Sunday 21 August 2016

#RRBC 2016 Book & Blog Block Party

Today A FREEBOOTER'S FANTASY ALMANAC BLOG (and head elf Siân Glírdan aka Jan Hawke) is delighted to be one of the hosting venues for

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB'S

Back-to-School Book and Blog Block Party!


RRBC is offering great grand prizes to visitors on all of the participating blogs. Each time you leave a comment on a blog stop, your name is entered into the Grand Prize drawing at the end of the tour. Winners will be announced by RRBC at the close of the tour.

For the complete tour lineup and prize details

 You are currently somewhere near 

 LAUNCESTON in North Cornwall, UK 


BUT FIRST here are our...

BOOTY-LICIOUS GIVEAWAYS!

(we're happy to arrange shipping outside the UK!)

For AUGUST 22nd only we have some 

BRILLIANT PRIZES FOR 3 LUCKY VISITORS WHO LEAVE A COMMENT HERE...


(CLICK BELOW for some OCEAN-GOING music while you're browsing!)




1ST PRIZE! 

A $10/£10 AMAZON eGIFT VOUCHER



 2ND PRIZE! 

A basic white or black Freebooter's Fantasy Almanac T-shirt from ZAZZLE!
(email us back with your size: small - 4XL and your snail mail address & phone details)



 3RD PRIZE!

Your choice of a regular (L) or ergonomic (R) Freebooter's mouse mat (similar design to the Tee)

  
   

The paperback is (almost) here!

Today is kind of special because, literally last night, I sent off the paperback edition of the book to the printers - it should go out onto Amazon et al by the end of the week. 


Which also means that the updated eBook edition of the book, is now AVAILABLE - complete with our brand new Foreword, which was omitted from earlier versions! 

This was well worth the extended wait, even though my elven alter-ego Janowyn had to do some serious nagging to get her husband Silen into gear and out of his addiction to wandering aimlessly around the woods (he says he was pining for her, but he has a HUGE problem with always wanting to climb trees and talking to the squirrels..) to finally sit down to actually write something!

THINGS TO DO ON THIS BLOG!

Well, we have quite a lot to do actually - the top menu's full of tasting excerpts from the book and all the segments from the recent blog tour are also up. If you're more into visuals, there's a piece about the cover design and also some of my 'fan art' in Jano's Armoire Gallery that's mentioned in the book, most of which is bits and pieces from Jano's wedding preparations. 
Any similarities in appearance between Silen and Keanu Reeves are purely intentional, except, of course, Silen's an elf, so he's even more gorgeous! :-P

OK ~ boring (but so necessary) links and contacts time, and then we'll cut to another excerpt from A Freebooter's Fantasy Almanac ~ the very first piece of fan-fiction I wrote for Jano, The Sea Horse.


BOOK LINKS


NOW AVAILABLE in KINDLE formats on AMAZON





SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS








The Sea Horse


This story predates Jano’s birth by about twenty years as it’s about her father and his princely cousin as young boys. Because the tale fits well enough into any fantasy world, the heroes’ names have been changed here to those of my two main male protagonists in my current work in progress.



On this day, Ruari and Ærdhen decided to go sailing in their glider, the Princess, taking care not go too far out to sea as the currents there could be treacherous. At first all was well and the wind took them scudding across the waves faster than a gull can fly. They did not intend to stray too far from the shoreline, but after they had been out for an hour, what seemed to be a light mist surrounded them. For a while they could still see the shore and all they had to do was hold the course they were taking. So, when the mist got thicker and the beach gradually disappeared, they held their tiller steady, still unafraid until suddenly they were aware that their craft was travelling much faster.

Try as they might they could not turn the little boat to the starboard to hug the coast. The current held them for several minutes longer, but then, as suddenly as it had begun, it released them into clear sunshine once more and their small vessel slowed. Looking around them, the lads saw to their relief that they were in a beautiful sheltered bay they had never seen before. Realising they had come much further than they had intended, they decided they would head in towards the shore and then follow the coastline back to their summer home.

As they turned toward the shore they saw some horkas leaping in and out of the water not far from their boat. They smiled at each other as these small blue-grey dolphins were thought to be lucky creatures. The wind was getting strong again, and, as they did not want to be blown back into the current they decided to take the sail down. Regrettably Ruari, who had not often seen horkas, and could not resist looking at their agile jumps, did not concentrate enough on the task in hand. A strong gust suddenly snatched the sail and boom, which Ærdhen was trying to tie down, and swung it sharply in Ruari’s direction. He had turned away again and did not realise his peril, despite Ærdhen’s loud cry of dismay, as the boom hit him squarely in the shoulder and sent him flying through the air and into deep water.

He fell with a great shout and splash. There was a strong undertow and he was dragged irresistibly underwater back out towards the main current. Had the blow been to his head there is little doubt that he would have drowned. As it was, he was fighting for air as he finally surfaced almost back where they had arrived, far from the Princess and still being pulled away out to sea. Ruari was a good swimmer and struck out for the little boat, but his shoulder ached horribly and the current was far too strong for him.

He could see but not hear Ærdhen, yelling at him, ashen-faced, and desperately trying to reset the sail to follow him. Seawater was filling his nose and mouth and he was pulled under once more. He could hear a hollow clanging sound and felt something swim between his legs. Instinctively he tried to grasp hold of the object, which he suddenly realised was a horka’s head and beak. The creature, supple and smooth as leather to the touch, seemed to understand his distress, and positioning itself beside him, nudged him none too gently until he took hold of its high dorsal fin. The animal immediately surged off in the direction of the Princess, Ruari clinging frantically to the rigid fin. It took him a while to realise how powerful the fish was. It almost felt like he was riding a horse as the horka flexed itself in an up and down rhythm through the waves and he gradually realised the creature had actually pulled him out of the current and was taking him back towards the Princess.

As the little dolphin, barely as long as Ruari was tall, neared the small boat it began to slow. Ærdhen, seeing what had happened, had stopped struggling with the sail and was reaching out toward him. The horka’s beaky mouth was almost touching the hull of the Princess as Ærdhen, leaning over, grasped Ruari’s lower arm with both hands. Ruari almost reluctantly let go of the slick, warm fin and clasped one of Ærdhen’s arms firmly as the little creature rose beneath him, boosting him out of the water.

“He’s smart!” Ruari shouted, teeth chattering, as Ærdhen hauled him into the boat.

“Just as well he is!” Ærdhen yelled angrily back at him. “Why didn’t you watch what you were doing!” then he clutched Ruari to him fiercely and burst into tears. “I thought you would drown,” he sobbed. 

They were both crying with relief now. The horka was chittering at them, head bobbing a few yards away from the prow now, it’s long beaky mouth almost smiling at them. They both turned and watched laughing, as the horka made one huge leap into the air, twisting away from them as it hit the water and swam furiously back to its family, who were still playing their leaping games off in the distance.

“That fish just saved your life!” Ærdhen’s voice was filled with wonder.

“It let me ride on its back!” Ruari spluttered, shivering violently. “It’s not a fish! It’s a sea horse!”

   


CLICK HERE

FOR OUR PARTY VENUES ALL THROUGH AUGUST


AND FINALLY


 it's time to sail out to sea once more...  



88 comments:

  1. Congratulations on your print release - it never gets old!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Wendy! :-D That is SO true - the proof copy looks great and there were only a few minor amendments needed, so I'm hoping that this will go onto Amazon by Wednesday this week. The print edition is much nicer than the eBook as the commentary is separated more effectively from the main narratives (formatting to ePub was a nightmare as I couldn't replicate the boxed text) so the physical book is beautiful inside AND out! :-D

      Delete
  2. Trust you Jan to have this very creative setting for your party. I like how you bought everything together in one place. :) Congratulations, and enjoy your party. Your venue is a bit difficult to find, but one eventually gets there :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you got here Joy - I'm afraid that I've been messing with the navigation and so the RRBC link needed updating - it should be a smoother voyage very soon once the amendment goes on shortly :-D
      Putting this altogether has been a roller-coaster these last few days as I've had other projects peaking at the same time and still have to rush around today with non-Freeboooters tasks - so just find the pina coladas, keep your tankard charged, and enjoy the bracing sea views and I'll be popping in and out as we go! ;-)

      Delete
  3. PUBLISHING ON BEHALF OF D.L. Finn (whose earlier comment got deleted through no fault of hers...)

    Congrats on your new printed edition and updated eBook. I look forward to reading it and will add to my ever growing reading list on my kindle! Great blog music and trailer.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah - so sorry D.L! Lots of time zone gremlins this morning, so wires got crossed and I deleted the original party post without realising that you'd posted.
      Glad you enjoyed the music and trailer - it was fun putting on 2 of my all-time favourite sea-related videos! :-D

      Delete
    2. Thanks Jan for re-posting!
      I am glad you shared your all-time favorite sea-related videos with us. And no problem about deleting, i like to hunt the blogs down if they don't have a link yet...so then I can go to bed and sleep peacefully. I understand about those gremlins, they seem to hunt me down once a in while, too.

      Delete
    3. Thanks for coming back D.L. (((hugs))) :-D I was doing far too much multi-tasking too early in the day I think - yesterday was just a whirlwind with getting everything read for this and sending off all the stuff for the paperback1 LOL ;-)

      Delete
  4. PUBLISHING ON BEHALF OF KIM COX (whose earlier comment got deleted through no fault of hers...)

    Enjoyed the music. Congrats on the release of your print book. Hope you hear it's ready soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kim! :-D ditto the apologies for D.L. above. I had to put some updates on for the links and somehow replicated the post and didn't notice that you both had already beaten me onto the original post.
      I'm with brilliant POD supplier, Lightning Source, so I'm hoping the paperback edition will go on Amazon midweek :-D

      Delete
  5. Yeah! Congratulations on getting the paperback out. No matter how many books Nelly and I write, it's still a great feeling seeing each one in paperback.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey there Rebecca - lovely to see you here! :-D Yes - a real book beats an electronic one every time. There's just something so special in holding it and getting enveloped into words that will stay where they're put! LOL! ;-)

      Delete
  6. Love the music, Jan. I've always been a fan of Rod Stewart. Very interesting reading how you came up with your cover. You did a great job. Congrats on your paperback release. Have a great day at the party!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Michelle! Great to have you here today! :-D I'm off to get the ISBN details registered with Nielsons later - that always makes everything official so there's going to be a party going on later on the Sian Glirdan blog ;-)

      Delete
  7. I love your background! Absolutely gorgeous! And thanks for the excerpt. You got my blood pumping faster this morning, and I needed that. Congrats on your book release! I'm sure it's going to do amazingly well! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Yvette! :-D That image is the original artwork for the tarot card 'The Tower' that I altered slightly (the skyscape's now in grayscale), so it was the lazy girl's way to tile the wallpaper and make everything look suitably turbulent... ;-)

      Delete
  8. Beautiful blog page Jan. Congratulations on the release of your new book. It sounds amazing! You won my first book and blog party prize, of Amazon vouchers and tweet support for a week, so I have had fun promoting your latest work. Can't wait to read the finished book. Have a brilliant party today. Posted to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter etc.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (((((Lizzie))))) - you're an absolute star! :-D Thanks so much for your prizes and for the amazing tweets you've been sending out all weekend - I really feel like a 'proper' gliterrati with a great PR team at my back! LOL ;-)
      I was already having huge fun with this, so thank you for making it extra special! :-D

      Delete
  9. Hi Jan, your creativity amazes me! The graphics on your site are stunning, and the music is perfect for setting the tone. Congratulations on your new book release, and have fun today!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Gwen and thank you so much for coming over and saying kind things. :-D

      Delete
  10. You always have the most interesting posts, Jan! I got so caught up in the travesty of Rauri and AErdhen's adventure I found I was holding my breath. Congratulations on the new edition. Love fantasy!! Enjoy your party day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Jan - thanks so much for coming over today! :-D The Sea Horse was the first piece of original fan fiction I ever wrote, that is, the first one that wasn't entirely woven into Tolkien's Middle Earth environment. I visited a place that's on his maps, but he had never really written about and certainly not for the character of Ruari, who's wholly made up by me (but, for the fellow nerds among us, in canon was related to Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth). Like I say, it's a story that would fit in most worlds, including offline, if set in the past a fair bit! ;-)

      Delete
  11. Congrats on the imminent release of your new paperback, Jan - that's exciting news! I enjoyed your very poetic book trailer - and found it quite moving. Well done!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi John! Thanks so much for stopping by and saying nice things. :-D I'm fairly happy with trailer now I've redone some of the weaker parts of the soundtrack - my voice is getting stronger (well, smoother) so I was able to replace some of the earlier croaks I made! lol :-)

      Delete
  12. Good Morning! Congratulations on your soft cover. I love holding real books better than eBooks but I'll read either! Graphics are awesome!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mary! :-D I suspect that most writers are far more excited about 'real' books - you just can't get the same connection holding a piece of plastic can you? ;-)

      Delete
  13. Talk about well-written, well-conceptualized writing....wow. Jan, I tried to imaging hearing your voice as I read above, because I bet your accent is something! Finally, because I felt my imagination wasn't doing you justice, I stopped.
    What a beautiful stop along the Blog tour, and I will be reading you soon as I get caught up on my current TBR list.
    Robert Kimbrell

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for coming today Robert! :-D You don't have to imagine my voice - it's me talking on the book trailer! ;-)

      Delete
  14. Ah, releases never get old, do they? Congratulations and best wishes!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They certainly don't Staci! :-D Thanks for popping in today :-)

      Delete
  15. Love the title, Jan! Sorry I missed this post yesterday! I hope you had a wonderful day hosting for hte party.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're not late at all, P.H. - it's those time zones that are confusing! ;-) We're 5 hours ahead of US Eastern time in the UK, so I think our early birds must have caught this at 6 am Aug 22 my time and midnight on US Central! :-D

      Delete
  16. Congratulations on the paperback. Great post, I also looked the "Cover Story" tab it was really interesting to get some insight into your creative process.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Brent! :-D My fantasy tarot deck has come in very handy for fantasy visuals. They're all linked into sci-fi/fantasy - the Judgement card for instance, was based on Judge Dredd and my King of Swords is Odin the One-eyed warrior! ;-)

      Delete
  17. Great post! Super cool on the paperback and a lot of the other items you list look really awesome as well! I love reading about how other writer's actually go about writing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there, Lincoln - thanks for coming by! :-D It always amazes me how many different approaches to writing there are as well. I'm more of a pantser, I suppose, although I do get more organiseddepending on how layered I want the story to be. However, the roleplayer in me loves it when characters start breaking loose and dictating what they're going to do - they're become real for me and I hope that shows in the writing! ;-) We're all different, so I guess there's no right or wrong way, so long as you feel the passion coming out. :-)

      Delete
  18. Great post - really LOVE that artwork

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Dawn! :-D Lovely to have you here today - maybe you'll get lucky with one of the prizes! ;-)

      Delete
  19. Congrats, and what a lovely post!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why, thank you Anne Margaret! :-D I had a lot of fun putting it together :-D

      Delete
  20. I love your website. Very creative and lots to keep me busy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lori - thank you for looking in on us today! :-D

      Delete
  21. An impressive and powerful trailer. I watched it twice. It took me to my journey across the Indian Ocean where what happened in my head was the truth. Thank you! Congratulations on the release of your new book! Wonderful! I also enjoying the insight into your creative process.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there Susan! :-D Our minds have to be the biggest place to explore that we have in terms of finding our limits and testing our perceptions - anyone who says they don't have or dreams or fantasies has their pants on fire! lol ;-)

      Delete
  22. You have lots of cool graphics that really tie in to your book--it's a visual feast! Happy blog tour day! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for looking in Stephanie! :-D Myth and legend has plenty of inspirational imagery when it comes to tweaking the nose of Fate! ;-)

      Delete
  23. Hi Jan. I just love the graphics on your post. On another note although we support one another, I didn't quite understand the S.J. promotion but its wonderful that you did it. I love the excerpt from the "Sea Horse". Congrats on your new release.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you could come over Shirley! :-D As for S.J. (and the Writer's conference too) - just pointing out the other party places to go and play on today! ;-)

      Delete
  24. Very nice post. The trailer, other visuals and music are soothing but, exciting.It is so exciting to look forward to your release of the paperback

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Jo Ann - the sea and the weather never fail to cast contrasting moods, whether it's gentle or totally wild. ;-) Glad you've enjoyed your visit here today! :-D

      Delete
  25. Congrats on the paperback! I enjoyed the post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. HI there Jenny! :-D Glad you enjoyed your visit - much appreciated :-)

      Delete
  26. You are a multi-talented lady. Such a creative, beautiful, and haunting blog. The music was amazing and the photos/videos were stunning and magical.
    Congratulations on your new book.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Karen! :-D I love it when a theme comes together! ;-)

      Delete
  27. Hello again, Jan! Thanks for stopping by my blog today! I'm taking a break to visit with you. Ah! Cornwall! I just love Cornwall. Beautiful country! But you know that, don't you? Congrats on the print release! Always exciting, isn't it! Have a great day!
    Cheers! S.J. Francis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi S.J. Thanks for popping over :-D I hope you're having a great time today as well. The paperback being finished was the cherry on top today ;-)

      Delete
  28. Hi Jan, the site looks great and this project just keeps going. So happy for you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you (and Lisa) for your support too, Craig! :-D I was hoping to do another eBook giveaway like I did with the other two, but for some reason Kindle wouldn't let me. Glad you could come over today to say nice things ;-)

      Delete
  29. Jan, your blog/website is so beautiful, tranquil, and inviting. Congratulations on the paperback! I just watched your trailer and my gosh...blown away! Your creativity is inspiring. Thanks for this fabulous stop/treat today. Have an awesome party day! Cheers. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Natalie - I count that as high praise coming from such a great fellow poet! :-D So glad you called in and liked everything. ALso many thanks for the tweets you've done - really kind of you :-)

      Delete
  30. Thanks so much for a very exciting line up. I battled to find the line up for some reason or other, but I'm glad I persisted. I hope you have a wonderful day. Maretha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SO glad you persevered Maretha :-D We had gremlins earlier as I was working on this until silly o'clock yesterday and then came on first thing to put the last links on and somehow managed to delete the post with the RRBC link on it... :-(I think I may have lost a couple of people earlier on in the day, but traffic picked up really well and we're having a ball in here, so all's well. ;-)

      Delete
  31. How lovely to hear Rod Stewart in my early morning visit (4.30 am) here in Sydney. An absolutely beautiful blog site. Congratulations on the Paperback release! It's such an exciting time.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi there, Suzanne! Lovely to see you here bright and early (for you anyway! ;-) ) Thanks for saying such nice things ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I enjoyed your blog! Congrats on the print book. That's always exciting to hold you book in your hands!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Certainly is Linda! :-D Thanks for dropping in ;-)

      Delete
  34. Hi Jan! Beautiful blog. Congratulations on your books, both paper and ebook. Your seahorse tail was entertaining. So far, I've enjoyed this party!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you had a great time Linda! :-D Thanks for coming around ;-)

      Delete
  35. What a great looking site, Jan! This joint is hopping with all sorts of cool images and music! Best wishes to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Great to see you over here Beem :-D Glad you enjoyed the trip today ;-)

      Delete
  36. Ahh, Jan, book release day is the best day ever!!! My kid's book just came out too and I feel like a new mother lol. Love your fabulous site and how you really dolled it up for the tour. Great videos--I happen to love your funny ...er accent lol. I have Miele Safari and The Freebooter's Fantasy which is next on my reading list. I wish I had it in print but the book cases have taken over my home. So lovely works must be stuffed into e-books sigh. Have a great tour--I'm heading for the martoonies :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (((((Micki!))))) I have that problem with where to put all my books - which is why I'm moving all my 'proper' books into purpose-built mini library shelves in the new study, that's nearly finished now. Can't wait to start moving them in from their temporary home, piled head-high on the dining table... :-P
      My funny croaky accent - yeah, right! LOL! :-D Thanks so much for coming along and for your warm and wonderful support! <3

      Delete
    2. Oh, yeah - better get to those martoonies pretty sharp, Micki! ;-) I can see John Howell's just coming in the door! ROFL ;-)

      Delete
  37. Super post, Jan. Congratulations on your print released here's wishing you loads of sales.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hiya, John! :-D Just follow Micki to the gin... erm martooni table ;-)

      Delete
  38. Wonderful post & wonderful prizes!! :) Thanks for making it an awesome day in the RRBC Block Party, Jan!! ~Mar

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey there Mar! :-D Thanks so much for coming along today - the party's still swinging so just dive in! ;-)

      Delete
  39. What a great blog post, along with some great prizes!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there, Miranda! :-D Thanks for popping in :-)

      Delete
  40. Hi Jan! Fantastically fun post, and congratulations on the paperback! Thanks for sharing, take care, and have a wonderful week! :) ~Stephanie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome, Stephanie! :-D We're having a great time today - thanks for looking in! ;-)

      Delete
  41. Nice looking blog! And full of information too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay, Bruce! :-D Thanks so much for coming today! :-D

      Delete
  42. I can't believe I missed your stop! But, here I am! Hope you had a blast!

    ReplyDelete
  43. (((AWWW! Nonnie!!!))) It was a great day even in spite (or perhaps because) of the gremlins - a real wild and hilarious ride so it matched our stormy wallpaper LOL :-P

    ReplyDelete
  44. Congrats on the release. Party down.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hey Sandra! :-D Lovely to see you here - never tire of the partay! ;-)

      Delete
  45. A belated visit - I hope you excuse us tardy guests! Lovely excerpts, and congrats on the new release!

    ReplyDelete