The King's Ranger Book 1 is out now!

The King’s Ranger Book 1 is out now! Find it HERE ON AMAZON.

The early reviews are in (ok, only 8 of them so far) and they’re uniformly 5-Stars! Readers are saying this is my best book yet! I know eventually that average has to come down, but I’m going to wallow in it a moment before it does ;)

A ranger’s duty. The rotten heart of a king. Rebellion spilled from the blood of family.

Rew, the king’s ranger, accepted a role on the far edge of the realm to avoid the morass of intrigue and betrayal that bleeds from the heart of the kingdom. His only desire is to shoulder the burden he’s taken, to protect the village of Eastwatch, and to monitor the wilderness beyond.

When three youths are arrested for petty theft in the village and beg for his help, Rew’s oldest friend insists he take responsibility for them. By ties stronger than steel, Rew is forced onto a path he knows leads to chaos and death. Through a resurgence of monsters summoned in ages prior, war between the royal line, and back-stabbing treachery, the king’s ranger will battle to grant the youths a life he never had a chance of.

But as they venture farther from the wilderness he calls home, Rew can feel the magical pull at the center of the kingdom, demanding he return to face his past and his family’s terrible legacy. Only he knows the secret of the king, and the risk it poses to the entire realm.

Interview with Philip C Quaintrell

Today I’ve got an interview with Philip C Quaintrell, author of the Echoes Saga. I read the first book of the series, Rise of the Ranger, as research for my own upcoming ranger-based series, The King’s Ranger <plug: release date is Sept 1st, follow the link to pre-order>, and as soon as I’d turned a few pages of RotR I knew I had to talk to Philip. Despite the fact that we have a TON of overlapping fans and write similar stories, Philip and I had never bumped into each other. This is the rare interview where I’m learning as you are ;)

AC: Hi Philip, thanks for taking the time to chat! To start us off, can you tell us a little bit about you’re the Echoes Saga series?

PCQ: What can I tell you about my books? Well, they’re set firmly in my favourite genre: epic fantasy! The story I’m telling is a big one and it takes place in a big world to boot. I know this because I started out with the idea to write a single fantasy book and it’s turned into 9… The adventure will span around fifty years and introduce you to a host of characters both mortal and immortal - because who doesn’t love a good elf! Anyone who loves LOTR, GOT, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and The Forgotten Realms will love falling into the world of Verda. 

AC: I love your characters, particularly your ranger! I’m writing my own ranger-centric series, and when I was doing research for titles, I finally decided to check out Rise of the Ranger: The Echoes Saga Book 1. It’s been hanging out in my Amazon Also Boughts for ages <meaning Philip and I share a ton of fans>, so apologies for how long it took ;) I really enjoyed your ranger, Asher. I picked up some hints of LotR’s Aragorn, but can you talk about what else inspired Asher?

PCQ: Aragorn and his archetype are definitely on the inspirational list when it comes to the Ranger character. In The Echoes Saga, that character type is filled by Asher, though he has his differences from the virtuous Aragorn. 

Asher started out life as an Outlander (a savage) before being taken in by an order of assassins. He spent a good couple of decades killing for them, learning the skills that make him such a good ranger. 

His darker side definitely has some of Geralt in there from The Witcher (I played the game - never read the books). Aragorn was always such a sweet and gentle man when he wasn’t slaying orcs, while Geralt came across as brash and gruff in all situations which, to me, is far more interesting. 

The third strand in my development of Asher actually came from Daredevil (Netflix show). As an assassin of Nightfall, Asher has been given the power to heighten all of his senses when plunged into complete darkness. In fact, the mark of his order is the red blindfold every assassin wears. I just really loved the idea of how menacing a person could be when they could absolutely kick your ass and you knew they were blindfolded… 

AC: There’s something about rangers that really connects with people — the idea of facing the wilderness and its monsters all on your own. Is that the character class you’d chose to represent you, or do relate better to something else? 

PCQ: I think I would LIKE the ranger character to represent me, but I’m not nearly as skilled or tough enough to survive in the wild. Give me central heating, a warm bed, and a Netflix subscription and I’m like a fish in water. I’d rather be a Dragon Rider and travel around with a WMD by my side!

AC: True on the survival aspect. It cracks me u It cracks me up when people discuss which fantasy world they’d want to live in! I’m always thinking, “None of them!” It rarely works out for everyone in the books I read… So, in our real world, what would your dream career be if you weren’t writing?

PCQ: If I wasn’t writing? That’s a tough one! I’m tempted to cheat your question and say something like script-doctor, but that’s still writing at the end of the day… It’s a really hard question because I absolutely hate work and I can’t think of much else I could do that allows me to live out my imagination every day. Ooo, Maybe acting! It’s very different to what I do now, but it is another form of storytelling and I think I will always be called to that in some way. 

AC: In your bio, you mention that you got frustrated reading other people’s books and wanted to get in and do some tweaks. Now that you’re owning this process end to end, what’s your favorite part about writing, and what’s your least favorite?

PCQ: Yeah, I did get frustrated with the fantasy books that were being put out there by traditional publishers. They were starting to feel samey, as if they were all following a formula. I also found that there was a trend emerging that followed characters who were ‘the little guy’ to give a different perspective on events. It bored the crap out of me. Now, I love being able to give my characters their own voice and let them decide what to do next. I love following them through their choices as this process keeps things fresh and exciting for me. I hate editing. I hate it. I really hate it. I spend a lot of time doing it and I have proofreaders etc, but when I’ve written that last sentence in the epilogue, I just want to write the first line in the next prologue.

AC: I feel the same way about Trad Pub sometimes. They put out some great books, but it’s like the movies where everyone immediately goes and copies each other. You get selling seasons that are all chock full of identical styles and themes. Is there anything fresh and different you’d like to recommend my readers (I mean, after our books, of course)?

PCQ: There’s lots of great books out there, both trad pub and self-pub for sure! I’ve always loved the Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding, but I’m also a super fan of the show Firefly, which is very similar to Chris’s series, so I was always going to love it. My favourite fantasy series has got to be the Legend of Drizzt Do’Urden by R.A. Salvatore. It was his first book in the series, Homeland, that got me into the fantasy genre. I’m also a sucker for a good sci-fi book. I recently read Gatecrashers by Patrick Tomlinson - very funny considering he writes such a compelling story. I’m currently reading Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio. It’s a massive space opera told in the first person and I am totally envious of his writing style!

AC: You also talk in your bio about how publishing is a bit like jumping straight into the deep end of the pool. As someone who’s made the leap and come up swimming, do you have any advice for new writers who are trying to figure this all out?

PCQ: Firstly, I would say be patient and never lose heart. I started self-publishing in 2016 and wasn’t able to write full time until 2018, but I had been writing since 2013 and received dozens of rejections from agents. We all like to think that the first book we publish is going to change our lives but writing is an art form - it takes time and constant practice to get better. Rise of the Ranger was my third book, after I started a less successful sci-fi series, and two things have helped to propel it over the years: a good blurb and a fantastic cover. The second one requires a real investment. I used a graphic designer in the beginning and switched to an illustrator when I could afford one. We like to say that ‘we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover’ but that is absolutely what people do.   Above all though - just keep writing. I know some say that you should spend half your time marketing, but I’ve never spent a penny on marketing or even researched it. My first and only rule is: keep writing.

AC: Outside of writing, tell us some of your hobbies?

PCQ: If my job didn’t give me away I’m a giant nerd! I’m also a big kid who can’t believe he has a kid of his own. I love movies, video games, miniatures, comic books, basically anything that feeds my imagination (it’s a ravenous beast!).

AC: I’ve been asking a lot of people this recently, but as someone who writes full-time — and I’m guessing is used to working from home — do you have any pointers for everyone out there trying to adjust to Covid and remote working arrangements?

PCQ: Working from home with a young family that can’t go out has been frustrating at times. I’ve been torn between writing and spending time with wife and son for sure. Our saviour has been in the form of routine, especially since we have a toddler. I would advise shaping a new routine within the house and sticking to it. 

AC: There are 7 books out in the Echoes Saga so far, and I believe it’s scheduled for 9? When can we expect Book 8, and what comes after this series?

PCQ: Book 8: Last of the Dragorn will be out mid September. I’m quite prolific as I believe one of the keys to success in the self-pub world is getting your name and content out there as regularly as possible. Unfortunately, it isn’t easy to do until you’re writing full time. At present, I aim to release 2-3 books a year, so the last book in the series will be released in Jan/Feb 2021 (the title’s a secret - sorry). After that, and by popular demand, I will be writing a prequel series about Asher, detailing his life as an assassin/ranger before we meet him in Rise of the Ranger. I’ve got a couple of other series after that, set in Verda still, but they’re hush hush right now - it’s good to be mysterious right?

AC: And we’ll leave it there, because everyone loves a cliffhanger! No… you don’t. Hmph. Well, WRITERS love cliffhangers, so that’s all these two writers have today. Reminder, if you’re interested in more from Philip, you can find his books on Amazon HERE or go straight to the source: https://www.philipcquaintrell.com.

The Cartographer: Complete Series is out now!

For you bargain hunters out there, The Cartographer: Complete Series is out now in eBook. Over 450,000 words of dark, sexy, fantasy adventure! It’s eBook only at the moment, but the audio boxset is already in quality control with Audible and should be out soon! 45 hours of Simon Vance — for one credit!

If you like your epic fantasy with a side of Sherlock Holmes, occult ritual, world-spanning travel, gaslamp aesthetics, nudity, and drunken bar brawling, then this one is for you!

Interview with Luke Chmilenko

Today I have an interview with famed Canadian and author, Luke Chmilenko. He has toes in both the traditional epic fantasy world and the newer LitRPG community. I wanted to talk to him because his co-written epic fantasy series is a great match for Benjamin Ashwood fans, and his LitRPG is the perfect place to start for readers who are curious about the genre. If you’re interested in learning more about Luke or his work you can find him at: https://lukechmilenko.com.

AC: Luke, thanks for the opportunity to chat! Before we get into it, can you let us know how to pronounce your last name? I’ve actually met you in person, but as I’m writing this I’m not 100% sure I’ve been saying it right (my bad)!

LC: Haha, not to worry, I know that it can be a bit tricky! But it sounds much like it reads! I know that’s not super helpful, but if I were to describe it, it’s a hard ‘Ch’ followed by a ‘mill’ sound, then ending with ‘lenko’.  Hopefully, that’s a little helpful!

AC: Sounds like it reads, who could have known!? Now that we have that settled, can you tell us a bit about your Ascend Online and The Shattered Reigns series?

LC: Of course! Starting first with the slightly odd one to explain, my Ascend Online series falls into the LitRPG category, which for those who are unaware, is a sort of a ‘video gamey’ overlay on top of a fantasy, science fiction, or adventure story with the game elements defining the characters growth in an RPG like fashion. So depending on the story you’ll have people fighting rats, goblins, orcs, and so on, then progressively getting stronger as they do so in a gamelike fashion. There are a ton of different ways that these series are put together, but in Ascend Online’s case, this story takes place within a Virtual Reality Massively Muliplayer Online Role-Playing Game (VRMMORPG), so essentially something similar to World of Warcraft. The twist is instead of sitting at a keyboard and playing away, your brain itself is plugged into the gameworld and you play the game as if living day to day life. Sounds like fun, right?

With regards to the story of Ascend Online itself, it is an action adventure-based story involving a group of friends that all jump into a brand new fantasy world looking to have an exciting time. As they get into the world however, they find themselves drawn into it by both the NPCs within and by other players as well, some of them friendly and some decidedly not. This then prompts adventure after adventurer as they try to carve a place for themselves out in this little world while not losing everything that they’ve worked for.

My other series, The Shattered Reigns, is much easier to explain of these two! It is a mainstream Epic Fantasy series that I’ve co-written with Bryce O’Connor (with no LitRPG elements) and written in a more ‘traditional’ fantasy style than my more modern and meta take in Ascend Online. This story centers around Declan, an orphan turned mercenary, who (without spoiling the story) finds himself caught up in the middle of a resurgence of a dark power who seeks to dominate everything. Banding together with a group of trusty comrades (and an exceptionally special horse) he then looks to investigate the darkness that’s fallen over the land finding himself roped into an adventure of a lifetime.

For both of these series Bryce and I are currently working on their sequels. I am hoping to get the next Ascend Online book out sometime towards the end of this summer (September/October maybe?) and we are looking to get the next Shattered Reigns book out in early 2021 if things go according to plan.

AC: As one of the earliest writers in LitRPG, how have you seen the genre progress, and where do you predict it will go next?

LC: I think over the last couple years this genre has finally found its feet and has managed to establish some base ‘expectations’ and tropes from the readership. In the early days I really remember when new subgenres or takes on the genre itself were creeping up almost monthly, either to great success or fizzling out. Looking at things now, I think we’ve hit a point where things have mostly stabilized with regards to that, and the genre is now growing outwards within each established niche.

As for where the genre is going to next is something a bit hard to say. I think given LitRPG’s web serial origins and less experienced collection of authors, we’re going to see a steady improvement in the coming books quality as the readers become more discerning, especially now that they have a larger collection of books to choose from. Beyond that, I think we’re going see a slow but steady growth in the readership itself. The readership as a whole for LitRPG is rather small, especially compared to the mainstream genres, but has grown steadily as more people find out that exists.

AC: Many of my readers aren’t familiar with LitRPG. For someone new to the genre, where’s a good place to start (after Ascend Online, of course!)?

LC: This all depends on what you’re looking for, but my best recommendations for a good cross section of the genre would be:

Awaken Online by Travis Bagwell

Delvers LLC by Blaise Corvin

Continue Online by Stephan Morse

The Feedback Loop by Harmon Cooper

Divine Dungeon by Dakota Krout

All of these books are considered the ‘classics’ that LitRPG has to offer and all belong to the different various subgenres that there are. I’m sure that any aspiring reader will be able to find ‘something’ interesting in one of these books!

AC: How much, uh… “research” do you need to do playing games, and what are some of your favorites?

Hah! Not as much as I’d like, but I am definitely planning on taking a break soon as I’m done with Glory to the Brave to recharge…err, I mean study up on what’s new! But that said when I do have some time to relax, I really do like spending my time between both World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14, since MMORPG games are among my favorite ones to play. Beyond those though my current favorites at the moment are both Path of Exile and Stardew Valley. They’re both perfect to relax with for an hour or so after a busy writing day and let the brain churn away on whatever I’m planning to take the writing for the next day.

AC: Let’s transition over to A Mark of Kings: The Shattered Reigns which is a lot more like my own stuff. My understanding is that the genesis of that book was an old, unfinished manuscript by your co-writer Bryce O’Connor, and that he had many of the same influences that I did. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved, and what it was like to work with Bryce on something completely different from your LitRPG work?

LC: It was! Through the luck of fate, Bryce and I were super lucky to cross paths and become friends while navigating the online world of writing and eventually the topic of writing together came up. As it did, Bryce mentioned that he had one other story that he’d been sitting on for years and years and was itching to give it another look and see if it couldn’t be published. So with that, we both ended up taking a look at the manuscript and then brainstormed between one another on what we felt worked and what needed to be adjusted to fit the current climate of fantasy today. Then from there, A Mark of Kings was born! (And to great success too!)

Switching from the LitRPG perspective was something that I discovered I very much enjoyed during this project too. While I do like the framework that it provides for measuring growth and character progression, it does have a ton of extra things to worry about, such as stat sheets, game mechanics, and all the other similar pieces. Not having to worry about that for once was extremely freeing and I’m looking forward to doing so again on a few more projects in the future over above the Shattered Reigns series.

AC: Because you enjoyed it so much, do you have any other co-writing projects in the works? 

LC: Oh boy, too many! Outside of the Shattered Reigns, I have another series with Bryce that we are looking to release (likely) this year. Then past those, I currently have three other LitRPG projects on the go. At the moment though, it’s a little early to talk about specifics, so I’ll leave you all in suspense past that!

AC: Oh wow! Busy man. You did say you have more Ascend Online on the way, right?

LC: I am currently working on finishing the next book – Glory to the Brave, which I hope to have out towards the end of the summer, which will be my longest book that I have written yet! <AC: I’ve seen the wordcount, this thing is a beast!> Yes, even beating out Legacy of the Fallen, which was huge in its own right!

AC: Good to hear. I love that with Epic Fantasy, and it’s cousin LitRPG, you have the freedom to write these huge books and sprawling series. What has that freedom allowed you to do that you couldn’t get away with in a shorter, more compact series?

LC: I feel that it allows me to slow the pacing a bit and give each and every scene a bit more detail as well as add in some ‘slice of life’ elements that while may not directly advance the story itself, make the world feel more alive than if I focused tightly on just the plot itself. This style of writing I find is also great for myself personally, since as a reader I find I always want to know all the details that happen in the world of what I’m reading, not just what the characters are experiencing. It gives me the depth too to show how things around the characters may change even though it’s not ever directly relevant to them or whatever their quest at the time is.

That all said though, I am looking forward to trying a few ‘shorter endeavors’ (such as not, 250k+ word monsters!), just for their ease to write a bit faster, especially since I’m not the fastest writer around!

AC: And last but not least, congrats on your new baby (spoiler alert)! A question relevant to many of us working from home now in these strange times — how has having a little one in the house impacted your writing and work/life balance?

LC: What balance? Haha. It’s been a huge shift from having the ability to work consistently through the day to grabbing whatever spare minutes that I happen to have to tap out a handful of words, be on it on a keyboard or my phone. That said however, the sense of urgency of not having as much time has helped with making sure that I focus on getting the actual words in and not spend so much time on administrative things. On most days, I find now that I can actually get more ‘writing’ done in less time than I used to before, which in terms of actually putting the finishing touches on this next Ascend Online book has been desperately needed! I am hoping though that as the world goes back to normal, so will my writing day, but that I’ll also be able to keep that sense of urgency with me, allowing me to speed along with my projects faster than before!

AC: And that’s all we have for today. Remember, you can find more about Luke at: https://lukechmilenko.com or go straight to Ascend Online or Shattered Reigns on Amazon. Happy reading!