Melkorka by Joshua Robertson "Cover Reveal"

We have a special treat for everyone that follows along with Dragon Knight's Book Promotion's events. Today we are doing a special cover reveal for Joshua Robertson and his soon to be released novel Melkorka. Check out this awesome interview and a little bit about the book & the author behind it.

Cover Reveal Interview with Joshua Robertson

What inspired the overall design of your cover?

The emblem on the front of the cover is the mirror image of the symbol of the Sun God in Melkorka. This is the most revered god during the events of the novel. I wanted a simple image for the theme behind the Thrice Nine Legends series. I could not be more pleased with the final outcome.

How many designers did you consider before you decided on Winter Bayne?

Crimson Edge has a handful of talented designers for covers and artwork. Honestly, we went through nearly ten diverse designs before settling on the current cover concept. The other options depicted different characters and scenes. Winter Bayne simply had a vision that encapsulated the overall story and it could be carried over into future novels in this series.

How did you come up with your title, “MELKORKA”?

Melkorka is the name of the castle that serves as the start of this tale. The word itself has some meaning, found in the thirteenth century Icelandic tale, Laxdaela saga. Laxdaela saga makes mention of Melkorka an Irish princess that was taken as a slave and pretended to be mute, hiding her identity, only to reveal later that there was more to her than what was on the surface. In many ways, Melkorka is a story that echoes the complexity in legend, suggesting to the reader that there is more than what appears on the surface. It seemed fitting for the first book in Thrice Nine Legends.

What genre does “MELKORKA”  fall into?

Melkorka is found in the dark fantasy genre. One should expect to find these memorable characters facing gruesome scenes of violence and barbarity, while seeking something greater than themselves.

Can you tell us a bit about the writing process you took for your first novel?

This novel was peculiar to write. It took a little under thirty days to write the rough draft. I scribbled a few brief thoughts on paper, including the overall plot synopsis, and then I just wrote. It was like I had an idea in my head and had to get it out on paper. Besides that, I kept my coffee pot full at all times.

What inspired the novel “MELKORKA” and its creation?

The sequel to Melkorka, Dyndaer, has been written and rewritten repeatedly over the past decade. In ten years, I have scrapped Dyndaer many times in frustration that I could get the story exactly how I wanted it. Then, I woke up one morning in December 2013 from an inspirational dream that presented the core to the story. Lo and behold, Melkorka was created, giving birth to the rest of the story. Fans should expect Dyndaer in 2016.

About Melkorka

Kaelandur was forged by the Highborn to slay one of their own, Nedezhda Mager. As their slave, Branimir Baran never thought to question his cruel masters until he is forced to take part in the execution. His actions begin a chain of events that will lead him to confront demons, cannibals, and himself as he is forced to question his own morality and the true meaning of good and evil.

About Joshua Robertson

Joshua began crafting the world for Melkorka in 1999, and has since continued writing flash fiction, short stories, poems, children’s books, and epic fantasy novels. Joshua is the author of the transitional children’s book, Bo Bunny and the Trouble. He is also the co-creator of the fantasy tabletop game, Thrice Nine Legends, due to be released in 2015. Joshua currently lives in Alaska with his wife and children.

How to Connect:

Facebook, Twitter, Website, & Crimson Edge

Melkorka Ebook Available for Pre-Order Now!

Character Interview w/ Grace Jameson

You face many trials over the years from childhood to adult life. Can you tell us which challenge was the hardest for you to face?

The hardest challenge, without doubt, was leaving my husband. I was terrified. I didn’t know where to go, or even if I would survive. I only knew that if I’d stayed he would have killed me sooner or later.

Throughout your books you come to inherit some very strong friends in Charlie and Derek. Could you tell us how you met each and, what your first impression was for the both of them?

I don’t think I could survive without either of them. We don’t often get to choose our family, but I chose mine and I know how fortunate I am. I like to think we were drawn together through a mutual need. Derek lost his sister, my best friend at the time, when we were still in High School. He adopted me as his own pretty soon after that, and Charlie came as part of the package!

Charlie always teased me in the beginning. He liked to pretend he didn’t want me around. But I knew he didn’t mean it, because it felt different to when my father said it. I suddenly had two big brothers who I knew instinctively would protect me and I behaved like any younger sister would – I followed them around and bugged the hell out of them!

In Hands of Evil, you find yourself with a strong support network. How do you think you would have fared if you didn’t have this through your journey?

I can’t imagine a world without my brothers, it would be a lonely, desolate place. But I’m a survivor, so I would have found a way out of the nightmare somehow. I’m not sure what that version of me would look like, I’m not even sure I want to know. Thankfully, I’ll never have to find out because there are people who see the good in others and who go that extra mile.

Character Interview w/ Jonathan Jukes

So, JJ it is noticeable throughout your book Hands of Evil, that you have a lot of training in the military. How did you come to obtain your military background?

My best friend, Andrew Butcher (Butch), persuaded me to sign up. We were pretty wild when we were kids, got ourselves into quite a few scrapes, so I think it was the only option. That discipline, you know, the sense of purpose. I would have followed him anywhere, but I’m glad I followed him into the Marines.

In your military record it states you served as a Royal Marine Commando. Could you elaborate on the kinds of duties this entails?

My main role was that of a sniper within a reconnaissance troop. Without getting too technical it means I have an expertise in weapons, field craft and observation – so knowledge of distances, terrain, that kind of thing. As a Marine I worked in extreme environments and was deployed to Iraq in 2003. During one of my tours I worked with the Commandos rifle company and was part of a two man team.

The Fifth Watcher Book Review

Melissa Barker-Simpson's first attempt at a self-published SFF novella is spectacular. She has created a unique and fascinating world with The Fifth Watcher, with characters that are dynamic and easy to relate to. I was drawn into the story right from the start. It's definitely a book I will read again and again.

The main character, Audrey Montgomery, spends her youth running from some danger she doesn't understand, but it all catches up with her. Throughout the story she is drawn into several parallel worlds where she discovers more about who she is and the truth about her life. Lieutenant Keith Delany is an Interdimensional Officer of the Law, or IDOL for short, who has been given the task of finding and protecting Audrey. He gets a bit more than he bargains for when he discovers that she is more important than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Time's Tempest Book Review

SUMMARY

Embarking as a guide into the death zones that are the Deserts, Taya leads a group of civilians who blindly follow a prophet obsessed with preventing the planet Xannia from environmental self-destruction. Here, Fate and Destiny wage war propelling an epic search for truth amidst 2000 year old lies, in opposition to a government bent on burying ancient secrets and anyone who goes looking for them.

As Taya desperately attempts to keep the prophet and his followers alive, this journey forces her to grapple with the circumstances of her past which have aligned to hurdle her into her darkest memories; making choices she never wanted to consider; learning truths she was never meant to know.

The Fifth Watcher 3-Day Blitz

The Fifth Watcher

by: Melissa Barker-Simpson

November 21st-23rd

Synopsis:

At the moment of Audrey Montgomery’s birth a new world came into existence. It is a barren place, a catalyst for the darkness spreading through the multidimensional system. The shift in power makes Audrey an invaluable pawn in a war between those who want to protect her and those who will go to extraordinary lengths to eliminate her.

As a result, she has spent her life on the run, unaware of her true origins. When her father dies and leaves her with a shocking legacy, her life is irrevocably changed. If she has any hope of surviving, Audrey must embrace her new reality and trust a man who is as dark and uncertain as the future itself.

Lieutenant Keith Delany, an Inter-dimensional Officer of the Law (IDOL), is tasked with bringing her in. It is an assignment his entire team is invested in, having spent years searching for her. As a senior member of the squad, Keith is charged with protecting her, with showing her the truth about her past, and with preparing her for an unknown future. As an IDOL he is responsible for every life, for every traveller who navigates the system. But his connection to Audrey is unprecedented, and he soon discovers she alone holds the power to prevent the continuum’s collapse.

Interview w/ Emily Ruth Verona

What inspired you to become a writer? 

I started reading really young and the bookstore my family went to was pretty small. By eight or so I'd run out of things I wanted to read and decided if I couldn't find a book I was looking for, I would simply write my own. At the time it seemed to make perfect sense. And then I just fell in love with it. Everything about story just fascinates me, from the characters to the conflict to the sentence structure. I've never loved anything the way I love a well-told story.