Exciting news.
An illustration of the cover of Jealousy of a Viking is now available as a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle.
Get yours from : https://litmatter.com/products/jealousy-of-a-viking-1000-piece-jigsaw-puzzle
And don’t forget you can get a mug
https://litmatter.com/products/jealousy-of-a-viking-white-coffee-mug
And a poster :
https://litmatter.com/products/jealousy-of-a-viking-poster
Why not pop over and have a look at them?
Today, I am honoured to be a part of Diana Wallace Peach’s blog tour. She is stopping by to tell us about the book she has recently released. It’s called The Necromancer’s Daughter, but I’ll let Diana tell you about it.
Take a seat and help yourself to a biscuit while I pour you some coffee.
Now you’re comfortable, I’ll hand you over to Diana.
Thanks for having me over to your blog, Viv. I’m delighted to share a thought or two about The Necromancer’s Daughter, and in this case, the challenges of crafting “good” characters.
My latest book has a couple of virtuous characters, different from my usual mixed bag of flawed souls. I think characters with flaws, inner conflicts, and ambivalence are easier to write because they’re inherently more interesting and often more active as they go around messing things up.
So, what did I do for my characters who aren’t emotionally compromised or moral wrecks?
Barus, my necromancer who starts off the book, is one of the sweetest people around. He’s led by his heart, and though that gets him into some dicey situations, his main challenge is simply to stay alive.
Fortunately for this writer, he fades into the background early on when Aster, the necromancer’s daughter, takes the forefront. She’s more of a challenge since she has to carry the story to the end.
She’s also “good,” and in her case, it’s that quality that creates danger for her and ambivalence for other characters. Her sweet nature gets her into trouble more than it saves her.
One way to make life miserable for our nice characters like Aster is to give them lose-lose choices. (Writers are ruthless, aren’t we?) And that’s exactly what I do to my poor heroine. She is constantly having to choose between two bad options, and that creates a lot of inner turmoil while also testing her convictions. By the end, she just might discover that there are worse choices than death.
Something about the story
A healer and dabbler in the dark arts of life and death, Barus is as gnarled as an ancient tree. Forgotten in the chaos of the dying queen’s chamber, he spirits away her stillborn infant, and in a hovel at the meadow’s edge, he breathes life into the wisp of a child. He names her Aster for the lea’s white flowers. Raised as his daughter, she learns to heal death.
Then the day arrives when the widowed king, his own life nearing its end, defies the Red Order’s warning. He summons the necromancer’s daughter, his only heir, and for his boldness, he falls to an assassin’s blade.
While Barus hides from the Order’s soldiers, Aster leads their masters beyond the wall into the Forest of Silvern Cats, a land of dragons and barbarian tribes. She seeks her mother’s people, the powerful rulers of Blackrock, uncertain whether she will find sanctuary or face a gallows’ noose.
Unprepared for a world rife with danger, a world divided by those who practice magic and those who hunt them, she must choose whether to trust the one man offering her aid, the one man most likely to betray her—her enemy’s son.
A healer with the talent to unravel death, a child reborn, a father lusting for vengeance, and a son torn between justice, faith, and love. Caught in a chase spanning kingdoms, each must decide the nature of good and evil, the lengths they will go to survive, and what they are willing to lose.
OVERVIEW:
This book is a definite page turner. I loved it all the way through and although I couldn’t put it down, I definitely didn’t want to get to the end.
The cover is beautiful.
CHARACTERS
Fantastic characters. D. Wallace Peach has brought us amazing people. They seem real as they have failings as well as good points. They struggle with knowing what is right and wrong amid conflicting views.
Aster has the ability to resurrect the dead. Is it evil to do so? She does not think so. Some think the Blessed One alone should have this right of who lives and who dies, and to go against her wishes is evil. But can Aster stand by and allow a death she could prevent? If the Blessed One did not want the dead person to be revived, surely she would not allow it?
Facing danger in the Forest of Silver Cats, Jorah questions his whole life. He has promised to help Aster get to Blackrock, against everything he has been taught to believe—that necromancy is evil and necromancers should be put to death. He is conflicted as to why he agreed to do so. His concerns trouble him throughout the book.
<p>Teko is a simple man. One whom the ‘civilised’ people consider to be a barbarian, but he is a loyal protector of Aster.
Finally, there is Barus. He is a man with a crooked spine. A truly good person. He resurrected Aster after she was stillborn and brought her up as his own daughter. He is a wonderful man whom I find difficult to forget. </p>
WRITING
The writing is amazing. This is one of the few books I’ve read recently that I have not had to get my metaphorical red pen out to correct errors.
D. Wallace Peach has a wonderful way with words. Her descriptions are beautiful, and I love her metaphores and similes. She takes you into the world of magic, dragons and kingdoms at odds with each other and makes you believe in it.
If you are a fantasy fan, I would recommend you go and buy it now.
Here’s a bit about Diana.
A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
You can buy The Necromancer’s Daughter by clicking here or on the cover of the book.
Hi everyone! I’m back from my holiday now, and I have some exciting news.
Today’s a big day – The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Vol. 2) has just released, and as a Street Team member I get to let everyone know that Angela & Becca have a celebration going on at Writers Helping Writers!
But first – let me share a bit about this new writing guide.
The Conflict Thesaurus is actually a two-book set; the first book, the GOLD EDITION, started a deep dive into CONFLICT, and this new SILVER EDITION continues that exploration, helping writers master this oh-so-important storytelling element.
If you’re new to Writers Helping Writers Thesaurus books, each one is part “how-to,” part brainstorming tool. So, in this silver second edition, writers learn about how conflict powers plot and functions as a golden threat that weaves the inner and outer stories together. It also looks at the different levels of conflict in a story and how conflict can characterize, create great clashes, raise the stakes, up the tension, and pull off a climatic finish that will satisfy readers.
The brainstorming ‘thesaurus” portion looks at 115 Conflict Scenarios that will help you dream up a variety of problems and challenges that can shape your characters into the people they must become to achieve their story goal.
Angela and Becca always host a fun event at their book launch. This year, they have two things to check out:
A book about conflict warrants a FIGHT CLUB type writing contest, don’t you think? So if you want to show off your conflict-writing abilities, come test your skills. You might just win a GREAT prize…and bragging rights, of course!
Also, You Could Win a Digital Bookshelf of Writing Guides
Angela and Becca want you to own some of their favourite writing guides, so follow the link to enter. You might just snag a 5-packs of amazing craft books that will get you one step closer to mastery!
Good luck in the giveaway and writing contest!
Do you have problems with getting ideas of conflicts for your characters? Let us know in the comments.
If you would like to receive an exclusive, free short story by me, called The Haunted Table, simply click the link. This will take you to the page where you can download it.
Maria and Tom have bought an antique table for the old cottage they have bought. When they hear strange noises in the night that sound like crying, they worry their house is haunted, but the sounds seem to come from the table.
They set about trying to find what is causing the disturbances. The answer is stranger than either of them had thought.
(Clicking the link will add your email address to my email list, but don’t worry, you can unsubscribe immediately if you wish. Nor will you get any spam. I only send out an email each quarter, or if I have any exciting news–like a new release.)
Here’s the blurb.
Forced to watch his father’s crucifixion and separated from his mother, orphaned six-year-old Adelbhert’s life forever changes when he is sold into slavery in Britannia.
Years of servitude fill his heart with malice and he resolves to escape, determined to rescue those he loves and deliver retribution to the Romans who wronged him.
But as new allies shed light on old perspectives, Adelbhert begins to question his path. Will he find true freedom, or allow his vengeance to consume him?
Vengeance of a Slave is the first book in the series ‘A Family Through the Ages.’ So far there are 2 books published. The second one is Jealousy of a Viking and follows a descendant of Adelbehrt, from Vengeance. I hope to follow this family through many generations.
The books can be purchased from a variety of booksellers. Just click on the links to go to your favourite.
If you buy and read a copy, I would be grateful if you could post an honest review. Reviews are important to authors as they help readers to find books they might like. It needn’t be long. Just if you liked it or not, and what you liked or disliked about it.
I love hearing your opinions. Please leave a comment in the comments box.
Pettic , having found the gems associated with the worlds of Terra and Aeris, now needs to go to the worlds of Ignis and Aqua in order to find the gems associated with those elements.
These worlds are stranger than he could imagine. He meets with a dying race of dragons and merfolk. The requirements to find the stones means he has to help them overcome their problems. He needs to find a solution to the death of the dragons, and to help find a magical sceptre that is needed if the king of the merfolk is not to waste away.
Once back on his own world, Pettic needs to find a way to get to the mini-plane where his friend, the Crown Prince is imprisoned, rescue him and return before an imposter takes the throne. But the imposter looks just like the prince. How can he convince people which is the real one?
Don’t miss this chance to get the book free. And if you wait, Book 1 will also be free very soon.
Click here or on the book image in the sidebar to go to Amazon where you are.
And don’t forget the release of Vengeance of a Slave is in just 2 weeks. You can pre-order by clicking here. If you then send me a copy of your receipt, I will send you a free preview chapter of the next book in this series, Jealousy of a Viking. Email me at vivienne.sang@gmail.com
Please share this with your friends and followers, and add a comment in the comments box.
There are only 4 weeks left until the big moment.
This is my first venture into historical fiction. I really had an amazing time researching it and found out such a lot about the Romans and the way of life of the Celts who lived here when they invaded.
As a special thank you to all my readers, I am publishing an extract from the book on my blog on Thursday to mark the 4 week point.
You can order the book by clicking here, and it will take you to Amazon where you are. Or you can click on the book in the sidebar.
I have just got an email saying that Vengeance of a Slave is now on pre-order. The release date is 26th December.
You can ensure you get one of the first copies by clicking here.
It is available on Kindle and as a paperback. You can post reviews on the paperback site, but not on the Kindle one until the release day.
All reviews will be gratefully received. They are very important to get an author and his/her books into the public eye. In fact, some sites don’t allow promotion without a review.
This book is my first foray into historical fiction. It took a lot of research and hard work. I hope you enjoy it. Personally, I think it’s my best one to date.
Don’t forget the date DECEMBER 26th.
Forced to watch his father’s crucifixion and separated from his mother, orphaned six-year-old Adelbhert’s life forever changes when he is sold into slavery in Britannia.
Years of servitude fill his heart with malice and he resolves to escape, determined to rescue those he loves and deliver retribution to the Romans who wronged him.
But as new allies shed light on old perspectives, Adelbhert begins to question his path. Will he find true freedom, or allow his vengeance to consume him?
I read about House of 1000 Books excitement over this award, and read the question answers with interest. Then I came to the list of nominees. Imagine my surprise when I saw my name there.
I would like to thank House of 1000 Books for nominating me for this award. It’s a great honour, and I’m so excited. You can visit by clicking the name above. Here you will find many helpful reviews of books you might wish to read.
The rules of this award are:
Thank the person nominating you and link back to their site.
Answer the questions they pose.
Nominate 11 bloggers.
Notify the nominees.
List the rules and display the award logo on your site of post.
So with no further ado, here are my answers to the questions.
Pepsi or Coke?
I don’t usually drink either, but I would go with Coke. (But not the diet kind!)
What type of books do you like to read?
I like Fantasy, Science Fiction or Historical. At least that’s what I usually choose, although I’ve read many from other genres that I enjoyed. I think I stick with those for ease. I can go straight to that genre.
Have you ever bought a book on vacation?
I can’t believe I’ve never done so, but recently I take umpteen books with me on my iPad. I do like a real book, but it’s so convenient to be able to take a large number in something not much bigger than an exercise book.
What would you do instead of blogging on a rainy day?
I would play my piano, or do some cross stitch, crochet or tatting. If it’s near someone’s birthday or Christmas I would make cards. I might also do some painting or drawing or even play a computer game. Sometimes I wish there were more rainy days!
Do you like cats or dogs?
While I acknowledge that cats are attractive creatures, I’m more of a dog person. I have an objection to the effect cats are having on our wildlife. In some places, they are causing the extinction of some other creatures. They are also no respecters of property, and will happily poo in other people’s gardens (never their own).
Would you rather be captured by aliens or kidnapped by Sasquach?
This is a difficult one. I don’t suppose I’m allowed to say ‘Neither’? Thought not. Mmm! I’ll go with the aliens. I think it would be interesting to see inside the spacecraft of another species. Also, we have a vague idea as to what Sasquach look like. We have no idea about aliens.
If you learned one thing about blogging, what would it be?
That it’s not easy? You must make notes of ideas you have for posts, otherwise when you come to write it, you’ll have forgotten. That’s happened to me so many times.
What are your hobbies?
Apart from the things I mentioned above, I enjoy cooking and gardening.
What do you hate most about bloggers?
Nothing, really. The people whom I follow seem to be very nice, intelligent folk.
What do you love most about bloggers?
I love the variety of posts out there in the ether. Bloggers all seem to be friendly and helpful. That’s something I love. There’s a community of bloggers, and that’s good.
What is a place you’d like to visit?
I would like to visit St Petersburg in Russia and see the Hermitage Museum.
Am I allowed to have more than 1? I’d also like to see the Grand Canyon, the Yangtse River Valley in China, Niagara Falls, The Northern Lights…
Here are my nominees:
Bluebird of Bitterness
Clancy Tucker
Charles Yallowitz, Legends of Windemere
K Morris-Poet
Jenanita01
Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo
Little Fears
Alexander ONeill
Viv Drewa-The Owl Lady
Sheila Renee Parker
Nicholas Rossi
And here are my questions.
1. What is the first book you remember either reading or having read to you?
2. Who is your favourite author?
3. What is your favourite book?
4. When did you start blogging?
5. Do you write to music? If so, what music inspires you?
6 Do you have any pets?
7. When you go out to eat, what type of food do you prefer?
8. Do you prefer the city or the country?
9. Would you prefer a holiday buy the sea, in the countryside or in a city?
10. What city would you like to visit?
11. When preparing your blog, do you write to music, if so, what do you prefer to write to?
Announcing the release of Andrew Joyce’s latest work, Mahoney.
via Finally!!!
From now until 20th January, The Never-Dying Man, book 2 in The Wolves of Vimar Series, is FREE. Get your copy before it’s too late. Click here to go to Amazon where you are.
In this book, the friends who call themselves Wolf go to rescue a friend’s kidnapped child and find themselves captauredby the Erian Army and taken to the capital city, Frelli. Here they meet The Master of Erian and discover some disturbing truths. They have to escape in order to deliver their information to the government in Grosmer, but this is not as easy as it sounds, and Carthinal has to face some unpleasant truths about himself.
Dragons Rule OK. V.M.Sang (author) 