Epic Fantasy Adventures - Sam J. Charlton

Sunday, 26 October 2014

KINDLE BOOK PROMOTION: JOURNEY OF SHADOWS

Ready for an adventure? Fast-paced, character-driven traditional epic fantasy

Grab JOURNEY OF SHADOWS (Book one of the Palâdnith Chronicles) for 99 cents for five days only on Amazon!

Offer runs from 27-31 October - so don't miss out!

Do you love traditional epic fantasy, but are looking for a truly epic adventure with characters you can truly relate to?

JOURNEY OF SHADOWS (shortlisted for the Sir Julius Vogel Awards, 2014) is the first novel in the Palâdnith Chronicles, a traditional epic fantasy series that's fast-paced and full of classic epic fantasy elements: coming of age, good versus evil, and a quest. However, my characters are people just like you and me, thrown into an epic adventure and forced to deal with the consequences.

Have you ever dreamed of a different life - one of adventure, excitement and purpose?

Seth, Eni and Val have. Yet, dreaming is all they have done. Until, the day fate intervenes.

Three brothers. One legacy that binds them.

JOURNEY OF SHADOWS introduces you to the world of Palâdnith. I let my readers discover Palâdnith, and the scheming realmlords who rule it, through the eyes of my characters. You won't find pages of back-story and lengthy descriptions. You're launched into the story from the first pages!

Sounds like the kind of epic fantasy you are looking for?

Get a copy of JOURNEY OF SHADOWS for 99 cents from Amazon while this offer lasts.

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Would you like to read the prequel novella to the Palâdnith Chronicles for free?

Sign up to Sam's monthly newsletter and receive a FREE copy of DEEP-SPIRE (PDF format). Newsletter subscribers will also get sneak previews of upcoming novels, behind the scenes 'extras', epic fantasy book reviews & recommendations, and podcasts from Sam!

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Thursday, 9 October 2014

BOOK REVIEW: Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence

Prince of Fools (The Red Queen’s War, #1)

Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Best book I've read this year! I wasn't sure that I'd enjoy this as much as the Broken Empire series, but I did. Actually, I think I liked this book more.

There were a number of reasons this is a great read. The first is the characterisation. Lawrence did a fabulous job of realising Jalan's character. The book is written in the first person, which means that we feel that we are 'living' Jal's adventure alongside him. We see the entire world through his eyes. This can be a challenge for a writer to pull off well, but Lawrence does one of the best jobs of it I've ever come across. What I like, is that what Jal tells us about himself, and what we witness, often starkly contrast with each other. He tells us he's a coward, a womaniser, and a liar - but we see that he is also grossly insecure, terrified that anyone might think him a coward, and that he has a deeply sensitive side. He's not that different to a lot of us really, and to read about a man most people can relate to, is what really brings this adventure to life. He's far removed from the usual epic fantasy stereotype - although, anyone who has read the Broken Empire series will know that Mark Lawrence doesn't use stereotypical lead characters.

The second thing I love about this book, is it's structure. It's linear - we start at the beginning and don't catch breath till the final pages. Lawrence's first series used a more complex structure, shifting us about in time and place, but the more 'classical' structure meant that the pacing and suspense in this novel was nail-biting. The only slow point for me was when Jal runs into our 'hero' from the first series - Jorg Ancrath. Must say, that apart from getting to see how the two stories overlap, I found this section a bit ponderous, and was happy when Jal continued his journey north.

I found the novel hard to put down, and really enjoyed returning to the world Lawrence created. The best thing, for me though was Jal. He's a complex character with huge potential to be developed further. I can't wait to see where he'll end up!

I highly recommend this novel to anyone who loves dark epic fantasy adventure.

View all my reviews

Saturday, 4 October 2014

THE WELL OF SECRETS... epic fantasy adventure on its way

Book Three of the Palâdnith Chronicles – work in progress…

I’m just under the half-way point of writing the manuscript (moving country has slowed the progress down slightly!), and it’s become clear that this is going to be the biggest book of the series. There are a lot of sub-plots to bring together, many stories to wrap up and a host of questions that need answering.

Yes – this story is going to be epic, in all senses!

The book may still be a work in progress – although I am steaming ahead now I’m settled again – but the cover is ready to go. This is my favourite cover of the series and, like the others, is the work of David Ortega – a graphic artist based in Spain.

If you enjoyed JOURNEY OF SHADOWS and THE CITADEL OF LIES then you’ll be wondering what THE WELL OF SECRETS holds. Here are a few lines to whet your appetite… There will be more details about the book coming soon.

THE WELL OF SECRETS

Book Three of the Palâdnith Chronicles

The greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it…

A year has passed since Seth, Eni and Val Falkyn found Captain Tobin dead on the road to Marlock – and the Collar of Jade missing.

After their epic journeys across Palâdnith, and narrowly escaping death at the hands of the Moden Walkers, the brothers are ready to begin their training with Floriana DeSanith. The sorceress has promised to help them become Sentorân. They are the last of an order thought to have been extinguished years earlier.

The brothers return home to Barrowthorne to begin their training, and are met with a cold reception from their father. Time is short and they are far from ready when trouble comes.

Their discovery of an ancient portal to Moden – the underworld prison where their mother has been trapped for other thirty years – means the time for waiting is at an end.

The Well of Secrets has been lost for a thousand years. It is hidden, in the lowest, darkest depths of the Esquill stronghold: Deep-Spire. It is the only way in to Moden. Yet, it is not a safe path.

It seems that some secrets are best left uncovered…

Thursday, 2 October 2014

My newsletter - and the landscape that inspired my epic fantasy

My first newsletter has officially been launched! To keep updated, just sign up below:

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Want to know what's in this month's newsletter?

It’s been a hectic last couple of months. After a year in my beloved Rome (where I lived for many years in my twenties), I’m now back in New Zealand.

To be specific – I’m now living in the landscape that inspired the Central Omagen region of Palâdnith (the fantasy world of my current epic fantasy series). The real name of this region in Central Otago – the heartland of the province of Otago, located in the centre of New Zealand’s South Island.

Barrowthorne, Central Omagen – inspired by…

Bannockburn, Central Otago – a wild, rocky landscape surrounded by rugged mountains, turquoise lakes and rivers, and dry hills covered in wild thyme. Barrowthorne is the home of my three heroes: Seth, Eni and Val Falkyn. They leave the area in their early twenties, but the third book in the series, THE WELL OF SECRETS, brings them home.

It’s spring here at the moment. The hills are carpeted with fruit blossom and the air scented with pine and thyme. It’s often windy (today it’s blowing a gale) and the wide sky is constantly changing.

Want to know what Central Omagen really looks like? Here’s a picture (courtesy of Central Otago Tourism):

It really does look like this!

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Newsletter #1 out soon - get ready for the launch!

The long-awaited first issue of my monthly newsletter is close to going out - and there's a lot of news to update you about!

THE WELL OF SECRETS is well underway (due out at the end of this year), and - as always - the story has started to take on a life of its own! In my first newsletter, I give you some details about the story line...

As well as keeping you updated with the book's progress, and a few sneak previews and behind the scenes 'extras', I will also include epic fantasy book reviews and recommendation. I love to read epic fantasy as much as you do - and news about a good book needs to be shared! I've also decided to record some podcasts - readings from my published, and upcoming, books.

Plus, when you sign up for my newsletter you get a free copy of DEEP-SPIRE. This is the prequel novella to the Paladnith Chronicles, and a must-read for anyone embarking on the series. It takes place around forty years before the first novel in the series, JOURNEY OF SHADOWS, begins.

To get a PDF copy of the novella, just enter your email address into the field below and hit subscribe!

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Saturday, 20 September 2014

How to finish that manuscript – advice for aspiring authors

Another one bites the dust!

Often, the biggest challenge for anyone who dreams of becoming an author – is actually finishing that damn manuscript!

I have been writing for years now. However, the first decade was filled with drawers of half-finished stories. My classic pattern was to reach page 100 and then throw away the bloody thing in disgust. Either, I’d just discovered the story wasn’t working, or it was boring me to death. Whatever the reason, I had just spent a couple of months on a story that I would never finish – again. Fast forward a few years and I have self-published one epic fantasy novella and three full-length novels, as well as a Lord of the Rings fan fiction series. I have also written a number of non-fiction works, and fiction novels under pen names.

These days I rarely begin novels that I never finish.

Some hints to make sure you finish that manuscript

I could come up with a detailed list of all ways to ensure you get that story written – but in the end it boils down to three key pieces of advice:

Write what you love: I write the stories I have always wanted to read. I throw myself into epic adventures that have me clamouring to return to them. I have to keep writing because I have to know what happens! This advice might seem like a no-brainer but so many of us start out writing the novels we think we ‘should’ write. Is it any wonder then, that we can’t stand the sight of it after a couple of months? Writing a story you love is hard enough, don’t throw rocks in your path by trying to write anything else.

Plan it: I’m not saying you have to sit down and plan the story out in meticulous detail – you’re likely to get bored half-way if you do. However, a story outline and a rough chapter plan, will help ensure that a) the story actually works and b) you think about important elements like structure, pacing and characters. If you’re embarking on an epic fantasy, make sure you do some serious world-building before you write, including summaries of the magic system and a potted history of the world your characters inhabit.Otherwise your story will lack credibility and depth. If you don't believe in the world you've created, no one else will.

Approach it as a professional: If you’re serious about writing, then act as if it is a job. Once you self-publish and list that book on Amazon (or any other self-publishing platform), then you are officially ‘in business’. Self-publishing was a huge motivation for me to finish my novels. Once you approaching your writing as a professional, your entire relationship with it changes. Suddenly, it isn’t such a slog. You find yourself scheduling time, setting milestones and treating your writing with the seriousness it deserves.

Get over the idea of the ‘tortured artist’ stereotype. You know, the guy who stares blankly at his laptop screen, waiting for inspiration to strike, for his muse to whisper in his ear. That guy could be waiting a long time...

The act of creation is not some elusive power that only the select few master. You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t actually finish anything, who will care? Write the kind of books you crave to read, plan before you throw yourself in, and treat it as a profession - and you will have that manuscript written in no time!

Sunday, 27 July 2014

DEEP-SPIRE Kindle giveaway!

DEEP-SPIRE is currently free on Amazon, for just two days (26-27 July).

Get a copy while you can!

But if you don't manage to get a copy, don't despair - sign up to my monthly newsletter and receive a free PDF copy of DEEP-SPIRE (my epic fantasy prequel to the Paladnith Chronicles).

Sign up using the form below!

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