Monday, December 14, 2015

Guest Post - Adam Millard on the inspiration behind Soul of Dust! #UF #Demons #Wizard


Today, I have Adam Millard, author of Soul of Dust, sharing his inspiration to this kick@$$ UF just released from Roane Publishing!

Be sure to check out the giveaway!!!

~~~oOo~~~


Back in 2014, I wrote two urban fantasy novels with strong female protagonists. These books were entitled Wanderlust and Rue respectively. At the time, I was following what I believed to be the standard structure for urban fantasy, that the majority of the genre’s readers were female and that, in order to sell a few copies, I had to give them something to relate to, and in making my lead characters kickass young girls, the books had a much better chance of succeeding.

You see, I’d worked my way through The Morganville Vampires series, the entire Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, and various other collections featuring strong female characters in lead roles, saw the success of those books, and decided that I would attempt the same.

Moving into 2015—where Rue is still doing the rounds with publishers and agents—I was ready to write another urban fantasy novel after completing work on several bizarro and horror titles. But I wanted to try something different. I told myself that there is no generic formula in literature, regardless of genre; that I could do whatever the hell I wanted.

I sat down to write Soul of Dust intent on creating a deeply-flawed male protagonist, an anti-hero, of sorts, but a guy with a purpose. This guy wouldn’t be particularly handsome or good with women, but he would have a job to do, so long as the pay was right.

Jack Bridge is a centuries-old semi-immortal mage who just happens to also be a private investigator. He has, in the past, almost drunk himself to death, which takes some doing if you’re semi-immortal. He’s antisocial, doesn’t play well with others, and his wand—Phoenix, due to the rare feather at its core—does most of the talking. In the city, he is the go-to guy when creatures from Elsewhere slip through into our world, and he’s damn good at his job.

I wanted to give this poor sonofabitch as many flaws as possible, to make him almost impossible to get along with. I don’t know what it is but I am inexplicably drawn to profoundly damaged characters. I like my heroes and heroines with a side order of asshole or sass. I want them to convince me, as a reader or writer, that they are something other than what they seem. Jack Bridge is such a character—one of my favourites so far, and there have been a lot over the years—and it’s his bitterness and sardonicism which makes him so much fun to write.

In writing Soul of Dust, I also wanted to explore a new beast, a creature which doesn’t get as much exposure as, say, vampires and zombies, which are currently ubiquitous. I began to research the aswang—a Philippine werewolf, of sorts, which devours unborn fetuses in order to survive—and thought it was far more interesting than taking the easy route: opting for some overused trope.

Am I inspired enough to write more Jack Bridge novels in the future? I wouldn’t bet against it.

~~~oOo~~~


Soul of Dust
By Adam Millard
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: December 7, 2015
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Keywords: Urban Fantasy, Sleuth, Paranormal, Investigator, Wizard, Demons, magic, Gritty
Sometimes being semi-immortal just isn’t enough.

Jack Bridge is having a very bad day.
Life as a private investigator is tough, but it’s even worse when you’re a semi-immortal wizard private investigator whose tolerance for humans grows thinner by the day. Just when he thinks things can’t get worse, in she walks.
Kate West, beautiful and complex in equal measure, with a problem only Jack can solve. Daemons, magic, voodoo, and vamps; it’s all very real, and Jack Bridge is the last line of defense against the creatures of Elsewhere.
Sometimes being semi-immortal just isn’t enough.


About Adam Millard:
Adam Millard is the author of twenty novels, ten novellas, and more than a hundred short stories, which can be found in various collections and anthologies. Probably best known for his post-apocalyptic fiction, Adam also writes fantasy/horror for children. He created the character Peter Crombie, Teenage Zombie just so he had something decent to read to his son at bedtime. Adam also writes Bizarro fiction for several publishers, who enjoy his tales of flesh-eating clown-beetles and rabies-infected derrieres so much that they keep printing them. His "Dead" series has recently been the filling in a Stephen King/Bram Stoker sandwich on Amazon's bestsellers chart. Adam writes and edits for UK horror website This Is Horror, whose columnists include BC Furtney, Simon Bestwick and Simon Marshall-Jones.
Adam lives with his beautiful wife, Zoe-Ray, and their wonderful son, Phoenix Justice. There are also chickens, rabbits and cats, but the less said about that the better.
Follow Adam on Twitter @adammillard

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GIVEAWAY!

A paperback copy of Soul of Dust and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing's marketing department.

2 comments:

  1. Love this! <3 I'm a big fan of urban fantasy. I was immediately hooked when I started to read your book. :) Also, try Richard Kadrey, Jim Butcher, and M.L. Brennan. I think you'll find your guy is in good company.

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  2. Great post. Love me an MC with attitude.

    ReplyDelete