Farish's Freehold: Matt Ryan's got witches, bounty hunters, and demon cults. Plus a small sample from The Vampire of Rome.

I continue to work on the Vampire of Rome (Inquisitor Series #4), and I expect that by October you will be able to read it. Here's a small sample -

I yelped and cringed with each piercing, trying to remain calm and failing. “Not too bad” I panted, lying to everyone when the last needle was in place.

“That was not the painful part, I'm afraid,” said Father Guillermo., “but I will be here with you for all of it.” His tone was reassuring; the words were not.

While I'm busy typing slowly, Matt Ryan, has taken over the blog to give us the details on his book The Sceptre of Morgulan the second volume in the From the Ashes of Ruin series.

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Blurb:

Ruined Castles. Powerful Artifacts. And Dark Demonic Cults. Return once again to the world of Athron where vampires walk and goblins abound. Join in the struggle to save a world from the machinations of a dark sorceress who continues to grow in power. Explore ancient ruined castles, battle vampires and demons, strike down cults from on high, and prepare for the coming of Morgulan, the tyrant of the past.

The Coils of an Ancient Evil are Drawing Close; A Cult of Demons is on the Move: Korina Bolaris continues in her efforts to take over the city of Drisdak. Her loyal recruits are growing in number, strengthening the cult she has made. Her ancient pet vampire has finally become her ally, not her foe. And one by one, her enemies are suffering the consequences of her wrath. In one fell swoop, Korina Bolaris has put Guild Master Regecon and Sorceress Ambrisia on the defensive.

Who Can Break This Witch’s Ancient Power And Bring Her And Her Deadly Demon Cult Low?

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Bio:

Matthew D. Ryan lives in northeastern New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. His writing has been featured at Aphelion.com and YesteryearFiction.com. He is the operator of the web-site matthewdryan.com which features his blog, “A Toast to Dragons,” a blog dedicated to fantasy literature, and, to a lesser extent, sci-fi. He is the author of the dark fantasy novels “Drasmyr,” “The Children of Lubrochius,” and “The Sceptre of Morgulan,” as well as a growing number of fantasy short stories including: “Haladryn and the Minotaur,” “The River’s Eye,” and “Escape.”

Mr. Ryan has a cat named Confucius who is as wise and wily as his name suggests.

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Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/579148.Matthew_D_Ryan

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Excerpt:

“It was an accident!” Gaelan pleaded. But he knew it was useless. His father was in a particularly dark mood, a mood that wouldn’t relent until he’d beaten his son bloody. Gaelan wanted to crawl away and hide, but there was nothing he could do; both his hands were bound to the post. He could kick with his feet, but his father was bigger and stronger than he was; it would be a feeble gesture at best.

“Accident or no, it makes no difference,” his father said. “You’ve got to be better than that, son. You’re worthless and you’ll never amount to anything unless you straighten up.” He swung the strap again; it struck him across his shoulder blades garnering two new welts and a bloody line of damaged flesh. “I won’t have myself a worthless son.”

Again, the strap came down. Gaelan fell to his knees. The tears flowed freely now; he couldn’t stop them. He felt small and helpless, too weak to defend himself, a victim of pitiful circumstance. People often spoke of the gods, but where were they now? How could such injustice be permitted? Either the gods did not exist, or they did not care. Either way, thought of their so-called mercies did not help him. Mardikkar. Auraria. Neither one was there to stop the pain. He struggled to his feet.

Weak. Helpless. Weak. Helpless. The words formed a grim incantation in his mind. Something to focus on. Something to fight against.

I will not remain a victim, he thought. Not forever. He looked back over his shoulder and saw his father holding the leather strap, preparing to strike yet again. And though his knees quaked and his body bled, he felt a burning anger in his chest. Someday, father, he thought, I will hold the whip, and it will be you begging for mercy. And when that day comes, I will remember this moment and I will give you exactly what you deserve.

His father struck again.

Gaelan awoke ...

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Questions:

What is your main character’s motivation?

Coragan of Esperia is a bounty hunter hired by the wizards’ guild in Drisdak to find a missing apprentice. Although that is his official mission, his motivations run much deeper. He is greatly concerned with justice and doing the right thing. As a result he finds himself in conflict with the aristocratic society around him. Although he works for the noble class (including wizards), he does not accept that they have the right to rule unopposed. He resents both their ill-gotten wealth and power. Yet, he is forced to work for them.

What is his secret strengths/weaknesses?

Coragan’s greatest weakness is his near obsession with the inequality around him. He has it under control to a certain extent, but it is dangerous being the only egalitarian in an aristocratic society. The nobles are not known for being kind to those who defy them. And sometimes, Coragan’s temper can get the better of him. His greatest strengths are his determination to right injustice, his ability to soldier on and lead even in the most stressful and dangerous of situations.

Any philosophical issues in this story?

Probably the largest philosophical issue is the disparity between the wealthy noble class and the poor. The issue is personified in Coragan. He is a bounty hunter, so he is forced to work for the upper class to make a living; however, he comes from humble beginnings and he resents the disparity of wealth between the nobles and the poor. It is an anger that, if he is not careful, may consume him. Two other characters in the novels—Guild Master Regecon, and Sorceress Ambrisia—both serve as foils to Coragan. In Regecon, Coragan is forced to come to grips with the fact that, though Regecon is a wizard and a man with considerable wealth and power, he is still a good man. The same is true of Ambrisia, though in her case, she is a little more “snooty” than Regecon and must come to terms with her own arrogance in her own character arc.

When did you start to write this one and why?

I wrote the original draft of Drasmyr in 1995. I submitted it a few places, but, like many authors, I was rejected. So, I put it on the back burner until around 2011 or so. Then, I dusted it off and published it myself in 2012. It served as the prequel to my series, From the Ashes of Ruin. Next, came Book I in the series—The Children of Lubrochius—in February 2014. And finally, I published Book II: The Sceptre of Morgulan in November 2015. I’ve been working on the series continuously, so I started Book II shortly after having published Book I. In other words, I started working on The Sceptre of Morgulan in—actually, I think it was January of 2014 (there was a little bit of overlap). The same can be said for Book I relative to the prequel. As to why I’m writing these books ... well, I want to finish what I started in Drasmyr. I have plans for a series consisting of the prequel and four more books. I’m currently working on Book III. I’m about halfway through the rough copy. Drasmyr started out as a short story. It grew into a novel. And now, it has become a series. As a part of that series, The Sceptre of Morgulan, is another step along the way. I love fantasy, and always thought evil, gothic vampires were pretty cool. And I do mean evil. I’m not a fan of Twilight. Anyway, at this point, I want to make sure I complete the series.

What’s next in this series or in your next book?

I don’t think I can really answer that without giving away crucial information from Book II, but I’ll try. Coragan is no longer concerned about the difficulties of living in an aristocratic society. Instead, he is trying to survive as he and his group of adventurers pursue the evil tyrant Morgulan into a barren, alien world where Morgulan once ruled as emperor. Meanwhile, Galladrin and Ambrisia remain in Drisdak hunting the Children of Lubrochius—they’ll need both brains and brawn to stay alive there.

Preview of your next book?

Book III is called The Citadel. It deals with Coragan and his fellow mercenaries, and their adventures in Morgulan’s long lost Citadel known as Rahmin Morgudra. There are other subplots in the book, but that’s the main one.

When will it be available?

It usually takes me about two years to finish a book. So, I’m shooting for December, 2017.

Where do you get your ideas?

The ideas can come from anywhere. I once wrote a short story entitled The River’s Eye that was inspired by an old painting I saw at my aunt’s house. As for the rest, I’ve pretty much been steeped in the fantasy genre since childhood. I’ve read dozens of novels and I’ve been playing AD&D since I was in junior high. All of that contributes to a sort of idea stew that is constantly burbling through my brain.

When did you start writing?

I suppose in my childhood years. I wrote a couple of short stories back then, but as I grew older I got more into Dungeons and Dragons and similar types of games. Then, after college, I wrote another short story that ultimately turned into my first novel, Drasmyr. Ever since then, I’ve been writing on and off … more on than off in recent years. Finally, I decided to polish off Drasmyr and get it published.

Who or what inspired you to become a writer?

There is no who involved, I just sort of fell into it. After college I worked for a year at my brother’s cellular phone company in Boston; then a friend and I took a trip around the country. When I got back, I decided to write a short story… that short story soon became the idea for my first book, and, after many revisions, it became the prologue for the larger work. That work is, of course, Drasmyr.

What is the hardest part about being a writer?

The marketing. I’m a naturally shy person and putting yourself out there like that is extremely difficult. It also doesn’t help that I have very limited marketing experience beforehand; I have to learn as I go. It can make things interesting sometimes, but it does make it difficult.

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Impressive, a well crafted story worth reading.

Next week we have Janey Mack talking about Choked Up, which I have read, enjoyed, and gave 5 stars.