What started
as a simple quest for a
lost, arcane artifact has left Jack Wartnose confronting the family sins and
trauma of his past. But which will he find first: redemption or the apocalypse?
The Condemned Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 4
By A.S. Norris
Genre: Noblebright Fantasy Adventure
"...another
captivating read that left me eager for the next installment in Jack Wartnose's
saga, and I’d certainly recommend it and the series so far to fantasy fans
everywhere." - Readers' Favorite, 5 Stars
The enemy of my enemy is my ally. But can Jack Wartnose really trust his former
paramour-turned-unlikely-ally to not attempt to kill him again?
On the run from a
certified death sentence, Jack Wartnose and his family
attempt to quietly flee southward, hoping to avoid the Murder of Crows’
assassins. Unfortunately, their hopes are soon dashed when Polyxena, the
now-disgraced Crow, and her twin boys inadvertently cross their path. He cannot
trust to take her along as a hostage, but nor can he trust to turn his back on
her, as he did before, and not end up knifed for his troubles. Or worse.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, the first skirmishes in a greater war between magedom
and the elusive dark lord have taken place. Foul creatures and equally foul
deeds shatter the peace and leave a bloody wake that only threatens to grow
worse the longer Jack Wartnose remains free to roam. And, unbeknownst to Jack
Wartnose, a new threat looms to the east, waiting to ambush him and his family.
As those hunting for his head increases, Jack Wartnose will need to choose
which is more important: his unbreakable word to complete his quest and find
the Tome of Time, or his unbreakable bonds in protecting his ever-growing
family.
THE CONDEMNED MAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book four of an
award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy novel series that promises thrilling
sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor and romance.
The Hunted Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 3
"...a superbly engaging tale of
suspense, family dynamics, and vengeance, all with the classic witty touches
and vibrant characters that I have come to expect from this excellent
series." - Readers' Favorite
They say a group of Crows is a “Murder.” For Jack
Wartnose, if he’s not careful, murder is exactly what will befall him and his
family.
Finally free of the clutches of the Mage Inquisition and undead cutthroats once
again, Jack Wartnose’s troubles soon catch back up as a group of mage
assassins, the Murder of Crows, has been dispatched to eliminate him and his
troupe. One cunning beauty among them has “intimate” knowledge of Jack
Wartnose, and looks forward to repaying him for setting her on the path to ruin
years ago.
Meanwhile, he and his family get stuck in the backwater town of Downriver
Ferry. More family secrets come to light, while the Murder stalk him from the
shadows. Old faces reemerge with intentions unknown. New faces threaten to
reignite a three millennia old blood feud. And his estranged daughter is still
plotting her deadly vengeance behind Wartnose’s back.
The quiet, backwater town of Downriver Ferry is about to erupt! Can Jack
Wartnose keep his wits about him as he confronts threats on multiple fronts?
Will his family and fellow adventurers be strong enough to protect him? Or will
he receive help in time from an unlikeliest of sources?
Continue the adventures of Jack Wartnose and his
crew in THE HUNTED MAGE, Book 3 of the award-winning epic, noblebright
fantasy The Adventures of Jack Wartnose series that promises
thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor, romance, and heart.
The
Forbearing Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 2
"The Forbearing
Mage is a fun,
fast-paced fantasy adventure that is equal parts clever, entertaining and
rich." - Maincrest Media
They say blood is thicker than water. Unfortunately, if Jack Wartnose is not
careful, it will be his blood proving that axiom!
Still on the
trail of the Tome of
Time, novice Mage Jack Wartnose is confronted by another spectre of his past –
Margaret Stormgale, his estranged and vengeful daughter. When she’s not
hounding him with her razor-tongue wit, she’s hunting him with her mother’s
razor-sharp spear!
But if grappling with the sins of his past wasn’t perilous enough, the
disdainful eye of the Inquisition draws down upon him and his quest. And who
should be at the tip of the Inquisition’s spear but yet another of Wartnose’s
former “acquaintances.”
With all eyes bearing down upon him, can Jack Wartnose continue his quest for
not only the Tome of Time, but for atonement? Or will he fall victim to one of
the many foes set against him: his estranged daughter, a jilted Inquisition
lover, his suspicious superiors at the Mage Council, a sinister figure now
shadowing his quest for the tome... or his none-to-pleased wife?
Continue the
adventures of Jack Wartnose and his crew in THE FORBEARING MAGE, Book 2 of THE
ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE a low fantasy novel series that promises thrilling
sword-and-sorcery adventure with clean humor and romance.
The Wayward
Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 1
...[T]his, fellow readers is how you make
gold in a literary hero's journey, and The Wayward Mage by A.S. Norris is
gold." - Readers' Favorite Review
For many, marriage is the end of adventuring. For Jack
Wartnose, it was just another occupational hazard he didn’t plan for...much like
his son!
As
a novice Mage, Jack Wartnose’s life was already difficult enough: low pay, long
hours, and an arcane duty to always keep his word. But when a chance encounter
with his long-lost childhood sweetheart – and the consequences of his youthful
wayward actions – leaves him duty-bound to fulfill a promise long since
forgotten, he’s left with no choice but to take his fledgling family with him
on his dangerous quest for the Tome of Time: a legendary artifact rumored to
have started the last world-ending cataclysm.
As if his luck wasn’t bad enough, there are also revenant assassins from his
past hunting him down. If his family hopes to stay together this time, they’ll
need more than just quick wits and spells to survive bloodthirsty monsters,
vengeful revenants, mutinous party members, the needs of his wife versus his
empty coin purse, and a son unfortunately following in his wayward footsteps.
What started as a simple quest for a lost, arcane artifact has left Jack
Wartnose with this simple question: which will he find first, redemption or the
apocalypse?
THE WAYWARD MAGE: THE
ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book one of an award-winning epic, noblebright
fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with
plenty of humor and romance
Award-winning
author A.S. Norris is a bit of an adventurer himself, having sailed three
oceans and traveled four continents, with some highlights including scuba
diving at the Great Barrier Reef, drinking cobra venom, and kissing the Blarney
Stone. Now his life consists of adventures as a family man with his lovely wife
and spirited baby daughter. THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is his first novel
series with more coming in the near future!
Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon *
Goodreads
GUEST POST
Describe your writing style. – Chaos. Ok, not that bad. But still, it often devolves into herding cats between the goalposts; the goalposts being those main plot points within each book, and the cats being my characters. It gets complicated when I have a great idea for a scene in the current or future book that I suddenly realize doesn’t really fit the story as it is. When I was working on Book 2, I came up with a great ending scene for Book 3 that neatly (and emotionally) closed the current conflict arc between Wartnose and Margaret. The problem came after I spent two hours writing that chapter only to realize I had set up a major revelation within that chapter and was heading in a completely different direction based on what I already written for Book 2. So, it took some work, but I got it right in the end. And both characters are better off for it.
What makes a good story? – I draw this from the famed mangaka Rumiko Takahashi, who learned from her mentor that good characters drive the story. Reflecting on it, I believe that practically every variation/archetype of a story (hero’s journey, etc), has more-or-less been told in some manner through the millennia. So, what drive’s the story forward (and keeps the reader’s interested) is how good the characters are written and how much the audience can connect with them.
It’s to that end I put A LOT of brain power to ensuring my characters are engaging, approachable, and that their motivations make absolute sense. Because nothing sure takes me out of a story more quickly than either an unlikeable character, or when the author forces the characters to act against their character just to gin up conflict. My characters are not perfect archetypes. Each one has at least one flaw that they need to overcome (Wartnose – self-doubt and his wayward past; Muriel – quick to anger and scared to be alone; Jack Jr – Overconfidence; Margaret – murderous rage and stubbornness; hopefully you get the idea). But those flaws are there by design so the audience can connect better and, whenever conflict between characters do arise, its their flaws that get in the way, not some deus ex machina stupidity on the part of the author.
What are they currently reading? – I believe Wartnose is teaching his son and wife to read from some newspaper sheets they got at Angel’s Basin.
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? – Off the cuff, just start writing from where I left off my last book and work my way toward the ending. I come up with milestones for each book so my characters don’t meander too far from the main plot. I will also start a chapter head and write a paragraph long note as a place holder for what I’ll write. I know I should outline first to be more organized. I just hate it. Every time I try to my story ends up not following it for the better.
What are common traps for aspiring writers? – This industry in some ways is like a Vegas casino. Very easy to spend a lot of money really quick on ads, artists, programs to write and edit, and other marketing necessitates and not get very good returns on investment. Think long game. Don’t jump on every “ad service” or “book promoter” that messages you. Vet everyone and every program before you buy it.
What is your writing Kryptonite? – Work and my family. I have to work because that’s my bread and butter right now until I start making loads more sales with my books (but that’ll require me to put out many, many more books first, I believe). And as a husband and father, I can’t neglect my family. So, my writing often takes a back seat to these two responsibilities in my life.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want? – I try to be original to stand apart from my peers and competitors. It’s why, despite me advertising this series as a fantasy adventure (which it is, don’t get me wrong), it’s much more than that. It’s a family saga about healing past wounds; of coming together to ultimately defeat a great evil while working through the trauma many of them have faced; and, ultimately, it’s about Jack Wartnose overcoming his faults to become the husband and father his family deserves, while also saving the world. I do believe that there is an audience that wants fun, exciting fantasy adventure but still get some darker moments of peril and emotional scenes that touch the heart. Hopefully in time more people will come around to my books because of that.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be? – It’s going to suck. The constant, almost pathological need to write; to put something down on paper while juggling family, finances, and career; and, trying to learn marketing. However, it will all be worth it in the end.
Also, hire someone to get your Amazon ads off the ground early on. Keep budget to $5 a day max. Let them run to draw in some traffic while you continue producing books and then tweak them over time.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex? – Making them believable.
How long on average does it take you to write a book? – Writing = 3-6 months. Editing = 3-6 months. So a year tops.
Do you believe in writer’s block? – Yes, which is why I have other projects I’m currently writing. I find that if I take my conscious mind off the story and allow my subconscious to play with it, eventually I find the solution. Hasn’t failed me yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment