Knights of Spain

 

I finally did it. I submitted a manuscript for a contest. If all goes well, I'll still be ecstatic about the publication in November of my adventure book for boys, Accidental Pirates, and may forget to be too disappointed if my manuscript isn't well received. On the other hand, because there's always another hand, I remain cautiously optimistic about the manuscript. It's a great story with gobs of action/adventure (which is really the thing I do best, well, except for witty banter--of which there's also a plethora), with a timely subject. I consider it a love note to America and to literature.

Speaking of the boy's adventure book, it's still in editing. My structural edits were well received, so it has moved on to the next phase.

Let's get to the book reviews. I've got two here.

Knights of Spain, Warriors of the Sun by Charles Hudson provides a fascinating look into Hernando de Soto's exploration of the American south in the mid 1500s. Tremendously well researched, the story follows De Soto and his hundreds in La Florida in the quest for treasure. The journey took the Spaniards from one tribulation to another, from one encounter to another--that's the gist of it--rinse, repeat, rearrange, and repeat again. The pattern with the encounters usually included capturing the chief and getting food and slaves for good treatment of the hostage chief. On more than one occasion the natives recruited the Spaniards into hostile actions against their neighbors. De Soto never did find significant treasure and didn't survive the adventure, surrendering his hit point total gradually before he was twice buried and then dumped into the Mississippi River. All things considered, a good time was not had by all and the survivors gave the new world native B&Bs very low ratings and could not recommend them to friends.

The book, however, is well worth the read. The Spaniards were no soft slouches and the natives they fought often proved to be valiant and skilled warriors. Had the adventures not had the horses, they might've all been slain or forced to depart much earlier. None of the horses made it out. I was impressed with the sheer size of the expeditionary force and especially with the number of hogs they took.

I give it five conquistador helmets out of five. It's full of good information and detail, including archeological evidence about the expedition and the native settlements.

 

In stark contrast to the above review, my thoughts about Joan of Arc's Champion to Sorcerer: The Dark Fall of Gilles de Rais by Thaddeus Shade never rose above disappointment. It's a short work of 65 pages. While Knights was extensively noted, I don't recall a single footnote or end note in Champion. Each chapter begins with an overview of what the chapter will cover, then provides the information promised, recounts what was reported, and finally tells what the next chapter will reveal. As you might guess, it's incredibly repetitive.  I could forgive the wearisome repetition if there had been any substance to the material. It really felt like a summary of wikipedia articles or a term paper without reference notes. You may note Joan of Arc in the title. She was finally discussed near the end. The gist of the information is that Giles de Rais met Joan of Arc and was completely taken by her. He accompanied her in combat and was devoted to her. After she was captured and burned, he sought so deeply for divine power that he pursued alchemy, astrology, and necromancy and eventually died under mysterious circumstances. There's no story and very little fact. Rumor and myth are summarized and repeated. If this book were a meal, it would be a styrofoam plate that had been passed near the aroma of food.

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Three Hearts and Three Lions

 

I finished reading this book, Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. I can't think of another book by the late Anderson that I've read, and my expectations weren't high. They sagged even lower when the story began with the hero finding a splendid charger with armor, lance, and sword awaiting him as he regained consciousness in a strange new world after blacking out at a WWII skirmish against the Nazis. Fortunately, I didn't abandon the book.

Our hero, Holger Carlsen, comes across as a little John Carter-esque. Actually, he's got advantages Carter didn't because he seems to intuitively know how to ride and sword fight and doesn't have to deal with gravitational issues. He does have to get to know the strange place, but he has advantages there too. All these unearned advantages at the start of the story put me off. Nevertheless, I continued and eventually found myself caught up in the adventure with Holger, Alianora, and Hugi in this Middle World where the chaotic forces of the Faerie East strive to defeat order as represented by humans and the Empire in the West in this medieval fantasy tale.

Holger doesn't realize it, but he is an impressive dude in this realm. His troika of trouble is drawn by discovering who he is supposed to be in Middle World, dealing with romantic and relationships, and battling the forces of chaos. He first encounters an old witch-woman who recommends Duke Alfric of Faerie as to connect him with someone who could send him back to his own world. Along the way, Holger finds an ally in the dwarf Hugi, who leads him to Alianora, the swan-maiden. These two escort him to Alfric, where he meets Morgan Le Fay. 

Alianora warns Holger before Alfric traps him in Elf Hill.The forces of chaos and Morgan Le Fay pursue him through the rest of the story with help from Morgan's allies. Holger and his friends manage to defeat, outwit, or contain a dragon, a giant, and a werewolf. After Holger solves the werewolf problem, a Saracen knight joins the team. He's looking for Holger, but the hero's magical disguise keeps him from being recognized. Then they're off to find the sword Cortana.

The quest for the sword takes them through the territory of the hillmen, where a good time was not had by all, and finally into a troll hole where they fight a vicious creature to escape at great cost. They find the sword's hiding place as the Wild Hunt catches up to them. We don't get to see how Holger deals with chaos once he has Cortana. He eventually gets back to WWII, and after the war seeks to return to the Middle World and Alianora. Naturally, I've left out a lot details because you might want to read this book. I don't want to ruin it entirely for you.

Do I recommend it? Sure. It's a fun tale. Although some aspects are completely predictable, the journey is an exciting romp. It did feel like the forces of chaos and Morgan Le Fay never devoted their complete power and efforts to defeating Holger--of course, that whole super allergy to iron does hinder the Faeries and Morgan has personal reasons for not trying to crush him like a bug.

I say take the tale for a spin. It was a flavor I hadn't had in sometime, and I enjoyed it.

I do have The Broken Sword by the same author. I'll have to try it now. 

 

Bruce Nesmith

 Interview with Bruce Nesmith

Author of

The Loki Redeemed Series

 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

Ymir’s Return is the third book of my Loki Redeemed trilogy. The main character is the Loki of the Norse myths (not the movie or comic book version). He’s hiding out on earth, working as a stage magician in the suburbs. In the first two books, Loki is drawn out of his self-imposed exile and back into the problems and politics of Asgard and the Nine Realms. In the third book, he must contend with the prophesied return of the frost giant Ymir, who seeks to destroy the world tree and all the Nine Realms with it.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I’ve always been fascinated by Norse mythology. Their gods are viewed more like the heroes of American tale tales, such as Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Larger than life characters with outsized capabilities, but underneath very human and with all those foibles. So what if they were real people? And what if Loki wasn’t exactly the villain that the stories made him out to be? So I flipped the stories on their heads and made Thor more the villain and Loki more of the reluctant/conflicted hero. Mix in a unique magic system, well developed world, some motorcycles and sniper rifles, and you have my books.

Do you write in more than one genre?

Currently these are the only books I have published. However, I plan to be writing some traditional science fictions novels as well.

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

It’s a fresh take on Norse mythology and how it might actually work with the modern world. I’ve built a believable setting that incorporates both science and magic. As a trickster, Loki tries to do good, but sometimes strays from the path. He really did start Ragnarok, but only because Odin framed him for Balder’s death. Yet at the same time, he’s willing to risk his own life to save the giants from extermination. For these books, I heavily researched Norse mythology and tied them to events in the books, either by providing alternate versions and explanations, or by using the events, people and places to build a believable world.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I’ve spent decades making fantasy adventures for tabletop role-playing games and video games. I was the lead designer for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim video game. I wrote the Ravenloft campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons. World building comes very naturally to me. I’ve been a voracious reader of fantasy and science fiction all my life. Story telling is second nature to me.

 What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I still love gaming of all sorts, and run regular role-playing game sessions with friends. I’m an amateur astronomer and enjoy learning about all kinds of science.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller is a wonderful book and not getting nearly enough attention. I’ve read enough stories and written enough tales at this point that I’m rarely surprised by a plot twist, but she got me hook, line and sinker. The world she created is fresh and amazing and I hope she writes more stories set in it.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Mischief Maker. Gotta start a trilogy at the beginning after all. I also like the character development in that book. You get to see a new type of Loki that you may never have seen before.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Getting at job at TSR right out of college. This is a longer story and one of my favorites.

Between my junior and senior years in college, I got hired to help write the college’s accounting and payroll software on the new computer system they purchased. With nothing to do that summer, and nobody to do it with, I spent eight hours sleeping, eight hours working, and eight hours making computer games on the new computer.

When students came back in the fall, the only games available on the brand-new computer system were mine. The most popular turned out to be Dragons, a D&D like game with ten dungeon levels, monsters and treasure.

Forty-five minutes down the road, TSR also bought a new computer system from the same sales person. She told them that this kid at the nearby college made a computer game that looked a lot like their games. So they contacted me and asked me to apply for a job as a games programmer.

To reiterate, I’m sitting around, about to graduate with a nearly worthless degree in mathematics when my dream job calls me and asks me to apply. Talk about dumb luck. When I tell this story at conventions and universities, I add that to get a job, any job, you need to persuade the hiring manage that you are a safe risk. You do that by having an appropriate degree, experience in a related field, or experience do that job. I had inadvertently proven I could do the job by making that Dragons game.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Would you like to share this winning lottery ticket with me? Just kidding. I think authors rarely get asked about the most subtle aspects of writing, like pacing, using humor in non-comedy books, use of secondary or supporting characters, etc.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

The most important game is the game of expectations. We are never judged by what we do, but by how it compares to what people expect of us. When a child gives you a drawing, you might be amazed at how good it is. If an adult gives you that same drawing, you are unimpressed. The drawing didn’t change. Your expectations changed. Always be aware of the expectations.

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Thanks to Bruce for participating. He may have more books out by now. It has taken me a long time to get some of these interviews posted. Several requests were coming in each week for a year from authors I didn't know, and I habitually only post once a week, and not every week is an author interview. Additionally, I invite authors I do know for interviews and I always put them at the front of the line. So, check out Bruce on Amazon and see how many more books he has out now.

I think I've completed the final edit on the book I plan to submit at the end of the month. As for my other novel, it's still with the publisher. I expected a request for edits this week, but something on that end must not have gone as planned. I'm still waiting.

I did get a little bit written yesterday on a short story that I may finish before the submission deadline. If not, it will still be an awesome story and I'll publish it with my own book of short stories.

A barrage of bots have been targeting me for several weeks offering services relating to my books. The usual format is to tell me how exciting my books are, with praise for the exciting action and the character development and the world building, before touting the services available. In truth, all those things are great, but I can tell the spambot du jour hasn't actually read my books because the information is all a variation of stuff that's available in the book descriptions and reviews and put together by AI. Perhaps I should save the praises and post them like reviews. Here's the one from today:

"I recently had the opportunity to read Truth in Flames, and I was struck by its powerful mix of history, fantasy, and high-stakes adventure. From Lucette’s desperate fight to keep Washington’s army together, to Alex and Mirimoni’s battles against stone cats, dragonlings, and the terrifying new weapon of Captain Roberts, the story pulls readers into a vivid struggle where liberty itself hangs in the balance. The intertwining quests of Rip, Antonio, Akram, and Iago enrich the narrative even further, creating a layered and engaging tale that sparks discussion about courage, sacrifice, and the cost of freedom."

Excerpt from Crisis in Fire and Snow

 

 It's been a long weekend. I'm tired. So tired. You needn't suffer. Feast upon this excerpt from Crisis in Fire and Snow:

Hugh ran through trees and brush along a narrow trail. Leaves and branches passed in a close green blur, occasionally grabbing at his clothing or slapping him in the face. Two braves followed close behind. One of them whooped from time to time, and Hugh renewed his flagging efforts at the unnerving encouragement.

He broke into a clearing. A little field of wheat stretched between him and a rail fence. A log cabin rose beyond the fence. Hugh leaped into the wheat, still running at top speed. He went faster without the leaves and branches clawing at him. The wheat was pale and mature, but not tall, and offered little resistance. Fifty strides into the field, he heard the whoops of two warriors. He didn’t look back.

Hugh leaped the rail fence without slowing. He had doubted for a moment that he would clear the obstacle, but the memory of jumping over crates and barrels in London under the threat of arrest persuaded him. While the natives might spare him a stern lecture, experience informed him that they would surpass the London police in both general unkindness and specific intent to harm.

...

H

ugh lunged against the door. It fell open and he tumbled inside as the tomahawk passed through the space his head had occupied a moment before. Hugh sprang to his feet and dropped the bar across the door as he pushed it closed. The windows were already shuttered.

“Sweet England, I never should’ve left ye,” he muttered.

He took rapid account of his resources. He had his musket and his pack along with his knife, tomahawk, and one stone cat antler—he had lost the other antler somewhere. Before he could begin an inventory of the room, war cries and pounding came from outside the door. Tomahawks bit into the wood like teeth into a ripe apple. Fortunately, the door hung on metal hinges and not wood or leather. He scanned the room. A table and three chairs, an empty fireplace, and a bedframe were the most notable features. There were two windows in the wall opposite the door and another in the wall opposite the fireplace, above the foot of the bed.

The pounding and chopping continued at the door.

A muzzle pushed through the loophole in the shutter by the bed. Hugh raised his firearm and fired as a painted face became visible at the other end of the intruding weapon. The musket thundered and the warrior fell away. The native’s firelock remained stuck in the loophole. Hugh dropped his own weapon and dragged the musket into the cabin. He confirmed that it had powder in the pan before placing it on the table. He removed his pack and slung it into the corner beneath the leather straps of the bed.

He began reloading his own weapon and grumbled, “Lee can have his magic hat. Maybe the magic is all gone or only works for him.”

He completed the reload and swiped the hat from his head. “There’s no point in breaking the hat’s streak of good luck on my account.” He threw the cap into the fireplace before taking a musket in each hand to face the splintering door.

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Hugh is a character that became more interesting as the series progressed. He began as an odd man in the troop of dragon hunters. He was a complainer and had designs on Alex's stone--he was a criminal, after all. A lot of things happened to file down the greedy edge on Hugh's character and he has decided to become a frontiersman like the indispensable Lee. He's in the thick of it now with hostile Indians, stone cats, dragonlings, and the other denizens of the frontier out to relieve him of that burden called life.