Tyrants and Traitors, a new novel from Joshua Miller

Tyrants and Traitors, 

a New Novel from Joshua Miller

Brad R. Cook

Joshua Miller takes the reader back to into history with his latest epic, the first novel in The Lion's Dynasty. I had the honor of being in a critique group with him several years ago, an excellent author, he now has a new book and I wanted to share Tyrants and Traitors with you.  

Tyrants and Traitors by Joshua McHenry Miller

Book One of the Lion’s Dynasty

An Epic Inspired by the Original Giant Slayer

“Find the traitor hiding within Israel,” the seer warns Niklas, “or our nation will be enslaved and your hometown slaughtered.” So, no pressure. Niklas, a fifteen-year-old shepherd, spent his whole life dreaming of revolt against the hygiene-adverse Philistines, but when the all-but-impossible mission is thrust upon him, he starts to rethink the whole hero business. What chance does the daring schemer have when lions, the Mad King, and a literal giant stand in his way? As Niklas races to uncover the hidden traitor, conspiracies and armies converge on the nation—with his hometown directly in the crossfire.

Tyrants and Traitors is published by Blue Ink Press. 

I fired off some questions and we met up for a few minutes when he came in town.

What brings your writing into focus, the characters, the stories, or the love of crafting words?

I am enamored with the process of story craft. For almost ten years, I’ve studied from some of my favorite authors and screenwriters, and I’ve learned that all three components are essential. All that said, I find an acute delight in seeing scenes well executed in a story’s plot. Christopher Nolan is masterful in this, and I’m always reminded of the first words of his movie The Prestige. “Are you watching closely. Every magic trick consists of three parts. The magician (or the writer) shows you something ordinary… The second act is called the turn. The magician (or the writer) takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary... Finally, there is the third act, called the prestige, where you bring it all back to the beginning.” Brilliant!

Great movie! And I like that, the show, the turn, and the prestige. I’ll have to look for them in my own writing.

With Tyrants and Traitors set in the past, how much fact is in your fiction?

So, my story is a fantastical retelling of the original giant slayer (with a large emphasis on the fantastical), but given my educational background, I knew a lot more about the ancient middle-east culture than your typical gent or lady. So, there’s a lot of historical nuggets in the story that ended up in the final manuscript.

Tell us about your writing style--do you work from an outline or wait to see where the characters lead you?

One of my all time favorite authors is Jim Butcher,

Me too. Of course, the Dresden Files, but I loved the first of his steampunk series, The Aeronaut's Windlass.

and he was kind enough to post his process for writing a story via a live journal. He is a huge advocate for the architect approach toward writing, and while he (nor I for that matter) would never say there is only one way to write a story, it worked out pretty well for him, so I decided to follow suit. I plot out each beat of the story before I ever put my fingers to the keyboard, and it’s been tremendously helpful in my own efforts.

Do you feel writers benefit from belonging to industry associations or guilds?

Absolutely! So much of the publishing industry today is about networking, and the more opportunities you have to rub elbows and collaborate with other professionals the better! The Saint Louis Writers Guild did wonders for me while I was in the area, and I’m always looking for new partnership, networks, and guilds to join. My one caveat is to be wary of group think. Today’s industry is a bit like the wild west, and we’re all trying to find the right map to the buried treasure. However, at the end of the day, focus your efforts on connecting with readers, especially in your target audience. It’s been the primary working method for generations, and it will be for generations to come.

What are the top three pieces of advice you'd like to give new writers?

A great piece of advice for writing (as well as in life), is to find people you want to be like and stick with them. For me, that’s meant targeting my top five or six authors, and mirroring my own writing and career after their own. Obviously, each circumstance is different, but there are always tricks you can apply in your own efforts.

So true, I have done the same, learning from the master and emulating them. That was one, do you have another?

Second, focus most of your time on writing a good story. Many authors are too enthralled with the idea of getting a book published, and the quality of their book suffers for it.

The story is the most important part of the book. And third…

Finally, enjoy the journey. At the end of the day, whether you sell one hundred copies or one hundred thousand copies, you’re doing something most people only dream of. It’s a difficult ride, but it’s also a glorious one!

Okay, let’s get a little personal. What's your favorite way to interact with fans/readers?

Coffee or fermented beverages. I’m a huge fan of networking and meeting new people, so whenever I have the opportunity to sit down with a reader and discuss why I made certain choices, how the story made them feel, and their insight into what could have been done better, I consider it a joy and an honor. However, I also have a ton of fun over on twitter, where pithy banter rules supreme! Say hi @talesofascribe.

Yes! Follow Joshua on Twitter by clickinghere, and follow me @bradrcook.

Thanks for letting us into your mind, but one last question. Which line did you struggle with more, the first or the last?

I struggled with the first line of Tyrants and Traitors something fierce. My book is equal parts adventure and snark, and finding the right cadence to start off took me through two rounds of edits. They were literally the last words I wrote. I kept submitting thoughts to my editor (the amazing Sophie B. Thomas) who would shake her head and simply write back, it’s not quite right yet. In the end though, I thought we captured the feel of the book pretty well. ‘This was the first step toward revolution; an adventure bards would retell for generations. It was also, technically, stealing.’

Cool. Good beginning.

Thanks for talking with us here at the Writers’ Lens.

To learn more about Joshua Miller check out his website, joshuamchenrymiller.com 

Pick up a copy of Tyrants and Traitors (Blue Ink Press) here!

Joshua McHenry Miller

Most people use vacation days to take actual vacations. Author Joshua McHenry Miller saves them for when JK Rowling releases a new Harry Potter book.

A nerd long before the world realized it was awesome to be geeky, he’s loved superheros, dragon slayers, and jedi knights as long as he can remember. Eventually, he wanted to do more than simply consume adventure stories; he wanted to create them.

For the last ten years he’s studied story craft, and the fruit of his work has culminated in YA novel Tyrants and Traitors. It’s a fantastical retelling of history’s King David. If you imagine a snarky love child between The Chronicles of Narnia and the Percy Jackson series, you’re on the right track.

When he’s not writing till his fingers turn white (he has poor blood circulation), he’s starting a church and working as a community developer in south-central Madison, WI. He’s also a huge Marvel fanboy, enjoys gaming (both the tabletop and video game variety), and would spend every day in open water if it were possible. He also loves connecting with his readers, so stop by his website at joshuamchenrymiller.com or say hi on twitter @talesofascribe!

 Find more about Tyrants and Traitors by Joshua McHenry Miller

Brad R. Cook, author of the YA steampunk series, The Iron Chronicles. Iron Horsemen - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Horsemen-The-Chronicles/dp/0989207951, Iron Zulu - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Zulu-Book-Two-Chronicles/dp/0989207978, and Iron Lotus https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Lotus-Chronicles-Brad-Cook/dp/099639012X.  A member of SCBWI, he currently serves as Historian of St. Louis Writers Guild after three and half years as its President. Learn more at www.bradrcook.com, on Twitter @bradrcook https://twitter.com/bradrcook, or on his blog Thoughts from Midnight on tumblr http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/

The Adventure Continues for Brad R. Cook with Iron Lotus!

The Adventure Continues for Brad R. Cook with Iron Lotus!

Book Three of the Iron Chronicles is Now Available!

Iron Lotus

Book three of the Iron Chronicles

Brad R. Cook

Alexander Armitage is back in the thrilling conclusion to The Iron Chronicles.  Refusing to return to Eton College, Alexander joins the Sky Raiders as a crewman on the aero-dirigible, Sparrowhawk. With Genevieve, the baron’s daughter, captured by the vile Colonel Hendrix, Alexander soars to the top of the world, and discovers the terrifying machines created by the Golden Circle to enslave the world. Betrayed by his allies, and aided by a mysterious woman and her clockwork owl, the race is on from the snow-covered peaks of the Himalayas, to the shining capital of the New World.

In a steam-powered Victorian world where pirates prowl the sky and secret societies determine the future like a game of chess, Alexander learns that it is not gender, race, or age that determines a warriors worth as he is forced to choose between becoming a knight, or one of the Four Iron Horsemen. 

For more, visit Alexander’s Sketchbook at bradrcook.com 

Order Iron Lotus online or from your favorite bookstore!
Available in print and in multiple ebook formats.
Iron Lotus, Book III of the Iron Chronicles
treehouse publishing group

Watch the book trailer for Iron Lotus.
See the book trailers for Iron Horsemen and Iron Lotus on YouTube.

Want a signed copy? Join me on Saturday, November 26, 2016 for the Iron Lotus Release Party at Main Street Books! Support a great independent bookstore on Small Business Saturday! Plus yummy treats, and a free handmade gear pin with every one of my books. 

Iron Lotus Book Release Party

Saturday, Nov 26, 2016

1-3pm

Main Street Books  

307 S. Main Street, 63301

Brad R. Cook 

Brad R. Cook, author of the young adult steampunk series, The Iron Chronicles (treehouse publishing group), will see the release of book three, Iron Lotus, in November 2016.  A former co-publisher and acquisitions editor for Blank Slate Press, he is a member of SCBWI, and currently serves as Historian of St. Louis Writers Guild after three and half years as President. A founding contributor to The Writers’ Lens, a resource blog for writers, he can be heard weekly as a panelist on Write Pack Radio. He learned to fence at thirteen, and never set down his sword, but prefers to curl up with his cat and a centuries’ old classic. 

Find more @bradrcook on Twitter, Instagram, and tumblr.

Want more visit Alexander's Sketchbook at www.bradrcook.com 
Illustrations of the vehicles and characters, plus a more in-depth look at the history in the novels. 

Zachary Barnes brings you AVENGARDE a new fantasy adventure

Zachary Barnes brings you AVENGARDE a new fantasy adventure

Brad R. Cook

Recently, I had the opportunity to talk with author Zachary Barnes about his latest novel AVENGARDE. A fantasy novel that tackles issues of xenophobia and intolerance

AVENGARDE by Zachary Barnes

Avengarde, by author and tutor Zachary Barnes, offers a tale of courage and humanity in the face of racism and genocide. Marking his debut in traditional publishing, Avengarde will be released by PandaMonk Publishing out of Annandale, Virginia. Distinguishing itself among fantasy books through its intimate point of view, Avengarde’s message warns against the seductive power of hate and is particularly timely given the current political climate of division and anger. Because of this, Avengarde is both poignant and fitting to our times.

Avengarde’s protagonist, the maimed and clever Taveol, has found one final place of refuge: a city of ice and blood, perched on the frozen edge of the known world. Here, in Avengarde, he believes he is safe from the ghosts of his mercenary past. But when Taveol harbors Aerwyn—a wounded Fae fugitive—on the eve of an oncoming ethnic cleansing, the two exiles are caught in the middle of a vast racial conflict that is tearing their city apart, stone by stone. And when Taveol’s nemesis arrives at the head of a genocidal warband, the paths to survival and to revenge become that much harder to differentiate.

Encircled by enemies old and new, Taveol must choose to either save himself or risk everything for the culture and people he has grown to love.

Avengarde is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble online, visit www.zacharybarnes.us for more.

I asked Zachary a few questions about AVENGARDE and his writing process.

What brings your writing into focus, the characters, the stories, or the love of crafting words?

While I love the idea of crafting words, that intensely cerebral kind of writing is actually when I’m at my worst—at least for the first draft. My writing becomes focused when I am in the groove of a storyline or scene and creating at breakneck speeds. Knowing that details can be honed later and that story and content take precedent is very freeing for me, since it allows me to create a raw chunk of story that is, at its core, true to itself and in line with my intent.

What inspired your latest book, and what do you think readers will like about it?

One evening when I was climbing into bed, I suddenly and quite vividly imagined a scene where an innkeeper was thrown out of his own inn by his rowdy patrons.

Ah yes, great scene,

It seemed nicely ironic, but I went to sleep without giving it a second thought. When I woke the next morning, the scene was still rattling around in my brain, so I decided to write it down, if only to keep it from pestering me throughout the day. This was the beginning of Avengarde, and although I eventually removed this particular scene from the final draft, I think it really set the tone from the start, at least for me.

I really liked that scene, but I totally see why you pulled it.

Along similar lines, I hope that readers will appreciate the protagonist’s self-deprecating humor. His internal asides and one-line quips were by far the most enjoyable part of the writing process, and I hope that readers can share some of that joy with me.

How much fact is in your fiction?

I borrow quite a bit from history, which I find serves my goal of analyzing our reality through a distorted lens. So, were you to look at the details of my writing you would notice that many “facts” find a home in my fiction, although some of them change meaning when stripped of their context (which I also find both interesting and important). I steal anything from Balinese graveyard topengs to Vlad III’s penchant for violent foreign diplomacy and wend it into my own stories all with the intention of creating a world that is distinctly familiar, yet mysterious at the same time.

What is your A+, number 1 writing/editing/query-reading snack?

I was recently exposed to the marvel that is Vietnamese coffee and I must say: my life has been irrevocably changed. The potent amount of sugar and the high caffeine content, plus a rapid rate of delivery, ensures my recommended minimum of 3,000 words per minute;

Holy moley! So, it turns you into a super hero… (It’s called humor people, no emails)

also, when I crash into a blubbering pile afterwards, I can conveniently blame my lack of any real writing progress on my physical state.  It’s my all-time favorite perfect first draft beverage.

If you could meet one of your characters, who would it be and where would you meet?

As a rule, I choose to write about characters who are dissatisfied if not outright angry with their lot in life. They are in the perfect place to desire change and cause tension, both of which are important components of a gripping story. I’d probably move quickly past most of my characters if I met them walking to work, but the one person I might stop and chat with is Silje Blackeye—a three-hundred-year-old Fae general who, besides being a little too ornery, is a relatively level-headed guy. If I could, I’d take him on a hike through Great Falls and pick his brain with the hopes of learning a thing or two about the art of guerilla warfare.

What are the top three pieces of advice you'd like to give new writers?

First off, if you have the correct tools—i.e. a pocket-sized hydrogen bomb and a can of peanut butter—remove the “backspace” and “delete” keys from your keyboard before you start the first draft. Both of these keys are evil and must be destroyed. If you are doing anything but generating content on the first go-through, you may be overthinking the process.

            Good advice.

Secondly, criticism is inevitable, so prepare yourself. When it comes to other writers, their opinions are just that; you should put their ideas in context with what you want to achieve and go from there.

            So true, your name is on the book.

Lastly, sit down and write. Right now. Stop reading. I mean it. Go!

            *Jumps up, runs to computer, starts writing this blog* Wait. We’re not done.

One final question, which line did you struggle with more, the first or the last?

In the months of writing that led up to finishing Avengarde, I had been mulling over a big choice that would only be appropriately accomplished in the very last chapter. The decision was between true tragedy and a thematically jarring twist, and I knew that this choice would heavily influence the readers’ takeaway message. I ended up writing both endings, swapping them back and forth, and even “testing” them on my alpha readers. So, you might say that the actual lines were easy to write, but I took a long time deciding how cynical I wanted the ending to be.

Check out AVENGARDE by Zachary Barnes

“Avengarde is a refreshing piece of fantasy. From the first-person narrative to the heavy themes of discrimination and genocide, Avengarde feels urgent, but also inviting. Barnes walks a fine line between creating a vast new world for his readers to escape to and explore, and holding up a distorted mirror to teach us something about our own world and our own ways.” – Nathan Moore, author of From the Margins

“Avengarde is a rich and engaging world! Detailed descriptions and immersive characters will draw readers in and keep them enthralled as the Sons of Dawn hunt every last Fae.” – Brad R. Cook, author of Iron Horsemen

Zachary Barnes

Zachary Barnes is a fantasy author who has been self-publishing since 2007. His first novel, Winter’s Throne, debuted in 2010. After attending James Madison University for Music Education, Zachary—originally from Pennsylvania—moved to Northern Virginia where he began his career in education and met his publishers. Avengarde represents Zachary’s first contracted book deal. Currently, Zachary is the assistant manager and lead tutor at the Reading and Writing Center at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus.

Brad R. Cook, author of the YA steampunk series, The Iron Chronicles. Iron Horsemen - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Horsemen-The-Chronicles/dp/0989207951, Iron Zulu - http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Zulu-Book-Two-Chronicles/dp/0989207978, and Iron Lotus https://www.amazon.com/Iron-Lotus-Chronicles-Brad-Cook/dp/099639012X.  A member of SCBWI, he currently serves as Historian of St. Louis Writers Guild after three and half years as its President. Learn more at www.bradrcook.com, on Twitter @bradrcook https://twitter.com/bradrcook, or on his blog Thoughts from Midnight on tumblr http://bradrcook.tumblr.com/