Frank Dorrian's Blog

Heya everyone! Apologies for the radio silence! I’ve been extremely busy with the day job, life, and writing the follow up to Horns of the Hunter.

I’m going to post a proper update later this week or early next week on my writing, along with an educational post for other writers on a technique I recently tried out and had some immense success with, but for today I’m going to give you all a nudge on another giveaway I’m taking part in with SFF Book Bonanza.

If you sign up to my newsletter in November (get in quick before the month’s out) through the link below, you’ll be entered into a prize draw to win a Kindle Paperwhite!

This comps also open to anyone who’s already subscribed to my newsletter, as a thank you from myself for supporting me!

http://sffbookbonanza.com/kindle-giveaway-nov-2021/

Thanks all! I’ll be back soon!

Hi all! Been a little while again, sorry! I’ve been busy knuckling down at the dayjob in the aftermath of Horns of the Hunter‘s release.

While I’m working on both the dayjob and also on King of Embers (coming along nicely and epicly, I might add, aiming to be finished with the first draft by the end of the year), I’ve decided to start up a newsletter to help keep my readers and supporters better informed of developments with my writing and my upcoming releases! Yay!

To celebrate my new newsletter, I’m hosting a $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway for anyone who signs up to it, hosted by SFFBookBonanza.com!

Check it out – to be in with a chance of winning just click the link (or pic) below and follow the (very simple) instructions to sign up for my newsletter:

http://sffbookbonanza.com/25-dollar-amazon-gift-card-giveaway-11/

Don’t worry – it’s totally legit, I organised this and this is something SFFBookBonanza.com has been kind enough to host for me, and you’ll be in for a chance of winning if you sign up! I’ll be doing more of these sorts of things in the future too, so keep an eye out

This giveaway is open to anyone who signs up and to anyone already signed up to – you just need to enter through the form in the link.

Thanks all, I’ll be back soon with an update on King of Embers

*Trumpets*

Huzzah! Horns of the Hunter is finally here! At last! It’s finally, finally, finally release day! My first book in 4 years!

I honstly can’t put it into words just how good it feels to finally be an active author again. I’ve been waiting for this day every since Scars of the Sand dropped in September 2017, and at times I came very close to giving up after the slog that was the 1st draft of In His Darkened Halls (still to come, don’t worry I’ve not abandoned The Weaving Shadows like some have previously said – quite the opposite, I’ve just needed a break) and the difficulties in my personal life from 2017-2018. But Horns of the Hunter is finally here, I’m still writing, and I’m back at last

Thank you everyone who’s helped me with this project or contributed to it, right from the bottom of my heart – thank you. It’s received rave reviews from my peers and ARC readers, its exceeded my previous best selling preorder (To Brave the End) by 111.11% (I know that’s a weird figure but that’s how its worked out. Yes, I did the maths) and I’m already starting to get reviews rolling in. To say I’m happy is an understatement. Thank you, everyone!

So yes, it’s out, and yes, I’m going to plug it again. If you weren’t one of the awesome people that ordered Horns of the Hunter, you can still be an awesome person and grab it at the link below:

https://getbook.at/HornsOfTheHunter (universal link)

It’s available in eBook, paperback and on KU!

Thanks again everyone. Tonight, I’ll be relaxing mostly after a tough, busy year. From tomorrow, I’ll be picking back up with Book 2 in the Tales of Luah Fáil series – King of Embers.

Hi all! Forgive my ongoing abscence – the day job’s had me seriously busy for a good long while.

But it’s almost here – Horns of the Hunter is finally about to drop, and I am beyond excited to see a wider audience’s reaction to it at last. It’s already exceeded every single one of my expectations after being off the radar for so long, so I honestly can’t wait.

5 more days to go – it goes live on 27/7/2021 in eBook and paperback on Amazon – linkydinky below if anyone wants to preoder ahead of next week:

https://getbook.at/HornsOfTheHunter

Thank you everyone who’s preordered, alpha and beta read, shared a link, dropped a comment – you’ve all been a great help and it’s fucking good to be back at last!

Horns of the Hunter gets its first blogger review, courtesy of Justin at Fanfiaddict, and it’s an absolute belter! Some truly humbling words about a little book I conceived while day-dreaming about two giants kicking seven shades out of each other. Thank you mate

FanFiAddict - A Bookish Blog

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Word up, y’all, happy May.

So, Horns of the Hunter is currently up for Pre-Order on Amazon (releasing 27/07/2021 – grab it HERE to support ya boy Frank), and I’m currently nuts-deep in writing the follow up to it (King of Embers – aiming to have 1st draft done before summer’s out, currently at circa 26k out of a target of 100k). So while I’ve not much news of my own to share today, I thought I’d post a review of a book I finished reading in April – Dragon Mage by the incredibly talented M. L. Spencer.

Review below:

I’ll cut straight to the chase – Dragon Mage by M. L. Spencer is a modern day classic, there’s no doubt about it. I absolutely loved this book, and I’m not usually one for the more conventional forms of fantasy – but it’s literally that fucking good. Dragon Mage has already had an enormous amount of praise (just look at the Goodreads rating/reviews it has!), and tbh I can only repeat what other people have already said on that site and agree immensely with them.

A large amount amount of this book’s punch is that, as others have stated, it’s main protagonist (one Aram Raythe) has ASD, and M. L. Spencer works it into his character ingeniously. Aram‘s presentation throughout the book is extremely convincing, from mannerisms right down to behaviour and quirks, and he’s a fascinating protagonist and one you end up routing for consistently from start to finish.

Aside from the protagonist, M. L. Spencer‘s new world is wonderfully detailed and fascinatingly crafted, being the result of a cataclysmic split prior to the events of the novel. Its magic systems are also intriguing (and unique – knots?? No idea how she came up with the idea, but it’s fantastic and works a charm) and varied.

I’ve been reading M. L. Spencer‘s books since 2017, starting with Darkstorm in her epic Rhenwars Saga, and have been a fan ever since (check out the Rhenwars Saga HERE). Her writing has evolved over the years, and while I wouldn’t call this book grimdark (though it does have its grim bits), it is a work of art, inspired, and surpassing many of the genre classics by a long shot.

According my yam-based rating system, I award Dragon Mage the following Yam Score:

5/5 yams without question: Yammelujah!

You can grab a copy of Dragon Mage by M. L. Spencer HERE on Amazon.

Peace out for now y’all! I’ll be back soon with an update on my writing and the approaching release for Horns of the Hunter.

Horns of the Hunter Release Date: 27/07/2021

Hi all! 2 posts in one week. I’ve gone mad with power.

Anyhoo, after last week’s cover unveil via the extremely kind Mihir Wanchoo at Fantasy Book Critic (eternally grateful mate) and the enormously positive reception the cover had among those who saw it, I thought I’d post it here!

Along with a sneaky pre-order link, for yano, anyone who wants to pre-order the Horns of the Hunter eBook )

But, behold! The eBook cover to Horns of the Hunter! (Artwork by Felix Ortiz www.artstation.com/FelixOrtiz / Graphic Design by Shawn T. King www.stkkreations.com)

Ain’t she a beauty?

Felix Ortiz did an amazing job capturing the likeness of Náith and Luw mid-battle. Shawn T. King‘s design work is just unreal too, it absolutely tops the whole thing off for me, and take a look at the paperback cover below:

Shawn T. King blew me away with his design work for the paperback. The style of the typography, the diagonal slash-effect to the writing and the little horn effect on the O in Horns… just… awesome.

Horns of the Hunter PRE-ORDERS

Horns of the Hunter is up for pre-order! It’s releasing in eBook and paperback on the 27/07/2021! eBook will be priced at £2.99/$3.99.

If you want to grab yourself a copy, please give this link a click: https://amzn.to/3eAitPU

Here’s the blurb for anyone who wants to read before putting an order in (it’s also on the sweet ass paperback image above):

‘An age of myth. A bitter feud. A storm of legend.

It is the closing days of the Enkindled King’s wars for Earthblood, when a cycle of violence and hatred sparks a bitter feud in his shadow.

Náith, the Warrior. Luw, the Hunter. Cast aside and burned by their lover’s betrayal, the two find themselves trapped in a bloody struggle for the affections of Síle, the Maid of Mael Tulla.

Cherished as a healer and bringer of verdant life to barren lands, Síle stands as a mystery unto all – even those who would claim her heart. For one so gentle and kind, secrets and bloodshed swarm about her like flies upon a corpse.

Consumed by hatred and heartache, both Náith and Luw will take the darkest of trials and challenge death itself, unaware of the true game being played.

A storm beyond imagining waits for the Warrior and the Hunter. One that will decide the fate of Luah Fáil.’

Once again, thank you to everyone who’s waited patiently while I’ve been writing over the last few years, it feels amazing to finally get another book out there. Hopefully you all enjoy it, I’m looking forward to seeing what a wider audience thinks of Horns of the Hunter!

ALSO – if you want some news on the Weaving Shadows series, please check out last week’s Q&A cover reveal with Mihir Wanchoo at Fantasy Book Critic! (Some exclusive deets are contained within the interview) Check it out HERE.

Thanks all! I’ll be back soon with some further writing updates and a nudge on Horns of the Hunter‘s release date!

Disclaimer:

As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post, at no extra cost to the buyer, it’s just a way to help monetise my blog and help me make a living from my writing! 

 All opinions remain my own.

Hello all!

Forgive the absence (in keeping with form), I’ve been hard at work on finalising everything for Horns of the Hunter. But anyhoo, I’m very happy to say, it’s good to go, and you can find the exclusive cover reveal with Fantasy Book Critic in the link below, along with an interview with yours truly on the book, the cover and my writing!

http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.com/2021/04/exclusive-cover-reveal-q-horns-of.html

Please, please, please give the link above a click. Felix Ortiz created some unbelievably fantastic artwork for my book, and Shawn T. King‘s design work and cover typography is also just incredible, especially for the paperback version (which I’ll be posting tomorrow). I am also incredibly grateful to Mihir Wanchoo at Fantasy Book Critic for hosting the cover reveal, he’s a great guy and I’m extremely grateful to him for the opportunity.

And finally… I’m super stoked and happy to announce that Horns of the Hunter will release on the 27th of July 2021, just over 3 months from now. I’ve been getting immensely positive feedback from everyone that’s read the book already, and I’m dying to see what a wider audience thinks of it. This will be the first book I’ve released in 4 years, and I honestly can’t put into words how good it feels to be finally getting something out there again.

There’s a pre-order link at the top of the cover reveal article, if you want to pre-order the book and grab yourself a slice of #ImmortalCombat , please give it a click! It’s also on Kindle Unlimited for anyone who’s a customer!

If you’re a reviewer or book blogger, I’ve also got eARC copies of Horns of the Hunter available should you be interested in reading it!

A full blurb for the book can be found below:

‘An age of myth. A bitter feud. A storm of legend.

It is the closing days of the Enkindled King’s wars for Earthblood, when a cycle of violence and hatred sparks a bitter feud in his shadow.

Náith, the Warrior. Luw, the Hunter. Cast aside and burned by their lover’s betrayal, the two find themselves trapped in a bloody struggle for the affections of Síle, the Maid of Mael Tulla.

Cherished as a healer and bringer of verdant life to barren lands, Síle stands as a mystery unto all – even those who would claim her heart. For one so gentle and kind, secrets and bloodshed swarm about her like flies upon a corpse.

Consumed by hatred and heartache, both Náith and Luw will take the darkest of trials and challenge death itself, unaware of the true game being played.

A storm beyond imagining waits for the Warrior and the Hunter. One that will decide the fate of Luah Fáil.’

Hello all,

While I’m putting the finishing touches to my next book, Horns of the Hunter, I thought I’d give a shout out to my followers/readers about a fellow author (one they may have heard of) who’s currently running a sale on her books – A.M. Justice.

Both books in her series, the Woern Saga, are currently on sale for the absolute steal of 99p (or 99c if you’re over the other side of the pond) for the next 4 days. A.M. Justice is an absolutely fantastic writer, and also happens to be a very well-respected judge on the allmighty annual contest hosted by the one and only Mark Lawrence – SPFBO (or Self-Published Fantasy Best Of, for anyone unfamiliar with the term), and also a reviewer for the eponymous Fantasy Faction.

Anyhoo, you can grab both books in the saga through the link below while they’re on sale:

https://amzn.to/3b6pF5Y

How cool are those covers, though? I think my fave’s gotta be book 2, I’m a sucker for rich green.

For those who are interested in a swift little purchase of the above, here’s the blurb from book 1 (no book 2 blurb in case of any spoilers):

‘From Book 1: Wizards are forged, not born.

Victoria of Ourtown lived through a nightmare to become the ruthless soldier known as Vic the Blade. Once she wished to explore the world settled by her spacefaring ancestors; now she thinks only of revenge.

Prince Ashel’s carefree days are filled with music, revels, and dreams of a life with Vic. Those hopes die when the thrust of an assassin’s knife drives him to war.

The target of Vic’s and Ashel’s wrath is Lornk Korng, a tyrant whose schemes stretch across a continent and a lifetime.

A mysterious alien race holds the key to a legendary—and lethal—power. Whoever possesses this power will hold the world in their hands. Will they save it, or doom it?

A gripping tale of empowerment and revenge plays out against a breathtaking backdrop of dark fantasy and science fiction.’

Give ’em a go, you won’t regret it if you’re a fan of female-led fantasy action!

Thanks all!

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post, at no extra cost to the buyer, it’s just a way to help monetise my blog and help me make a living from my writing! All opinions remain my own.

Hello everyone, Happy March.

Just a brief writing update, to say that I’m currently working through the final edits of Horns of the Hunter at present, after receiving them back from my editor, the extremely talented Sarah Chorn. I’m about 50% through at this point, and with only a few more bits to do aside from the editing – i.e, cover finalisation, internal map, formatting, cover reveal, ARCs, initial reviews etc, I’m finally starting to see the light with this book. Time’s flown, but I started it a year ago next month, and I can’t wait to get it out there at last – the initial responses to it have been absolutely fantastic, encouraging and seriously heartwarming after so many years with no releases under my belt. I’m back y’all!

In between editing Horns of the Hunter, I’m also working on the follow up to it, King of Embers. Presently it’s about about 14,000 words, and as I’ve said previously I’m anticipating a similar length to Horns of the Hunter, or about 70,000-72,000 words all in all. Hopefully I can get it done and out there this year, but if not then early 2022 will probably be when it gets on the shelf.

I’ve got plans for a 3rd book in the series too, which doesn’t have any name other than a loose one floating round my head for the time being, but has a fairly concrete story I can work with. I’ve got some other loose plans for what might be a 4th book or add-on/companion novella to the series too, with a bit of a different take to it, but we’ll get there when we get there with that one.

Also, I recently decided to give monetising my blog a go, as in, I’ve become an amazon affiliate, so you may start to see paid links to amazong pages appearing in some of my posts – don’t worry though, I’m no scammer and I’m not a spammer (as you probably know from the months-long gaps between posts, if you read my blog). It’s just another way to help me make a living from my writing (I get an extra, very small, commission if someone buys one of my books through an affiliate link I share. Every little helps when you’re a writer, trust me) and if I can help direct some traffic to other writers by sharing links to their books or products with my readers then all the better. It’ll all be in-keeping with writing and books though, don’t worry (and also some music, I do enjoy my music and talk about it a lot on here, after all). And, of course, all opinions will remain my own and not be influenced by anything affiliate related.

So, anyway, hopefully Horns of the Hunter will be out roughly around summertime – no set date as of yet (it’s ready when it’s ready), but it won’t be much longer. The next few months, definitely.

SO – a favour to ask – if you’re one of the awesome people who’d like to do me a review, and want to be on the ARC list, drop me a message and I’ll send you an E-ARC when they’re ready to have eyes on ’em!

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with my latest choice in writing music – Hellbound by Pantera. I’ve been rediscovering my youth the last couple of weeks with Pantera, they were one of the first metal bands I ever got truly into when I was 16. Takes me way back. Reinventing the Steel was my fave album by them, and the 20th Anniversary Remaster is an absolute belter, the song takes me way, way back to when I first discovered metal:

(Here’s one of those paid links I mentioned. Yay) If you’re one of the people who still buys phyical copies of music and wanna grab the album yourself, get it here: https://amzn.to/3q8BvRq

*Disclaimer*: As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post, at no extra cost to the buyer – it’s just a way for me to monetise my blog and help me make a living as a writer All opinions remain my own