Author Event - Duncan Lay 2014

Duncan Lay Book Signing - Bridge of Swords

We are having Duncan Lay, author of the Dragon Sword Histories instore on Friday at 10:30am for a signing. His new book 'Bridge of Swords' has just been released and it looks like it's going to be a fantastic read. 

Sendatsu is a hunted man. His people, even his own father, want him dead. Cast out of his home, he finds himself in a strange new land, desperate to find a way to return to his children.

Alone in the land of Vales, Sendatsu is forced to rely on his talents as a fighter to survive. His skills are welcomes by two fugitives - Huw and Rhiannon - who are hurrying to alert the peaceful people of Vales to an impending invasion. When no one will believe them, Sendatsu becomes the wildcard in a fight for freedom.

Three centuries of lies and deceit are about to burst into bloody life around Sendatsu - when the last thing he wants is to be a hero.

Come in and say g'day and pick up a copy! If you are unable to come in that day, just let us know and we can save a copy for you and get it signed.

Duncan Lay - Bridge of Swords - Background, Heroes and Villians Part 2

Here is the second part of Duncan's tale :D

Lastly - The Villians!

KING WARD

He knows the other lands have slid backwards into the mud since Dokuzen locked itself away from the world 300 years ago. His dream is to see a new golden age – and he will make it happen with fire and sword. Only united can the countries pool their knowledge and rise once more.

Brutal conquest and slavery are but the by-products of his glorious vision for the world.

His armies are the biggest, the best-trained and the best-armed and have never known defeat. Every country he has invaded have fallen to them.

His capital, Cridianton, is now a place of learning and culture, grace and art – albeit supported on the back of slavery. To show his people the glorious future that awaits them and to take their minds off the high taxes that will cost, he has the finest performers from across the country amuse and amaze in his court.

But while his armies rampage through the south, to his north are two growing problems.

He wants the Velsh mines and farms but not the expense of invasion, so plans to send bands of warriors north to plunder and terrorise the Velsh until they beg to come under his protection.

And he also has his eyes on Dokuzen and the treasures that await behind a magical barrier, for his health is slowly failing after 20 years on the throne and not even bedding the most beautiful young women from across the country can restore his youth …

LORD JAKEN

Ruler of the Tadayoshi clan, he is determined to see his clan rise to control not just Dokuzen but the whole world. His son Sendatsu unwittingly provided him with proof that the barrier around Dokuzen was not put up to keep the barbarians out – but to protect them from the clans. With this knowledge allied to the power of Dokuzen, he knows he can fashion an empire.

Jaken tried to control Sendatsu but has now been forced to send warriors out into Vales to try and bring his errant son back, so he can control how and when revolution comes to Dokuzen. He also has a spy within the Magic-weaver ranks and plots to use them to overthrow Dokuzen’s ruler, Daichi, then take control himself.

SUMIKO

Centuries ago, for reasons lost in the mists of time, the Magic-weavers rebelled against the rulers of Dokuzen but were broken and thrown outside society.

As guardians of the magical barrier that protects Dokuzen, they are vital to society but they exist on the outskirts, despised by the nobles and feared by the commoners, denied the respect and honour they deserve.

Sumiko’s life is devoted to restoring the Magic-weavers to power and ruling Dokuzen. To her, it does not matter which clan a person is from, only that they have magical powers. She knows the barrier around Dokuzen is fading, as the magic fades within Dokuzen and soon the clans will have to rejoin the world. Her plan is for it to happen under her control – and then for her control to spread across the other lands.

On August 24 at 10:30 am we will be having Duncan instore signing copies of his new book. If you have been tantalised (like I have) by these segments, then pop into the store and grab a copy for Duncan to sign for you. IF you can't make it, just let us know on 

(08) 8277-8857 and we can organise something for you!

Duncan Lay Signing Facebook Sheet 

Duncan Lay - Bridge of Swords -Background, Heroes and Villians! Part 1

Duncan Lay, author of the Dragon Sword Histories has released a new book!! It is called Empire of Bones #1 Bridge of Swords and it looks to be a great read. We asked Duncan for some background info on the new series and this is what he has to say.

THE LANDS 

Empire of Bones is set in the same world as The Dragon Sword Histories, although 300 years later and on the other side of the world. 

There are no common characters and there is no need to have read the first series to begin this one. 

There is one, small connection in that an event at the end of The Radiant Child had an unexpected effect on the other side of the world and began the chain of events that leads to Bridge Of Swords. 

But you don’t have to have any prior knowledge of the world, nor its history and all will be made clear as Empire Of Bones moves to its conclusion. 

The three lands Empire Of Bones is principally set in are very different. 

First we have Dokuzen. This is a land with magic, healing, advanced building techniques and a high standard of living. Their lifestyle has hints of the Roman era, with similar technology, as well as a strong flavour of Shogun-era Japan, with concepts of honour and an emphasis on your clan and family determining your status in society. They worship this world’s God, Aroaril, but religion is not an integral part of their lives. The people’s names, as well as the place names, reflect the Japanese influence. 

Next we meet Vales. This is much more a rougher, cruder community, much less formally structured, without a central ruler or anything more than a loose connection between its towns and villages. Rather than building in stone, they use wood and thatch. Principally a land of farmers, they are also miners and traders but have few, if any warriors, despite their personal bravery. Perhaps closest to Britain following the Roman withdrawal, before the Saxon invasion changed the language and the face, when the old British tribes ruled, although without their unique Celtic culture. The people’s names, as well as some of the place names, reflect the Celtic influence. 

Finally there is Forland. More advanced than Vales but without the higher knowledge and technology of Dokuzen, they are able to build with stone. Ruled by a King, they have a standing army and a warrior tradition. Conquerors and aggressors, they have taken many of the southern countries by force and thirst for more. Perhaps comparable to Saxon Britain, where it was torn between a warrior code and something higher.  Their names, as well as some of the place names, reflect the Saxon era. 

One note about the place names in Vales and Forland (and indeed in all the other countries in the surrounding lands). There is a mystery, central to the story, around these names and why some carry certain meanings and others seem normal. As the main characters and readers will discover …

The Heroes:

Sendatsu

Sendatsu is a warrior on the run, being hunted by his own people, trying frantically to get back to his children and unravel a 300-year-old mystery about magic and why his people sealed themselves off from the rest of the world.

The son of a Clan Leader, his name means Guide or Pioneer in the old tongue of his people, the language nobody speaks any more. He has lived a life of privilege and luxury, always surrounded by servants and those eager to do his bidding.

Yet it has not been easy. His father, Lord Jaken, is determined to take control of the Council, to rule not one clan but the whole of Dokuzen. Sendatsu had to be the best at everything, prove the superiority of Clan Tadayoshi – or else. And he has known heartache. As the son of a Clan Leader, he was not allowed to marry his childhood love, Asami. Instead he was forced to marry the daughter of another Clan Leader, to unite two clans and improve their political standing. Meanwhile Asami also had to marry – Sendatsu’s best friend, Gaibun.

His wife, Kayiko, died in childbirth and he stepped aside from the life of political manoeuvring and backstabbing his father saw for him to instead raise his children. This act of rebellion was the first and only way he had defied his father.

But when a chance discovery reveals clues to a 300-year-old mystery and threatens to turn Dokuzen on its head, Sendatsu is the one at the heart of it.

Forced to go on the run, hunted by his own people, he finds himself in Vales, a rough, backward land that nevertheless may hold all the answers in the ruins dotted across his hills and valleys and in the hearts of its people. If he can find the answers, he can go home.

But Vales is not without its own problems, while to the south, the cruel King Ward of Forland looks to add it to the long list of his conquests.

Sendatsu stumbles across a curious pair, a young Velsh bard called Huw and a young Forlish dancer called Rhiannon, both on the run from Ward.

He sees them as the source of answers and the way home. They see him as the hero they need. But are both wrong?

HUW

In a land where all must work hard to live, Huw dares to dream. While his people love to pass the long winter nights with tales, songs and riddles, Huw is the first of them to want to make that his life. While his village sneers and laughs at him, he travels south to Forland, to earn enough gold to prove them wrong.

In this arrogant country, made rich from its conquests and packed with slaves from conquered lands, he wins both gold and fame, winning the coveted right to perform at the King’s court.

To get there he has had to deny his Velsh heritage, pretend he is also Forlish, forget all his father taught him about honour and principles – but he sees that as a small price to pay.

But then two things rock his complacent little world. First he meets Rhiannon, a beautiful Forlish dancer also performing for the King and falls head over heels for her. Then he learns King Ward plans to terrorise and terrify the Velsh until they beg to become part of Forland.

Torn between staying and somehow winning the heart of the untouchable Rhiannon and warning his people, the decision is taken out of his hands when he overhears King Ward and Rhiannon’s father discussing how to make her the King’s mistress.

Huw tricks Rhiannon and flees north to Vales, hoping to save his people and win the girl, all in one.

But saving a peaceful land of farmers and miners from a brutal army of conquest is not an easy task.

Then Huw and Rhiannon meet Sendatsu, from fabled Dokuzen. Not realising he is a hunted fugitive, they see him as the saviour of Vales. Although Rhiannon, who has been raised on tales of beautiful Dokuzen and longs to dance there, sees Sendatsu as something more …

Huw faces many choices, none of them easy, and must learn there is always a price to be paid for your actions  …

RHIANNON

Her mother died giving birth to her and she has been raised by her father Hector, once a noted singer in the court of King Ward, until illness robbed him of his voice and his fame. He has trained her from birth to astound the court and astonish the King with her singing and dancing.

Her life has been devoted to the one goal, without friends or family, until she meets a young bard she thinks is called Hugh of Browns Brook. But her new friend turns her life upside down when he tells her he is really Huw from Vales and she has to run away with him or join her father as a victim of King Ward.

Torn between grief at the loss of her beloved father and a determination to avenge his death and protect the Velsh, she only sees Huw as a friend. But she sees Sendatsu as a vision, something out of the songs she has spent her life singing.

Meanwhile, she is learning to stretch her wings, to make decisions for herself and step outside the gilded cage her father crafted for her.

What she doesn’t know is that her father Hector is very much alive and hunting for her and Huw, determined to drag them both to King Ward and face his vengeance at being cheated of his prize.

What none of them know is that the answers to the 300-year-old mystery lie within Rhiannon. She has a hidden power that will turn every single land upside down and utterly destroy everything the people think they know about their history.

She is the future … if she can unlock what is within her.

ASAMI AND GAIBUN

While Sendatsu searches for answers and a way back to his children, his two childhood friends struggle to find a way to return him.

Asami is the most talented Magic-weaver Dokuzen has seen in a generation. Once, all the people could use magic but the power has been dwindling within them. There are few capable of more than a trick or two.

Devastated by Sendatsu’s refusal to defy his father and run away with her, forced to see him marry for politics and not love, she has thrown herself into her magic.

She agreed to marry Gaibun but it was not a union of love and while they share a large home, they do not share a bed. She consoles herself with dreams of a different Dokuzen, where who your clan and parents were do not matter as much as your talents. The head of the Magic-weavers, Sumiko, tells her that if she were to rule Dokuzen, things would be very different – and this is music to Asami’s ears, although also treason, punishable by death.

Gaibun’s father Retsu should have been Clan Leader, until tricked and outwitted by Lord Jaken – Sendatsu’s father.  And yet the two boys became friends. Gaibun is desperately in love with Asami but has had to live with the knowledge she sees him as but a friend and loves Sendatsu.

When their marriage turned his dream into a nightmare he consoled himself with mistresses and devoted himself to the Border Patrol, dedicated to keeping everyone else out of Dokuzen. Now working for Lord Jaken, he has been promised much, not least the leadership of their clan when and if Lord Jaken can take control of Dokuzen.

Sendatsu’s unwitting discovery of a revelation that could destroy the very foundations of Dokuzen sets both Sumiko and Jaken’s plans to rule into motion. Asami and Gaibun must somehow help return their friend and avoid being drawn deeper and deeper into plots and conspiracies in the struggle to rule Dokuzen.

Father's Day Gift Ideas

Here are a few fantastic Father's Day ideas for you to give to your dads!

An honest, revealing and sometimes laugh-out-loud memoir of one of Oz music's noisiest quiet achievers - Mark Evans, the original bass player from AC/DC. A must for any AC/DC fan. A few days after his 19th birthday, rock and roll lover and bass player Mark Evans wandered into his local to check out the band - and his life would never be the same again. Two days later he was playing his first show as bass player with AC/DC; within a week he was on Countdown, rocking out next to wildman Bon Scott, who was dressed as a pigtailed, cigarette-smoking schoolgirl - and waving a mallet - and Angus who was - of course - decked out as a schoolboy. And all for the princely wage of $60 a week! Then came nearly being burnt alive on the video shoot for 'Jailbreak', and working with legends Vanda and Young on the massive album TNT, on which Mark's take-no-prisoners basslines anchored such immortal hits as 'TNT' and 'It's a Long Way To the Top'. Within a year, the band had relocated to London and were on the road to rock 'n' roll stardom, living the life of rock gods and making the most of all that had to offer. Until the tragic death of his good friend Bon Scott changed everything.

Malcolm Blight is as famous for his mercurial nature as he is for his footy and his coaching. He's been a fixture on the Aussie Rules scene since he began playing for the Woodville FC in the SANFL in the late 1960s. In the 1970s he joined North Melbourne FC and made his mark as a consistently brilliant player, who twice played in a premiership side. He was the first player to win both the Magarey and Brownlow medals, the only player to top both the SANFL and VFL goalkicking lists, and the only player to captain both Victorian and South Australian representative sides. He was also an equally brilliant but also controversial coach, with stints at North Melbourne and Woodville as a player coach, and at Geelong, Adelaide and St Kilda as a senior coach. His career has been marked by success and drama in equal portion, but both friends and enemies revere him as a legend

 Twenty-two-year-old Jeanine Fournier had looks to die for, a handsome police-officer husband, and a carefree life in Key West. When she learnt that she was pregnant with their first child, her life was complete. Jeanine’s happiness was then shattered when she unearthed a terrible secret that caused her to run for her life and change her identity. Now, years later, an even greater horror leads her to risk everything she’s earned – a secure life in New York City, a prosperous career as a lawyer, even the daughter she loves – to return to Florida and confront the murderous evil she fled.

Three families – the Bryants, the Quilter-Phippses and the Ngwenyas – share a history as complex and bloody as Zimbabwe itself.

Dedicated conservationists Paul and Philippa Bryant are struggling to save their farm and small herd of endangered black rhinos from seizure by corrupt government minister Emmerson Ngwenya. Twin brothers, ex-soldier Braedan and environmentalist Tate Quilter-Phipps join the fight.

But when the brothers fall in love with the same woman, Natalie Bryant, their rivalry threatens to put the lives of all involved at risk. And with Emmerson vowing to stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, a bloody showdown seems inevitable. In the broken country that is Zimbabwe, only the strongest can survive.

Matthew Lloyd is destined to be remembered as one of the AFL's greatest full-forwards. This is his long awaited autobiography. Matthew Lloyd at his peak was a goal kicking machine in an era where the power forward was fading from the game. A five-time all Australian, he topped the AFL goal kicking three times in his 270 game career and kicked the ton twice, his first in the Essendon Premiership season of 2000. Born into a football family, it was clear early in his career that he had the ability to surpass his father John's 29 games with Carlton. For a while it looked he would head to Carton as well, but Essendon conjured up a complex deal to secure the talented 16-year-old in the 1994 pre-season draft. Brothers Simon and Brad each played football too and are now involved with the Fremantle Football Club, and sister Kylie works on The Footy Show at Channel 9. His mother Bev, even met his father at the football. Sport, and in particular football, was and remains in the blood.

The ancient order of the Knights Templar possessed untold wealth and absolute power, until the Inquisition destroyed them and their riches were lost forever.

But some people don't believe in 'forever'.

Ex-agent Cotton Malone used to work for Stephanie Nelle in the US Justice Department. Now Nelle wants his help to crack a series of puzzles that have confounded experts for centuries - and could lead to the legendary lost treasure of the Knights Templar.

But someone else is on the trail - someone prepared to commit the ultimate crime to win the ultimate prize. Malone and Nelle find themselves in a heart-stopping race through the villages, castles and cloisters of Europe in pursuit of a secret that, in the wrong hands, could bring the world to its knees.

Martil is a haunted man -- a war hero, now derided as the ′Butcher of Bellic′. Leaving his beloved homeland he is set upon by bandits and tricked into taking a small child, Karia, to her uncle. But they only find one ex-bandit in the town, along with the Dragon Sword, a magical relic belonging to the rulers of Norstalos.

Norstalos′s first-ever queen is trying to keep her crown. Her cousin, Duke Gello, wants it and is prepared to do anything to get it.

Martil can find no way out of caring for a child, fighting for a queen and discovering that even a magical sword is no guarantee of victory ...

Guest post Duncan Lay - World Building

Duncan Lay has written us a post on how he world builds for his novels - what is involved? How he goes about it. Duncan has just been contracted for a new series which the first one, will be released in 2012.

One of the ways in which my second series will differ from the first is in the world the characters inhabit.
At first glance this might not seem to be so, for they are actually in the same world ... the same rules of magic apply, the same theology and the same lack of woodland pixies and other ``magical'' folk.
But where my desire in the first series was to throw readers into the story and the characters' problems, in this series there was more of a need to develop the world.
This was for two reasons: the culture and development of each country becomes a vital plot point as the series moves on and, secondly, part of the story is about an "elf'' banished into the human world, so the contrast between what he knows and how the other humans live is a vital part.
In The Dragon Sword Histories, most countries had a similar level of technology and I concentrated more on the differences in attitude among the people. Thus the Norstalines took some inspiration from America between the two world wars; insular, arrogant and certain that they were the only place of importance. The Berellians took some inspiration from Nazi Germany and the indeed other totalitarian regimes. The Tenochs were a rough mix of Aztec and Mayan.
But in the new series, I needed a different approach.
Each country has its own culture - but a culture muddied and often forgotten thanks to what the "elves" (really Elfarans - humans who think they are the elves of legend) did to them centuries ago.
So what they have is a ghost of a culture, memories or fragments really, which are not important to them but become so as the series moves on.
The Velsh, from The Vales, are - perhaps obviously - based loosely on the Welsh.
Part of my fascination with this comes from the battle of Pilleth, one of the major inspirations for The Dragon Sword Histories. Popular culture has made much of the Scottish struggle for independence - there have been many books and movies, most famously Braveheart.
But the Welsh are the Britons, driven west by the Saxon invasions, and their story has not had the same prominence. Yet it is the story of Arthur, the - supposed - historical British warleader who stopped the Saxons.

I also found it fascinating for they lived among the faded glories left them by the retreating Romans. The idea of seeing technology far beyond your own, buildings you could never hope to make and the effect that would have on a people really resonated with me and, by substituting my "elves" for Romans, adapted this.
Research into my Velsh meant going into Celtic history and daily life. Obviously the Internet makes this much easier but books such as Horrible Histories also throw up some fascinating, quirky insights into life then.
Huw, the bard, is Velsh and his journey unlocks the hidden secrets of the Velsh/Welsh culture.
Next come the Forlish, loosely based on the Saxons. Their leader wants to return Men to the glory he sees around him every day in the "elven" ruins - by uniting every country under the one flag and pooling their knowledge. He just chooses to do this by the sword.
Rhiannon, the dancer, is Forlish and her journey includes discovering that humans can do magic, not just elves, a discovery that will change everyone's future and fate.
And the elves. Theirs is a bastard culture, partly the Elfaran culture we met back in the Dragon Sword Histories, which was loosely based on the Roman culture, and partly the culture their forebears adopted when they left the dragons' service and found themselves wives, and families among a people called the Nippon (loosely based on the Japanese).
Sendatsu, the "elf" has been banished for not having magic and he is the key to unlocking these mysteries, as he knows some of the secrets of the elves, as well as the story of the humans.
So we have a series of cultures, all bastardised by the "elves" at first wanting to help the humans and then in fact stealing their culture, their magic and religion, leaving them nothing more than hollow memories.
The search for the truth behind these memories is a vital part of the story.
Obviously there is much more to it - the journeys of my three main characters, as well as the underlying heart of the books - but in this series, far more than my first, world building plays an important part.

Even the placenames, based on real names, tell a story.
All through the first book, particularly, are little clues and fragments that hint towards future revelations and, while they may not seem like much at first, will prove to be vital.
I look forward to sharing it with you! 

Duncan Lay is a fantasy author, published by HarperCollins (Voyager)

Check out his blog HERE

World Con (AussieCon 4) Day 4 & Day 5

World Con (AussieCon 4)

Day 4:  Sunday 5/09/10

Sunday was busy with a Kaffeelatsche with Ducan Lay and then Glenda Larke signings. I got some cool pictures with both Glenda and Mary Victoria, who was there as well.

More panels filled my day; I was racing around like a mad hatter trying to see everything.

At 4 Mary Victoria was doing a reading and I needed to go to that. Mary has a wonderful reading voice! She actually does voices for her characters (not sure if she was actively trying to do so) It was wonderful!

After that I had something to eat and then left for the day.

World Con (AussieCon 4)

Day 5:  Monday 6/09/10

 

At last we come to the last day of my AussieCon 4 adventure. By this time I was very tired and my brain was a little mushy. I still maintain it was the dreaded stairs that made me so tired haha.

On Monday I went to Writing strange lands: other cultures in YA speculative fiction. That was fascinating.  I met some of the Voyager Staff, Stephanie Smith and Natalie Costa Bir after that panel and they were two very lovely people.

Then I lined up once again for another signing: Shaun Tan. He was younger than I thought he would be and such a magnificent artist. Not only was he signing, he was drawing in peoples books, posters, shirts and my bookplates.

Then there were more great panels that were really fun. Then came the closing ceremony and bam it was over. Five days of awesomeness, meeting lots of new people, catching up with old friends and learning many new things.

I will defiantly be going again to another Australian Con! I love it, but I must say it was so very good to go home again.

Fiction BestSellers - 29/07/2010- 05/08/2010

• 1) Conqueror #1: Empire of Silver - Conn Iggulden (FICTION)
• 2) Don't Blink - James Patterson  (CRIME)
• 3) Journey to Wudang #2: Hell to Heaven - Kylie Chan (FANTASY)
• 4) DragonSword Histories #3: Radiant Child - Duncan Lay (FANTASY)
• 5) Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom (FICTION)
• 6) Amed and Dangerous #2: Luke - Cheyenne Mccray (EROTICA)
• 7) Tempting Seals #2: Dangerous Games - Lora Leigh (ROMANCE)
• 8) Diary of a Wimpy Kid #1 - Jeff Kinney (CHJ)
• 9) Thomas Library: Thomas (PICTURE)
• 10) Cherub #8: Mad Dogs - Robert Muchamore (TEEN)

Signing Clip

Dragon Sword Histories #3 Radiant Child Review

Radiant Child ReviewA review for Duncan Lay's Radiant Child is up and it is fantastic!!! A great read and thrilling to the end!! Highly recommended!


Don't forget to check out the author himself Duncan Lay at his blog Dragon Sword Histories and at his Facebook Duncan Lay Facebook

Duncan Lays Big July Adelaide Trip

Duncan Lay Dragon Sword Histories
See what Duncan Lay had to say about Adelaide and Edwardstown Store! It seems like he had a fantastic trip in Adelaide and sold many books!!!

This means that more authors should come to Adelaide and spruke their books!! There is certinatly an audience here for them!

Duncan is the author of The Dragon Sword Histories, check them out as they are a great read for fantasy readers!!

Competition Results

We have a winner of the signed copy of 'Radiant Child' but we still have four signed posters to give away!!

New page

I just added an Author Signings page, check out the pictures of the great authors who come to the store!!

Duncan Lay Signing

 Duncan Lay instore signing today!!  2pm-4pm

Martil is a haunted man -- a war hero, now derided as the ′Butcher of Bellic′. Leaving his beloved homeland he is set upon by bandits and tricked into taking a small child, Karia, to her uncle. But they only find one ex-bandit in the town, along with the Dragon Sword, a magical relic belonging to the rulers of Norstalos.

Norstalos′s first-ever queen is trying to keep her crown. Her cousin, Duke Gello, wants it and is prepared to do anything to get it.

Martil can find no way out of caring for a child, fighting for a queen and discovering that even a magical sword is no guarantee of victory ...

Duncan will be signing copies of his lastest book 'Radiant Child' as well as any copies you buy or bring to the store. We have a special discount of if you buy book 1 then you get a small discount off book 2. If you buy both you get a larger discount of book 3 :)
Everyone come get your copies today and get them personally signed.


 

Duncan Lay - Fantasy Author Signing July 15th 2pm-4pm