Talon Windwalker's Blog

My 1st novel, Rise of the Djall, was recently reviewed by a blogger, and she conducted a short interview with me as well.  It's always fun to interact with readers, and when you get a glowing, 5-star review, well, that just makes my day even more!!

So please visit her blog and read what she had to say, and learn a little bit more about its author.  And, if you  haven't purchased the book yet, check her post for a 25% discount offer for her readers.

Happy reading!

Being eclectic can have its drawbacks.  I write like I read which means I tend to be writing more than one book at a time.  In addition to having begun work on a new contemporary fantasy book, which is still untitled, I have also begun a nonfiction book on spiritual care at the end of life (Death's Companion) and am working on a book discussing our preparations and first year of single-parent family world travel.



The new fantasy book is a very different story for me.  I tend to be more interested by epic fantasy, but this story is taking some interesting turns and is becoming a mix of contemporary and historical fantasy.  When I write nonfiction, I tend to write in the first person (I saw, I felt . . . ) because I really enjoy getting inside my main character's head.  I also tend to let my characters take shape on their own and develop by themselves.  I always enjoy when a character surprises me, and it's even more fun when they are so far from my usual personality.  Those are the ones that are even more enjoyable to write.

This story is also more dark than anything I've written before.  It reminds me of some of the short stories I wrote during my high school years MANY years ago.  But it is darker than even those stories.  I don't think our protagonist is probably one that will receive a lot of sympathy from readers.  He is unrepentant and fairly single-minded in purpose.  I can personally relate to the latter but definitely not the former.  So far the beta readers are really enjoying it which is a good sign.

I recently self published my first fantasy novel! It is the culmination of a lifelong dream.  I began the book during NaNoWriMo in 2009.  After that month of furious writing, I took a break from working on the novel to keep everything fresh and to make sure I was going in a direction I wanted.  Rise of the Djall was finally completed in the summer of 2012 while my son and I were traveling in Ecuador.  It is the first book in a probable two-book series.  Here is a description of the plot:

Vednis, a member of a mystical order, happens upon an unusual artifact in an unlikely location. The device gives him a vision that shakes him to the core. As he tries to decipher its origin and meanings, he unwittingly begins a quest to save the world from a demonic invasion, and he and his companions must also redefine everything they've held sacred in their lives.

So far it has received a 5-star rating on Amazon and 4.5 stars on Goodreads. Hopefully some other readers will begin reviewing it soon.

It is available on Smashwords in multiple formats, as well as on Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes & Noble for the NOOK.  It should be available for Sony readers and in the Apple store soon (waiting on their final formatting reviews).