It’s Out! Book Three of A Seared Sky Hits the Shelves.

For all you fans of fantasy, the third book in my epic fantasy series, A Seared Sky, is now out, completing the trilogy. At present, Convergence is available in digital form only, but the print version will be out soon in the New Year.

So, what is book three, Convergence, about? I assume that you’ll have read, or intend to read, books one and two, as this is a sequential story set over the three books.

Wise woman, Ivdulon, finally discovers how the world is in danger, but knows only young Tumalind, a gifted female mindtalker, has the means to save it.

Dagla Kaz, fanatical High Priest, fights to prevent changes that will undo all his power and prestige, engaging with evil forces to get his way.

Aklon-Dji, fighting to save the future of his islanders, faces war, treachery and violent death to bring justice to his land and security to the woman he loves.

Tumalind, gifted and brave, faces unknown terrors and the peril of utter destruction for herself, as she sends her beloved Okkyntalah into great danger in hope of saving the world from evil.

As a gift for the Christmas period, my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, is offering the new book as part of a package of all three in digital form with a substantial discount. Bought separately, they’re £9.27 (already good value for 660,000 words of adventure, excitement and character-driven action), but you can have them for £7.99 as a set, saving you 14%. Just click this link.

And remember, 10% of all proceeds go to charity, funding research into ME/CFS.

To buy book one, Joinings, in digital form, click here. In paperback, click here.

For book two, Partings, clickhere.

And for all three in digital form, either separately or as a bundle, click here.

Writing and Running for ME/CFS #2

Returning from Friday's running session.

This week’s update on progress.

The running continues to the training programme. This week I did a 20 minute brisk walk on Tuesday. A running session on Friday, consisted of running for 4 minutes and walking for 2 minute, repeated 3 times, so a total of 12 minutes running. And today I took a 3 mile walk over 50 minutes with my wife, in place of the required ‘30 minute easy walk’. The training plan I’m following is intended to prepare someone who isn’t very fit for a twenty minute running session at the end of 8 weeks. I’ve just completed the first 4 weeks, and I’m managing to keep to the programme, or to exceed it, so all going well so far.

The writing of the ME/CFS book hasn’t gone far yet  - I’ve been working on some appendices to go into the back of book 3 of the epic fantasy trilogy. My publisher wants to publish Convergence: A Seared Sky in time for Xmas, so I need to ensure it’s absolutely ready for him. And I decided I would include all the myths and legends that form the basis for the actual story as appendices in the final volume. It’s one of those jobs that you feel should be straightforward, until you start on it. Then you discover there are more than you remembered, names have changed during the writing, and some changes to format need doing. But it’s all great for me, as I enjoy the writing.

However, on the ME/CFS book front, I’ve resurrected the files of the diaries I kept during the period of illness. They’re a bit patchy, but they contain details I’d forgotten, so will be a useful resource when I start the actual writing.

Related articles

• Apologies for Absence, And a 5 Star Review!
• Joinings: A Seared Sky. Couldn't put it down
• The Full Reveal and 5 Stars
• Romancing the Fantasy - Stuart Aken
• Partings; A Seared Sky Now Available on Amazon

#BookADayUK; A Reader Event For October. Day 2

Today's 'event' is to name your favourite fictional dog. I can't recall a fictional dog in any recent
reading, to be honest. So, for this particular 'event' I'll have to nominate my own fictional pooch: Shaulah, who appears in my fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky, in all 3 books, Joinings, Parting, and  the yet to be published, Convergence. She's a working dog, acting as Okkyntalah's aid as he goes about hunting for food.

If you'd like to get involved, please visit Books Are My Bag by clicking this link.

And don't forget to use the hashtag, #bookadayuk when you tweet.

Readers and writers unite to save the high street bookshop!

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Apologies for Absence, And a 5 Star Review!

Regular readers will be aware I've been a bit spasmodic with my posts recently. There are reasons.
Mostly domestic.
My wife's beloved sister died recently. I'm undergoing some minor, but disruptive, medical treatment, my daughter has returned from a lengthy spell of adventure overseas and is now seeking work here, our house is up for sale and attracting viewers, my brother is scheduled for heart surgery, and I'm attempting to end a 10 year spell of relative physical inactivity by making myself fit again (amazing how you discover muscles you never knew were there!).

So, things have been a little disconnected here for a while and will probably remain so for a while longer! Nevertheless, I've kept up with many of the things that keep contact with the wider world, and even done a bit of writing. For the future, I shall attempt to make my posts here a little more regular once more.

In the meantime, here's a 5 Star review of 'Joinings', that I came across by accident whilst searching on Amazon. I thought I'd share it because it's from a complete stranger who has clearly enjoyed the work.

5 stars

ONE OF THE BEST FANTASY NOVELS IN A LONG TIME!, April 20, 2014

By 

Online Book Reviews "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... The man who never reads lives only one | George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons"

This review is from: A Seared Sky - Joinings (Paperback)

Joinings by Stuart Aken is the opening book in the projected A Seared Sky trilogy. This science fiction, romance, action and fantasy-adventure novel of epic proportions spanning over 800 pages will delight lovers of the genres as this is one in which they can afford to really bury their heads in. It is also a testimony of the creativity of this British author who through this book loudly proclaimed that he has much to write and share. The beautiful prose, delectable style of writing and the sharpness of the story is enough to keep one absorbed to the last page.

But what really is inside this tome of a novel? To put it simply, it is the story of Tumalind and her betrothed, Okkyntalah, and the precarious situation in which Tumalind lands when she is deceitfully chosen as a Virgin Gift instead of another with important connections. In a world ravaged by superstitious beliefs, fanaticism and hierarchal corruption of the highest order, nothing ever really stands the test of the ordinary, and nothing is what it seems. Dagla Kaz is no ordinary leader either. As the high priest, he is feared and adored, and he is determined to exchange the virgin gifts before the scorched skies returned to normal.

Stuart Aken crafted an extraordinary story populated by extraordinary characters. Aklon, a renegade and the son of Dagla Kaz, is one fascinating character who readers will root for as he walks the path of redemption. Aglydron, the father of Tumalind, is on the most important mission of his life. Aken beautifully spins a tale that is both complex and riveting, as stunning as the world the characters inhabited.

Will you be stiff bored by this mammoth novel? If you are seeking my advice, here’s my answer: Anyone on the lookout for a mesmerizing read will really enjoy this tome. Though set in a fantasy world, Aken created relatable characters with relatable teething troubles which most readers will be able to identify with.

It is a story driven by false prophecy, recklessness and the desire to right a wrong. Joinings: A Seared Sky by Stuart Aken is one of the most enjoyable fantasy novels that I have read in a long, long time. It is incredibly intriguing, gratifying, gripping and spellbinding.

###

There are buying links here on the blog, but, for your convenience, one click here will take you to your local Amazon page. And a click here will take you to the publisher's store, where UK readers can obtain the print book post free, and may even get a signed copy, if there are any of those left!

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Another 5 Star Review for Joinings.

5.0 out of 5 stars Religious Dystopia v Enlightenment, 7 Sep 2014

By 

Linda Acaster (Yorkshire, UK) - See all my reviews

Verified Purchase(What is this?)

This review is from: Joinings (A Seared Sky Book 1) (Kindle Edition)

Although this novel fits firmly into the Epic Fantasy subgenre, it would be an underestimation to view this first book as a mere quest story to right wrongs. It is an examination of dogma and believers of a religion, the Followers of Ytraa, physically split into three many generations before the opening of the trilogy. In ‘Joinings’ readers experience only two – those of the land of Muhnilahm ruled by a priesthood, and the land of Litkala ruled by a royal house. Yet for all their extolled differences and mutual mistrust they are reflections of the same, societies built on sex - publicly orchestrated and privately profligate - with emotional love, devotion and self-sacrifice funnelled only towards the fuelling of the dogma.

It is the ‘why?’ that I found fascinating. What had occurred in the far past to bring this about? Certainly the approaching Skyfire, with its lore of burning all unbelievers, is at its root. Had a group of survivors of a natural disaster instigated a method of rapid repopulation – at all costs? Certainly there are no old, or sick, or malformed, or merely ‘ugly’. Eugenics? There is mention on Muhnilahm of ‘The Point’, a desolate area where unfortunates are banished, or escape to rather than face a tortured death in the name of the religion. Yet within the society there are hardly any children to be seen or, for all the constant euphemistically-termed ‘frowking’, no pregnant women, and the Virgin Gifts, female despite the vaunted equality of the sexes, are exalted in the creed as an exchange of blood lines.

It is the quest to exchange Virgin Gifts – and to secure the release of one fraudulently chosen – that journeys the main groups of characters through lands of unbelievers and, because of these ongoing experiences, the tenets of their own religious dogma. Hypocrisy is emphasised early on as the fanatic Aglydron attempts to ‘free’ an exploited young woman by replacing her people’s indoctrination with his own without realising what he's doing.

Into this mix are dripped the personal stories, each with its own layered secrets: Tumalind, chosen falsely as a Virgin Gift who holds a striking likeness to the daughter of the High Priest; the high priest’s son and rebel leader, Aklon, an escapee on pain of death for refusing to embrace and promote the secrets of Ytraa when its history was revealed to him; Feldrark, son of the royal house, who professes undying love to gain the high priest's daughter, Jodisa, while hiding his true reasons. Some walk with veiled intellect, others with that veil gradually being stripped away by the experiences encountered. As the groups move into Book 2, and the mind-talkers manipulate and are manipulated, this layered tale promises much. Enjoy.

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Partings; A Seared Sky Now Available on Amazon

As promised, here's the link to take you direct to your local Amazon site, where you can buy a copy of , as an ebook.
Partings; A Seared Sky
This, as many of you will know, is the second book in the Fantasy Trilogy. You enjoyed Joinings, now you can enjoy Partings.
The third book, Convergence, is due for release before Xmas, so you can read the whole tale this year!

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How Was it for You?

Not the context you might expect. This was a question I was asked after attending my first fantasy and science fiction convention. FantastiCon 2014, held at the Mercure hotel in Hull, yesterday, was a fascinating, fabulous experience.

One thing that struck me almost at once was the generosity of those both attending and creating the convention. People gave of their time and money freely. The number of books purchased raised the spirits of this writer: so many eager to devour the fiction created by the writers in attendance. Very heart-warming.

There was a lot of friendly banter with humour very much in evidence. But there was a serious side too, with people asking intelligent questions and being given sensible answers. The variety of topics and events was also quite extraordinary.

Representatives of Dr Who were present, along with a working Dalek, and they answered questions, posed for pictures, gave out autographs and generally entertained.

As the convention was largely focussed on the game, ‘Elite: Dangerous’ and a series of novels produced in line with it, this was obviously a central part of the event. (See the companion post by Linda Acaster here) Much of the gaming activity was alien to me, as I’ve never played a computer game (I fear it would become addictive, and I have too many other things I really want to do with my limited time!). But the true gamers didn’t exclude or make non-gamers feel unwanted. They were welcoming and supportive. In much the same way, the community of writers was warm and friendly. The much-lauded Oculus rift was available for people to experience their virtual worlds.

R2D2 and Yoda, and a speedracer from Star Wars, were also there. Many attendees came in costumes taken from the worlds of science fiction and fantasy and Cosplay was there to judge and make awards for the best dressed.

I’d gone along to sign copies of my fantasy novel, Joinings, from A Seared Sky. Dan had organised a wonderful banner to bring attention to the book. Quite honestly, I attended with no expectation of selling any books at all, since fantasy was by no means the main focus of the convention, But I was delighted to sell 12 print copies, all of which I signed, and others bought digital copies as they stood and chatted with me. So, a very worthwhile time in that respect too. I’m hoping some of them will produce reviews once they’ve read the book. The second volume, Partings, was actually released on the day, as an ebook, with the paperback due to follow shortly.

Other writers also signed books and all of us were given the chance to sit before the audience and explain our books, writing, and answer questions from an intelligent and informed group of people. We did readings to illustrate our work and the whole experience was positive in every way.

The event was organised by my publisher, Dan Grubb of Fantastic BooksPublishing, and, as with everything he does, there was evidence of his enormous energy and generosity. He was warmly thanked at the end of the evening with a marvellous video that had us all laughing and had Dan, and his lovely wife, Gabi, dabbing at tears. They were rewarded materially as well: a much deserved show of appreciation.

The evening closed with an awards ceremony, in which I was given the award for ‘Best World Building’ for Joinings. Afterwards, a lengthy raffle prize session took place, with all the usual banter that accompanies such events. I won a tasty mug and a print from Elite Reclamation, signed by author Drew Wager. That was around midnight on a day when I’d driven the 25 miles to arrive at 08:30, so I was getting rather knackered. Some of us left at that point, but others stayed on in the hotel bar to cement relationships on a day that brought together many friends both established and new. I know I made a number of new friends and met a good many interesting people. But a day of activity that lasted 17 hours in total for me is now telling on this 66 year old body and mind, so forgive any lack of erudition in this piece, please! I intend to rest, once I’ve posted this piece. For more pictures, click this link.

I look forward to next year’s convention, which promises to be even better, with new sponsors and promises of returns from many who were present for this one. A new experience for me and one that proved far more fascinating and enjoyable than I’d expected. Thanks to all who attended and special thanks to those who bought my book!  

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