I know it’s been a while since I posted anything and I’m sorry if you thought I’d deserted you. In truth I’ve been busy writing a new book and am revising it before it goes to my editor. I’m hoping to get it published before Christmas, but with NaNoWriMo in November, it may be doubtful. I’ll share more about it another time. Anyway, enough about me for now. I’ve read an amazing book and wanted to tell you what I thought.
First off, here is the great cover:
I hope you like it as much as I do! Here’s the blurb:
Deeds done in the heat of battle cast long shadows.
The most famous man in the history of the Temple, retired Commander John Farmer, has left the militia behind. War looms and John must answer the call to serve, but his terrible secret could destroy everything. A broken mage trying to rebuild his shattered life, he must somehow regain his abilities, or everyone and everything he loves will be lost.
John must face the crimes of the past to become the hero he never was.
I don’t know about you, but that really grabs me!
And here is my review:
The Wayward Son, a companion book to the fantastic Forbidden Road, part of the Tower of Bones series, follows the story of John Farmer, the father of our hero in the series, Edwin.
This book fills in some of the gaps from Forbidden Road as John remains in Aeoven while Edwin is fulfilling a task in the dangerous country of Mal Evol.
The characterisation of John is a work of art. Jasperson has crafted him to perfection so you almost feel what he does and go through the ups and downs, the happiness and sadness, the worry and the contentment with him. Having read the Tower of Bones series, I could even see some of John’s traits in his son. The supporting cast were just as realistic, especially Cane and Marya, whose emotions are every bit as powerful as John’s.
I was pleased to see how the plot revolved around John and his life in Neveyah, meeting his friends, and following his career. Of course this is what was expected, but so often companion books tend to bring in too much of the other book and I’m extremely happy Connie didn’t do this. Another good point in this book’s favour is that you see and experience events that were only alluded to in Forbidden Road. I particularly liked how a sub plot concerning one of his friends weaved its way back to John, like a spider constructing a complicated web around him without the reader knowing he was the prey.
The pacing was well timed throughout, never rushed and definitely not slow.
The world of Neveyah was expertly crafted by the author in the Tower of Bones series and she was true to it in this book. However, she does take you to different areas that hadn’t previously been mentioned and, in my opinion it gave the realm even more depth. She describes the surroundings just enough to leave the rest to the reader’s imagination.
This book was a page turner for me, as the previous books in this series have been, and I resented going to sleep as I wanted to continue reading.
The only downside I could find was that I would have liked the story to continue a bit further, up to a particular event in Forbidden Road. This is just my personal choice, but the book did finish at a satisfactory point.
I think this is Connie’s best book to date (and that’s saying something!) and if you haven’t read the Tower of Bones series, you need to get them and this. As epic fantasies go, this series is one of the best I’ve had the pleasure to sink into the world of and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend all the Neveyah books.
Click the title to go straight to Amazon so you can buy this for yourself.
About the author
Connie J Jasperson
Connie J. Jasperson lives in Olympia, Washington. A vegan, she and her husband share five children, a love of good food and great music. She is active in local writing groups, an editor, and is a writing coach. She is an active member of the both the Northwest Independent Writers Association and Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and is a founding member of Myrddin Publishing Group. Music and food dominate her waking moments. When not writing or blogging she can be found with her Kindle, reading avidly.
When I finished writing Heart Search, I had an idea in my head for a fantasy novel. I knew it was going to be different from writing Paranormal Romance, but I’m not sure I was prepared for how different it was.
First I had to start with world building and this is far from simple. As well as deciding what type of structures people inhabit, you’ve also got to take into account the laws of the land, money, terrain, how people make a living, how their food is grown, if there are various social classes and how each related to the other. You have to decide what type of era to set it in, for example, do the people live in mud huts or buildings made from wood, stone, bricks etc. This will also help determine what clothing is worn and how people speak. In short, you need to know almost as much about your new world as you do your current one.
The next important step was the magic system people would be using and who would have access to magic. I wanted to try and come up with something unique, something no one else had used before. This was pretty hard considering how many fantasy books are out there and eventually I came up with an idea I thought might be unique.
I also decided to create creatures which were different to the normal ones seen in fantasy. This part was quite fun and I enjoyed it immensely.
Once all this preparation had been carried out and carefully documented, I was then able to begin writing. There were many times I had to refer back to my notes so I was glad I’d got them available.
As much as I enjoyed writing it, I must admit to being a tad nervous as to whether the novel came across as believable and sent it off to my editor, Connie J Jasperson, who also writes fantasy (check out Tower of Bones, Forbidden Road, and Huw the Bard). She loved the story and the main criticism was that I’d invented my own system for time and measurement which she felt the readers would get frustrated with, so I had to abandon it. However, the fact she liked the story made me feel really good about it and it’s given me the confidence to attempt another fantasy novel, which I’ve already started the background work on, like the world building.
So what’s this new novel? It’s called Of Ice & Air and here’s the blurb:
On her 21st birthday, Princess Kailani’s father tells her that when she was a baby, her mother was abducted. She also learns she has family in another world.
Defying her father, she travels from her Cloud Castle home to the ice kingdom of Idenvarlis where Kailani’s instincts drive her to find the mother she doesn’t remember.
Gifted with the magic of two worlds, and skilled in the use of weapons, she journeys into unknown and dangerous territory. Despite her determination to rescue her mother, she’s forced to overcome new fears and find a way to cope with all she encounters.
However, a person of authority will stop at nothing to prevent either of them returning.
Kailani faces isolation, wild beasts, rogue soldiers, and more as she battles to return to the Ice Palace. With the stakes so high, can she make it back alive?
And here is the cover:
So, what do you think of it?
I’m hoping to release the book before the end of this month so keep your eyes peeled on here for the details and an exclusive excerpt.
As you saw a couple of days ago, I revealed the cover and book trailer for Mountains of the Moon by Connie J Jasperson (in case you missed it, click here). Well, I’m really excited to announce that today is the official launch day and as I was lucky enough to see the manuscript prior to it being available for sale, I decided to write a book review for you.
First though, let’s just have a reminder of the blurb:
Charged by the goddess Aeos, Wynn and his companions bicker and bumble their way through the Mountains of the Moon. Danger, mystery, and dark prophecies chase them through a gauntlet of jagged peaks and deadly traps.
Can they survive the dark secret hidden in Tauron’s crumbling castle before his minotaurs overrun Neveyah?
The Gods are at war, and Neveyah is the battlefield.
And now, here are my thoughts on it.
Book Review – Mountains of the Moon by Connie J Jasperson
Having read Tower of Bones and Forbidden Road, I was thrilled when I discovered Connie was writing a story set two generations previous.
Wynn Farmer, the grandfather of Edwin (the main character in Tower of Bones), finds himself in what is, for him, unknown territory. He’s met by a mage who takes him to Aeoven, the main city in Neveyah, where he falls in love, marries, then finds out he needs to go on a quest with three others to stop a rogue mage from committing any further dastardly deeds.
I won’t say any more about the intricacies of the plot as I hate reading spoilers in reviews. However, I will discuss it in general terms.
The story begins slowly and gathers momentum as you continue through the pages, reaching an amazing climax just before the end – a bit like good sex really. But all innuendo aside, it has to be that way as the four questers train for a task that will test them to their limits. As the story unfolds, the main character grows into his skin, learning to control his magic along the way. Events affect all the companions prior to leaving for the quest which adds nicely to the story.
Once the quest begins and the four mages are on the outskirts of their destination, having had to deal with various strange creatures on route, the author turns up the heat. She twists and turns the fates of the four in ways which are totally unexpected. I’m not going to reveal whether they all make it out alive or uninjured – you’ll have to read the book for that – but suffice to say, the ending was momentous and satisfying.
Connie crafts her characters in totally relatable ways. None of them are without faults and some are more lovable than others, but all of the main cast are definitely memorable. The dialogue is as realistic as the characters. They have their strengths and weaknesses, fears, loves, and insecurities, just like you or I. My favourite character was Wynn, closely followed by Devyn D’Mal. Those of you who have read Tower of Bones will undoubtedly recognise that surname! Her ‘baddies’ are deliciously heinous, but are also realistic. They have aspirations to climb the proverbial ladder to success, which in their case is being rewarded by Tauron, the Bull God, but they also have their self-doubts, relationships, and varying degrees of arrogance and subservience.
Jasperson is one of the few writers on my bookshelf who can successfully build a world which is so exquisitely detailed, that it seems too real not to be fictional. She doesn’t go overboard with description, but gives just enough for the reader to fill in the gaps, yet does it in such a way that you don’t realise it. She knows the world she’s created as well as her own home town and it shows in her writing; there’s a confidence which runs through the writing as she talks about various places, which is a rare thing to find.
Overall, this book is well-written, gripping in all the right places, and a damn good story. I won’t hesitate to recommend this to fantasy fans, especially those who love epic fantasy, as I know for a fact there are more books being written in this whole series. And I, for one, can’t wait to get my hands on them!
Connie J. Jasperson lives in Olympia, Washington. A vegan, she and her husband share five children, a love of good food and great music. She is active in local writing groups, an editor for Myrddin Publishing Group, and is a writing coach. She is an active member of the both the Northwest Independent Writers Association and Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and is a founding member of Myrddin Publishing Group. Music and food dominate her waking moments. When not writing or blogging she can be found with her Kindle, reading avidly. You can find her blogging on her writing life at: http://conniejjasperson.wordpress.com
Connie J. Jasperson’s body of work includes:
WORLD OF NEVEYAH series by Connie J. Jasperson
Mountains of the Moon – Danger, mystery, and dark prophecies, lie deep in a gauntlet of jagged peaks and deadly traps. Can Wynn survive the dark secret hidden in Tauron’s stolen castle before the Bull God’s minotaurs overrun Neveyah?
TOWER OF BONES, series based in the World of Neveyah
The gods are at war, and Neveyah is the battlefield.
This epic fantasy series opens with Tower of Bones, and follows Edwin Farmer as he journeys deep into the lands claimed by the dreaded Bull God, in an attempt to rescue a girl he has only met in his dreams.
Forbidden Road takes up Edwin’s story six years later. When four mages are sent into the shadowed lands claimed by the mad priest of the Bull God, who will return unscathed? Sorrow, peril, and magic await in the Valley of Mal Evol.
OTHER BOOKS BY CONNIE J. JASPERSON
Huw, the Bard, a novel that takes you to the world of Waldeyn, and a medieval alternate reality. Fleeing a burning city, everything he ever loved in ashes behind him, penniless and hunted, Huw the Bard must somehow survive. Available as an ebook and in paper.
Tales From the Dreamtime – a novella consisting of three modern fairy tales told in a traditional style. Available as an ebook, in paper, and as an Audiobook, narrated by the wonderful voice actor, Craig Allen.
One of my most favourite authors, Connie J Jasperson, is about to launch another book in her epic fantasy World of Neveyah and Tower of Bones series. I love the world of Neveyah that she has created for both series; the detail is so exquisitely crafted and written, one could be forgiven for thinking it actually exists. I won’t say too much more about what I think of this book as it’ll spoil the review which I’ll be posting on the day the book launches.
Now, I have to say I think this cover is awesome. It’s so perfect for the book, it’s almost uncanny. So fanfare please……… put your hands together, scream and cheer for the cover of Mountains of the Moon:
Isn’t that fantastic? I absolutely love it!
And now for the all-important blurb:
Charged by the goddess Aeos, Wynn and his companions bicker and bumble their way through the Mountains of the Moon. Danger, mystery, and dark prophecies chase them through a gauntlet of jagged peaks and deadly traps.
Can they survive the dark secret hidden in Tauron’s crumbling castle before his minotaurs overrun Neveyah?
The Gods are at war, and Neveyah is the battlefield.
Sounds intriguing, eh? Now check out the book trailer:
Pretty cool, wouldn’t you agree? I’ve been lucky enough to score an excerpt from Connie from this awesome book to share with you all, so here it is:
The two prisoners heard heavy footsteps approaching, sounds that seemed to echo down a long passageway and stopped outside the door. A tired sounding voice said, “Well, your lordship. Did you feed them and give them water?”
“Of course I did,” replied the baron, in a quavering tenor. “I live, Jenner, but only because I serve. I understand that well.”
“They’re awake then. Those two soldiers of Tauron roughed them up pretty bad. Should I call Grakken to heal them now?”
The old man’s tones were sardonic. “Yes, you should. Your tame minotaurs were far gentler on them than they’ve been on some of the others, which isn’t saying much. At least these two big fellows have enough slack in their chains to be able to feed themselves and piss in a bucket.” His tones were scathing.
“They’d better not have hurt them too badly. These two must be in good health for the ceremony tonight,” muttered the earth-mage. “Grakken is expecting a visit from High Priest Kandek today. The high priest will be pleased to have a real sacrifice to offer up on his new altar tonight instead of the usual miserable rabble.”
“I’m sure ‘the miserable rabble’ would have been glad to hear that if they’d survived your boss’s little frenzy the other day,” replied the old man. “Speaking of which, if we’re done here, I have to go and check on the one that does remain. I’m sure despite the ruckus of the other day, Grakken still has plans for her and wants to keep her alive even though he has these two fine specimens for tonight’s festivities, so….”
“Well, go about your duties then. I’m going to sit here just to keep those freaks from Serende from getting any ideas about using these two for sport. As soon as he’s awake, I’ll let Grakken know they’re here, through our link. He’ll be worried about their safety.”
“He should be worried about those soldiers, Jenner. They’re bored, and there’s nothing worse than a bored minotaur. Just so you’re aware, the woman likely won’t live through the day after their gentle courtship of her. You only have your minotaurs to blame for that. But it’s not my job to worry about the health of his sacrifices, especially since Grakken himself seems to be so careless with them.”
Well, if this doesn’t whet your appetite, I’ll be very surprised!
To contact Connie. find out more about her fabulous books, and to get to know her better, here are her links:
If you’re a newbie writer, you would be well-advised to visit Connie’s Author Blog. It’s chock full of extremely helpful and useful information!
In the meantime, here’s the lovely lady herself and more…
Connie J. Jasperson lives in Olympia, Washington. A vegan, she and her husband share five children, a love of good food and great music. She is active in local writing groups, an editor for Myrddin Publishing Group, and is a writing coach. She is an active member of the both the Northwest Independent Writers Association and Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and is a founding member of Myrddin Publishing Group. Music and food dominate her waking moments. When not writing or blogging she can be found with her Kindle, reading avidly. You can find her blogging on her writing life at: http://conniejjasperson.wordpress.com
Connie J. Jasperson’s body of work includes:
WORLD OF NEVEYAH series by Connie J. Jasperson
Mountains of the Moon – Danger, mystery, and dark prophecies, lie deep in a gauntlet of jagged peaks and deadly traps. Can Wynn survive the dark secret hidden in Tauron’s stolen castle before the Bull God’s minotaurs overrun Neveyah?
TOWER OF BONES, series based in the World of Neveyah
The gods are at war, and Neveyah is the battlefield.
This epic fantasy series opens with Tower of Bones, and follows Edwin Farmer as he journeys deep into the lands claimed by the dreaded Bull God, in an attempt to rescue a girl he has only met in his dreams.
Forbidden Road takes up Edwin’s story six years later. When four mages are sent into the shadowed lands claimed by the mad priest of the Bull God, who will return unscathed? Sorrow, peril, and magic await in the Valley of Mal Evol.
OTHER BOOKS BY CONNIE J. JASPERSON
Huw, the Bard, a novel that takes you to the world of Waldeyn, and a medieval alternate reality. Fleeing a burning city, everything he ever loved in ashes behind him, penniless and hunted, Huw the Bard must somehow survive. Available as an ebook and in paper.
Tales From the Dreamtime – a novella consisting of three modern fairy tales told in a traditional style. Available as an ebook, in paper, and as an Audiobook, narrated by the wonderful voice actor, Craig Allen.
Check back soon for launch details and my review of Mountain of the Moon.
Every now and then, a fantasy book comes along that’s really different and unique. As a principle editor at Eagle Eye Editors, I’ve had the pleasure of being involved with the editing of this novel, but I’m not allowing this to colour my judgement. If it wasn’t truly special, I wouldn’t be bringing it to your attention.
Huw the Bard, the first in the ‘A Tale of Billy’s Revenge’ trilogy, is being launched in a few days and I’m so pleased to be able to share this cover reveal with you. It’s a lovely piece of artwork – so eye-catching. So without further ado. Fanfare please . . .
Check out this blurb:
Huw Owyn is the last true bard in Waldeyn.
Fleeing a burning city,
Everything he ever loved in ashes behind him,
Penniless and hunted, no place is safe.
Abandoned and alone, eighteen-year old Huw the Bard must somehow survive
It’s two-hundred leagues to safety,
And then two-hundred more.
A lot can happen to a man on a journey like that.
Piqued your interest yet? On the launch day of this medieval fantasy, I’ll be featuring an exclusive excerpt so check back in about three days. Believe me, you won’t want to miss it!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Connie J Jasperson lives and writes in Olympia, Washington. A vegan, she and her husband share five children, eleven grandchildren and a love of good food and great music. She is active in local writing groups, and is the Olympia area municipal liaison for NaNoWriMo. Music and food dominate her waking moments and when not writing or blogging she can be found with her Kindle, reading avidly.
You can find her blogging at: Life in the Realm of Fantasy
Tower of Bones Series – Book I, Tower of Bones takes the reader to the world of Neveyah, where the Gods are at war and one man holds the key to winning that battle. Book II, Forbidden Road is the follow-up, and picks up the story six years after the end of Book I, Tower of Bones.
Tales from the Dreamtime, a novella of new fairytales told in a traditional style, consisting of two short stories and one novella.
Billy’s Revenge Series – Huw, the Bard takes you to the world of Waldeyn, and a medieval alternate reality. Fleeing a burning city, everything he ever loved in ashes behind him, penniless and hunted, Huw the Bard must somehow survive.
Every so often I come across a book that resonates deep in my soul – I’m sure that’s happened to you too! One of those books was Tower of Bones by Connie J Jasperson. Most of you know I love fantasy books more than any other genre and this book certainly didn’t disappoint!
I started getting to know Connie through a mutual friend and was delighted when she asked me to edit book two in the series, Forbidden Road. This was truly a labour of love for me; having enjoyed Tower of Bones so much I read it twice back-to-back, it gave me enormous joy to be able to read and work on the follow up. This has been the most comprehensive editing job I’ve had and it took a while to reach the finish line, but what made it all the more enjoyable was working with a consummate professional who I have come to respect and consider a dear friend.
Tomorrow this fabulous book is being launched and I can honestly say I’m almost as excited as Connie! Of course, being the editor has a few perks, one of which is being able to give you, my wonderful followers, an exclusive cover and trailer reveal PLUS an interview with the lovely lady! I’ve also managed to twist her arm to allow me to share an excerpt from Forbidden Road with you. So without further rambling from me . . . here is the amazing cover, which was designed by Ceri Clark.
Now for the trailer:
Intrigued yet??? Here’s the blurb:
A ray of light shone on Edwin. Of its own volition the sword Leviathan raised itself aloft to the Goddess. A bell tolled deep and clear, ringing through Edwin’s bones, ringing to his heels and resonating to his very soul, sealing him, binding him. Fervently he swore to wield Leviathan in service to the Goddess and Neveyah. He was alive with the sound of the bell. The beauty of it was almost unbearable.
As every fiber of his being resonated, a voice proclaimed “Now begins the quest in earnest. Send now the heroes four to the Shadowed Land. Beware! Beloved, the true task for which you were born begins. The storm rages, the door opens upon the field of battle. In grief recall the Forbidden Road. The Beloved Hero will rise on the day of redemption. Mist and shadows shroud the truth, but the Hero Foretold shall one day set them free.”
Tears coursed down his cheeks and falling to his knees, Edwin’s eyes were blinded by the radiance of the bell’s tolling through his heart, mind and soul. The knowledge he was loved, overwhelming in its intensity, flooded his being.
Thus begins the Quest of a lifetime. Sorrow, peril and magic await in the Valley of Mal Evol.
I’m going to keep you waiting a bit for the excerpt and tease you with the interview – especially as it talks a little more about Forbidden Road!
Me: Hi and welcome, Connie. Congratulations on the launch of Forbidden Road – are you as excited as I am?
CJJ: Yes, it’s been a long time coming and I’m glad the day is finally here.
Me: So am I!! Can you tell us a little about your new book?
CJJ: Forbidden Road takes up six years after the end of Tower of Bones, and continues Edwin’s story. Many changes have occurred and many more loom on the horizon. They are all family men, and they have careers—things that are all affected by this quest. Joining Edwin, Friedr and Christoph on their quest to shield the heart of Neveyah and heal the land is Zan, Christoph’s adopted son.
Me: Do you have a favourite character? If so, who and why?
CJJ: I’m in love with all four of them, especially now they are settled men. They each have their own strengths and that is what makes this series so much fun to write.
Me: I know what you mean – I love all of them too! How many more books are you planning for this series?
CJJ: One more in the Tower of Bones Series, working title is ‘Valley of Sorrows’. There is a prequel in the works currently about 75% done. Once all of these are complete I will begin working on the ‘Hero’ series, of which the final book is outlined.
Me: Ooo, exciting! How did writing Forbidden Road compare with writing Tower of Bones, the first book in the series?
CJJ: Both books fell out of my head faster than I could write them down. With Forbidden Road I had an editor as soon as the first draft was finished (gosh, you may know her!) and that made the whole process so much easier.
Me: I can’t think who you’re referring to, *tries to look innocent*. Are any of the characters based, however loosely, on anyone you know?
CJJ: I doubt it—so far as I know they are based on people I would LIKE to know, and began life as characters for a an old-school computer game that was planned to proceed along the lines of the early Final Fantasy games, and like the modern Aveyond games. That fell through, but I had fallen in love with the story and it became Tower of Bones.
Me: It’s a shame the game fell through, but think what we would have missed if the book had never been written . . . Anyway, what are you working on at the moment?
CJJ: I am working on Mountains of the Moon. This is Edwin’s grandfather’s story and is a bit of a comedy; it’s being written as a stand-alone novel, as Tower of Bones was. I am trying to get that one finished, because John Farmer’s flashbacks in Valley of Sorrows concern events surrounding the fates of several characters from that book. I have the basic story of Valley of Sorrows all done, but in order to flesh it out I need to finish Mountains of the Moon.
Me: I can’t wait to get my hands on these two! I know you’re a big music lover; who are your favourite artists to have playing when you write?
CJJ: In truth, I am obsessed with Ritchie Blackmore in all his incarnations, such as Rainbow and Deep Purple. I love his current band Blackmore’s Night. My other obsession is Robert Plant in all his various incarnations too! But besides Ritchie and Robert, my iPod has everything from Adele to the Zombies in it, and I have seventeen days’ worth of music, which if I began playing it end to end would never repeat itself. My daughter, Meg Clear’s music is very high on my faves list!
Me: I love Meg’s music too! Is there any one author who has influenced your writing?
CJJ: I think the late Anne McCaffrey has had the greatest influence on me, but all the great fantasy and early sci-fi writers are alive and well in my subconscious mind.
Me: What made you pick fantasy as your genre to write?
CJJ: I’ve never been fond of reality, truthfully. I guess that since I live in the real world, I don’t need to vacation here!
Me: I can SO relate to that and what a great way to explain it! What is the most important thing you’ve learned in the last 12 months?
CJJ: You may laugh, but I finally figured out how to make the brushes rotate on my carpet shampooer, and that has helped me immensely! I clean house when I hit the wall on my writing and need to organize my thoughts. I’ve always found cleaning to be conducive to daydreaming, and all my books begin as daydreams. SO—having the shampooer that’s working properly has been awesome for my creative genius!
Me: May laugh? Only a huge amount of side-splitting guffaws echoing around the room right now! That’s certainly not what I was expecting, but I think it’s brilliant. Anything which helps the creative juices to flow is a good thing, right? Okay, a couple of fun ones to finish off . . .
You’re throwing a dinner party and can invite any three people, living, dead or fictional to join you and your guests. Who would they be and why?
CJJ: Roger Zelazney, L.E. Modesitt Jr. and Fritz Lieber. Three great fantasy authors, all of whom have awesome male heroes. Only Modesitt is still alive, and of the three, only his characters are not misogynists. Nevertheless, I would love to hear them discuss the craft of writing from their viewpoints. Can you imagine the dinner conversation?
Me: OMG it would be awesome! Finally, if you could be a fictional character for a day, who would you be and why?
CJJ: I would be Uhura from the original Star Trek, because she got to play with the boys and she could talk to every species they met.
Me: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit me today. I’ve loved having you here! I wish you every success with your wonderful new book!
CJJ: Thank you for inviting me!
Okay, okay, I’ve teased you long enough and can’t hold it back any longer. Here is the EXCLUSIVE excerpt from Forbidden Road, just for you:
“Why does the land change so radically here?” Zan finally asked Edwin. “This is the worst road I’ve ever seen!”
“Tauron’s poison is nearly at the door,” replied Edwin, wondering what was bothering Zan. “It’s a mere fifty leagues away from the gap now. I thought you understood. We’ll be in Tauron’s Mal Evol in three days.”
“I knew it on one level, but I guess I didn’t understand what it meant,” replied Zan, feeling temporarily dismayed by the grim reality of the landscape. “I guess I was thinking of the adventure, not the reality. I was thinking it’d be like Aelfrid Firesword, all fun and adventure, with no worry.”
“Actually, Aelfrid Firesword’s life must’ve been terribly difficult,” said Edwin, walking next to Zan. “Think about it. He was forced to kill his closest friend who’d become a rogue mage and gone over to Tauron. Can you imagine how you’d feel if, say, I went over to Tauron? How would you protect the people of Neveyah from me? What would you do?”
“I never thought about that aspect of the story,” Zan admitted. “Making those sorts of decisions, having to kill someone you love in order to protect others you love, I can’t imagine what that was like for Aelfrid.” He sighed. “But I’d do it, if I was forced to. I think it’d kill me, though.”
“I know.” Edwin clasped Zan’s shoulder. “Daryk was the most famous of the Dark-Mages, but most people don’t know he fought desperately against Tauron’s minions at Aelfrid’s side when the two of them first came into their powers. He worshipped Aeos, and loved Neveyah with all his heart. It never occurred to either Aelfrid or Daryk he would ever fall to Tauron, but there was no Temple, and no vows to protect him from Tauron’s blandishments. There was no college to teach young mages how to use their magic, so they had to learn how to control the build-up of chi and avoid the madness by gaining apprenticeships to older mages. Daryk was lured away from their kind master by a mindbender who was under Tauron’s spell. It was because of Aelfrid’s grief over the loss of the man who’d been closer than a brother, and his struggle to save the other mages still loyal to Aeos that Aeoven and the Temple exist today. Without Aelfrid we wouldn’t have the augmentations allowing us access to greater chi reserves, nor would we bind ourselves to the Goddess with the vows. It must’ve been a terribly hard time to live through.”
“I see what you mean,” admitted Zan. “As a kid I read all the stories, and just thought it was all good against evil, romance and happy endings. But maybe it’s just the way the bards tell it.”
Edwin laughed. “It wouldn’t be a good story if it was all dirt, bug bites and poor sanitary conditions now, would it?”
Forbidden Road will be available on Kindle from Amazon tomorrow (on both sides of the pond), with the paperback following soon.
Connie J Jasperson lives and writes in Olympia, Washington. Somewhat like the ‘Brady Bunch’, she and her husband share five children, eleven grandchildren and a love of good food and great music.
Tower of Bones Series – Planned for release in February 2013 is the second book in the series, Forbidden Road, the sequel to the best-selling epic-fantasy, Tower of Bones.
Billy’s Revenge Series – Book 1 The Last Good Knight is a medieval fantasy. Book 2, Huw, the Bard is planned for release in 2013.
A collection of fairy tales and short-stories, Tales from the Dreamtime is also scheduled to be released in 2013.
Carlie M A Cullen 