Guest: Jean Davis #NewRelease NOT ANOTHER BARD'S TALE #fantasy

 Today's guest is my good friend, Jean Davis, who taught me what she knows about selling books at craft and vendor shows. She also leads our local writers' group. Here's Jean to tell us about her new release.

Thanks for having me as a guest, Diane! 

I've been waiting to share Not Another Bard's Tale with readers since 2008 but never quite had the time to put the finishing touches on the story. It turns out, a pandemic that causes pretty much everything to be canceled for a year offers a writer a lot of unplanned 'free' time. I've been busy both writing new books and wrapping up mostly finished ones. Not Another Bard's Tale is the second of five books I plan to release this year.

Inspired by my teen-love for Monty Python's Holy Grail, and later enjoyment of John Moore's book Heroics for Beginner's, Not Another Bard's Tale leans heavily into the fantasy parody genre. This book is different from my others in that it's far more lighthearted and out to make you laugh. 

Bruce Gawain has been between knightly quests for longer than he’d like to admit. In the town of Holden, he meets a seer who tells him where he can finally find his destiny. All he has to do is travel to the distant Wall of Nok in Gambreland. With only three coins to his name, Bruce isn’t getting much further than a barstool at the town’s inn.

As luck would have it, the innkeeper’s beautiful daughter Svetlana and her flock of troublesome god-gifted sheep need an escort to Gambreland. With a paying job, everything seems to fall into place for Bruce’s quest… except for Svetlana’s killjoy bodyguard sister, an evil overlord with looming prophecy issues, and a dragon threatening to eat the townspeople until its stolen treasure is returned.

Bruce sets out with his pan-wielding companion Mydeara and the negligibly talented bard, Harold to seek out the Wall of Nok. Will they find Bruce’s destiny, return Svetlana safely home, and save the people of Holden from the vengeful dragon?

Available in Paperback on Amazon and Ebook: Amazon / Smashwords / B&N / Kobo / Scribd

Excerpt: 

Bruce glanced toward the docks where several ships were moored, their masts bobbing madly as a sudden rush of heavy wind buffeted the sea-side market. Horse-drawn carts raced by and shouting came from the next street over. He gripped the rough wood of the stall and squinted against the blowing dirt to read the poorly painted sign: Holden’s famous Herman! The great seer of the West!

A hunched man in a faded blue robe adorned with what may have been golden stars and moons bared his scant teeth. “I see an auspicious future for you, knight.” He held out an age-spotted hand. “But the details require payment.”

His past hadn’t been all too profitable and presently Bruce was in a state he preferred to call ‘between quests’. If a single coin could give him a push in a better direction it would be well spent. He dug into the coin purse he wore under his armor. He placed a chipped copper disc with a hole in the middle onto the seer’s palm. “That’s one of my last. You better tell me something worthwhile.”

“You listen to old Herman now, my visions always be true.”

People hurried past, glancing over their shoulders. “Get on with it then. The day’s almost done and I need to find the inn.”

Herman cleared his throat with a great hacking cough, followed by a hesitant wheeze and another cough, slightly less phlegm-filled than the last. “Show me your palm.”

Bruce held out his hand, wondering what the old man hoped to see in the fading light. He probably had his prophetic line of mysterious words already on his tongue; the palm was all for show. He scowled, already wishing he’d spent his coin on dinner or a pint of ale.

“All right then.” Herman traced the lines on his palm with thin, wrinkled fingers. “What you seek lies at the Wall of Nok. You must travel far and the way will not be easy.”

A shadow passed overhead, like a brief sampling of nightfall, but then it was gone. Something crashed at the other end of the marketplace. The ground shook. Screams filled the air.

What a load of dung. Bruce yanked his hand away. The evening air grew warm, almost unbearably so within his armor.

The shaking of the ground became more intense. The wooden stalls creaked. A host of people ran by. Shopkeepers watched them. Several abandoned their wares and joined the running crowd. Herman eyed the coin with determination as it bounced about on the quaking counter of the stall.

Bruce made a grab for his coin.

The surprisingly spry seer snatched it up. “When you reach the wall, you will find—”

A giant, green-scaled head atop a long neck lined with wicked black spikes loomed over the booth. Two great golden eyes surveyed Bruce and then locked on to the old man. The dragon’s jaws gaped open to reveal two wicked rows of teeth.

Bruce screamed like a little girl.

The dragon snatched up the seer and chewed with what appeared to be great satisfaction. It swallowed and then picked at one of his dagger-length teeth with a claw. The copper coin fell onto the counter.

The dragon’s rancid, hot breath blasted over Bruce. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the nearest lake is, do you? I always find mystics a bit dry.”

Bruce pointed to the far end of town with a shaking hand.

“Thank you.” The dragon flapped its wings, knocking flat the booth and all of those surrounding it, sending the goods flying in all directions.

As the dragon lifted into the sky Bruce’s reflexes finally kicked in. He drew his sword. Another rush of people, scattered in their efforts to pick a direction in which to flee, flooded through the decimated market.

A young man stopped, gazing up at the dragon and then following its line of ascent to Bruce and his sword. “You scared the dragon off! You saved us all!”

“I don’t know about...” Bruce glanced at the sword in his hand. If he meant to change his fortune, he was going to have to up his advertising game. “Yes. Yes, I did. Fearsome beast, but no match for a knight like me.”

“Behold, our savior!” the man called to all who passed by. 

Jean Davis lives in West Michigan with her musical husband, two attention-craving terriers, and a small flock of chickens and ducks. When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she plays in her flower garden, visits local breweries, and eats gluttonous amounts of sushi. She is the author of nine books, including a space opera series, The Narvan, two short story collections, and four standalone novels. You can find her at www.jeandavisauthor.com and on Facebook and Instagram @jeandavisauthor

Guest: JEAN DAVIS Dreams and Stars and Lies

My friend Jean Davis is here today, sharing her latest release. Take it away, Jean.


Today is the release of Dreams and Stars and Lies. This collection features five short science fiction stories. They are all unrelated but two take place in far-flung corners of the greater Narvan universe, though also not directly related to the series. 

I

Destiny Pills and Space Wizards, my first short story collection, features more lighthearted YA-friendly stories. With Dreams of Stars and Lies, I focus on deeper plots and longer stories more intended for an adult audience. 

Why short stories?

While I enjoy writing novels, short stories are a nice break from 90,000 word plots full of characters and broad-scale world-building. They offer an alternate medium for experimenting with new worlds, exploring offshoots of existing ones, and answering thought-provoking 'what if' questions in a different ways. 

What else do you write?

My novels all fall under speculative fiction, fantasy, science fiction, science fiction romance, and dystopian. All my books can be found on Amazon in both print and ebook. The Narvan series is also available in many other online stores.

Where did the stories for this book come from?

Devolution sprang from a one line prompt. It deals with a woman's desire to have a child in a world where she doesn't qualify to procreate. 

Legacy was also born from a one line prompt. I like prompts. They get my mind spinning to figure out how to take the suggestion in an unexpected direction. A grandmother's trip to see her newborn grandson has world-changing consequences. 

Battery came to me in preparation for a local writer's meeting when I needed to bring something to critique. Deadlines make for great inspiration. A young girl has the power to change the world. It's the recharging that is concerning.

Mrs. Gilroy was written from a title prompt years ago and languished on my hard drive until comments from a critique partner inspired the spark of life it had been missing. A husband's dream becomes his wife's nightmare.

Sipper came to me one day while I was in the midst of a month-long short story challenge. A job on a far-away world is the answer to all of Tia's prayers until people start to die and she has to figure out why or join them.

What are readers saying about Dreams of Stars and Lies? 

“Davis shows us a new frontier of space discovery, but there is no rover facing the space dust. We are the guinea pigs, and that adventure is not for the meek."  

- Stellla Telleria author of Across TheWire

”Jean Davis speculates on a future that seems all too believable. Her stories will entertain, and they will make you think. Don't look in Dreams of Stars and Lies for easy solutions.”

- Joan H. Young author of Accidentally Yours

$9.99 print / $1.99 ebook. Want it free? Review any of my other books on Amazon, let me know when your review has posted, and I'll send you a free ebook of Dreams of Stars and Lies.

Where can you get a copy?

Dreams of Stars and Lies can be found in both print and ebook on Amazon and in ebook through Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Kobo and more.

Jean Davis lives in West Michigan with her musical husband, two nerdy kids, and two attention-craving terriers. When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found devouring books and sushi, enjoying the offerings of local breweries, weeding her flower garden, or picking up hundreds of sticks while attempting to avoid the abundant snake population who also shares her yard. You can find her at www.jeandavisauthor.com and on Facebook and Instagram @jeandavisauthor

GUEST: Jean Davis and her #NewRelease TRUST #scifi

My guest today is Jean Davis, my cohort in book events. I've learned more from Jean about setting up book displays and finding occasions where I can offer my books for sale. I'm excited to share her new release. See my review at the bottom of the post. Here's Jean.

Thanks, Diane, for having me on your blog. I'm excited to share my new release, Trust. This is the first book in my new space opera series, The Narvan.

Vayen trains to fight a war that ends before he ever sees action. He's not very happy about it. His family lost their lives to Artor's war with Jal and he'd had his sights returning those loses. Instead, he's stuck in a going nowhere factory security job.

The reason for this peace is a human woman, one Anastassia Kazan, advisor to the Narvan System. Now, years later, she's offering him a job as her bodyguard. His training qualifies him for the duty and all the zeros in the paycheck will offer him the kind of future he'd only dreamt of. If he can gain her favor, he just might have some influence on the lives of his people and those of the damned Jalvians.

But why him?

Anastassia was engaged to his much older brother, the one who died fighting beside her in the war. That he happens to look just like. That she trusted to have her back.

Will she ever see Vayen or is he only the living ghost of his brother?


Excerpt:
She grabbed her glass and gripped it tight. “Killing me isn’t quite that simple. My contacts have their orders should I disappear.”

Her partners had turned on her. But she knew me. She knew my brother. “You have to know I’d never—”

“Save your breath. You all do it eventually.”

My heart dropped. Did she really think I was just another partner waiting to betray her?
A slight slur edged her words. “Quit with the sad face already and get me another drink. While you’re at it, get yourself another too. Enough with nursing that lukewarm thing.”

I found myself in true need of a drink to wash down her accusation.

When I returned to the table, her chair sat closer to mine.

“You need to relax more. Smile once in awhile. Go out and enjoy an off-shift with some friends,” she said.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I’d given up the few friends I had when I’d hired on. Training and learning all I could to help her filled my off-shift hours. The only person I had left to relax with was Merkief, which we did manage to do from time to time.

While I did sip more avidly at my second drink, I didn’t plan on having another in our current surroundings. “We should get back soon. Jey is already ticked that I took most of his shift.”

“In a while. You need a couple shots first.”

“Jey and I have enough issues without him catching me drunk with you.” Not to mention, getting drunk with my boss screamed bad idea.

Trust : The Narvan (Book 1)
Science Fiction / Space Opera
Released April 2019   •  Published by Caffeinated Press

War has torn Vayen Ta'set's homeworld apart. It took away his parents and then his brother, leaving him alone. He's spent his life training to join the fight, to do his part, to bring peace to Artor. But the war ends before he's able to join in, quietly brought about by a human, Anastassia Kazan. When she offers him a job as her bodyguard, he's sure he's finally found his place. He's wrong. She's not who he thought she was. The peace she brought to Artor, to his entire star system, comes with a cost. One he's now helping her pay. There are bigger enemies out in the known universe than he ever imagined. Without Kazan, deals and truces will crumble. War is just a death away. Neck deep in Kazan’s world of bribes, blackmail, and assassins, Vayen must eliminate the threats to his boss and his homeworld without becoming a target himself. It’s hard to make your mark on the universe if you’re dead.

Amazon  /  Amazon UK   /  Barnes & Noble  /  Kobo  / Direct from the publisher

Add it on Goodreads  

Jean Davis lives in West Michigan with her musical husband, two attention-craving terriers and a small flock of chickens. When not ruining fictional lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found devouring books and sushi, weeding her flower garden, or picking up hundreds of sticks while attempting to avoid her yard’s abundant snake population. Her focus is bringing strong, capable women to speculative fiction.

Follow her here: Blog / Amazon / Facebook



Diane's Review: 5 Stars

Trust. How much do we trust each other? Do we trust our lover/spouse unconditionally? What about our bosses? Their bosses?

Everybody has secrets, their own agenda. In Jean Davis’s new release, Vayen starts out rather naïve. People are who they say they are. Wrong. He learns the hard way that what people say isn’t always the truth. When Anastassia hires him as her bodyguard, she says it’s to keep the peace in Artor. But is it really? Is it the only reason? That’s where trust comes in.

Anastassia trusted the wrong person once. Now, he’s out to kill her. Can she trust Vayen to protect her?

Fantastic world building and complex characters make Ms. Davis’s story compelling. Just when you think you’ve figured out where the story is going, a twist surprises you. Get ready for an out-of-this-world adventure.

Meet Author Jean Davis

Jean Davis is the force behind the Holland (Michigan) Area Writers. I met her online a couple of  years ago then face-to-face when we did a signing (one she set up) during the Tulip Time Festival. What a dynamo!

Jean has a new release that I'm happy to share with you.

Blurb:

The General of the Unlata Kai has decreed that the time of her people is over. Jane’s race of god-like beings has caused enough chaos, leaving floundering hybrid races and war-ravaged planets throughout the universe. Kaldara, their home, is about to fulfill her wishes. When the planet goes, it will take her and the last of the Unlata Kai with it.

Logan Klevo sets out with the crew of the Maxim on a mission to warn the leaders of Kaldara of their imminent demise. Their announcement triggers a violent battle between gods. One of them holds knowledge that could restore the Maxim to its full strength. The possibility of a defense against the ruthless army of Matouk that destroyed Logan’s homeworld fills him with something he’s been missing, hope.

Abducting an angry and suicidal god might not be a wise choice, but if the god of war can learn to love they both might discover a future worth living for.

Excerpt:

Logan watched in horror as the king left the side of the queen and erupted into a towering being of light.

And then that’s all there was, heat and light. He shielded his face with his arms. Huddling against the wall, he blinked rapidly and waited for the ringing in his ears to subside while he got his bearings.

Beside him, Colonel Rice swore. “What the hell was that?”

Logan had no answers. He could only attest to witnessing the woman he’d seen when they’d entered the massive chamber cover herself in the same golden suit of armor they’d spoken with. Then she grew taller, brighter, glorious. Though his mind reeled with what he’d seen and he was only half certain this wasn’t another one of his nightmares, he hazarded a glance to where the king and queen had been.

The two beings of light exchanged blows of massive proportions. Bombs of energy exploded against their bodies. He couldn’t fathom how either remained standing.

“I’m pretty sure the queen exploded,” he said, knowing how absurd that sounded but having no other explanation.

Everyone else in the room had gone to their knees when the king had stood. The uniformed men that they had followed back here, now had their arms outstretched and their faces plastered to the floor.

While beings of light danced in his vision and bombs exploded against his eardrums, he achieved a single glimpse of clarity. Everyone who had been near the throne was blackened. Dead. Bile rose in this throat.

A thunderous clamor claimed his attention. He tore his gaze from the bodies to see the being of white light, what had been the king, sprawled among the remains of the thrones. He dimmed and then was nothing more than a battered and bloody man. His crown lay at the bottom of the stairs.

A shimmering sheet flowed from the General to hover over him and Rice. The ground beneath them rocked and the walls shook. The ceiling above began to crumble.

The colonel didn’t move. He found he couldn’t move either. He wasn’t easily scared, but he had no idea what was going on here and safety anywhere on this planet was questionable.

Without taking his eyes off the General, he said, “We’ve overstayed. The planet is going to go with us on it.”

“Maybe.” The colonel also stared at the giant golden glowing figure.

Debris thundered down on the sheet above them. A shield of some sort.

Logan prayed their ship wasn’t being crushed where they’d left it with the rest of their team inside. Then he wondered if he should hope that they’d left. He and Rice might not make it back. The shield didn’t look able to stretch that far. In fact, it didn’t even go as far as the archway.

A giant explosion struck the General. For a moment he was blinded again. Another blast of scorching air blew past them, though it seemed the shield protected them somewhat as the heat wasn’t near as intense as the first time.

“Holy shit,” muttered Rice.

The King was gone. Only a large scorch mark on the floor where his body had been. The General lay sprawled on steps, her feet just below the thrones. Her armor missing the golden glow and blackened. Blood dripped down the steps from the seam at her neck where her head was suspended over the edge of one of the stairs. She lay on her back as if she’d been blown over, unable to catch herself.

She was still moving. Slowly, but twitching enough to indicate she wasn’t as bad off as the rest.

“We’ve got to get out of here.”

“Agreed.” Yet, Rice crept forward instead of back the way they’d come.

Following behind, they checked the bodies of the others as they went. All of them had burnt to death. Pain on his own arms registered. He glanced down to find them blistered. Rice’s face and neck was red. He guessed his was too by the tightness that hit him now that the shock had worn off. His clothes were singed.

“Good thing we weren’t any closer,” Rice said, working his way toward the armored woman.

Logan rushed up the stairs. He knelt beside the General, who seemed to have returned to her original size. She weakly pushed him away but said nothing beyond a faint moan.

“Let me help you.”

She pushed at him again. He tugged on the helmet, trying to free her head so he could better assess the damage.

The voice that came from the blackened metal face was a ghost of the powerful voice that she’d used earlier, barely a whisper. “Leave me.”

He pushed her hand aside and felt up the back of the armor, searching for a lever or latch of any sort. There was nothing there but blood. He wiped his hands on his pants. “How do you get this thing off?”

 “You don’t.” Her voice grew slightly stronger. “Now go, I can’t hold the shield much longer.”

Rice crouched down beside them. “You’re coming with us.”

Author Bio:

Jean Davis lives in West Michigan. When not ruining lives from the comfort of her writing chair, she can be found playing in her garden, enjoying a glass of wine, or lost a good book. Her novels include The Last God, Sahmara, and A Broken Race. Her short fiction has appeared in Theian Journal, Bards and Sages Quarterly, Acidic Fiction, Tales of The Talisman, The First Line, Allegory, Isotropic Fiction, Liquid Imagination, Brewed Awakenings II Anthology, and The 3288 Review.

Follow her writing adventures at www.jeanddavis.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeandavisauthor

Blog: http://jeanddavis.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1675460.Jean_Davis

Special offer

In celebration of the release of The Last God, Jean is offering her fantasy novel, Sahmara for .99 for a limited time.

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