Book Tour Stop/Giveaway: SOULSLAYERS by Colin Sephton

 

Discover the world of author Colin Sephton with his new book, SOULSLAYERS, The Chronicles of the Charon series. Make sure to check out the tour wide giveaway as the author is  awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. The tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions and make sure to check out all the tour stops HERE as the more you comment on the tour posts, the better you have in chance to win the giveaway. 

Interview with Colin Sephton

Tell us about your latest book, who are the main characters and what we can expect when we pick it up.

My latest book is Soulslayers, the final book of a trilogy – The Chronicles of the Charon. It follows on from the previous books, Timeslayers and Shadowslayers. It follows Ignatius and Indigo who are secret agents for an organisation called the Union Jacks. Their role is to help protect the British Empire. Along the way they encounter the Charon, seven deadly, merciless immortals, demons from limbo.

Encountering such beings and being involved in cosmic quests takes its toll on the two protagonists. They find themselves struggling mentally to come to terms with the complex nature of the cosmos and their newfound supernatural powers obtained through their prior encounters. They are sent on an adventure in search of the Flaming Celestial Pearl. In doing so, they must travel to Tibet in an airship. Pursued by fanatical knights sworn to protect the relic, they must reluctantly call upon the Charon, once more and defend themselves from air pirates, mountain beasts and elementals. Discovering the correct path through the mountains, Indigo realises her soul may never be the same again!

 

Taking the story from a concept to a published book is a long and involved process. How does that usually work for you?

It usually takes me about one full year. I will start with an idea and make a few notes, old style with pencil and notebook. These can be anything from just one word, a name I like or whole pages of text. This will then inform me of the research I may need to do around a particular subject. My novels are a blend of fantasy, steampunk, esoteric knowledge, philosophy (metaphysics) and the latest theories from the world of quantum physics. I like to try and weave all of this together. Basically, they are all my interests. I am usually working on a book all the time, thinking, looking for new ideas, no matter where I go. I will then start to use all of this to write whole chapters in a notebook. I can carry this around with me, taking notes when I get inspiration.

I then transfer this to Word using my laptop and develop ideas further. If it is complex I will create a spreadsheet in Excel. I can then see all the links throughout a long plot and can move things around and add in to improve them. Sometimes I have a scene in my head without any idea of where I can use it, so I get it written, then it takes some planning to be able to use it.

After that I mostly work on an iPad. It gives me the flexibility to be able to work anywhere – coffee shops, hotel rooms, even the beach. It’s so small to carry around with me. Then I will do the final edit and move around whole chapters on my laptop. I find that process difficult on an iPad.

 

Which of your books would you recommend for readers to choose first if they’re new to you and your books?

As it is a Trilogy, you need to start at the beginning with Timeslayers. I think each book makes sense on its own, but really you start at the beginning.

 

We are very curious about your writing process.  What is a typical writing day like for you?

I wouldn’t say I have a typical day. Every day is different. But as long as I have my notebook, iPad or laptop with me I can write anywhere, whenever and often do. It’s whenever the mood takes me, or I have a flash of inspiration. But I am also always reading and researching topics I find intriguing that may or may not find their way into my writing.

 

What trope have you not written yet but want to?

I don’t have anything that is a burning desire to write about, but I do have an idea in the back of my mind about an archaeological find. I think this may find its way into my writing at some time in the future. But I’m not saying anything more.

 

How do you approach character development in your stories? Do you have any specific techniques or methods that you find particularly effective?

I am an artist, so often I develop a character in my mind through my artwork. You can see some of my artwork on my website (sephtonart.com) When I was younger, I didn’t want to keep portraying other people’s characters or superheroes. That’s how I learned to draw, but I wanted my own characters. So many of those that appear in my books started life in a sketchpad decades ago! I found this made it easier to describe them for my novels. But that’s not always the case.

 

What do you believe sets your writing apart from others in your genre, and why should readers choose to read your books?

I believe my books are different as I don’t think they fit neatly into a specific genre. Yes, they are fantasy, but that’s a whole range of things. I think I have something for everyone – fantasy, darkness, the supernatural, ancient knowledge and a slow burn romance that may not be a romance at all! It could just be that because these two protagonists are the only ones to experience these events, they have been thrown together, rather than truly love each other!

Overall, my books mix myth, science, and human struggle into a single tale that can feel both ancient and modern.

 

Can you discuss any upcoming projects or books that you're currently working on? What can readers expect from your future works?

I am currently working on a series of short stories. They involve the same two characters, Ignatius and Indigo, but they take place before, during and after the trilogy. The stories have allowed me to develop the two characters and their back story more. I enjoy the short story format as it means I can write about more topics that didn’t find their way into my main trilogy.

 

SOULSLAYERS

By Colin Sephton

Steampunk Fantasy

Ignatius and Indigo find themselves struggling mentally to come to terms with the complex nature of the cosmos and their newfound supernatural powers obtained through their prior encounters with gods and demons. In their quest for another relic from the Creation, they are aided by the secretive thirteenth Chapter of the Union Jacks. In search of the secret of the Flaming Celestial Pearl, they must travel to Tibet in the great airship, HM Spirit of the Empire.

 

Pursued by fanatical knights sworn to protect the relic, they must reluctantly call upon the Charon, the seven merciless demons from the underworld to assist them. Piecing together the map that will lead them to a fabled city hidden deep within the Himalayas, they must defend themselves from air pirates, a previous foe from Oxford, mountain beasts and elementals.

 

Discovering the correct path through the mountains, Indigo realises her soul may never be the same again. Regardless, they enter the Great Void where using the Sword of Wisdom, they discover the truth about the cosmos.

 

 Excerpt Two:

 

An icy chill ran down her spine. She took hold of the sword and her whole being was filled with a warmth like she had never felt before. Her arms tingled and she grew lightheaded as a myriad of stories and knowledge began to run through her mind. She thought her head would explode; she couldn’t keep up. The Sword of Wisdom had chosen to divulge the knowledge it had absorbed from Manjushri, knowledge that originated from the Librarian’s bookcases beneath the Administorium in Oxford. Ignatius stood by, not knowing what was happening.

 

Indigo began to glow with an aura that constantly changed colour at lightning speed. Indigo began to cry, then laugh, then sob again, then horror showed on her face, then she laughed again. She could feel her heart racing, pounding in her chest and she thought it would give way. Tears continued to flow and eventually she fell to the floor, exhausted but strangely invigorated. Composing herself, she looked at Atman then Adonai with contempt.

 

“I hate you both! You need to see to it that I don’t send you back to Limbo permanently, given my powers here seem to outweigh yours.”

 

Darshan, who was always the gentlest towards Ignatius and Indigo, placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Indigo grabbed it and threw her aside with remarkable strength.

 

“Leave me be, you demon whore! After this, whatever this quest is all about, I want nothing to do with any of you, even if that means through my own demise.”

 

She looked around, finding Ignatius to see if he took that to mean him also, although even she wasn’t sure if it did.

 

Enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links: 

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta. 

Connect with Colin on Instagram at @timeslayers or @sephtonart

Find Colin’s website here: colinsephton.com