Interview with Andrew Q. Gordon, author of The Last Grand Master - Win a Kindle Voyage!

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The last grand master Title: The Last Grand Master (Champion of the Gods #1)
Author: Andrew Q. Gordon
Publisher: DSP Publications
Pages: 350
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Paperback/Kindle

 In a war that shook the earth, the Six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For the three thousand years since, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity.

 But then a new wizard unleashes the power of Neldin. Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, uses dark magic to create an army of creatures to carry out his master's will.

 One by one, the sovereign realms fall. Soon the only wizard who can stop Meglar is Grand Master Farrell, the Prince of Haven, the hidden home of refugees. An untried wizard, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar-or it could destroy the world.

 While helping Nerti, queen of the unicorns, Farrell saves Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen to be Farrell's mate. But Farrell approaches love with caution, and before he can decide how to proceed, Meglar invades a neighboring kingdom. Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Farrell pushes himself to the limit as he and Miceral fight not only to stop Meglar but for their very survival.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Q: Welcome to The Writer's Life, Andrew.  Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you’ve been writing?

A:  Thanks for having me. I've been writing since college, so more than twenty-five years. My first attempt at having my work published was in 2012 with (Un)Masked. I'm married, one child, and a dog. My day job is in law enforcement. 

Q: Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?

A: Like so many millions of others, my first taste of high fantasy was reading The Lord of the Rings when I was thirteen. Since then I've always wanted to write my own fantasy series.  Then I read the Last Herald Mage series, by Mercedes Lackey and realized you could actually have gay main characters in your fantasy books. That set me down the path to write my own. 
The Last Grand Master is the first book in the Champion of the Gods series. The wizard king of Zargon, Meglar, plans to conquer the world, starting with the Seven Kingdoms of Ardus. His first step was to kill all the powerful wizards, leaving Farrell as the last grand master left in his way.  Book one follows Farrell as he assembles new allies to help him in the fight that has implications beyond Meglar's designs. 

Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced writing it?

A:  Playing god was the biggest. Creating a new 'world' with it's own set of rules proved harder than I expected. Finding a solution to one problem often created an inconsistency later in the story or ended up with contrived reasons why Farrell or others couldn't do the same thing in a similar situation.

Another obstacle was history, or better said the need to create history for my world. Why did this kingdom exist? What happened to that one? Did these events happen before?  Even though those 'stories' didn't make their way into the books, I needed to 'know' them in order to write the current story. I ended up writing a lot of scenes I knew I wouldn't put into the books just to have some back story to draw upon and keep the story consistent.


Q: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/she is?  If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?

A:  I do not have an agent. Are they necessary? No, but I think having an agent would be extremely useful. Finding an agent that would be a good fit for me, however, takes time and effort. Thus far, I've not had enough free time to devote to that task. 

Q: Do you plan subsequent books?

A:  Yes, The Last Grand Master is book one of five.  The second book, The Eye and the Arm, is being released April 14, 2015. In addition, there is a free prequel, First Love, that DSP Publications released on January 27, 2015, that takes place about ten years before Champions takes place. It gives readers a glimpse of what Farrell was like before the war began.
  
Q: Thank you for your interview, Andrew.  Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web and how everyone can buy your book?

A: My website is: www.andrewqgordon.com. You can find all my books, including buy links to various sellers at: http://andrewqgordon.com/my-books/.

Thanks for inviting me to stop by.  


Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting to the times, he now writes with a shiny new MacBook that he sets on the same desk as his manual typewriter and vintage adding machine. Long a fan of super heroes, wizards and sports, Andrew’s works include high fantasy, paranormal spirits, magic as well as contemporary fiction. He is still trying to find the perfect story that will include all his favorites under one cover. He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his husband, their young daughter and dog.  In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. ‘insiders’, Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and occasionally sleeping.

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  • This giveaway begins February 10 and ends on February 27.
  • Winners will be contacted via email on Monday, March 2.
  • Winner has 48 hours to reply.
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1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the chance to talk about myself and my new release.

    ReplyDelete

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