The GrimCast Episode 002

09/10/2016 joelcornah author, authors, books, cats, fantasy, fox spirit, grimbold books, independent publisher, interviews, lgbt, podcast, publishing, sci-fi, science fiction

There’s a podcast I co-present with Zoe Harris all about the publishing world. The second episode is up now and you can take a listen at the link below;

LISTEN HERE

This month, we’re talking to Joanne Hall – author of The Art of Forgetting, Spark and Carousel and The Summer Goddess – and Adele Wearing from Fox Spirit Books.

We compare the differences between self publishing, going with a small indie press and going the traditional route. Jo, who is a Grimbold author as well as an editor for us, offers her unique perspective on both sides of the publishing fence, and Adele talks about everything that goes into running a small press from acquisitions to cover art to editing and production.

Follow Fox Spirit Books on Facebook and Twitter.

Follow Joanne Hall on Facebook and Twitter.

The first episode can be found here.

JOEL CORNAH – THE SKY SLAYER | Small but Mighty SFF World

22/09/2016 joelcornah author, author events, author interview, authors, book launch, book review, books, diyngard, fantasy, fantasy books, feminism, independent publisher, joel cornah, lgbt, sky slayer, small press, small publisher

I was featured on SFF World’s ‘Small but Mighty’ series about my new book, The Sky Slayer! Check it out HERE. And here’s a little excerpt to take up some space on this blog posts and maybe get you to click on to their website and give them a sense that yes, some people do read my books.

SMALL BUT MIGHTY – JOEL CORNAH’S ‘THE SKY SLAYER‘

This week’s Small but Mighty attention turns to Kristell Ink whose publications are finding their way to award shortlists. The Sky Slayer is Joel Cornah’s fourth publication to be released by Kristell Ink and is the sequel to The Sea-Stone Sword.

Welcome to SFFWorld Joel! Can you tell us a little about The Sky Slayer without quoting the publisher’s blurb?

Where The Sea-Stone Sword was influenced by Jason and the Argonauts, The Sky Slayer has much more of a Blake’s 7 feel. The cast of seven fugitives fleeing an empire on a ship unlike any other, a hero who is more curse than cure, and a dry, sardonic second-in-command who has all the best lines. But I wanted to tackle some drastically different themes than Terry Nation’s classic series, and eventually subvert expectations in the process.

There is a boy who could have been a hero. To some, he is a hero. He killed the great and malicious Air King. But Rob Sardan was cursed with nightmares that will haunt him forever. He can break the curse by finding a Sky Slayer’s pendant. The only problem is he’s been locked in a prison of ice and crystal at the South Pole. A prison run by pengs (sort of human-penguin hybrids).

The story revolves around Rob and his gang of rebels as they escape to the high seas. There is Alya, the strategist with a sharp tongue and boundless wits, Gorm the chef with her deep wisdom and superior strength, Vann the thief with his ridiculous puns, and Ilma the doctor with her world-weary but shrewd observations.

They flee across the grinding ice and head to the Tomb of the Dead God, perused by the chaotic pirate Skagra, who seeks the ending of the world.

It’s action, adventure, philosophy, and puns all rolled into one amazing story!

Tell us a little about Rob Sardan, your protagonist?

Rob Sardan has all the makings of your average brooding anti-hero with a dark past. Pain, loss, and isolation – not to mention a supernatural curse – plague him and in so many fantasy novels we would see such a figure become bitter, full of pessimism and bleak of humour. I didn’t want that. I wanted Rob to defy the universe, to defy fate, and the gods themselves by being… optimistic.

His mother was a hero, a famous pirate who did incredible and terrible things. He wants to make his own legacy, to forge his own legend in the world.

[Read More]

THE SKY SLAYER | OFFICIAL RELEASE

10/09/201608/09/2016 joelcornah author, authors, book launch, books, diyngard, fantasy books, feminism, independent publisher, joel cornah, launch party, lgbt, sky slayer, small press, small publisher

At last, my second novel, The Sky Slayer, has been released into the world!

My first novel, The Sea-Stone Sword, feels like something I did a hundred years ago, and a lot of the mistakes I made in it still haunt me. The Sky Slayer is a better book, in my honest opinion. Building off all the good things I think I did in Sea-Stone, making the characters more interesting, making the plot more devious, and ultimately making the whole reading experience better.

Pterosaurs, penguins, dinosaurs, and moral dilemmas. The Sky Slayer is a book that explores what happens after someone has become a legend through questionable means. After the hero has sailed off into the sunset and has to live with what they have done, with all of the terrible consequences, the trauma, and the political fallout.

Pirates roam the sea under the banner of an immortal self-styled villain. The Pengish Empire spreads into the Eastern continent. Refugees from the fall of the Air King flee to other lands, seeking help. And all the while, Rob Sardan sits in prison, haunted by the terrible things he did in the name of becoming a hero.

The Sky Slayer is out now!

Get a signed copy direct from the author

OR click HERE to buy from:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Smashwords
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository (FREE worldwide shipping!)
Waterstones

The Heir to the North – Audiobook Review

24/08/201624/08/2016 joelcornah audiobook, audiobook review, author, book review, books, fantasy books, heir to the north, independent publisher, small press, small publisher, steven poore

For my first review on this here blog I’ve decided to cover The Heir to the North by Steven Poore, which I finished listening to on audiobook the other day. I had read the paperback about a year ago, but still the story felt fresh and bursting with life. The performance is top notch, with each character’s voice distinct and clear as well as full of life. The story is packed with intrigue, mystery, action and more.

Don’t be fooled by the seemingly standard epic fantasy you might think this is. Heir to the North is a surprising and beautifully crafted book that will no doubt stand apart from the crowd if enough people give it the chance it deserves.

The narrator, Diana Croft, has so much talent! This is a brilliant performance. Stunning, emotional, and dripping with depth.

I’d have liked there to be more female characters. For a story that contains so much emphasis on the lead character being a woman and overcoming social prejudices, there really aren’t a lot of female roles and role models. The general absence of female voices made me feel Cassia’s isolation, so maybe that was the point?

There’s much to be said about this book. A story about stories. There’s a lot being done with the idea of how powerful a story can be, with how they can affect one’s outlook on the world, and with how they can twist the choices people make. There’s subtlety, depth, and areal sense that the author has spent long and hard crafting each and every tale into this larger tale.

If you fancy a rip roaring fantasy of depth and intrigue, give it a go! Audible has it on sale at the moment for almost half price!