Welcome to an exciting blog tour featuring Steven L. Shrewsbury and his new, action-packed heroic fantasy novel, Killer of Giants! The tour takes place April 18-25 and readers of fantasy, sword and sorcery, and dark fantasy will love exploring first story of the Keltos warrior Rogan!
The blog tour features reviews, guest posts, and interviews, so don’t miss any of the activities taking place on the participating blog sites!
Mammoths, Nephilims, and
the art of bareback writing.
By Steven L. Shrewsbury
Why a mammoth in my new fantasy novel KILLER OF GIANTS?
Well, mastodons weren’t in this area of
the world in such times. That and I needed something big enough for a Nephilim to
want to ride, as a gift, bribe, exchange or whatnot. I really can’t recall why
I chose to include such a beast at first when doing the book, as it wasn’t central
to the plot. However, with the inclusion of Aliene, the ivory haired Mammoth,
she took on life of her own. I saw possibilities as it went and she adds a great
deal to the yarn, and then, the climax. It also made sense to me that the main
characters folk were from the lands of ice and snow, thus, such an animal would
be available to them for a beast of burden and more farther from home. The
mammoth would be a rarity for a Nephilim giant, a persona bored with humanity.
Though perhaps a trifle or a bragging trinket for this character, that doesn’t
work out for him as evidenced by the cover of the novel. Aliene ends up joining
Rogan on his journey to find his father and sister in fabled Irem. She also
provides interesting element as he confronts larger monsters, the Chimeras or
the battalion of soldiers sent to capture Rogan.
Aliene also broadened the tale, and showed
an element of emotion in the savage Rogan never glimpsed before. Again, I
hadn’t intended to draw back the curtain even a teeny bit. That’s how it goes
when one writes from the head & heart, and not a rigid agenda. Never once
did I start this tale and say to myself, “Self, let’s show Rogan has some heart
buried in than big chest and isn’t just a killing machine.” The idea that he
wouldn’t want his family to perish in such a land is pretty obvious, even to a
savage, somewhat selfish guy like Rogan.
We all have attachments to animals, well,
most folks. It isn’t a stretch that folks who ride horses favor a certain mount
as we have attachments to our dogs & cats. A mammoth? Hmm. KILLER OF GIANTS
isn’t subtitled “A savage and his hairy elephant go forth” nor should it be.
This is just an element of the story added in alongside the rampages, monsters
and wizardry. Yes, the mammoth rumbles about, but often adds to the book. Read
and see.
I don’t write with a condom over my head.
There isn’t a list of things I check off to include in a book to make it more
pleasing to modern sensibilities. I’m telling a story, spinning a yarn, and not
jousting at windmills. Some things might just sneak in, but I won’t induce
politics or modern mores into a S&S novel to prove a point. I leave many of
these things to regular life. Take note, I’m not against having any sort of
character in a book, nor situation, but it has to be integral to the plot, not
just what these kids call “virtue signaling.” Things can get violent, but the
real world is, too.
Stories and books are escapism. I doubt if
Harkon got back to the cave after a day of trying to find food to survive to
listen to a story over supper about what a bitch it was to hunt all day. He
probably wanted to rest, eat and dream of another place, where the stars above
were different and things existed beyond his imagination. To close one’s eyes
and see those things, maidens, monsters and magicks unknown. Not, “did ya hear
Olaf’s partner is wearing a top now? What’s up with her? Soon, all the women
will be wearing tops! Outrageous!” Harkon liked his tales out of the everyday
argument of existence, and probably, topless.
So, pick up KILLER OF GIANTS, read of mammoths, Nephilims, and adventures long ago & far away. I promise you won’t be burdened by the rat race of everyday life. But you will hear a yarn about what matters to the roughest of folk and what lengths they will do to solve such issues, men, women and near to goddess folk alike.
About the Author:
Award-winning author STEVEN L. SHREWSBURY lives and works in Central Illinois. He writes hardcore sword & sorcery, fantasy and horror novels. Twenty of his novels have been published, including KILLER OF GIANTS, BEYOND NIGHT, BORN OF SWORDS, WITHIN, OVERKILL, PHILISTINE, HELL BILLY, THRALL, BLOOD & STEEL, STRONGER THAN DEATH, HAWG, TORMENTOR and GODFORSAKEN. His horror/western series includes BAD MAGICK, LAST MAN SCREAMING, MOJO HAND and ALONG COME EVENING. He has collaborated with Brian Keene on the works KING OF THE BASTARDS, THRONE OF THE BASTARDS & CURSE OF THE BASTARDS and Peter Welmerink on the Viking saga BEDLAM UNLEASHED. A big fan of books, history, the occult, religion and sports, he tries to seek out brightness in the world, wherever it may hide.
Book Synopsis for Killer of Giants: In an antediluvian world, Keltos warrior Rogan emerges as the lone survivor of a battle. Slaying a Nephilim giant from Shynar, Rogan takes back the mammoth his folk gifted the kings.
Soon, warriors are sent to recapture the mammoth and bring it to the Lord of the world, Zazaeil, a demon in human flesh, and the Nephilim giant Marduk, in the fabled city of Irem.
After learning that his sister is to be a sacrificial bride to Marduk, Rogan journeys to Irem in the company of Elisa, a warrior herself, whose mother is a wizardess. With a horde of warriors in pursuit, they encounter many evils, monsters, and challenges to their selves and souls.
Will the song of Rogan’s blood make him strong enough to be the Killer of Giants?
Author Links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shrewsreh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorstevenshrewsbury
Tour Schedule and Activities
4/18 Jazzy Book Reviews https://jazzybookreviews.com/ Author Interview
4/19 Horror Tree https://www.horrortree.com Guest Post
4/20 Exquisite Corpse https://traciemcbridewriter.wordpress.com/ Guest Post
4/20 BOOKS TO CURL UP WITH https://bookstocurlupwiith.blogspot.com Review
4/21 The Write Start https://www.thewritestart.net Guest Post
4/21 BookWitch https://bookwitchblog549755749.wordpress.com/ Review
4/22 Sapphyria's Books https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
4/23 BookWitch https://bookwitchblog549755749.wordpress.com/ Interview
4/24 Literary Underworld https://www.Literaryunderworld.com Guest Post
4/25 Sheila's Guests and Reviews http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
Links for Killer of Giants:
eBook Links
Kindle Version: https://amzn.to/3EzsR7a
Nook Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killer-of-giants-steven-l-shrewsbury/1141004710?ean=2940160798370
Print Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3rI8NdG
Barnes and Noble Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/killer-of-giants-steven-l-shrewsbury/1141044545?ean=9781736812556
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