I love featuring other writers on my blog, not only because I love discovering new books or new genres, but also because I love to share this knowledge with … YOU. Today, I’m featuring A.L. Butcher, who has written numerous fantasy novels and short stories, including an audio book that will be available soon. True confessions here: I do judge a book by its cover. The covers alone of A.L. Butcher’s books made me want to read them, and that’s before I learned what they were all about!
A.L. Butcher agreed to do an author interview for me. The questions and answers are below, all, that is, except for one answer. At the end of the interview, the author asks a question of YOU, so be sure to put your answer in the comments section, and continue reading to learn more about A.L. Butcher, including where to purchase her books.
What’s your name? Alexandra (Alex) Butcher. I write as A.L. Butcher.
Tell us about yourself. I am a Brit, living in the Southwest. When I am not writing, or working at my day job I like to read, watch TV and movies, study history, and enjoy nature and astronomy. I spend far too much time on social media sites.
In which genre do you write? Fantasy/Fantasy Romance, with a touch of erotica. I also write short fantasy stories.
How many books have you published? I have two novels, plus a collection of short stories. I also have work in five anthologies, and there are three more planned in the coming months but I talk about this below.
What’s coming out next? The audiobook of Tales of Erana is in production at time of writing, and hopefully should be available soon. It is my first audiobook and I am very excited! I am also writing the Stolen Tower, book III of the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles dark fantasy series. I am hoping that will be published later in 2014. This one follows a group of characters who appear in Book II, but are not main characters. What these characters discover will be important to the over-arching plot of the series. The main characters from Books I and II will appear, although they are busy working behind the scenes. The main character is a feisty female troll; trolls are not the ugly, foolish creatures seen in fantasy, mine are cultured, intelligent and matriarchal. She travels on a dangerous mission to prove she is worthy to lead her people, and discovers secrets and lies. Book IV of the series is in planning, but that will be next year at the earliest.
As I mentioned before, there will be several anthology pieces, including some poetry with the Indie Collaboration. Their latest offering was called Snips and Tales, a book aimed at children, I wasn’t involved with that title but I do have a story in Kiss and Tales, the romance collection. The summer edition will be out very shortly, and from my own point of view I have a poem about the delights of the British summer, and a short fantasy story about some pesky imps. There will also be a follow-up edition to Wyrd Worlds, a spec fic anthology, plus another fantasy charity anthology late in the summer. For that I was delighted to be working with my friend Diana, who is the author of the Tales of Feyron series. I am hoping to submit to a couple of other fantasy anthologies so it is proving to be a busy year!
How steamy is it?
Oh hmm, well there are sex scenes, well described, so 3.5 I’d say. These scenes are not the focus of the stories and are tastefully done but are important to the characters involved. Books I and II feature Dii and Archos, who are both very passionate.
Is this part of a series? If so, tell us about the series (no spoilers!).
Yes, it is part of a series. I am planning six novels, with several companion books of short stories, and novellas. The series takes place in the land of Erana, which is a medieval type world filled with magic, mayhem and monsters. Magic is illegal but despite the best efforts of the Order of Witch-Hunters it persists in many forms. Elves live as slaves, or hiding in their ancestral lands, and even most humans are under the iron fist of the Order. Erana is a dark world, but there is light and there is resistance to the status quo for those brave enough, or desperate enough.
Book I – The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles follows the adventures of Dii, an elven sorceress, as she flees for her life and her subsequent quest to find a missing elven child.
Book II – The Shining Citadel takes place a year or so after, when Dii and her companions set out to find a missing artefact, and discover many unwelcome truths, and something which could bring war.
Tales of Erana: Myths and Legends is a collection of short stories set in the same world. Only one directly references the characters and events from the novels, the rest are mythic style stories of past and future. There will be later volumes of the short stories.
If it isn’t out yet, when can we expect it to be released? Hopefully by the end of the year.
Do you have a favorite excerpt you want to share here? (From Book I)
Dii was well aware her Keeper was wealthy, a nobleman, and thus rich and powerful. He was a man of influence but she also acutely aware where a lot of that money had come from. She had not dared take his gold, although he deserved to be robbed of it, she thought bitterly. It was simply self-preservation on her part more than any sense of morality. Desperately she hoped he would not seek her but were she thought a thief he might be more inclined to do so. So Dii had left with a few meagre possessions, such as her clothes, staff, dagger and a small bag of coins and everything else remained in her Keeper’s house. More afraid of what lay within than without she had risked her life to flee, both in physically escaping and being out alone in these lands. So far she had been lucky not to have been spotted by anyone unfriendly to her kind, and she thanked the gods for that. Not knowing the trails and roads well she had nothing to trust but her luck and her skills.
A Kept owned nothing by right; Dii knew her favours paid well and her lovers sometimes gave her coin or trinket if she had pleased them, or a grateful villager would pass on a few copper coins for the potions or herb-lore she distributed. Most of the common people had little healing knowledge beyond basic remedies passed generation to generation and many communities did not have an apothecary. People often turned a blind eye to the local “wise folk” although this was not always the case, and many a mage had found themselves in the “hospitality of the Order of Witch-Hunters” due to failure to heal someone successfully or from mere spite or fear. To be in possession of magic was illegal and in many cases meant imprisonment or even death.
Do you have a website? How about social media? How can your newest fans stalk you?
Blog: http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/
Do come and visit – there are lots of author and character interviews from many other authors, book reviews and beautiful pictures.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6430414.A_L_Butcher
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alexandra-Butcher/e/B008BQFCC6/
Twitter:@libraryoferana
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarkFantasyBeyondTheStorm
Now, ask my blog readers a question, which they can answer in the comments below.
Do you think the elements of fantasy, such as heroism, loyalty and belief in the supernatural are relevant today?
Thank you for joining us today! Now, for the important question: How can we read your books?
The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/oxttl4y
Barnes and Noble and I-books:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-light-beyond-the-storm-chronicles-alexandra-butcher/1114796078
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/light-beyond-storm-chronicles/id615134765?mt=11
It is also available in print (which for some reason, always makes this blogger feel warm and fuzzy!)
The Shining Citadel on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/nek3zs2
Barnes and Noble and I-books:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shining-citadel-alexandra-butcher/1116863431
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shining-citadel-light-beyond/id701320767?mt=11
Tales of Erana:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JCHQWJK
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JCHQWJK
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/tales-erana-myths-legends/id867836913?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tales-of-erana-alexandra-butcher/1119319325?ean=2940045846837
And the newest release: Summer Shorts by the Indie Collaboration. A.L. Butcher has a short fairy tale called The Kitchen Imps, which is a perfect summer read: Smashwords/The Kitchen Imps.
Thank you, as always, for taking the time to read this blog. I encourage you to support my guest author by purchasing her books and leaving a review when you are finished reading them. And most important, don’t forget to stalk her through social media!
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