Rogue's Angels Present: Harbingers by Ellis Morning

Please welcome Ellis Morning author of Harbinger.

Ellis Morning will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Harbingers

by Ellis Morning

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GENRE:   Science Fiction/Fantasy

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INTERVIEW:

1. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

That I’m so appreciative of your patronage, the comments you send me, and the reviews you leave. Sharing your creative work with the world is always a nerve-racking prospect. You make it worthwhile, so thank you! :)

2. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I hope to keep focusing on novels. The third book of Sword and Starship, a sequel to Harbingers, is in the works right now. I’m hoping to finish the S&S series before starting anything else, but occasionally, I take breaks to write short stories. You can receive a collection of my short stories for free by signing up to my mailing list! The link for that is here: http://eepurl.com/K7D1L

I’ll continue writing and editing for The Daily WTF (http://www.thedailywtf.com/), a website featuring IT-related jokes and horror stories. I also update my blog as the mood strikes: http://www.ellismorning.com/blog

3. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

The main character, of course! As a knight errant, Dame Jessamine has the most freedom of anyone she meets. She can travel the galaxy and accept or refuse quests as she sees fit—at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Jess is also big on helping people, and I have a similar altruistic streak.

4. Can you give us a sneak peak into this book?

Sure! Here’s an excerpt from early on, when the characters notice a strange phenomenon over the Baron’s estate. Magic doesn’t actually exist in this world, but most people, like Pontus, believe it does. Jess and Ingvar, on the other hand, don’t believe in magic or superstition. They’re thinking the phenomenon stems from a more earthly source.

            Outside the barracks, Ingvar, Pontus, and I stared out into the starry night. Colorful flashes pierced a single point in the sky at irregular intervals—some strong, others flickering. Some were as short-lived as fireflies, easy to miss if one weren’t looking directly at them. Most were green and orange, with the occasional burst of red.

            I held my breath while puzzling over the matter. Stellar phenomenon, meteor shower? No, it seemed much closer than that. Explosives? But silence reigned in their wake. Ingvar and I had found the Naustviks’ house full of Shipbuilder holograms and lighting devices. Could this be more of the same, wielded by adepts or others with adequate knowledge? But usually, such objects and knowledge were rare.

            There was a more mundane possibility: fireworks. Metal salts like calcium chloride, ground into a powder and introduced to fire, burned up in a dramatic display of color. My mentors at the Enduring Flame Beguinage had introduced me to tricks like that, specifically labeling them tricks. Adepts performed such stunts, too, but called them “magic.”

            At my side, Ingvar frowned. “They seem to hover right over the capital buildings.” He referred to the three Shipbuilder structures at the core of Nidaros’ capital: the Baron’s estate, the adepts’ keep, and the storehouse.

“Unseen. Never thought …” Pontus trailed off nervously. He stood ahead of us, his reaction invisible.

            “Pontus?” Ingvar prompted. “Is there something I don’t know about?”

            The lieutenant faced us, fists clenched at his sides. The right one slowly ground his wishing beads into dust. “Last week, the boys on night watch whispered about a vision like this. They convinced the next night’s shift to be on the lookout, but it never repeated itself. Forgot about it until now.”

            “Wherefore didn’t anyone tell me?” Ingvar asked.

            “We know not to bring you a ghost tale unless we have the ghost on a leash, sir.” Pontus tossed his head over his shoulder. “Is that close enough?”

            Ingvar scowled toward the flashing lights again, saying nothing.

5. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I brought a hard sci-fi short story to a writing group for critique. The leader of the group wrote “Excellent – get it published” on top of his copy. So I set out to do just that! Eventually, I did get it published traditionally in Analog Science Fiction and Fact. (You can read it for free here: http://ellismorning.com/inperpetuity.html)

That success encouraged me to keep going with my novel(s) in progress. After doing research on publishing, I decided to publish those novels independently. Once they’re ready for prime time, that’s exactly what I do. Along the way, I’ve gotten plenty of support from my husband and fans of my earlier work.

6. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

Best: Discipline over motivation. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike, sit your butt down regularly and write whether you feel like it or not. It’ll work out better than you think.

Worst: Don’t make writing your full-time job, you’ll start to hate it. Well, it’s 3 years later and I don’t regret the transition one bit! :)

7. How do you maintain your creativity?

Time away from the computer, taking breaks to walk or play, can be helpful. I also like to rack up new experiences so I’ll always have fresh material to draw from. This can be difficult sometimes, as my anxiety doesn’t always cooperate with my intentions, but I keep trying to push out of my comfort zone!

8. Who is your favorite character in the book. Can you tell us why?

It’s hard to say! I have trouble writing any character if there isn’t at least one thing I like about them, so I make sure all my characters have redeeming qualities. Even Master Ormyr, Jess’ main obstacle to success, is just trying to save his people the way he thinks best. (And hey, if he gets rewarded for it, he’s not one to complain.)

9. Are your plotting bunnies angels or demons?

As I get older and crankier, I lean more toward demons. But hear me out! Demons test your heroes’ mettle, making them have to dig deep to overcome tough problems. Their struggle and triumph makes the “angel” parts much sweeter.

10. Anything else you might want to add?

If you haven’t read the first book of Sword and Starship, Blood’s Force, you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015TUD5BG You’ll still understand Harbingers if you don’t read it, but starting from the beginning helps!

BLURB:

The Quest Continues To Stop A Killer "Curse!"

Dame Jessamine is a knight errant with a spaceship for a steed, a woman of science in a galaxy rife with superstition. Follow along as she continues her mission for truth within the barony of Nidaros!

A mysterious crop-withering blight spreads through the barony's soil. The court magicians have blamed two siblings of spawning the crisis through witchcraft. Convinced of their innocence, Jessamine has rescued and now secretly harbors Verahl Naustvik aboard her spaceship. Meanwhile, his sister Thordia flees to the Harbinger, a crashed space station from the distant and more enlightened past.

Approaching the Harbinger is an act punishable by death, but Jessamine won't let that stand in the way of a second rescue. Thordia, and the Harbinger's surviving technological secrets, may be Nidaros' only hope against the blight. Jessamine prepares to embark—only to be betrayed and set upon by vengeful court magicians.

Now, one wrong word or gesture will lead to deadly charges of witchcraft. Jessamine must protect the Naustviks and brave the Harbinger, all while striking a balance between ritual and reason. If she can't maintain the peace long enough to discover a cure for the blight, the entire barony will starve—unless its far-off masters decide to "restore order" with military action first!

Harbingers is Book Two of the Sword and Starship series of science fiction/fantasy adventure.

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EXCERPT:

Outside the barracks, Ingvar, Pontus, and I stared out into the starry night. Colorful flashes pierced a single point in the sky at irregular intervals—some strong, others flickering. Some were as short-lived as fireflies, easy to miss if one weren’t looking directly at them. Most were green and orange, with the occasional burst of red.

I held my breath while puzzling over the matter. Stellar phenomenon, meteor shower? No, it seemed much closer than that. Explosives? But silence reigned in their wake. Ingvar and I had found the Naustviks’ house full of Shipbuilder holograms and lighting devices. Could this be more of the same, wielded by adepts or others with adequate knowledge? But usually, such objects and knowledge were rare.

There was a more mundane possibility: fireworks. Metal salts like calcium chloride, ground into a powder and introduced to fire, burned up in a dramatic display of color. My mentors at the Enduring Flame Beguinage had introduced me to tricks like that, specifically labeling them tricks. Adepts performed such stunts, too, but called them “magic.”

At my side, Ingvar frowned. “They seem to hover right over the capital buildings.” He referred to the three Shipbuilder structures at the core of Nidaros’ capital: the Baron’s estate, the adepts’ keep, and the storehouse.

“Unseen. Never thought …” Pontus trailed off nervously. He stood ahead of us, his reaction invisible.

“Pontus?” Ingvar prompted. “Is there something I don’t know about?”

The lieutenant faced us, fists clenched at his sides. The right one slowly ground his wishing beads into dust. “Last week, the boys on night watch whispered about a vision like this. They convinced the next night’s shift to be on the lookout, but it never repeated itself. Forgot about it until now.”

“Wherefore didn’t anyone tell me?” Ingvar asked.

“We know not to bring you a ghost tale unless we have the ghost on a leash, sir.” Pontus tossed his head over his shoulder. “Is that close enough?”

Ingvar scowled toward the flashing lights again, saying nothing.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ellis has always loved staging adventures in her head before going to sleep each night. When she was twelve, she started putting these adventures on paper.

For the next twenty years, she wrote with varying degrees of seriousness, but always as a hobby. In that time, she fell in love with Mark Twain and Kurt Vonnegut, the original Star Trek series, and Mystery Science Theater 3000. Science fiction became her favorite domain to work in, but she also enjoyed reading fantasy, horror, Western, and detective stories, and incorporating their elements into her work. One of her favorite things to do was make people laugh.

Ellis denied being a writer for decades. But then she sold articles to The Daily WTF, and a short story to Analog Science Fiction and Fact. After quitting her full-time job to finish her first novel, it was time to own up to writing as her calling. She's currently an editor at The Daily WTF, and having the time of her life penning novels and short stories.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Google+: https://plus.google.com/+EllisMorning

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/EllisMorning

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7871892.Ellis_Morning

LINKS FOR BUYING THE BOOK:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZA1BP3

Nook (B&N): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harbingers-ellis-morning/1125466299?ean=2940157321758

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/harbingers-2

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1194116553

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Ellis Morning will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f2262