Category Archives: blog

Meet Joshua Robertson, Dark Fantasy Author

February 26, 2017 Lilycat Leave a comment

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, I have three short interviews with writers included in the current Speculative Fiction Giveaway to share with you. I think you’ll find them interesting as your learn a little more about the writers and the thoughts behind the books.

I’m starting off with Joshua Robertson. He hails from Kingman, Kansas and graduated from Wichita State University where he received his Masters in Social Work with minors in Psychology and Sociology. He is the CEO of Crimson Edge Press, the Goblin King from the Goblin Horde on YouTube, and a bestselling author in dark fantasy.

LW: You’ve got quite a few books and some short stories out. Tell us about them.

JR: I have written several things over the past several years, but I am most well known for the Thrice Nine Legends Saga. The saga consists of short stories, standalone novels, and trilogies in the fantastical world of Aenar, and the books will continue to grow in the future. Currently, readers can find several short stories on Amazon, including Strong Armed, When Blood Falls, and The Name of Death. The Name of Death has been on the short reads bestseller list for Science Fiction & Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, and Literature and Fiction for almost two months, frequently holding the number one spot.

Anaerfell is the first book in The Blood of Dragons series, and is typically the book I will direct readers to read before delving into the other stories. The Kaelandur Series chronologically takes place after Anaerfell, but readers may choose to start with the bestselling novel, Melkorka, too.

Melkorka, Dyndaer, and Maharia (Coming March 2017) are the three novels that make up The Kaelandur Series, telling the tale of a slave trying to save the Ash Tree by keeping a cursed dagger from demonic hands.

LW: That’s a very exciting body of work so far with stories that sound intriguing. You say they are dark fantasy. What can the reader expect from your novels?

JR: I often get asked why I categorize my books as dark fantasy instead of epic fantasy or high fantasy. Truth be told, you could use any of these genres interchangeably. Yet I would warn readers that my books do tend to lean toward some harsher, grittier scenes. Some have compared my themes to J.R.R. Tolkien but my tone to George R.R. Martin. My books are character-centered, eliminating the voice of an omniscient narrator. Readers should expect pained realities, strong moral lessons, epic wars, and theological undertones to keep them thinking when the last page has been turned.

LW: Some clever authors hide little bits in their books that their fans enjoy finding. Do you hide any secrets in your books that the more knowledgeable may find?

JR: I do like to trail little crumbs throughout my books to hint at larger truths, and then I sit back and wait for my e-mail box to overflow with fans guessing at what’s what. And then the next book is released, and I either receive exuberant, “I told you so’s”, or I get the flummoxed, “You clever bastard”. Melkorka was written so readers would receive one message, and after reading the sequel, Dyndaer, would find a second meaning in the tale, giving cause for a second reading. Maharia will toss them through another loop altogether. My intent is to write stories that readers would enjoy reading time and time again.

LW: I believe that writing is a continual learning process and writers grow with each piece they do. A first book is a milestone, so how did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

I learned how to write smarter. Melkorka took me over a year to edit, even though I wrote the story in less than 30 days. My overuse of adverbs, adjectives, passive sentences, etc. could have broken any writer from ever laying pen to paper again. The manuscript had the pieces of a great story, but I felt like Dr. Frankenstein trying to reanimate the dead when attempting to give the book some life. Even today, I will find areas in the first novel where I think I could word something better, or change syntax, or give more description. Since that time, I have taken advice of those more successful than me; I have learned to successfully write and edit simultaneously. This takes some restraint and balance, but if you correct the little things, like passivity, while writing, you can write a much cleaner first draft.

LW: As a writer, I believe we are all inspired by the authors we prefer to read. Who are your favorite authors and why do you enjoy them?

I have a long list of authors I particularly enjoy, and most are the typical greats of fantasy literature. I like J.R.R. Tolkien for his themes and his world-building. I appreciate George R.R. Martin for his expression of realism in fantasy fiction. I admire R.A. Salvatore for his humanness, morals, and flow of story. I have long been a fan of Robert Jordan for his ability to paint a scene and strategically incorporate symbolism into the duality of his series. In modern times, I find several up and coming fantasy authors who mirror these same skillsets, ever eager to share their own tales.

My thanks to Josh Robertson for this mini-interview. You can find his short storyThe Name of Death in the giveaway. Visit his web site at http://www.robertsonwrites.com/ to learn more.

blog, Book Promotion

Speculative Fiction Giveaway

February 25, 2017 Lilycat Leave a comment

Good day, fellow book readers…

National Read Across America Day is March 6 and the celebration is starting early.

My science fiction adventure novel, O’Ceagan’s Legacy, is part of a big speculative fiction giveaway hosted by author Kimberly Iverson. It is live as of today, so hurry over to pick up some great reads for free. It will vary by author, but most of us are asking for a sign up to our mailing list in order to download. My short story, The Wizard’s Gift is also featured in this giveaway.

I also ask, nay- beg, you to consider writing an honest review of my book if you download and read it. You can post your review on Amazon, Goodreads, Instafreebie, or any other location you prefer. Reviews are very important to a writer. In order to get exposure from sellers, such as Amazon, Apple, or other books sales sites, you need to have reviews. The more positive ones, the better, but I just ask for your honest opinion. Please consider writing one or at least rating the books you read. Thank you.

Follow this link to the giveaway:

In the next few days, I will be posting short interviews with three of the writers participating in this giveaway, including Kim, so look for those.

Don’t waste time. Get to the page above and grab some good reads! Happy reading, my friends.

amused essays, blog, My musings

Winter Weather Woes

January 21, 2017 Lilycat Leave a comment

I know it’s been a while since I posted anything. Like since the middle of November when I was heavily occupied with NaNoWriMo, which I crushed. Then the holidays came along and time skittered away from me like a leaf blowing in these high velocity winds that course through this wind tunnel of a valley between two mountain ranges.

Normally, I roll with whatever the weather might be. Rain, sunshine, snow, wind. It’s a constantly changing thing in this environment. In Reno, Nevada, that would be the Sierra Nevada Mountains, a spectacular spot with gorgeous Lake Tahoe nestled in the middle of them.

Tahoe2_1998 — Lake Tahoe from the shoreline on the Nevada side.

After several years of drought, the lake’s level had dropped quite a bit and water conservation became the big issue in both California and Nevada.

Well, January 2017 set out to change all that. In the first one-third of the month, more rain and snow fell on the Sierras, and in both states, than we had seen in many years. In fact, January 2017 is on record for the most moisture in the past 108 years. The area has seen more rainy days than sunny ones since the end of December. This much wet often gives me reason to rejoice because I like rain.

However, when it begins to flood and I need to get my Himalayan-mix cat to the veterinarian for a tooth cleaning and to check for something hurting him, it turns into a problem. Twice this month, I’ve scheduled Milo’s appointment, only to cancel it because I couldn’t get out to get him to the vet that’s only a few miles up the road.

Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? Here’s the problem. Where I live is off a low-lying road near the base of the Virginia City (Yes, the Bonanza one) foothills where water runs downhill and into shallow ditches. With the heavy flow of water coming down the canyons and running through the inadequate channels, the road flooded. Then when it got colder and snowed, an ice layer formed under the snow and it became difficult to drive.

snow_2017 — 1st snow at the beginning of January, 2017. Doesn’t look that bad, does it? Until you try to drive.

Now, add to the problem a small pickup truck with only rear-wheel drive and nothing of significance to weigh it down in the bed. Honey, all it takes a thin bar of ice and the truck is stuck. A sheet of ice means I am not going anywhere. Again, not that much of an issue since I don’t often have to venture out. Except I have this darn appointment that requires the cat deposited at the office between seven-thirty and eight in the morning.

Now, I have a third appointment for Monday morning.

dragon 2017 — My frozen dragon sentinel in the front yard.

Sure enough, the forecast is for at least six inches of snow on the valley floor. Sigh. Gut feeling is I may have to cancel another one. Maybe next month…

Still in all, I prefer this weather to the ice storms and deep snow that so many of you are dealing with this January of 2017. Wouldn’t even want to be in the towns surrounding Tahoe these past few weeks. Too much snow for this desert-raised girl.

In other news, I am currently working on the edits for a YA urban fantasy trilogy and it is coming along. I have two other novels to edit and have started work on the next Funeral Singer novel. One of the edits is in the O’Ceagan Saga universe, so hope to have that one this year also.

If you haven’t checked it out, I have a free short story at Instafreebie.com called The Wizard’s Gift. All you have to do to download it is add your email to my mailing list at Instafreebie. I don’t send out spam or frequent emails, so it’s relatively painless. And you might win a free $25 Amazon gift card in my quarterly drawing.

In good-reading terms, my fellow Reno writer, Heather Petty, has a new Lock and Mori book out, Mind Games. It’s an alt-universe young Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty adventure with a twist. The first book was a fun read, so I’m looking forward to this new one.

The fabulous YA urban fantasy author Annette Marie also has a new book out in her Red Winter Trilogy. If you haven’t read her books, why not? She is a wonderful storyteller. One of my favorite writers. If you have Kindle Unlimited,, you can read her books for free. And start with Chase the Dark in her Steel & Stone series. That was the one that hooked me.

You might notice that the link’s at Amazon take you to Amazon Smile, which is currently set up to donate to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Amazon Smile gives a portion of the money you spend at Amazon to the charity you chose. St. Jude’s happens to be mine, but you can select your own.

Happy 2017

blog, Meet the Authors

Like Steampunk or Post Apocalyptic Romance Novels?

November 22, 2016 Lilycat Leave a comment

… Have I got an author for you to check out!

I have been wanting to start doing author reviews and features here at the Loft, so the Ninja Writers Science Fiction and Fantasy promotion is the perfect time to launch it. As I mentioned before, this is an epic opportunity for you to pick up FREE books to reads by talented authors that you might not have read yet. You can visit the promotion here.

On Sunday, I introduced you to J.R. Bournville and today, I’m pleased to interview Steampunk and paranormal author, Bec McMaster.

Bec is a member of RWA, who writes sexy, dark paranormal, and adventurous steampunk romances. Like many of us, she says she grew up with her nose in a book. Following a life-long love affair with fantasy, she discovered romance novels as a 16 year-old, and naturally combined the two in her own stories.

Bec lives in a small country town in Victoria, Australia, with a Staffordshire terrier named Kobe, who has perfected her own Puss-in-boots sad eyes–especially when bacon is involved; and demanding chickens, Siggy and Lagertha. It’s possible she has a minor obsession with Vikings, and The Originals.

For the NWSFF giveaway, Bec is offering Nobody’s Hero, the first book of her The Burned Land series. Doesn’t that cover make you eager to meet Riley Kincaid and that handsome hunk she’s got clutched? I just started reading this book and I can say that it has a tense, intriguing beginning and I can’t wait to read more. Oh, for more free time in my day! Speaking of free, did I mention you can read this book for FREE?

Loft: Thanks for dropping in. Tell us a little about the books you write.
Bec: I write a few series at the moment, all of them action-adventure paranormal romance to some degree.

The first is my London Steampunk: The Blue Blood Conspiracy series, which is a company of spies in a steampunk Victorian London, trying to discover who is behind a dangerous anarchist group. Think thrilling rooftop chases, dirigible flights, sexy corsets—and roguish heroes.

The second is my Dark Arts trilogy, featuring three cursed brothers in a Victorian occult society, who have to work together to break the curse. It’s all demons, determined young ladies who can kick-bustle, and sorcery.

And the third is The Burned Lands, my gritty post-apocalyptic romance series, in which three monsters have to overcome impossible odds to save themselves—and the heroines who are determined to love them. Basically Mad Max meets shifter romance.

Loft: I can’t wait to read the Steampunk. It’s such a charming genre. Your books are fun, romantic, and imaginative. What provides the inspiration for them?
Bec: Everything and anything I see or read. I have to give a huge amount of credit to ’80’s fantasy movies though. My Dad is a total geek, and so I spent my childhood watching movies with him, like Ladyhawke, Labyrinth, The Princess Bride, The Lost Boys, Star Wars etc… I think that’s definitely where my love of stories with a fantasy or SF edge came about, which flavors my novels today.

Loft: I’m right along with you on that selection of films. Some of your books are paranormal, like the Dark Arts series. I’d like to know what your favorite paranormal creature is and what about it intrigues you.
Bec: I don’t know that I have a particular favorite (dragons, maybe?), but in my books, there’s always a dark edge to my paranormal creatures. I love exploring the monster side of popular tropes like vampires or werewolves—it’s the ultimate Beauty and the Beast theme.

Loft: Definitely! Creatures with a dark side that can be turned a little always have an exciting edge. If you could go back in time and advise your younger writing self, what would you say?
Bec: Be patient. All those years of writing and not selling are going to improve your craft, so when the time comes you’re ready.

Loft: Good advice for anyone. If you didn’t write, what would you be doing to pay the bills?
Bec: Travel agent! The year before my first novel sold, I was studying to get my Tourism diploma. I’m obsessed with all things travel, though writing is my one true love.

Loft: Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions.

To find out more about Bec, please visit her website at http://www.becmcmaster.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @BecMcMaster or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BecMcMaster. Be sure to check out the NWSFF Giveaway this week and download your own FREE copy of Nobody’s Hero. You’re welcome.

Author Interview Blog Hop: Read more about some of the authors in the Ninja Writers SciFi and Fantasy Giveaway by going here,

blog, Meet the Authors, My musings

Meet J.R. Bournville, Author

November 20, 2016 Lilycat 1 Comment

This month, I’m pleased to feature a fellow writer, who is part of the Ninja Writers Science Fiction and Fantasy book promotion on Instafreebie. Check it out here.

So allow me to introduce J.R. Bournville to you with a little interview and an invitation to check out her writing.

Q: Right off, please tell me about your books and the one included in the promotion, #NinjaSFF giveaway.

J.R. – I’m one of three contributing authors to the Prompted Musings series. Prompted Musings is a collection of flash fiction, based on visual writing prompts. As flash fiction is so very short, these anthologies allowed each of us to experiment with form as well as content, trying ideas which might well have been too intimidating to pursue in a longer piece of work.

Prompted Musings with flash fiction from J.R. Bournville.

Volume 2 is free as part of the #NinjaSFF giveaway, with Volume 1 available for free on https://www.instafreebie.com/free/VDBGS
I have also written two short stories; Company of the Raven, a reworking of the well-loved poem by one of my earliest influences, Edgar Allen Poe; and The Old House

Recently, I’ve branched out into non-fiction with my book, Embracing Possibilities, which talks about how a change in attitude helped get me to where I am today, and helps readers to take steps toward whatever would make them happy in life.

Q: Does writing energize or exhaust you?

J.R. – Both, equally, though not usually at the same time. When I’m writing, and the words are flowing, then nothing else exist. There is no fatigue, no aches and pains, no hunger. But if the flow of words is more a trickle, each one is a drain on my already-limited resources. On those slow times, my solution is usually to disengage from my writing, and dream.

Q: How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?

J.R. – The first book I published was A Humourless Death. I’d spent several days not quite daring to click publish, and finally daring to was a great relief for me. Since then, I’ve learnt how to recognise when my writing is not ready to be released into the world, (which is why I unpublished A Humourless Death earlier this year). My writing process now includes more time away from the finished book, with added opportunities to discover weaker sections within my writing before publishing.

Q: How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

J.R. – At current count, excluding all books which only exist as scattered notes (there are far too many of those), I have four half-finished books. This includes A Humourless Death, the first book I released, which I decided to unpublish and revise earlier this year.

Q: How do you select the names of your characters?

J.R. – If the character is willing to “talk”, then I’ll write a scene or two, and see if their name comes to me. If that doesn’t work, I usually sit the character down and interview them. I’ll ask them all manner of questions, but crucially, not what their name is. I’m a firm believer that there’s power in a name, and a person’s name is a reflection of their personality.

Q: If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

J.R. – If I didn’t write—that’s a difficult reality to imagine—then I’d want to teach. Smaller classrooms, working with children and adults with disabilities or learning difficulties. With my experiences of falling ill and recovery, I understand more of the challenges and frustrations which arise in learning something new.

Q: Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

J.R. – Yes, I do. I like to know what someone has enjoyed (or not) about my book. No one likes a bad review, but I try to understand what exactly that reader didn’t like, and if it is a fault in my writing then I make note to improve. Good reviews, I sit quietly, smiling. If I can contact the reviewer then I do so, thanking them for their review, and wish them well.

Thank you, J.R. Bournville, for taking the time to answer these questions. You can learn more or connection with her at:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/JRBournville
twitter: http://twitter.com/JRBournville
web: www.jrbournville.com

And now that you, my readers, know a little more about this up and coming author, go check out her books. You might find a new gotta-read author.