In anticipation of the release of TexArcana: A Collection of Fantasy Short Stories, I’m interviewing TexArcana authors! First up, meet Brad Cullen Fleetwood, the author of the shot story “The Bragg Light.”
Interview with TexArcana Author Lamont Turner
This is an interview with one of the authors from our new anthology, TexArcana! Lamont Turner wrote the story “Looking for Laredo.”
Cover Reveal: TexArcana
What happens when Texans encounter ghosts or when they stumble into mysterious underground lairs? What secrets lurk in the tall prairie grass on a dark night? What darkness might emerge from Texas' bloody past?
From spine-chilling tales of monsters, ancient orichas, and antediluvian horrors to light-hearted stories of wayward teens and library covens, TexArcana is a collection of twelve fantasy short stories from various authors, all set in Texas. These stories reflect some of the magic and mystique of Texas, from its days as a rugged frontier up to its dynamic present.
Interview with Young Adult Fantasy Writer Lucy A. McLaren +
Tell us about yourself! What would you like readers to know about you?
Lucy: Hi! I’m Lucy A. McLaren, a fantasy writer and professional counsellor. I’ve adored fantasy stories for as long as I can remember, and consume them in their various forms—from books to films, video games to TV shows. Besides these, I love spending time with my husband and young son. I also like taking photos of old castles or ruins, as these are really inspiring to me.
My debut book, Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1, released in May 2022 from Santa Fe Writers Project. It’s a multi-POV, character-focused YA dark fantasy, including found family, an authoritarian government, mental health rep, a realistic toxic relationship, and animal companions. I’m currently working on book 2 in that series alongside another YA fantasy book, and several short stories!
Alexis: Wow! I love looking at pictures of old castles or ruins, and your book sounds interesting.
What book or books have most influenced you as a writer?
Lucy: His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman is my favourite series of all time and has certainly influenced me as a writer. I admire Pullman’s worldbuilding and the compelling way in which he tells stories.
Robin Hobb is my favourite writer; I haven’t read all of her books (yet), but I love everything I have read (Rainwild Chronicles and Liveship Traders trilogy are my favourites). I admire Hobb’s character work in particular, and the way she makes the thoughts, feelings and behaviours of her characters so understandable, even when they’re abominable.
Alexis: I love His Dark Materials as well, though I’ve read never any Robin Hobb.
What TV shows/Movies do you like to watch or stream?
Lucy: My husband and I will watch anything Marvel. I really enjoyed Loki (I mean, Tom Hiddleston is awesome) and Daredevil (so pleased that’s coming back). The Witcher and His Dark Materials are both fantastic and I can’t wait for series 3 of both this year (roll on December)! I also like to watch crime dramas, or real life crime and police documentaries. I find them all incredibly fascinating from a psychological point of view.
In terms of films, again Marvel will always be a winner in our house. Other than that, I love Lord of the Rings and have done since it came out when I was a child. I can’t wait to share it with my son when he’s older! My favorite film, however, is Gladiator. Just… ugh, gets me every time. Amazing.
Alexis: Awesome! I’m a huge Marvel fan as well, and I really enjoyed the Loki TV series. I’m excited to see where they take his character. I’ve also enjoy The Witcher series (I even learned to play “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” on ukulele:).
Do you like playing video games? What’s your favorite game right now? Has a video game ever influenced you as a writer?
Lucy: Oh yes, I love gaming. I haven’t had as much chance to do it as I would like since having my son, but it will always be a part of my life. At the moment, I’m playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons because it’s easy to dip into when my son is asleep and doesn’t take much brain power. However, I am *on hold* in Horizon: Forbidden West and I really want to get back to it. Just need to find the time and mental energy! It’s a brilliant game.
I’d say the games I’ve played over the years have certainly influenced me as a writer. The ones that spring to mind as being the strongest influences are Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Majora’s Mask, and Final Fantasy VIII through X. There are multiple characters and intertwining storylines in these games. That is something I aim to emulate in my stories.
Do you like playing board games or role playing games like D&D? If so, which games do you like best?
Lucy: I don’t play any at the moment, but I discovered D&D for the first time about 5 years ago and loved it. Creating my character, Evelyn, and her backstory were a big part in my going on to write Awakening—Evelyn is one of the four main characters, and the one whose perspective we follow the most. Playing D&D really brought her to life for me. I wish I’d discovered it when I was younger. It’s so much fun, and really encourages imagination and creativity. I hope to be able to find a campaign to join in future!
Do you have a pet or pets? If so, share a picture of your pet!
Lucy: Sadly I don’t have my own dog at the moment, although always appreciate cuddles with my family dogs Cosmo, Arya and Beth when I go to my parents’ house.
However, this is a photo of Evie. She was my dog; I bought her when I was 18 and we had 13 and a half wonderful years together. She was by my side for so much of the writing of Awakening, snoring away contentedly. She was the inspiration for Dog, the animal companion to young Rose in my book. She loved tea and going for walks in the woods. She was very special.
Evie, Lucy A. McLaren’s adorable doggie!
What advice do you have for other writers or people just getting started in writing?
Lucy: Don’t worry about getting your story perfect straight away. Get it written, editing and rewrites will come later. I made the mistake of trying to tweak as I was writing the first draft. Looking back, that was a massive waste of time. The book went through numerous rewrites and edits since that first draft, and changed loads.
Basically, get your first draft written. Get the ideas on paper. Refine later.
How do you choose what books you want to read?
Lucy: I’m very much a mood reader. I love the feeling of being able to choose my next book. My TBR pile is huge, so I’ll scan through that and just… get a feeling about a certain book. I’ve learned to go with my gut, because when I try to read a book I’m not “feeling” I end up not enjoying it as much.
I’m currently reading: Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons; Tabula Smaragdina: The Destiny Thief by Natalia Wawrzynczak; and Fate and Resolve by Amy Lee.
If you write horror or dark fantasy, what are some of your fears, and how did they influence your story?
Lucy: I write dark fantasy, though it’s not grimdark. My worlds tend to be grim, inspired by real life events I have seen or experienced. I do try to weave in some element of hope, though—whether that be the spark of friendship, or the animal companions that are part of Awakening.
For me, my fears do come from real life scenarios: oppression, trauma, mental health issues, sexual assault, victim blaming, toxic relationships. These awful things happen in our world, and they’re scary. I hope that exploring them in a realistic, respectful way in my stories will help people to understand these issues or to process their own experiences.
Lucy A McLaren, the author of Awakening: The Commune’s Curse
Share your links!
You can buy Awakening: The Commune’s Curse Book 1 now from your favourite bookshop or retailer.
Find Awakening: The Commune’s Curse on Amazon!
Check out my linktree: https://linktr.ee/lucyamclaren
Keep up to date with my dark fantasy trilogy, The Commune’s Curse, as well as my other fantasy stories by signing up to my newsletter (bottom of my website): https://lucyamclarenauthor.wordpress.com
I also share mental health theory every month on my newsletter, which can help you better understand your own characters, or your favorite characters in the stories you read—so do sign up if that sounds of interest.
You can follow me on Twitter (@lucyamclaren), Instagram (lucy_a_mclaren), Facebook (Lucy A. McLaren Author) and TikTok (@lucyamclarenauthor). I love connecting with fellow fantasy readers and writers!
Book Spotlight: A Friend Like Filby by Mark Wakely
Welcome to the book tour for A Friend Like Filby by Mark Wakely. Read on for more details!
A Friend Like Filby
Expected Publication Date: December 6th, 2021
Genre: YA/ Young Adult/ YA Contemporary/ Time Travel
George has been fascinated with the idea of time travel ever since the unexpected death of his mother when he was ten, and hopes someday to find a friend like Filby, the forever loyal friend of the time traveler in the 1960 movie The Time Machine. George’s two closest high school friends, Dave and Nancy (nickname Onion), struggle at times to understand his odd obsession as they deal with issues of their own both in and out of school. The story takes place during the three friends’ tumultuous senior year from beginning to end, with a major realization in store for George on graduation day.
“Mark Wakely weaves an unusual tale with characters that are both emotionally and psychologically rich…The story is told from George’s perspective and in a first person narrative voice that is as clear as it is compelling. The prose is beautiful and evocative at times and I enjoyed the author’s peculiar turn of phrase, the humor, and his knack for vivid descriptions…It is a delightful read.” – Readers’ Favorite
Available on Amazon
About the Author
Book Tour Organized By:
Cover Reveal: Thine Eyes of Mercy
Welcome to the cover reveal for Danielle M. Orsino's novel, Thine Eyes of Mercy (Birth of the Fae #2) which is the highly anticipated follow up to Locked Out of Heaven!
Birth of the Fae: Thine Eyes of Mercy, Book Two
Expected Publication Date: December 2021
Genre: Fantasy
Queen Aurora, monarch of the Court of Light Fae and King Jarvok, Leader of the Court of Dark Fae are exhausted and battle worn after centuries of fighting. A war of attrition had taken its toll upon their kin and power bases.
What happens when you have to give in to your enemy?
All wars eventually end even magical ones. The Dark and Light Fae have set their elemental magick and weapons down but, all is not quiet in the Veil…
King Jarvok was confident his army could win the war, but at what cost? It was time to act like a King not a power hungry megalomaniac. That was his Creator’s title not his. He reaches out to Queen Aurora, and the Treaty of Bodhicitta is signed.
The treaty promises the Fae will never spill each other’s blood again. Rules for their human worshipers are put into place. The Court of Dark must not interfere with humans in a malignant way, but they can act as gods and goddesses of atonement. The Court of Light can return to acting as advisors to the European royal families, as they have done for centuries.
However, Queen Aurora and King Jarvok will learn that while they were playing war games, their humans have changed and moved away from the old ways.
The two monarchs face unknown challenges in a world where Christianity not paganism is the new power.
Sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you do not.
Coming Soon!
Locked Out of Heaven (Birth of the Fae #1)
Ride on the backs of fire-breathing dragons with the Dark Fae and watch the Light Fae play in the shadows of primitive humanity as they build their magical world.
Abandoned by their creator, two factions of powerful angels remain on earth after the Great War with Lucifer. They struggle to comprehend their Creator’s plan while their angel wings, a symbol of their angelic lineage, slowly and painfully decay. With no hope of returning to the Shining Kingdom, two groups of angels denounce their angelic lineage and develop into separate factions – the Court of Light, led by Queen Aurora, a former Virtue Angel, and the Court of Dark, ruled by King Jarvok, a former Power Brigade Angel. The two monarchs have opposing views on how to govern their kin, but the one belief they agree on is that human worship equals power.
Birth of the Fae: Locked Out of Heaven is an epic-fantasy adventure of heartbreak, rebirth, and hope that examines the bonds of family, friendship, and love. It is a fantastic tale of good versus evil in a beautiful world, where the Light Fae and their potent elemental magick are tested by the raw power of the dragon-riding Dark Fae warriors.
They are their own beings and masters of their own destiny. They are the Fae.
About the Author
Danielle M Orsino, destined to be a writer from a young age, was working as a nurse and treating a patient who needed some distractions during long I.V. Treatment sessions. So, Orsino reached back to a forgotten skill, A childhood dream. Danielle had wanted to be a writer and so she decided to tell a story. Little did she know the seed would grow into a fantastically epic adventure of heartbreak, hope and rebirth — Birth of Fae: Locked Out of Heaven. Drawing from her passion for comic books, Cosplay and fantasy along with her expert martial arts expertise, Orsino brings forth an electric and hopeful debut.
Danielle is taking on her biggest challenge to date: taking the story born from the long treatment sessions with a patient into a fantasy book series-Birth of the Fae: Locked out of Heaven. Expanding her love of writing, comics and exploring the world of fantasy novels, she delves into the realm of fairies and retells their origins from a completely new perspective. Orsino has a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and Exercise science and is an LPN with a special interest in Lyme disease research. Orsino has been widely recognized from her influence and experience in martial arts realm, training for over 20 years and with over 500 tournament wins, and accumulating national and world titles. She has performed for former President of the United States Bill Clinton and has been featured on “Soap Talk, Fox Five news CBS, TLC and E! With this experience, she worked as a Fight Choreographer on ”Wonder Woman: Balance of Power” and has worked with the likes of martial arts legend Vincent Lyn and WWE marvel and action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Nothing Danielle ever does is simple, look at what NY times Bestselling author Clete Barrett Smith has to say about her debut endeavor: “After summoning this world into existence through an imaginative force of will, Danielle has scoured every inch of the landscape several times over. Critics often praise a story’s world building by saying that it feels “lived in.” Well, the world of the Fae certainly seems like that because Danielle herself has happily lived there for years as she worked to put all of this together…My favorite part of this story is that it is gloriously depicted in vibrant images.
The Birth of the Fae | Instagram | Twitter | Spotify Playlist
Cover Reveal Organized By:
Interview with Fantasy Author Azalea Dabill
How has fantasy impacted your experience of the world?
Azalea: It would be easier to say how it hasn’t influenced me.
Great fantasy adventure has been a lifeline, an inspiration, a joy, a teacher, an expander of my world. During illness it has been a comfort and enjoyment when I couldn’t get out. Imaginative stories gave me the gift of adventure, and still do today. Both good and bad speculative fiction inspire me. They inspire me in the sense that the good shows me moral possibilities of great deeds of heart and mind, while the bad has shown me how far off track we can get. It also identifies evils that need to be fought in the spiritual arena, the wide world of ideas, and the sphere we breathe in. Fantasy shows me heart-thrilling new realms, including the inner world of other minds I have not known, places I have not gone, and kingdoms yet to be won.
Why do you think clean fantasy adventure is important to us as human readers?
Azalea: Because moral adventure shows us a picture of admirable action, with a sense of the mystery, beauty, and courage we need to live well. It gives us a picture of goodness, not alone, or always unstained, but goodness as it opposes evil. It helps us sort out ourselves, and where we fit in life in the universe. We learn by inner experience what it means to be inhuman and to be human.
In what ways are great fantasy and imaginative fiction vital to our future?
Azalea: The moment we cease to imagine, an exercise in possibility and a kind of creation, we begin to die, in spirit if nothing else. And it is also vital for us to create good things, to think of virtue, to be a witness of its thriving existence. If we imagine evil things and live in them, we misuse our gift of sub-creation. We are not here to make the world worse, but to encourage, help, and inspire every person in the great race of life.
What do you like to write?
Azalea: So far I’ve written YA medieval fantasy set in Britannia and Araby. I’m on the last book of the series. My next planned books are fantasy adventures set in other worlds. All of them, from kings and princesses to dragons are caught in a state of dire flux, seeking to save themselves and others from destruction, of course. An adventure is no good without conflict! I also prefer conflict on more than one level, so my books tend to be character driven tales of beauty and danger.
Current Work in Progress: the third and last book of the Falcon Chronicle, a YA medieval fantasy. Title: Falcon Dagger.
The first two books, Chronicle I: Falcon Heart and Chronicle II: Falcon Flight, and a companion novella Lance and Quill are available on Amazon.
Bio:
I grew up in the California hills with four siblings, building forts in the oaks.
The fuzzy-sweet scent of acorns and moss rounded the strong, delicate perfume of lupine and golden poppies under the summer sun. We didn't have TV in the evenings but listened to the night-song of crickets and dreamed of our day's adventures. We hunted ground squirrels with our home-made bows - but never got any, rode our Red-flyer wagon down our mountain, and roamed far and wide.
I learned to read early and entertained my brothers and sisters with many stories I read aloud.
Words hold so much power. They loved Narnia, The Young Trailers, and extraordinary fantasy. Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword enthralled me. I have never found enough imaginative adventure with threads of beauty, mystery, and wonder. Now I enjoy family, old bookstores, and hiking the wild.
Books: Falcon Heart, Falcon Flight, and Fantastic Journey
Or see my website: www.azaleadabill.com and sign up for reading adventure
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/azalea.dabill
Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzaleaDabill
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/azaleadabill
Join me on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10067218-azalea-dabill
Or email me at: fantasticjourney.dynamospress@gmail.com
Book Spotlight: Fractured Lives by Russ Colchamiro
Welcome to the tour for another exciting Angela Hardwicke Sci-fi Mystery! This one is called Fractured Lives.
Read on for more details!
Fractured Lives (A Angela Hardwicke Sci-Fi Mystery)
Genre: Sci-Fi Mystery
Publication Date: August 29th, 2021
In the cosmic realm of Eternity, there’s only one private eye to hire when your world gets turned inside out—Angela Hardwicke.
Darla Fyne, a college freshman and galaxy design savant, is suffering from a nervous breakdown—or is she the victim of an urban legend known as the Scarlet Raj?
As Hardwicke follows the intersecting worlds of art galleries, college dorms, and a semi-secret clan that patches up tears in the Universe, her investigation will either uncover a hoax gone wrong or a plot that could shift the balance of power across the entire realm. If only she can fight through her own paranoia to tell the difference.
In Russ Colchamiro’s new Sci-Fi mystery Fractured Lives, Angela Hardwicke is confronted by a PI’s worst nightmare—dark secrets from her past that will irrevocably change her future.
“Colchamiro’s heroine is a blunt, wry gumshoe battling her own demons.” —James McCrone, author of Emergency Powers
“I didn’t think Russ Colchamiro could surpass his previous novel. Fractured Lives proved me wrong. It takes readers into the workings of the universe and shows them the workings of the soul.”
—John L. French, author of the Bianca Jones series.
Add to Goodreads
Excerpt
I reach inside my jacket, hand on the grip of my weapon. I don’t want to use it. I don’t want to need it. I want this to be nothing more than another awkward, misconstrued moment in an awkward, misconstrued career taking on awkward, misconstrued cases.
I want to be free of danger. I want to stop putting myself in danger. I want to come home every night and hug my son. I want him to hug me back. I want to let go of the demons that haunt me, the past that defines me, and a future that frightens me.
I want to sleep at night.
I want to wake up in the morning believing my life doesn’t have to be one mystery after another, one dark path leading down a darker alley of a bitter, lonely labyrinth that inevitably reveals someone’s pain. Their ugly secrets.
But most of all, I want to be Angela Hardwicke.
Not Angela Hardwicke, Private Investigator. Just Angela
Hardwicke. Me. Whoever that is, and whatever that means. Which is all well and good, but if I don’t get myself out of this particularly awkward, misconstrued moment, I might not have the chance to find out.
Available on Amazon!
About the Author
Russ Colchamiro is the author of the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the zany SF/F backpacking comedy series Finders Keepers: The Definitive Edition, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, and is editor of the SF anthology Love, Murder & Mayhem, all with Crazy 8 Press.
Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, two ninjas, and crazy dog Simon, who may in fact be an alien himself. Russ has also contributed to several other anthologies, including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, Altered States of the Union, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, They Keep Killing Glenn, Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Camelot 13, and Brave New Girls.
He is now working on the first novel in a new series featuring his hardboiled private eye Angela Hardwicke, and the first of three collaborative novella projects.
Russ Colchamiro| Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Book Tour Schedule
October 18th
Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com
Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com
Bunny’s Book Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/
October 19th
Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com
PoptheButterfly (Spotlight) https://popthebutterfly.wordpress.com
A Very Original Username (Review) https://averyoriginalusername.wordpress.com/
October 20th
I Smell Sheep (Spotlight) http://www.ismellsheep.com/
Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com
October 21st
Auto.erraticism (Spotlight) https://www.autoerraticism.com/
Sadie’s Spotlights (Spotlight) http://sadiesspotlight.com/
Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/
October 22nd
B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com
Lunarian Press (Spotlight) https://www.lunarianpress.com/
Stine Writing (Spotlight) https://christinebialczak.com/
The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com
Book Tour Organized By:
FanExpo 2021! Cosplay, Books, and Fun!
So one of the things I’ve missed since the start of the Covid pandemic is Comic Cons. The year before Covid hit, 2019, my friend Sarah Mensinga and I did our first con—Fan Expo Dallas 2019. We got a table where we sold our books and Sarah sold prints, and it was a great time. I only had one book available at the time, Sapience, and while I didn’t sell a huge amount of books, I made enough to cover my half of the table, which was good. I also met tons of people and saw some amazing cosplay.
After that, I got to do one more small con (Arlingcon, at the Arlington library). Sarah and I rented a table for Fan Expo 2020. Which was supposed to happen in March of 2020. And then the whole country shut down.
It’s funny, because I remember hearing rumblings about Covid even back in December 2019. By February it seemed like things were getting worse, but then it felt like it sort of exploded. In the end, Fan Expo 2020 was cancelled, but we decided to keep our table for the next time the con came back. Which it did for the first time September 17-20, 2021. And once again, we were there with our books. This time, I had Saints and Curses as well as Sapience.
Me and Sarah at Fan Expo 2021!
It was very exciting to be back after all that time. I honestly had no idea what to expect. I halfway expected that no one would be there except for a couple of vendors. I was amazed to see the huge crowds of people arriving at the con (masks were required and I’m vaccinated, so I felt reasonably safe from Covid). And just like 2019, there were tons of brilliant cosplayers. Since there were so many, I decided to post some of pictures in galleries. Check them out! I love great cosplay—it looks so fun and brilliant.
BTW, Sarah and I are also going to another fair in December, the Grapevine Library Christmas Market. I’ll post more about it as we get closer, but it’s going to be December 4-5, 2021.
Day 2—Sarah and I spread out because the table next to us was unoccupied.
Book Spotlight: Dog Park by Kathryn Kazoleas
How cute is this book! Read on for more info about Dog Park by Kathryn Kazoleas!
Dog Park
Publication Date: May 30th, 2021
Genre: Middle Grade/ Chapter Book
Gibson the labradoodle is about to begin her first day of training to become a dog park ambassador, something she has been dreaming about her entire life. Dog park ambassadors hold a very high honour within the dog park community and have many important roles to make sure the dog park is a fun and safe place to be. She has so many great ideas and cannot wait to get started.
While Gibson is training alongside lead ambassador and trainer, Meistro the bulldog, things don’t go as planned. Gibson meets challenge after challenge and isn’t allowed to introduce any of her new ideas. Being a dog park ambassador isn’t what she thought it would be so she starts to question whether the role is really for her.
At the end of her very first training shift, and just as she’s about to give up and tell Meistro she isn’t cut out to be a dog park ambassador after all, there’s an emergency at the river. One of the dog park’s new puppies, Clover, has swam too far out and cannot get back to shore. Gibson’s best friend and greatest supporter Stretch the dachshund, convinces her she has to go help. Gibson springs into action, with Stretch at her side and encouraging her the entire time. Gibson saves the day…almost!
Having been swept downstream and far away from the dog park, Gibson is forced to lead the trio back to safety. There’s only one way back and it’s through a dark forest with strange sounds and smells. The sun is starting to go down and everybody is tired and scared. But, Gibson knows she has to get her friends back home, despite what, or who, gets in her way.
Excerpt
Tyler didn’t know it, but today was an important day and one that she had been looking forward to for a very long time. Each week, the regular pack at the dog park delegated a dog park ambassador. It was a job that held a very high honour within the dog park community. Dog park ambassadors were to make sure all the dogs at the park got along, and that all the humans felt welcomed so they would bring their dogs back. As ambassadors, they were to intervene in any disagreements between dogs, explain the rules to the new dogs and puppies, and were to greet the humans to welcome them to the park.
Gibson had been asking to get involved for months now, but the committee always told her they didn’t need any more ambassadors. But finally, her persistence paid off and they agreed to let her start training. Today was her first day.
About the Author
Kathryn is from Alberta, Canada where she lives with her dog Koa and her cat Keeva. In her free time, she can be found playing ball with Koa, enjoying the outdoors, reading or writing.
Kathryn Kazoleas | Twitter | Instagram
Book Blitz Organized By:
