Hi everyone. Today I am featuring a series that is having a new addition this month. The Adventures of Jack Wartnose just included The Condemned Mage on October 22nd. Make sure to check out the sneak peek of the newest addition and A.S. Norris' guest post below. Oh and I almost forgot—there is a giveaway at the bottom for you enter once you read through the post. Happy reading :).
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors? – J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Terry Pratchett, and Brian Jacques are my top. I do also really enjoy Susan Cooper’s “Dark is Rising” series and Frank Beddor’s “Looking Glass Wars” trilogy.
How long have you been writing? – Since high school, technically. However, all my early works were lost when, in the span of a week, my laptop hard drive crashed and burned and I lost my back up hard drive while I was waiting for my laptop to be fixed. Gave up writing after that because of how frustrated I was losing all that work. Never lost the stories, they’re still rattling around in my head. It wasn’t until several years later after hardships, triumphs, three military deployments, and getting married that the itch to write started to grow again. In 2021, during the lockdowns, that’s when I dove head first back into this.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write? – The main ones came to me at the same time. Wartnose and Muriel were part of that initial dream I mentioned before. Every other character came as needed for the story. For instance, Jack Jr. came as a result of me needing to make tangible Wartnose’s undoing of Muriel when they were teenagers and help serve as the means for Wartnose to begin to take responsibility. Skully came about because every fantasy adventuring group should have a rogue to keep things interesting, and Brien was his straight-laced counterpart to balance the two. As the story progresses and I need to either explain an aspect of the world, character motivations, or just need a foil for my heroes to play off of, that’s usually when a new character comes into being.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book? – None. I may research specific weapons, technology, and such to make sure it could’ve existed in the Renaissance period or earlier, or I research a particular geographic area for how to portray an area or culture in my book, but that all comes as I’m writing.
Do you see writing as a career? – That’s my goal. When I finally retire from my current job in 8ish years I will have completed this series and have enough of an audience to live off my pension and what I make from writing (God willing and the creek don’t rise).
What do you think about the current publishing market? – Very difficult. Hence, why I self-publish to maintain control of my story.
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre? – Yes, though I admit most of my reading material is either history or faith based. I do like fantasy, so I often read indie fantasy authors that are up and coming like me.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why? – With music. No lyrics, solely instrumental. If I hear lyrics I have a tendency to get more into the music, start singing or jiving along, and then the song lyrics somehow end up in my story as I’m typing.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time? - I focus on one, but if I have ideas for other books I have those documents opened on my laptop to quickly write them down. When it comes to the editing portion, I’ll sometimes take breaks to work on other stories because editing sucks the soul out of me.
Pen or type writer or computer? – Computer. Technology is so great to use. I can write, email, research, and learn marketing all on one device. Plus, I can take my laptop anywhere. I also type faster than I write, and my handwriting makes chicken scratch look legible in comparison.
What made you want to become an author and do you feel it was the right decision? – I had a story to tell. That’s why I write. And yes, it is the right decision for me.
A day in the life of the author? – Up at 5:45AM to crank out as much writing business needs as I can before I have to stop and get ready for work. Been walking with my family around the neighborhood lately before I leave for work. Helps my wife meet her health goals and helps our high-spirited daughter burn off some energy so she’s not bouncing off the walls for mama when I leave. Work, then lunch. During lunch break I pull up my latest work in progress and write down as much as I can within the hour. Work, home, where I take our daughter to go play so mama can work on dinner, chores, or her personal projects. If I do get any other work done, it’s after we put our daughter to bed, and I cap it at around 8:30PM. If I don’t stop to relax before bed, my mind keeps whirring through the night. An unfortunate side effect from doing 3 deployments in less than three years.
Advice they would give new authors? – Do not get discouraged when you first book doesn’t do gangbusters on the sales chart. This is a highly competitive gig. Be prepared for the long grind of writing, marketing, and growing your audience. Oh, and start a newsletter before you launch your first book. Those names you capture on your newsletter are likely to be more interested in your works and become loyal customers.
*** NEW RELEASE ***
What started as a simple quest for a lost, arcane artifact has left Jack Wartnose confronting the family sins and trauma of his past. But which will he find first: redemption or the apocalypse?
The Condemned Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 4
by: A.S. Norris
Genre: Noblebright Fantasy Adventure
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With a whistle, Jack ordered the wolves to charge. The intimidating bandit himself lost composure as the two snarling beasts rocketed toward him. He tried swinging downward, only to strike the top beam of the door instead. With furious aplomb, the two Ironside wolves jumped and tackled the man, sinking their fangs into his throat and collarbone, respectively. Now panicking, he let go of his swords and futilely pulled at their napes, while gurgling and falling backward.
Wartnose finally swept the blankets off him. Seeing the brigand kick and squirm with two wolves slowly squeezing the life out of him, he stood and took stock of his group. After seeing no one injured, he began giving orders. “Jack, Margaret, come with me! Muriel, stay here with the twins and protect everyone in here! Tarachus and … your brother, help keep everyone safe! Thad, get a weapon and aid my wife!”
Without another word, Wartnose bounded out the door and into the rain without his wide-brimmed hat to protect his eyes. He strained against the falling drops to ascertain the full situation. What he saw and heard caused him to tremble.
There were dozens of brigands around, some trying to make off with the horses and other beasts at the stables. A few were at the caravan, being handled by a half-dressed Gunther and his war hammer. The other one-room hovels to the left and right of him were all being raided, with shrieks and foul laughter emanating within.
From his right, a gut-twisting battle cry alerted Wartnose to a fast-approaching bandit with an axe raised high. While the man thought he had the upper hand on the mage, he soon found himself sailing high into the air as Wartnose hastily cast his Concentrated Force spell into the center of the man’s chest. Soon, another brigand came wailing terribly toward Wartnose from his blindside. That man’s face turned to terror as a javelin flew by and pierced his chest, immediately stopping his sprint. Wartnose looked back to see Margaret with her mother’s spear running up to him.
“Ya injured, Father?”
“No, thanks to you. Where’s Jack?”
After stabbing the dying brigand with her spear and pulling her javelin out, she replied, “ʼE cut right after gatherin’ ʼis wolves. Said ʼe’s gone to ʼelp the other travelers.”
With an angry sigh, Wartnose muttered, “Fool boy!” Then he called to Margaret, “Stay with me! We’ll assist Gunther first and prevent them from stealing our horse.”
“Aye, Father!” she exclaimed as they both beelined for their brutish companion.
Gunther had nearly beheaded one of the three by the crushing impact of his swing alone. But the others had scored strikes as well. The brute had a fresh slice across his left bicep and another vertical slash bleeding on his bare back. Still, he refused to back down and swung mightily at the nearest brigand. He hopped backward, safely out of the way, and taunted the brute. His taunting ceased as Margaret’s javelin found its second victim of the night. Although the man was dead, Gunther caved his skull for good measure. Now, seeing the odds turned against him, the third outlaw turned to try to escape within the shadows. Wartnose called forth a Freezing Force, turning the raindrops before him into tiny daggers before sending them hurtling in the direction of the escaping man. A couple of seconds later, the icy pellets ripped through him, dropping him dead and bloodied.
Upon reaching their associate, Wartnose called for Gunther to stand still. He used the water on Gunther’s body to freeze over the wounds and stem the bleeding. In a rare instance of graceful magnanimity, the brute thanked the mage without so much as a forced grunt.
Focusing on the danger at hand, Wartnose ordered, “Can you assist in preventing the theft of our horse?”
Gunther growled in the affirmative. After retrieving Margaret, all three crashed through the front doors of the stable. Their sudden appearance caught the four would-be horse thieves inside by surprise, and their hands were full from holding the leads to seven horses. Before they could drop the ropes, though, death’s grip grabbed hold of them as they met their end at the hands of an enraged brute, a wild lancer, and a furious mage.
BLURB:
The enemy of my enemy is my ally. But can Jack Wartnose really trust his former paramour-turned-unlikely-ally to not attempt to kill him again?
On the run from a certified death sentence, Jack Wartnose and his family attempt to quietly flee southward, hoping to avoid the Murder of Crows’ assassins. Unfortunately, their hopes are soon dashed when Polyxena, the now-disgraced Crow, and her twin boys inadvertently cross their path. He cannot trust to take her along as a hostage, but nor can he trust to turn his back on her, as he did before, and not end up knifed for his troubles. Or worse.
Elsewhere in the kingdom, the first skirmishes in a greater war between magedom and the elusive dark lord have taken place. Foul creatures and equally foul deeds shatter the peace and leave a bloody wake that only threatens to grow worse the longer Jack Wartnose remains free to roam. And, unbeknownst to Jack Wartnose, a new threat looms to the east, waiting to ambush him and his family.As those hunting for his head increases, Jack Wartnose will need to choose which is more important: his unbreakable word to complete his quest and find the Tome of Time, or his unbreakable bonds in protecting his ever-growing family.
THE CONDEMNED MAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book four of an award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor and romance.
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"...another captivating read that left me eager for the next installment in Jack Wartnose's saga, and I’d certainly recommend it and the series so far to fantasy fans everywhere." - Readers' Favorite, 5 Stars
The Hunted Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 3
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BLURB:
They say a group of Crows is a “Murder.” For Jack Wartnose, if he’s not careful, murder is exactly what will befall him and his family.
Finally free of the clutches of the Mage Inquisition and undead cutthroats once again, Jack Wartnose’s troubles soon catch back up as a group of mage assassins, the Murder of Crows, has been dispatched to eliminate him and his troupe. One cunning beauty among them has “intimate” knowledge of Jack Wartnose, and looks forward to repaying him for setting her on the path to ruin years ago.
Meanwhile, he and his family get stuck in the backwater town of Downriver Ferry. More family secrets come to light, while the Murder stalk him from the shadows. Old faces reemerge with intentions unknown. New faces threaten to reignite a three millennia old blood feud. And his estranged daughter is still plotting her deadly vengeance behind Wartnose’s back.
The quiet, backwater town of Downriver Ferry is about to erupt! Can Jack Wartnose keep his wits about him as he confronts threats on multiple fronts? Will his family and fellow adventurers be strong enough to protect him? Or will he receive help in time from an unlikeliest of sources?
Continue the adventures of Jack Wartnose and his crew in THE HUNTED MAGE, Book 3 of the award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy The Adventures of Jack Wartnose series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor, romance, and heart.
Purchase your Copy Today!
"...a superbly engaging tale of suspense, family dynamics, and vengeance, all with the classic witty touches and vibrant characters that I have come to expect from this excellent series." - Readers' Favorite
The Forbearing Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 2
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BLURB:
They say blood is thicker than water. Unfortunately, if Jack Wartnose is not careful, it will be his blood proving that axiom!
Still on the trail of the Tome of Time, novice Mage Jack Wartnose is confronted by another spectre of his past – Margaret Stormgale, his estranged and vengeful daughter. When she’s not hounding him with her razor-tongue wit, she’s hunting him with her mother’s razor-sharp spear!
But if grappling with the sins of his past wasn’t perilous enough, the disdainful eye of the Inquisition draws down upon him and his quest. And who should be at the tip of the Inquisition’s spear but yet another of Wartnose’s former “acquaintances.”
With all eyes bearing down upon him, can Jack Wartnose continue his quest for not only the Tome of Time, but for atonement? Or will he fall victim to one of the many foes set against him: his estranged daughter, a jilted Inquisition lover, his suspicious superiors at the Mage Council, a sinister figure now shadowing his quest for the tome… or his none-to-pleased wife?
Continue the adventures of Jack Wartnose and his crew in THE FORBEARING MAGE, Book 2 of THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE a low fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with clean humor and romance.
Purchase your Copy Today!
"The Forbearing Mage is a fun, fast-paced fantasy adventure that is equal parts clever, entertaining and rich." - Maincrest Media
The Wayward Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 1
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BLURB:
For many, marriage is the end of adventuring. For Jack Wartnose, it was just another occupational hazard he didn’t plan for…much like his son!
As a novice Mage, Jack Wartnose’s life was already difficult enough: low pay, long hours, and an arcane duty to always keep his word. But when a chance encounter with his long-lost childhood sweetheart – and the consequences of his youthful wayward actions – leaves him duty-bound to fulfill a promise long since forgotten, he’s left with no choice but to take his fledgling family with him on his dangerous quest for the Tome of Time: a legendary artifact rumored to have started the last world-ending cataclysm.
As if his luck wasn’t bad enough, there are also revenant assassins from his past hunting him down. If his family hopes to stay together this time, they’ll need more than just quick wits and spells to survive bloodthirsty monsters, vengeful revenants, mutinous party members, the needs of his wife versus his empty coin purse, and a son unfortunately following in his wayward footsteps.
What started as a simple quest for a lost, arcane artifact has left Jack Wartnose with this simple question: which will he find first, redemption or the apocalypse?
THE WAYWARD MAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book one of an award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor and romance.
Purchase your Copy Today!
...[T]his, fellow readers is how you make gold in a literary hero's journey, and The Wayward Mage by A.S. Norris is gold." - Readers' Favorite Review
A.S. Norris
Award-winning author A.S. Norris is a bit of an adventurer himself, having sailed three oceans and traveled four continents, with some highlights including scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, drinking cobra venom, and kissing the Blarney Stone. Now his life consists of adventures as a family man with his lovely wife and spirited baby daughter. THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is his first novel series with more coming in the near future!
Follow A.S. Norris at the Following Links:
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$10 Amazon Gift Card
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
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I enjoyed the guest post. Sounds good.
This looks like a novel I will thoroughly enjoy. Thanks for sharing and hosting this tour.