Urban Fantasy – Page 3

A Villainous Anthology CL Cannon

One thing I have learned about the Urban Fantasy genre is that it is incredibly generous. There are a number of folks I’ve crossed paths with and they all seem to support each other (or at least aren’t intentionally vicious.) One such person is C L (Courtney) Cannon.

We have done a few #goindienow videos like this one. She was talking about a new anthology she’s edited and published, Once Upon a Wicked Heart. It sounded like so much fun I figured I’d share it with you.

Courtney, tell us about you.

Hello, I’m C.L. Cannon, aka Courtney Cannon. I am an author, publisher, editor, formatter, graphic designer, and lots of other occupations with the -er sound at the end of it. I’m basically a huge dork that enjoys reading and fandom. I’m a meme hoarder, and I communicate best via GIF! I write Fantasy and Science Fiction, and I really enjoy adding themes of love and friendship to those genres.

Once Upon a Wicked Heart sounds like a blast. What’s the theme of the book and what can we expect?

Our anthology is all about the villains! The collection includes dark fantasy retellings and origin stories of villains from fairy tales and myths. There are some truly gifted authors in this book, and I feel privileged to be able to publish them!

Here are some short descriptions of each story:
‣ a Faerie queen with a score to settle
‣ a jilted goddess who starts a bloody war
‣ a heart of ice that will either thaw or shatter
‣ a cursed maiden who finds worth in her affliction
‣ a serial killer who might have just met her match
‣ a nymph who seems to have found true love at last
‣ a mechanical heart that could be a young woman’s undoing
‣ a sister who seeks vengeance against those who wronged her
‣ a betrayed witch who vows retribution for the slights against her
‣ a mistreated queen will take her rightful place, no matter the cost
‣ a sea witch who learns that love cannot be so easily manipulated
‣ a god who takes back what was stolen from him in a gruesome fashion

What is it about villains and fairy tales that intrigues you so much?

I’ve always been a huge fan of fractured fairy tales, particularly tales told from the antagonist’s point of view. I love exploring the why of every character I write. What made them the way they are? What events molded this being into its current form? That is fascinating to me. Probably also the reason that one of my guilty pleasures is watching trashy reality tv! I love analyzing what makes people tick!

A collection of twisted fairy tales from the Villain’s perspective.

Who do you read?

I am a bit of an eclectic reader, so keep that in mind! I love J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, Sabaa Tahir, Leigh Bardugo, V.E. Schwab, Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, Casey L. Bond, James Lovegrove, Neal Shusterman, Charles Dickens, Emily Bronte, and so many more!

If people are interested in learning more about you and all the cool stuff you have going on, where can they find you?

Not to hijack Courney’s time, but we’re less than a month from the launch of Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker, book 2 of the Werewolf PI series. While you’re ordering Once Upon a Wicked Heart, preorder your next favorite read.

The Redneck Wizard with Bob McGough

Indie writers are a tough breed, and the best and smartest know how to help each other. That’s how groups like #goindienow come together: authors banding together so they don’t all starve separately. Lately, I’ve been asked to play in the sandbox (you can watch the interview here.) with some of them like Madilynn Dale and today’s guest, Bob McGough.

Bob is the author of the Jubal County urban fantasy saga that stars a meth-addicted redneck wizard. Makes me wonder if Howard Marsh and Johnny would get along or just try to kill each other… but I digress. Here’s my conversation with Bob McGough.

Bob, here we go. Tell us about yourself.

I’m Bob McGough, an author born in the backwoods of Alabama. I trekked out from the wilds to get a couple of perfectly useless degrees, then decided to become a writer, because I must enjoy poverty. I’ve lived a pretty wild and varied life, but balance that by being a boring technical writer by day. I do a lot of other projects beyond writing however, from podcasting and indie ttrpg game design to short filmmaking and running an arts supporting non-profit, because I like to compensate for my lack of money with lack of sleep!

What should new readers know about your work, man?

My main series is the Jubal County Saga, which is about a redneck wizard with a crippling meth addiction solving backwoods occult mysteries. The main character, Howard Marsh, is this thoroughly inept wizard who does everything he can to avoid honest work, instead opting to support his lifestyle by water witching and stealing copper from air conditioners. But along the way, you start to get hints that under his prickly, thieving exterior is the core of a good man who’s simply forgotten that fact. Each book is actually made up of two self-contained novellas, each tackling a different bizarre mystery, though the scale tends to be fairly small. Marsh is not the man you call in when lives are on the line, or the world needs saving.

Where the great oogly-woogly did the idea come from?

The genesis of Howard Marsh and the world of Jubal County is heavily based on the people and places I grew up around. The deep south has this stereotype of genteel life I think, but for those of us who live here, we know that there is a lot of dirt under the fingernails, and a lot of abject weirdness if you know where to look. I like to play with expectations where I can, showing that the south isn’t this monolithic culture of evangelical white conservatives by any stretch. There are people here from all walks of life and political leanings, and I want to showcase that. My focus though tends to be on the forgotten people, the outsiders living on the edges of society, for whatever reason.

As for the magic, it’s a mix of folk legends, spell jar hoodoo, and a lot of mythology, usually celtic. I based Jubal County on an area that has a large scots-irish immigrant heritage, and I play with the idea that the ancestral memories sort of inform the mystical, hidden world that Marsh finds himself having to handle. One of my degrees is in Anthropology, and that has informed a lot of my interests over the years. In college I used to take people on what were essentially ghost tours (even though I wouldn’t consider myself a believer), and on one of those treks I stumbled on a spell jar in a graveyard. Finding it, which spurred a lot of research on my part, was really the first step on what would eventually become the magic of Jubal County.

Who did this to you? Who do you read that influences your work?

My favorite author is Glen Cook, especially his Black Company series, which to this day is still my favorite fantasy series. In the Urban Fantasy space I enjoy a good number of my indie/small press peers, like Ben Meeks, Alexander Nader, VK Fox, John Hartness, and Bobby Nash. I also read a ton of horror, with Paul Tremblay and Adam Neville being some of my more recent favorites. I think Frank Herbert’s Dune is the best sci-fi novel ever written. A couple of small presses everyone should check out are Crone Girls Press and Falstaff Books.

Where can people learn more about your books, games and all the wonder that is you?

The one-stop shop for all things Bob related is my website: talesbybob.com. On Goodreads and Amazon, a search of Bob McGough will guide you to me and my works. And finally, I am on all the major social media platforms and Patreon as talesbybob. I love to hear from folks, especially other authors, or people working to become one, so feel free to reach out on the contact form on my site.

Not to hijack Bob’s time, but we’re less than a month from the launch of Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker, book 2 of the Werewolf PI series. While you’re ordering the Jubal County Saga, preorder your next favorite read.

That New Book Smell- Part 14 or So

This is the worst humble brag ever but I can’t tell you how many books I’ve written or contributed to. If you just count books with my name on the cover as author or co-author it’s 14 (you can check my Amazon Author Page for yourself.) But I’ve also contributed to a bunch more, both fiction and nonfiction. The point is, that moment when the box or envelope arrives and the first time you hold your baby in your hands… it never gets old.

That said, here’s the latest story filling the house with that new book smell. Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker is officially born on December 8, but I got some early copies for reviews and the like.

I love all my children equally, but this is some of the best work I’ve done and certainly has a couple of the best new characters. In particular, Lemuel Collins, the Las Vegas psychic pawn broker, and Cree Jensen, a badass witch who trains in MMA. Johnny is in all kinds of trouble. The kind you’ll love.

If you are a reviewer and want a copy, drop me a line. If you want to buy a signed copy, I can hook you up. If you want to wait til the due date, God love ya. I hope you enjoy Johnny’s latest adventure. I mean, how much trouble can a guy get into in Las Vegas, right?

I Finally Caved and Have a Separate Facebook Page for My Writing

Ever since I started writing fiction and nonsense, I’ve been told I needed a separate Facebook page for that purpose. Until now I’ve resisted because keeping up with Social Media is freaking exhausting. Between the grind of the day job and my fiction addiction, I spend too much time tweetfacelinkblogging as it is.

But, with Johnny Lycan 2 coming out soon (December 8 to be specific, but who’s counting?) it is time to make sure I can promote my work without annoying the people on my personal Facebook page. For purely mercenary reasons, mostly so I can advertise my work, I needed to bite the bullet.

So (trumpets blare) I introduce you to my Facebook Author Page with the very clever and inventive name, Wayne Turmel Author. If you’re inclined, please like it and follow me. Over the next few months, there will be special posts, contests, and a chance to win signed copies of Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker.

Stop by, like the page, and tell your friends. If you care about my personal life, yeah, you can still follow me on my regular page, but this is my big-boy author page. Enjoy and welcome to my orbit.

An Update on Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker

Hey all. Just an update on the second book in my “Werewolf PI” series.

Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker will be out on December 8. We are mere weeks from a sneak peek at the cover, but I was editing it for publication today and came across one of my favorite bits:

“Yeah, sorry. But what is that thing?”
She looked and shrugged. “It’s a Chupacabra.”
“But aren’t they-” I swallowed the sentence. I was a werewolf standing in a room ninety miles from his body, holding hands with a witch. The “those-aren’t-real” ship had sailed.…
Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker

Yup, our boy is off to Las Vegas. You’ll find more laughs, gasps, and urban fantasy adventure coming December 8 from Black Rose Writing.

A Fun Interview Before I Disappear

I am going to go radio silent for a couple of weeks. The Duchess and I are fulfilling a bucket list item and going to London and Paris for our 30th Wedding Anniversary. Try to get along without me.

Before I go, I wanted to share one of the more fun interviews I’ve done lately. Who would I want cast in the Johnny Lycan movie? What books corrupted me? You can learn all about it here. Thank you James Quinlan Meservy

When I return I hope I’ll have an interview or two to post, and maybe even a sneak preview of the cover for Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker. Be good to each other, read something, buy a book and leave a review.

See ya.

The Chapter Goddess- Madilynn Dale

One of the advantages of trying to schlep your own work, is you run into other authors. In this case, I had the honor of being interviewed by Madilynn Dale for her ChapterGoddess site. We had a blast, but I thought it was only fair that I give you all a chance to meet this prolific author. YOU CAN WATCH MY VIDEO INTERVIEW WITH HER HERE

Okay, lady. Tell us about you.

Hello, I’m Madilynn Dale. It’s a pleasure to chat with you all. I’m a mom first and foremost and a creative second. I tend to dabble in a various number of things from writing, painting, to drawing, but my stories are my strongest point. Sometimes I think my 4-year-old son does a better job drawing than I do but at least I tried right?

When I write I don’t stick with one genre but span many. I like things more on the steamy side, but I create work in the genres of paranormal, fantasy, romance, and adventure. On top of all the creative stuff I’m also a Physical Therapy Assistant here in my home state of Oklahoma. I’ve kind of put that career on pause though to focus on my writing and being a mom. We live in quite a crazy time after all.

I’m also a huge reader and coffee addict. I love wine too but that’s only for the evenings. I read a wide range of books I am a mood reader though so if I’m in the middle of something and it loses my attention because of a sour mood, I put it aside and come back to it.

Tell us about your latest book, Black Flames.

I have several books published which you can find on my website www.thechaptergoddess.com but I want to really focus on my latest release Black Flames. This is the first novel in the Ember trilogy which I plan to release all this year, 2022. It’s an empowering story following young Ember as she discovers herself, breaks free of her shackles, and embraces herself. She finds love along the way and must escape hell. Literally. Her life is basically turned upside down after she discovered her mother’s one night stand with the devil.

Here is the actual synopsis for those who are curious. 😉

Ember believes she’s a latent wolf until she finds herself facing a demon using hellfire. The black flames trigger something within her and the world as she knows it is dumped on its head. Has her entire life been nothing but a lie?

Tied to the future Alpha via contract, she seeks an escape to find her true mate. Confused by the emotions surrounding her discovery, she sacrifices herself to save her pack and is taken to hell. With a false engagement and memories erased, she finds herself part of a larger plan. Can she fulfill her role and manage to return home without her secret being discovered?

I know you’re prolific, and right now you’re in the middle of a shifter series (and why don’t shifters in urban fantasy ever have chest hair, but that’s a different story.) What are the roots of your series?

In creating Ember, I found that I channeled a lot of my younger self. Her drive and determination to be a badass without falling apart is something I struggled with at a younger age in college. Of course, I obviously can’t fight like she can, nor do I have any of her powers, but she must find a way to overcome the oppressive requests placed on her by her parents and other authorities to find herself and live the life she wants. I feel like I had to go through a version of that myself and really a lot of us do. I loved creating situations where she had to deal with her emotions and take the higher road. It’s something even at my age I struggle with. I hope she inspires others.

Now her magic, which is the ability to change into a certain animal of hell and use fire, was something of a darker twist on my favorite type of beings. Shifters are something I’ve always found myself drawn to. They are a bit different from were animals in that they turn into bigger versions of the actual animal. At least that is how I portray it in my work. The fire is something I feel like if I had a power, it would be to use fire. Something about the way flames dance in the hearth during the winter calms me and usually puts me to sleep but fire can also be extremely destructive.

Indie publishing has so many successful writers that those who don’t read ebooks, particularly, never heard of. Who do you read?

There are so many authors that I have enjoyed reading over the years. Only a few really stick out though and several of them helped inspire my writing. Ivy Asher, Sarah J Maas, Deborah Harkness, C. L. Schneider, Jaymin Eve, P.C. Cast, Kaylana Price, Tarriona Tank Ball, Cassandra Claire, Jennifer L Armentrout, Ivy Smoak and Andrzej Sapkowski. These authors all write in romance, fantasy, adventure, urban fantasy, paranormal, poetry, and more. I love how unique their work is and how easy it is to escape into their work.

Your social media game is strong, and I”m jealous (but I would stroke out trying to do everything you do.)

twitter, Facebook author page, website etc.

I am a bit all over the place really. The easiest place to find links to my books is on my website. The majority of my stuff is published wide so you can pick your favorite book site there.

Website: www.thechaptergoddess.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Madi_Dale_Write

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madilynndalewrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MadilynnDaleAuthor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mratdegraff91/_created/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mdwriter?lang=en

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/madilynn-dale

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20150515.Madilynn_Dale

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Madilynn-Dale/e/B0868CGSLC?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1616000125&sr=8-2

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG8uZRvQC4o_dqwkqJy9Wgg

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madilynn-dale-5a810a223/

The second book in the Johnny Lycan series is coming out on December 8. Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker, will be coming from Black Rose Writing. If you want to be the first kid on the block to receive swag or news about the book, sign up for my newsletter by clicking the link on the side of the screen. Meanwhile, Johnny Lycan and the Anubis Disk is available now in paperback or Kindle.

Witches and Villains with Isra Sravenheart

I believe one of the most important concepts in writing fiction is that the success of a story depends on the villain. Johnny Lycan would be a weird little adventure story without Kozlov. But good antagonists have a reason for being all villain-y. Some writers dig deep into that.

Enter Isra Sravenheart. Her books are full of witches, demons, warlocks, and others who have perfectly good reasons for doing what they do. I recently met her in the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Focus Facebook group. We also appeared on the same YouTube interview with Opus Knight recently.

Isra, tell us about yourself.

Hi. I am Isra Sravenheart, a USA Today and Amazon Bestselling author. I first found success with my book Her Dark Soul in 2017 which is book 1 in my Dark Spell series. Of which I am currently promoting the boxed set of 1-4 in the series. I am very much an introvert at heart living with my four cats who are sassy as they deem themselves to be. I’m also an avid binge-watcher of fantasy and paranormal shows such as Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Buffy Angel. I also am releasing my first PNR book this May “Forbidden Rendezvous with the Devil” an interesting tale about young lone witch Sabine who has faced a break-up and now founds herself entangled with two vampires.

There’s a lot going on there. Tell me about your series.

Dark Spell series is a dark fantasy series featuring witches and warlocks. It’s an epic vivid world that I created with angels, demons, unicorns, dragons, light-bringers and I mainly focus on the aspect of villains and their POV. It spans eight books and mainly follows Isra and Astrid in their journey however things are not as clear cut as they seem. Don’t judge someone because nothing is what it seems. The good guys might look cute on the outset but they have their own tale of darkness to tell.

It has been compared to Grimms and Disney by many of its readers however it has a dark tone and focuses on aspects such as betrayal, forbidden love, unrequited love and dealing with one’s own personal demons (darkness.)

What are the roots of the story? Where does all this come from?

I love exploring a villain’s POV and while we’re not justifying what they did and we know it’s bad, we can understand the root of the character so at least their actions become understandable, Not everyone is born bad. There has to be a good reason. What makes people tick? I look at the ins and outs of the whole emotionally dragged-out mess, whilst not condemning them for it because everyone has their own reasons for being a certain way. It’s been a fun series to write and I love how there has been such a wide range of characters and eccentric personalities. My fave characters to write are Astrid and Samuel the light-bringer. He is off his rocker, to quote my editor Jody Freeman.

Who hurt you like this? Who are the authors who influenced you?

Neil Gaiman. Gregory Maguire, L Frank Baum, Phillip Pullman. lots of dark fantasy vibes here. That;s kinda my jam and read most of these when I was young especially the oz and Wicked series.

Where can we learn more about you and your books?

Goodreads, Amazon links, twitter, Facebook author page, website etc. Everything is nicely situated on my linktree including the boxed set review copies pinned to top, boxed set 1-4 buy page and my reader magnet for dark spell series https://linktr.ee/israsravenheart

So, 2022 Looks a Little Busy

First, 2022 is not a real year. It’s science fiction. Blade Runner took place in 2019. Soylent Green takes place in 2022. But I’ll play along and pretend that it really is the Year of Our Lord 2022. If that’s the case, what will I be up to?

When it comes to the dreaded Day Job, there are two big creative projects in the pipeline.

We have signed a contract for The Long-Distance Team. Kevin Eikenberry and I have contracted with Berrett-Koehler publishers for another book. We’ll be following up The Long-Distance Teammate, Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership and The Long-Distance Teammate, Stay Engaged and Connected While Working Anywhere.

The Long-Distance Team, which is about designing the work culture you really want, is under construction. It will be officially out on January 22, 2023, but available for pre-order before the end of the year.

Also, it’s likely I will be doing a podcast. It won’t be the late lamented Cranky Middle Manager Show, but it will be informative and snarky. Details to follow.

On the fun, creative front look for the second in my werewolf detective series. Johnny Lycan and the Vegas Berserker will be out before the end of the year from Black Rose Writing. The third book in the series is under construction so it won’t be 2 years between installments, I pinky swear.

Check out my latest novel, Johnny Lycan and the Anubis Disk. It will give you something to do until your next WebEx meeting.

You can find out everything that I’m up to creatively by signing up for my infrequent but action-packed email newsletter. Use the signup box on the side of the screen.