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Author Interview

Do you have any tattoos?  Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?

I’m boring. I have a total of zero tattoos. I’ve thought about it, but I look toward the future too much, and I always think, what will that look like when I’m older? Will I even want that a year from now? But then again, I’m the type of person who won’t give a [fill in the blank] when I’m older. So really, I don’t have any excuses. I would rather spend the money on a tropical vacation, however.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

The world we live in right now has lost all sense of logic and consistency, so no. However, in addition to the pandemic, by the time these interview questions get posted, I will have two books published and a third in the works in the past two years. So, I have that going for me too. More strain on my time, and the same amount of hours to take over the world. It’s all in a good day’s work.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing just after my twins were born. I kind of woke up and realized I needed to follow my passions if I was going to be instilling any good values into them. It has been about ten years. I don’t have any formal education outside of English 101, so mostly self-taught with self-help books and a superb writing community who mostly want to raise each other up.

What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Don’t do it alone. When I started, I kept it a secret for a few months, almost ashamed that I wanted to try writing and not just work the 9-5 to support the family. It took many years of putting in a half-hour here and an hour there (which I still do), and I didn’t even realize there was a writing community available to me until I had already clicked publish on Amazon. I figured, write a book, create a cover, publish it, then Amazon will take care of the rest, and I’ll be a millionaire by tomorrow. Okay, that’s an extreme exaggeration, but if you’re reading this, you’re leagues ahead of where I was. But thankfully, being self-published, I was able to pull that first edition, get it professionally edited, re-covered, and re-published. I tried doing it alone because I didn’t know any better. Heck, I didn’t even know what a Facebook group was. Join the groups. Start building your network with genuine relationships, help other authors, and some might return the favor. Also, if you write in the fantasy genre and need a beta read or another member on your ARC team, find me on the socials. I’ll help where I can. I don’t want anyone to have to start out the way I did. Alone and ignorant.

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

I write epic fantasies. How much time do you have? Let’s see if I can do this in under two hundred thousand words.

Winged wolves. A reluctant hero. Magically augmented swords. Arbormen (tiny tree-like creatures). Red waters. A rising champion. Tigers. A lost shadow. A crazy old kook and some mountain goats. A broken disciple. A raging avenger. An impostor mother. A maniacal vigilante. A realm of fantasy dawned from a world of science.

All of this wrapped into an epic tale of heroic adventures, dark and tormented souls, challenged faith, and science unleashing anarchy upon the world.

75 words. Crushed it.

Blood of Azure Series

by Jonathan J. Michael

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GENRE: Epic Fantasy

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BLURBS:

BLURB: BLOOD OF AZURE SERIES

Four races with powers dictated by the seasons seek balance and prosperity. However, life instinctively primes itself for survival, and when one race commands the touch of death, all others fall in line. Tyranny plagues Azure as an immortal ruler governs the knowledge of the seasons and those wielding its power.

Four young protagonists, Stone, Jaymes, Goose, and Astor, each navigate their way to escape his shadow and reclaim their freedom. Simple ambitions for young souls. But little did they know, they would uncover the secrets the realm is built upon, and the unique talents they each carry. Their ignorance allows the knowledge of the seasons to escape into the world around them little by little, and with it, a power loosing anarchy upon the realm. A power most aren’t worthy of wielding. It is up to Stone and his companions to tame that power and reclaim the balance.

Four seasons to balance the land. Four sages to balance the life.

BLURB: SEASON OF SACRIFICE, BOOK 1

Courage is for the bold. It is not for Stone McLarin. He’s been in hiding for four seasons after being orphaned by the Taoiseach. He doesn’t care for the heroic antics of avenging his parent’s death or securing his freedom. He only desires one thing—to protect his sister’s life.

This proves challenging when his sister, Jaymes, possesses a rivaling power of decay to that of the tyrant ruler’s. She’s a threat to his dominance, and there will be no escaping his shadow.

When the Taoiseach manipulates his way into Jaymes’s life and steals her away, Stone has no choice but to follow. He must venture into the heart of the tyrant’s domain and figure out how to penetrate the impenetrable. And if he succeeds there, he will have to slay the most powerful man in Azure.

In a world ruled by decay, what chance does life stand?

Season of Sacrifice is part one of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy full of grim encounters, heroic adventures, unique magic, and a captivating world to explore.

Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.

BLURB: SEASON OF SUFFERING, BOOK 2

A villain in his own mind, Stone McLarin is labeled the hero for murdering a man.

Not only is Stone weighted down as a hero, but he’s idolized by the dominant religion, and he’s the sole protector of the knowledge of the ages. The pressure of the entire realm is on his shoulders.

Carib Reign, a shapeshifter building an army of immortals, plans to purge the Crimson Capital to find this hidden knowledge. His motive, to give the people of Azure the freedom they deserve.

With many adventures along the way, Stone will lead the charge to defend the Crimson Capital against the Immortal Army. Should he fail, anarchy is inevitable. Death for all Azure, a possibility.

Where there is life, death anticipates. But what if death is abandoned? Life will rebel.

Season of Suffering is part two of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy with both light and dark hearts. You’ll experience many fantasy tropes, clashing swords, unique magic, fantastical beasts, and a wide range of Azure’s scenic terrain.

Author’s Note: Contains explicit language and some graphic descriptions.

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EXCERPT: SEASON OF SACRIFICE – GOOSE

My heart beats heavier. I inhale and, with the back of my hand, brush a drop of sweat that has found its way down my forehead. I know what these tracks be-long to. But why now? Am I projecting my ambitions—to slay a Creature of the Night? I grab a handful of Everweed from the ground and reluctantly head in the direction of the trampled vegetation.

My experience with these beasts is nonexistent, but then again, there isn’t another who can claim otherwise. They’re the type of animal man stays far away from, which was the primary reason for choosing this location as a refuge. We chose to risk being mauled by the Creatures of the Night over the public execution we would have inevitably encountered by hiding in a small village. Some would consider us the biggest halfwits in all of Vedora, all of Azure even, for making the decision we made, but I know Harris Martelli personally, and the fact he is capable of persuading a strong-willed and morally sound man like my father to do what he did is far more threatening than any beast living in the wood.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jonathan J Michael was born and raised in the greater Seattle area in the scenic state of Washington. Jonathan is an advocate of science, nature, and exploration, which has a heavy influence in his debut series, Blood of Azure.

When I drive down the freeway, I often want to veer onto the backroads and head for the mountains. When I’m at an evening gathering, I’m eager to step outside and gaze at the stars. When I’m on a ferry, I’m at the guardrail staring into the depths wondering what kind of leviathans lurk below. I’m an explorer, and since I’m not on the next Crew Dragon headed for the ISS, fantasy novels let me have what I seek. I write to explore a world of wonder.

~ Jonathan

SOCIAL LINKS

Website: https://jonathanjmichael.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.j.michael.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_j_michael/

BUY LINKS

Season of Sacrifice – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1XV54W

Season of Suffering – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NSM62N8

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