C.M. Banschbach’s Oath of the Outcast

9 Comments

Enter the Blog Tour Giveaway (details at the bottom)!

K.A.:
C.M. Banschbach is on the blog today talking about her newest release, Oath of the Outcast!!

Last year, while this story was in its early stages and known under a different title, I had the privilege of reading the first few chapters. And, man, did it hook me. The characters, the conflict… C.M. is a talented writer.

K.A.:
Glad you’re here, C.M.! Before we launch into all the behind-the-scene fun, tell us about the story.

C.M.:
It’s a New Adult Fantasy-Adventure. Perfect for people who want something more than typical YA fantasy, but don’t want everything that comes with current adult fantasy. Good for fans of Stephen Lawhead and Michael J. Sullivan.

C.M.:
A lost brother. 
An unwilling outlaw. 
A rising enemy. 
An unusual alliance. 

Years ago, Rhys MacDuffy was brutally cut off from his clan, stripped of his name and inheritance, and banished to the remote Dragon Keep. Perched high above the Shang Pass in the land of Alsaya, he assumed the mantle of the Mountain Baron, serving out his sentence as the overseer of the worst outlaws and outcasts. 

But one day he receives a desperate message from the clan who disowned him: MacDuffy’s Seer—his beloved brother—has been taken by their enemies. 

With his band of Mountain Brigands and an unwelcome sidekick, Rhys leaves his mountain stronghold to find and rescue his brother. The tide of war is rising amongst the Clans of Alsaya, fueled by the magic-wielding sect of Druids who seek to unleash a dark force the world has long forgotten. 

Can the bond of blood run deeper than banishment?

K.A.:
Rejected by his family, cut off from the only life he’s ever known, and exiled to a land of the worst criminals and outcasts. That’s a hard life. Where did the idea for this story come from?

C.M.:
Driving in foggy weather, funnily enough! Because my brain is always hyperactive, it plopped the image of a man riding down a foggy mountain. All I knew about him was that he had a massive chip on his shoulder about something, and was less than happy to be leaving his mountain keep. The rest of the morning at work was spent sorting out information this guy, now known as the Mountain Baron/Rhys MacDuffy, graciously dumped in my lap.

K.A.:
What research went into writing this story? Did you venture into any new areas or topics?

C.M.:
I…maybe shouldn’t admit this, but I don’t do a lot of hard core research usually. But some things I did look up were – voodoo dolls/voodoo in general (didn’t spend a whole lot of time there because it’s super weird lol!), sword fighting videos, lots of castle floor plans, time spent calculating distances/how fast and far horses can realistically run at a time (because chase scenes…) and sandstone. 

K.A.:
Lol. I would have never guessed. Your stories feel so authentic and immersive.

What’s the most interesting discovery you made writing this story?

C.M.:
The most interesting discovery was actually about myself (kind of cheesy, I know!). I was about a third of the way through the initial draft when I realized that Rhys/The Baron and I were working through a lot of the same issues. That really helped me dive deeper into the story and it kind of became the story of my heart as I tackled some of my own scars head on after several years of thinking I was fine, and starting to actually process/work through things.

K.A.:
Not cheesy at all. It’s a beautiful sentiment, C.M.. Heart stories are special.

K.A.:
Okay. I’m a huge fan of Easter eggs. Any hidden references, details, or tidbits readers should keep an eye out for? ;)

C.M.:
Back when I was first writing this book, my sister was doing some research on Robin Hood and outlaws. She was telling me about outlaws being known as wolf’s heads, and I loved that, and worked it into the book! (See what you can spot on the map!)

K.A.:
How cool! Before we go, share a line from the story you love.

C.M.:
“Rhys MacDuffy died on that beach and it was Brogan that killed him. The Clans have forgotten him, and so should you.”

K.A.:
Oath of the Outcast is available from Crosshair Press or from other retailers, like Amazon. Grab a free copy of a prequel story by signing up for C.M.’s newsletter and join the celebration giveaway. Details about the giveaway, as well as the blog tour schedule are posted at the bottom.

K.A.:
Great to have you here, C.M.. Thanks for giving us a backstage tour of your latest release, Oath of the Outcast!

About C.M. Banschbach

C.M. Banschbach is a native Texan and would make an excellent Hobbit if she weren’t so tall. She’s a pizza addict, a multi-faceted fangirl, and a firm believer in being authentic—even if it means acting like a dork sometimes! When not writing fantasy stories packed full of adventure and snark, she works as a pediatric physical therapist where she happily embraces the fact that she never actually has to grow up.

She also writesYA/MG fantasy-adventure as Claire M. Banschbach.

You can connect with her at her website, or on Instagram, Facebook, or Goodreads.

 

Giveaway

Open internationally!

  • 2 ebooks
  • 1 paperback
  • 1 combo pack of a bookmark and a map postcard

Enter the giveaway here: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d11da96b6/

Blog Tour Schedule

 

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Wolf Prince by Claire M. Banschbach

2 Comments

Claire M. Banschbach, fellow Realmie and leader of my critique group, writes fantasy adventure with an immersive reading experience. Her latest novel, The Wolf Prince, is scheduled to release on August 21, 2018 and I’m honored to be a part of the cover reveal for the second book in her Faeries of Myrnuis series (and you don’t have to read the first one to enjoy this one).

Congratulations, Claire!

Want a free advanced copy of The Wolf Prince on ebook? Don’t miss the giveaway details at the end of this post!

Without further ado, the cover of The Wolf Prince.

About the Book

One prince. Two brothers. Three companions to prevent a sorcerer from destroying the faeries.

Prince Killian has always known he’s different. It’d be impossible to miss the whispers of an age-old family curse, to ignore the call of the wolves on his birthright and the barely-veiled hostility from his people. His family insists there’s no curse. If only they were right.

When an evil sorcerer bent on destroying the faeries turns Killian into a wolf to use in his diabolical spell, Killian must rely on the help of his playboy brother, Lars, and Rose, an aspiring ranger they meet on the road, to escape the sorcerer and find the faeries who can turn him human again.

There’s only one problem. Faeries haven’t been seen in over 50 years.

Together Killian and his companions must overcome their differences and prejudices to defeat malevolent creatures along the road, evade the sorcerer and his minions, and find the faeries before the sorcerer can kill them all.

Add The Wolf Prince to your reading list on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41043656-the-wolf-prince

About the Author

Claire M. Banschbach is a native West Texan. She discovered a deep and abiding love for fantasy and science fiction at a young age, prompting her to begin exploring worlds armed only with an overactive imagination and a pen. She’s an overall dork, pizza addict, and fangirl. She enjoys meshing stories of family and faith with healthy doses of action and adventure. She talks to fictional characters more than she should while trying to find time for all their stories.

She currently resides in Arlington, TX where she works as a Pediatric Physical Therapist.

Follow Claire on social media.
Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Blog | Instagram

Giveaway!

To win an ARC ebook copy of The Wolf Prince, share the image above or a link to this on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram – be sure to tag Claire (@cmbanschbach on Twitter and Instagram and @clairembanschbach on Facebook) so she can track it!

Giveaway ends Friday, August 10th!

Cover Reveal, Book Trailer, Giveaway… Oh, My!

Available Now!

After Readers’ Favorite posted an encouraging review for my sci-fi horror short story, The Warehouse Tour, in March, I decided to move forward with something I’d been thinking about for awhile – publishing a professionally edited edition of The Warehouse Tour with a new cover.

This time, there’s a book trailer and a paperback version too! (Paperback available mid-June.)

I’ll be hosting TWO GIVEAWAYS to celebrate all of this (details at the bottom of this post).

But first, thank you to Janeen Ippolito for her mad editing skills. She showed me all the ways to make this story the best version possible. And a special thanks to all of you who have supported me! It means more to me than you know.

Getting on with it… ;)

Cover Reveal

Without further ado, the new cover for The Warehouse Tour… *drum roll*

PrintCover_plain_ebook_72dpi_4_forweb

Book Trailer

And the shiny book trailer…

If you’re ready to #TakeTheTour, you can purchase a copy from Amazon here.

If you already have a copy of the previous release…

You should get the new release for free. Make sure your Kindle is set to automatically update content or contact Amazon directly to have the new version sent to your device.

Giveaway Details

The first giveaway is for a free digital copy of The Warehouse Tour. Giveaway ends on June 12th at midnight. Winner will be notified by June 14th. Go here to enter >> a Rafflecopter giveaway

The second giveaway is an exclusive swag bag that will include a signed paperback copy, but it’s only open to newsletter subscribers. Sign up here before June 21st, if you’re not already a subscriber. It’s free to sign up and you’ll get a free ebook that contains a copy of the flash fiction story, The Invasion of Rocket City.