Interview with fantasy author Joshua K. Johnson

I’m chatting with fantasy author Joshua K. Johnson today about his novels, The Cerberus Rebellion and The Hydra Offensive. 

As he does a virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions, Joshua will be awarding an e-book containing short stories set in the same world as the series, The Chesian Wars, to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy" The Cerberus Rebellion and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young children.

Welcome, Joshua. Please tell us about your current release.
The Hydra Offensive is the second book in this series, continuing the story of the nobles of western Ansgar rebelling against their king. It follows several characters as they do their best to help (or in the case of one character, hinder) the rebellion.

What inspired you to write this book?

The whole story idea sprang from a short blurb I wrote a couple of years ago. It was originally a steampunk/futuristic story that morphed into the Gunpowder Fantasy setting I've built.

Excerpt from The Ansgari Rebellion Series:
Magnus reined up his horse in front of the largest tent pavilion he had ever seen.

“And whose tent is this?” The gaudy purple canvas tent structure stood twenty feet at the center pole, at least twelve at the edge and was more than a hundred feet on each side.

“Your Grace, it is mine!” a short man announced and then bowed. “Sir Byron Alfson, of Harristown.”

“Ah, sir, you have me at a disadvantage.”

Magnus inspected the knight with narrowed eyes.

He had a mop of frail-looking brown hair tied into a short ponytail and a narrow nose that was flanked by light blue eyes. He wore a greatcoat that looked like it had been cut from the same fabric as his tent.

Harristown was one of the small villages that had sprouted up along the rail lines that ran from Agilard to Aetheston. The strange grape beer that had made the town famous gave its color to everything the town did. They had even changed their sigil to a purple field with a golden mug.

“This is quite the pavilion,” Magnus continued after a moment. “I didn’t know that the grape beer business had so much money to be made.”

“We do our best, Your Grace,” the knight said. “I hope my pavilion does not offend you, Your Grace. While it is my tent, I have shared it with many of the knights from Lord Tallet’s levies.”

“It does not offend,” Magnus lied. If he had his way, the knights would be sleeping in camp tents with the rest of his soldiers. But his advisors had warned him that not giving the knights and lesser lords their symbols of pride and authority could drive them away. He had been reluctant to accept the counsel, but in the end the tradition of tent pavilions and knightly feasts had been upheld. “Carry on, Sir Alfson.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The knight bowed again and disappeared into his purple monstrosity.

What exciting story are you working on next?
I'm currently working on two novels set in this same world. Book 3 of this series is underway and I'm also writing a standalone novel set on the other side of the world and approaching a completely different type of conflict.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I sat down with the intention of putting The Cerberus Rebellion out there for people to read.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I don't write full-time as of right now. I'm currently working 2 jobs and finishing up my BA in English. I've got 2 kids and a sister that lives with me so you can imagine finding time to write is very difficult. I have a couple of times each week that I have set aside for writing (usually on the weekends after the kids are in bed) and I also try to squeeze in some writing whenever I don't have papers to write.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Rock covers of older songs are a wealth of inspiration for me. I have 5 or 6 different story lines that have developed just from listening to these songs.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I've really always wanted to be a writer. I started at the age of 12, scribbling stories in notebooks that are currently piled up in my basement storage room.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Both books are on sale for $.99 during the VBT. 

Book 1 Cerberus Rebellion | Book 2 Ansgari Rebellion 

Thanks, Joshua!

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Special excerpt from fantasy novel The Hydra Offensive by Joshua K Johnson

Welcome to Monday, readers. My special feature today is the fantasy novel, The Hydra Offensive by Joshua K. Johnson.

He’s doing a virtual book blast tour with Goddess Fish Promotions. During the tour, Joshua will be awarding an e-book of short stories set in the same world as his novel The Chesian Wars, to a lucky randomly chosen winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too.

Now for a bit about our featured novel, The Hydra Offensive:

The nation of Ansgar is divided.

In the east, King Eadric Garrard has crushed one rebellion but gets no rest as the rebellion in the West is rapidly spiraling out of control. If he can't get things in line soon, his reign could be at an end.

Raedan Clyve has traveled across the Vast Sea to secure treaties and trade. Unchecked in his studies of magic, his powers are growing beyond his control. The dark path he has set himself on leads to destruction and chaos, but is it too late to turn back?

Kyrie Salas captains the Dragon's Breath, chartered to carry the Western emissaries across the world. She sees the potential in Raedan and seeks to harness it. But will her emotions get the best of her?

War has raged, battles have been fought, and lives lost. But the conflict for the future of Ansgar is just beginning.

Excerpt from The Hydra Offensive:

Peter Wellstone spread his ledgers across one of the tables and opened them, the books seeming to fall open exactly at the right place. The other council members spread their own books and papers. Alden looked stern, reading the reports for a second time.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. “Tychor sent a request to his father,” Alden said at last. “He asked for enough timber to build a small city.”

“Bugger,” Peter said. He was responsible for the distribution of supplies and building materials. “I told you that withholding supplies would lead to trouble.”

“There’s no trouble,” Eadric said. Lumber and nails and carpenters to assemble the buildings were in short supply. The rebuilding of the fortresses in Kerberos were more important than comfortable quarters for the army.

“Yet,” Peter added.

“His Grace will not take kindly to having to send supplies to the front,” Sinclair Dohr said. “His letters have been increasingly critical of the war. And he isn’t the only one with those thoughts.”

“He’s an overweight, pompous ass,” Eadric said with a shrug. “No one listens to what he has to say.”

“They may not listen to what he says, but they watch what he does,” Alden said. “If he decides to limit the number of troops that he contributes to the cause, or if he withholds supplies…”

“Then I’ll deal with him like I dealt with Magnus Jarmann,” Eadric said. As if having four of his dukes rise up in open rebellion weren’t enough, he had to deal with the fifth’s complaining and constant second-guessing. It was a wonder that Medwyn Chalmers stayed in his mountainside castle, rather than bringing his “advice” directly to Eadric.

The king stood and began to pace. In the west, lesser lords and nobles alike had been increasingly vocal in their complaints. Lands trampled by armies, cities devastated, warehouses and granaries pilfered.

“He wouldn’t dare join the rebels,” Eadric said. Of all of the men who owed their position to the Crown, Lord Chalmers was chief among them. His territory produced timber and iron in great supply, but it was Eadric’s subsidies and edicts that made those materials the most sought after in Ansgar.

“If this stalemate holds, they may be more likely,” Sinclair said.

“When the snows melt, there will be no stalemate,” Eadric said. “My soldiers will crush this rebellion once and for all.”

The council didn’t move for a long minute.

“Order supplies shipped to the forward camps,” Eadric said at last. “Order them to winter quarters.”

Author bio:

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy," The Cerberus Rebellion, and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young children.

Links:

You can visit his website at www.gunpowderfantasy.com

Twitter | Facebook | Kobo | Smashwords | Amazon

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Blurb blitz tour for Joshua K. Johnson

Today is a book blurb blitz tour for Joshua K. Johnson and his novel The Cerberus Rebellion.

He's awarding .mobi copies of his short stories (details available at www.gunpowderfantasy.com/products) to one commenter at every stop. A grand prize is also being awarded to one random commentor The Chesian Wars collection (all published 3 short stories and an additional prelude short story exclusive to the collection).

For chances to win, leave an e-mail address with a comment below, or at any of Joshua's other tour stops. The more you comment, the better chances you have to win. (Please feel free to leave comments without your e-mail address, too.) 

Bio:

Joshua Johnson is the author of "Gunpowder Fantasy," The Cerberus Rebellion, and the creator of the Griffins & Gunpowder universe. When he isn't working or spending time with his family, he writes novels, short stories, and novellas.

He currently lives in Northern Illinois with his wife and young son. 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/authorjkjohnson

Book blurb:

One hundred years of peace and prosperity. War changes everything.

On the world of Zaria, Elves, magic and mythical beasts coexist beside rifles and railroads. The futures of two nations hang in the balance as rebels and revolutionaries trade gunfire with loyalists and tyrants.

Eadric Garrard was raised to believe that as the rightful King of Ansgar, his loyal nobles and fearful subjects answered to his every whim, no matter the cost or consequence. His decision to send his troops thousands of miles away will test that fear, and loyalty.

Raedan Clyve was ordinary until an Elven ritual involving a griffin’s heart turned him into something more. Twenty years later, he still struggles with the magics that rage through his body. His mentor holds him back from his full potential and he faces pressure to find a suitable wife and father an heir.

Hadrian Clyve has picked up where his father left off and works to expand his family’s influence amongst the Ansgari nobility. His aggressive negotiation of alliances and shrewd choice of marriage agreements has earned him respect, and resentment. When his King calls his troops to arms, Hadrian has other things in mind.

After a century of scheming and decades of preparation, Magnus Jarmann is ready to bring his family’s plans to fruition by launching a war of independence that will free his people and return his country to its rightful place among the nations of Zaria. The King’s call to arms creates an opportunity that Magnus cannot afford to miss.

In a war, little is held back; in a revolution, nothing is safe.

Excerpt:

Magnus reined up his horse in front of the largest tent pavilion he had ever seen.

“And whose tent is this?” The gaudy purple canvas tent structure stood twenty feet at the center pole, at least twelve at the edge and was more than a hundred feet on each side.

“Your Grace, it is mine!” a short man announced and then bowed. “Sir Byron Alfson, of Harristown.”

“Ah, sir, you have me at a disadvantage.”

Magnus inspected the knight with narrowed eyes.

He had a mop of frail-looking brown hair tied into a short ponytail and a narrow nose that was flanked by light blue eyes. He wore a greatcoat that looked like it had been cut from the same fabric as his tent.

Harristown was one of the small villages that had sprouted up along the rail lines that ran from Agilard to Aetheston. The strange grape beer that had made the town famous gave its color to everything the town did. They had even changed their sigil to a purple field with a golden mug.

“This is quite the pavilion,” Magnus continued after a moment. “I didn’t know that the grape beer business had so much money to be made.”

“We do our best, Your Grace,” the knight said. “I hope my pavilion does not offend you, Your Grace. While it is my tent, I have shared it with many of the knights from Lord Tallet’s levies.”

“It does not offend,” Magnus lied. If he had his way, the knights would be sleeping in camp tents with the rest of his soldiers. But his advisors had warned him that not giving the knights and lesser lords their symbols of pride and authority could drive them away. He had been reluctant to accept the counsel, but in the end the tradition of tent pavilions and knightly feasts had been upheld. “Carry on, Sir Alfson.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.” The knight bowed again and disappeared into his purple monstrosity.