Body-Swapping Romantic Fantasy with L A Hilder Jones

If you haven’t figured out by now, I love living in Las Vegas. One of the biggest reasons is the people I’ve met through Sin City Writers. We are an odd little group but supportive of each other’s efforts and we rejoice when one of our own gets published. Thus, I bring you L A Hilder Jones and her new novel, “It Happened One Morning.”

Okay, I know you under another name, but who is L A Hilder Jones and why should people care?

I’ve always been a storyteller ever since I was a teenager. Wrote two books. One was about a sensuous vampire exacting revenge on three annoying classmates (8th grade, you know?). The other was an 18th-century soap opera-type story which took place in Wales. Never published them, but the whole point was to create a world I wanted to be part of. Escape the annoying, humdrum reality that is life, and control the fate of characters in my hands.

But, gotta have a day job. In my case, several day jobs. After college, I landed a mailroom job at KNBC-TV, then a gig working Hollywood Squares. Typing their contracts for prizes and such. Then after about five years at Lockheed as an editorial assistant for an aerospace magazine, I headed to Washington, D.C., where I eventually landed two jobs at Gannett. Left there, joined another company writing for their newsletters and eventually their proposal center. Then moved to Las Vegas, where I became a communications consultant to MGM Mirage, then joined a government contractor where I wrote for and oversaw their company publication. Twelve years of that and I said, “That’s enough,” took early retirement and now write what I want to write and publish.

Your book has a unique premise. What’s it about?

“It Happened One Morning…” tells the story of Boz Studebaker, a famous but burned-out on-air relationship coach who, one morning, suddenly turns into a woman. Now’s he forced not only to live a woman’s life, but also take his own advice. He–Bonnie–does everything she can to turn back to Boz, even enduring problematic “woman-y” situations and two little shapeshifters. But a horrific event leads her to the love of her life. For the first time, Bonnie doesn’t want to return to being Boz. Problem is, the Universe has other plans for her.

The novel is a mix of laugh-out-loud entertainment, poignancy, and wise advice, while Boz/Bonnie learns what makes and breaks even the most promising relationships.

The ebook version launched Oct. 12. The paperback version will launch Dec. 1, 2024, just in time for the holidays.

What about the magic or character appealed to you? What are the roots of this unique story?

When I was very young, I was inspired by actors I had crushes on, or TV shows and movies. Never books, oddly. Now, I write from experience and the experience of others. When I imagined Boz, his looks and personality reminded me of Bruce Willis’s wacky but astute character in “Moonlighting.” Liz, his producer, was inspired by my hairdresser. Morgan Pacek, Bonnie’s lover, was a composite of men but he ended up being his own man in the book. And the story itself was inspired by all the male relationship coaches I watched on YouTube and the internet. They give really smart advice, mainly for women. But one component was missing: They, as straight men, never dated men. We women have, so their advice only goes so far. That observation inspired the Boz character, who does go through that gender shift, to his horror and dismay.

Who did this to you? Who did you read that made you the writer you are?

I loved Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre.” She brings you into that 19th-century world so easily and beautifully. Today, I’m reading Kristin Hannah’s “The Women”. I much admire her writing style, because she simply tells a story with intriguing characters, without getting prose-y and long-winded. Her writing style is “seasoned,” for lack of a better word. Another writer I admire is Nathaniel Philbrick, particularly his “In the Heart of the Sea” non-fiction. I love non-fiction the most, particularly when the author forgets his or her research and delves into the story, the real reason why that story was written.

Where can we learn more about you and your work?

You can learn more about my book by reading it. I recommend that readers buy my books directly from my website, www.lahiderjones.com. They can get a personally autographed copy with a bookmarker. Otherwise, the ebook is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Apple Books, all the big players. When the paperback goes live Dec. 1, folks can come to Copper Cat books in Henderson, where I’ll have my launch party, selling “It Happened One Morning…” at a discount. And, we’ll get to meet and chat!

Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder was a finalist for the 2024 American BookFest Fantasy Book award. Check it out, along with the rest of the series on Amazon in Audible, Kindle or Paperback, or through Black Rose Writing.

Johnny Lycan is now an Award Winner

I know that book awards aren’t supposed to be a thing. We’re supposed to be cool and arty and above all that nonsense.

That said, look what just happened. Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is a finalist for the 2024 Best Fantasy Book from the American Book Fest.

Yes indeed, the grand finale of the Werewolf PI series is officially an award winner (or at least a finalist, darn it.)

Thanks to the team at Black Rose Writing for their help with this book and the whole darned series.

Order the AWARD WINNING Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder now, available in paperback, Kindle, and Audible.

Multi-generational Chinese Historical Fiction with Wendy Chen

Like most NAWPS (North American White People,) my family history was never greatly recorded until most of the old aunties were gone. That’s one reason I’m fascinated with historical fiction that connects different generations across multiple countries. Living in Las Vegas, which has a plethora of excellent HF writers, I was excited to learn about Wendy Chen and her new book, Their Divine Fires.

Although we share geography, this is the first time I’ve had a chance to “meet” her. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

Hi Wendy. We’ve never had a chance to meet, even though we share a town. What should we know about you?

I am a writer, translator, and teacher, with a background in the visual arts–specifically bronze and marble sculpture. I am interested in writing across genres, and my work often pushes against genre conventions as well. For example, I write poetry that has elements of prose, and vice versa. My first book, Unearthings, was a book of poetry, and I recently published my debut novel–a work of historical fiction titled Their Divine Fires–in May 2024. Next year, my translations of the Song-dynasty woman writer Li Qingzhao will be out in a poetry collection titled The Magpie at Night with Farrar, Straus & Giroux. I’m really excited about that collection, as Li Qingzhao is considered one of the greatest poets in Chinese history and wrote and published during a time when women were discouraged from doing so. Currently, I teach creative writing at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

What is “Their Divine Fires” about?

My book follows four generations of Chinese and Chinese American women in one family. Beginning in the early 1900s in China and ending in modern-day America, the novel traces the journeys of these family members as they each figure out how to survive amidst revolution, resistance, and adversity. Each generation faces challenges unique to their period, such as the Chinese Revolution of 1911 or the Cultural Revolution of the 60s, but they are all unified by a common spirit of persistence. The novel is particularly interested in the ways individuals grapple with love–its vulnerabilities and its pains–against, despite, or because of history. This is a book for readers who loved Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko or Marquéz’s One Hundred Years of Solitude.   

What is it about that time period that appealed to you? What are the roots of the story?

The novel has personal significance to me, as it draws on the history and lives of my ancestors. The inspiration for this novel is the stories my grandmother would tell me when I was a child, stories about her mother and her grandparents. It always fascinated me to think about how the lives of my ancestors and my own life were so different from one another, and yet how their lives led inextricably to my own. How could my grandmother, a peasant girl from a rural village in China, end up in America in the 80s? How could China have changed so much over the last century? How did my ancestors live through revolution, civil war, famine, disaster, dictatorship, and come through it all on the other side? Those were questions I was working through while writing Their Divine Fires. 

What’s your favorite scene in the book?

One of my favorite scenes in the book is the opening, when a brother asks his little sister to cut his hair. At that time in the early 1900s in China, men typically kept their hair long and untouched, a symbol of respect and reverence for their bodies which their parents gave them. It was, therefore, an act of filial piety to preserve your hair. However, the sister helps her brother cut his hair, an act which defies tradition and angers their parents. I struggled a lot with figuring out how to open this book, as I wanted to give a sense of the ways a family was beginning to fracture across the generations without hitting the reader over the head with the symbolism. Finally, I landed on this scene, which demonstrated the fracture as well as the love between the siblings–a bond which is eventually tested as the novel develops. 

Where can we learn more about you and your work?

My website wendychenart.com provides information about me, my publications, and my latest projects. You can also find me on Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook under the profile name wendychenart. Their Divine Fires is available at Amazon here. 

Part of the fun of being a multi-genre author is meeting readers with diverse tastes. If historical fiction, rather than werewolves, is your cup of team, consider The Lucca Le Pou Stories. It’s a two-book series about a young orphan in the Crusades who becomes a spy. There’s intrigue, violence, leprous knights, and heroics ala Kipling’s Kim.

You can find the series on Kindle here. If you’d like a signed paperback copy, drop me a line. Of course, you can find all my work; fiction, nonfiction, and just plain goofy at my Amazon Author Page

More Than the Usual Parental Brainwashing with SJ Carson

One of the perks of being in an inclusive writers group like Sin City Writers, is the chance to see so much good work while it is still nascent, then celebrate when it comes into the world. Such is the case with SJ Carson’s new novel, Aveline. I’ve read bits and pieces of it for a long time, and now it’s out in the world October 9th.

Okay, lady. Who are you and why do we care?

Originally from Long Island, New York, I have been a writer since the age of five. I began writing illustrated storybooks, making covers out of the cardboard backs of legal pads. In junior high, I started keeping a diary in which I wrote short stories and vignettes based on my life. Then, in high school, I started writing poetry. In English class, I read the work of the Romantic poets and thought, naively, “I can do that!” I spent the next fifteen years or so honing my craft as a poet. I went to Boston University to earn my MFA in poetry and taught English briefly at the College of Southern Nevada.

Around the age of thirty, I decided to focus on fiction and become a novelist. I started probably ten or fifteen different manuscripts, just trying to teach myself the craft of fiction. I am excited that my first novel, Aveline, will be coming out on October 9, 2024!

I read your first book of poetry, which is something I rarely do, and enjoyed it. I’m excited to see the book out in the world. What’s Aveline about?

It’s about a thirteen-year-old girl named Aveline Fleur, the granddaughter of her country’s Leader, and the daughter of its Lightminister (i.e., chief propagandist). Aveline grows up believing that she lives in the most prosperous, most peaceful country in the world. In reality, its dictatorial government suppresses dissidents by brainwashing them using powerful new drugs. When Aveline discovers what’s really going on, and that her best friend’s mom has been disappeared by the government, she has to leave her comfortable, safe world behind and take action. Her journey is a coming-of-age story as much as it is a struggle to protect the people she loves. When we first meet Aveline, she is a timid girl, but by the end she has blossomed into a confident young woman.

It has a very Divergent kind of feel to it. Where did the story come from?

Back in 2012, I began writing a short story about a young woman named Allyn and her troubled relationship with her daughter Aveline. Both were members of their country’s ruling family. Allyn was not a very good role model for Aveline since she was hungry for power at all costs. Allyn even manipulated her boyfriend, a lower-class man, for political gain. However, I didn’t get beyond a few pages when I ran out of steam. I wasn’t sure at the time where the story was going or what my goal was in telling it.

I let the idea stew for about seven years while I worked on other projects. Then, in early 2019, I started working on it again and developing the plot. How would Aveline react if she learned that her mother, a powerful governmental figure, was up to something wicked that affected the entire society? How would their relationship change? Would it even survive? With these questions in mind, I began the manuscript that would eventually become Aveline. I worked on it for five years, on and off, before it was accepted for publication by The Wild Rose Press.

What are the authors who helped form you? I’m going to assume it’s an eclectic list.

The first author I fell in love with was Sylvia Plath. My twelfth-grade English teacher gave me a copy of The Bell Jar, and I devoured it, along with Plath’s Collected Poems. Never had I read prose or poetry that resonated so deeply with my personal experiences as a teenage girl. I still read Plath to this day and find something new in her work every time.

Currently, I also really enjoy Janet Fitch (her best-known work is White Oleander), Robert Jordan (The Wheel of Time series), Frank Herbert (Dune), and Philip Pullman (His Dark Materials series). Each author is very different, but each has taught me about the craft of storytelling, character development, and world-building.

How can we find out more about the wonder that is you?

You can connect with me at my author website, www.sjcarson.com, and on social media as follows:

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing. All three books are now available on Audible.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

An Enigmatic Book From the Enigmatic KJ Fieler

In working with a publisher who puts out a lot of books (Shout out to Reagan and the team at Black Rose Writing) you cross trails with a lot of people. Some of them stick with you and you form a small society of cool people you like interacting with. Enter KJ Fieler. She’s interviewed me in the past and pretends to enjoy my work. Her newest book, Shadow Runner is out now. I’ll let her tell you about it.

So what’s your deal, lady?

By all accounts, I’m an adult, a suburbanite, and a writer. I agree with that last bit. As for the first two, I’ve never claimed to be either and can’t imagine how such a rumor started. Okay, maybe the fact that I do own a home is misleading. I submit to suburbia but view a house as just something to clean, and I need it to come with interchangeable backyards. Turns out, that’s entirely possible. Toward that end, Ric and I bought an Airstream, hired someone to mow the lawn, and spent six months one year, eight the next, wandering around state and national parks. I was never so gloriously happy as when there was a bison scratching his behind on our truck.

There’s a visual, to be sure. What’s the new book about and does it involve buffalo hindquarters?

In a nutshell: what happens to a person who’s forced to embrace the darkness to survive?

Shadow Runner is the tale of Ada, a young aristocrat who’s kidnapped and raised by a secret society. As she comes of age, she must target the very people she once called kin or attempt a daring escape. But if she leaves, she risks the lives of the ones most dear: her adopted sister and her enigmatic captor. Moreover, in a world of moral ambiguity, she must find her humanity. It’s a cross-genre blend of historical fantasy, steampunk, and young adult fiction.

What is it about the story that appealed to you? Where did it come from?

My favorite stories are all some version of the Heroine or Hero’s Journey. Ada’s life mirrors my own, except that her circumstances are placeholders for less glamorous—and slightly less traumatic—real-life events. I was never abducted by criminals… unless you count the time my rather seedy college roommates once told me we were going to the beach and failed to mention the part about having to scale a fence marked “no trespassing.” But I digress. Like most people, I’ve experienced my share of adversity. Among other things, I’m a breast cancer survivor, which years you’d think I would want to erase from my life. I don’t. I consider those trials a blessing. They forced me to find my mettle and stop sailing through life as if the days ahead are endless. They also caused me to stop being afraid… of anything other than air travel and palmetto bugs.

Ada is a better version of the me who feeds the cat and does the laundry. She’s brave, smart, precocious. She knows just what to say to bullies, she stands firm when monsters come her way, and she always knows her way home.

Who are the authors you read?

Oh, I’d have given vital organs to meet Douglas Adams. Hitchiker’s Guide was great, but he also wrote Last Chance to See: a magical book. He went all the places—some I’m not entirely sure he didn’t make up—and wrote about them in his wickedly comedic voice.

I’d donate a kidney to meet Neil Gaiman… in case anyone needs a kidney and is in good with him. I grew up on Asimov and Clark; spent my junior high school days learning to write in Elvish, thanks to Tolkien; found myself in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance which sparked my fascination with psychology and travel.

These days I’m a devotee of Barbara Kingsolver, Jess Kid, Wayne Turmel (EDITORS NOTE-SUCKING UP WON’T HELP), Cam Torrens, Del Blackwater, Deb Heim, Kim Conrey, Alex Hugi and… well, let’s just say I’m a big fan of digital books because they travel well.

And they’re cheap! Don’t forget that. Where can we learn more about you?

https://www.kjfieler.com

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/29624050-kjfieler

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/k-j-fieler

https://www.facebook.com/kat.fieler

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand

Today is the Launch of The Second Edition of the Long-Distance Leader and Maybe a Laugh?

Today we launch the updated version of a book that has changed lives around the world for 6 years. The Long-Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership is now out in the world.

In this new edition we have updated the technology (Zoom exists! Skype for Business doesn’t!) and paid way more attention to hybrid work since the Return to Office (kind of.)

You can get the book at Amazon, or buy it from us and get free resources and bonus material! www.LongDistanceWorklife.com/LDL

Of course, when you write in multiple genres, they say you confuse your audience. People read business books don’t necessarily read fiction, and vice versal. Then people who read fiction, don’t always read historical fiction like Count of the Sahara or the Lucca Le Pou Stories. And people who read histfic don’t always read stuff like The Werewolf PI series.

I present the Venn Diagram of my audience. Thank you all.

Werewolves as Demon Metaphor??? Blackie Williamson

One of the things I always enjoy with the current werewolf renaissance in writing is when people come up with explanations for how and why the change occurs, or what’s really behind it. With the Johnny Lycan stories, it’s mostly a genetic defect (although as Nik Koslov can tell you, it can be transmitted by bite so don’t get cocky.) Horror writer Blackie Williamson has a different theory in his book, Evil Eye in the Sky.

Alright, Blackie. Who are you and what’s up?

Unlike many horror authors, I’m not trying to be original, but trendy, to sell books, because I’ve had bedbugs more than once and want out of this ghetto. I do write brutally, and with plenty of gore and series’ of shocks, to satisfy the true horror fans out there. I also write fantasy and science fiction. 

Okay, we’re going the brutally honest route. I like it. What’s Evil Eye in the Sky about?

A balance between beast and lover. Cormac, infected by another werewolf, has to fight with every fiber of his being to not rend asunder and eat blond Aubrey, his high-school love interest. To make matters worse, Cormac’s father, Goddard–who demands to be called God–is after Cormac and Aubrey to join his wolf pack and worship him, to devour innocents. The conflict is that they must find a way to defeat him.

You’ve made some interesting choices about what lycanism is and how it manifests. What is the thinking here?

: It was important to me to have the werewolf virus be a Legion, Cormac possessed by 2,000 demons. In cryptid research, I found that the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin became possessed after devil worship, as I am a Christian. I had fun with Cormac by making him a tough guy, but also a sweetie. Roots? I dunno. I was influenced by the werewolf-movie greats: An American Werewolf in London, The Howling, and the Ginger Snaps trilogy, as well as great werewolf novels like Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King. 

You’ve certainly done your werewolf homework. Who are your favorites?

Adam Nevill (werewolf novel The Reddening), Glen Duncan (The Last Werewolf), John Skipp and Craig Spector (Animals), Ray Garton (Ravenous and Bestial), and Graeme Reynolds (High Moor), the greats as far as werewolf novels, before they were overdone, plus Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI Series by Wayne Turmel.

That’s a hell of a list, and I’m ashamed at how pleased I am to be on it. Not resistant to flattery. Where can people learn more about you?

My Amazon page is here.

@BlackieWFangs on X, and blackienosferatu on Instagram, plus blackynosferatu.livejournal.com.

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing. And it’s available in Kindle, Paperback and Audible.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand

My Genre ADD is Kicking In Again

What’s a guy to do when he finishes a series? With Johnny and his friends (relatively) safe, it’s time to start writing something else. Okay fine, but what?

For most of the last year, I’ve been writing screenplays and a couple of short stories. The movies are fun if I can get anyone to read them. There are two low-budget horror films and a script for Johnny Lycan & the Anubis Disk. And yet there’s this need….

Enter a new project. It’s back to historical fiction for me. I hope those of you who discovered me with my Urban Fantasy detour will stick with me for this new one. It’s still early stages, but this is what I know:

It’s about the French Foreign Legion. Yeah, I’m not kidding. I’m joining the ranks of Theodore Roscoe and PC Wren, if they’ll have me.

It’s not first person. Every novel I’ve written has been in first person (Willy Braun, Lucca le Pou, Johnny.) I think this one needs to be different and it’s an experiment.

I’m a kid from the rainforests of British Columbia, so what’s my fascination with the desert? For this story it’s back to Algeria with a side quest to Morocco. Gil Vincente is like no one I’ve written before and the tale is much grittier. Hopefully, it will be fun for all of us.

If you’ve read my historical fiction before, thank you. (There may be news about Acre’s Bastard and Acre’s Orphans soon, who knows?) and the Count of the Sahara continues to engage readers. If you only know my work through Johnny Lycan, I invite you to check it out. you have plenty of time. The new book is in its early stages.

Yeah, the story looks a lot like this. Picture courtesy of Foreign Legion Info.

On top of all this, the second, updated edition of The Long Distance Leader, Revised Rules for Remarkable Remote and Hybrid Leadership comes out September 17th. All of that should keep you busy while I’m cranking out Gil’s story.

Don’t let the weasels get you down.

Old Fashioned Werewolf Mayhem with Simon Steele

There is a hashtag called #werewolfwednesday, and on social media some of us have tried to leverage that to find readers. Well, you also find other authors who revel in the more furry, fangy (?) monsters. One such is Simon Steele and the first novel in a planned saga, Wolfblight.

Simon, what’s your deal?

My name is Simon and I have been a writer and author for five years. I have always enjoyed writing, even when I was a child. When I was eleven, I wrote a two page horror story for a compilation novel, the Young Writers of Wales 2003. One of the reasons I write is that it helps me to relax and is a great way to escape from the pressures of life. As someone who is neurodivergent, I find writing has a positive effect on my mental health. 

Tell us about Wolfblight. It’s certainly more traditional than Johnny Lycan.

My book is named Wolfblight, it is an adult horror novel with a dark fantasy twist. It is the first of a six book series known as the Wolfblight Saga, of which four have been released. The story is about a young woman named Ulva who lives in Norway during the time of the Vikings. Whilst grieving the loss of her unborn daughter, she is thrown into tragic and extraordinary circumstances one night when she is bitten by a werewolf. Unlike the classic werewolf lore, Ulva is unaffected by the full moon and instead turns into a monster every night when the sun goes down, only to turn back to normal come sunrise. The affliction is meant to worsen as time goes on, with the ultimate fate being permanent transformation. 

The story of Wolfblight involves Ulva going on a journey to find a cure for her affliction, which involves finding an artifact known as Fenrir’s Bane. She is joined on her quest by her husband John, her brother Einar and her friends Brenna and Kit. Brenna is a lycanthropist who studies werewolves whilst Kit is one herself, albeit she can control her turnings since she was born with lycanthropy. The villains of the story are the Cult of Fenris, an evil wolf-worshipping cult who want to destroy Fenrir’s Bane and plunge the land into darkness and chaos. They are led by Fenrir, the wolf from Norse mythology who created the affliction now plaguing Ulva, which is known as the Wolfblight, hence the title of the book and series. 

What inspired the story? Where’d it come from?

The story has roots heavily inspired by Norse mythology. I not only wanted to incorporate such a mythology into my work, but I wanted to give readers something fresh to read since a lot of current werewolf fiction tends to be set in either in the present day or the last 250 years. I wrote Wolfblight because I was unsatisfied with the current state of werewolf/lycanthropic fiction. There are many great books out there involving werewolves to be sure. But as amazing as these works were, they left me wanting more and so I decided to write my own werewolf novel, one that would contain everything I could ever want in such a book. 

I always like to know who inspired you. Who do you read?

There are many great authors out there that I enjoy, from G.R.R Martin and J.R.R Tolkien to Roald Dahl and R.L Stine. I read copious amounts of their work when I was younger. In terms of werewolf books, I have read many fantastic works, including Kelley Armstrong’s Bitten, Dylan Altoft’s Beast Born, Stephen King’s Silver Bullet, W.A Edward’s Hunter’s Fated Wait, Kat Kinney’s Dyrwolf, M.L White’s Shifter Awakened, Adrian Lopez’s Lycaon Bloodlines, Mark Runte’s Eve and Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber. Each of these authors gave their own unique spin on the werewolf mythos in the same way that I gave my own unique spin in Wolfblight and I am delighted to be counted amongst them.  

Where can we learn more?

Wolfblight and its sequels are available on Amazon in three forms, paperback, hardcover and Amazon Kindle. There are plans in the future to adapt the Wolfblight Saga into audiobooks, but I am unsure of when that will be. As an author, I am on Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads under the name Simon Steele. I currently do not have an author website, though I have plans to eventually create one. In terms of future writing plans, the series is in the midst of having their covers redesigned by the talented Stardust Book Services and there are two books left to write, which hopefully will be available in 2025/2026. 

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand

Tomahawks and Dragon Fire with Stanley Wheeler

You’ve heard of Sword and Sorcery? (That’s the Lord of the Rings stuff with semi-medieval settings and clashes of swords.) How about Flintlock Fantasy? That’s set in a slightly more modern world, maybe the late 1700s or so, where muskets and flintlocks exist and there are DRAGONS! (Sign me up.) One of the people writing in this genre is Stanley Wheeler, author of the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series.

Stanley, tell us about the wonder that is you…

I could describe myself in very favorable terms, but there’s always someone ready with a second opinion. Born and raised in Idaho, I’ve climbed the pyramids of Mexico, rambled about the halls and grounds of Versailles, and mourned the honored dead at Normandy. I would like to return to visit that hallowed ground. Although writing has been a long-term affliction for me, I didn’t start publishing until 2012 when I published a western novel I had written ten years earlier. I now have about a dozen novels and a few published short stories available. I enjoy acting in the community theater and in old-time radio show plays. Writing novels surpasses the stage experience because I get to play all the characters—and I don’t have to memorize the lines. However, the kissing scenes are less satisfying. In my youth I discovered that I didn’t want a long-term relationship with crops and cows, so I sought an education that would take me abroad. Eventually, I graduated with a degree in Near Eastern Studies. I had an opportunity to go to Washington D.C. to complete the final round of testing for employment with a government agency. I passed on the chance and went into law instead. In a life built on one bad decision after another, I thought I should cap that pyramid by sharing my writing affliction with the public.

We’ve all decided to take our trauma out on readers. Tell us about your latest book and the series.

I recently completed writing Crisis in Fire and Snow, book 6 in my Tomahawks and Dragon Fire Series. Threading the Rude Eye is the first book in the series. In this alternate history fantasy, Alex is completing his study of the law. He plans to marry and go to England to become a barrister. However, when two peculiar men with a map to a cache of dangerous power arrive with The King’s Supreme Commander in pursuit, everything he loves is destroyed, and he is thrown into the maelstrom of the revolution and the quest for the cache of power. Magic, dragons, and many other fantastic creatures complicate the struggle for life on the hostile frontier and the battle for liberty in America. Each book in the series builds on what has gone before. The characters grow and change, and their understanding of the magic progresses as well. I love each installment, but book 5 in the series, Truth in Flames, touches me the most deeply.

Can you tell us about the magic system (that’s writer talk for world building and cool stuff)?

There are a few different forms of magic used in the series. The most powerful magic originates from the dragon stones, which, as you might expect, come from dragons. The stones give one enhanced abilities: the power to compel others to one’s will, to heal, and to form tangible objects like weapons, shields, cords, etc. Additionally, other stones used in conjunction with a dragon stone provide other powers. The idea for the story and the magic grew from thoughts I had entertained for a few years. Finally, during a hiking trip, I outlined the first three books. I thought I was only outlining the first book, but the story expanded in the telling. Fantasy and history are subjects I enjoy. It seemed natural to mesh them into a great tale. Alex has a great sense of right and justice. Events constantly challenge both his growing powers as well as his desire to fulfill his commission limited instructions on how to use the power. In one sense, he is like the young Arthur, striving to reach an ideal in a world beset with evil. Although he possesses the same power that the commander uses to manipulate and control, he must use it for good. It’s a learning process with which nearly everyone should be able to relate and to sympathize. Strange beasts provide another fascinating element of the series. American Indian legends and lore have provided inspiration for most of the creatures in the tale.

Who did this to you? What writers warped you this way?

A wide variety of subjects and authors appeal to me. Alexandre Dumas and Edgar Rice Burroughs scratch a certain itch. Louis L’Amour’s western stories are always a good escape, and Tolkien provides a slow train to adventure and contemplation. I should add Heinlein and Alan Dean Foster to my science fiction and fantasy favorites too. Both Tony Hillerman’s and Raymond Chandler’s mysteries whisk me to settings that I relish, and my novel Smoke, a 1940s noir mystery with a hearty helping of humor, reflects that influence.
As far as modern authors go, I find that David J. Butler and Brandon Sanderson create fantastic worlds. I’ve met and corresponded regularly with David Butler, and we have a lot in common. I like to say he’s a younger, taller, smarter, more successful version of me. In non-fiction, I’m drawn to history, biographies, and military accounts. In Jr. high school I started reading everything I could find about the Civil War. From there I discovered Napoleonic history, and now I’m immersed in the American Revolutionary Era. I’ve found Michael O. Logusz and John Ferling write valuable and rousing retellings of eventsfrom that period.

Where can people learn more about you and your work?

Anyone can check out my books on my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Stanley-Wheeler/author/B00FN5I7T8

Or on my website: http://stanleywheeler.com/books/

And sign up for my regular newsletter to keep track of my stories and travels: https://sendfox.com/flintlockfantasyStanley

I also blather weekly and interview other authors at www.stanleywheeler.blogspot.com

If you hate starting series that aren’t complete, consider starting the Johnny Lycan: Werewolf PI series. The grand finale, Johnny Lycan & the Last Witchfinder is available now on Amazon and from Black Rose Writing.

“I’ve been a fan of this series since the beginning, and while I’m slightly devastated that this is the end of it, I LOVED The Last Witchfinder.” S G Tasz

This final installment in Johnny’s saga is perhaps the weirdest, most baffling of all… Author Jill Hand