, try to write every day, read as much as you can and not just in your genre.

5. Waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones is hard, but now’s the time to prepare. What three things do you want to have on hand when the Others come down from beyond the Wall?

Confession time: I haven’t read or watched GoT yet. It’s on the to-do list, I swear! But it sounds like a sword and shield and a horse might be a good idea, from my limited knowledge.

Okay, I totally struck out with this question. Had to try, though! We are all toast when the Others come. I’m not sharing my stash of dragonglass!

Bio:

Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn’t want to get boxed in by genre — she might be claustrophobic! She’s also an editor for MuseItUp Publishing and works as a freelance editor.

When she isn’t writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending they’re unicorns, of course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb.

Where to find Nicole:

Author website: http://www.nicolezoltack.com

Blog: http://nicolezoltack.blogspot.com/

Twitter @nicolezoltack: https://twitter.com/NicoleZoltack

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorNicoleZoltack

Google+: https://plus.google.com/112850281244279638997/posts

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2887586.Nicole_Zoltack

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolezoltack

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/nicolezoltack

Blogger Book Fair Day 2: Interview with Eileen Sharp

It’s Day 2 of the Blogger Book Fair! Be sure to check out the Reader’s Choice Awards over at Shut Up and Read. Thief of Hope is in the running in the Fantasy-Mature (2) category. Votes are appreciated!

Today I’m featuring Eileen Sharp, author of The Unspeller and the Book of Days.

From the author of Certainty comes a fantasy set against the ticking clock of magic’s end. The Unspeller and the Book of Days is an extraordinary fantasy about a powerful family and an ungifted child. Aesa Jereward finds himself the center of suspicion and fear, a possible sign of the foretold End of magic. Being part of a rich bloodline with deep magic only increases his misery. With the help of his extraordinary siblings and a dragon of mysterious origins, Aesa must find his own path in the destiny of magic.

Get your copy on Amazon

Check out Eileen’s blog for more information on her and her books: http://eileensharp.wordpress.com/

Author Interview: Eileen Sharp

1. Which books/authors have most influenced you as an author and why?

I was really influenced by Lloyd Alexander – his High King series was so perfect. I’ve never forgotten how I felt finishing the last book in the series. I was twelve and blown away.

2. If you could meet one of your favorite fictional characters, who would you choose and why?

Edward Cullen. Seriously.

3. What fictional world would you most like to visit?

Middle Earth, or Pern. Both of them are so beautifully vivid and they really suck you in and make you wish they were real.

4. What advice would you give your pre-published self, knowing what you know now?

Be patient and a little discontented with everything. It can’t hurt to go for perfection!

5. Waiting for the next season of Game of Thrones is hard, but now’s the time to prepare. What three things do you want to have on hand when the Others come down from beyond the Wall?

I know this is shocking, but I haven’t read Game of Thrones or watched the series.

Hmm, striking out so far with my Got question!

CMP Summer Lovin’ Blog Hop

Crescent Moon Press authors are ready for summer! We’ll be blogging about our summer loves, our romances, and how much we love summer! Have you ever had a summer fling? Do you have a favorite book about summer? What’s on your summer reading list? What are some great beach reads? We’re blogging about all of it!

Visit our blogs below and enter to win some great prizes between June 14 -17.

Grand Prize: A Kindle Paperwhite and some of our eBooks to read on it!

1st Prize: A $20 Amazon gift card, and a Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, more eBooks, bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, and more!

Drop by our blogs between June 14 and 17 and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

Good luck and hope to see you there!

Participating blogs:

Shawna Romkey Author blog
Constance Phillips, A Writer’s Musings
Katie O’Sullivan
Summer Lovin’ – On Olympus…
Kate’s Blog
Kary Rader
Lindsey R. Loucks
Summer Lovin’, postcards, and maybe bookmarks
Jody A Kessler Summer Lovin’ Mountain Style
Official Website of Maer Wilson
Author Jean Murray ~ Wicked Romance Blog
Summer Lovin’ Heat
Hildie McQueen’s Author Site
Loni Lynne’s Blog Site
Author Avery Olive Blog
Wendy S. Russo
Cindy Young-Turner
Michelle Clay – The Darkside of Romance
the Marvelous Misadventures of Mrs. t
Shannon Eckrich

A reformed pantser?

I’ve been a proud pantser for a while. No outlines for me. I just write and the story comes out. Sometimes. I do a fair amount of rewriting along the way as things unfold and the plot becomes clearer. It’s a bit scary to write without knowing exactly where I’m going, but it’s worked for me. Every time I’ve tried to write an outline, I’ve failed to follow it. It’s just too constrictive.

Until now, that is.

I think it’s safe to say that Thief of Destiny is a bit more complex than Thief of Hope. The scale is much bigger, the stakes are higher, there are two points of view instead of just one. A big theme is that nothing is black and white and the lines between good and evil are murky. I recently came to a point in the book where I realized I had to come up with a plan for moving forward. There’s a war going on and I couldn’t simply pull a battle strategy out of my head without some planning. I’ve gone through much mulling it over, gnashing of teeth, many emails back and forth with my wonderful critique group for ideas, research, and I think I finally have a plan. I’ve even started working on *gasp* an outline. This time I need an outline if I’m going to sync up certain events in the book. I think it’s going to work.

I still don’t know everything that’s going to happen. I can’t write that detailed of an outline. Am I a reformed pantser? Maybe not quite yet. I’ll let you know how it goes when I get to the end of the book.

The Next Big Thing

The Next Big Thing is an author interview series currently generating lots of buzz for its inside look into how writers, working in a variety of genres, create their best work. Special thanks to Alan Zendell who invited me to participate and provided the questions. Take a look at Alan’s interview about his book, The Portal.

And now, it’s my turn to be The Next Big Thing!

1. What is the working title of your book?

I was initially going to write about Thief of Hope, but I also want to mention Thief of Destiny, which is the sequel and currently in progress. It’s a two for one interview deal!

2. What genre does your book fall under?

This is a fantasy series.

3. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A pickpocket becomes entangled with the commoners’ fight against an oppressive society, a would-be king’s bid for the throne, and the strange and dangerous magic of the faery folk.

4. Where did the idea come from for the book?

Well, Sydney, the heroine, was inspired by a D&D character. Yes, I played D&D in college. I’m a geek and proud of it. But as I wrote the story, the characters evolved and took on a life of their own. The more I rewrote the book, the more it evolved.

I knew there’d be a sequel because even though Thief of Hope is somewhat self-contained and that particular arc of the story has an ending, there was still more to tell. Thief of Destiny expands the scope of the story quite a bit. Sydney leaves her comfort zone and learns things that shake the foundation of what she believes. Plus there’s an additional plotline of Willem’s fight to win the throne and his challenges. There are some interesting new characters plus some old favorites return as well.

5. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I have no idea. I don’t know any actors who are the right ages. When Peter Jackson finishes with The Hobbit and is looking for his next project, he’s welcome to cast a bunch of unknowns. I have a friend who has offered to play a barmaid, though. I’m sure I can find a role for her.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Thief of Hope was published by Crescent Moon Press. I’m hoping they will also publish the sequel once it’s finished.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?

I’m embarrassed to say. Years and years. I’m crossing my fingers that Thief of Destiny moves along quicker. My goal is to have it finished by fall of this year. I’m about halfway through now.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I’ve had a couple people tell me it reminded them of Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn because there are some similarities between Vin in Mistborn and Sydney (they share a thief/street urchin background), but otherwise the stories are completely different. I recently read Mistborn and loved it, and am very flattered by any comparison with it. When I tell people I write fantasy I usually say, you know, like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter, but my book isn’t like either of those at all.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

If anything, I’ve been inspired by people who are willing to fight for justice and freedom and follow their beliefs, no matter what the cost.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

Even though my books are fantasy and set in a made-up world with some magic, my characters are real and flawed and sometimes make bad choices. I think that makes them believable and I hope the reader will want to follow their stories.

Coming Up On Next Big Thing! Nancy Griffis is a dear friend and fellow author who has published a number of novels and short stories. Check out her blog to find out what she has to say about her books: http://www.nancygriffis.wordpress.com.