The Fallen by Sean Bazaar

The Fallen by Sean Bazaar

Description

None of us could have fathomed that one day our time would be up.
That day is now.
Everyone knows of the story of Armageddon, the battle between the forces of Heaven and the demonic legions of Hell. And we all just figured it was a no-brainer, which side would come out on top. But we were wrong.

Journal of Alisha Grace-
Every time I go to the window, I smell only blood, fire, and brimstone. It happened so quickly that no one had time to react: portals forged from demonic magic opened all over the world, and pouring through them were agents of macabre death, tidal waves of destruction the likes of which we had never seen. The sky filled with beautiful, white-winged creatures full of deadly grace and determined precision, intent upon stopping the demon armies. The final war had been brought to our very doorstep.

My Review

These are the kind of Seraphim I want to read about! I don't know where to begin on this book without making my review too long!

In most books I find myself really only caring about one or two characters. Bazaar did an amazing job, he is madly descriptive and all of his characters stick out. In, The Fallen, I found myself looking forward to reading more on all of the major characters and even some of the smaller ones, each had their own story. It's hard to find a book where you are interested in everyone, this style reminds me a lot of George R.R. Martin.

One downside, I wanted to know more about the them. Bazaar could probably write a book for each of his main characters. Did I already mention, I love the characters? With that said, I wish there would have been more dialogue or more background info. I wanted to know more about the relationships. Especially, when it came to Rai, Krillion, Valafor, Kobal, Alisha, I could go on. Perhaps we will learn more in the next book.

Bazaar can orchestrate a battle effortlessly. A number of times I caught myself asking, "Is this really his first book?" Details of the war and strategies and techniques the fighters use, his talent at portraying these scenes really blew my mind. Again, very reminiscent of George R.R. Martin.
I recommend this book to anyone who is tired of the mushy mush, to anyone who is ready to go on a seriously hellish joyride!

Interview with the Author

Lost in Thought: Thank you so much for doing this interview with me! Is this your first book?

Sean Bazaar: Yes it is. Sorry to hear your back in the hospital again.

LIT: No worries! I am trying not to let my sickle cell get in the way. I am not going to let it stop me for now. This is the first time I'm trying to work through it, we shall see how it goes. But anyway, back to you!
Did you always want to be a writer? When did you realize you had talent?

SB: I never once in my life believed I would ever be a writer! I just had an idea and did my best to put it to paper. The first inkling I got that I was onto something was in Iraq. My platoon kept telling me how awesome the story I was writing was.

LIT: That is amazing and so mind boggling because your book is wild! You sir, are a talented writer and story teller. Do you have a favorite character?

SB: The characters are incredibly fantastic in their own unique ways, it's hard to name one as my favorite.

LIT: I had a hard time choosing my favorite. Ahhhh, who am I kidding?! Rai was my favorite from the get to! Kobal and Valafor tie for second. You did a magnificent job creating such an amazing array of colorful characters.
Your book has a number of Archangels, did you have to do research for your book?

SB: I researched the angels and demons and took the ones I liked, which is why the main demons aren't the normal ones most people have heard of. Along with that is a fairly large cast of created angels and demons which take center stage of the book and story.

LIT: Ok so, the next question is gonna get real. If you don't want to answer I understand.

SB: Hit me!

LIT: You do an amazing job describing Hell and torture and you paint the pictures so morbidly perfect. The scene where the angels were tortured and had their wings burned in front of the yet to be tortured. WOW! And the psychology behind Mullin and the Mages, and how through this specific method they got the desired effect among the prisoners. This reads like you are a psyc. major or you know war all too well. Is it fair to say war equals Hell?

SB: Absolutely, there is no victor in war. To see first hand the damage and chaotic devastation done to people and the environment can have a decisive impact on ones own mind.

LIT: Do you believe in Heaven and Hell?

SB: Hahaha, that's a tough one. In order to believe in both, one would have to believe in all the tag along items and that opens up a massive theology debate. But I guess I would say yes.

LIT: I dig it. Is there another book in the works?

SB: Yes, book two, Dark Decimation will be released this year.

LIT: Sweet Beans! Oh and one last question, if your book is ever made into a movie can Vin Diesel play Valafor?

SB: I'm thinking Ron Pearlman. Hahahaha

LIT: Awww, ok. (went to check who that is) OH HELL YES!! Hahahaha! That is a perfect fit!

SB: Here's a promise, Dark Decimation is going to make the first look like a kid's book.

LIT: YES! Well then I can't wait! For the second book and for the movie! It's been great talking with you. Thanks for writing such a great book and I wish you nothing but success and more success in all your endeavors!

SB: Thank you for doing this interview. Anytime you have more questions on anything feel free to ask.

Last Thoughts

Go out and get the book already!

Where you can find The Fallen

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Fallen-Book-1-Dark-Genesis-ebook/dp/B00A65FX10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396635181&sr=8-1&keywords=Sean+Bazaar

Unforgivable by James Fuller

"a thrilling tale"         " leaves you wanting more"

"incredibly dark and twisted story which I loved every moment of"

Unforgivable by James Fuller

Description

       Rising from the ashes of his home in Ever-Dale, Jamus Willms carves a brutal path of vengeance through the lands powerful nobility. His quest for justice seems to defy even death, as hatred fuels his journey - to the ruthless Lord that took everything from him as a simple reminder of the status quo. With the fires of that fateful night still burning in his mind, each step that takes him closer to reclaiming his daughter from the clutches of a psychopath blurs the line between man and monster - Jamus struggles to keep the flames that had disfigured his flesh from twisting his very soul forever. A moving and satisfying tale of revenge from James Fuller.

Book Excerpt

       A dark, lone figure limped indignantly down the dirt road in almost complete silence; all that gave away his presence was the soft clink from the single spur on his left boot, which could be heard for some distance on this silent night.

       The loner wore a dark crimson woolen cloak around his lean shoulders. Most on a cool night such as this would have it pulled tightly around them, but the loner welcomed the unfavorable sensation on his damaged skin and his cloak was open freely. Though the hood he wore concealed his damaged face and identity with the gloomy shadow it produced.

       Most folk were asleep at this late hour, safe in their beds, dreaming sweet dreams of what tomorrow may bring. But not him-he seemed to not need sleep now; hate fuelled his every step, his every move, his every breath. A bitter odium which overwhelmed his very essence, mocking his  common good-natured self, forcing him to forget everything beautiful in the world, everything pure, everything that he had tried to live for. All for nothing-all a disgusting, cruel, twisted joke by the gods... if there were any gods...

       The smell of smoke lingered in the air and assured him he was close to the small town of Milton- his first destination.

My Review

       It was so easy to get caught up in this book, I mean, just read that excerpt! (Taken from the first chapter!) I wanted to show everyone how easily and effortlessly Unforgivable demands your attention from the very beginning. Within the first few pages James Fuller has you hooked!  You ask yourself- Who is this man? What happened to him? And James doesn't leave you guessing for long, his writing is fast and lean. And once you learn the past you have no choice but to read on and see the future.

       I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars because I felt that there could have been more of a journey and perhaps more time to get to know the family and other characters.

      Aside from that, I really enjoyed this read. Action-packed, emotional and brutal.  I recommend this book to anyone who likes revenge served hot with a side of kick-ass.  

Interview with the author

Lost in thought- First off, I just want to say thank you for taking the time to do this interview with me. I truly enjoyed your book.

James Fuller-You’re welcome, I am glad to be here. And you’re too kind.

LIT- No, really! Finding an excerpt to put in the blog is usually the hardest part. But with you, I only had to go to the first chapter, second paragraph. You have such a powerful and gripping beginning, that hooks the reader immediately.  You are a master at murdering your characters. Am I in any danger?

James Fuller- Lol! Anyone who encounters a writer is in danger of being written into a story, and lifted up as a hero... or brutally murdered... for now... you are safe.

LIT- Phew, I will be sure not to cross you!  =) What inspires you? What made you go into this genre? And what exactly is your genre?

James Fuller- I am not sure what truly inspires me, life? My passion to create? My enjoyment of telling a fable? My love of entrapping others into a world I muster up within my mind. All of the above? I chose to do this genre because I see a lot of it out there, yet not a lot of writers are willing to push their characters to the edge in which the greatest things can be achieved. Nor do a lot of writers take the world of violence to the level I did. How many writers can make you love and even root for a cold blood killer?

I do not limit myself as a fiction/fantasy writer, it is what I am known for right now, but I am branching out. I have a couple of horror books in the works and even a fantasy erotica.

LIT- That's so funny, because I wrote that in my review! It's a weird feeling. Rooting for a man to murder another. I think it just shows how well you showed his pain. (I don't want to spoil anything) After what happened to him, anything he does to his enemies is forgivable!

Ok, last one, because this is getting long! 

You are pretty no-holds-barred in your writing style, is there anything you are afraid to write about or anything you feel uncomfortable writing about?

James Fuller- I hate censorship, and I detest censoring my writing style. I had to censor myself so much in school for projects it made my soul hurt. Now out in the real world and as an Indie author where I am not censored by anyone I feel good and refuse to censor my writing. If the story demands it of me I will write it.

LIT- I respect and understand that, but is there anything that makes you uncomfortable?  Not out of censorship, not because of what others might think, but because of how it would make you feel.

James Fuller- To be honest rape scenes always do make me feel a little awkward when writing. I am a detailed writer but at the same time I have to find that level of enough detail to bring out the emotion needed without going over board. I hate the thought of rape it is a horrible thing and should never happen.

LIT-Which brings me to another point, I am not sure if I mentioned it in the review. You handled the rape scene with the right amount of respect. As a woman, I felt the pain, as should everyone, but you wrote it with the right amount of sensitivity. (And of course the pain of the event, was lessened by the revenge.) Well, I just want to thank you again for the interview.  And I am looking forward to reading more of your work.

I wish you much success!

James Fuller- Thank you Jessica, it was a pleasure to be here and I hope you'll have me back soon. And not to worry I have much out there for you to read.

Last thoughts-

  

       I found it interesting how easily I sided with a cold blooded, brutal, killer and I didn't flinch when `justice' was served. James Fuller, did a superb job in describing his fight scenes. It takes great bravery to go to the dark places this author went, it's a risk I am glad he took. I see this book easily becoming a movie or mini-series or even a great graphic novel.

Other publications by James Fuller 

Fall of a King: The False Prince (Book One)

Unforgivable 2

Coming soon:

Fall of a King: Brothers of Blood (Book Two) 

Where you can find Unforgivable- 

Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Unforgivable-Part-One-ebook/dp/B007W3HE84/ref=la_B006TNSNSS_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1348542069&sr=1-2

Official Webpage- http://www.authorjamesfuller.com/index.html

Facebook- http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJamesFuller

Goodreads-  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15844491-unforgivable

"Epic.."      "Exciting..."        "A job well done!"

Book Description

When Raven's family is taken captive by the hordes of the evil lord N'atax, her only desire is to rescue them before they reach the dreaded castle Axtalia. But, as she pursues them through the lands of Arth, aided by her friend Le-thon, she realizes that her true destiny could be far more than she had ever imagined.

Book excerpt

        "Hear now the final words of Estoc and the Prophecy of old that we have nurtured for ages!" Thus the King began, first in his own tongue, and then in the Common Tongue of Arth.

        "Thus spoke Estoc: I go the way of all living beings in the lands of Arth. But this sword I leave in your charge. It is a great weapon, as you have witnessed through the years. None can defeat a true champion, if their heart is pure. So, your island has been kept safe from all who dared to trespass here without your permission. Now, I leave it behind. But, know this! A great warrior will come one day. A valiant warrior greater than I! And that warrior will claim this sword. How, you ask, will you know when this great champion comes? It will be by the test of the teeth of the B'ranhas! Although they will attack ferociously after the Sweet Rain of Death, the B'ranhas will not be able to harm one single hair of this great warrior. By this you will know that the time is at hand, and this prophecy that I leave with you will be fulfilled."



      Interview with the author

1. What did you find most difficult about writing this novel?

Starting and finishing. It took me twelve years!
Growing up in a family of readers, and being the 5th born, I had the pleasure of older brothers and sisters that constantly read to me. I can also remember my mom taking me to the public library every couple of weeks and how mad I was when I could only take out 5 books at a time! That was nothing for me to read in 2 weeks!
I actually started writing in the 6th grade, although back then it was mostly pencil and paper! My older brother taught me how to type on an old manual typewriter and that made it much easier. High school included 4 years of English, 4 years of Journalism, and some advanced classes, including Creative Writing. I actually used a story that I wrote when I was 13 for an assignment in Creative Writing, and was not only given an A+ but the teacher read the story to the class, stating that it was “the best she had seen in a long time”.
After high school I dove into the work force, following my brother into the steel fabrication business, and have been there ever since. The writing beast slept for many years, but finally was awoken with the filming of the trilogy Lord of the Rings. Even then, it took me another 12 years to finish my first book The Legends of Arth: The Summoner. The writing beast is now alive and well, and I am currently working on the next three books in the series.

 

2. Is there anything you will do differently in book two?

Hopefully the next book will be even better than my first! Here’s how I write:
I use 3rd person, which gives me the options and varieties I need for character development and inner thoughts, scene descriptions, etc. As for the style, I like to call it the Indiana Jones style! One “cliffhanger” after another! If my readers can’t put my book down, then I feel I have done my job well. It is a pleasure when fans tells me they hate my book because they had to keep reading to find out what happens next or how do they get out of that situation. Of course, they then ask “when are you going to get the next book done?”!
I am a planner, and like to have a complete layout from beginning to end. This includes all the events, characters, timelines, maps, etc. I do a chapter by chapter outline so that each one leads into the next.
But, I am a pantser! I find that every character and action has to be fluid and not written in stone, so to speak. Sometimes changes in the later chapters force me to go back and change earlier events so everything flows together from beginning to end. As I write, filling in the corners and gaps in each chapter, I make every effort to be flexible. There really is something to be said about the thrill of an inspirational moment that a writer gets and then can drop it into a storyline, even if it means having to go back and make changes to other parts of his book! When these occur, I have found that it is an event or a character that I haven’t even thought of before.

3. What is one thing you want the reader to take with them after reading your story?

Above all else, just a sense of being there, of believing in the hope of the story, and to live in the moment of the imagination! After that, just a love for more of my writing!

4. Do you have any weird habits when writing?

I find that I prefer some type of background noise, and music fits the bill very well. Classical works wonders and is one of my favorites. I have just recently found epic music on YouTube, and that stirs the imagination and drives the inspiration. Some of my most profound moments have come when listening to them.

5. I have a hard time choosing my favorite part of your novel; there truly are so many wonderful chapters! But what would you say is your favorite part? What was your favorite part to write?

Even for me it is hard to select just one favorite part. I would have to say the end, for all through the writing process I had the end in mind. My hope is that it will be a pleasant surprise to my readers as well!
Again, as I continue to write the trilogy that follows, I have the end for each book in mind. With all the turns, twists, and changes that the story will go through, I want the conclusion to be a wonderful experience for the readers.

My Review

Randy Massey is a first time author who possesses a wonderful gift, the gift of storytelling. The Summoner is a tale of majestic proportions. The journey you take once you begin reading this novel is suspenseful, magical and vividly entertaining. The lands of Arth and its inhabitants are brought to life by a warm and welcoming narrator. I cannot remember the last time I read a book that painted a landscape as clearly as this one. There are so many wonderful beings, who each have a background, a colorful history that makes them the characters that they are. Even now, after having finished the book, I am still wanting more. I recommend The Summoner by Randy Massey to any person, young or old that wants to travel to a distant world and be part of an epic adventure.

About the Author

Randy Massey works in the construction industry, and is a Steel Detailer by trade. He lives in Michigan with Sharon, his wonderful wife, who has put up with him for over 35 years. Reading has always been a passion of his, following such favorites as: Tolkien, Lewis, Asimov, Bradbury, and, more recently, Riordan and Collins. Loving all types of literature, with Fantasy and Science Fiction being his favorites, writing followed easily behind. He hopes his works will be enjoyed by many in the years to come.

Last Words-

Well, I am certainly happy that the beast woke! Randy Massey really has a wonderful way of making something so foreign seem so real.

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The Summoner can be found at the links below-

At Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Summoner-Legends-Arth-ebook/dp/B0089BGI76/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344707133&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=the+summoner-+the+legends+of+earth

At Goodreads:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15776615-the-summoner

At Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/164663