Groundhog's Day Present - A Fallen Hero Rises Free One Day Only

My second novel, A Fallen Hero Rises, is in many ways an echo of my first novel, Council of Peacocks. What better day to celebrate the feeling of déjà vu than Groundhogs Day.

For one day only, A Fallen Hero Rises will be free on Amazon. If you haven't picked up the book yet, please consider getting it. If not, help an author out and at least "like" the book on Amazon. You'd be amazed at the power of a "like" on potential readers.

If you like what you read, I'd appreciate a review but it's not required. Maybe if I get enough downloads it's a sign that winter's almost over.

Here's the link: A Fallen Hero Rises on Amazon

Book Blurb:

Three hundred of years ago, a group of heroes imprisoned a dark god in a hell dimension known as the Void.
Since then, the people of Maghe Sihre have lived in relative peace. Now, a secret war starts at the edge of civilization.

A young man from Earth, Tadgh Dooley, is burdened with a dangerous and impossible power. He is fod sel-onde, born with the ability to warp the fabric of reality. An unknown force draws him to Maghe Sihre and, in doing so, cracks open the Void.

Can Tadgh gain control over his power before it's too late? And what does the appearance of the Sword of Kassandra mean for the people of Maghe Sihre?

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

Tips for Designing Your Own Cover - What I Learned From Working on Cover Art for Su Williams

I met Su Williams through a group of fantastic writers I belong to, Author Social Media Support Group. She posted a draft of the cover for her second novel and wanted feedback. Here was her original draft:

Because she was using Illustrator and PowerPoint, her editing options were very limited. After offering advice for a bit, she asked if I could take her chosen images and work with them in PhotoShop. I wanted more expose and experience working with cover art so I agree.

WHY IT DOESN'T WORK

The core images are not bad. However, I believe the fonts destroy this cover. It's impossible to read the back cover. The eyes behind the title are extremely distracting. I call this "photobombing": insertion of a random image that obviously doesn't belong.

LESSON FOR OTHER DESIGNERS

Keep it simple. Graphics programs allow you to do tons of tricks. That doesn't mean you have to use them. I sent her the graphic below.

The eyes are from Pixabay. The woman on guitar was DeviantArt by ModelMSangi. This was never intended to be a final cover. It is simply a mock up to show how to improve the impact of the cover by keeping it simple.

After Su sent me the images, I came up with three different alternatives: one with the old eyes, one with new eyes and one without eyes at all. I preferred the one without any eyes. Su stated she liked the image with the original eyes best.

Rock Star Cover with New Eyes

Rock Star Cover with Original Eyes

Rock Star Cover Without Eyes

WHY IT WORKS BETTER

First of, the colors work better with the original graphics. I'm not a huge fan of the greens in the original. The wording on the back is much easier to read. I added names to all the quotes in the "praise" section. Quotes without names, I find, are not as convincing. I also added the short bio on Su and her picture. Readers like to put a face to the name. It's very important for brand building.

WHY IT DIDN'T WORK IN THE END

CreateSpace has very specific requirements. The space taken up by her picture needed to be left blank for CreateSpace to put one of its elements.

And here's where I made a big mistake. Su was relatively happy with the one cover I sent her. However, I was not. I kept working on it for another 20 hours playing with different designs.

I read the description of her first book and realized there is a supernatural element to her series. I don't think that comes across in any of the above images. Su wanted something that looked more painted. The graphics she sent me were not of a high enough quality to do this well. She also wanted more of the green coloring from her original design.

So I purchased two pictures from Fotalia and tried again. I read the reviews for her first book, Dreamweaver, and found a truly great quote: "Now is the time for new immortals." I love this. It sets the ton and establishes genre in a way the original cover doesn't. Below is the cover I came up with.

I was extremely happy with the end image, believing it to be much more professional in appearance. Su, however, believed it was a cool image but had nothing to do with her book. She asked me to try again with the original images. She also said she was running out of time because her set publishing date was only a few days away.

At this point, I had spend in the neighborhood of 30 hours playing with different versions of the cover. That is a ton of time to volunteer.

I told Su I could not devote any more of my time to her cover because my own writing and promotion was falling behind. I also suggested that self-publishing deadlines are wonderful but it is always better to publish late than put out something you might regret later. She was very thankful for the help I'd given her. We both gained from this. I learned tons about Photoshop and cover design. I also made a new friend in Su.

Here is the final cover Su decided on:

I wish her the best with the release of her second book. Here's where you can purchase her book:

Rock Star by Su Williams on Amazon

LESSONS FOR OTHER DESIGNERS AND AUTHORS

1) DESIGNERS, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU
Designers, it's not about you. No matter what you think of the cover, if your client is not happy, you need to keep working. If the author is happy, stop. I know this is the better option but my ego still tugs at me to not put my name on something I can't be proud of.

2) KEEP IT SIMPLE
Authors, keep it simple. The best advice I can give you is spend a few weeks looking at covers in your genre before you decide what your cover should look like

3) USE HIGH QUALITY PHOTOS
You can do some amazing things in Photoshop but you're still subject to Garbage In Garbage Out. The higher the resolution of the photos, the better you can manipulate them.

4) STOP THINKING YOUR COVER NEEDS TO RELATE TO A SCENE IN YOUR BOOK
This isn't the point of covers. I understood this from my love of comic books. The cover image is supposed to set a tone for the story. It doesn't need to be accurate. My favorite cover designer, Christian McGrath, does the covers for the Harry Dresden stories. In every cover, Harry wears a hat. He almost never wears a hat in the books. Please don't get hung up on "accuracy" in cover art. That's not its purpose. Never has been.

Link: Christian McGrath's Official Website

Update - Sept 19, 2014

While browsing the internet today, I noticed that Su Willaims has updated the cover for RockStar. Here is the new cover which I believe works much better than the one posted above.

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

The Nightlife London - A Must-Read Sex-Filled Adventure with Vampires and Werewolves

I actually finished this book days ago but I couldn't bring myself to make the update on Goodreads. Why? Because this book is so awesome and I'm afraid any review I can give it will not do it justice.

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon)

Vampires Aaron and Michelle prowl the dark, gritty, strip clubs and back alleys of London on the hunt for Michael Jamison, the man who stole Michelle's blood and left her for dead. To assist them, Aaron’s new master, Urvashi, calls in favors from her friends, Russian mercenary werewolves.

Wolves Katya and Ivan, hunters adept at killing rogue vampires, set aside their animosity for Aaron and Michelle to stop Jamison from murdering another woman – he already has one bloodless victim lying in the morgue.

Jamison, ex-special forces, feels his enemies closing in, but he won’t go down without a fight – and like Aaron and Michelle, he also has powerful friends.

Experience the violent, sensual underbelly of Nightlife London, as Aaron and Michelle mix up a wicked blend of sex, chaos, mayhem, and vengeance.

THE GOOD

What you have here is a tight, well-pace adventure that does not slow down for a second. I probably could have read the whole book in one setting but I purposefully spread it out because I wanted to enjoy it. Unless Travis can clone himself, it will be some time before the next installment. I am greedy for these characters. The more Luedke reveals about the characters, the more I want. With each book in the series, the world becomes larger and scarier.

The sex scenes in Nightlife London are off the charts. Stay in doors to read this. You may need to run to the shower to cool down.

Travis Luedke

THE BAD

Not enough. Never enough. I could have read another 100 pages with pleasure. However, Luedke focuses on strengthening the plot and pacing rather than giving us a big book. Which really isn't so bad after all.

CONCLUSION

I am officially in love with this series. Do yourself a favor and get in on the action

Links:
Pick Up The Nightlife London Now
Add The Nightlife London to your Goodreads "To Read" Pile
The Nightlife Official Blog
Travis Luedke on Smashwords


BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo
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Evolution of a Cover - How I Designed the Cover for my Novel A Fallen Hero Rises

The cover for my second book, A Fallen Hero Rises, was my first attempt at a book cover. However, the road toward the final edition was a long one.

I spent hours and hours looking at free stock photos. There are dozens of sites that offer completely free photos or ones that require only recognition be given.  Here's a decent site showing you just some of the resources available.

In the end, I chose to purchase most of the graphics directly from Fotalia to avoid misunderstandings about copyright. For $40 you get 10 extra large pictures or up to 20 smaller size ones. That was more than enough for 4 or five book covers. It does take significant amount of time to wade through their galleries as their search engine kind of sucks. They also let you download comp images so you can do layouts with several options before committing to purchasing them.

Variations

I played around with images. Some of the mockups use professional models and are copyright protected. They were meant strictly for personal use and were never intended to be sold commercially. They served, however, for me get clear about what I wanted on the cover.

Mock up using Landon Liboiron.
Obviously, I didn't have the rights to use his image for a real cover

Mock up I liked but everyone else hated.
Also, it's a bit too homoerotic.

This got my thinking the right way but it didn't quite fit the story

Here's where I started getting close. Model from Fotalia.

Picture Sources:

Most graphics were purchased through Fotalia. The background image, the fur texture, and tail are from Pixabay. The font is Trajan Pro. Final image created using Photoshop Elements 12 with Premiere Elements and a Bamboo Graphics Tablet.


UPDATE: I redid the cover again. Click here for the process and final result: When To Change Your Cover Art

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

My New Year's Resolution - Write Stronger Women. UPDATED!

A few months ago, I saw this article on CBC.CA entitled Feminist movie rating system introduced in Sweden. My first response was "This is ridiculous." Keep in mind I actually consider myself a feminist, so I was actually quite surprised at my response. Then I read the article. It blew my mind.

To pass this rating system, a film only has to meet the following three requirements:

1. Does it have at least two women who are given names?
2. Do they talk to each other?
3. When they spoke, was it about something besides a man?

So, you see, their not even rating movies based on how women are portrayed. They're rating the movie on whether or not women EXIST in the film.

Try the test out with any of your favorite movies and you'll see most don't pass this test.

Then I looked at my own writing. Admittedly, I write genres that typically have a predominantly male target market. But that's no excuse. If anything, that suggests I have a stronger obligation. I don't want to end up like Isaac Asimov. Check out his book Foundation. There is not a single female character in the book. Not one.

My first book, Council of Peacocks has several women in it, all of them have names. Each has a life outside of the men around them. Most have super powers or, in the case of Elaine, are trained killers. I don't have victims. No one needs rescuing. And not a single one of them could be replaced by a sexy lamp and have the story still make sense.

Link:  Bechdel vs. the Sexy Lamp Test

My newest novel, A Fallen Hero Rises, has five named women but only two that appear in more than one scene (I'm not counting the scene where Tadgh talks to his mother). I actively try pump up female voices in my work because I KNOW fantasy often under-writes them.

But I think I can do better.

My first two books are all told from the POV of male characters. This year I plan to change that.

In 2014 I will write and publish the sequels to Council of Peacocks and A Fallen Hero Rises. Before they are published I plan to apply the Bechdel test. I''m also scheduling two novellas to fill in the missing gender gaps. I will write standalone stories featuring Echo (from Council of Peacocks) and Eiodeesh (from A Fallen Hero Rises). This is easier than it sounds. In fact, I already have 70 pages worth of material from Eiodeesh that was cut from A Fallen Hero Rises for pacing.

It's very important to me that my novels represent the entire human race, not just to 48% of them.

UPDATE: December 2015

So how did I do? I wrote but decided not to publish the standalone book featuring Eiodeesh. At least not yet. The tone was too different from the other books and, quite frankly, it just didn't work. I also sidelined the standalone story with Echo as soon as I realized it should actually be a full-length novel. I'll have to get to that book later.

It wasn't all bad news, however. When writing Beyond the Black Sea, the sequel to Council of Peacocks, I realized I made new characters male by default. Each time I created a new character I forced myself to ask why they had to be male. The result? At least half of my characters are female which is a better representation of reality.

In Demons of DunDegore, I originally had a male character, Mikhel, the focus of one storyline. He interacted often with a female character who happened to be the head of a church. I swapped the point of view so that now we see events from her perspective. Again, at least half of my characters are female and not one of them needs to be rescued. They are all strong, independent, capable characters. A few of them kick butt but it's not their martial art skills or superpowers that make them strong characters.
Links:

Neil Gaiman's Advice for Writing Strong Female Characters
Bechdel Test Movie List - Pass/Fail

Update: Aug 24, 2025

Using a Neil Gaiman quote to talk about strong women has not aged well. The sentiment, however, remains true.

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

The Wicked by Helen Boswell is Un-putdown-able

The Wicked is an excellent follow up to last year's Mythology that in several ways exceeds the first book.

SYNOPSIS FROM AMAZON.

A demon with a pure heart, Micah Condie lives his life by a code of ethics, but breaking that code may be the only way for him to survive. A supernatural entity in her own right, Hope Gentry would do anything in her power to protect her loved ones, but she may be the one who puts them in peril. When the Demon Impiorum challenges the laws that keep guardians and demons in balance, ancient enforcers of justice intervene. Micah, Hope, and their mentor Jonathan become entangled in a conspiracy that will test even the deepest love and trust. Someone will commit an act of betrayal. Someone will forever abandon a loved one. Someone will enter The Wicked.

THE GOOD

Helen Boswell

The Wicked boasts solid writing and strong editing. Not a word is wasted. All characters are highly developed and the story grows deeper and more complex with each page. Every chapter is filled with adventure and romance.

After the events in Mythology, Hope slowly adjusts to her new life. Then a new force arrives, throwing off her fragile equilibrium, threatening to completely destroy everything she cares about. Micah's life is also upended as events cause a downward spiral throwing him further into the grasp of demonic forces.

The worldbuilding is exquisite. Boswell hints at a much larger world without bashing the reader over the head with endless pages of explanation. She slowly reveals clues that suggest the conflict is much multifaceted than we thought.

I couldn't wait to finish and yet I never wanted it to end.

THE BAD

There was nothing I disliked. I caught one typo. One. Helen found it on her own and sent me an updated version of the book. Because she's just that awesome.

CONCLUSION

I enthusiastically recommend The Wicked to any fans of YA or urban fantasy. Helen is a writer to watch. This story leads to unexpected places that has me very excited for the future of this series.

Make sure you read the epilogue. It has a surprise element that hints at something wonderful and new for the future.

Links:
The Wicked on Goodreads
Helen Boswell Official Website
The Wicked on Amazon.com and Amazon.ca
Helen Boswell on Twitter

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

Freedom of Speech - Why Duck Dynasty Star Phil Robertson Is Not a Victim or a Hero

Cast of Duck Dynasty

I'll be honest. I don't watch Duck Dynasty. I also have no idea what the appeal of the show is. I've seen it promoted in several Christian stores and Christian gift areas which makes even less sense to me.

Now this idiot, Phil Robertson, is making nation news because he was fired for saying controversial things on a TV show. He compared homosexuality to bestiality and said things were better under segregation.

Why is this even news? Dan Rather was fired for questioning President Bush's war record and providing proof that Osama Bin Laden was in an American hospital on Sept 11, 2001. That means he proved that Americans knew where Bin Laden was immediate after the attacks and could have captured him at any time.

Dan Rather Fired by CBS for Telling the Truth

Orson Scott Card

To me, that's a much bigger story that got nowhere near as much press as this.

Earlier this year, pundits rallied behind Orson Scott Card claiming he was exercising his freedom of speech when he said all homosexuals were sex addicts incapable of being Christians. (The Hypocrites of Homosexuality). Those who disagreed with his statements called for a boycott of Ender's Game. Many saw this as an attack on free speech.

So does this mean we do not have Free Speech? Are the constitutional rights of Americans being stripped.

Hardly. This is just another case of people loudly boasting opinions on issues of which they have little or no knowledge. People are also routinely fired for blasting their employers on social media. Here's what the actual freedom of speech law protects:

AMENDMENT I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Source: Cornell University Law School

The First Amendment specifically addresses the role between government and the people, not interpersonal relationships. In every day speak, it guarantees that people will not be put in jail by the government for speaking freely.

Every one with a brain knows your words have power. Saying the wrong words to the wrong person at the wrong time will have a consequence. Phil Robertson is not in jail. No one is stopping him from spreading his hateful, ignorant words. All that happened is his employers fired him, just like they did when Paula Deen made racist comments earlier this year. Last time I checked, he wasn't in jail either.

Paula Deen

Paul Deen Fired for Using N-Word

Some say that Phil Robertson is a victim. Bull. All he's proven, along with Card, Rather, and Deen, is that actions have consequences. Thankfully, because of free speech laws in Canada and America, people are not imprisoned for stating their opinions. However, saying stupid things at work can still get your fired. And this is not news at all.

Additional Links:

'Duck Dynasty' star's free speech rights weren't violated

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

Cover Art Reveal - A Fallen Hero Rises

I'm excited to finally share with you the cover of my upcoming novel, A Fallen Hero Rises. It's been out to beta readers since September. I'm sending it off for a final proofread later this month with a scheduled publication date of late December, early January.

I created the cover myself. The stock photos purchased come from Fotalia and Pixabay.

Synopsis: 

Tadgh Dooley wakes up on the planet Maghe Sihre with no memory of how he got there. He’s wounded, near death, in the care of a monastic group called the Brotherhood of Tyche. But he has more than that to worry about. The way he came to Maghe Sihre created a crack in an interdimensional prison called the Void. And something fell out of the Void: a powerful artifact called The Sword of Kassandra.

Tadgh is also more powerful than he suspects. He is fod sel-onde, born with the ability to warp the fabric of reality.  Every time he uses his ability, the Void cracks open further.  If it cracks too much, the prisoners will slip out.  The results could be catastrophic.

Can Tadgh gain control over his power before it's too late? And what does the appearance of the Sword of Kassandra mean for the people of Maghe Sihre? 

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

Thomas Rydder Blogger Book Blitz - Restless Souls and The Clearing

Thomas Rydder's newest release, Restless Souls, is available now. To help him celebrate, I'm taking part in his blogger book blitz.

Restless Souls

1. "Do Unto Others" (short story) - Jeremy is a street hood, lawless and unchained. When he is wronged by a local businessman, it becomes his mission to seek revenge. But his new enemy has friends - ones that don't take kindly to intruders.

2. "Colors" (short story) - Harrison Street. attorney, biker wannabe, coward. When he finds the bike of his dreams, it seems too good to be true. It is.

3. "Simona Says" (novella) - Simona has had it rough. Death, disenchantment, and disappointment are all part of her life. She wants to be happy for a change, and she's willing to do just about anything to find some. Anything.

Restless Souls Available Now: Smashwords or Amazon for Kindle

The Clearing

A small town in western Pennsylvania – quaint, simple, peaceful. That is, until The Elder takes up residence. He has an agenda – one that is 1,000 years old, and cannot be denied. One that will change the lives of many – and end the lives of any who interfere.

The Clearing Available Now: Amazon

Bio

I was born in 1957 in a small town in Western Pennsylvania that had - and still has - one traffic light. There wasn't a whole lot to do there, and we had few neighbors, so I learned to play quite a bit of make-believe - soldiers, cowboys and Indians, that kind of thing. At the same time, I loved to read and watch old movies. On Saturdays, my dad played in a country western band, and I stayed up to wait for him. It was during that stretch that I discovered the horror movie. You know the ones I mean. Karloff, Chaney, Lee. The masters, right?

Fast forward 40 years. I'm now the project manager for a small civil engineering firm in picturesque Charleston, South Carolina with my lovely wife and four rescue pets, two dogs, two cats. Oh - and eight feral cats outside that put up with us because we give them two squares a day.

Anyway, since childhood, I've loved to create. I played trumpet, sang, even dabbled in genealogy. Nothing quite did it for me. Over the years, I'd composed quite a few term papers and theses (there are a few ex-teenagers in this world who owe their English grades to yours truly), and unfailingly earned an "A". My wife knew this, and one day just suggested that I try writing.

What the hey, I thought. So I sat down and found a writing site called Hubpages. Nice little site, and I started getting the basics of writing a little from some of the inhabitants. I wrote a short story, and everyone liked it. So, I wrote another one. Except it kept growing, and I kept getting more ideas, and it lengthened to 20 thousand words, then 30, then 40. By the time I sat back, I had the rough draft of my first novel, except back then it was called "Werewolves and Flapjacks". Somewhere along the way I decided to submit my work (now called "The Clearing) to three publishers. I was turned down twice, and miraculously was accepted by the gentleman who gently rules this site, Mr. Tim Taylor. And the rest, as they say, is history. By the way, you need to like Tim...he's a great guy, and I owe him much, which can never be repaid.

I now have a second book available - “Restless Souls: 3 dark fables” - an anthology (novella and two short stories) of ghost stories, and life is grand. 

Even though I make wise cracks about all of it, this is all like living a dream - and I don't plan on waking up for a very long time

Thomas Rydder Links

BLOG:            GOODREADS:             PINTEREST:             TUMBLR:            TWITTER:

FACEBOOK

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo

9 Ways the Tomorrow People Premier Mirrored the Matrix - And Why That's a Good Thing

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. What the first episode of Tomorrow People did last night was show how the strength of the same story structure as The Matrix.

You may be asking yourself what the two things have to do with each other. Before you get in a huff and think I'm claiming Tomorrow People ripped off or stole material from the Matrix, relax. That isn't even close to what I'm saying. I'm well aware Tomorrow People is based on a much-beloved series from the 1970's. There is not an ounce of copyright infringement here. There is, however, masterful storytelling.

Let's look at the story arches side by side.

1. Start with a troubled youth (like pretty much all fiction aimed at young adults)

2. Next scene is a break in, a chase by police officers and a "jump" off the roof

3. Fighting with "agents" in the subway station

4. The first meeting with Kara and Stephen is very similar to the first time Neo and Trinity meet. At first it's not in person (either mind link or the computer). Then it's followed by a "I know why you..." speech.

5. They break into a high security building to rescue someone from the "agents".

6. Stephen and Neo stop bullets with a raised hand. In Tomorrow People and The Matrix someone says "How are you doing this?" after the hero does the impossible.


7. Jedikiah is Agent Smith. In fact, the room in which Jedikiah does the questioning feels very much like an updated in which Neo was questioned by Agent Smith.  Also, compare when Jedikiah is questioning Stephen with Agent Smith questioning Morpheus.



8.The "you are a plague" element. In the Matrix, it's humans while in this show it's the Tomorrow People.

9.The messiah element. Both Neo and Stephen are "the One" who will save everyone from the evil forces.

Bonus. I call this the trinity pose

So what does this say about Tomorrow People? Are the writers' lazy hacks?

Completely the opposite.

Ten minutes into the premier I realize the writers brilliantly updating a tried and true mythological structure to make the series relevant for a modern audience. The series is not without its flaws (e.g. the whole "can't kill" thing is super lame and made me want to throw something at the television). However, after the way they've handled the premiere I can tell the series is in excellent hands.

I look forward to see what they do next.

Classic Epic Fantasy with a Touch of Romance - Confronting the Demon by Ciara Ballintyne

SYNPOSIS

The gates to hell are thrown wide when Alloran is betrayed by his best friend, Ladanyon, and framed for forbidden magic. He is hunted by the guards and the wizards both, tormented by the gruesome murder of his friends and loved ones, and crippled by fear for the living. Now Alloran must face his demons, or damn the woman he loves.

WHAT WORKS

Lots. Worldbuilding is handled perfectly giving the reader a sense of a complex, well-thought-out world. Confronting the Demon creates a world that is instantly familiar but completely unique. The magic system described simply through observations and actions rather than rambling exposition. There is just enough mystery and tension to pull the reader forward making it very difficult to stop reading at one point in the story.

The romance never devolves into cheesiness, nor does it overshadow the classic epic fantasy elements that would make Robert E. Howard happy. Dialogue and character development are handled well. Pacing it tight making this a quick, enjoyable read.

WHAT DOESN'T WORK

I'm not a fan of the cover. If I saw it on the shelf, I would assume it was a Harlequin Romance and not pick it up. Thankfully, I agreed to read it based on the story line. If you can get past the cover, there is a great story here that will appeal to fantasy readers.

CONCLUSION

If you like your fantasy filled with sorcery, demons, and a touch of romance, I strongly recommend Confronting the Demon by Ciara Ballintyne. There's never been a better time to get on board, either. Take part in the book blast this Saturday (Oct 12th) and pick up Confronting the Demon for only $0.99. It's well worth the price.

LINKS:

Confronting the Demon on Amazon.com
Confronting the Demon on Amazon.ca
Confronting the Demon on Amazon.co.uk

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CiaraBallintyne 

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/CiaraBallintyne

Website: http://www.ciaraballintyne.com

Blog: http://www.fantasyblog.ciaraballintyne.com Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6591156.Ciara_Ballintyne

About the Author

Ciara Ballintyne was born in 1981 in Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband, two daughters, one masochistic cat, and one cat with a god complex. She holds degrees in law and accounting, and has been a practising financial services lawyer since 2004. She is both an idealist and a cynic.She started reading epic fantasy at the age of nine, when she kidnapped Castle of Wizardry by David Eddings from her father. Another two years passed before she began her first attempts at the craft of writing. Confronting the Demon is her debut book.  She enjoys horse-riding, and speculation about taking over the world. If she could choose to be anything it would be a dragon, but instead she shares more in common with Dr. Gregory House of House. M.D.

BOOKS BY M JOSEPH MURPHY:

Amazon: M Joseph Murphy on Amazon: Paperback and ebook
Smashwords: M Joseph Murphy Author Page on Smashwords
Kobo: M Joseph Murphy Books on Kobo