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Blog postMy son, a 12 (going on 17) year old boy of reasonable brain capacity and huge Fortnite capacity, arranged... that is to say informed me we were going to the Science Museum in London to attend a history of video games event and by the way you can play them all... oh and I need to pay.After a little grumble, more for show and to keep my grumpy character alive (we Dad's are expected to play a certain role at times) I dutifully paid and today we attended. Accompanied by one of my son's friends and t
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Blog postTonight is (was, if you're reading this later) Roll20 Dungeons and Dragons. We've on ongoing campaign set in the Lost Lands and are slowly, every so slowly, making our way through a lost city.Last time out, our Barbarian rushed down a darkened corridor and returned to us with one hand less than he had begun the adventure with! Yet, tonight, the barbarian is here again - sans hand and still battering things to death.I play a Monk, Yu Xia, who uses a Spear and deadly unarmed strikes. Spending Ki i
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Blog postSo, first of all, as you'll know, I've got an Omnibus edition of the first three Corin Hayes books coming out on March 26th. You can preorder now, and I really hope you will.Anyway, marketing and I are strange bedfellows - not that I've climbed into bed with anyone from marketing because I haven't... ever. Just to be clear.What I mean is, I am generally not very good at it... marketing. Sheesh, this is harder than I thought. As other Self-Pub authors, whether successful or not, will happily tell
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Blog postPhew... and I mean that.The first draft of A Good Day to Die was done a few weeks ago and now the second, tidy up and check for consistency, draft is also complete. August 6th to October 22nd, not too shabby an effort.A Good Day to Die - opening lines... not a bad Blurb either (if I say so myself, and I do).When you leave someone to die a long slow painful death, stick around to enjoy it. Start a fire, cook some food, have a drink, and revel in the pain you've inflicted. Sing songs, throw insult
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Blog postOn the 6th August, 2018, whilst on holiday and intending to edit my 8th book (now called Rivers of Song and Shadow (RSS) - it was SwordMaster), I was suddenly struck by a chapter and an idea for a new book.Being firm of mind and purpose, I promptly put RSS to one side and wrote that first chapter, and then the next, and the next. On 30th September, in the afternoon, I finished the last chapter for a total of 99,987 words - which might set some of my OCD friends nerves on edge.4,838,400 seconds (
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Blog postStraight off, I am not speaking from a point of view of success. I wish it were not so, but there it is.However, I do my best to use social media to engage with readers, potential readers, publishing experts, agents (not the secret kind, just in case GCHQ intercepts this), and editors. Along with keeping in touch with friends, organising evenings out, my D&D group etc.If you’re here, reading this, you found it, more than likely, on social media. You’ll also be aware that I write books (6 pub
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Blog postI read Rob Hayes’s book, Where Loyalties Lie, the other week for the #SPFBO and enjoyed it (see the review over on Fantasy-Faction), so when the chance arose to try out Sea of Thieves on the Xbox it was impossible to resist.Now, I hadn’t seen any videos, reviews or much of anything past the idea that it was an MMO sort of game. And I like MMOs - I play them less than I used to, and stick with them a shorter time, but they are my game of choice. DAoC was where it was at in my day and I miss it st
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Blog postWelcome to March and a land covered in snow... and that's not fiction.The UK does get snow, but usually not very much unless you live in Scotland or Northern England. Head south, to where I live, and it is much rarer.Dickens set a lot of his books in the deep of winter. It highlighted the struggle of the poor to survive against the weather and the uncaring attitude of the wealthy. I'm no Dickens (thankfully - that man could write a sentence that went on for a page or two), but I've noticed that
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Blog postGood grief, it has been a while since I posted anything here! A lot of my time has been taken up with writing and editing two books... TWO!The first, "Last Winter Sun" - A-Team versus World of Warcraft (my own elevator pitch line) - is done and almost finished. How can it be done and almost finished you ask? Well, you didn't, but I'll answer it anyway.I've finished writing the book and it has been edited. After that, I put it away for a month or two, while I wrote another book, and am
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Blog postYou're like me.I know you are. We're conversing, communicating, talking, aren't we? And you're here, reading this.But, like me, you've noticed it? It may be that I am getting older. Maybe I am not as tolerant as I used to be? Or maybe I am just fed up with having to put up with rudeness? It is likely be the last one.I am lucky, I get to "Moderate" a fantastic facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/FantasyFaction/) where books, authors,reader or anyone interested scifi and fant
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Blog postToday marks the beginning of the 0.99$/£ book sale!You want to get your hands some excellent kindle books that are a little different, that are focused around Asian Culture, Worlds, Martial Arts, even food!Of course you do. You're brave, adventurous and just a little tired of reading fantasy set in medieval Europe and want something different. Take a chance, pick a book (preferably mine) and give it a read! At 0.99 there really isn't anything to lose!I'm hoping you'll give my book The Ston
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Blog postNow this little blog has it genesis in two little events. First, 'Fantasy in the Court' which resulted in two articles for Fantasy-Faction the first being an account of my time at the event, which was great by the way, and from that an interview with Harry Illingworth, agent extraordinaire who represents the wonderful Anna Stephens, which was also great! The second was a throwaway comment, that I kept hold of, by Graham Austin-King whilst at #BristolCon (just last week) - "Did you know ther
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Blog postSo, since Fantasy in The Court I've finished writing book 7 and its been beta and edited... in effect it is done!I've also started Book 8, a totally new series set in a more medieval world - even though the country is actually the Caldera of a Supervolcano... I'm a Geographer, I have to make the landscape interesting (and accurate too).Soon, less than two weeks, I'll be at BristolCon and attempting to make sense on a Panel... rotten fruit is available at the door for flinging. I'll be bringing s
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Blog postLast night, having made the trek up (I took the train - 20 mins, not really much of a trek if I am honest) to London, I had the fantastic opportunity to meet, chat and drink with some incredible fantasy authors! I took a few photographs too...Lucy Hounsom was, as always an absolute pleasure!Her books are really worth reading and the new covers look fantastic!If you've got some time, pick them up and read. You won't be disappointed! And look at those new covers!John Gwynne is a real gentleman!Hum
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Blog postI'm going to keep this one nice and short.From August 1st to 14th I'm running a Giveaway over on Goodreads for three copies of Silent City!I really hope you'll enter and win!"(A) book that isn't short on action or imagination and the setting is an interesting change of pace, so check it out!" Mark Lawrence (Author of Prince of Thorns, Prince of Fools)"Entertaining and exciting: Silent City is the start of a series I'll certainly be following with interest." Laura M Hughes (Au
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Blog postI have a few books out at the moment with another coming out very soon and its that one I want to talk about a little.THREE TIMES THE TROUBLE - CORIN HAYES #3Getting reviews on launch day or just after is vital to a book release - and to books that are already out. To that end, I've a request to make. Are there folks out there... looking for 20 to 30 book loving folks who are Goodreads and Amazon.com/.co.uk active and who would read my latest book - Three Times The Trouble - and put up reviews j
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Blog postSo, here's the thing. A while ago I wrote a little short story (about 12K words) set in the same world as the Forbidden List - The Stone Road etc. It has two of the characters that appear in book 2 and 3 in it and acts as kind of a Book 1.5... somewhere between The Stone Road and The Blue Mountain.What I wanted to do, because I am a kind generous fellow, is make it free to everyone. Now, on Smashwords and therefore all those ePub sites it is easy. You set the price to 0.00 - done!I've also linke
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Blog postIt is that time of month again when I’ve got to try and trawl through my memory of fantasy books past and present in order to come up with five or six examples of outstanding characters/settings.This month: Adepts – those magic users, wizards who are powerful practitioners of their art. In no particular order:1. Elminster – Forgotten Realms – Ed GreenwoodIn the Forgotten Realms, an ever evolving world, where good and evil are concepts rather than defined roles, where the Gods play a role in the
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Blog post“You know the problem with bandits, Liu?” Gang twirled the great hammer above his head and brought it down upon the leather armoured skull of his current opponent.“There are always more of them?” Liu dropped under the wild slash of a Dao and hooked an axe blade behind the bandit’s knee, dragging him forward, off balance. A kick to the downed man’s head sent him into oblivion.“No, that’s not it.” Gang swept his hammer left to right, crushing another bandit’s ribs.Liu stepped forward, one axe risi
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Blog postThere are so many non-human characters out there in fantasy land that is quite difficult to pick just five, but nevertheless here you go.1. Fizzban - Dragonlance - Weis and HickmanThe absent minded mage who loves to throw a Fireball or two. His character, in the first of the series, brings some light relief to books and also acts as a foil, a mirror, to Raistlin; a kind of, this is what you could be if only you chose a different path. There are real moments of joy and pathos with this character.
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Blog postIt is done. Finished. Complete.Well, the first draft is done and that is a major milestone in any book. It is rough, full of typos and sentences that squeal in agony if you read them too quick, but it is done.Next up:Editing… lots of it.I’ve exported the text out of Scrivener – the first time I’ve used that particular piece of software to write – and into word.The first pass of Word’s spellcheck is done – and I am always shocked, surprised and annoyed that it a) doesn’t have real words in its di
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Blog postRight about now I am edging towards the end of Draft 1 of Corin #3. By that I mean, I’m passed 70K of words and I know how the book ends… it just needs writing.So now my brain is returning to the 60K I’ve written of the other book, the one with a brand new setting and new characters, new threats, new adventures. What I have to do, or at least start thinking about it how to describe it.And that’s quite tough. Not because it is convoluted, complex or a brand new, never seen before genre… because i
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Blog postYou’re used to your heroes full of muscle, swords drawn, shields raised or magic staff held before them, facing the oncoming hordes. A brave, but desperate last stand against impossible odds, knowing that one sword, one flaming arrow or magic missile will spell doom. Flesh can only stand so much before it perishes.But what if you’re not made of flesh? What if you are made of stone and arrows simply bounce from your skin, swords break across your back, musket balls leave mere striations? Would yo
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Blog postDoes length matter? Is it important to you? If it was shorter than you thought or were used to, would you really mind that much?Surely it is it what you do with it that really matters. I mean, why write a thousand words when ten will say it quicker and with more feeling?With books, does length really matter? Isn't it the impact they have on you that matters the most.What did you think I was talking about? Get your mind out of the gutter and pay attention to something else for a bit.Great.I see,
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Blog postThere was a great article on the BBC website this morning. It detailed one man's obsession with the Great Wall of China. I'd really suggest, if you've got a few minutes after finishing this little blog post, that you go and read it.Anyway, this article got me thinking... what is this obsession we have with walls in fantasy?"We don't," you say."Ah, but we do," replies I. "Let me tell you about them."First of all, it would be hard to talk about any wall in Fantasy wit
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Blog postLast year...1. Red PlainsI released the final book in The Forbidden List - The Red Plains - where all the little drips and drops of foreshadowing came to a culmination. There are, like all books, a lot of things still in my head that form the background of the book and characters that didn't make it in... maybe, one day, I'll go back and write up some short stories. In fact, I had an idea last night... hrm...2. Nothing Is Ever SimpleCorin Hayes returned in Book 2. This isn't really a series. It
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Blog postWhen I got the message asking me to donate a book to raise money for charity, I jumped at it. I wasn’t convinced that having my book amongst the other, more famous authors would make a big difference, but that didn’t matter. If it makes a small difference, I’ll be happy.“One man can make a difference”The charity, Médecins Sans Frontières (https://www.msf.org.uk/), works in over 60 countries around the world providing medical care for those who need it the most. The world they opera
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Blog postJesse got in touch via the website and I'm glad he did. A man after my own heart, he researched and learned how to write to ensure he crafted the book he wanted to. Have a read!GMA: Tell us about your book.Jesse: Chaste is about a woman’s journey back to herself. She lost track of who she was after her parents’ violent death. Her loss and her grief pulled her away from her god and her community. Within that community, an evil rose. Chaste is about picking yourself up. It’s about fighting your wa
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Blog postOne part of our discussions at BristolCon was a brief foray into the wonders of Heroforge. J P Ashman was extolling the virtues of the site and so, upon my return home, I thought why not!First up; Corin Hayes from Silent City. Dressed in his Fish-Suit and ready to go and weld something... or do something slightly less legal.Or how about Zhou from The Forbidden List?Maybe you're a Haung fan? Or Xiongmao, with her skill in every weapon? It might be that the mysterious Liu is more your favourite? O
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Blog postWhile procrastinating and generally not getting on with writing this book (start a new series is always hard) a thought struck me. It wasn’t a hard hit. I mean, it didn’t knock me senseless, but then my family would contend they wouldn’t be able to tell anyway. However, it did get me thinking and putting digit to keyboard, hence this rambling post… sorry.Anyway, the thought; what song best encapsulates the latest book you’ve read or are writing. And this will probably give away my music tastes m
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Blog postIf there were ever a perfect author to tackle these ten questions it would be Mr Ben Galley. At the forefront, riding the first wave and hanging-ten over the lip of the great surf-board that is Self-Publishing, Ben Galley has seen it all. This author now teaches self-publishing, has run courses with the Guardian newspaper in the UK, and still finds time to write epic stories. On with the questions!GRM: Tell us about your book.BEN: The Heart of Stone is a dark fantasy novel centred around Task –
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Blog postToday we welcome Timandra Whitecastle, author of Touch of Iron, and entrant in the current #SPFBO. Bibliotropic has already reviewed the book (link below), giving it 7/10 (a great score). The last line of that great review reads, "Touch of Iron is a self-published novel that could go far, carried on the strength of Whitecastle’s writing." Now, that has to be a recommendation to pick it up and read further. And if it is not, perhaps the words below will change your mind!GRM: Tell us abo
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Blog postToday, we welcome James (Jim) Cormier to the Ten Quick Questions. Jim entered SPFBO #1 like me, and 298 others, with his book Exile. You might have seen it reviewed on Fantasy-Faction. I've read it, cover to cover, and enjoyed every moment. This is an author with a good imagination and a great turn of phrase.GMA: Tell us about your book.JIM: My first book was Exile: The Book of Ever, a young adult post-apocalyptic science fiction novel. It’s the story of Ever Oaks, a young woman struggling to sa
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Blog postTwo books written and Michael R Miller stops by to answer the ten quick questions. With GRRM and Star Wars making an appearance it should be good!GRM: Tell us about your book.MRM: The Dragon’s Blade is about Darnuir, a sixty year old dragon prince who is reborn and raised by humans instead. Naturally this creates an identity clash in Darnuir when he is thrust back into a position of leadership. His struggles to reconcile both dragon and human within himself while dealing with wider relations bet
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Blog postToday we welcome K M Alexander to the 10 Quick questions. With a completed trilogy under his belt, this is an author who can reflect on the joys of being an Indie Author. Without further waffling, on with the questions!GRM: Tell us about your book.KMA: Oh man, so much to tell! Where to start? I am the author of The Bell Forging Cycle— currently three books, The Stars Were Right, Old Broken Road, and Red Litten World. To save time, I commonly call it “Lovecraftian Urban Fantasy” but it’s signific
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Blog postWay, way back when I first started writing for others to read I did a great thing (for me anyway). I joined a Star Trek RPG ... get back here right now! It was a collaborative writing universe based on a Starship - The USS Chesapeake.I had a great time writing short posts from the view point of my character, Ensign Hanna. It taught me about characters, about scene setting, description and speech. Was I a great writer? No. But I had fun. Tonight, I went and looked up that old group (1999... 17 ye
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Blog postThis time on 10 Quick Questions we welcome Brandon Draga, author of the Summerlark Elf and is sequels. Brandon has been in the publishing game for a little while and has something to teach us all, plus he writes well and is a super-nice fellow! GRM: Tell us about your book. Brandon: My first book, The Summerlark Elf, is the first in a four-book epic fantasy cycle called The Four Kingdoms Saga. It centres around a young elven woman, Enna, who has no idea she’s an elf, having been raised her whole
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Blog postThis time around we have James Hockley, author of Fear's Union, and entrant in the #SPFBO. Putting your book into the ring to be judged by others is a tough thing to do, a bit like publishing it. However, James has taken to it with politeness, respect, enjoyment and most of all, a good book. So let's talk about his journey and where he is up to now.GRM: Tell us about your book.JHO: I bet every author says this but – oof! What’s Fear’s Union (FU) about? Ultimately it’s about three companions and
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Blog postThis time on 10 Quick Questions we welcome Steven Kelliher whose first book, Valley of Embers, will be released on August 16. Oh hell, that's tomorrow... great timing!GRM: Tell us about your book.SKE: Valley of Embers starts out traditional enough. You’ve got a Fantasy world with a long, untold history, a dark adversary that hasn’t been heard from in a while, and some powerful heroes trying to figure out what’s what and who’s who as they unravel the central mystery at the novel’s core.My intent
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Blog postThis time around we have Ed Erlac with us. As you'll see, he has Self-pubbed in the past, but his latest book is coming out via Ragnarok Publications and it sounds great. And I could go on, but I'd ruin the interview. Enjoy!GRM: Tell us about your book. Ed: My latest book length work (due out in September) is called Perennial. It takes place in Raganarok Publication’s new Humanity 2.0 super hero universe and is included in the inaugural release with short stories from a couple other authors fles
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Blog postThis time we welcome Dyrk Ashton, author of Paternus. This will be the first author that is entered in this year's SPFBO that we have talked to, hopefully not the last. The SPFBO might just contain the 'next big thing' in fantasy literature. With that in mind, here we go!GRM: Tell us about your book.DAS: Genre-wise, Paternus is contemporary mythic fantasy, also called mythic fiction. Readers, though, and some pretty well read and savvy ones, have been calling it all kinds of things. Dark fantasy
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Blog postI’ve been blessed by some god, mythical being or a mystic cauliflower recently. And no, I have no idea what a god is, but trust me on the mystic cauliflower. (Here is a picture of it!)The reason I am so blessed? I got to read a hell of a lot of books for the SPFBO as part of the inestimable team over on Fantasy-Faction. And there is, believe me, a lot of talent out there in the world of indie and self-publishing.The point of the #SPFBO, check it out on Twitter and Mark Lawrence’s blog to get the
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Blog postFor another of the 10 quick questions I've picked... erm... asked one of Fantasy-Faction SPFBO judges to talk about her writing. If you're a member of the FF facebook group, you'll have seen her name mentioned more often as people recommend you read her novelette. Without further ado, here we go.GRM: Tell us about your book.LMH: Whoa – straight to the point. I like it!Danse Macabre is a novelette (more on that later) that I originally had no intention of publishing. It’s a non-linear tale about
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Blog postFor the second 10 Quick Questions we have the inimitable T O Munro, author of The Lady of the Helm and it is two sequels. He has also just released the first in a new Trilogy, The Medusa's Daughter. So, without further ado, let's welcome T O Munro and get on with the questions.GRM: Tell us about your book.TOM: Lady of the Helm is the first book in an epic fantasy trilogy. The story blends traditional and new elements of the genre in a story that surprises with its twist and turns.There is a resu
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Blog postWelcome to J P Ashman, author of Black Cross, the first book in the Black Powder Wars, and thanks for being the guinea pig, boldly going where no one has gone before! (Has any country ever launched a guinea pig into space? I digress). On with the questions!GRM: Tell us about your book.JP: Argh! I'm terrible at this. Okay, here goes: Black Cross – First book from the tales of the Black Powder Wars is an epic fantasy, both in terms of number of characters and the scale of the war to come. In this,
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Blog postThat’s right. You read that correctly, ‘The Stone Road’, was Fantasy-Faction’s book of the month in June. That is, I think you’ll agree, very cool.Here were a bunch of people, serious readers all, reading a book, my first, that was written four years ago (though published only three years ago). So, what was it like?In a word, scary.In a longer sentence and paragraph or two. It was both scary and wonderful. You can’t buy the kind of feedback I received through the process. The book was broken dow
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Blog postSo Corin Hayes #2 (Nothing Is Ever Simple) is done, out for editing and proof-reading, and I am at a loss. Well, not really, I could write another Corin book. I like Corin, he gets to say things we’d all like to say and probably think. But he does tend to get beaten up a lot. A lesson for us all there; keeping your gob shut can often be a good idea – I think my Dad gave me that advice when I was young.Anyway, there is a short story I’ve got to write. I mean, I don’t have to, but I started it and
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Blog postSo, I was asked on the Fantasy-Faction forum about my experience and lessons from SPFBO #1 and below is my response:It is all taste driven, just like submitting to an agent. There are some great blog posts all about the SPFBO on Fantasy-Faction and Fantasy Book Critic, plus others. They are worth checking out for the bloggers' and authors' opinions.What happens is simple; your book gets submitted to a blog. The blogger (or team of bloggers like FF) read it just like an agent would do. Now that c
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Blog postI suspect, because I am a suspicious fellow, that there are folks out there who think you start a book and finish it all in one go.I suspect that there are authors out there who can do that. I wish, sometimes, I was like that. I’m not.The graph below, courtesy of my lovely writing software, shows the 80K first draft of Corin Hayes #2 ‘Nothing is ever simple’.I started it for a NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month. I had a plan. Not much of one, but a rough outline of the story/situation I was
Books By G R Matthews
The Blue Mountain (The Forbidden List Book 2)
Mar 30, 2015
by
G R Matthews
$3.99
Other Formats:
Paperback
The Red Plains (The Forbidden List Book 3)
Feb 4, 2016
by
G R Matthews
$3.99
Other Formats:
Paperback
The Stone Road (The Forbidden List Book 1)
Nov 7, 2013
by
G R Matthews
$0.99
Other Formats:
Paperback
Three Times The Trouble (Corin Hayes Book 3)
Aug 30, 2017
by
G R Matthews
$3.99
Other Formats:
Paperback
Nothing Is Ever Simple (Corin Hayes Book 2)
Oct 29, 2016
by
G R Matthews
$3.99
Other Formats:
Paperback
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