Fantasy Book Sale

To celebrate the new year, there's a sale/promotion going on today in Heroic Fantasy that I wanted to mention. One of my own pieces is included in the promotion. If you click on this link, it'll take you to the page, which features mostly works for under a dollar.

I plan to pick up a couple of these today, too. I haven't read all of them myself. However, I have read stories by Peter Fugazzotto and Scott Oden and feel very comfortable recommending them both. 

Fugazzotto's work, it seems to me, shows some influence from two fantasy authors I particularly like, Robert E. Howard and Glen Cook. 

Oden's work featured here is properly called Historical fantasy since it is based on an actual historical world, although it features fictional characters. It's good solid writing that puts you in the period very well.

The rest of this also looks quite good. There's a variety of stories available, from the deadly serious to the more humorous. Hope you get a chance to check out the page.

New Illuminata Pub

The July Illuminata is out. There are three pieces on writing in this issue, including an expansion on a piece that first appeared in this blog on "The Physical Side of Writing." Other than that I don't have much writing related stuff to report.

I've finished a couple of good books lately. Men of Bronze by Scott Oden, whose name is on my links, is a historical novel set in Egypt nearing the end of the Egyptian empire, but it reads much like a heroic fantasy novel. Scott knows his history and works it deftly into the story, but he doesn't let detail slow down the action. The main character, Barca, is a brutal warrior with a deep sensitive streak. The villain is well constructed and provides an excellent foil for Barca.

I also enjoyed Death Reign of the Vampire King, a pulp novel of The Spider by Norvell Page. Page's work is non-stop action and moves as fast as any modern thriller. Plus he has all those cool pulp features. Don't you love that title?