SOULSLAYERS
Colin Sephton
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GENRE: Steampunk Fantasy
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BLURB:
Ignatius and Indigo find themselves struggling mentally to come to terms with the complex nature of the cosmos and their newfound supernatural powers obtained through their prior encounters with gods and demons. In their quest for another relic from the Creation, they are aided by the secretive thirteenth Chapter of the Union Jacks. In search of the secret of the Flaming Celestial Pearl, they must travel to Tibet in the great airship, HM Spirit of the Empire.
Pursued by fanatical knights sworn to protect the relic, they must reluctantly call upon the Charon, the seven merciless demons from the underworld to assist them. Piecing together the map that will lead them to a fabled city hidden deep within the Himalayas, they must defend themselves from air pirates, a previous foe from Oxford, mountain beasts and elementals.
Discovering the correct path through the mountains, Indigo realises her soul may never be the same again. Regardless, they enter the Great Void where using the Sword of Wisdom, they discover the truth about the cosmos.
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EXCERPT
An icy chill ran down her spine. She took hold of the sword and her whole being was filled with a warmth like she had never felt before. Her arms tingled and she grew lightheaded as a myriad of stories and knowledge began to run through her mind. She thought her head would explode; she couldn’t keep up. The Sword of Wisdom had chosen to divulge the knowledge it had absorbed from Manjushri, knowledge that originated from the Librarian’s bookcases beneath the Administorium in Oxford. Ignatius stood by, not knowing what was happening.
Indigo began to glow with an aura that constantly changed colour at lightning speed. Indigo began to cry, then laugh, then sob again, then horror showed on her face, then she laughed again. She could feel her heart racing, pounding in her chest and she thought it would give way. Tears continued to flow and eventually she fell to the floor, exhausted but strangely invigorated. Composing herself, she looked at Atman then Adonai with contempt.
“I hate you both! You need to see to it that I don’t send you back to Limbo permanently, given my powers here seem to outweigh yours.”
Darshan, who was always the gentlest towards Ignatius and Indigo, placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Indigo grabbed it and threw her aside with remarkable strength.
“Leave me be, you demon whore! After this, whatever this quest is all about, I want nothing to do with any of you, even if that means through my own demise.”
She looked around, finding Ignatius to see if he took that to mean him also, although even she wasn’t sure if it did.
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Guest Post:
Topic: Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins of the story? When I am writing I have usually got the scene and dialogue worked out in my head beforehand. However, that’s just the starting point. I will get down what’s in my head as quickly as possible, sometimes even handwritten in a notebook. When I transfer this to my manuscript it will change. I improve it, use different words for my descriptions. As the words begin to flow, I will get into a rhythm, and I improve the dialogue to make it more believable and not sound wooden or clumsy. I see the two main characters, Ignatius and Indigo as extensions of me, so I always know what they would say or how they would react. This has become easier since writing the first book in the trilogy, Timeslayers. Sometimes during this process one of the two protagonists may feature more than I’d intended. But I don’t see this a hijacking. This is their story, and as explained, they are extension of me, so they are just telling me what I need to know. That may sound a little crazy, but I don’t see myself having a conversation with them, they don’t exist! But they are always in my mind. I know them, I created them, and each one demonstrates some of my own traits. So no, I don’t see them as hijacking a scene but helping me. But does that mean I always have the reins on my story, who knows?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.
Connect with Colin on Instagram at @timeslayers or @sephtonart
Find Colin’s website here: colinsephton.com
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GIVEAWAY
Colin Sephton will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
Thank you for featuring SOULSLAYERS today.
ReplyDeleteI’m happy to answer any other questions readers my have
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