Folks, I am pleased to announce the release of Black River, a full-length novel and the second book in my grimdark fantasy series The Hounds of the North. Black River begins where The Witch of the Sands left off and follows Shield Scyldmund and his aging comrades as they return to the North after a long exile. Black River is available on Amazon. Summary of Black River Shield Scyldmund has … [Read more...]
Cover art: Grimdark Fantasy
This week's cover art post focuses on grimdark from some of my favorite authors including Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook and Mark Lawrence. First up, Lord Grimdark himself: Joe Abercrombie. One of the interesting things about Red Country is that while it is a grimdark fantasy, this one was written through the lens of a Western. Abercrombie's works are gritty and he has been a leading force in the … [Read more...]
Top 3 Viking Weapons
In my books The Witch of the Sands and Black River, my main characters, the Hounds of the North, are loosely inspired by a range of warrior peoples: Picts, Scots and Vikings. Given that, I added a heavy influence of Viking background weapons in the stories. Part of the fun in the stories was supplying the Hounds with an interesting variety of weapons, including those from Viking culture and … [Read more...]
The Witch of the Sands Released
Folks, I am pleased to announce the release of my novella The Witch of the Sands, the first book in my grimdark fantasy series The Hounds of the North. The Witch of the Sands is available on Amazon. Summary Shield Scyldmund captured his prize: the bloody head of a desert chieftain. But despite the promise of desperately needed coins, the aging swordsman is disturbed. After two decades of … [Read more...]
Cover Art: Bran Mak Morn
This week an assortment of covers for Bran Mak Morn, the Pictish hero created by Robert E. Howard, best known for his Conan stories. The first is a classic cover typical of books for Howard: the near naked barbarian swarmed by enemies. The second one again features Howard's stories and Bran Mak Morn dressed less like a Pict and more like a Roman soldier though it is more realistic to … [Read more...]
Excerpt from The Witch of the Sands
Available now Shield Scyldmund was blinded by the blood. He wiped his face with the back of his hand but it only made things worse. The blood, his and those of the tribesmen he and the Hounds of the North had killed, mixed with the sweat dripping from beneath his dented iron helm. He squinted out over the desert sands and blinked, trying to produce tears so he could see clearly. Tears would … [Read more...]
