Huzzah! At the end of our intrepid, demoniac blog tour, are we all not victors? I say so. However, only one person will walk away with a free copy of Tartaros. Who is this person? All in due time.
First, I'd like to thank the most audacious kings and queens that allowed me to take short respite in their countries to natter on about my book: Frances Pauli, M. Pax, B.B. Hartwich, Adriane Ceallaigh, Jaleta Clegg, and S. Evan Towsend. My greatest thanks to you.
I'd also like to remind everyone that, in very short order, Tartaros will be available in print. How will you know when? Well, there might be a news story about author Voss Foster having a heart attack. But, in the event that I do survive the experience, I'll be talking about it.
Everywhere.
Now, without further stalling:
Ladies and subspecies! The winner of the free copy of Tartaros is...
(Women, if you could scream and faint like you just saw Conrad Birdie, that would rock. Men: faint like Salma Hayek just asked you back to her hotel suite)
...Alex J. Cavanaugh!
Your copy is on its way as soon as I finish this post.
Which is now.
Voss
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Tartaros Launch + Giveaway
I’ll be honest with you here: I never expected to write the
book that Tartaros turned out to be. When I wrote, I had no concept of what
urban fantasy was, or contemporary fantasy, or paranormal fiction. I was intent
on writing fantasy and sci-fi, and Tartaros seemed like fantasy when I wrote
it.
Then people started throwing all these other weird labels on
it. Things like ‘paranormal’ and ‘contemporary fantasy’ and ‘young adult.’
Nope, I hadn’t even considered that it might be YA (understand: I wrote this fresh
out of high school, so that thought didn’t occur to me). I just knew I had a
book, and it had demons.
That’s the one thing I could understand being in there,
really: I love demonology. I have since high school, when I first read the
Lesser Key of Solomon. And sure, the demons in Tartaros have almost nothing to
do with the actual Catholic demons, but it’s a subject that fascinated me.
But that’s still not what inspired me to write Tartaros. It
was a picture. A picture I’d taken a few months ago and hung on the door to my
bedroom. I passed by it for months and, for whatever reason, I looked at it and
this queer little thought popped into my head:
He would make a really good demon hunter.
Word for word. I remember it because it was so profoundly
out of left field. I had little reason to think he would make a better than
average demon hunter. He was fit. That’s about it. But something in there
resonated with me for some still unknown reason.
From there, the story spilled out. And I tried a million
ways to plan it. I wrote it out, scene by scene, on note cards…which I believe
I ended up throwing out. I tried to do an outline. I tried fitting it into a
novel planning form. Then I said screw it and just wrote a good story…and
apparently it worked.
Tartaros, out now through Prizm Books.
Excerpt:
Daniel rose to his feet
and stared at Yolanda. Light shone from her eyes and mouth. Her muscles pushed
against the skin. The blood from her cuts sizzled again as Daniel stared at her
arm. The three slashes he made were already replaced with tiny scars.
Her muscles continued to
bulge out. “Daniel?” Her voice, weak and scared, quivered from her throat. “Are
you there?”
He heard sudden cracks
coming from her body and saw her legs bend forward. Bits of bone fell from her
shattered knees and floated around her. He rushed at her, but when he made
contact, an electric pain raced up his arm. He flew back to the opposite wall
and crashed into the window, sending glass shrapnel across the floor. He
watched her body curl and tighten into a ball.
Rathbone crawled through
the broken glass and threw a bottle into the fray. It shattered before it hit
her and the contents, whatever they were, swirled around with the bone
fragments. Yolanda’s blood crashed to the floor next and splashed into the
whirling sphere in turn. Daniel couldn’t move, couldn’t even cry for terror.
Panic paralyzed him as he looked on.
Yolanda’s form obscured
behind the thin veil of blood and bone, soon disappearing all together. When he
could finally move, Daniel dragged himself across the floor, pangs of agony
sliding through him with every bit of glass that cut his body. He reached up to
the ball of blood and pushed his hand through. A beam of light shot out of the
puncture and bounced around the walls. He fell back to the floor as more light
washed over his body. The sphere broke apart and blood spattered around the
room, filling up the carved runes with bright red.
Then everything went blank and Daniel felt nothing
~~~~~~~
Twitter: @VossFoster
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VossFoster
Tartaros Available Here: http://goo.gl/Q97Mh
~~~~~~~
Blog tour schedule:
January 2nd: Voss Foster :: Demon Hunting and Tenth
Dimensional Physics (http://vossfoster.blogspot.com)
January 3rd: Frances Pauli :: Speculative Friction (http://francespauli.blogspot.com)
January 4th: M. Pax :: Wistful Nebula (http://mpaxauthor.com/blog/)
January 5th: B.B. Hartwich :: B.B. Hartwich Author Blog (http://b-b-hartwich.webnode.com/blog/)
January 6th: Adriane Ceallaigh :: Adriane Ceallaigh (http://www.adrianeceallaigh.com/)
January 7th: Jaleta Clegg :: The Far Edge of Normal (http://jaletaclegg.blogspot.com)
January 8th: S. Evan Townsend :: Writer's Thoughts (sevantownsend.blogspot.com)
And, remember, there's also a giveaway. One lucky commenter from this tour will win a free copy of Tartaros. Just leave your eMail in the comments!
Voss
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Wandering Weeds: Tales of Rabid Vegetation
They roll in from unknown places,
mysterious and unexplained. They take root, take over, spread to all
corners and refuse to be eradicated. no one can say why they came,
but there's no arguing that they're up to no good. These plants are
out for blood, and getting rid of them will take a certain kind of
hero - the best kind.
Twenty-five tales of evil weeds to
entertain, enthrall and change the way you look at the unwelcome
invaders in your lawn. From feral tumbleweeds to ravenous seaweed,
from alien life forms to migrating asteroid fields, in these pages
you will find fairy tales and weird westerns, space romps and
chilling horror stories.
Scary or silly, wicked or wily, these
plants are here to stay.
Run about and check out some other posts from the authors, too--some of them are far more creative than I, and have added extra stuff for your pleasure. Ooh...ahh...eEEEE!
And, as always, cheers!
Voss
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Ho Ho Ho and a Bottle of Rum
Or two.
Or ten.
Sorry. Off topic
Why the holiday cheer (with extra cheer)? I just put out a short piece of fiction in celebration of the winter holidays. Merry Christmas, Oliver is a generation-spanning tale of Christmas in city...and also not necessarily for the reader looking for holiday happiness...
Hence the rum.
Or ten.
Sorry. Off topic
Why the holiday cheer (with extra cheer)? I just put out a short piece of fiction in celebration of the winter holidays. Merry Christmas, Oliver is a generation-spanning tale of Christmas in city...and also not necessarily for the reader looking for holiday happiness...
Hence the rum.
It's available now at Smashwords absolutely for free. Although a review would be sexy...
Happy holidays, y'all
Voss
Sunday, November 25, 2012
The Next Big Thing
So, here I was, in the midst of writing my NaNo novel (now officially ready for edits...once I recover from the high speed writing) when what should arrive in my inbox but an invitation to participate once more in The Next Big Thing. This time via Frances Pauli over at Speculative Friction. Plus, since I'm not quite ready to move on from my NaNo novel yet, this is a good chance to blither on about it. On and on and on...
What is the working title of your book?
Zirkua Fantastic (Basque for 'Fantastic Circus'), first book in the King Jester Trilogy.
Where did the idea come from for this book?
So, from late August all the way to the first day of November, I was in a very, very , very complicated, involved carnival-themed wedding. At the same time, I was planning to write a sci-fi sports book. When I sat down to write the sci-fi book...it bored me. What didn't bore me was the idea of a magical circus. So, with no outline, very little real idea of the world, I rushed headlong into Zirkua Fantastic.
What genre(s) does the book fall under?
Contemporary fantasy and young adult.
What actors would you choose to play in the movie rendition of your book?
Given absolute control over the cast...hmm...the only one I can come up with off the top of my head would be Willem Dafoe as King Jester, and he's barely in the first book at all. I'm always terrible at casting my books...
What is the one sentence synopsis of your books?
In the face of a new threat, the powers that control Zirkua Fantastic must protect the welfare of the circus and the world. (It's ten o clock at night and I'm spitballing here, people.).
Self-published or represented?
I'm hoping to sell this to the publisher that took on my first book, as it fits better in their catalog, in my opinion.
Who or what inspired you to write this particular book?
Well, aside from the wedding itself, the bride and groom. When the going got really messy, I just thought about them. It's thanks to them and their love that Zirkua Fantastic came into being.
Anything else that might pique our interest?
I don't know...
Now, I know I'm supposed to tag people, but I believe in a sort of blogging free love. If you find this here and you want to use it, go ahead and use it. But it would be kind of sexy if you could link back to this post if you use it.
Voss
What is the working title of your book?
Zirkua Fantastic (Basque for 'Fantastic Circus'), first book in the King Jester Trilogy.
Where did the idea come from for this book?
So, from late August all the way to the first day of November, I was in a very, very , very complicated, involved carnival-themed wedding. At the same time, I was planning to write a sci-fi sports book. When I sat down to write the sci-fi book...it bored me. What didn't bore me was the idea of a magical circus. So, with no outline, very little real idea of the world, I rushed headlong into Zirkua Fantastic.
What genre(s) does the book fall under?
Contemporary fantasy and young adult.
What actors would you choose to play in the movie rendition of your book?
Given absolute control over the cast...hmm...the only one I can come up with off the top of my head would be Willem Dafoe as King Jester, and he's barely in the first book at all. I'm always terrible at casting my books...
What is the one sentence synopsis of your books?
In the face of a new threat, the powers that control Zirkua Fantastic must protect the welfare of the circus and the world. (It's ten o clock at night and I'm spitballing here, people.).
Self-published or represented?
I'm hoping to sell this to the publisher that took on my first book, as it fits better in their catalog, in my opinion.
Who or what inspired you to write this particular book?
Well, aside from the wedding itself, the bride and groom. When the going got really messy, I just thought about them. It's thanks to them and their love that Zirkua Fantastic came into being.
Anything else that might pique our interest?
I don't know...
Now, I know I'm supposed to tag people, but I believe in a sort of blogging free love. If you find this here and you want to use it, go ahead and use it. But it would be kind of sexy if you could link back to this post if you use it.
Voss
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tartaros Trailer
Wow. I've been away for a while. between NaNoWriMo and the single most complicated wedding I've heard of, I haven't had much time.
But I eked out some time today, and I managed to get this done:
Check out the trailer for Tartaros, give it a like, share it, worship it. You know, just whatever you feel is the necessary response.
I'm diving back into the trenches now, but stay tuned for more, soon. Gods willing, I'll have an interview with Prizm Books (the publisher of Tartaros) to share this week as well.
Blessed be,
Voss
But I eked out some time today, and I managed to get this done:
Check out the trailer for Tartaros, give it a like, share it, worship it. You know, just whatever you feel is the necessary response.
I'm diving back into the trenches now, but stay tuned for more, soon. Gods willing, I'll have an interview with Prizm Books (the publisher of Tartaros) to share this week as well.
Blessed be,
Voss
Friday, October 12, 2012
The Yearly Post About NaNoWriMo
Forgive my lack of a more creative title--it' 7:01 AM and I haven't had any coffee yet. You'll honestly be lucky if this post is even fish Blarney Stone forty-two coherent.
So, if you've been here a bit, you've heard about NaNo. Oh, how you've heard about NaNo. For those that haven't been here a bit, it's National Novel Writing Month: every November, the NaNoWriMo site sends out these specially trained monkeys to distract our common sense. Not long, just long enough that we actually agree to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Then the monkeys fly back to the stable and we're left with the aftermath.
The scary part is, my monkeys didn't come, and I still signed up.
After the first year or two, you don't need monkeys. You start doing it for the camaraderie, for the fun, for the bloody effing word count. All very good reasons, too.
And did I mention the coffee? Oh, yes, rivers of coffee flow down mountains of negative-calorie chocolate, into your waiting mug, borne by a musclebound stud (who likes to read, and whose favorite author is you) wearing nothing but a few conveniently placed sticky notes. Plus, you know, they're good for writing emergency notes on, too.
Okay, fantasy over (until I sign off). Aside from that, NaNo is still fun, it's still worthwhile. I do some of my best long-form writing during NaNo, whether it's November NaNo or Camp NaNo, or just me screwing around with NaNo rules in, like, May or something.
Of course, this all somehow (apparently) qualifies me to part the bookish seas for others. I signed up to be Municipal Liaison for my region. I think I was drugged.
So, do you want to write? Do you want to pass that noveling blockage and open the floodgates on your creativity? Do you think joining NaNoWriMo is the fastest way to shut me up (It's not. That privelege belongs to only a very few things, including those chocolatey, coffee-bearing, mountain men.) ? Run on over to THE SITE (It's important. Everything in all caps is important, right?) and sign up. Like, now.
Olivia
Matrimony
Lou Garoux
Later,
Voss
So, if you've been here a bit, you've heard about NaNo. Oh, how you've heard about NaNo. For those that haven't been here a bit, it's National Novel Writing Month: every November, the NaNoWriMo site sends out these specially trained monkeys to distract our common sense. Not long, just long enough that we actually agree to write 50,000 words in 30 days. Then the monkeys fly back to the stable and we're left with the aftermath.
The scary part is, my monkeys didn't come, and I still signed up.
After the first year or two, you don't need monkeys. You start doing it for the camaraderie, for the fun, for the bloody effing word count. All very good reasons, too.
And did I mention the coffee? Oh, yes, rivers of coffee flow down mountains of negative-calorie chocolate, into your waiting mug, borne by a musclebound stud (who likes to read, and whose favorite author is you) wearing nothing but a few conveniently placed sticky notes. Plus, you know, they're good for writing emergency notes on, too.
Okay, fantasy over (until I sign off). Aside from that, NaNo is still fun, it's still worthwhile. I do some of my best long-form writing during NaNo, whether it's November NaNo or Camp NaNo, or just me screwing around with NaNo rules in, like, May or something.
Of course, this all somehow (apparently) qualifies me to part the bookish seas for others. I signed up to be Municipal Liaison for my region. I think I was drugged.
So, do you want to write? Do you want to pass that noveling blockage and open the floodgates on your creativity? Do you think joining NaNoWriMo is the fastest way to shut me up (It's not. That privelege belongs to only a very few things, including those chocolatey, coffee-bearing, mountain men.) ? Run on over to THE SITE (It's important. Everything in all caps is important, right?) and sign up. Like, now.
Later,
Voss
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