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.
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
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.
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.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Love me an MC with attitude.
ReplyDelete