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| more 5-star reviews for Vortex, plus lots more in this weeks Medieval Musings. |
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We took delivery of a new stove this week. The old one had been having problems. After only five minutes of baking, it would shut down, making it challenging to cook anything in the oven. It wasn’t doing this consistently, but after three restarts while making some hotdogs, the writing was on the wall.
Now, you might think it would have been more cost-effective to repair it, but we already did that when the control board died a few years back. Thankfully, we were able to buy a brand new unit at a great price as Carol found a deal on a ‘scratch and dent’ unit. (The dent is on the side hidden by the kitchen counter, so we’ll never see it.)
Don’t feel sorry for our old stove; it was, after all, seventeen years old, so it had a good run. Let’s hope our next one lasts just as long!
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More 5-Star reviews for Vortex!
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'Excellent book.'
'I can't wait for the next book.'
'An incredibly enjoyable story'
'Storytelling is second to none.'
'So look forward to these books.'
'Kept me on the edge of my sea.'
'Keeps the reader in suspense at every turn'
'Magic, mayhem and battles - what more could you ask for?'
'Quite possibly the best sword and sorcery fantasy author of a generation.'
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On the sixth of September 1915, the world’s first tank, nicknamed Little Willie, rolled off the assembly line in England. As far as tanks go, it was very underwhelming, crawling along at only two miles an hour and tending to get stuck when trying to cross trenches.
Meant to be the answer to the trench warfare of the First World War, it was initially referred to as a land ship. However, the government decided to keep its development secret, so they adopted the name water carrier for it, the intention being this would lead people to believe they were developing a vehicle for water transportation. Later, the term ‘tank’ was applied (as in water tank), a name that has since been used for all vehicles of this type.
Little Willie never saw any action but was succeeded by Big Willie, also known as the Mark 1, the first of many tanks employed in World War One.
Little Willie is on display at the Tank Museum in Bovington, England.
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Has it been five years already?
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Maps are part of the stock in trade of a fantasy author, but one thing I find interesting is how they are sometimes portrayed within the story itself. This is particularly apparent in shows and movies such as Game of Thrones, where we see a group of people gathered around a surprisingly accurate map of the region.
In our own history, maps were far from realistic portrayals of the area. As time went by, the introduction of such things as the compass, printing press, telescope and other navigational aids such as sextants and quadrants helped create far more detailed maps.
These days most of us take Google Maps (or Apple’s Maps application, if you prefer) for granted, but there’s a lot of history that led to us this point.
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Thank you to everyone who suggested a name for Tempus' pup. Although there were many great ideas, I still could only pick one. However, I was surprised to see how many people actually suggested this one (11 in total).
I'd intended on giving away a complete library of my works to date to the winner, but I didn't feel it would be fair to only give it to the first person who responded to the email. So, I am going to email each of the winners, and let them choose one of my series, then send them all the books in that series.
Congrats to: Evelyn, S. Schafer, Dorothy, Peter K, Susan M, Heather P, Ila, Jerry F, Emery D, Timothy H, Gayreth.
If you want to know what the winning name was, you'll have to read Guardian of the Crown :)
~~~~~
Congrats to last week's winner, Hannah, for letting me know what your are your favourite parts of my newsletter. I was happy to see the historical articles and On the Homefront tied for first place.
Please click on the question below to automatically be entered into this week's eBook Giveaway.
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| Is September to early to start the pumpkin spice craze? |
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| For me, there is never a good time for it. Carol, however, is a big fan. |
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| Thank you |
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| You are now entered to win a free ebook of your choice |
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Guardian of the Crown is proceeding nicely, and I’m fast approaching the two-thirds mark. Things are starting to come together for the characters, and although danger threatens, they are rising to the challenge.
This story involves not only Merceria but Weldwyn and the Clanholdings, which means the cast is quite large. The good news is that while there are some new characters, most of the story concerns events surrounding those introduced in earlier books.
Now, I must get back to work before the villain gets away from me!
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Here's the another snippet for Vortex. Enjoy!
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"When was the last time anything threatened us in the wilderness?"
"Do you truly have such a short memory?" said Belgast. "Do I need to mention water drakes?"
"That was on a river," replied Athgar.
"And what about those spiky creatures that attacked us on the road to Caerhaven?"
"You mean the thornlings? You worry too much."
"It's hard not to when travelling with the likes of you. They should call you danger; you attract it often enough."
"I would say the city is much more dangerous. Anytime we go to a so-called 'civilized' town, people try to kill us."
"Well," said the Dwarf, "I can't argue with you on that one." He walked a few more steps. "On the other hand, perhaps I can. We were in Korvoran, and no one tried to kill us."
"Did you forget the men who chased us into Barbek's shop? And then there was the trio who followed Natalia and me."
"Very well, you've made your point."
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Finished Vortex already?
Why not give one of these great authors a try!
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The Assassin's are dying, and he vows to bring them back to power.
The age of magic has died off in Narishma, leaving many forced to toil at the land or face death from starvation. Even the Shadows, a once proud guild of assassins, are feeling the toll as people in power hide within their homes and choose money over politics.
Missions are scarce, so why not take on a mission to help a bard create the best song in Narishma? The problem? Keeping the bard safe while traversing the most difficult test a Shadow must face.
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Visions of the past forge second chances for the future. Silas isn’t just a thief. He’s the best in Veralian. But he’s not the city’s biggest problem.
As the leader of the Ashen Hawks, Silas has to keep a clear head, even when his younger sister gives him a piece of her mind. But even with her warning, he can’t resist helping a beautiful prisoner escape the city’s barracks, not realizing she’s the prize he was searching for.
Lucca uses trinkets to see glimpses of the past under the military’s cruel control. When an emotionally damaged, yet annoyingly handsome thief gives her an opportunity to start over, she sets her focus on saving him from a danger neither of them saw coming.
When the truth of Helgath’s experimentation is exposed, it will either destroy the Hawks or force them to rise above and become the corrupted country’s most notorious criminal guild.
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The men secured the shackles slowly, hesitantly, but Kibure did not resist; he couldn’t. Whatever otherworldly power had come over him in those moments of passion had fled his body the second he realized what he had done…
In a realm where only clerics are permitted to practice magic, Kibure’s inexplicable use of power places him in grave danger. In a twist of fate, the rogue priestess hired to strip him of his power chooses instead to help him escape.
Her reasons for doing so are her own, but something worse than death awaits if they are unable to evade the Empire's most potent wielders.
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A father protecting his son. A princess learning to lead. A king living in the shadow of his fathers legacy. A hero willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.
This epic quest spans over 2,000 pages, following the journey of heroes and villains in a fight for power and control in one complete story.
When the King of Ansaroth seeks vengeance for the murder of his father, Rysh fights to honor a promise he made to a dying friend. With little hope of survival, he searches deep inside to find the soldier he spent years burying away. Will Rysh keep his promise, or will evil forces stop him from reaching his goal?
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Make a mistake, get cursed. Stand up, get cursed. Fight for what's right, get cursed. Life's not fair especially for these twelve souls.
Makes sense right? If you lie, cheat, and steal, you could be cursed. But what happens when you protect your family, are born to a bitter family, stand up for yourself, or are to young to realize that your circumstance is no fault of your own? Perception is reality and the reality for these twelve is a life lived cursed.
Each for their own unique circumstances throughout history. Life is not fair. But just maybe they can find redemption and break their individual curses.
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A desperate warrior carries a baby girl across a foreign desert.
Although truth and honor are tattooed on his face, Tharo has abandoned both virtues in his quest to protect his charge, the princess Drinith.
But it’s only a matter of time before he fails her. Another man stalks them, a hunter no prey can escape, the dreaded Souldiviner.
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Here are some great stories just for you!
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Extra Book Deals & Giveaways
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| "Every review I receive inspires me to write more!" |
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Paul J Bennett,
Author of Epic Fantasy.
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