NEW NEWS and the GRAND EXPERIMENT

First let me say that I appreciate all of those who have taken precious time out of their lives to read (and hopefully enjoy) my novels! As far as new things and updates, let me answer a few questions that I've received on a regular basis.

1. A World Within series has not been forgotten! I'm starting the second novel, tentatively entitled, "THE WIELDER KING," as I write this. I hope to finish it sometime in the early Summer 2015. I love the first book and am looking forward to getting back to AWW's fun cast and crew. In the meantime, I have other fantasy novels available you may not have read and one brand new one to announce in this post (see the new cover pic?)
2. For those of you who have read the Descendants Saga and now the Crisis Sequence novels, you should already realize that they are linked and that Brody West has traveled into the future, so to speak, by way of being held in stasis within a special portal. Not really time travel...more like cryo-sleep for us trekkies...and he will not return to the past. But there is a whole mess of trouble for him to deal with and some sadness too in the Crisis Sequence novels, beginning with RAGE, which I have left priced for FREE!! So, fans of Descendants can definitely afford to check out the continuation...I'm also still giving promo codes for the RAGE audiobook, so you can get that for FREE at the moment if you hurry! That's a great deal, so don't waste the opportunity. I realize some people don't like that I ended Descendants and flipped the script somewhat to make Brody a hidden character at first and then a side character in CRISIS, but trust me when I say that these other characters are cool and Brody increased along the way and is set to be a main character again in the next Crisis Sequence novel...
3. Speaking of Crisis Sequence, when is the third novel, HAVOC, going to come out, James? So glad you asked. HAVOC will be written following the new World Within novel, (I can only do one at a time, folks) which would mean hopefully starting in Summer 2015 and completing it a few months later. So, hopefully before Christmas 2015. By the way, I appreciate your patience. Being an independent writer does allow me to bypass much of the Big Publisher delays in book release, but I still have to write them...and I write novels almost non-stop while also working a job, taking care of kids and now returning to finish my degree. Lots on the plate, but I'm still doing the novels full steam ahead.
4. Now, for the GRAND EXPERIMENT! I am proud to announce the release of my latest series starter, RAVEN'S HAND, Book One of the Raven's Chronicle series. This is full on allegorical fantasy like most of my other fantasy novels and is no less filled with action and adventure, vicious villains and powerful protagonists. I do hope you will join me in this new story by picking up either the Kindle version, the soon coming Print Version, or the hopefully soon coming Audiobook Version at audible.com.
5. And last but not least, I've got good news for Audiobook lovers...not only am I still handing out FREE promo codes for RAGE...I'm also working with a new narrator and will have new audiobooks coming from audible.com over the next few months for: HALLOWED BE THY NAME Omnibus Edition, A Strange Tale (Percival Strange novel), and the final Descendants novel, ALLIANCE/VENDETTA. Also, I may soon have audio releases for my space novel series, The Chronicles of Soone! Man, that's going way back!

So, in conclusion, there is so much going on and I hope you will stay tuned for upcoming sequels, audiobooks and please join with me in the Raven's Chronicle series just released with Book One, Raven's Hand. If you're wondering why I called this novel the Grand Experiment, I had the idea of writing under a pen name, Evangeline Black, for this novel since it has a female heroine. At any rate, I even released it for free for a couple of days under that name on amazon, but I've since decided not to bother with any of that J.K. ROWLING style pen name stuff...so, I've reordered everything to reflect my own true name again...a grand experiment that ultimately I figured was just kind of stupid :)

 

Want a FREE COPY OF "FALLEN" ON AUDIOBOOK?

 

Contact James Somers at jamessremos@yahoo.com to receive a promotional code for the audiobook at AUDIBLE.COM.

 

What do I have to do to get the book free?

 

Just promise that you will listen to the book and then go back to Audible.com to review it on their site.

 

That's it, but this is a limited offer...when my promo codes are gone then this blog post will disappear.

SERPENT KINGS SAGA: OMNIBUS EDITION

As work continues on my new Descendants Saga series of novels, (including: Fallen,  Descendant & Revenant), I have been toying with the idea of re-releasing my previous Serpent Kings novels together in an Omnibus Edition. With new edits and a spanking new cover, I have finally done it!

The SERPENT KINGS SAGA Omnibus Edition has just released on Amazon.com in Kindle format and includes "The Serpent Kings, The Wraith Dancer & The Shadow Walker," as well as a new preview of the recently released "Fallen: Descendants Saga Book One."

I've set this special edition at a low, low price of only $3.99

(That's a savings on the series of $2.98... letting it all go at nearly half price!)

Now, that's a deal you can't pass up, folks! Check it out! Tell your best buds! And enjoy the new SERPENT KINGS SAGA Omnibus Edition Exclusively on Amazon Kindle!

VENOM & SONG by Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper

VENOM & SONG by Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper is the sequel to the first Berinfell Prophecies novel, "Curse of the Spiderking." Following the cliffhanger ending of Spiderking, we catch up with the young Elf Lords as they enter the strange realm of Allyra. They have a traitor in their midst and their enemies are dogging their heels every step of the way. They have to learn their newfound abilities fast if they are to survive.

I found this installment less incumbered by the problems of the first book, particularly trying to follow seven different protagonists, nearly all in different places. The sequel packs them together better, making progress smoother for the reader and keeping details straight easier.
Venom & Song is chock full of action, creepy enemies, and intense plotting. I personally found this series harder to get into for some reason....However, young readers, (especially those who enjoy Harry Potter, Ranger's Apprentice, etc), should enjoy Venom & Song very much. I think it was a bit too "high fantasy" for me, particularly the dialogue, but that's just nitpicking based on my personal tastes. As I said, I would still highly recommend it to younger readers. I received a complementary copy of "VENOM & SONG" from the Publisher.

What others are saying about Venom & Song:

"This isn't just any fantasy book! It's a perfect blend of Elven fantasy and Earth teens. Though the mythical creatures are portrayed a little different than normal, they are still interesting and unique characters. The plot line is great, full of suspense and drama. I particularly like the Seven Elven Lords, with their amazing powers like wind walking and hyper speed. So one of the Lord's death (I won't completely spoil it!) was a very hard hit to me. I'm a reader that knows and has seen that death of main or secondary characters is very important to the story, but when it actually happens, it always makes me sad. I think I need to care less about the books I read. Overall, this book is very good for anyone and is a definite buy."

"VENOM AND SONG, book two in the Berinfell Prophecies series is an excellent Christian fiction novel. Seven new "lords" have come back to help Elf-kind win the bloody war against the Spider King. They grew up on Earth, knowing nothing of the Elf war, or of Berinfell, but now they have been returned and must learn to master their new powers in order to help turn the tide of war and win against the viscous Spider King.

Filled with wonderfully written characters, quirky twists of plot, and insightful spiritual messages, VENOM AND SONG is first-class fiction!"

VENOM & SONG: TRIBE BUILDING CONTEST!

Teen Fantasy Readers: Would you like to win a private book party with bestselling fantasy authors Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper? Would you like to win a sword of your very own? Join the Tribe Building Contest that begins today! For details, Visit: www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com

SPECIAL OFFER on PERDITION'S GATE!

PERDITION'S GATE has UNOFFICIALLY been released by my publisher, TRILOGUS MEDIA GROUP. What does this mean, James?

It means that I can offer the novel at a special discounted rate here on my website during the two weeks before it becomes available on AMAZON.COM.

The novel will become available on Amazon as a paperback and Kindle book before it becomes available in bookstores and other online book sellers -- probably a month from now, so that we can get back further author reviews to put on the cover from bestsellers like Wayne Thomas Batson and Jeremy Robinson, as well as reviews from Megalith and Midwest Book Review.

Here is the link to order PERDITION'S GATE at a 15% discount through Amazon's Createspace website --- everything is handled by Amazon -- safe & secure. Don't forget to input your discount code: KQGWZ7EZ

Synopsis: Raised to kill, as the leader of Babylon's most elite special ops team, Jason Night, codename: Nightstalker, never thought he would fall in love with Sarah Cross and desire to leave the life he's always known. Nor could he foresee the dangerous secret Sarah harbored leading to her death at the hands of another Babylon agent. With the world in chaos, a powerful, charismatic leader, Oliver Theed, rises to lead the nations into a New World Order of his own sinister design. But those rising to power in his wings have their own plans and Theed may be the next target in a deadly cat and mouse game deciding the fate of the world.As Jason questions all that he's ever believed, he seeks answers and revenge. But what he finds will shake him to the core and bring him face to face with Theed, Babylon and a coming Apocalypse that cannot be avoided.

Faery Rebels - Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson

Forget everything you think you know about faeries. . . .
Creatures full of magic and whimsy?
Not in the Oakenwyld. Not anymore.
Deep inside the great Oak lies a dying faery realm, bursting with secrets instead of magic. Long ago the faeries mysteriously lost their magic. Robbed of their powers, they have become selfish and dull-witted. Now their numbers are dwindling and their very survival is at stake.
Only one young faery—Knife—is determined to find out where her people's magic has gone and try to get it back. Unlike her sisters, Knife is fierce and independent. She's not afraid of anything—not the vicious crows, the strict Faery Queen, or the fascinating humans living nearby. But when Knife disobeys the Faery Queen and befriends a human named Paul, her quest becomes more dangerous than she realizes. Can Knife trust Paul to help, or has she brought the faeries even closer to the brink of destruction?


Faery Rebels, by R. J. Anderson was not exactly the novel I was expecting when I saw the cover, which looked more like a Tinkebell knock-off to me, being a guy. However, I read an Amazon review which said that patience with the first part of the novel would be rewarded by the time you got further in...and they were right. I perservered through some of what I might have expected until the unexpected and intriguing finally took hold. There is a mystery to be solved here and you have to be patient and let it unfold. But once you do, you'll find a story worth reading. The interpersonal relationship between the faery, Knife, and the human, Paul, is especially interesting...far more natural and endearing than the hormonal Twilight fluff so popular these days. Anderson also brings both the mystery and the relationship between Knife and Paul to a satifying resolution by the end. All in all, a satisfying fantasy where a little patience does uncover gold.

THE SWORD OF GIDEON has been RELEASED!

The third and final installment in the REALM SHIFT TRILOGY: "The Sword of Gideon" has released on Amazon.com. Just thought I would share that news for all the readers following the series. As always, I hope you enjoy the story!

All of the novels can be purchased in either AMAZON KINDLE FORMAT or TRADE PAPERBACK.

DAY #3 "HEED THE PROPHECIES!"

On our last day of the blog tour for Wayne Batson and Christopher Hopper's "Berinfell Prophecies," we're featuring the great new website dedicated to the series: HEED THE PROPHECIES (dot)com

On the site you'll find the latest news on the series as well as a public forum where you can interact with the authors and other fans. And if you want to know a bit more about Wayne and Christopher, there's also some great biographical info as well.

DAY 2 : THE INTERVIEW!

Joining me today are Christian Fantasy authors, Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper. Wayne is the bestselling author of the Door Within Trilogy as well as Isle of Swords & Isle of Fire. He is also a middle school teacher with a heart for kids and their eternal destiny. Christopher is the author of the White Lion Chronicles as well as a Pastor and Worship leader. Both of these men have a passion for Christ and have joined forces to bring us a new Christian Fantasy series entitled "The Berinfell Prophecies." Book One, "The Curse of the Spider King," has just recently come out and is quickly moving up the charts. As you can see these guys are serious about their fiction--so buy their book or they might "cut yor 'ead off!"

Wayne was gracious enough to take some time, from his busy schedule, in order to fill us in a bit on this joint effort and the Berinfell Prophecies. Tomorrow we'll feature more cool STUFF on Berinfell Prophecies!

Wayne, how did you two come up with the premise for The Berinfell Prophecies?

I have a file folder on my Mac that contains somewhere around 30 "story kernels." These are kind of cool little nuggets of plot that have the potential to be fleshed out as a novel. One of these I was particularly keen on, I proposed to Christopher. It was about a young boy who thought of himself as pretty unremarkable but was noticed (in a suspicious kind of way) by the school's librarian. CH loved it and together we brainstormed what could be going on here. It soon became apparent that this one boy was not alone. There were seven youths in the mix and there were dark forces stalking them.

Did you have any fictional inspirations for the story?

Tolkien always inspires me. But there wasn't any other story that gave me inspiration.

How about any biblical inspiration for the story?

Biblical inspiration, definitely. The scriptures that speak of God grafting us in, adopting us as sons (and daughters), calling us "friend," those are powerful influencers of this novel.

Describe your process for coordinating the writing between two novelists.

Thank God for technology. CH is a 7-hour drive from me in Upstate NY. So we have used cell phones, iChat, Yahoo Messenger, texting, etc. to be able to go back and forth. We begin by outlining together. We need a road map, so we took quite a bit of time to flesh out where we thought the story would go. We broke it down into scenes, rather than chapters and divided those scenes between the two of us depending on who was most passionate about that scene.

Can Christians learn any important lessons from the Elves in Berinfell? Please describe any allegory taking place in the story.

Curse of the Spider King, as well as, the other Berinfell books will, we pray, encourage believers to stop fighting over things and start fighting the enemy. Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces in this dark world.

Will Berinfell be a trilogy and what are some things we might see in the next installment?

The Berinfell Prophecies, God-willing, will be at least a trilogy. We're nearly finished the second book, Venom and Song, and are already batting ideas around for a 3rd book.

Where did you two learn to swordfight?

On the Fantasy Fiction East Coast Tour. We actually met a stage combat teacher while doing a signing in Barnes & Noble, I think in Virginia. She taught us some basic moves. And the rest we kind of just make up as we go. Though, I think CH might have some more formal training.

"THE REALM SHIFT" has been RELEASED!

After some time, trial and a title tweak, THE REALM SHIFT has been released on Amazon.com under the KINDLE BOOK format. The novel is also available as a TRADE PAPERBACK. The second novel, THE ORDER OF SHADDAI, (updated: Has been released) and the final Installment, THE SWORD OF GIDEON, will release early spring 2010. I've done the cover work on these and was very pleased with how they've turned out.

Synosis: THE REALM SHIFT - "The strangest thing about Ethan's first encounter with a demon was not that he could see the creature, but that the demon could not see him....Hunted by these malevolent spirits and the Warlord allied to them, Ethan struggles to stay alive in the midst of a growing rebellion within his homeland. As war erupts, he must flee to the white walled city of Emmanuel, in hopes of fulfilling the long held prophecy of "Shaddai's Deliverer," or die in the attempt. At every turn, enemies, both seen and unseen, conspire to kill Ethan before he discovers how to unleash the awesome power of the Realm Shift."

"The Realm Shift's intrigue is second only to its action!" -- Wayne Thomas Batson, author, The Berinfell Prophecies and The Door Within Trilogy.

"The Realm Shift doesn't just draw you in, it sucks you in! The story is full of mystery, adventure, danger and inspiration. I highly recommend it!" -- Brian Tubbs, Pastor, Sligo Baptist Church.

"The Realm Shift is written in a grand mythic type of storytelling reminiscent of Tolkien's Lord of the Ring Trilogy. It grabs the reader from the get-go and takes you on an intense ride through its thrilling, unstoppable trajectory!" -- Rai Aren, author, The Secret Sands.
"The Realm Shift is spiritual warfare as you've never read it before. An awesome book!" -- Betty Dravis, author, Toonies Invade Silicon Valley and 1106 Grand Boulevard.

Ethan Hawk Leaping Over Hurdles

Update: "Ethan Hawk and the Realm Shift," as survived its first scrutiny at a major publisher. The Editor's "reader" liked the sample chapters and book proposal and the editor has requested more to submit to the "sales board." There is still plenty of competition, as fantasy manuscripts are plentiful, but I take it as good news...so far :)

In the meantime, I'm busy pecking away at the second novel of the "Book of the Prophets" series: Ethan Hawk and the Order of Shaddai.

I always wonder when going from one novel to the next in the series, if I'll be able to maintain the level of intensity and action in the story without having to rehash what I've done before. So far, so good. EH and the Realm Shift is action packed and the second is managing to write itself out in the same fashion. This has to be one of my favorite series to write so far and I certainly hope the Lord will grant my petition to be able to share it in print :)

Anthology Cover & More Great News!!

Well, for anyone interested, here is the artwork for the upcoming Fantasy Anthology I'm going to be a part of. The Anthology is scheduled to come out in October 2007 and will feature my initial short story version of my new novel: A WORLD WITHIN along with twenty something other fantasy short stories. I get a free copy of the anthology as payment, but I keep all rights (very good since I'm going on with this one to do a complete trilogy of novels). My agent said it will still be good as a publishing credit to make me more marketable. I'm personally just glad someone enjoyed the initial offering and wanted to publish it. Big thanks to author, William Kooiker for getting me an invitation to submit before it became an open call.

Another great chunk of news: TSABA HOUSE PUBLISHING, the same who publish Christopher Hopper's WHITE LION CHRONICLES have asked my agent for the manuscript for THE CHRONICLES OF SOONE: Rise of Lucin. For anyone unfamiliar with Christopher Hopper and his Christian fantasy series, he was one of the four authors on the Fantasy Four book tour with our friend Wayne Batson. Now I know you all know who he is! Anyway, I'm praying for good news on COS: Rise of Lucin from these publishers. That is two out of four publishers, including BETHANY HOUSE, which have now finished the initial book proposal and sample chapters from ICRS last month and have asked for more. I'll take all the prayers I can get on this! Muchas Gracias, Me Amigos!