Check out this intriguing series, Blood of Azure, from author Jonathan J. Michael and make sure to enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon/BN gift card from the author. This tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and you can find all the tour stops HERE.
Now let's chat with author Jonathan J. Michael
What is something you’ve lied about?
I’ve lied about picking my nose and eating it. When I was a
child, of course. And I will say, if you claim you don’t know the salty flavor
of boogers and snot, I might just call you a liar.
Who is the last person you hugged?
The last person I hugged… My wife. Oh wait, maybe my dog. I
know it wasn’t my children. They don’t hug anymore.
What are you reading now?
I’m currently reading Shadow of the Legion by K.R.
Cunningham. It’s book two in the Starborn series. It’s an epic fantasy that
follows Owen Greene, a gentle soul, as he is hunted by the Legion because they
have reason to believe he wields the power of the Starborn. The prose is
amazing. And there’s a subtle bromance going on between a couple characters. I was
lucky enough to receive an advanced review copy from the author. I highly
recommend the series.
How do you come up with the titles to your books?
I don’t have a process to come up with titles. This will
highly vary depending on the project.
For my current series, the seasons are engrained into the story
as part of the magic, and each book takes place in a specific season, so I
decided to start all books with Season of… From there I thought about
what life endures as it goes through each season. And I’m thinking about this
from a flora perspective mostly, as that is where the seasons are recognized.
The first book takes place in Summer. Life sacrifices fruits
and nectar in summer to ensure its survival. And so do my characters. Thus, I
decided on Season of Sacrifice. Then, I had the thought to stick with S.O.S.
for all titles. Not to be correlated with the Morse code distress signal, but
just for some fluidity and consistency in the titles.
The second book takes place in Autumn. And what does life do
in Autumn, it drops it’s leaves. It decays. In a way, this is also sacrifice,
but I felt that suffering was a better fit. The trees appear as though they’re
dying a sweet death. The annuals begin to wilt as the temperatures drop. It’s
as though they’re suffering through their last days and trying to make the best
of it. Thus, I decided on Season of Suffering. And the characters too, endure
much hardship in book two.
For book three, I thought about winter and its dormancy.
Everything goes to sleep. But it’s not death. It’s not life. It is merely a
state of recovery to thrive in the seasons to come. It is a time for salvation.
Thus, I decided on Season of Salvation.
It wasn’t until I had decided on the titles that I realized
how theological they sound. This wasn’t intentional, but I do have a strong
aspect of faith with one of the characters. This series focuses on balance
between science and faith, good and evil, action and consequence. So, it kind
of works out that the titles have somewhat of a theological representation.
I would also like to add, do not confuse my series with Christian
fantasy. It is far from that.
Share your dream cast for your book.
Tom Holland – Stone McLarin
Chloe Grace Moretz – Jaymes McLarin
Natalie Dormer – Astor Greyheart
Ryan Reynolds – Goose Greyson
Peter Mensah – Harris Martelli
Gal Gadot – Ellia Rosewood
Dwayne Johnson – Mycal Stormwood
Marton Csokas – Carib Reign
Mitchell Hope – Elder Alderock
Bill Murray – Chief Graytu
Blood of Azure Series
by Jonathan J. Michael
GENRE: Epic Fantasy
BLURBS:
Four races with powers
dictated by the seasons seek balance and prosperity. However, life instinctively
primes itself for survival, and when one race commands the touch of death, all
others fall in line. Tyranny plagues Azure as an immortal ruler governs the
knowledge of the seasons and those wielding its power.
Four young
protagonists, Stone, Jaymes, Goose, and Astor, each navigate their way to
escape his shadow and reclaim their freedom. Simple ambitions for young souls.
But little did they know, they would uncover the secrets the realm is built
upon, and the unique talents they each carry. Their ignorance allows the knowledge
of the seasons to escape into the world around them little by little, and with
it, a power loosing anarchy upon the realm. A power most aren’t worthy of
wielding. It is up to Stone and his companions to tame that power and reclaim
the balance.
Four seasons to balance
the land. Four sages to balance the life.
BLURB: SEASON OF
SACRIFICE, BOOK 1
Courage is for the
bold. It is not for Stone McLarin. He’s been in hiding for four seasons after
being orphaned by the Taoiseach. He doesn’t care for the heroic antics of
avenging his parent’s death or securing his freedom. He only desires one
thing—to protect his sister’s life.
This proves challenging
when his sister, Jaymes, possesses a rivaling power of decay to that of the
tyrant ruler’s. She’s a threat to his dominance, and there will be no escaping
his shadow.
When the Taoiseach
manipulates his way into Jaymes’s life and steals her away, Stone has no choice
but to follow. He must venture into the heart of the tyrant’s domain and figure
out how to penetrate the impenetrable. And if he succeeds there, he will have
to slay the most powerful man in Azure.
In a world ruled by
decay, what chance does life stand?
Season of Sacrifice is
part one of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy full of grim encounters,
heroic adventures, unique magic, and a captivating world to explore.
Author’s Note: Contains
explicit language and some graphic descriptions.
BLURB: SEASON OF
SUFFERING, BOOK 2
A villain in his own
mind, Stone McLarin is labeled the hero for murdering a man.
Not only is Stone
weighted down as a hero, but he’s idolized by the dominant religion, and he’s
the sole protector of the knowledge of the ages. The pressure of the entire
realm is on his shoulders.
Carib Reign, a
shapeshifter building an army of immortals, plans to purge the Crimson Capital
to find this hidden knowledge. His motive, to give the people of Azure the
freedom they deserve.
With many adventures
along the way, Stone will lead the charge to defend the Crimson Capital against
the Immortal Army. Should he fail, anarchy is inevitable. Death for all Azure,
a possibility.
Where there is life,
death anticipates. But what if death is abandoned? Life will rebel.
Season of Suffering is
part two of the Blood of Azure series—an epic fantasy with both light and dark
hearts. You’ll experience many fantasy tropes, clashing swords, unique magic,
fantastical beasts, and a wide range of Azure’s scenic terrain.
Author’s Note: Contains
explicit language and some graphic descriptions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Two:
EXCERPT II: SEASON OF SACRIFICE - JAYMES
I rush back to Ellia and Persia, bracing myself for another
duel.
Ellia sits propped up against Persia. The last of the wolves
are toppled over her. One with its lower jaw removed from its skull and another
with her claymore protruding from its spine. She looks up at me with a cold,
empty stare.
“You’re alive,” she mumbles.
I help her remove the dead weight and pull her to her feet.
She’s missing a chunk of sinew on her thigh. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able
to stand.
Then, I remember the damage done to my own body. I look down
to see I’m covered in blood. Much of it my own. My calf has a small bite, and
my lacerations have reopened. The pain drops on me like an anvil as my berserk
emotions fade. Exhaustion swathes over me, and my body gives out.
Ellia, on the other hand, not only remains standing but
walks with a half-eaten thigh. She pulls a small jar from a pouch at her waist
and rubs the contents onto her wound. She does the same for my wounds.
“Persia is worse off than us,” she comments.
I can’t help but admire her courage and strength. I’ve never
met a woman I’ve aspired to be.
BUY LINKS
Season of
Sacrifice – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1XV54W
Season of
Suffering – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NSM62N8
GIVEAWAY
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jonathan J
Michael was born and raised in the greater Seattle area in the scenic state of
Washington. Jonathan is an advocate of science, nature, and exploration, which
has a heavy influence in his debut series, Blood of Azure.
When I drive
down the freeway, I often want to veer onto the backroads and head for the
mountains. When I'm at an evening gathering, I'm eager to step outside and gaze
at the stars. When I'm on a ferry, I'm at the guardrail staring into the depths
wondering what kind of leviathans lurk below. I'm an explorer, and since I'm
not on the next Crew Dragon headed for the ISS, fantasy novels let me have what
I seek. I write to explore a world of wonder.
~ Jonathan
SOCIAL LINKS
Website:
https://jonathanjmichael.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.j.michael.author
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_j_michael/
6 comments:
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you for hosting. Much appreciated.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing your Q&A and books' details, I enjoyed reading this post as the questions asked were a little different than what I normally see and I loved your dream cast
Looks like a very interesting book.
How do you come up with your book titles?
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