The last, but certainly not least, stop on the tour. Let’s do this!
Hero Lost
Mysteries of Death and Life
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group
Anthology
Can a lost hero find redemption?
What if Death himself wanted to die? Can deliverance be found on a bloody battlefield? Could the gift of silvering become a prison for those who possessed it? Will an ancient warrior be forever the caretaker of a house of mystery?
Delving into the depths of the tortured hero, twelve authors explore the realms of fantasy in this enthralling and thought-provoking collection. Featuring the talents of Jen Chandler, L. Nahay, Renee Cheung, Roland Yeomans, Elizabeth Seckman, Olga Godim, Yvonne Ventresca, Ellen Jacobson, Sean McLachlan, Erika Beebe, Tyrean Martinson, and Sarah Foster.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these twelve tales will take you into the heart of heroes who have fallen from grace. Join the journey and discover a hero’s redemption!
So, today, dear readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, I have a special treat for you. I got a chance to ask some of the contributing authors some questions and even put them to a bit of a challenge. Please, enjoy!
1) What’s your name and a cool tag line?
Jen Chandler – Artist, Author, Cat Herder (I really suck at tag lines…)
Ellen Jacobson – Purveyor of eccentric travel adventures on water and land.
Renee Cheung – a wanna be technomancer
Erika Beebe – a.k.a. “Cloud Nine Girl”
Sarah Foster – Well, my blog says “The scribblings of a girl trying to become a real writer” (wait…am I a real writer now?)
Elizabeth Seckman – unrepentant daydreamer AKA writer
Olga Godim – My tagline would be “Fantasy and more”. That is what I write: fantasy and more.
Yvonne Ventresca – Because I primarily write young adult fiction, my tagline would be: Keeping teens turning the pages.
Tyrean Martinson – Writer, Daydreamer, Believer
I love these taglines. Each one gives a certain insight on the writer within the person.
2) What is the genre and title of your entry?
Jen: My story is a dark fantasy tale entitled, “The Mysteries of Death and Life”
Ellen: “The Silvering” is a fantasy story about a hero lost.
Renee: “Memoirs of a Forgotten Knight” – Fantasy, subgenre, technomancy
Erika: “The Wheat Witch.” Adult fantasy.
Sarah: “The Last Dragon” – a pretty straightforward fantasy, dragon skeletons and magic and such
Elizabeth: “Mind Body Soul” – Romantic Fantasy
Olga: “Captain Bulat” is a traditional fantasy story set in a quasi-medieval world.
Yvonne: “The Art of Remaining Bitter” (dystopian)
Tyrean: “Of Words and Swords” – high fantasy, humor, purposeful use of fantasy tropes
See now, I was worried that asking for the genre would be redundant considering it’s a fantasy anthology, but I’m glad I did it. I like discovering subgenres and important genre-blends within the overall genre. Thanks guys.
3) Without giving away your story, can you relay what Hero Lost means to you?
Jen: A Hero Lost is a lost soul, someone who, after a long time helping others, needs someone to come along, to be unafraid to confront them, and help them back to themselves.
Ellen: A Hero Lost initially struggles to do the right thing, but eventually finds the courage to stand up and fight for their principles.
Renee: For my entry, the theme of hero lost unfolds through the story someone who tried to do the right thing with unexpected and tragic consequences.
Erika: A “Hero Lost” is the lost soul mentality, the fall from your brightest and shiniest state in life, then something happens to knock you down to your knees.
Sarah: Someone who may have once been a hero, but for whatever reason has lost his way.
Elizabeth: Heroes make mistakes, too.
Olga: Exactly what the phrase says. A hero is lost. Nobody can find him. My protagonist is searching for him.
Yvonne: To me, “Hero Lost” means not having enough support and guidance to do the right thing.
Tyrean: A hero lost faces a dark night of the soul – a mid-life crisis or a world-changing expanse of horror.
Oh my, what a variety of responses; not one more fascinating than the other. I have a feeling this anthology will more than entertain people. It will help them in ways they didn’t know they needed.
4) Pick a song that represents or relates to the story you wrote?
Jen: Sarah McLaughlin’s “Building a Mystery” is the song that came to me when I started writing it and it stayed with me throughout the telling.
Ellen: Gorecki’s Symphony #3, also known as the Symphony of Sorrowful Songs.
Renee: “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas (The theme that all things fade away resonates strongly with my story.)
Erika: “Fortunate Son” by Credence Clearwater Revival
Sarah: “Smoke and Mirrors” by Imagine Dragons (The band’s name had no influence on my choosing, I swear.)
Elizabeth: “Heroes” by David Bowie
Yvonne: “Hey Jealousy” by the Gin Blossoms
Tyrean: “How You Remind Me” by Nickelback ran through my head repeatedly and I used one line of the chorus in the story.
Man, you guys are good. Finding inspiration in such different songs, yet they all are impactful on their own, and you all used them to write “lost hero” stories. My mind is a little blown.
5) Assuming that you do, ‘cause why wouldn’t you, tell me why you love the IWSG?
Jen: It’s nice to know that once a month, I have a group of people stopping by to share in my insecurities or who may need a little encouragement.
Ellen: It’s the people that make the IWSG so awesome. Their support and encouragement is phenomenal.
Renee: The IWSG is an awesome community with great information. It has become an invaluable resource for a newbie like me.
Erika: IWSG is truly about people and caring. I’ve connected with so many amazing talented people I would have never met.
Sarah: It’s such a supportive group (it’s right in the name!) and there are always new people to meet.
Elizabeth: It’s cheaper than therapy.
Olga: Ha! IWSG has an in-built community of readers for my blog.
Yvonne: Because it’s such a welcoming community, and it provides support and opportunities for writers.
Tyrean: I love the encouragement! Plus, I love the inspiration, helpful tips, and thought-provoking posts that deepen my writing.
I agree with you all. IWSG is so many things and all of them are positive. I count myself blessed to have stumbled upon it and made it part of my home on the web.
6) Think you all could collaborate once more? Add one sentence to this story chain.
Leaves fluttered in the greying sky like birds suddenly robbed of their flight. A sound, not unlike a gunshot, careened through the empty streets, sending a shock wave through the man standing alone in the park. He turned toward the noise, the leaves crunching beneath his feet as he nervously shifted his weight back and forth. His eyes darted back and forth, seeking the source even as dread crept up his back. They had caught up to him, he knew, deep in his bones, but he would face them with all the dignity he could muster. Two black shadowy figures materialized next to an old withered tree. They whispered to each other, too faint to hear. A wind careened between them, carrying to the man a smell and a single word. “Silence.” The word swept over him with a salty brine smell and he struggled to call up his power with his mind. The peace in that silence opened his mind to power of the nether world channeling strength to his body and clarity to his mind. He turned towards them, bowed his head briefly and then pulled a small, wooden box out of the pocket of his robe. He opened the box, reached for the weapon he so desperately needed. His fingers grasped at the wooden walls of the box, and he lifted his eyes, breathing a heavy sigh. At last he found the answer he’d been seeking, it wasn’t what he expected, not at all.
Oh snap yall! You guys just made me turn back to my southern roots. That was sooo good… And did you see how I snuck my own two cents in there at the begining? Dream come true. I wrote a story with the authors of the Hero Lost anthology. Yay! 😀
7) So, now, what are your overall thoughts on anthologies?
Jen: It’s fun to know that your story is nestled in a book with so many other works and that you are buffered by so much talent!
Ellen: It’s a fun way to explore a particular genre and discover new authors.
Renee: Anthologies are a great way to sample different authors and their writing styles. I own quite a few myself.
Erika: It was an amazing opportunity and I’m so happy I chose to get up and write something different.
Sarah: As a writer, I think it’s a great opportunity to get your voice out there and team up with other writers.
Elizabeth: Excellent way to read when you’re busy. I’m loving anthologies as much as snacks between meals.
Olga: They give many writers a voice, especially new writers. Besides, multiple writers make promotion easier.
Yvonne: Writing can be a lonely endeavor, but an anthology offers an instant mini-network of writers with a common bond.
Tyrean: I love them!
Here here. I’m loving anthologies too. As a reader, they offer the most variety and bang for your buck and fit into a busy lifestyle quite well. As a writer, they are great for networking, exposure, and learning from peers and teamwork.
Well, that’s all I have for today. Since I plan on stalking… I mean, following all of you, what’s your favorite social media platform?
Jen: Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/jenchandlerwashere/
Ellen: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TheCynicalSailor/
Renee: Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/writerrenee
Erika: Twitter: https://twitter.com/cloudninegirl1
Sarah: Twitter https://twitter.com/Sarah_A_Foster
Elizabeth: I still enjoy my blog. www.eseckman.blogspot.com
Olga: Wattpad – https://www.wattpad.com/user/olga_godim
Yvonne: Twitter https://twitter.com/YvonneVentresca
Tyrean: Blog http://tyreanswritingspot.blogspot.com/
This has been a
Be sure to check out any stops you missed. They’re great!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Remember, if you are not currently on the IWSG blog hop list and don’t plan to join, the registry is the only way for your books to have a chance to be spotlighted by the book club. If you are on the blog hop list, please don’t join the registry. We want to be fair and give everyone an opportunity to be featured, which means some of us will have to wait our turns, including me (the book club admin) and the co-mods.