Category: Author Spotlight

Author Spotlight: Jay Requard

Erin Penn

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In-your-face, action-packed, down-and-dirty, sword-and-blood fantasy wanted? Got you an author right here: Jay Requard. Yes, he is a fantasy author, but it isn’t the high-elf, long-quest version over green and fantastic landscapes.

My relationship with this author started when I read his Saga of the Panther through the Thief of Destiny omnibus. If you like things in smaller packages, the individual novellas are available as Thief of Shadows, Thief of Secrets, & Thief of Nations. This storyline builds – so stick around to the end.

Initially when I read Shadows, I was “meh, typical sword&sorcery action-adventure light on the sorcery”. Each novella actually is three short stories so it is easy to pick up or put down.

Then I read Secrets, “oooh, political intrigue and layers to the world. Characters all have their own motivations. The good not completely good and the bad not irredeemably bad. Perfect for a thief-hero. Plus all the action-adventure in a African-like setting. This is good.”

Finally I hit Nations. This was beyond good and stepped into amazing. Moments during the reading felt like I was diving into a new hero mythology from the times of legends – The Odyssey and Beowulf.

Now here is the fun part for me. I am working with him on his next series, the Salt Songs, which follows a group of sea marauders from The Curse of Shallow Bay to The Silver Queen. It’s set in the same world as the Saga of the Panther, but you don’t need to read the one to enjoy the other. The action of the two novella series happen in completely different areas on the planet.

The Curse of Shallow Bay will keep you on the edge of your seat – the raiders’ trireme is surrounded by salt water and the crew about to die of dehydration, being inexplicably  anchored in the opens waters of Shallow Bay. The captain and crew fight for survival against creatures and each other, not sure if the cause of the curse is from within or without.

Look for the novellas to come out in late 2020!

Author Spotlight: Michael G. Williams

Erin Penn

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Around the time I wrote the Author Spotlight on Michael G. Williams back in 2017, my publisher asked me if I knew Mr. Williams and would be interested in editing a book by him. Seems the boss had picked up the series which I discussed in the blog post, plus would be publishing the last of the series. If I was available, he would assign it to me.

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, OMG, OMG!!!! Squeal!

After I calmed down, I worded a reply – deleted that one as being way too fangirl – did another after I calmed down again. Finally I managed something along the lines of: “I have enjoyed his work and believe I can fit another book into my schedule.” Hit send on the email, then finger out and take a sip of tea. So professional. While quivering in excitement.

One book turned into two, then three, and now I am his go-to editor at Falstaff. (He does get some of his short work published elsewhere.)

My mantra when editing his work is “Don’t pull a J.K. Rowlings with Mr. Williams.” I want his work to be the best possible, which means he must get edited completely. Unlike Ms. Rowlings, whose books clearly had editing slack off as her editors changed into fans, I had to remain an editor. No matter how much of a fan I am.

And if I stay good, I get to see his work before anyone else!

That’s a big incentive to stay on the straight and narrow red editing line.

This year Falstaff Books put out three of his novels/novellas.

First one happened back in January 2019, A Fall in Autumn. In fact, it was Falstaff’s first publication of the year as well as the first book in a science fiction series about a detective. It’s amazing! The central conceit of the SF aspect is organic manipulation, not the typical military and spaceship story.

Second happened in June, Nobody Gets Out Alive, concluded the Withrow Chronicles. (I.touched.it. I.got.to.make.this.series.better.) The final cross-genre for the vampire series was War Chronicles. I had to dig deep to remember what I knew about the tropes of that genre, but I truly feel that the conclusion delivers on the promise of the series. Not an easy thing to do for a five-book opus.

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Third, and last one, published this year, Through the Doors of Oblivion, the first of a new series in the Quincy Harker/Shadow Council universe. This is perhaps his best story yet, mixing in so many of his passions. Mr. Williams love of San Francisco bleeds through every page. In fact, most of my editing felt like: “Pull back. This scene doesn’t fit this story right now. I know you love it, but save it for later books.” This time the urban fantasy focuses on witches vs. a demon, with a lot of the City by the Bay history thrown in.

Each book published this year had a different focus, a different sub-genre, and yet his author’s voice dances throughout even as the series voice and character voices adjust. He is an amazing writer.

And I get to edit him! (squeal, hands clapping)

Read his stuff. Give him a reason to complete the next book of the Fall in Autumn and the Servant/Sovereign series. I can’t wait to see them.

You can follow him at: http://www.robustmcmanlypants.org/perishables/

Artist Spotlight: Brenda Cooper

Erin Penn

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Brenda Cooper has caught my imagination with two of her amazing short stories: The Ghost in the Doctor (Westward Weird anthology) and Trainer of Whales (the Future We Wished We Had anthology). One had some awesome MacGyvering and the other focused on the sociological divide between the Hippocratic Oath and the tribal leadership requirements of a Medicine Man. Clever, thoughtful, challenging.

Living in Washington state, Ms. Cooper has authored nine science fiction and fantasy books, which are influenced by her environmental and futurist interests. Most of the full novels are multi-book series including Edge of Dark (The Glittering Edge Book 1) and The Silver Ship and the Sea (Fremont’s Children Book 1).

If you are looking for a new science fiction writer, you may want to pick up one of her books.

Her website is: http://www.brenda-cooper.com/

Author Spotlight: William McCaskey

Erin Penn

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William McCaskey is a new science fiction author releasing his first book through Falstaff. Yes, another book I edited. (I developmentally edited a lot of books in the last year, and they have finally finished making their way through the pipeline.)

Each book is a challenge, and this one more than most because Mr. McCaskey came with such a clear vision and his military experience bleeds through on every page … just adjusted for lasers and spaceships. I hope he doesn’t have experience with those, or if he does, I am grateful that he didn’t share that information with me because that would really be one of the “If I tell you, I will need to kill you” moments.

I’m not sure where he is going with the rest of the series. I never ask, because I want to be surprised too. And I know I will be surprised with him. Some of the bits are really out there, like wood paneling on the spaceships. But that is his unique vision, and I ain’t going to step all over his voice.

If you like special forces ground ops in a military sci-fi setting, you will enjoy this book. Dragon Two-Zero. (In case you were wondering, there are no dragons. This one is pure science fiction.)

Mr. McCaskey can be followed on twitter here: https://twitter.com/thewmmccaskey (9/20/2023 update: Twitter is now X, and is locking itself behind a paywall. I do not know if the author is still on the adjusted platform.)

Author Spotlight: Leann M Rettell

Erin Penn

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Another one of “my” authors, Leann M. Rettell has been amazing to work with.

For The Dream Thief, Ms. Rettell has created an entirely new Urban Fantasy creature – the Dream Thief. One part Angel, one part Sandman, the double-handful of dream thieves have lived among us since dreaming started, protecting humanity from dreams gone wrong. The challenge, aside from sneaking into bedrooms, is many dreams start with the greatest of intentions including the ones which could end humanity. And Malcolm just missed one of those.

I’m always amazed at the ingenuity of writers to come up with new ideas and then execute them in tightly crafted narratives. She and I did a lot of back and forth until I fully understood her creation. The timeline is complicated, layered throughout Books 1 and 2 of the Hands of Time series, covering multiple Thieves and spanning the world. This wasn’t an easy series to construct.

One secret about our relationship, she is a visual writer. She provided me pictures with the bios of each of the Dream Thieves in the Series Bible. Very pretty little Thieves. I may have drooled  over Obadiah and Lysander. *Sigh*

Want a little something new in your Urban Fantasy world? Try The Dream Thief.