Author Guest Post: Say Hello to my Little (Human) Friend

Today we have Ed Greenwood sharing about his story that will appear in The Awakened anthology that is funded through Kickstarter. If you are liking what you are reading here, go get in on the extras in the Kickstarter!

SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE (HUMAN) FRIEND

by Ed Greenwood

There’s something intriguing about animal companions. We look at pet cats and dogs and swear they can read our minds or understand every word when we’re talking to someone else and they’re eavesdropping. And they can do things we can’t do: fly, or hear or smell keenly, or creep about unobserved due to their stealth or size or just being dismissed by other humans as “a dumb animal.” What if we could harness that? Work as a team?

What would it be like, soaring like an eagle? Or seeing through the eyes of one? Or telepathically talking to one?

What if a “beast” was your trusted conspirator in crime? Fellow secret agent? Sword-brother-er, sister, er . . . wing-bushytail? Wise-cracking, perhaps gruff and snarly—and forever different, non-human, with world-views and parts of their brain and depths of senses and instincts you can never see and never share.

Do they trust you? Can they trust you?

Dare you trust them?

And what about love? As in, are they capable of it? Or gratitude? If something goes wrong, will they have your back? Or will their animal natures cause them to do something unhelpful, from scampering away in blind fear to skunks spraying to chewing off their own limbs to going berserk? (My mind leaps to a possible AWAKENED human-lemming partnership, and a story called “Always Leaping Off The Nearest Cliff.” A very short story.)

Boy, I’ve been asking a lot of questions. Fitting; this human-beast-mind-linkage thing provokes a lot of questions.

Yes, if AWAKENED tales are new to you, I did mention a mind-link. When the wolf pounces and bites down to kill, you’re along for the ride . . .

Or to put it a tad more formally, AWAKENED stories explore what it feels like to be in a bond, a mental partnership, a linkage of human and “creature.” Beings who may be smarter than humans. And who, when caught up in events humans might deem “adventures” or even “deadly peril,” may have an endless capacity to surprise other humans.

That’s why AWAKENED tales are such fun for me to pen. Hal Greenberg is a genius to have come up with this ongoing series, and plugged away at keeping various creative folks at work on new human-beast stories. The idea isn’t new, but putting together anthologies of very different takes on this theme between one set of covers for a reader to readily enjoy is . . . filling a gap in entertaining literature that’s obvious the moment you open an AWAKENED book.

This is a fascinating sub-genre, and you have been missing it. The question is (cue not-comfortably-distant-enough wolf howl) will the critters go on missing you?

AWAKENED stories thrive in the fantastical world Hal first envisaged them taking place in, and this book proves they thrive in our modern times. Where and when next? Fantastical creatures? Oh, but I mustn’t start with the questions again, because the stories in AWAKENED: MODERN raise a bunch of their own. And, delightfully, answer quite a few, too!

I don’t think I’ll ever tire of running with the beasts. Grab this book, immerse yourself in its tales, and see if you feel the same way!

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Ed Greenwood is a New York Times-bestselling Canadian writer, game designer, and librarian best known for creating The Forgotten Realms® fantasy world fifty years ago. His 350-plus books have sold millions of copies worldwide in more than three dozen languages. Ed was elected to the Academy of Adventure Gaming Art & Design Hall of Fame in 2003, and has won multiple ENNIE and Origins and other awards. Through The Ed Greenwood Group, he now helms many shared storytelling worlds he’s created; they can be found at OnderLibrum.com

Awakened Modern is currently funding on Kickstarter, http://tiny.cc/AwakenedModern.

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Author Guest Post: At the Intersection of Fantasy and Reality

Our first author sharing about their story in The Awakened anthology based on magnificent images is Torah Cottrill. There is still time left to get this anthology and many great extras!

At the Intersection of Fantasy and Reality

Torah Cottrill

When Hal Greenberg asked us to bring The Awakened phenomenon into the 21st century, I imagined the possibilities of using the sudden appearance of Awakened individuals throughout the world to explore how the powerless might use unexpected gifts. In The Awakened universe, a second moon awakens latent abilities (the ability to communicate with an animal companion, or one specific ability such as the ability to heal or to control an element) in a very small fraction of people on their 19 birthdays. In the fantasy world of Grimaton, people are aware of the possibility that they may be Awakened, and different societies have different ways of incorporating Awakened individuals. But what would happen to people in our world who discover powers that seem to be magical or supernatural? What will they do with those powers, and how will they be treated?

I had seen a documentary about sex workers in India, many of whom had been sold into the red-light districts and were kept as literal captives, and I wondered how these women, powerless and voiceless in the modern world, would react to becoming Awakened. Would they use their abilities to free others or to enact revenge? How would the world around them react to the most marginalized becoming powerful?

Genre fiction—fantasy, science fiction, horror, urban fantasy, and other blends of the fantastic and the mundane—is a perfect vehicle for exploring the ripples that promulgate from a shift in reality. You can change one thing, and see where the consequences lead. Many of the most engaging works of genre fiction explore the impact of a single decision or event on the larger world, like Simak’s City, Hopkinsons’s Brown Girl in the Ring, Gaiman’s American Gods, the Strugatskys’ Roadside Picnic, or Willis’ To Say Nothing of the Dog. In my own far more modest story “Return of the Devis,” I wanted to explore the places at which physical power intersected social powerlessness, to see where having an Awakened power made a difference to a character’s life and the world around her, and the places where it couldn’t.

One of the joys of writing in a shared universe is being part of the creation of a far larger work. Writing for the Awakened series has given me a chance to see the many different ways genre fiction can explore new ideas. One set of circumstances—the process of becoming Awakened—leads to stories as different as the authors. We can use comedy, swashbuckling, problem-solving, crime-fighting, and psychological drama, among many other tools of the genre writer, to explore the ways a fictional universe can reflect the essentials of human existence.

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Torah Cottrill is a professional editor and amateur video gamer whose short stories have appeared in Stupefying Stories, Luna Station Quarterly, Ares Magazine, and Tokyo Yazuka, among other publications. She wastes her free time researching hand-to-hand combat techniques for her novel and failing to complete the seasonal set dungeons in Diablo III.

The Awakened Modern is currently funding on Kickstarter http://tiny.cc/AwakenedModern

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Author Guest Post: The Awakened: An Origin Story

How did The Awakened come to be? We have Hall Greenberg, the creator, here today sharing his development of the world.

The Awakened: An Origin Story

Hal Greenberg

For years, I had this idea of a young man who was bonded to a lion and his friend who had control over plants, and I would think of scenarios for them, and the world slowly built around these two characters. From that point the world just expanded and when I realized I had something I started building a land, I first hired a cartographer to draw the map of Grimaton. I decided that there was no equator it went from south is cold to north is hot to cover all types of environments. Then I broke the land up and made different sovereigns, that was when I added other authors to start to fill up this world with stories of who was Awakened and those around them, I determined that you could have a bond with one creature not of your choosing but that creature became sentient and another character in the story and could mindspeak with you (stole that from The Horseclan series). If you were Awakened and not bonded with an animal you would have control over one specific sphere of magic, it could be elemental or psionic, it did not matter if it was a specific type of magic and if you used it too much you would have drained your mental constitution and may need to rest or may even go into a coma.

The world was created, the rules were set and as the world grew from the two anthologies I was struck early on, what if this event happened on earth, right now, how would the people, the government and those who were Awakened act? Heroes, villains, selfish, charitable what would happen? How would you react if your friend became Awakened but you did not? These thoughts passed through my mind and Awakened: Modern was born.

eSpec Books liked the idea and we worked on the project together and it is currently on Kickstarter, great stories by gifted authors will let you see what happens when a second moon suddenly stops near Earth and certain people become Awakened.

http://tiny.cc/AwakenedModern

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Hal Greenberg is an ENNIE winning art director, author, game designer, lead on anthologies, and world builder. Some of his works include the world of The Awakened®, Sisterhood of the Blade®, Bluffside: City on the Edge, Approaching Dawn: Witching Hour. Hal has worked with such industry veterans as Monte Cook, Todd Lockwood, Jeff Easley, Jim Butler and many more. He has been a guest at GenCon, Necronomicon, and Salty Bay Con.

Hal is a divorced father of two, with one dog, who resides in Florida. His hobbies include collecting: books, games, movie and TV props, art (sci-fi/fantasy and animation), watches, knives, and swords. He has also recently taken up the art of Bonsai with his daughter. Hal enjoys playing RPG's (online and in person), board and card games, and binge watching Netflix® in his spare time. You can find him on Facebook at realhalgreenberg.

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Guest Post: The First Rule in Speculative Fiction is to Speculate

Today we have a guest that will share about a new Kickstarter campaign that sounds very interesting. Through the week I'll share posts from authors who will be writing in the anthology as well. It's funded and will happen, but you can still get included in the extras!

The First Rule in Speculative Fiction is to Speculate

By Danielle Ackley-McPhail

As a publisher I am often faced with hard choices. It isn’t enough for an idea to be cool. It needs weight behind it. Authors that increase visibility, an idea our audience is clamoring for, participants willing to promote. But more than that, it needs legs beyond the draw brought by the participants in the project.

Why? Because there isn’t much money in publishing. Or at least not for most of us. The return on sales is quite small once you’ve taken out discounts, production costs, and royalties to the authors. We don’t publish books to get rich, we do it because we love the written word and the wonderful things authors do with them.

This means we have to carefully consider if we can sell a book before we contract it. Because of this I have had to turn down quite a few proposals for one reason or another. Several of those proposals were by Hal Greenberg, author, game designer, and creator of The Awakened universe. I respect Hal. He’s a great idea man, but it wasn’t until his third proposal that I felt he had a project that was right for eSpec Books. This doesn’t mean his other ideas weren’t good…just that they weren’t a good fit.

The project I took a chance on is The Awakened Modern, a modern-day, urban fantasy collection that draws on the precepts of Hal’s second-world fantasy universe. In The Awakened the stories all take place on the planet Grimaton, which has two moons. The influence of the second moon potentially triggers latent abilities in the people of this world when they turn nineteen. The ability might be a special power, or it might be a bond with an animal.

In Awakened Modern, Grimaton’s second moon breaks away from its orbit and ends up circling planet Earth. Now humanity has to deal with sudden, completely unexpected powers. The only difference is, the changes take place in people of all ages…at least at first, with the new introduction of the second moon.

Hal has brought together an amazing group of authors to populate this new and changing world, Ed Greenwood, James Chambers, Torah Cottrill, Ty Johnston, Drew Bittner, Erik Scott de Bie, Ken Shannon, Walt Ciechanowski, Jennifer Brozek, and…if we hit the right stretch goals, Richard Lee Byers, James M. Ward, and Darren W. Pearce. They are all playing in the same sandbox, bringing their unique perspectives, but with a unity that makes the background universe a character in itself, consistent and aware from story to story.

Am I taking a gamble? A bit, but Hal has already proven The Awakened franchise has feet, and the concept is quite cool, so I speculate, but speculate wisely.

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Award-winning author and editor Danielle Ackley-McPhail has worked both sides of the publishing www.especbooks.com).
industry for longer than she cares to admit. In 2014 she joined forces with husband Mike McPhail and friend Greg Schauer to form her own publishing house, eSpec Books (

Her published works include six novels, Yesterday's Dreams, Tomorrow's Memories, Today’s Promise, The Halfling’s Court, The Redcaps’ Queen, and Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, written with Day Al-Mohamed. She is also the author of the solo collections A Legacy of Stars, Consigned to the Sea, Flash in the Can, and Transcendence, the non-fiction writers’ guide, The Literary Handyman, and is the senior editor of the Bad-Ass Faeries anthology series, Gaslight & Grimm, Dragon’s Lure, and In an Iron Cage. Her short stories are included in numerous other anthologies and collections.

She is a member of Broad Universe, a writer’s organization focusing on promoting the works of women authors in the speculative genres.

In addition to her literary acclaim, she crafts and sells original costume horns under the moniker The Hornie Lady, at literary conventions, on commission, and wholesale.

Danielle lives in New Jersey with husband and fellow writer, Mike McPhail and three extremely spoiled cats. She can be found on Facebook (Danielle Ackley-McPhail) and Twitter (DMcPhail, BadAssFaeries, eSpecBooks, and TheHornieLady).

To learn more about her work, visit www.sidhenadaire.com, www.especbooks.com or www.badassfaeries.com.

The Awakened Modern is currently funding on Kickstarter http://tiny.cc/AwakenedModern

Book Review: Weather Child

Weather Child

By:  Philippa Ballantine

Publish Date:  March 2, 2014

Publisher:  Imagine That! Studios

Format:  eBook, 307pg

Genre:  Fantasy, Urban Fantasy Legend

Series:  1st book in The Awakened series

Recommendation:  WOW! A legend of magic within those of the first born and a story of mystery to find the one who eludes all.

Synopsis:
From the writer of Books of the Order and the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences comes a new historical fantasy about two lovers separated by magic and circumstance. Never alone. Never apart. They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential. But not all carriers embrace their blessing. Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse. Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.

First Sentence:
Sergeant Jack Cunningham sat in the mud at the bottom of the trench and knew for certain his death was a mere five feet away.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

**I read this book for my own enjoyment.

My Thoughts and Summary:
Not only does New Zealands residents have to worry about fighting the war over seas for England but also the war in their own lands - the loss of their own protectors, the seraphim and their hosts. Three people are drawn together when what appears as a serial killer first with the many Awakened soldiers that are caught off guard in their home land, thrilled to be home, then takes children, who are first children and could host seraph. Faith goes in search of her missing cousin. Lily has lost her mother, and the name of her seraph before completely awakening. Jack, home from the war where his seraph awakened, struggles with the curse he lives with and the isolation he feels from the loss of his loved ones. All three are drawn together over years as they are drawn for personal reasons to the troubles and murders.

Wow. Philippa Ballantine has awakened a rare legend in the vibrant world of New Zealand. Drawing to the forefront a seraphim and magic, in first generations born into the land, that many Urban Fantasy fans will fall for. A serial killer is on the lose and seraphim and their hosts are not safe. Fresh and traces of old blended together for our enjoyment.

Seraphim are the magic in the oldest child of a New Zealand child. They always want to please their hosts so the temptation of the power they offer is easily accessed, and can be dangerous with feeling the power they have. Many feel the seraph are a curse as usually the hosts don't live to middle age, let alone old. The constant connection driving the host mad. Yet there are many who enjoy having the friend to never feel alone. The seraph awakened by severe pain and trauma to the host.

In the Prelude we meet Jack, three years prior to the story starting, while in the war in Turkey. We witness his awakening and how he has survived when so many are lost. I really like that we are introduced to the magics of being an Awakened from page one. Into the story we meet Lily and witness her awakening, and this is when the mystery takes off.

This story also brings to life the wars fought, for the country and personal. We are set us in a time that many loved ones are lost due to war, personal reasons with those lost at war, and the deadly fever that has spread through the land. So many battles to fight here. These all affect the characters and the world they are living in.

There was a mystery to the magic the seraph gave their host from early on. I was curious of it along with drawn into the lives of Faith, Jack, and Lily and those around them. I found I was hoping and wanting them all to meet up again, loving the time they spend together. There is chemistry between them each time they are together, bringing action and emotions to a heightening. I love them all for different reasons.

There are breaks in the story by years, but each section is a story of what has happened to bring us to a point in each characters lives. They are almost like short stories with arcs and endings, yet we know there is something not finished yet. In the end, we get our answers.

The story is set in New Zealand, an old yet new and exciting world. As much as it's described in all it's glory, it feels like home to me. The legend Philippa draws on is new and exciting. Pip briefly touches on a few dark topics. We are aware of it happening, and pull through it. Amazing talent with words on Pip's behalf for leaving the hints of what's happening without drawing us through the actual events.

I can't wait for more of this world and creation Philippa has brought to life for us.

Cover Reveal: Weather Child

Are you a Philippa Ballantine fan? I am. And I some how missed this coming yesterday. She has edited a podcasted story she did years ago and it will be coming to us in print. This book has a bit of a history as to why it's not been published before now. Pip shares that on her blog along with the amazing team Alex White of the Gearheart has helping him create this stunning cover.

Ready for a new book? Here it is...

Weather Child

The Awakened: Book One

By:  Philippa Ballantine

Due Out:  March 1, 2014

Description:
Never alone. Never apart.

They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential.

But not all carriers embrace their blessing.

Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse.

Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.



The thing that catches my attention, is this book is set in New Zealand. Yes. New Zealand. I'm curious to read this book. And the premises sounds new and exciting. I'm curious about the Seraphim and magics along with meeting these characters. I'm looking forward to reading this one.

If you visited Pip's blog you know that is the reason it wasn't picked up by publishing companies in the US. That American readers would not be interested in this setting.

Huh. Glad to know that the US Publishing houses know what I want to read so well. Sorry, I've had a little troubles with that in the last few years. (I'm tired of the same old same old books coming out from them.) I like different reads, different settings, but that is a whole discussion for another time. This cover is hot topic today and one that sounds to have everything I want to read by reading the description.