Category: Historical

Cover Reveal: Citadels of Fire, By L.K. Hill

11/8/2013

That's right, while we wait on the edges of our seats for tomorrow's cover reveal of my own Confessions of the Very First Zombie Slayer (That I Know of), I've got one more shiny new cover to share! This one's an upcoming historical thriller by L.K. Hill, author of Dark Remnants.

I don't know about you, but I'm in!

About Citadels of Fire

In a world where power is paid for in blood, no one ever aspires to more than what they were born to, and danger hides in plain sight, Inga, a maid in the imperial Russian palace, must find the courage to break the oppressive chains she’s been bound with since birth.

Inga’s life in sixteenth century Russia is bleak until a man she crossed paths with as a child returns to the Kremlin. Taras is convinced his mother’s death when he was a boy was no mere accident and has returned to try and discover what really happened, all during the reign of Ivan the Terrible, the most brutal and notorious ruler ever to sit the throne of Russia. While Taras finds only lies and silence where he seeks truth, Inga struggles with the feelings of oppression that have plagued her for most of her life. Taras gives her the chance to leave her loneliness behind forever, but the cost and future of such a liaison is uncertain and Inga is afraid.

Up against the social confines of the time, the shadowy conspiracies that cloak their history, and the sexual politics of the Russian imperial court, Inga and Taras must discover their past, plan for their future, and survive the brutality that permeates life within the four walls that tower over them all, or they may end up like so many citizens of ancient Russia: nothing but flesh and bone mortar for the stones of the Kremlin wall.

You can learn more by finding L.K. Hill on her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter!

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Interview with Author Elsie Park + Amazon Giftcard Giveaway!

9/8/2013

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Today, I'd like to welcome Elsie Park, author of the brand new Historical Romance, Shadows of Valor, which was released yesterday, September 7th!

(Click here to order your copy)

(Or here to read my review!)

And yes, there is a giftcard giveaway at the bottom of the post!

FJRT: First, congratulations on the release of your debut novel, Shadows of Valor!

EP: Thanks so much for having my as a guest on your blog, Fiona! I’m honored and grateful to be here!

FJRT: Shadows of Valor takes place in a medieval setting. What kind of research did you do to prepare? Did you learn anything interesting and unexpected?

EP: I spent weeks at a time researching the history, monarchy, wars, old maps, weather, clothing, weapons, castles, towns, speech, food, politics, armor, tournaments, knights, medieval terms, feudal titles, names, customs and basic beliefs of England in 1300 A.D. My father’s library of historical books was indispensable as I cross referenced those books with internet sites to make sure I was getting accurate information. Lots of books, lots of time and lots of notes.

An interesting thing that I learned was that during King Edward I’s reign, he outlawed the use of sharp weapons during tournaments. Previous to this, there had been too many fatalities during the “practice” combats, and Edward thought it idiotic to be killing off his army of warriors on the practice field. So he ordered an edict that only blunted weapons could be used in tournaments, thus reducing the number of knights and warriors killed. I incorporated this information into my story during a particular tournament.

FJRT: What’s the most challenging part of writing a story set in the medieval period?

EP: All the time spent researching and then finding a happy medium between illustrating the flavor for the time, yet keeping it modern enough to hold the interest of the contemporary reader. I hope I’ve succeeded in a good balance.

FJRT: What’s the best part?

EP: I love writing about times past, but putting modern day perspectives into it to appeal to the contemporary reader. I like writing about issues we have today, but in a wonderful, historical setting, making it kind of magical in a way. Most people, then and now, all wish to be a better person than they were the day before.

FJRT: The drama between Elsbeth, Sir Calan, and his alter-ego as The Shadow is often reminiscent of the comic book superhero genre. Are you a comic book fan? Is there any element of characters with secret identities that particularly appeals to you, or that you wanted to depart from in Shadows of Valor?

EP: I’m really not a fan of comic books, though I enjoy a good Batman, Spiderman, Superman, movie and the like. When my husband read Shadows of Valor, he compared it to Batman, but I didn’t have Batman in mind when I wrote the novel. I just had the idea that spies, in general, need to keep a duel identity. I was hoping for a fresh new character that was like no other in a way, but I suppose there will always be another character that's comparable.

FJRT: Tell us about the process of shaping Shadows of Valor from an idea to a finished novel. Are there any parts that practically wrote themselves, or parts that went through extra difficult rounds of revision? Any cool deleted scenes lost due to pacing or other practical reasons?

EP: After leaving some high-danger jobs behind to be a stay-at-home mother, though I LOVE being a mom and wouldn’t trade it for anything, I got antsy to do something for myself again while I changed diapers, ran errands, cleaned house, etc. I’ve made up short stories since I could write coherently in grade-school and, always a fan of a good action-packed, fantasy, romance movie or novel, I had ideas in my head of what I thought would make good scenes (especially if I didn’t like the way one was played out in a book or movie - LOL), so acting on a whim, I jotted them down. The thought of a full length novel was daunting to me, so I started out with only these few scattered scenes, typing them out in no particular order. I then pieced them together with a tentative plot. Then I put in a few more scenes here and there, and then a few more. Little by little, the story grew in pages and before I knew it, I had a full-length novel on my hands.

Coming up with the dialogues were fun and easy for me. They wrote themselves as I pictured how the conversations between my characters would be on a movie screen, and then described them as I saw them in my mind. I had difficulty describing scenes in my story, however. I wanted to be historically accurate in my descriptions, so I took lots of breaks from my typing to research how rooms and chambers looked, banquet halls, articles of clothing, weapons, etc. I didn’t want to just rely on movies I’d seen, because movies aren’t always accurate in what they portray. Lots of medieval books sat open on my computer desk and took up a ton of precious writing time.

I had a lot more detail in Shadows of Valor about home structures and food and such, but it slowed the story a bit in parts, so the editors took some of it out. I hope that what remains allows the reader to effectively picture the medieval world as I had wanted to describe it.

FJRT: What can you tell us about what you’re working on next?

EP: I’m working on another story that takes place several years after Shadows of Valor. I’ve taken a minor character from Shadows of Valor and weaved a story around him. The story takes place in England again, but ventures into Scotland as well, drawing on the historical happenings and battles that took place between the countries at that time. You don’t need to read Shadows of Valor to read my next book. Though they share a common character, it’s not a sequel. It’s a separate story. I will, of course, compose a song for it (probably not three like I did for Shadows of Valor) and it will be another PG-rated romantic adventure.

FJRT: Finally, in the pursuit of your writing career, what question have you most fantasized about being asked by an interviewer, and what’s the answer?

EP: Interviewer: “So how are you handling all the fame from being the current best selling historical fiction writer in the world?” (Okay, I think every author dreams of hearing this question *smile*)

My answer: “I’m taking the fame in stride. I feel honored, grateful and humbled by my many fans who have fallen in love with my story and characters. And, yes, I’m elated that director Peter Jackson has taken an interest in making my book into a movie and using my musical compositions as part of the score *BIG GRIN*.”

FJRT: That would be a dream match.

EP: Thanks again for your great questions, Fiona, and for having me as a guest! I’ve had a blast being here!

About Shadows of Valor

On the surface, Graywall is content and booming. Lord Shaufton, who presides over the city, is a fine ruler. The poor are well-cared for, the area is popular, and morale is high—but within Graywall’s roots, something dark is stirring. This darkness threatens to overpower the once-peaceful town, until a mysterious figure appears: The Shadow.

As much a figure of fear to the unruly as legend to the innocent, The Shadow is an enforcer of justice and aid to the King. Due to an outrageous export tax set by King Edward, smuggling has tainted the kingdom, so The Shadow is sent to hunt the smugglers down. Contrary to legend, The Shadow is simply a man known as Sir Calan who, although talented and just, struggles to keep his dark thoughts of revenge from becoming ruthless action.

Due to sheer coincidence, The Shadow learns of a deadly plot against Lord Shaufton on a journey to Graywall. Now, he must enter a pseudo courtship with Lord Shaufton’s daughter under his original guise of Sir Calan, all while old emotions are stirred by the lovely Elsbeth, Lord Shaufton’s niece. Elsbeth, it seems, is the only woman who can heal his troubled soul, but she has a story of her own. What transpires is a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of all—love.

About Elsie Park

From a wildland firefighter to a security guard, police officer, and student of botany and zoology, Elsie Park has done it all. It was only a matter of time before she wrote her first novel. While on a hiatus to Italy, Park was inspired by the thick presence of ancient and medieval history. She felt it in its walls, and slowly, yet surely, a story was born.

You can find Elsie Park on her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Book Review: Shadows of Valor

8/31/2013

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Book Review:

Shadows of Valor

By Elsie Park

Jolly Fish Press, 2013

A-

Click here to pre-order!

(Based on an advance copy provided by publisher)

The Basics:

Sir Calan lives a double life, as a respected knight and the legendary Shadow, terror of all manner of criminals. In both capacities, he’s a servant of King Edward and of law and order, but The Shadow’s constant contact with the worst humanity has to offer threatens to tear him apart. When investigation of a smuggling operation demands that he court Lady Genevieve to keep an eye on her other suitors, he finds himself drawn to her cousin, Elsbeth, who may be able to bring him closer to who he really is.

The Downside:

A few imperfectly used elements of period speech may bother neurotic English majors such as myself. The moralizing can sometimes get a little heavy, understandably, given the strong overarching theme of varied, gray, and conflicting codes of honor. The foreshadowing and exposition of the mystery are also on the overstated side and include one of those extra-long Bond-style villain’s monologues I tend to rail about.

The Upside:

Elsbeth and Calan make a fascinating couple. Setting aside the fact that she knows him as two people (which does make for some great drama all on its own), she’s a midwife, smart and tough by necessity, but also pious, traditional, a little naïve, and determinedly nonaggressive and forgiving. He’s a knight by day and a masked crime fighter by night, wanting to live by a perfect, chivalrous code, frightened by the amount of gray his work brings out in him. The intellectual respect they have for each other feeds both their arcs and adds great substance to their relationship. Combined with the colorful medieval backdrop, it makes for a sweet, exciting (squeaky-clean if that matters to you) romance adventure.

Agree? Disagree? Comments are always welcome! Or keep up with my fictional musings by joining me on Facebook, on Twitter, or by signing up for email updates in the panel on the right!

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Fi's Five Favorite Zombie Moments #1: "Another one for the Fire" (Night of the Living Dead)

6/26/2013

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(Click the links for Zombie Moment #2, #3, #4, and #5)

For another zombie moment this week, check out Matt's top zombie moment here.

****Spoiler Alert****

If there’s anyone out there reading this list of great zombie moments who doesn’t already know, Night of the Living Dead is the first of George A. Romero’s Living Dead movies and the first zombie movie. Period.

As a movie, I can’t claim it’s one of my favorites. It’s not one I can call near-perfect, and it’s certainly not one I can watch over and over.

Mostly because of this bitch.

But I’m naturally grateful to it for creating the subgenre I love, and I respect it as an independent horror movie that did bold, revolutionary things, including but not limited to creating the classic zombie.

Most of Night of the Living Dead is a pretty basic zombie movie, or rather, the basic zombie movie, since it’s the one all others jump off from. A motley group of survivors take shelter in a farm house, struggle to keep the zombies out, fight amongst themselves, and are whittled down by a combination of pettiness, sentiment, stupidity, and bad luck. A radio broadcast informs them that destroying the zombies’ brains will stop them and that extermination teams are on their way to resolve the disaster by doing just that to every zombie they can find.

Our hero, Ben, does his best to keep everyone safe until that can happen, but the aforementioned whittling forces are just too strong, and by the end of the night, the series of mishaps has left him completely alone.

Ben does manage to survive until morning, when he finally hears the shots and shouts of one of the cleanup teams headed his way. He goes to the window, and…

Gets mistaken for a zombie. The movie ends with the cleanup guy’s line, “That’s another one for the fire.” And that’s it.

The first zombie movie, released in 1968, when every Hollywood movie still had to end with an uplifting monologue about the American spirit, instead went to an even darker, bleaker place than most horror movies will go today. There was no way it could not be number 1.

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Fi's Five Favorite Underrated Twist Endings #5: Inglourious Basterds

5/1/2013

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May’s countdown is going to be for all the story endings that have hit me like an invisible two-by-four but have somehow not ended up on everyone else’s lists of such endings. So, no Psycho, no Fight Club, and no The Sixth Sense, but hey, you can read about how awesome those endings are anywhere, right?

At number five, we’ve got Inglourious Basterds.

Oh, and by its nature, this entire month’s list gets one of these:

****Spoiler Alert****

But don’t worry, I’ll put a reminder on every entry.

Inglourious Basterds is a WWII movie as written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, about a plot by a group of Jewish American soldiers (the self-named “Basterds”) to assassinate Hitler and the other essential figures in his regime.

If that sentence doesn’t make you desperate to see it, then… well, then it’s probably not your thing, honestly. Tarantino has a very polarizing effect on people. But if you’re one of those rare people on the fence, here are four reasons to turn back and watch it before the spoilers:

1: Christoph Watlz’s very deserving (and very creepy) Best Supporting Actor performance.

2: Brad Pitt eating up the scenery as the southern Lieutenant in command of the Basterds.

3: One particularly badass character who happens to be female, Jewish, AND French (all categories that could always use more badass credit).

4: Eli Roth in a tank top.

Just sayin’.

Okay, onto spoilers.

If you’ve already seen the movie, you might be wondering what it’s doing on this list, because its ending doesn’t twist in quite the usual way. There’s no character or object or situation that turns out to be something different from what we’ve been led to believe. It’s nothing as easy to guess as that.

No, the movie itself turns out to be something different from what we’ve been led to believe.

Being a Tarantino movie, Inglourious Basterds is an awesomely unique and bizarre experience, but it’s still a WWII movie, a historical movie. So the Basterds’ plan has to fail in some tragic way so that history can take the course we all know it did, right?

Nope, they actually pull it off. After enough setbacks to generate the necessary dramatic tension (and some requisite nail-biting scenes of dialogue around dinner tables), they corner all the necessary Nazis at a propaganda movie premier, unload a whole lot of machine guns into them, and burn the place to the ground.

It’s a little weird to call an ending that goes according to plan a twist, but at that moment when Hitler’s brains splatter against the back of the theater box, when the movie breaks the rules and departs from plausible historical speculation into a fantasy-fulfillment alternate reality, it’s a shock more satisfying than any “wait, a trusted main character is working with Hitler, who also happens to be a vampire from space” complication you could possibly tack on.

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Forward>>

Cover Reveal: Citadels of Fire, By L.K. Hill

About Citadels of Fire

Interview with Author Elsie Park + Amazon Giftcard Giveaway!

About Shadows of Valor

About Elsie Park

Book Review: Shadows of Valor

Fi's Five Favorite Zombie Moments #1: "Another one for the Fire" (Night of the Living Dead)

Fi's Five Favorite Underrated Twist Endings #5: Inglourious Basterds

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Cover Reveal: Citadels of Fire, By L.K. Hill

About Citadels of Fire

Interview with Author Elsie Park + Amazon Giftcard Giveaway!

About Shadows of Valor

About Elsie Park

Book Review: Shadows of Valor

Fi's Five Favorite Zombie Moments #1: "Another one for the Fire" (Night of the Living Dead)

Fi's Five Favorite Underrated Twist Endings #5: Inglourious Basterds

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