Finally got my books. I have no idea what happened to the first box, sent before xmas, but these got here safe. If anyone would like to buy a signed copy off me, I have the first two books of the Shadow Series, Shadow Over Avalon and Sword of Shadows and the first book of the Wyvern series, Darkspire Reaches. I am shipping the first few off tomorrow.
If anyone would like all three books, I will include a postcard of Darkspire Reaches and Shadow Over Avalon.
Shadow Over Avalon, an epic science fantasy set in the far future, still only 99c.
So how does someone recreate an ancient king, who had no known surviving offspring? The scientist would need to reach back into the ancestry of the person to manipulate the exact genetic combination that resulted in the original person. Given the technology available to the scientist, and the ability to manipulate people, this isn’t a problem. A strand here is attached to a thread there and slowly, so slowly, the line becomes pure again. Of course, the scientist would have had to know Arthur in the first place, wouldn’t he?
This is not pie in the sky supposition, it is based on real studies as I did happen to major in Zoology and both genetics and embryology were special topics. Actually, on the subject of the latter, an early stage embryo will have gill slits in its neck. The changes are quite fascinating as the new person matures into viability. Genetics? It is possible to recreate a species, and has been done by backtracking along the ancestral D.N.A. but that is for a more modern creature. Something as ancient as a dinosaur would require some sort of blueprint and a more sophisticated technique than we have now at hand, but it could be done with fossil remains in a reasonable state, as I believe some of them have been found. The question is why would someone want to inflict such a terrible species on a human population? Easy enough to see if the intent was to keep the human population under strict control. Isolate people enough and civilization will reverse, especially if there is no means of electronic communication on one’s captives and they are expressly forbidden to use the written or drawn media for distance communication and are restricted to glyphs on message sticks. The problems arise, from the captor’s point of view, when the amphibious mutant start sticking their oar in what should be none of their business.
How does all this come about? Read the book and find out. This is the first book of a series. The second book, Sword of Shadows, is newly released. The story continues.
Trailer
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shadow-over-avalon
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-over-avalon-cn-lesley/1117299037?ean=2940045359054
http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Over-Avalon-C-N-Lesley-ebook/dp/B00GAN6HMG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Worldbuilding means deciding on a type of style. In the case of an antique society, one must be restricted to what is possible and what is not. In the case of my Shadow series, a British Isles reverted back to the Dark Ages and not in touch with other countries will not have access to silk or cotton. Equally obviously the artificial textiles will not be available, either. What is left? Leather of sheep, cow, goat and pig. Wool and flax. So yes, a person can have linen and fine wool garments. Yes, they can have leather garments and shoes, but these must be made without industrial power, as in the old days. Curing leather is exceptionally unpleasant and involves the use of ammonia, (stale urine).
Linen? It is very, very labor intensive and people would have had a care to look after their clothes. Things would be darned and patched. Here is how to make linen out of flax the old way.
Go check out this enormous sale of wonderful sci fi and fantasy books, all for just 99c.
http://pattyjansen.com/blog/mad-science-fiction-january-sale/
Well that was a nice surprise to wake up to this morning. Shadow Over Avalon is sitting at #10 of the top rated Arthurian books on Amazon
.com.
Evelinn Enoksen, wonderful artist. https://evelinnenoksen.wordpress.com/
Ken Dawson talented graphic designer: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phoenix-Designs/422386537864899?pnref=lhc
The concept is the bands controlling the surface humans interlinked and hovering over the undersea city of free humans, Avalon. The second picture is a Moonscape with a flying saucer in the background against the beginnings of Earthrise. These are all elements in the book series, the first of which, ‘Shadow Over Avalon’ is at a temporary and amazing discount of only 99c. Get it while you can at this price.
Shadow Over Avalon
A review taken at random from the Amazon.co.uk website. Wow! Does happy dance. #kingarthur #dystopia #achievednumber1bestsellerpaidonAmazon #99c #C.N.Lesley
5.0 out of 5 stars Shadow over Avalon! 14 April 2014
By brenda
Format:Kindle Edition
Shadow Over Avalon is an unusual book that caught my attention, grabbed hold and didn’t let go until the very last page. I loved the ongoing adventure that was both thrilling, entertaining and wildly suspenseful.
This is a well developed story with great characters and extremely good writing. So much creativity and imagination. Pretty mind blowing if you ask me. This futuristic tale took me by surprise and brought me to a completely different time and place. How I loved the surprises. This story moved at a quick pace as there was never a dull moment. Surprising since I am not much of a fantasy or science fiction fan. The writing was enough to keep me glued to the pages. Loving every minute. This is a smart story that will take you places you never imagined existed. I would highly recommend this great tale if you are looking for a great escape with a great unpredictable plot. I love how the different story lines come together. Very clever. I would read more from this author. Without a doubt. So enjoyable.
Excerpt ~
“Two days of rest refreshed Shadow. The morning of solstice started a warm, cloudless day. She walked along the shore after breakfast, followed by two brothers. They didn’t appear to trust her not to leave them, looking on the edge with her so near water. She returned to the camp with reluctance and one backward glance at the sun glinting off the waves.”
The writing is soothing and poetic. Sophisticated and yet easy to get lost into. I would highly recommend this sophisticated story that has the wow factor!
http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Over-Avalon-C-N-Lesley-ebook/dp/B00GAN6HMG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_3
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/shadow-over-avalon
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-over-avalon-cn-lesley/1117299037?ean=2940045359054
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/shadow-over-avalon/id735615772?mt=11
I read an interesting article extolling authors to break the established rules of writing. One of the suggestions was to pen something in third person omnipotent Right. There was a very, very good reason this style fell out of favor in the last century. Those who attempted it usually made a mess and ended up wildly head hopping and leaving the reader spinning. An example of how this should be done and usually wasn’t is Lord of the Rings by J.R.R.Tolkien. Now that was a shining example of excellence.
Another suggestion was to write a book about an antagonist. Really? How can a reader bond properly with a bad guy? Does anyone really want to be a cheer leader for Hannibal Lecter? Yes, the character was fascinating, but would anyone weep buckets if he happened to croak? Nope. This was a suggestion that was almost good and missed by a gnat’s whisker. An antagonist should have hopes, wants, wishes and needs. He/she should also have some redeeming features, whether it is a love of cats, or a kindness to those less fortunate. Without the redeeming features, he/she will not be as effective, or as real and scary. It also holds true that the protagonist should have a few flaws. Perfect Percy is boring. Give him some warts to liven him up.
I have in my hand a first editon signed copy of ‘Swish of the Curtain’ by Pamela Brown. The covers way back when were very plain indeed. Not at all eye candy they are now. I also have a letter sent by the author with the book to a great aunt of mine. Tis a piece of history.
This started off a series for reflections on the industry as a whole. In Pamela’s time, an author inhabited an ivory tower and worked alone. There were snail mail letters back and forth to the publisher, but no agent, as those were a more recent innovation. The manuscripts would be typed up on A4 on an old fashioned typewriter and the text would be double spaced to allow for copy edit notes. A writer wouldn’t do any promo as it wasn’t ‘the form’. This was all done by the publisher.
Fast forward to today. I work in my office at home but I am far from alone. At the click of a mouse I can connect to colleges all over the world. Authors now form online communities for mutual help, support and friendship. Communications between authors/publishers/agents tends to be all electronic. Manuscripts are invariably typed up on a word processor and then sent to the publisher in a suitable file. Promo is not something a publisher will undertake on a large scale, not even the big five, unless a person happens to be a U.S President, or someone equally important. It now falls to authors to toot their own horns in an effort to let the readers know that their book is out there. As for bookstores, nothing much has changed, aside form the ability of the chain stores to sell ebooks as well as dead tree books. They will still only face new books on the shelf if the author has a proven track record of exceptional sales and they will still charge the publisher an arm, leg and their first born child for space on the table at the front of the store right by the door.
Authorrise were kind enough to invite me to do an interview. Follow the link if you are interested. Oh, and the very next interview I do will not be when I am minding my small grandson. My attention was on him and I think that shows in one of my word choices. Who can spot the error? Head desk.
http://blog.authorrise.com/post/103471594889/talking-shop-with-c-n-lesley
cnlesley 