Welcome to the Brain to Books Cyber Convention and Book Expo 2018!
And the B2BCYCON Fantasy Tour!
This post appears as part of the “Brain to Books Cyber Convention & Book Expo Fantasy Book Tour”…
Running from April 6th through April 8th 2018 this online book event brings readers and authors together for a weekend of books, and book related events.
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The Elements That Define Fantasy For Me
There are many types of fantasy: epic, contemporary, urban, sword and sorcery, etc, and they all have different fundamentals and tropes that define each fantasy sub-genre. For me, though, they all have one connecting thread: elements of folklore and myth. Be it wizards and witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, hobbits, elves, dwarves, classic heroes and heroines, they all hearken back to the tales whispered about monsters and creatures, stories of legendary warriors, and prayers to the old gods.
That is the essence of fantasy for me. The stories of the worlds beyond, the creatures lurking outside your door when the sun goes down, or within the deepest darkest woods. It is the echo of our ancestors sitting by the hearth spinning tales, or telling of the beasts waiting for them if they venture past the campfire. It is quests and heroes, monsters and unicorns, fables, fairy tales and all the imagination tracing a clear path through the ages.
I personally weave quite a bit of folklore and myth into my fantasy stories (and my horror as well). Generally, I favour Celtic or Norse mythology, but for my latest book, Ghosts of the Sea Moon, I used Greek myth as inspiration, particularly the myth of Charon, the Greek ferryman of the dead. My short stories drip folklore with ghosts, faeries, vampires, banshees and more. These are the elements of fantasy for me: old stories woven into the new, keeping the traditions and the magic alive.
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As you may surmised, I’m participating this year in the fantasy genre (as well as in horror as I did last year)and I’ll be featuring my book Ghosts of the Sea Moon (Saga of the Outer Islands Book 1) You can check out more on the book and the rest of the upcoming series on its Book Page.
Here’s a little snippet from the Ghosts of the Sea Moon.
The day still spread beautiful across the horizon as they emerged from below deck, the brilliant sunshine beckoning to possibilities. Despite what occurred, the blue sky had not torn asunder, the sea did not rage, and the call of the seabirds echoed in the distance. The world still lived, and work still lay ahead.
“The day’s not done, boys.” Rafe’s voice boomed, words cutting across the warm sunshine and air like the prow of his ship through water. “There’s sailing yet to be had today, and more hard days to come. We have been called to war whether we want it or not. Set course, Mr. Anders, back to the nearest island temple. We’ll be checking in there as the first port of call.”
“Aye, sir. That’d be Black Shoals Temple. Laying in course, sir.”
He adjusted the helm and the ship’s bones creaked as it turned towards the islands. In its wake, it left churning seas and finality. On its horizon, an uncertain future.
You can also check out some of my other events:
Character Tournaments (Go Vote!)
And
The B2BCyCon 2018 Fantasy Instafreebie Giveaway!
Be Afraid of the Dark 
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