Running The Bases’ guest this week is David F. Berens. David is a fantasy and tennis author. What’s the silliest writing idea you’ve had–that worked!? This first and maybe silliest idea that turned into a really great sequence in Dragon Reign is the idea of using a really simple spell to turn a Red Dragon pink! It was so fun to explore how this enraged the dragon and removed the fear of the dragon from our heroes. It also became a hook to turn this dragon into an ally with the mage who turned him pink at the end of the book – which becomes a significant plot point in the sequel. We see you’re a tennis pro, how does …

Running the Bases’ guest this week is Paul Francois.  Paul is an IT professional whose love of Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Thrillers shine through in his books. Paul’s newest book Shadowbane: Age of Aelfborn chronicles the adventure of a young warrior who is on a journey to rescue his sister and finding the mighty sword, Shadowbane, all the way. We pitched some questions to Paul to see what makes this talented author click.   What is one trick that you do to insure your stories and/or characters are fresh and unique? Well first I try to research other published stories, so I do not use the same names. I prefer to use names that have meaning. Next I try to plan out what “quirks” each …

Running The Bases’ guest this week Joe Jackson. How cool is that? (For those who don’t know, Shoeless Joe Jackson was one of the greatest player ever and I love that his twitter handle is @shoelessauthor. This must be what nerd heaven is like.) What make’s this even more timely, pitchers and catchers report for spring training this week. Baseball is about to be reborn for 2017! Joe’s epic fantasy series, Eve of Redemption, saw a fourth installment released last month with Legacy of the Devil Queen.  So round the bases with Joe and then leave a comment when your done. One lucky commenter will win an eBook of their choice from Joe’s backlist. Your series has big expansive world building. What is one …

In keeping with the concept that Fantasy is Fantasy, and we don’t need the LGBTQ qualifier, a fellow Fantasy writer is guesting today. Cheri Roman’s Fire Candidate is the second in her Witch of Forsythe High series. It is not an LGBTQ Fantasy series, but it is Fantasy. And while many of the books on the Land of Make Believe are LGBTQ oriented, my true passion is for Fantasy. So please welcome Cheri as she talks about – Fantasy.  Don’t forget to enter her giveaway. Fantasy The Oxford Dictionary defines the word fantasy as “the product of imagining impossible or improbable things.” That’s not a bad start for defining fantasy as a genre. However, when you have such a name, it …

The Price Of Love – Part 5 Epilogue Sitting on the edge of a parapet in the Magi Citadel, I stared up at the Island in the Clouds. Three months later and he still filled my thoughts. I lost him the day the world was saved. Another bittersweet day in my life. Part of me wanted to go back to that cave to see if his spirit remained, waiting for me to return. In my heart I knew I wouldn’t find him there, but I couldn’t quell that last bit of hope. After the defeat of the Degari, Chenoth and his army left our world. No explanations, no words of wisdom, nothing. The blue dragon, however, remained. He refused all …

  The Price Of Love – Part 4   Sounds from inside the cave interrupted my thoughts. A new wave of anxiety washed over me. Chenoth was no longer a spirit and would obviously be the one to carry me back. I didn’t—couldn’t—blame him for taking Barh, but it didn’t hurt any less. He’d ripped my heart from my chest and left me alone and numb. Even with my promise to Barh, I didn’t know how I could ride Chenoth back to where our army waited. When I got the courage to look, I saw a blue dragon walking slowly toward me. Although smaller than Chenoth, the new dragon barely fit inside the tunnel. I should have been seized with fear, …

  The Price Of Love – Part 3   “Why?” My shout reverberated around the hall. I glanced up, but Chenoth didn’t react. “Because what I give life to, you must lead,” Barh said. The profound sadness I saw robbed his beautiful eyes of life. “Me?” “Please forgive me, Jacks. I didn’t know.” His voice trailed off into a whisper and he began to cry again. I was so numb I couldn’t speak. He must have mistaken my silence for a refusal to forgive him. His body stiffened, and he struggled to compose himself. “In times of crisis, a Magi may marry and keep his powers because his spouse is necessary to aid the Elementals.” The deep breath he drew came …

  The Price Of Love – Part 2 As Chenoth said? If Barh spoke to Chenoth a year ago, why didn’t he tell me before? More importantly, why hadn’t Chenoth helped us yet? My lungs burned and I realized I held my breath waiting for something to happen.  Running my eyes around the cavern, I searched for some sign of Chenoth. Barh’s body shook, but he didn’t move his feet. “Welcome, Magi Barhingolis.” I nearly jumped through the rock. The deep voice was strong and commanding, yet comforting. It appeared to come from all around me frustrating my search for the speaker. “Long has been your journey, child. be at ease in my home.” “My thanks, Chenoth, but I shall find …

There are so many things to like about this book – but perhaps the best part is that it’s part of a series. I don’t usually stay up late on work nights – especially when I have to be in court the next day, but this had me up every night until I finish. If you like fantasy, read this book.  It’s not a M/M Romance, but so what – it is a great book, read it! Gaspar is the Emperor of Uttor, an up and coming nation that has most of the other kingdoms wary.  Sebboy is an old, powerful kingdom on the decline.  When the Prince of Sebboy kidnaps Gaspar’s beloved sister, that sets the stage for what’s …

The release date is a week away and while I will try my best not to bombard folks with ‘announcements’ and ‘updates’ this is my blog so I think I can be excused for using it to write a bit about it for anyone who is reading. Release Date: February 1, 2013 Pre-Order