Enter the Realm of Sword & Sorcery!

We're launching a new Kickstarter today - a campaign to introduce three new sword and sorcery proejcts by David A. Riley, Tim Hanlon, and Andrew Darlington. You can get all the details here. There are 10 Reward Levels and 10 Add-On Options, so you can build up your S&S library quite nicely!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/lyndonperry/three-new-sword-and-sorcery-collections

Check out these three stories representing three new collections by David A. Riley, Tim Hanlon, and Andrew Darlington arriving via Kickstarter November 12, 2024. 

Free Story - “The Forbidden City of Cyramon” by David A. Riley. Test drive this beauty from Riley's upcoming collection, Welgar the Cursed.

Free Story - “Queen of the Shifting City” by Tim Hanlon. Sample this delicacy from Hanlon's upcoming collection, Path of the Swordsman.

Free Story - “The Blood-Beast from Hellmouth” - An Eternal Assassin Story by Andrew Darlington. Taste test this morsel from Darlington's upcoming The Eternal Assassin Chronicles.

Latest Kickstarter - A Sherlockian/Lovecraftian Mashup

 Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations

Up on Kickstarter, a new campaign for fans of mystery with a bit of cosmic horror! This is an anthology of 9 adventures featuring Holmes’s friends & rivals as they pit their detection skills against Lovecraftian horrors. The campaign ends May 2, 2024, so check it out here.

Every backer at $6 or more will receive an electronic copy of the anthology, Sherlock & Friends: Eldritch Investigations (EPUB & PDF) which features 9 adventures (over 80,000 words). These tales 'channel the spirits' of Victorian and Edwardian age detectives that graced the dime novels and pulp magazines of this golden era. Reward tiers for paperbacks and hardcovers available as well! 

Here's the cover reveal! Slick, eh? The stories are excellent as well. All edited and ready to go! 

Review of Feast of Fools Anthology

Feast of Fools and Other Tales

Edited by Robert Poyton, an Innsmouth Gold Book (Nov 2022, 250 pages). Includes 11 stories of sword and sorcery.

I'm in this antho (my story is “To Tame a Demon”) so I won't review it as I would a collection that I have no connection with, but I will share a few thoughts on the stories and authors in the ToC. (For a blow-by-blow, see my Goodreads review.)

Overall, I enjoyed these 11 tales and would recommend the e-book or paperback for fantasy fans in general and sword and sorcery fans in particular. (Amazon affiliate link, btw.)

I had a couple favorites, including “The Horn of Tur” by H. R. Laurence; “The Rotting Goddess” by B. Harlan Crawford; and “The Lucky Thief” by Tim Mendees. Though I enjoyed them all. Oh, and “Wind” by Russell Smeaton.

Overall impression: editor Robert Poyton pulls together an enjoyable collection of heroic adventures that will likely appeal to fans of the wider genre of fantasy fiction. Not all the entries are tales of sword and sorcery, strictly speaking (mine certainly wasn’t), but the storytelling is fairly solid throughout and most authors wrap up their tales in a satisfying manner. 

Quite a few of these adventures showcase an endearing anti-hero mercenary who deigns to guide his charges on some dangerous quest. And while there are similarities in trope among many stories in this antho, each tale has its own unique take on the plot's direction and conclusion.

While I won't rate this antho, I will say I'm proud to be a part of it!

Now, on to Book Date Monday. (Even though it's Wednesday - I just can't get it together by the first of the week! lol Click the link for more blogs that showcase what's on their TBR pile.)

My 52 Week Challenge: 3 of 52 books read/reviewed so far.

1. Razored Land by Charles Gramlich - post-apocalypse (not yet published, review forthcoming)

2. The Stroke of Winter by Wendy Webb - mystery (reviewed Jan 11)

3. Feast of Fools and Other Tales - S&S anthology (reviewed Jan 18)

Currently Reading...

+ Clovel Sword Saga by Gordon Brewer - 2 S&S novellas ("The Clovel Destroyer" and "Trail to Omcuur"). Third of the way through and enjoying the story so far.

+ Blackfoot Dawn by John Legg - western, book 2 in Mountain Times trilogy. I'm about a quarter of the way in and it's dragging a bit, haven't really gotten to the plot yet, I don't think.

Still in my TBR Pile...

+ Laws and Prophecies by L. S. King - sword and planet, book 3 in Sword's Edge Chronicles

+ Point of View - Better Writing through Stronger Narrative: Drake's Brutal Writing Advice by Maxwell Alexander Drake - non-fiction book on writing. I've actually started this, so I guess it should be in my "currently reading" pile. So far, good info and humourously communicated.

What tomes are currently taking up space in your house? Drop me a comment and happy reading!

A Signal of Change - Fantasy Story

Here's a free S&S related short story available to read online or via PDF download for later viewing. (click this link) There's a bit of a backstory to Tauric, whose berserker tale will appear in Swords & Heroes antho (Jan 2023). The setting is the Citadel, and my grimdark fantasy "To Tame a Demon" (which is set there) will appear in Innsmouth Gold's Feast of Fools anthology coming soon.

The image comes courtesy of Iron Age Media.
Four stories follow this week's visual prompt.

Expanded a Short Story Today

Now that I'm writing full time, I not only want to complete a series of novels, but I also want to get back to writing short stories and submitting them to magazines for publication. Three reasons, really.

1) It's practice. Writing short stories helps me get better at telling stories in a concise and compelling way. If you want to get better at piano, you have to practice the piano every day, right? Same with writing.

2) It's an opportunity for income. As I submit more stories the more opportunity I have to earn money from the sales of said stories. Yes, there are plenty of paying markets still out there. Lots of different pay rates, but still, it's a great way to get paid for writing.

3) Writing short stories and getting them published is like free advertising for my other published works. People might read a story of mine online or in a magazine and, if they like it, might look me up and buy something else I've written. Perfect way to make money and get free advertising!

Today, I searched for a fantasy story that had been languishing on my computer and edited and expanded it, tightened the plot and gave it more oomph. I'm really happy with the results. 

I then sent it off to a fantasy magazine. If they reject it, no worries. I'll send it out to another market until it finds a home. Now to make sure my spreadsheet is updated so I can track my story subs. Because I plan on writing more and submitting more in the coming weeks and months.

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Are you interested in reading exclusive material not yet available to the public? Do you like to support the arts and back a favorite author or hlep support one just getting started? Then you might enjoy becoming a patron by subscribing to my Patreon page. 

You'll get to read a short story never before published, plus follow along as I post chapters in my current novel WIP (and get an ebook edition once it's done), as well as get an ebook novel of mine from my backlist every month. Check out my Patreon rewards. Thanks for considering it!

The Expanse - Strong Start Then Fizzled

Well, I finished "The Expanse." First two seasons were really good, intriguing, different, compelling. Then these last four seasons were simply a mesh of conflict between the inners and the outers (not  referring to bellybuttons, btw). 

I think it lost its way regarding the proto-molecule (the actual 'big deal' of the plot in the beginning) - or maybe I just missed the change of direction when the Ring was introduced. 

Also, when Amazon took over from SyFy, the show became just too morose. 

I was really looking forward to this final season as I'd heard good things. But in the last few episodes, I know I totally got confused.

Like, what happened to Marcos? (Sure, the aliens in the Ring absorbed him, but why?) And what the heck was that planet with the zombie kid all about? 

Then, I saw Filip escape, but did he make contact with his mom? The show's supposed finale wasn't satisfying at all - it was a set up for another season that will never be made. Pretty lame.

One problem, I think, was that the ending was too rushed. I just couldn't follow anything the show's creative team was trying to accomplish. They didn't have any kid of denouement, imo. 

Plus, too many f-bombs. I quit reading the books in the middle of book 2 or 3 (can't remember) because of the excessive foul language. Writers! You don't need to use the f-bomb. Trust me on this.

So a contrarian view, I'm sure. The Expanse started strong but fizzled. I wasn't even interested in Amos anymore after awhile. The best character of the final season was Drummer. 

Anyway, what are your thoughts? Any highlights from the series that stand out for you? Are you reading the books? Comments welcome. 

~*~

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(via PayPal.Me - an e-book from Tule Fog Press.)

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The Frankenstein Saga by Merrie Destefano

 A dangerous holiday. A deadly curse brought to life.

Hear Mary Shelley's tale like you've never heard it before! Frankenstein meets Dracula in this award-winning Gothic retelling of this classic story.

The Frankenstein Saga - Shade, Dusk, and Dawn.

A friend of mine, Merrie Destefano, has a new series out. It's called The Frankenstein Saga - Shade, Dusk, and Dawn. (link to Audible) Sounds super cool to me. Check it out.

Who is the author?

Merrie Destefano is a writer and artist living in Southern California. Her books have been published by HarperCollins and Ruby Slippers Press, to name just two. She has worked for Focus on the Family and The Word For Today and written for Victorian Homes, Haunted: Mysteries And Legends, American Farmhouse Style, and more. Her co-authored art books include How To Draw Vampires, How To Draw Zombies, and How to Draw Grimm's Dark Fairy Tales.

Merrie studied art at Northern Illinois University, met her husband at a kazoo parade, rides her bike almost every day, laughs at all jokes, and ugly cries during corny movies. You can find out more about her projects on her website.

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Note: I featured this series in my latest newsletter - and gave away some freebies! If you'd like to subscribe to my monthly newsletter, click here, and I'll send you one of my e-books as a thank you gift. 

Happy reading (or listening) to your favorite books this holiday season! - Lyn

New! Tule Fog Tales, Issue Two

NEW!

The second issue of Tule Fog Tales features six dark fantasy stories from me, Lyndon Perry! 

These imaginative tales published by Tule Fog Press are filled with the ghostly, devilish, supernatural, and psychological horrific. 

Perfect bedtime reading for before you turn out the lights!

Stories include:
+ One Midsummer’s Night
+ Maysi’s First Assignment
+ Captain Tyler’s Ghost
+ Yes, Allie, There’s a Bogeyman Under Your Bed
+ To Tame a Demon
+ The Curious Case of Kevin Klaag

Speculative. Supernatural.

Available from:
Amazon
Apple
Barnes and Noble
Rakuten Kobo
SCRIBD (soon)
Smashwords
Other Booksellers

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Thought. Would anyone be interested in subscribing to Tule Fog Tales? Say, 10 e-issues for $20 (vs the 'news stand' price of $29.90, a savings of almost 10 bucks). Let me know if that sounds like a feasible endeavor. Thanks.

New from Gustavo Bondoni

From my most recent Tule Fog Press newsletter...

Not sure about where you live, but Kansas is cold right now! Freezing rain expected this week. So the joy of snow and a white Christmas is over - now comes the dark dreary days of real winter.

All the more reason to read a book! And we have just the thing coming up in about a month. A new release from Tule Fog Press - Gustavo Bondoni's collection of dark fantasy called Pale Reflection.

We've created a Facebook Event Page here, so be sure to attend this special launch online, March 1, 2020. (The book will go on pre-order sale later this month!)

Gustavo is a prolific short story writer and a novelist to boot. Hailing from Argentina, his work ranges from science fiction to mainstream stories, passing through sword & sorcery and magic realism along the way. He has been published in fourteen countries and seven languages to date. To find out more about Gustavo Bondoni's projects visit his website here.

And as always, thanks for reading!