Solaris has just made available for free a download of my short story "Tornado of Sparks." This tale is a prequel to both Bitterwood and Dragonforge. It tells the story of how the dragon Vendevorex came to adopt the human infant Jandra. The story is perhaps a mild spoiler for a major plot point in Bitterwood, when Jandra learns the truth of her origins after having the truth concealed for fifteen years. On the other hand, knowing the secret in advance I think can add to the tension of the book, since you'll know something about the character of Jandra that she doesn't. The story also reveals which on-going member of the human cast is secretly related to her--again, I think that knowing this when she doesn't only adds to your ability to empathise with her longing to find her true family.
As a reminder, the fan art exchange is still open! Send me a drawing or sketch of a character from Bitterwood, and I'll send you a free copy of Dragonforge. This offer is good for the first ten peices of art I recieve, and will remain open until I give away those ten books. After a week, I've recieved only one drawing; hopefully the rest of you are still sharpening your pencils.
"Tornado of Sparks" rocks. Printed it off, so I could keep a copy. Maybe I'll get it signed one day!
ReplyDeleteDon't stop writing James, you've got a fan for life.
Thanks, Matt. I plan to keep writing for a long, long time. Next July the third Bitterwood book comes out. After that, things get fuzzier. I may write a spin-off trilogy that follows the adventures of Graxen and Nadala from Dragonforge. I've also got a series of fantasies novels I'd like to write whose basic pitch is Bad Girls, Big Dragons. These would be set in a more traditional magic-based fantasy universe and would basically follow a Moby Dick plot, with female protagists as Ahab and primal dragons as the whale. Hopefully, I can write all the projects I have in mind eventually. In the meantime, watch this space. I've got at least three more short stories coming out this year; I'll be announcing them as they go live at their various sites.
ReplyDeleteI'll certainly keep checking this site. If you are ever travelling for book signings or the like, I hope you'll post the info on here. It would be cool if you would ever make it to Columbus, OH. I'd certainly want to get some books signed. Take care.
ReplyDelete-Matt