[Ty Johnston]

Hello, City of Rogues, book one of my epic fantasy trilogy, is now available.
You can get it here: City of Rogues (Book I of The Kobalos Trilogy)

The basic blurb: A figure cloaked in black arrives in the city of Bond to seek vengeance for murders 15 years in the past and finds himself entangled with an underworld crime boss and a youthful healer who has much to hide. City of Rogues is a dark action/adventure epic fantasy novel in the tradition of David Gemmell and Glenn Cook. It is Book I of the Kobalos Trilogy.

I'd love to hear from any readers and fantasy fans (horror fans, too).

As for the author, I'm a former newspaper journalist who has turned his love of writing to the fiction arena. I've been writing short fiction off and on for twenty years, but a few years ago I decided it was time to get serious and have now written four novels, two screenplays and dozens of short stories.

 

[Brendan Carroll]

As for the author, I'm a former newspaper journalist who has turned his love of writing to the fiction arena. I've been writing short fiction off and on for twenty years, but a few years ago I decided it was time to get serious and have now written four novels, two screenplays and dozens of short stories.

Hello Darkbow (great name, btw)! Looks very interesting. I love black and dark and ominous and mysterious, but what grabs me as a fellow author, of course, is the above mention of your former newspaper journalist. That sounds really interesting. Can you shed any light on that for us?

 

[Ty Johnston]

Well, since you asked ...

I was a professional newspaper journalist for the last 20 years. I've mainly been a manager, editor and page designer, but I've done some reporting and Web work. I've worked at papers with a circulation as small as 3,500 per day and as large as 250,000 per day. Fearing layoffs, about a year ago I left one paper to go work at another. Then six months ago got laid off anyway.

I've been writing short fiction for about 20 years, though suffered a 5-year bought of writer's block during that time. I beat the block about 7 years ago and since have written 2 screenplays, 4 novels and a bunch more short stories. I've had a decent number of stories published online and in magazines or anthologies. I've had a couple of near misses with my novels, but the current economy forced one publisher to back out of any deal and the other publisher just didn't have a slot available for me for the upcoming future. So, after telling myself for years that I'd never self-publish, now I'm publishing on the Kindle.

I've seen firsthand what the changing economic environment and technology has done to newspapers. This time I don't plan to sit around twiddling my thumbs and watch it happen to book publishers, too. I feel I'm at least on the curve if not ahead of it this time. Will it pay off? Time will tell.

Hope that was enough. If anyone wants to know anything more indepth, check out my blog or PM or e-mail me.

Thanks!

 

[Brendan Carroll]

I've seen firsthand what the changing economic environment and technology has done to newspapers. This time I don't plan to sit around twiddling my thumbs and watch it happen to book publishers, too. I feel I'm at least on the curve if not ahead of it this time. Will it pay off? Time will tell.
Thanks!

Thanks for the reply. Bummer about the layoff. My line of work never runs out of business and can only be taken over by just so much technology and until they actually invent Robocop, I'll have a job. Problem with my job is that I think of it as a hobby that gets in the way of my true calling. Unfortunately, the publishing world tends to ignore people from my neck of the woods. The internet has done wonders for me and even if I never get up New York way, it's OK because at least I can see my work reaching the readers for the first time and hope that someone enjoys what I have labored long producing for them. Best wishes for the future and I'll check out your blog. Brendan

 

[Ty Johnston]

Thought some epic fantasy fans might want to know ...

For a limited time, my e-novel City of Rogues is available for free over at Smashwords. Here's the link: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3221

How long will it be free? Probably until sometime this weekend. Sorry it's not for free at Amazon, at least not yet.

 

[Neo]

I was actually just looking at it a few days ago over on Amazon, but I only read completed series. And so I was wondering: Any idea of when volumes 2 and 3 of the trilogy may come out?

 

[Ty Johnston]

Actually, they are available. Here are the Amazon links:

Road to Wrath (Book II of the Kobalos Trilogy): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LISF38

Dark King of the North (Book III of the Kobalos Trilogy): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TG4NSI

And, it's not necessary for reading the series, but there is a prequel short story, Blade and Flame: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004GUSEGW

Thanks! If you read them, hope you enjoy.

 

[Neo]

Great, thank you so much for the links  !