Tell us about your latest book, who is
the main character(s) and what can we expect when we pick it up?
Koth’s people live apart from most of the rest of the world, in a remote
village, and some like him have developed powers that seem to appear randomly.
Koth has some skill with healing, able to fix wounds by touch, but he’s dwarfed
compared to other healers, such as his aunt, but in general he’s well-received and
more than a little frustrated at his lot in life. He prefers hunting to
healing.
Two
strangers arrive just after the birth of another promised healer, but when they
find the boy didn’t survive, attempt to kidnap one of the village’s women. This
leads to Koth being badly injured and the death of his brother, and he sets out
to find the men responsible and kill them, but also figure out what they are
and why they came for the infant.
Koth
begins to realize that his people’s powers weren’t meant for them to hide away,
but something happened within the last few centuries, and his people are very
few in number, so they’re basically in hiding while a shadow is growing in the
world. He’s sort of taken aback at his own people’s cowardice, it never occurs
to him that most of the young people have no idea what’s going on or the danger
they’re in, because the mages did find them, but for the most part the mages
too are playing a game of shadows. The world is slowly rebuilding from a
cataclysmic event, and the people who tend to seize power in the world have
zero problem enslaving people like Koth so they have a tactical advantage over
their enemies.
Then
there’s the deal with the mages. The first real coven Koth and Una discovers
are about trying to be the power behind the throne, manipulating events because
they think that they can lead a rising empire into a new golden age.
Koth
doesn’t give two craps about who’s got a crown on their head. He wants a
certain man dead and he’s stubborn enough to walk across the continent to find
him.
Unfortunately
for Koth, he’s got some supernatural advantages but he’s a small fish swimming
out to a big world.
Give us an out of context quote from your book to warm our hearts:
Aytheon appeared eventually. He smelled of fresh bread and meat. “My
mother says you’ll teach me everything you know,” he spoke sourly. “I shouldn’t
be here long.”
Who are some authors that you look for inspiration?
I think the three most developmental authors for me
were Edgar Rice Burroughs, George Orwell, and C.S. Lewis. There’s plenty more
that have developed my writing and made me really have to think.
I grew up reading Edgar Rice Burroughs novels as
well as my dad’s old comic books that definitely had their flair. These were
often formulaic, but you knew you were in for an adventure.
I read Animal
Farm when I was much to young to understand it (as it was meant to be
understood, anyway) but I read a lot of modernist writers in University, and I
read an absolute ton of George Orwell for my undergraduate work, mostly his
non-fiction. I noticed a huge jump in my writing quality when I started to
follow his advice, although I was also taking a course on stylistics and really
paying attention to word choice and syntax around the same time.
CS Lewis most people think Narnia, but I think about
his religious commentary as well as his other lesser known novels. Til We Have Faces is my favorite novel.
Fire down below! What’s the first object you save?
I might be the person rushing in. I’m cross-trained
in firefighting unless I’m doing my day job in the ambulance.
And the answer is people, or your pet.
Once the people are secure, I am probably fleeing
with my laptop or a memory stick. I’d hate to have to rewrite my body of work.
Advice for newly sparking writers in three sentences or less:
Never ever ever give up.
And I swear Microsoft Word has little gremlins that
change words… and not the ones you expect either. I once had a blacksmith raise
his hummer.
Which of your characters would you want to share a campfire with, and
why?
Una. She’s a very powerful healer and Koth’s mentor,
and not as good and noble as she first comes across, essentially training him
to do what she can’t. I started to delve into her backstory in the second book,
Magus’ Gambit, but ultimately it had
to be cut for book length. I’ll likely finish it as a novella one of these
years.
Tell us about what you are reading at the moment or anticipate reading in
the future? Any new books you are looking forward to?
I am really looking forward to the Jade Legacy trilogy by Fonda Lee.
I’m excited to do events again and seeing some of my
fellow Manitoban writers, and seeing what they’ve accomplished. I’ve been busy
and never stopped working or worked from home, but I’m sure most people have
had time to do more creative work, so I’m hoping that when I do see people I
haven’t seen in a while at events, that I get to at least hear about what
they’ve been working on.
Can you briefly describe your writing process for us?
I’m a Plantser – so I plot and write by the seat of my pants. I usually
start out with an idea and then form a lose framework, knowing that I can
deviate. The first draft is telling myself the story.
I have a beta reader, R.J. Hore (also a Champagne Books Author) but is
name is Ron. Usually he reads it, mostly he focuses on story issues or things
he does and doesn’t like. I take it with a grain of salt, because he likes most
of my stuff, but he didn’t care much for the books I’ve written for my nieces,
who are quite young readers, whereas he’s in his 80’s and retired. We don’t
worry too much about getting sentences perfect in this round. I complain he
uses the crows or certain phrases too much, he tells me whether or not I’m
being historically accurate.
My general rule is after he’s done, is to let the story sit for at least
a month, preferably three before I go back and start doing ‘hard edits’ based
on what Ron tells me (and I’ll be honest I do read his comments and try to fix
the manuscript while it’s still a work in progress). I don’t do exactly what he
says, but use the feedback to try to fix the story. Hard edits I do on paper,
and my general rule is I want to cut out about 10% of the manuscript, but add
in description. I tend to gloss over that, but I’m not usually focusing on
visuals in my books.
After that, I like to go through it at least twice. Now, if I was sending
this to a slush pile, it would end there, with anticipation that it probably
needs another two rounds for the main manuscript, but because it can take more
than two years for a rejection, I’m not worried about getting caught with my
pants down. Because Champagne Books will ask for all of a manuscript, I will
likely want it to be more polished.
I generally like to take a break and do things that inspire me between
polishing. As for how long it takes – that depends on how I feel about the book
in general. I’m not above being edited but I want the editor to feel like they
don’t have to do much.
What is
next on your writerly horizon?
I would like to turn Witchslayer’s
Scion into a series. The next two books are written. I’d like to make it at
least five books, I think I’d like to polish off and send one of my two science
fiction novels sitting down.
I’m also continuing to dabble in self-publishing, so expect more of that.
My goal was to do both once I bought a house, and I now have a lovely house.
Please share your links for
readers to check out your books, social medias, etc. as well.
Champagne Books
Witchslayer’s Scion
https://champagnebooks.com/store/fantasy/843-witchslayer-s-scion-9781771552707.html
Dreams of Mariposa
https://champagnebooks.com/store/horror/790-dreams-of-mariposa-9781927454220.html
Tower of Obsidian
https://champagnebooks.com/store/fantasy/374-tower-of-obsidian-ebook-9781927454770.html
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479207.L_T_Getty
My Blog:
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.ca/leiagetty/_saved/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/leia.getty/
Witchslayer's Scion
by L.T. Getty
GENRE: Sword and Sorcery/Fantasy
BLURB:
Buy links:
Champagne
Books: https://champagnebooks.com/store/fantasy/843-witchslayer-s-scion-9781771552707.html
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/witchslayers-scion-l-t-getty/1139633382?ean=2940165401237
Amazon
(American): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B096LXWJM6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Amazon
(Canadian): https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B096LXWJM6/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1
Kobo:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/witchslayer-s-scion
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58269585-witchslayer-s-scion
Excerpt One:
“Something’s wrong,” Una said. “Koth, wait here.”
“Why?” If there was a problem, she should be waiting outside
for him.
He sensed inside, his aunt’s thoughts remained hidden from
him. Una shouted, and he ran inside the building. He thought there were lights
on inside, but he saw no candles.
The tea house was very dark, and he felt a sudden dread—he
wanted to leave. Baro barked from the outside. ~Una!~ he thought, before something hit his neck.
He knew at once it was a poison dart, and ripping it out he
tried to smell what it was. Seeing metal reflect moonlight and he moved his
hand, his skin cut. Moving instinctively out of the way, his next reaction was
to purge the toxin that coursed through his body and tried to understand the
wound. It was mostly his forearm, deep but he could still use it, the bone
unaffected. He’d do a better healing later. He focused on something not unlike
a burn before going for the knife at his hip. Striking 85 in the next liquid
motion, Koth realized he was attacking his aunt.
She grabbed onto his injured flesh and seared it,
destroying, weakening the sinew and the cartilage and causing it to age and
die, following up the bloodstream, to find the heart and kill. Koth tried to
brace; he couldn’t heal and keep her at bay. He was physically stronger and much
heavier, but she was weakening his muscles. He tried to wrench the knife from
her.
He knocked the blade to the ground then tried to lock minds
with her to find nothing short of blinding pain take him over, wrestling him to
the ground and making him drop his knife. She took the dagger and when he tried
to force himself up, a familiar sense washed over him. Magic, but not coming
from Una.
“Do not kill him yet,” Yeshbel said, “we will bleed him
first.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
L.T.
Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction
and fantasy and generally being creative.
Author
Links:
My
Blog: https://ltgetty.ca/
4 comments:
I like the blurb and cover.
I enjoyed the talk and the excerpt, L.T., your book sounds like a thrilling and exciting read for me to enjoy! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a splendid day!
This sounds like an interesting book and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Witchslayer's Scion sounds like an awesome read and I am looking forward to it. Thank you for sharing the author's bio and the book details
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