Featured Author: Cheryl Matthynssens

About the book:

Bloodmines is Book #3 in the Groundbreaking series The Blue Dragon's Geas, which begins with Outcast (Book #1) and moves on to The Blackguard.

Alador discovers that there is more to his geas and the bloodstone than he had ever imagined. As its true nature is revealed, he alone must figure out how to complete the geas. His first task is to obtain the support of the one dragon that he and Henrick know how to find. But... how does one garner support from a dragon you have previously shot?

Follow Alador as he sets out to gain the support of the dragon, dodge Lerdenian politics and his scheming uncle, at the same time as he attempts to come to terms with the continued ripples that one large bloodstone has brought into his life.


Interview with Cheryl Matthynssens

Cheryl, what’s the story behind the title Bloodmines? 
Man has always harvested what he wanted from the world even at the cost of destruction of natural beauty, an ecosystem, or a species. In this case, moral man is hunting dragons to leech the magic from them. A dragon's blood has magical properties and thus the bloodmines were created. A place where dragons are held captive and their blood is drained regularly. A place the hero, Alador, plans to destroy.

Tell us about your series. Is this book a standalone, or do readers need to read the series in order?
The first book, Outcast, is more of a world building tale. You could read The Blackguard and be fairly secure without Outcast, though some of the cultural and backstory for Alador would be lost. However, Bloodmines really needs The Blackguard to be read first as the two go hand in hand.

What do you love about where you live? 
I live in the Okanogan Valley of Washington state. I love that we have four seasons here. I grew up on the West Coast of Washington close to a temperate rain forest. I was used to two seasons: rain and construction. 

Now I love in this rugged High Mountain desert, and it is so beautiful and was the inspiration for the Daezun lands.

Have you been in any natural disasters? 
Yes,  When I loved on the coast, we had to evacuate more than once because of storms coming off of the Ocean. When I was a child, we lived fifty feet from the winter high tide line. The two actual disasters that stand out really were significant. The first was a New Year's Eve storm. The road home was closed and the police routed us another way. It flooded as we were crossing and we had water coming in our car. Fortunately, my husband knew to keep the motor at a certain speed to keep it from sucking water into the engine.  Three of my children were in the car. It's a scary memory. When we got home, the hill behind our house had collapsed and filled our garage and back yard with three feet of mud.

The other disaster was an earthquake. We lived two miles from the epicenter. I can't even describe how it felt. It was more like an explosion than an earthquake due to how close we were.

What’s one thing that you wish you knew as a teenager that you know now?
I wish I had known that at the end of the day, other people's opinions really don't matter. If they are not part of my big picture, then they can like, hate or gossip all they want. I used to put far too much stock in what other people thought of me.

Do you have another job outside of writing? 
Yes, I do contract speaking or teaching engagements. I am totally comfortable in front of a group of people. I mostly teach a cognitive behavior curriculum which I have total belief in for people who struggle making the same life error choices over and over.

What’s one of your favorite quotes? 
Well, I don't know where it came from but I use it all the time. 
“It is what it is,
It was what it was,
It is not my today!”

How did you create the plot for this book? 
Well, the first book started out just wanting to tell a story about a victim of bullying that was not the typical rise out of the ashes and become a hero. Sometimes bad things happen when people are bullied. After that, it sort of took on a life of it's own. Bloodmines needed to show Alador coming into his power. One thing that did help with this plot is that I put out to my readers a question of what they wanted to see. I used many of these ideas as they worked with the things I knew would come out the other side.

What would your main character, Alador, say about you?  
Alador would say that I was creative, flexible, and probably a bit cruel. The poor boy has had a bit of a hard time with having to grow up quickly and his brothers seem to have this habit of punching him in the face. He is not your typical all-powerful hero, even though he keeps plaguing me to give him a break.

Are you like any of your characters?
I actually really like Jon and Sordith. Jon's flat, matter-of-fact manner makes me smile every time I write a conversation with him. The other is Sordith. I had originally created him to be an antogonist, but the more I played around with his character, wrote some lines for him, the more I realized I didn't want him on Luthian's side. He took on this life that really makes me want to write his story when I am done with this series.

What book are you currently reading and in what format (e-book/paperback/hardcover)? 
I am currently working my way through the Myrddin's Heir Series by Robin Chambers. He has a unique style that I love and definitely has put a spin on urban fantasy that I would have never considered. I am  on book 4 right now and still loving every chapter. I also am learning things for my own writing as his style of prose has elements I want to be able to emulate.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your writing? 
I think hands down it was from my father. My father is a western reader and was really apprehensive about reading my first book as he is not into dragons and magic in his reading. However, being his daughter, he agreed to take a plunge and read Outcast. He called me two days later and this is what he said: “I finished your book. You are on restriction until book two is done.” It may seem strange to most, but that was one of the highest compliments my father has ever given me. It makes me smile every time I think of it. Of course, having a reviewer post that my story is “epic” always makes me smile.

What’s one pet peeve you have when you read? 
I hate it when I am really into a story and the build up is perfect throughout the book.  Then suddenly the protagonist solves all the problems with their magic without much of a struggle in a single chapter. I hate it when characters have no problems winning that climatic battle. I want them to win, but at least take a blow or two.

Why did you decide to self-publish? 
Honestly? Fear. I was afraid of that gatekeeper that publishing houses have and the rejection letter they could send. One person's opinion would decide if I was worth reading. By going the route I did, if my work was not liked by actual readers then I knew I could just fade back out silently. To be honest, Outcast's negative reviews were heart-breaking at first. However, I have left it in its original form so I could learn. I do not see the same negative comments in books 2 or 3. Now that I have learned what I can from Outcast's feedback, I am going back and re-editing it.

Other books by Cheryl Matthynssens

Outcast
The Blackguard

Children's Dragon Books:


How the Dragons Got Their Colors

Not an Egg!

Once Upon a...Wait!

About the author:

I am Cheryl and go by Cheri. I am a . . . never mind my age . . . older woman with grand-kids. However, my heart is forever young and I hope I never grow up. I was born in Upland, California. I have four wonderful children and four beautiful grandchildren. I started adult life as a mother. I went back to school and got my teaching degree. Between teaching positions, I ended up working in a prison on the coast of Washington State. This led to gaining credentials and a license to be an addictions counselor. This unique combination has allowed me to interview hundreds of personalities over my career. I love the uniqueness of human beings and work hard to make sure I build this into my characters. I want each major character to have a form and manner that makes them unique from the rest. 

I recently received a diagnosis of cancer. No worries, not stopping my writing, but it did slow me down a bit until I got into the routine of chemotherapy. On September 25, 2014, I took a leap of faith and left my career as a counselor to take care of myself for awhile and to write full time. 

I have been an avid reader of all things fantasy and science fiction. I have been a GM for dungeons and dragons for 25 years. Yes, I played when the original books came paperback in a little red box. And now . . . I have dated myself!

I love the fantasy world because it taps into the creative mind. I have always been one who could visualize what I read and so fantasy became a colorful escape to lands of mystical beasts, fantastic quests and where the hero really does save the day. Since becoming a more mature reader and writer, I have found writing can be an avenue to learning and teaching while still enjoying that creative mind-scape. I have worked in a world where the hero doesn't always win and sometimes beloved characters fall and don't get back up. 

From these experiences of reading, role playing and writing, the world of Vesta came to life. Vesta has it's own map, weather and history. It is filled with its own races, beasts and unique attributes. Because I have developed my own world, I found I was not limited by Tolkien views of elves and dragons. I could expand on the magic of dragons and mystic powers. Many artists, writers and other role players have contributed to make Vesta what it is when I finally put pen to paper. Welcome . . . and I hope you enjoy my unique world of fantasy novels and children's books.

Connect with Cheryl:
Website  |  Blog   |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads 

Featured Author: Kasper Beaumont

Kasper Beaumont is the indie author of an epic fantasy adventure series, Hunters of Reloria. She currently has two novels out, Elven Jewel and Hunters’ Quest, and she's hard at work writing the third book in the trilogy. She's here to talk about her books, writing, and a little bit about herself today.

About the books:

 
Elven Jewel:
The peaceful continent of Reloria is threatened by cruel invaders from the wastelands of Vergash. Halflings Randir and Fendi leave their peaceful farm village with their bond-fairies and race against time to stop the invaders. They join forces with dwarves, elves, men and a mysterious dragon, on a quest to rescue the stolen Elven Jewel. Book one of the trilogy.


Hunters’ Quest: 
Scaly Vergai invaders have captured the Elven Jewel from Reloria. Halfling friends, Randir and Fendi, their
bond-fairies, men, dwarves, an elf and a dragon are a group of brave hunters on a quest to recover the stolen Elven Jewel. They must search for a mage who can make a portal to Vergash to rescue the princess and restore the protective forcefield.

Interview with Kasper Beaumont:

Kasper, tell us the story behind the title of your books.

Elven Jewel is the title of my first book, and it is the crystal which is used to create the Shield of Reloria, which is an invisible forcefield. Naturally, the Vergai invaders are on a mission to steal the jewel.

Hunters’ Quest is the title of the 2nd book in the trilogy. A band of heroes called the Hunters of Reloria set out on a quest to recover the jewel.

Dragon’s Revenge is the final in the trilogy. Those Vergai should have known better than to anger a dragon!

What’s your favorite line from a book?

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird.  The more I write, the more true I find this to be.

One of your characters has just found out you’re about to kill him off. He/she decides
to beat you to the punch. How would he kill you?

Well, if it were the dragon, I’d be hiding far, far away from his deadly breath, to be sure.

If you could be one of your characters, which one would you choose?

I think I’d choose Sienna. She's a brave huntress, who is an awesome halfling fighter, seems totally fearless and has a handsome little bond-fairy who can heal her. She’s had a hard life to be sure, but her great attitude and sense of adventure are admirable.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

Most days I would say it is the attack at Stonefield Inn. Of course if I’m in a romantic mood, I do love the picnic at Goblin Falls too.

You can be any fictional character for one day. Who would you be?

I reckon I’d be the Artful Dodger from Oliver Twist or maybe Ginger Meggs or Huckleberry Finn.

Are you happy with your decision to self-publish?

Yes, although I still live in hope that Peter Jackson is going to knock on my door and offer me a 3 movie deal.

Don't we all!

I honestly haven’t tried contacting many publishers, because they seem to be looking for works with guaranteed sales these days, so I thought I’d give it a go myself. I tried about three publishers with my first novel before I had it properly edited, and I didn’t hear back. I’ve learnt to accept people's help and advice and try and write the best novels I can. 

Can you tell us a little about your road to publication?

Firstly, I sent my books to a local review company called Writers’ Web. Then I published on Amazon and then Smashwords. I have printed paperback copies of my first book and am in the process of getting the second book printed. 

I think I’ve been very lucky to find people who can help me and teach me the trade, such as my editors and a local artist I discovered.

What’s one of your favorite quotes?

Seriously, I could quote about 100 favourite lines from the Star Wars movies, but I’ll settle for this wise gem from Yoda, “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.”

What three books have you read recently and would recommend?

Fairies of Feyllan by Cat Spydell - a fantasy.
African Hearts by Laura O’Connell - a romance.
Fake Profile by Khyiah Angel - a great book for teens on the hazards of social media.

All three are indie books by up-and-coming new writers. I like to support and review new authors.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing the third novel in my trilogy, Dragon’s Revenge and am doing some epic battle scenes as well as a nice romance. It’s so much fun, and I can’t wait to share it with all of you.
 
Come back when it's done and tell us more about it!

Thanks so much for the interview. I really enjoyed doing it and hope it helps people to understand me a little more and want to read my books.

Book trailer for Elven Jewel

Excerpt from Elven Jewel:

An excerpt from chapter 5 of Elven Jewel and the first time we see the beast...

The characters are 2 elves: Princess Shari-Rose and her guardian Daeron; the dwarven brothers Baja and Raja; and four brave halflings: Old Fandri; his son Fendi; friend Randir and a huntress named Sienna. They have been tracked to an inn by their adversary, the Vergai invaders. 

They followed the sounds of struggling around the corner of the inn and saw an incredible sight. A sopping wet Princess, wearing only a towel, was being held by the arms and legs by four of the scaly Vergai. Another of the creatures was trying to muffle her screams with his clawed hand, which she was biting on as hard as she could and causing him to growl in frustration.



All around them was a battle. Sienna held a green-stained dagger in one hand and was struggling with three of the creatures, two of which had arrows protruding from their torsos. Green blood was drying around the arrow shafts. The huntress stabbed at the invaders and aimed at the thinnest area of their thick hide on the sides of their neck.  Her bond fairy was a short distance away and was so intent in watching the fight that she did not see a Vergai’s rough hand closing around her from behind. The Vergai clapped his hands together and both fairy and halfling collapsed to the ground unconscious.



Fendi had grabbed a long dagger from the inn and Old Fandri drew his broad sword. Fendi was momentarily stunned by being in such close proximity to the large and fearsome Vergai. He exchanged a wide-eyed glance with his father, who gave a short nod. Together they charged towards the Vergai with a roar. Old Fandri stepped ahead to engage a Vergai with his sword and didn’t see one of the creatures whip around and strike Fendi solidly with his long thick tail. The young halfing gave a grunt and fell to the ground.



The final four Vergai were moving to surround Raja, who was flailing about a two-headed axe, as though he was berserk. Baja gave a yell and rushed to his aid. Baja threw a small axe, which felled one of the creatures, and then the dwarf got out a large wooden club and proceeded to bash all the Vergai on their knee caps. The two dwarfs were much shorter than the Vergai (who were about human height), but they made up for it in their fighting prowess. The Vergai all stood well back from the half-crazed little men.



Old Fandri had entered the fight over by the Princess. One of the Vergai had let go of her arms and had rushed at him with a chained morning star, spinning around dangerously.  Fandri was forced back towards the wall of the tavern and stumbled to the ground. The Vergai was just about to land a killing blow with his rotating spike, when a long sword covered in green blood, appeared through his chest. Daeron had come to Fandri’s rescue.



The powerfully-built elf looked dizzy on his feet and still had a bandage wrapped around his head from Lakehaven. He extricated his narrow sword from the Vergai and threw him to the ground. Then he held his hand down to help up the old halfling. “Thanks,” panted Fandri. “I’m getting too old for this.” He looked around and saw that the Vergai were taking advantage of the chaos and half-carrying, half-dragging the screaming Princess off into the night.



Fandri looked at the other fighters and realised that the Vergai were gaining the upper hand. Fendi, Sienna and Baja had been knocked out cold and Raja was the only one still fighting, but was totally surrounded by several big fighters. Old Fandri was just thinking that all was lost when a powerful screech filled the night. There was suddenly a flapping of great wings and a mighty burst of flame lit up the sky. The Vergai around Raja screamed and ran off after the Princess.



The sky went dark again, after that brief burst of light. All that Fandri could see was a huge dark shape, blotting out the stars. It screeched again and gave a huge burst of flame, which whooshed right over the top of the fleeing Vergai. Their thick scaly hides appeared to deflect the flames, but they screamed and howled and ran in all directions.  The winged beast flew to where the other Vergai were running with Shari-Rose and it picked them off her, one by one and threw them far into the distance, where they land with dull thuds.



Then the beast tenderly picked up Shari-Rose in its great talons and very carefully carried her back to the halflings and dwarves. Her wet towel flopped to the ground by Old Fandri’s feet. She looked like a child compared to the enormous creature carrying her carefully in one sharp claw.



By the light from the half-shuttered inn windows, Fandri, Daeron and Raja could see that the beast was a great, grey dragon. Its body was four times as tall as a man and had a thick, scaly hide. Its wing span must have been about 40 foot or more and the flap of the huge wings brought large gusts of air swirling all around them. Emerald jewels gleamed from under the wings, as though they were embedded in the scales. The dragon’s head had many horns and a large mouth with sharp teeth. Its muzzle was long, with wide nostrils, issuing trails of smoke. 

The dragon’s large, yellow eyes looked at each of the fighters below intelligently and then it placed the Princess gently on the ground. Shari-Rose stared up at the great beast which had rescued her and was utterly speechless. She didn’t even have breath to scream in terror. The dragon flapped its gigantic wings and rose up into the sky. It circled the inn once and then flew off in the direction of the Vergai.



Excerpt from Elven Jewel by Kasper Beaumont. © 2013

About the author: 

Kasper J. Beaumont was born and raised in Australia and lives a quiet life with the family in a seaside town. Kasper has combined a love of fantasy and a penchant for travel in this trilogy. Kasper started to write on the urging of friends and family and enjoys watching readers become immersed in the magical world of Reloria.

Connect with Kasper:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |  

Buy the books:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords  

Featured Authors: Joyce & Jim Lavene

Today, I'm turning the blog over to my main character, Tess Tremaine, to talk with Jessie Morton, the mc in Joyce & Jim Lavene's newly-released novel, Murderous Matrimony, a supernatural mystery. And there's a giveaway! Enter to win a copy of each of the five print books in the Ren Faire mystery series as well as the E-novella, Perilous Pranks and an E-copy of Murderous Matrimony, plus the entire collection, for now, of their Ren Faire Mysteries and a Ren Faire Mystery tote bag to hold all of them.

About the character:

Jessie Morton is a woman who loves the Renaissance faire where she lives with her lover, Chase Manhattan. She enjoys history and crafts. Her dissertation for her PhD was Renaissance Crafts in Modern Day. She is an excellent archer and has skills in hat making, basket weaving, glass making, sword making and tapestry.

Tess talks with Jessie Morton

Jessie, how did you first meet Jim and Joyce?
We were introduced in Wicked Weaves, the first Renaissance Faire mystery. Joyce and Jim were crazy about the Ren Faire and so was I. It was a good fit from the beginning.

Want to dish about them?

They write a lot – five mystery series and counting. They have paranormal and supernatural leanings. They live in North Carolina with two cats and a dog. They enjoy long road trips into the mountains, and like pizza.

They sound wonderful. Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book?

No! Are you kidding? Why would anyone write about me? I’ve lived an ordinary life – except my summers at the Ren Faire.

Tell us about your favorite scene in the book.

My favorite scene in the new Ren Faire mystery book, Murderous Matrimony, is when Wanda (the blue ghost that haunts me) gets her comeuppance. Can’t say anymore about that without giving away the plot, you know. But I LOVED IT!

Did you have a hard time convincing Jim and Joyce to write any particular scenes for you?

Oh no! Joyce and Jim and I are simpatico. They write what I tell them.

Lucky girl. Did you hear that, Amy? Jessie, what do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

I like to walk around the Village and see everything that’s going on. I love Vegetable Justice where people throw squishy fruits and vegetables at their friends while they are trapped in the stocks. I love spending time with Chase, my fiancée.

I can think of a few people I would love to introduce to Vegetable Justice. If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

I would rewrite the wedding so there weren’t so many people there. I really wanted a simple wedding with just me and Chase and a few friends.

Tell the truth. What do you think of your fellow characters?

Well, I love Chase (of course). Wanda, I could do without. Merlin the Magician is a little strange. Madame Lucinda, our resident fortune teller is a little odd. I think she may be part dragon.

Oh my. You do have some interesting friends. Do have any secret aspirations that Jim and Joyce don’t know about?

I would love to be in a story about making food. I mean, the craft stuff is good, but let’s do some food!

If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?

I have no idea. I’m not that person.



What impression do you make on people when they first meet you? How about after they've known you for a while?

I like to think that people read me as an every day kind of character. Nothing special, really. Just a little snoopy. After they’ve known me for a while, I hope they see that I’m smart and thoughtful.



What's the worst thing that's happened in your life?

The worst thing was when I dyed Wanda blue with a dye pack in her shower, and when I went to gloat, she was dead. I didn’t kill her, but someone took advantage of my prank.

Tell us about your best friend.

My best friend is sword maker Daisy Reynolds. She’s a big woman with blond curly hair and kewpie doll lips. She makes amazing swords and knives. She wears a breastplate with a phoenix on it and lives with a giant of a man, Bart.



What are you most afraid of?

Being bored.



What’s the best trait your author has given you? What’s the worst?

The best is common sense – it means I can see things that to her characters miss. The worst is my size twelve feet. What’s up with that? 



Oh dear. I don't know. But you're perfectly lovely, so don't let that one trait bother you. What’s your author’s worst habit?

Leaving me hanging from roofs (and in other perilous places) to go to bed.



Describe the town where you live.
I live in Renaissance Faire Village and Marketplace in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It’s on the site of the old air Force base. The Village is five miles around, not counting Sherwood Forest, of course, or the jousting arena. There are crafters, shopkeepers, and other real people living here, but also characters like Robin Hood, fairies, Little Bo Peep, Mother Goose, and others.

Sounds lively. Will you encourage your author to write more in this series?

This is already their sixth book in the series with Wicked Weaves, Ghastly Glass, Deadly Daggers, Harrowing Hats, and Treacherous Toys. There is also a novella – Perilous Pranks. They tell me there is another book on the way too. I’m hoping for Killer Kites!
Thanks for having me here today!

And thank you for being here, Jessie. Call me when Killer Kites comes out! Jack loves kites!

About the authors:

Joyce and Jim Lavene write award-winning, best-selling mystery fiction as themselves, J.J. Cook, and Ellie Grant. They have written and published more than 70 novels for Harlequin, Berkley, Amazon, and Gallery Books along with hundreds of non-fiction articles for national and regional publications. They live in rural North Carolina with their family. Visit them at www.joyceandjimlavene.com.

Connect with the authors:
Website | Facebook | 
Twitter |

Buy the book:
Amazon | Amazon author page

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