Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Blue Words by MC Edwards Excerpt, Interview & giveaway


Blue Words
MC Edwards

Genre: Contemporary/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Warpath Print

Date of Publication: 30/11/14

ISBN: Paperback - 978-0994172303
ISBN: e-book - 9780994172310
ASIN: B00PWIW1ZC

Number of pages: 334
Word Count: 110,000

Cover Artist: Geoff Craig

Book Description:

Common threads have always woven through the world's mythology and folklore, strings which seem to link cultures divided by the vastness of oceans and time.

Have you ever wondered why? What if I told you that they all stem from a single origin.....the Varth-lokkr. Within this ancient creature's blood, stirs the power to save or enslave the world as we know it, a power ignited by a simple word. But which does it truly desire?

This dark urban fantasy follows one of these creatures through its emergence into 21st century Australia. It chronicles the rise of those who oppose it, those who ally themselves with it and those who are unwillingly drawn into its wake.

Shed the blood. Speak the words. Change the world.


Available for Purchase at Warpath Print

Excerpt:
"Don't move or we'll fire," ordered one of the guards, his voice shook and his trigger finger twitched. Gudrik glared at him and swiftly shot towards George, who was now leaning over the stainless steel top rail, still scouring for an escape which didn't exist. The guards began to fire wildly at him. They may not have seemed overly competent, but they could shoot. Several projectiles tore through Gudrik's flesh as he moved, spattering blue onto the grass. Startled by the gunshots, George spun just in time to see the scruffy relic hurtling towards her. A bullet buried into Gudrik's knee. He stumbled. Before she had a chance to react, Gudrik crashed into George. His momentum forced her backwards, toppling them both indigently over the safety railing in a tangled mess of arms and legs.
The pair rocketed towards the ground. George screamed profanities so coarse that they blistered the very air around her. She scrambled and flailed as if trying to climb back up Gudrik's body. He wrapped himself tightly around her. "Earvictius groot," he bellowed.
His bullet wounds glowed, and the tender flesh surrounding them began to transform into cold, speckled granite. The stone rapidly spread along his limbs and across his abdomen, searing with pain as it went. He cringed and grated his teeth. As it spread across his chest and onto George she began to scream as though he were slashing chunks of flesh from her. Thankfully, the agony did not linger and in the blink of an eye, stone had completely swallowed both of them. No matter how hard she tried George could not move. It was both claustrophobic and frightening.
The living statues whistled closer and closer to the ground. Until......SMASH!  They crashed unhindered onto the roof of a parked car. Glass and shrapnel exploded from the vehicle as they tore through the chassis and into the road beneath.
Just as painfully as it had spread, the rock retreated returning the flesh to its vulnerable state, leaving it sensitive and speckled with sweat. Both lay for a moment of recovery. Their chests heaved deeply as they came to terms with what had just happened. Gudrik crawled out of the mangled wreck and climbed to his feet. "Are you harmed?" he grunted, lifting George to her feet.
She was pale and disheveled with blank shock clouding her eyes. Time was of the essence. Gudrik slapped her across the cheek. Fire filled her blank eyes. She swung a punch, which he avoided. He grabbed her shoulders and repeated his question, "Are you harmed?"




About the Author:

M.C. Edwards, or Eddie as he is known to his mates, grew up in a coastal town on the picturesque Central Queensland coast of Australia.  He has travelled to many corners of the world and has a love of all things bizarre.  He enjoys motorcycles, beards, comics, videogames and the taste of a fine single malt scotch.  In his writing he crafts immersive worlds which mix reality and fantasy to create a strangely believable mix.

Interview

Where are you from?
I was born and raised in sunny Queensland, Australia.  There’s lots of beach, lots of forest and not many people compared to most places.  It’s an amazing place to live.
When and why did you begin writing?
I began writing in high school, but towards my graduating years, I became distracted by......no point trying to sugar coat it, beer.  It wasn’t until my late twenties that I rediscovered my love for writing and a few more years until I really did anything about it.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
As far as I’m concerned anyone who puts their blood, sweat and tears into creating a written piece is a writer.  Of course levels of success vary greatly from there.  I remember thinking of myself as a writer during my high school years though.
What inspired you to write your first book?
It was something I had always thought of doing, something I always thought I might be able to do, but it was actually a group of kids I was teaching at the time who got me working on it.  I had been trying really hard to get this particular group of boys reading, I was making some progress, but they were still very reluctant.  So, I started writing for them, just a short chapter every few days, but they were getting right into it.  I started adding them and their ideas into the story and it turned into my first novel length piece.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I don’t think so, but I do try to change how I write to suit the situation.  I also find my writing heavily influenced by what I am reading at the time, so I tend to limit my reading when I am in the writing process.
How did you come up with the title?
The title changed a lot throughout the creation of the story, from Bleed for Me, to Blood of the Twelve, to The Twelve, to Blue Bloods, Blood Magic and Blood Words until it finally settled on Blue Words.  I think I kind of just got to that point and decided it fit.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Not really, different people take different things from books, that’s something I love about them.  I just try to push that there is always more than one side to events.  It’s never as simple as just good and evil and I hope people grasp that from my story.
How much of the book is realistic?
I think it’s pretty realistic…..well as realistic as a fantasy about tattooed people manipulating reality with ancient blue blood can be I suppose.  I tried to take something impossible, sit it in the center of the book and build realistic reactions and events around it.  Does that make sense?
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Not really, though my life would be awesome if this sort of stuff happened from time to time.  The settings are all based on places I know and love but.
What books have most influenced your life most?
I have been reading Tolkien’s work since I was young, particularly the Hobbit. I like to read all sorts of stuff, though bleak sci-fi and dark fantasies are my favourites.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Obviously Tolkien because he is the original inspiration for me, but guys like George RR Martin, Robert Jordan or Brandon Sanderson would be amazing to talk with too.  They are all really good at twisting lots of different threads into a weave which all comes together like a fine lace at the end.
What book are you reading now?
I have been reading lots of stuff lately, from Wheel of Time to a few classics that I had never read, like The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men and To Kill a Mockingbird.  One that I really enjoyed and had never heard of was The Magnificent Ambersons by Booth Tarkington; definitely worth a look.
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Not that immediately springs to mind, I don’t get to read as much as I like when I am writing.  I have about thirty books from authors I have never heard of before waiting on my kindle for some downtime.  I would love some recommendations of new authors though.
What are your current projects?
Well I am currently working on a follow up to Blue Words, which I am enjoying.  I get really excited when I am starting something new.
What would you like my readers to know?

Give the book a read, I promise you’ll love it.










Tour giveaway

2 Signed paperback copies, open to postage worldwide.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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