Obsidian Towers and Groves and Giveaways
There's a four-author fantasy tour going on over at Juniper Grove,with a great giveaway (see end of this post), and some wonderful excerpts being offered online, plus some fascinating guest posts from the authors. I'm delighted to welcome L. T. Getty, author of the middle grade fantasy Tower of Obsidian to my blog today, and, since her novel is recommended for age 13+, I had to ask...
- There is an age recommendation of 13+ for your book. Which comes first, the story, the book, the audience or the age recommendation, and how does it affect your writing process?
Over to you L. T., and thank you for visiting my blog.
For me, the first draft is about telling myself the story.
Sometimes I have a very clear picture of where
I want the story to be go, what
I want the conflict to be, and even who the characters are - but often times,
it changes as I start to delve into the story and learn who the characters really are. Tower of Obsidian would be a very different story if I'd gone
with very different lead characters.
I want the story to be go, what
I want the conflict to be, and even who the characters are - but often times,
it changes as I start to delve into the story and learn who the characters really are. Tower of Obsidian would be a very different story if I'd gone
with very different lead characters.
This is why I can't be a true plotter - don't get me wrong,
I've written series and I have notes to keep me on track, but the notes are
guidelines, and it's not uncommon for me to divert from a sequence I've already
written because I've learned to trust my creative process. Usually when I start
to develop a decent feeling for the book, I'll write a very rough synopsis of
where I expect to go - this allows me to skip around and write scenes that I
feel strongly about so that I can start bridging the sequences together. When I
seem to have a strong narrative, I think about sending it off to my beta
reader.
All this being said, I have delved into YA and middle grade,
and I have to say, they're both very fun genres to write in. When I'm
anticipating to write for a younger audience, my general rule is not to talk
down to them. The audience can handle difficult subject matter, but it's also
not a good idea to thrust too much too soon at the audience. I find that a good rule, is not to write
something adult me wouldn't enjoy on some level.
That makes sense, and I love reading middle grade and YA novels, especially when they don't talk down to the reader. Thank you so much L. T. And here's a great excerpt to whet your readers' appetites...
Excerpt from Tower of Obsidian
by L.T. Getty:
You know how the tale is supposed to go. The maiden is
seized, captured by some foul villain. The hero gives chase, defeats the
villain, and rescues her. The maid and hero wed and live happily ever after.
But suppose it doesn’t go like that. No doubt there have been countless stories
of maidens taken by villains. Some are rescued, others are killed, and however
tragic their stories, they are ended.
What if one of these maidens lingered in darkness, with puzzles unsolved, her dragons unslain?
She was stolen, like so many before her and many who came after. Was she a goddess, a nymph, or a common girl of great beauty? It matters little. He seized her and forced her into a dark tower, which even the gods could not destroy. Oh how they tried, sending their sons to battle him. All failed.
The wicked sorcerer enticed her, tried to trick and confuse her, but she would never submit. In rage, or perhaps when it seemed the tide was turning, and perhaps her true love finally came, the sorcerer, rather than lose her, cursed her. He locked her in a prison, and she and the tower became one.
At last, the sorcerer was destroyed, but not sent forth to the land of the dead, or chance his evil would survive the grave. Undying, he remained a fragmented wraith, a wicked creature, the villain in countless stories. Perhaps, that was why his defeat did not undo her curse, for she remained a prisoner in the dark spire.
Her would-be hero, defeated at the end, died of a broken heart. The lands around the tower grew dark, as if the world itself knew the tale was too sad. Surely, she was worth rescuing? Surely, there was another who could save her?
Imagine then, if you were she: your beauty, your curse, and your true love stolen from you. Imagine your father playing one suitor off another. All the while, the other women despise you. Imagine being changed—much like how a god would turn a nymph into a cow, a goddess into the body of a mortal. Confined to a prison, and even if it were the finest castle in all the lands, heaven, earth, or the underworld, still a cage. All the while, you wait for a rescue which never comes. The spell will not allow you to die nor to grow old. You are stagnant in a world where stories of old become legends, and legends forgotten—dismissed as childish fancy.
No, child, surely you do not wish to know that story. Maidens must be rescued, the good endure, and evil smote. Even though you know what is true or fair is not so in your life, you expect nothing else in your story. It is how the story is supposed to go. You will accept nothing but a proper ending. Content yourself then with stories of long hair and spinning wheels.
What if one of these maidens lingered in darkness, with puzzles unsolved, her dragons unslain?
She was stolen, like so many before her and many who came after. Was she a goddess, a nymph, or a common girl of great beauty? It matters little. He seized her and forced her into a dark tower, which even the gods could not destroy. Oh how they tried, sending their sons to battle him. All failed.
The wicked sorcerer enticed her, tried to trick and confuse her, but she would never submit. In rage, or perhaps when it seemed the tide was turning, and perhaps her true love finally came, the sorcerer, rather than lose her, cursed her. He locked her in a prison, and she and the tower became one.
At last, the sorcerer was destroyed, but not sent forth to the land of the dead, or chance his evil would survive the grave. Undying, he remained a fragmented wraith, a wicked creature, the villain in countless stories. Perhaps, that was why his defeat did not undo her curse, for she remained a prisoner in the dark spire.
Her would-be hero, defeated at the end, died of a broken heart. The lands around the tower grew dark, as if the world itself knew the tale was too sad. Surely, she was worth rescuing? Surely, there was another who could save her?
Imagine then, if you were she: your beauty, your curse, and your true love stolen from you. Imagine your father playing one suitor off another. All the while, the other women despise you. Imagine being changed—much like how a god would turn a nymph into a cow, a goddess into the body of a mortal. Confined to a prison, and even if it were the finest castle in all the lands, heaven, earth, or the underworld, still a cage. All the while, you wait for a rescue which never comes. The spell will not allow you to die nor to grow old. You are stagnant in a world where stories of old become legends, and legends forgotten—dismissed as childish fancy.
No, child, surely you do not wish to know that story. Maidens must be rescued, the good endure, and evil smote. Even though you know what is true or fair is not so in your life, you expect nothing else in your story. It is how the story is supposed to go. You will accept nothing but a proper ending. Content yourself then with stories of long hair and spinning wheels.
Thank you L. T. Getty.
And now for some information about all four fantasy novels on this tour...
Title: Tower of Obsidian
Author: L. T. Getty
Published: February 2013
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Word Count: 115,000
Genre: Epic Fantasy
Content Warning: Minor Violence
Recommended Age: 13+
Synopsis:
When
Kale mac Tadhg is betrayed by his Lord’s men, he is sent on an
impossible quest: slay a witch in a tower, and end a people’s curse.
Both Kale’s best friend and brother-in-arms Aaron Smithson and former
betrothed Aoife of Westgate set out to rescue him, but their journey
takes them into the uncharted waters and Northwestern Nordic colonies,
to a land cursed and all but forgotten. They begin to realize that there
is some truth to old legends. Kale’s rescue comes at a price—for by the
time Aaron and Aoife know where to search, like so many before him,
Kale is bound to the ancient tower’s fate.
About the Author:
L.T.
Getty started writing her first novel in junior high, and hasn’t really
stopped since. She’s studied kendo, is an open water scuba diver, and
has recently taken up archery, and hopes to learn to do it horseback
some day. When she’s not writing, she works as a paramedic. When she is
writing, it tends to be rather cheeky.
Title: Finding Eve
Author: Rita Bay
Published: September 2013
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Word Count: 13,500
Genre: Shape-shifter Paranormal
Content Warning: Adult content
Recommended Age: 18+
About the book:
Nicholas Lyons, chief physician to the Lyons clan of shape-shifters, has mourned the death of his promised lifemate until a rogue shapeshifter reports having seen her at an exotic animal sale. Accompanied by Marie Lyons who is no stranger to the dark side, her new lifemate Anthony, and the imperious Lady Bat, he embarks on a frantic search for Eve through the dangerous world of exotic animal trafficking.
Eve, whose first memories are of recovering from an injury at an isolated animal refuge, has lived through a succession of owners in a world filled with cages and cruelty. When Eve meets Marie at the exotic animal sale, she begins to have flashes of a different life – a life in which she was something other than feline. Her last sale, however, has landed her as prey to exotic animal hunters and the clock is ticking.
About the Author:
Rita’s journey began on the Gulf Coast. Over the years, she lived and/or traveled in the eastern US and Western Europe. While juggling family and work, she participated in archaeological digs, earned a black belt in Shotokan karate, prospected for gold and crystals, camped across Europe, and volunteered with the American Red Cross Disaster and Education Services. Rita has worked as a registered nurse, educator and school system administrator. She lives with her family on the Gulf Coast, except when she’s in Atlanta, at least for now.
Rita is published in multiple genres with several publishers including paranormal and erotic novellas (Champagne Book Group – Champagne Books and Carnal Passions), historical novels (Siren BookStrand), and contemporary F/M and M/M novellas (Secret Cravings). She posts random bits of historical trivia about western history and culture on Rita Bay’s Blog at ritabay.com.
Title: The Pact
Author: Graeme Brown
Published: May 2013
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Word Count: 17,000
Genre: Dark Epic Fantasy
Recommended Age: 12+
About the book:
Enter the world of Will Lesterall, a boy who’s grown up in the safety of his father’s castle.
Tales of the outside world ruled by warring kings and creatures of nightmare have never seemed a threat, yet on the night celebrating two hundred years of the sacred Pact that has kept Fort Lesterall safe, intrigues ripen, and in the course of a few hours Will is confronted with a choice greater than he can comprehend.
Join an unlikely hero as destiny pulls him into the middle of an ancient conflict between fallen gods and ambitious women, one that demands blood, both holy and wicked, and the power of an ancient fire bound in steel. As swords clash below a watching wood, hope and betrayal war as fiercely as fear and valor.
Whether he lives or dies, Will Lesterall will never be the same.
About the Author:
Graeme Brown has been enchanted by the epic fantasy genre since he was a child, and consequently he started creating his own world with its stories at the age of thirteen. Influenced by writers like J.R.R. Tolkien, Robert Jordan, and George R. R. Martin, he has finally brought the first of those stories to life with his debut title, a short story called The Pact—48 pages that will whisk you away to a dark, medieval fantasy world with gritty realism. When he’s not writing, he can be found exploring number theory problems or writing computer programs, training for a marathon, or unwinding in a yoga hot room. He has also explored other facets of art, both as a hobby and a profession, including vector graphics, pen and ink, classical piano, and web design. He just finished writing the first of many sequels to The Pact, A Thousand Roads.
Title: The Queen’s Pawn
Author: R. J. Hore
Published: April 2013
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Word Count: 91,000
Genre: Medieval Fantasy
Recommended Age: 13+
About the book:
Young Harow just wanted to stay on the farm for the rest of his life, but his mother insisted he go to school in the City to study to be a priest. Now the City is in flames and he is racing across unfamiliar countryside trying to get the mysterious and sensuous Queen Reginee and her extremely annoying and very spoiled daughter Desiree-Rose to safety.
Of course there is a rebel army on their heels, black wizardry afoot, and sundry and dangerous creatures and villains, monstrous and common, seductive and evil, lurking along the way. If this were not enough for the youth to worry about, the Queen’s amorous chambermaid and bodyguard Mathilde, a smallish giantess, just wants to get him alone.
About the Author:
Ron can be found sailing on Lake Winnipeg when not writing novels or critiquing for an on-line magazine He won first prize for a Canadian Authors Association short story contest for a ghostly love story, but his preference is for longer works including a recent trio of medieval-style fantasies and the Housetrap Chronicles fantasy detective series through www.burstbooks.ca . Supervised by his understanding wife and a large demanding cat, most of his writing efforts continue toward fantasy, with occasional lapses into science fiction and horror.
- March 31st – Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews (Interview/R.J Hore)
- April 1st – Kristy @ Keep Calm & Write On (Spotlight)
- April 2nd – Elizabeth @ Elizabeth Blogs All About It (Spotlight)
- April 3rd – Margay @ Margay Leah Justice (Spotlight)
- April 3rd – Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews (Ten’s List/L.T. Getty)
- April 4th – CCAM @ Mythical Books (Interview/G. Brown)
- April 7th – Laura @ Trip Down Imagination Road (Review/R. Bay)
- April 7th – Vanessa @ Fairie Chick’s Fantasy Book Reader (Spotlight)
- April 8th – Cheshire @ The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass (Guest Post/R.J. Hore)
- April 8th – Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews (Ten’s List/G. Brown)
- April 9th – Elizabeth @ Science Fiction & Such (Spotlight)
- April 9th – Jaidis @ Juniper Grove (Interview/R. Bay)
- April 10th – CCAM @ Mythical Books (Interview/L.T. Getty)
- April 10th – S.M. @ S.M. Bysh Author (Book Review/L.T. Getty)
- April 11th – Laura @ Trip Down Imagination Road (Review/G. Brown)
- April 11th – Cinta @ Indie Authors You Want to Read(Spotlight)
- April 14th – Sheila @ Sheila Deeth (Guest Post/L.T. Getty)
- April 14th – Julianna @ The Flipside of Julianne (Guest Post/R.J. Hore)
- April 14th – S.M. @ S.M. Bysh Author (Book Review/G.Brown)
- April 15th – CCAM @ Mythical Books (Interview/R. Bay)
- April 15th – Cheshire @ The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass (Guest Post/L.T. Getty)
- April 16th – Denise @ Rantings of a Closet Vamp Princess (Review/R. Bay)
- April 16th – Jaidis @ Juniper Grove (Interview/R.J. Hore)
- April 17th – J. Hooligan @ Platypire Reviews (Review/G. Brown)
- April 17th – Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts & Reviews (Ten’s List/R. Bay)
- April 18th – Rebecca @ Spellbindings (Guest Post & Review/G. Brown)
- April 21st – Julianna @ The Flipside of Julianne (Guest Post/L.T Getty)
- April 21st – Laura @ Trip Down Imagination Road (Review/R.J. Hore)
- April 22nd – Patricia @ Room With Books (Interview & Review/R. Bay)
- April 22nd – Cheshire @ The Cheshire Cat’s Looking Glass (Guest Post/G. Brown)
- April 23rd – Elora @ Lunar Haven R&D (Spotlight)
- April 23rd – CCAM @ Mythical Books (Interview/R.J. Hore)
- April 23rd – Deb @ Written by Deb (Guest Post & Review/R. Bay)
- April 24th – Laura @ Trip Down Imagination Road (Review/L.T. Getty)
- April 24th – Deb @ Written by Deb (Guest Post & Review/G. Brown)
- April 25th – S. Cu @ Cu’s eBook Giveaways (Book Review/G. Brown)
- April 25th – Jaidis @ Juniper Grove (Interview/L.T. Getty)
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
- GRAND PRIZE: One winner will receive 5 surprise fantasy eBooks from Champagne Book Group.
Giveaway is International.
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