Interview & Giveaway with T.K. Anthony

Books-n-Kisses is pleased to welcome T.K. Anthony to the blog to talk about her newest book FORGE.

 1.     T.K., can you please share with us a little about yourself

Hello, Kelly, and all the Books-n-Kisses’ readers! Thanks for having me over for a visit!

I was born and raised in Pennsylvania. I’ve also lived in Illinois, Virginia, Upstate and Central New York, and Massachusetts. I’ve gone through a few major life changes in the past year—amazingly—all good: sold my first book, got married, and moved to Texas, with my wonderful husband and two cats, Pip and Tazhret. Taz was a stray, and I named him after Keir, my hero in Forge. (No, really. When the book opens, Keir’s an unidentified amnesiac, and he’s called “Tazhret”—“Nameless” in the Tormin tongue.) For hobbies, I read, sing, pick guitar, bake, do crosswords and Sudoku, and travel to visit my and my husband’s tribes across the country.

2.     Have you always wanted to be an author?

Ever since I read “Little Women” in second or third grade. I idolized Jo March. In high school, I wrote a Hardy Boys fanfic for my best friend—I’m hoping she burned her copy. It was a long time before I tried writing any fiction again.

3.     What is your most interesting writing quirk?

My closest collaborators are my cats. When I first started writing, Pip, Squeak, and Taz took an active interest in the whole process. Squeak, sadly, has gone to her reward. But Pip and Taz still sit on the arm and back of my chair, or on the ottoman next to my feet—although Taz often nudges his way onto my lap and under the laptop. My keyboard gets so furry, my niece (highly allergic to cats) broke into a watery-eyed sneezing fit when she opened my laptop at her place!

 4.     Can you please tell us about your latest book(s)?

I’d be delighted! “Forge” is the first book of the Thrall Web series, and my first book, ever, so I’m just a tad enthused when anybody gives me an opening to talk about it!

Forge is a protectorate of the Scotian Realm, open to settlement from the peoples of neighboring star domains: the mind-blind reptilian Xern and Tormin amphibs, as well as the psychically gifted humans of the Realm. The shared colony, sitting in its nest of wormholes, is at the crossroads of the three star domains. Only the Scotian high king and a trusted few know the planet is also in the crosshairs of conquest. The high king’s father had Seen in a vision that an enemy is coming. An unknown race of psychic predators who will enslave all the three peoples, unless they can put aside their distrust and stand together in defense of Forge.

When the book opens, Keir is discovered naked, hung over and crashed on an illegal hallucinogen. The drug stripped his memory, leaving behind visions of dire enslavement in chains. Convicted of vagrancy and sentenced to indentured servitude on Forge, Keir lives out his dark dreams. Chain-hobbled and laboring under the whip of his abusive Tormin master, he wonders if another of his visions might be true: a beautiful woman who whispers to him he is not “Tazhret,” not “nameless.” He has a good name. A good life. He endures, surviving on hope and the scraps of kindness thrown him by his master’s mate. When another human shows up, Keir thinks his luck might have changed at last. But as he rediscovers his name, and the identity of his beloved, Nica, he never dreams the fate of Forge is entangled with his own, or what he will be called on to sacrifice in order to save it.

5.     How did you come with the idea for this story?

I’m still not sure. Although I made my living in the world of words for years in communications and human resources, I never considered myself a creative writer. I hadn’t met the Muse. Then I was laid off in a third round of downsizings, on my birthday (!) a week before my 84-year-old mother broke her leg. Instead of getting another HR job, I took on night nursing for Mom, without benefit of any medical training. During that incredibly stressful time, I finished an unpublished fanfic I’d been writing, off and on, for at least ten years for my own amusement. When it was done, I needed another escape hatch. I sat down with my laptop, opened a doc file called “don’t know” and described a picture in my head, which eventually became the second chapter of “Forge.” The Muse started talking to me, telling me what would happen next. The main characters got into a lot of trouble, and their challenges brought up themes I cared about, and was facing in very personal ways as I helped to take care of my mom: freedom, human dignity, the power and meaning of sacrificial love, suffering, and enduring courage. They kept talking until I had drafted two books and Mom—against all medical expectations—was back on her feet.

 6.     Can you share with us your current work(s) in progress?

I’ve begun editing the sequel to “Forge.” The working title is “Web of Destiny,” and it will complete this story arc in the Thrall Web series. I’m also in the middle of what I hope will be a short story (I never can tell until it’s done). An urban fantasy has been stirring in the back of my mind for about two years now, and it might be time to let it out….

 7.     Can you share with us something off your bucket list.

A lot of my bucket list has to do with travel—going places and seeing things. I’ve done quite a few road trips through the US, including the California coast and the southwest. But I’ve never seen the northern states, outside of Michigan. I’d love to road trip through the northern US and southern Canada. Or, go back to visit Scotland again!

 8. What is in your To Read Pile that you are dying to start or upcoming release you can’t wait for?

Lois McMaster Bujold’s newest in the Vorkoverse: “Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance.” Ivan Vorpatril has been standing in the shadow of his odd, brilliant, damaged, and driven cousin Miles Vorkosigan for decades now. I can hardly wait to see him step out into the light, and rise to whatever hairy scenario Bujold has tossed him into.

9.     Is there anything else you would like to add?

I just want to let everyone know that a comment here will enter you into today’s drawing for another Decadent Publishing title in the ebook format of your choice. Also, if you follow me on Twitter, &/or friend me on Facebook between now and October 12^th—mentioning “Forge blogtour”—you’ll also be entered into a drawing on October 13th (the day after the end of my blog tour), for a $20 Amazon gift certificate. If you both friend and follow, you’ll be entered twice. Good luck, everyone!

Thanks again, Kelly, for having me here to visit with you and all your readers. I love to hear from folks! You can find me on my website, www.scotianrealm.com.

I can also be found here: Website / Facebook / Twitter
Or, send me an email: tesskanthony@gmail.com

Warned by a Seeing…

The high king of the Scotian Realm expects the arrival of an enemy, a race of psychic predators bent on galactic conquest. The Realm’s one hope is alliance with the neighboring star domains in defense of a shared colony, Forge.

Caught in Fate’s grim weaving…

Mindblind, amnesic, Tazhret lives out his drug-induced visions of servitude on Forge. He wants to believe the beautiful woman with the nut-brown hair who whispers reassurances to his harrowed heart: “You have a name.” But is she even real? Or just one bright thread in his dark dreams?

An unexpected hope…

Tazhret’s destiny leads him to freedom and the woman he yearns for—and to a desperate struggle against the enemy.

Tazhret can save Forge, and the clan of his beloved. But only at the cost of all he has hoped for:

his name, his freedom, and his love for the woman with the nut-brown hair…

Excerpt:

Clenched in the grip of a fateful vision, the black web of Tazhret’s nightmare suffocated him, paralyzed him. While his heart pounded in terrified denial, the ensnaring net grew dense, and tight, cutting off all light, all sound…every breath of air. The nightmare shifted, and the web became chains, chains of red fire burning into his skin, binding him, crushing him in nameless enslavement to an evil will while his soul cried for freedom.

One thread of light, an answer to a desperate prayer, shone in Fate’s grim weaving of a dark future.

She was beautiful. She gazed at him, her luminous amber eyes sorrowful in a pale face framed by dark hair. She insisted against all evidence, You have a name. A good one.

He knew he loved her. His heart ached for her.

He wondered who she was.

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