Category: Blog Tour

Blog Tour/Q&A: Killer of Kings by Matthew Harffy

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I’m delighted to host today’s stop on the blog tour for Killer of Kings by Matthew Harffy. This gripping, action-packed historical thriller is the fourth in Matthew’s Bernicia Chronicles series set in 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain.  I thrilled to say that Matthew has kindly agreed to answer some questions about the book, its inspiration and his approach to writing.

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KillerofKingsAbout the Book

AD 636, Anglo-Saxon Britain. Beobrand has land, men and riches. He should be content. And yet he cannot find peace until his enemies are food for the ravens. But before Beobrand can embark on his bloodfeud, King Oswald orders him southward, to escort holy men bearing sacred relics. When Penda of Mercia marches a warhost into the southern kingdoms, Beobrand and his men are thrown into the midst of the conflict. Beobrand soon finds himself fighting for his life and his honour. In the chaos that grips the south, dark secrets are exposed, bringing into question much that Beobrand had believed true. Can he unearth the answers and exact the vengeance he craves? Or will the blood-price prove too high, even for a warrior of his battle-fame and skill?

Book Facts

  • Format: ebook, paperback
  • Publisher: Aria Fiction
  • No. of pages: 310, 384
  • Publication date: 1st June 2017
  • Genre: Historical Fiction

Purchase links*

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nNItf2
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2nNEyPz
iBooks: http://apple.co/2ocWWEi
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2ocS2Y7
(links provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme)

Find Killer of Kings on Goodreads

Interview: Matthew Harffy, author of Killer of Kings (Bernicia Chronicles #4)

Killer of Kings is the fourth book in your Bernicia Chronicles series. What are the challenges of writing a series compared to a standalone novel?

I suppose the biggest challenges are to have a story arc and characters that make the series fit together as a long story, whilst ensuring that each book is satisfying as a standalone novel in its own right.

Without giving too much away for readers who have not yet discovered the series, can you tell us a bit about Killer of Kings?

The protagonist of the Bernicia Chronicles is Beobrand, a young man who, by the time we reach Killer of Kings, has become a renowned warrior and leader of men. This novel begins with him accompanying some monks south from Northumbria to East Anglia. Of course, trouble is never far away from Beobrand, and when he arrives in the south, war is already brewing and he finds himself quickly embroiled in a savage battle for survival.

Did growing up in Northumberland provide inspiration for your novels?

Yes! I only lived in Northumberland for a few years as a child, but the area had a profound effect on me. It is such a wild land, with reminders of the past all around, from the Roman remains of Hadrian’s Wall, to the medieval ruins of castles, such as Dunstanburgh. It is hard not to imagine our forebears walking the same rugged coastline and those windswept hills 1,400 years ago at the time my books are set.

The hero of your books is Beobrand. How has he developed as a character over the series?

He starts the first book, The Serpent Sword, as a rather naïve young man. He is rapidly thrown into the struggles and battles between the warlords of the different kingdoms of Albion. Over the course of the books he becomes a powerful man, with land and a war band. He is still impetuous and is quick to anger, but by Killer of Kings he is also wiser and begins to understand the deadly games the kings of the land play with the lives of their subjects.

How do you approach the research for your books? Do you enjoy the process of research?

I read all I can on the year or two I am writing about to find interesting historical events that I can use as the tent poles for the narrative of each novel. Then, after I’ve planned the plot of the story, I leave the detailed research for the first round of edits. Each time I reach a point in the story that has something I’m not sure of, I highlight it and return to it when I have completed the first draft.  I wouldn’t go as far as to say I enjoy the process of research, but I do love finding snippets of information that fit perfectly into the story I have envisaged. Sometimes something comes along that elevates the story and just fits perfectly. I enjoy that.

How do you think you would have coped living in 7th Century Britain?

I don’t think I would have survived for long. Certainly not in the violent times I portray in the Bernicia Chronicles.

Do you have a special place to write or any writing rituals?

I write in any place I can. Wherever I can sit with my laptop for an hour is a place I can write. The only thing I do is put on headphones and play classical music or nature sounds to help me concentrate.

What is your favourite and least favourite part of the writing process?

My favourite part of the process is finishing a novel! My least favourite is waiting for the first reviews!

Which other writers do you admire?

I admire more writers than I can list here, but authors I’ve discovered in recent years that have really impressed me are Toby Clements, Justin Hill and Robert Lautner.

What are you working on next?

I’ve almost finished the first draft of book five in the Bernicia Chronicles series, Warrior of Woden. Once I have finished that and done all the necessary edits, I’ll have a couple of months off from writing and then start on book six!

Thank you Matthew for those fascinating answers and for the great news there will be more adventures for Beobrand!

Harffy_MatthewAbout the Author

Matthew grew up in Northumberland where the rugged terrain, ruined castles and rocky coastline had a huge impact on him. Decades later, a documentary about Northumbria’s Golden Age sowed the kernel of an idea for a series of historical fiction novels. The first is the action-packed tale of vengeance and coming of age, The Serpent Sword, and the sequel is The Cross and the Curse. Matthew has worked in the IT industry, where he spent all day writing and editing, just not the words that most interested him. Prior to that, he worked in Spain as an English teacher and translator.  He now lives in Wiltshire, England, with his wife and their two daughters.

Connect with Matthew

Website: http://www.matthewharffy.com/
Twitter: @MatthewHarffy
Facebook: MatthewHarffyAuthor
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13701087.Matthew_Harffy

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Blog Tour/Giveaway: More Than A Soldier by D. M. Annechino

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I’m delighted to be today’s host on the blog tour for More Than A Soldier by D. M. Annechino. Subtitled One Army Ranger’s Daring Escape From the Nazis, it’s an exciting, vivid account of the true story of Angelo DiMarco’s exploits during World War 2. Read my review of this inspiring story below.

There’s also a giveaway with a chance for one lucky person to win a $25 Amazon gift card (US/Canada only). To enter, follow the link below. The giveaway runs until 24 June 2017.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/defcd44e284/

You can catch up with the other great bloggers taking part in the tour here

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MoreThanASoldierAbout the Book

Feeling a patriotic duty to defend his country after Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, seventeen year old, Angelo J. DiMarco, enlists in the U.S. Army. Severely short of frontline fighters, the Army rushes Angelo through Ranger training and sends him to Italy as part of the 1st Ranger Battalion. Their objective: stop the German invasion.  Fighting on the front lines in Italy, the Germans teach Angelo a sobering lesson on life when they capture him during the bloody battle of Cisterna. The poor living conditions and ill-treatment in the German prison camps quickly convince Angelo he has to find a way out. Against insurmountable odds, Angelo miraculously escapes in a way that stretches the imagination. He survives behind enemy lines for over five months, hiding from the Germans and trying to outmanoeuvre them. He begs for food, sleeps in barns and suffers from many ailments, including dehydration, malnutrition, malaria and exposure to the elements.  More Than a Soldier is Angelo DiMarco’s powerful story of survival, resilience and courage.

Book Facts

  • Format: ebook
  • Publisher: CreateSpace
  • No. of pages: 316
  • Publication date: 10th April 2017
  • Genre: Historical Biography

To purchase More Than A Soldier from Amazon.com, click here (link provided for convenience, not as part of any affiliate programme)

Find More Than A Soldier on Goodreads

My Review

As is often the case with war heroes, Angelo DiMarco kept his story to himself until close to the end of his life when he finally revealed it to his son.   The author, D. M. Annechino, has taken the facts of Angelo’s remarkable wartime experiences and crafted them into a compelling book, with Angelo as our engaging and credible narrator.

Posted to Sicily following his ranger training, Angelo experiences both the boredom and hardships of army camp life and the chaos and confusion of battle. The book depicts in vivid detail the true nature of frontline battle where fear is an ever present additional enemy.

‘The kind of fear that reaches inside your chest and squeezes your heart. The kind that lines the inside of your lungs with concrete so you can barely draw a breath. It steals every drop of saliva from your mouth so your throat is dry and on fire.’

Angelo knows it’s a case of kill or be killed but even knowing that, the enormity of the act weighs heavy on him as, for the first time, he lines up a shot on another human being – not a practice target – and places his finger on the trigger.

‘Any soldier who has yet to kill a man in combat tries to imagine what it will be like when the moment arises. There are no words to accurately explain how it feels to know than in a millisecond you will end a life; make his wife a widow; make his children fatherless; paralyze his family.’

The book does not seek to hide the horror of war or the conflicting emotions that arise following the death of comrades.

‘I felt great anger welling up inside me. Hatred actually. I wanted to kill every German soldier in the world. I wanted to even the score. I didn’t recognize the man thinking these dark thoughts and could only conclude that the war had finally transformed me from someone I once was to someone I might never recognize again….War is much more than a word that defines a conflict between nations. It’s a living, breathing predator, and its only goal is to devour your mind, body, and spirit.’

Nor does it pull any punches when it comes to describing the callous treatment of Angelo and his comrades at the hands of the Germans.   Providing a counterpoint to this is the sense of comradeship amongst the soldiers; they truly do become a ‘band of brothers’.

‘Fighting side by side and struggling to survive every minute of every day seals an unbreakable bond between men. One of the only benefits of war.’

This close bond makes it even more traumatic when comrades are killed or suffer life-changing injuries and we see the effect on Angelo of the death of close comrades.   And, on many occasions during his adventures, he himself is in imminent risk of death. However, along the way there are also lucky escapes, near misses and chance encounters with friendly locals. At times, the story read like a movie script and I had to remind myself that it was a true story. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the book got snapped up by a film studio. (They’d probably add a romantic Hollywood ending – you’ll no doubt guess what I’m thinking about when you read it.)

This is an inspiring story of heroism, comradeship and resilience in the face of the horrors of war.

I received a review copy courtesy of Italy Book Tours and the author in return for an honest review.

In three words: Thrilling, inspiring, action-packed

DMAnnechinoAbout the Author

Daniel M. Annechino, a former book editor, wrote his first book, How to Buy the Most Car for the Least Money, while working as a General Manager in the automobile business. But his passion had always been fiction, particularly thrillers. He spent two years researching serial killers before finally penning his gripping and memorable debut novel They Never Die Quietly. He has written and published five novels – all thrillers. But his latest work, More Than a Soldier, is a historical biography set in Italy during WWII. A native of New York, Annechino now lives in San Diego with his wife, Jennifer. He loves to cook, enjoys a glass of vintage wine, and spends lots of leisure time on the warm beaches of Southern California.

Connect with Daniel

Website https://dmannechino.wordpress.com/
Twitter https://twitter.com/DMHemingway
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/daniel.m.annechino
Goodreads https://www.facebook.com/daniel.m.annechino

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