Monday, July 16, 2012

Heirs of Prophecy Blog Tour: Guest Post & Giveaway


Today I'm thrilled to be kicking off the Heirs of Prophecy blog tour, hosted by Kismet, with a guest post from author Michael Rothman and a fabulous giveaway! First, let me tell you a little bit about Michael's book, Heir of Prophecy, which is also book 1 in the series:


The Riverton family had been enjoying a simple summer vacation when, through a fluke of nature, they found themselves in a strange new land.

The Riverton brothers quickly realize that in this world, they have gained unusual powers. Powers that their parents fear will attract the attention of Azazel himself - the merciless wizard who brutally controls this world.

The two brothers soon learn that an ancient prophecy has finally been initiated by their arrival in Trimoria. As the heirs of this prophecy, they are destined to lead the armies of men, dwarves, elves, and even a misfit ogre against the prophesied demon horde.

Only one thing stands in their way.

The evil wizard who has learned of their presence, and has sent assassins to wipe them from existence.


Purchase from: Goodreads | Amazon | IndieBound | B&N
View the book trailer HERE

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Heroes vs Villains- Which one is more fun to write and why?

What can I say, I am partial to villains in a story, but I think being a villain is oftentimes a misunderstood thing. 

For instance, if I told you that a man came out of nowhere and violently attacked somebody right in front of you, immediately ran away – leaving that person lying on the ground injured or possibly worse. That person might be thought of as a villain, right?

What if I told you that this person who attacked had learned his victim had threatened his family and was planning on killing them, so when he attacked the victim, he was truly just trying to protect his family.  So now the label of villain can be a bit harder to place on him, right? Maybe the victim was the real villain?

What if I told you that this person who attacked the stranger had gained information that was wrong, and the victim was really completely innocent? Well, the poor victim is clearly not a villain, but the attacker “thought” he was doing a good thing. The label of villain becomes kind of muddy.

Sometimes being a villain is a matter of perspective. Most good villains do not believe they are doing evil, even though most others might believe that they are.

In the stories I have written, of course we have both people we might label as “good” and others as “bad”. As an author, the challenge is to keep the character’s motivation distinct and believable from the perspective of the character. 

I’ve found that I enjoy writing the villain roles because at the end of each novel, I lead you down a path that oftentimes makes you question the opinions that you had formed of some of the characters. Somewhat like my prior example of the person attacking a stranger, with my villain in HEIRS OF PROPHECY, Azazel – you certainly are hit in the face with the prologue and can immediately form an opinion of what he is like. A deliciously unpleasant character with unknown motivations, and someone that others cower in fear from. By the end of the story, you might find yourself wondering a bit more about that character, and you definitely realize that not all things are ever as they seem.

I suppose that is what I enjoy about writing. It allows you to reel out a storyline that someone follows, and if you do things correctly, you allow for the reader to immerse themselves in the myriad of ups and downs that are wholly unexpected and provide for the entertainment that readers oftentimes clamor for.

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Book II in the Prophecies series




The TOOLS OF PROPHECY is the second volume in an epic saga which describes a prophecy that has placed the Riverton brothers in the lead roles of a struggle to save their world from being overrun by unspeakable horrors. This destiny requires that they face off with the demons that nearly destroyed their world over five centuries ago.

In the first book, the population of wizards had been practically eradicated by the former tyrant. The Rivertons are now charged with creating an Academy of Magic, recruiting qualified students, and furthering their own training with secrets that have long been held by the reclusive elves.

Despite their youth, a mysterious spirit has engaged them in an epic struggle to gain mastery of their newfound skills, help raise and train two armies, and stay alive long enough for their final showdown with destiny.

The only things that stand in their way are the assassins hired to destroy them and the Demon Lord’s minion who holds a personal grudge and intends to witness the young boys’ deaths.



About the Author Website  | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook


I am an Army brat and the first person in my family to be born in the United States. This heavily influenced my youth by instilling a love of reading and a burning curiosity about the world and all of the things within it. As an adult, my love of travel allowed me to explore many unimaginable locations. I participated in many adventures and documented them in what will be a series of books, the first of which you have just read.Some might put these books in the Fantasy genre, and I never had issues with this label. After all, the adventures were, without any doubt in my mind, fantastic. I simply quibble with the label of "Fiction" that some might put on these tales. These tales should be viewed as historical records, more along the lines of a documentary.I've learned one thing over the years. Magic is real. Keep exploring, and you too will find your magic.- Mike Rothman

The Giveaway:



Through out the duration of the Heirs of Prophecy blog tour, Michael is giving away 1 Kindle to one lucky blog tour follower! This giveaway is open to residents of the US & Canada only. To enter, please fill out the form below (which will be also be featured on each of the participating blogs).

a Rafflecopter giveaway 


Be sure to follow the rest of the tour via Kismet's Heirs of Prophecy Tour Page.


Don't miss my reviews for Heirs of Prophecy and it's sequel, Tools of Prophecy here.

9 comments:

  1. Heirs of the Prophecy sounds fantastic. I like the cover and the storyline. I like that the author enjoys writing villains. He brought up a lot of great points. The second book in the series looks great too.

    ~Jess
    http://thesecretdmsfilesoffairdaymorrow.blogspot.com/

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    1. Thank you for stopping by Jess! My review for book 1 for whatever reason didn't get posted on the day of the interview, but I'll have it and the review for book 2 up later this week!

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    2. Look forward to hearing what you though of the first book as well as the second. In fact, you'd be the first blog review of book #2 if posted this week. ;-)

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  2. Oh- and thanks for the giveaway!
    ~Jess

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  3. Heirs of the Prophecy sounds good. I enjoyed hearing why Michael likes writing about villains. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  4. Thanks for hosting this book. Can't wait to hear the review. I will cross-link from my blog as soon as I see it. Always love to hear what folks think, both good and bad.

    Thanks,
    Mike

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  5. Hi thank you for the giveaway. I am also a army brat and born overseas so i know how you feel. I would like this for me to take to my many dr appt i have since i am disabled thanks again Joannie jscddmj[at]aol[dot]com

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  6. My grandson would love this book!

    lag110 at mchsi dot com

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I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves. ~ Anna Quindlen

Good children's literature appeals not only to
the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.
~ Anonymous ~