If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably heard of Aldrea Alien, my NZ CP whose books I love. She’s out with another, and I have to say, I certainly enjoyed this one. It’s got the feels, the magic, the world-building, and excellent writing. I’m happy to be part of her blog tour to introduce to you all: In Pain and Blood.
I’ve got Aldrea here answering a few questions.
Thanks for stopping by, Aldrea!
Thank you for having me on your blog today.
So tell me, why do you write Fantasy? Because real-world constraints bore me… Nah, I’m kidding. Sort of. I like to build words and the fantasy genre allows me to fully take the reins and do whatever I like. Although, I do try to stick to real-world boundaries when it comes to physics… as much as you can when magic’s involved.
Where do your ideas or inspiration come from? Hoo. All over, really. In Pain and Blood is a combination of music, Disney movies, video games and likely a handful of fantasy tropes either written straight or turned onto their butts.
Are you a methodological author (already plot the whole series, including how many books each series will have) or just a go-with-the-flow and see where the plot takes you kind? I’m a bit of both. In a single book, like to plot as much as I can, be sure to hit certain points, but if something I’ve not previously thought of pops up (looking at you Tracker, you dang fool), then I tend to roll with it and let the characters do whatever. When it comes to series, most often the first book will be a standalone conception and the rest of them start to form as I get closer to the end of book one.
What do you find unique/special about the characters of this book? Like in a quirky kind of way? Dylan has a thing for flat cakes that borders on obsession (especially is covered in cream and syrup). Whilst Tracker has a fear of natural-made tunnels, not caves, just tunnels.
Tell us some of your favorite fantasy books/authors. Just some? *chuckle* All right, I’ll be nice: Andre Norton’s Witchworld series, Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series and Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series… heh, can you tell I like long series?
Can’t say I blame you there! Thank you so much again for stopping by. And now, a bit about the book.
It wasn’t meant to be like this.
Dylan’s life in the spellster tower has everything he should want: magical knowledge, safety from the King’s Hounds and frequent clandestine affairs with women. All at the cost of his freedom. So when the chance to leave the tower—even as a leashed weapon for the King’s Army—arises, he seizes it.
When his first scouting mission goes awry, Dylan is left alone in a hostile world with the tower a distant beacon of safety. Only the flirtatious Tracker, an elven man whose very presence awakens Dylan’s long-repressed desire, can help him return to his old life before the crown discovers his unleashed status.
But the risk of being branded a deserter may be the least of his concerns as whispers of an armed presence in the North threatens his home. Dylan must rely on Tracker to protect him even as everything he thought he knew begins to unravel around them.
Genre/s: Epic Fantasy M/M Romance
Length: 309000 words/740 pages
It’s a standalone story and first in a series of standalones.
Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Aldrea Alien is a New Zealand author of romantic speculative fiction of varying heat levels. She grew up on a small farm out the back blocks of a place known as Wainuiomata alongside a menagerie of animals, who are all convinced they’re just as human as the next person (especially the cats). She spent a great deal of her childhood riding horses, whilst the rest of her time was consumed with reading every fantasy book she could get her hands on and concocting ideas about a little planet known as Thardrandia. This would prove to be the start of The Rogue King Saga as, come her twelfth year, she discovered there was a book inside her.
Aldrea now lives in Upper Hutt, on yet another small farm with a less hectic, but still egotistical, group of animals (cats will be cats). She self-published the first of The Rogue King Saga in 2014. One thing she hasn’t yet found is an off switch to give her an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind, a list that grows bigger every year with all of them clamouring for her to tell their story first. It’s a lot of people for one head.
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Are you a fantasy reader? Do you enjoy standalone novels? Have you picked up In Pain and Blood yet?
Sounds like a great read. Congratulations. Great interview.
Great stuff! Congrats on the new release!
Yes, fantasy is great for making worlds where your rules apply 😉
Sounds like an interesting read.
Man, just going back through the tags. 2013 was the first post. 2013! It really doesn’t feel that long.
Sounds interesting! Enjoyed the interview 🙂
It was nice to learn more about Aldrea. Sounds like she’s a great CP. Happy holidays to both of you.