Necromancer Blog Tour (+$20 Amazon GC Giveaway!)

Title: Necromancer

Author: Graeme Ing

Series: N/A

Pages: 322

Date Published: August 9th, 2014

Publisher: N/A

Format: Paperback

Genre: Paranormal

Source: Goddess Fish Blog Tour
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Synopsis:

A primeval fiend is loose in the ancient metropolis of Malkandrah, intent on burning it to a wasteland. The city's leaders stand idly by and the sorcerers that once protected the people are long gone.

Maldren, a young necromancer, is the only person brave enough to stand against the creature. Instead of help from the Masters of his Guild, he is given a new apprentice. Why now, and why a girl? As they unravel the clues to defeating the fiend, they discover a secret society holding the future of the city in its grip. After betrayals and attempts on his life, Maldren has reason to suspect everyone he thought a friend, even the girl.

His last hope lies in an alliance with a depraved and murderous ghost, but how can he trust it? Its sinister past is intertwined in the lives of everyone he holds dear.

~Guest Post!~

Worldbuilding refers to the careful construction of a rich, detailed backdrop for your stories. It is most often applied to sci-fi and fantasy but can equally be used to enrich paranormal, historical fiction or other genres.

I believe that the secret to worldbuilding is treating your setting like another character. Don’t just make it window dressing. Weave the details of your setting into your descriptions - never infodump it. The setting must come alive and affect your characters and the plot. Don’t describe an elaborate pantheon of Gods and their intricate temples if your hero doesn’t interact with its priests, or enter the temple. Maybe the Gods themselves play a part in your story. Are multiple languages spoken in your world? Great, then show us. Have your character desperately trying to gain freedom from a group of bandits, even though he doesn’t speak the language. What if your heroine can’t stop eating a certain food, even willing to waylay her plans to get it? You’ve just added tension and made her character more nuanced.

Make your setting pivotal to your story and characters, not just an afterthought. Make it real and believable to the reader.

Here are just a few of the items I consider when fleshing out my worlds:

• Food and drink - Be creative. Don’t stick to beer, bread and cheese. What about spiced fish, flambéed monkey, demon tentacle soup? Are certain foods taboo or sought after?
• Politics - What is the balance of power: Monarchy, republic, priesthood, federation, empire, anarchy? Who influences the ruling powers behind the scenes? Politics is always ripe with corruption and intrigue. Bring that out in your plot.
• Clothing - Are groups and tribes self-identified by fashion, hairstyles, jewelry, etc.? What can your characters learn or assume (perhaps wrongly) by the clothes of strangers?
• Geography - Is your story set in a single kingdom, a single town, or does it span an entire continent or world, or solar system? How is the city laid out? Where do the rich live, the poor, the artisans? Is it on a river, or the ocean or high in the mountains? How does terrain affect the movement of your characters?
• Religion - Is there a single God or a pantheon, and if the latter, how is each God perceived and what is their sphere of influence? Are people deeply religious? Fearfully so? Does religion influence social interactions?
• Architecture - Minarets, spires and lofty turrets evoke an air of mysticism and an exotic locale. Grim, drafty castles evoke a Dark Ages feel. A narrow, cobbled street flanked by looming tenement building reminds one of Dickensian London. What do gleaming, glass skyscrapers say about a culture vs. living in caves?
• Climate - Is your land in a perpetual snowstorm or baking in the sun? Is there extreme weather, such as sea storms believed to be monsters, or winds that destroy any structure above ground?
• Trade - Imports, exports. How are goods transported: by river, by caravan, by giant bird? Are certain goods embargoed or smuggled on the black market? Are their guilds or cartels or open “freeports”?
• Races - Is everyone a human or are their other races, and how do they get along? Who are the minorities, the persecuted? How does each race perceive the world?
• Languages - Multiple languages can make a place feel cosmopolitan. Create tension through misunderstandings.
• Creatures - Do people ride horses, oxen, fly on the backs of giant birds, or ride gigantic lizards? What are the predators? Maybe humans are the prey? Perhaps dinosaurs roam the land, or demons that scorch everything in their path. Consider how the worms shaped the story of Dune.
• Astronomy - Think outside the box: Multiple moons, maybe multiple suns. What if asteroids fell continually or the planet had rings? What if a perpetual overcast cleared for the first time in centuries - how would people react to the shining points of light in their sky? 

Break out of the clichés and work hard to create a unique setting. Your readers will love it and want more.

~Try an Excerpt!~

“My brother was running Gold that night. Died of ’is burns. Yer come to ’elp ’is widow pay ’er bills?”

He swung the flagon at my head. I dodged and it smashed against my shoulder, drenching me. His fist was like a sledgehammer against my stomach and I doubled over, blowing out all my breath. I half turned before a stick cracked on the inside of my knee, knocking out my left leg. I crashed to the floor, sending a chair flying. You asked for this, Maldren, you fool.

The mob closed in. Their dirks remained in their scabbards, but I imagined their fists would do more damage. I made no attempt to go for my own knife or else they would kill me. There was a risk that they might in any case. I tried to roll away under the table but One-eye stamped on the same leg, and kicked me in the kidneys. Pain lanced through me.

“Oh, come on,” I cried, hand clutching my side. “I’ll pay for information. No need to break bones.”

One-eye reached down, grabbed the front of my robe, and dragged me to my feet. I groped desperately for something to hold on to.

“Should’ve brought yer skeleton army,” he said, causing his friends to guffaw.

He smashed his head into my nose. Blood spurted all over us. The metallic taste was disgusting. The room spun around me, and for a moment One-eye had two eyes. He released his grip on my robe as if flicking away a spider, and I crumpled onto the floor again.

“Aren’t you going to cast a curse on us?” someone shouted.

“He’s too craven to fight back.”

I moaned and blew blood from my nose.

“I told you, I’m trying to help. Just listen, will you?”

“I’ve heard about enough from you.” He kicked me in the side again.

I wouldn’t take any more. Lak curse them all!

I grabbed One-eye’s boot and yanked him off balance. He careened into the bargee beside him, and I twisted his ankle as they both went down. Then I slithered under the table and pushed up on it with my back, walking it forward until its edge smashed two of them in the face.

Can’t go down without a fight, but my odds were worse than a virgin in a bikka den.

~Meet Graeme!~ 

Graeme Ing engineers original fantasy worlds, both YA and adult, but hang around, and you’ll likely read tales of romance, sci-fi, paranormal, cyberpunk, steampunk or any blend of the above.

Born in England in 1965, Graeme moved to San Diego, California in 1996 and lives there still. His career as a software engineer and development manager spans 30 years, mostly in the computer games industry. He is also an armchair mountaineer, astronomer, mapmaker, pilot and general geek. He and his wife, Tamara, share their house with more cats than he can count.

If you want, you can find Graeme elsewhere on the interweb! Find him at his website, blog, Facebook Page, Twitter page, Google+, Goodreads, and Amazon!

Graeme will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.

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