Spotlight & $50 GC Giveaway: Blood of Azure Series by Jonathan J Michael

Description of Blood of Azure Series

 

Four races with powers dictated by the seasons seek balance and prosperity. However, life instinctively primes itself for survival, and when one race commands the touch of death, all others fall in line. Tyranny plagues Azure as an immortal ruler governs the knowledge of the seasons and those wielding its power.

 

Four young protagonists, Stone, Jaymes, Goose, and Astor, each navigate their way to escape his shadow and reclaim their freedom. Simple ambitions for young souls. But little did they know, they would uncover the secrets the realm is built upon, and the unique talents they each carry. Their ignorance allows the knowledge of the seasons to escape into the world around them little by little, and with it, a power loosing anarchy upon the realm. A power most aren’t worthy of wielding. It is up to Stone and his companions to tame that power and reclaim the balance.

 

Four seasons to balance the land. Four sages to balance the life.

 

Description of Season of Sacrifice, Book 1

Description of Season of Suffering, Book 2

Read Excerpt II: Season of Sacrifice – Jaymes

 

I rush back to Ellia and Persia, bracing myself for another duel.

 

Ellia sits propped up against Persia. The last of the wolves are toppled over her. One with its lower jaw removed from its skull and another with her claymore protruding from its spine. She looks up at me with a cold, empty stare.

 

“You’re alive,” she mumbles.

 

I help her remove the dead weight and pull her to her feet. She’s missing a chunk of sinew on her thigh. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to stand.

 

Then, I remember the damage done to my own body. I look down to see I’m covered in blood. Much of it my own. My calf has a small bite, and my lacerations have reopened. The pain drops on me like an anvil as my berserk emotions fade. Exhaustion swathes over me, and my body gives out.

 

Ellia, on the other hand, not only remains standing but walks with a half-eaten thigh. She pulls a small jar from a pouch at her waist and rubs the contents onto her wound. She does the same for my wounds.

 

“Persia is worse off than us,” she comments.

 

I can’t help but admire her courage and strength. I’ve never met a woman I’ve aspired to be.

 

Interview with Author Jonathan J Michael

 

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Chocolate chip cookie dough. No doubt. It is always my go to for ice cream flavors. However, if I go to specialized ice cream shop, and they have birthday cake ice cream, that’s the one. And this is ultimately because I choose cake over ice cream.

 

Which mythological creature are you most like?

Ooh, a bit of self-reflection, fantasy style. This is tough because I’ve never met a mythological creature, so I’m going to have to base it off appearance. Let’s go with the manticore. Built stout like a lion; fearsome to all who refrain from getting too close; and capable of devouring those who cross it. But also soft and cuddly if you scratch it behind the ears.

Let’s be honest, though. I’m more like a gnome who hides in the woods and snickers at all the passerby’s, doing my best not to be noticed.

 

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you.

Redwall by Brian Jacques. Indelible not because of a good moral to the story or some lesson learned, but because it’s the first story that really captivated me and brought me into another world. I was maybe ten years old or so, reading about a great mouse hero, Martin, and a sinister rat villain, Cluny. I didn’t realize it at the time, but it’s the story that catapulted me into the fantasy genre.

 

How do you develop your plot and characters?

I think this will be everchanging until I find a stout and effective process that works for me. I’m still early in my career and have already experienced exponential growth from book one to book three.

I started as a pantster, thinking I was a plotter. I had several ideas typed out in a word document that was evolving as I wrote. To be clear, I had no idea what I was doing, and it took me about nine years to finish my first book, which I think is fairly common. Book two was much more organized, and I spearheaded this one with a mix between a pantster and a plotter, leaning more toward plotting. The second book took me about a year and a half to complete. And with book three, I’ve secured more of a process, and have definitely molded myself into a plotter. For the third book, I’m interviewing my characters to discover their darkest fears, their happiest moments, their deepest desires, all to pull out what I can yank and tug on to make them come to life. Instead of discovering it as I write, I’m planning it out. I use a scene list spreadsheet to keep myself organized.

 

Describe your writing space.

My writing space varies depending on the time of year. Fall through Spring, I have two spaces I write in. The primary location, which most successful authors might roll their eyes at me, is my couch. Tucked tight in the corner with my feet on the coffee table, my laptop on my lap, a cup of coffee (typically a vanilla latte) on the end table, and some scores playing on my smart speaker. I wake early before anyone else rises in my household, and this is a calm, quiet space for me.

The second place I write is at a boring desk with a window overlooking my back yard. Nothing special about it except my vanilla latte and my motion picture soundtracks playing on the smart speaker.

Third place I write, which only happens during the warmer months, is on the back patio. Sixty degrees at 5:30am. Blue skies. The sweet smell of honey wafting in from the nearby butterfly bush. Hummingbirds fluttering overhead in the hanging baskets. Soft chirps of the tweety birds bouncing around in the yard. Old pup hunkered into the couch next to me. A hot vanilla latte (sometimes iced). Feet up on a soft ottoman with my laptop in my lap, waiting for the sun to rise over the neighboring houses and force me back inside because I can no longer see my screen. This is my absolute favorite place to write.

 

About Author Jonathan J Michael

 

Jonathan J Michael was born and raised in the greater Seattle area in the scenic state of Washington. Jonathan is an advocate of science, nature, and exploration, which has a heavy influence in his debut series, Blood of Azure.

 

When I drive down the freeway, I often want to veer onto the backroads and head for the mountains. When I’m at an evening gathering, I’m eager to step outside and gaze at the stars. When I’m on a ferry, I’m at the guardrail staring into the depths wondering what kind of leviathans lurk below. I’m an explorer, and since I’m not on the next Crew Dragon headed for the ISS, fantasy novels let me have what I seek. I write to explore a world of wonder.

~ Jonathan

 

SOCIAL LINKS

Website: https://jonathanjmichael.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.j.michael.author

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_j_michael/

 

BUY LINKS

Season of Sacrifice – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08T1XV54W

Season of Suffering – Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NSM62N8

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

 

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