Here on 'Ralph's Rant's' you'll find information about my Sci-Fi (#SciFi), Epic Fantasy (#EpicFantasy), or Sword and Sorcery (#SwordandSorcery) Novels as well as reviews of other authors books. You'll also find interviews with New Pulp Authors and artists displayed here. and of course there is my almost daily blog posts called 'Your Daily Ralph" There's always something new to find here at Ralph's Rants. Become a member of this blog and get a heads up when there's new content.
Welcome to this weeks new releases . This is the list of new books (Both digital ebooks and traditional paper released for the week.) I'll be modifying this process as the weeks go by. More on that tomorrow. For now, scroll down and enjoy!
I hate to say it, but I think I have two overlooked gems in my writers resume'.
The first is my first novel, 'Redemption of the Sorcerer, The Crystalon Saga, Book One' which for some reason never took off as I expected. It still sells a few copies a month, but nothing to write home about, and it's a shame, because it is a grand epic bridging two worlds and universes involving magic,. action and adventure. It's sort of Indiana Jones meets Lord of the Rings meets Harry Potter. It's actually a great roller coaster ride of an adventure. Yet sadly it really hasn't piqued many peoples interests. It steadily sells a few copies a month but never in numbers I assumed it would. Why did I assume it would? It's a great story and world hopping adventure.
My next overlooked Gem is 'Torahg the Warrior, Sword of Vengeance' This was overall my favorite piece to write. It's a savage, barbaric novel set in a pre-historic past filled with warriors, dark sorcery, demons and monsters. It's a great, great story about one mans quest for revenge against almost incalculable odds and harkens back to the great sword and sorcery novels of decades past. Torahg is my favorite character out of who I have created so far. He's a single minded man on a savage mission to free his homeland from an insidious foe, his own brother. The very same brother who framed Torahg for the murder of their father after he himself committed that murder. Now after twenty years of exile Torahg is returning to his homeland of Fairandia, and he's angry! To this day I'm surprised this has not been a best seller on Amazon and other channels. Those that love Sword and Sorcery and barbarian pulp should be flocking to this one. If you love those things and you haven't read it yet, you're doing yourself a disservice.
You can click on either book cover to be taken to that book.
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This novel is actually an anthology by many authors
including Matthew Baugh, James Chambers, Greg Cox, Win Scott Eckert, CJ
Henderson, Michael May, Matthew P Mayo, Will Murray, Bobby Nash, Mel Odom,
Barry Reese, Chris Sequiera, John Allen Small and David White.
There are fourteen tales of the Avenger and his crew spread
across the years of his career, and they are in no particular order. My
experience before this with the Avenger was limited to the original novel some
thirty years ago and possibly one or two more. I like the character well
enough, but to me he was never a ‘Doc Savage’.
The Avenger is a man who had a terrible loss, both his wife
and daughter were taken from him, presumed murdered by criminals and never
found. This girded him into an almost inhuman machine that sought nothing but
justice for those in similar situations. The Avenger has a few special
abilities which I won’t get into here.
Suffice to say the volume is filled with very exciting and
action filled stories about the Avenegr and his crew. Smitty, Nellie (Smitty’s
lady love), the dour scotsman Mac, as well as Josh and his wife Roseamund.
Not all of the characters are in all of the stories, in fact
the last tale I was pleasantly surprised to find the two most popular members
of Doc Savage’s supporting cast involved in the story. They were not named, but
you know it was Monk and Ham. That was a very pleasant surprise.
All in all this was a very enjoyable volume. It had loads of
action and interesting stories throughout. There wasn’t a clunker amongst them.
It was fun reading about a character I knew so little about and still be able
to follow along. The assembled authors did a very nice job with these tales of
the Avenger.
This has a great cover too, by the way. Highly recommended.
There're only a couple here, hopefully next week more will be sent to me. As a reminder you can send me your information in a message on my facebook account 'Ralph L. Angelo Jr.' or you can send an email to RLAngeloJr@gmail.com . remember I want links to either your personal site where your books are for sale or the amazon or B&N page they are for sale at. I'll be putting these up every Monday night. Again, this is open to books that have been put on sale in the past 7 days only.
I have to get this off my chest. I don't like kickstarter programs. Now I understand that some high profile projects are just not feasible out of pocket, things like a comic series that will cost an estimated $50,000 as well as movie kickstarters. That is all understandable. Go for it. Now I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers here, but that is not my intention. I'm not trying to insult anyone. That being said. I don't like the whole kickstarter concept. I self publish a lot of my own work (Novels). It's not cheap and I'm not a rich guy. But I would never think to ask someone to kick in to fund a project because I want to see it happen. I'd prefer them just buying copies of it when completed. But nothing I've published so far has been what I would term astronomically expensive. I don't believe it's right for me to ask a large group of people to find a project I have written. Someone said that to me last year when I was buying back the rights to 'Redemption of the Sorcerer' that I should do a kickstarter to fund it once it was ready to be released again. I ignored him. The very thought of asking others to essentially lend me money to start a project that would be paid back by copies of the book just rankled me. Again, a novel is not expensive, comic projects are. I understand about paying an artist and all of that.
God help me, this is going to sound insulting, but it's not meant to be; if you're going to produce a novel and you can't afford it, save your money until you can, because that's what I'll be doing. Every time I read someone begging people to fund his dream novel I have to move on to the next item. If your novel is good it will sell and pay for itself. The concept of asking for assurances on sales in advance is just too much of a safety net, and to be honest, to me as an author to do such a thing would just feel degrading.
I have been a Doc Savage fan since I was a kid. To this day
he is still my favorite pulp hero. Will Murray began writing new Doc Savage
tales about 20 years ago and then stopped. Recently he started again, and his
newest Doc tale is called the ‘Miracle Menace’. I have to say that there have been
some great stuff in Will’s Doc books, as well as some mediocre ones.
But this newest story may be the best one yet. I read this in
two days, spending hours at a time reading it. It involves a magician, his
assistant, Christopher Columbus (Yes you read that correctly), a savage Indian
tribe, a mysterious house, an international spy ring, a group of evangelicals, as
well as telepathy.
In all honesty this was my favorite of Will’s ‘Docs’. It was
exciting and interesting. All in all I thought it was great.
Just to make sure you don’t think I’m gushing without
restraint, I’m going to list a few things I didn’t like about it as well. First
I didn’t like that Doc didn’t seem as infallible as in previous books. I don’t like
that in my hero’s, especially not Doc. At one point he’s battling this Indian
chief, and he actually thinks he’s going to lose. Yet later on he soundly kicks
the guy’s butt, which made up for the earlier fight. Then in another section of
the book he emerges from the mysterious house dazed and confused almost. His skin
actually looked pale, as if he had been frightened. Again I did not like that.
I’m fine with him being surprised by something or a foe being underestimated,
but Doc is Doc.
Now that being said, beyond those two incidences, this was
an amazing and fantastic book. Though there was one part of the book where Monk
squared off to fight Doc and Doc kayoed him with a gas pellet. I would have liked
to have seen them fight. I know Doc is stronger than Monk, and certainly better
looking, but I think a fight between Doc and an infuriated Monk (Which is what
we had here) would have been fun to see. Later on Monk and Long Tom almost
square off, yet Monk is hesitant. The rest of the crew were taking bets, with
Ham actually wagering on Monk to win. That’s where my money would have lay too.
This was just great fun and a fantastic adventure absolutely
worth the name of the “Wild Adventures of Doc Savage”
A small Pennsylvania town harbors secrets that even the citizens don't know anything about. There are monsters there, as well as the monstrous. Plans laid over a century in the past are about to come to fruition, and all that stands between a horrifying future for the entire world are a hundred hearty souls. Will they be enough?
In the year 2089 earth has striven for decades to break the light
speed barrier and failed time and time again. But there is more to it than that.
Why are we failing? Why does something always seem to happen whenever mankind
gets close to exploring the wider universe that destroys that ambition? What is
the reason for these constant setbacks? Join genius inventor/engineer/CEO of
Johnson Aerospace, Mark Johnson and his hand-picked crew of adventurers as they
seek to unravel the far greater threat hanging over mankind before it’s too
late for the entire planet. In a novel filled with conspiracies, action and
intrigue, all of humanity may face destruction and death unless the crew of the
Cagliostro can unravel the web of deceit and danger that seeks to crush the Earth
and its inhabitants in an ever expanding claw of evil!
In a time lost land of sorcery, demons and blood crazed
warriors, a young prince is framed for the murder of his father a beloved king,
by his own flesh and blood, his brother. Fleeing from the land of Fairandia,
Torahg roams the world for twenty long years, as the forced into exile son of a
murdered king. Along the way he acquires skills in many of the fighting arts.
He lives as a sell sword and is content if not happy with his life he feels resigned
to, until a beautiful woman comes into his life with a secret of her own. Now
after twenty brutal years where he was forged upon the anvil of revenge, Torahg
is returning to Fairandia with vengeance in his heart and a keen blade in his
hand. Let all who stand in his way beware, for here comes Torahg the Warrior,
Sword of Vengeance!
Redemption of the Sorcerer, The Crystalon Saga, Book One
Once he was the most powerful man in his universe, a sorcerer
without peer. He ruled that universe with a fist that rankled many. A long term
plot was hatched and Crystalon was overthrown and exiled to a world without
magic. A world where he was now but a powerless pauper on. That is until he saw
a man having his soul ripped out by hungry demons. Now it is a race against
time as Crystalon must somehow regain his magical prowess in time to defeat the
shadowed mastermind behind a devastating plot that will leave all of humanity on
both worlds enslaved to a despicable madman! Will Crystalon find it within
himself to regain his power and help those of this new world he finds himself
on? A world that looks so much like his own Earth, save it is a world bereft of
magic? Will he care enough to try? And if he does, will he be in time to stop
his enigmatic foe, or will he be too late? Find out today in ‘Redemption of the
Sorcerer, The Crystalon Saga, Book One’
Help! They’re all Out to Get Me! The motorcyclists Guide to
Surviving the Everyday World.
Want to learn the safe way to ride a motorcycle? Want to
brush up on tips and tricks you may have forgotten over the years? Or worse
yet, never learned? This is the book for you! Written by a BNYS certified motorcycle
instructor and frequent writer for magazines such as ‘Backroads Motorcycle
Touring Magazine’ as well as ‘Motorcycle Consumer News’ and ‘Motorcycle Online’,
‘Help! They’re All Out to Get Me!’ is the one specialized tool that should be
in every rider’s tool kit.
Cheryl Carpinello’s interview with me. http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com/2013/09/meet-ya-author-ralph-l-angelo-jr.html
Mark Bousquet’s interview with me:http://atomicanxiety.wordpress.com/2013/05/07/atomic-interview-10-talking-redemption-of-the-sorcerer-with-ralph-angelo-jr/
Earth Station One podcast interview: http://erthstationone.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/earth-station-one-episode-181/
My Pulped Podcast interview with Tommy Hancock : http://ec.libsyn.com/p/6/a/c/6ac8457c0c857235/RALPH_L._ANGELO_JR_PULPED.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d01c08636d6ce5d091b&c_id=6239822
Last night I made magic. I typed the most magical sentence in
the universe. Pure mystical power that can never be matched by for author. (I
still love referring to myself as an author, it’s such a hoot!) I typed ‘The
End’ Finally after a good five or six months I finished ‘My Enemy, Myself’ last
night. I went back this morning and cleaned up the last chapter a little bit,
then I went to the beginning and began proofreading it.
But I only got a few pages into it and had to stop.
Why you ask?
I can’t wrap my head around it yet. It’s too soon. This guy
Crystalon is a very complex individual, and getting more complex the more I
write him.
In this novel he’s no longer the reluctant hero, he’s
embracing being the good guy. It’s been two years since he saved the worlds
from his arch foe, now he’s been quietly guarding protecting the world from
magical threats both big and small. He’s more relaxed and less high strung. He’s
a bit of a nicer guy.
Don’t confuse that though, with being wimpy or weak. He’s
neither. He’s just happily relaxed somewhat in his new existence and his new
world.
This novel was a long strenuous journey for him and his
friends. He may have known what he was getting into when he begins this journey,
but no matter what he has said and warned them about the people with him do not.
It’s real shock for most of them when they find what they’ve actually signed on
for.
But the one thing about this novel that strikes me strangely
is how likable Crystalon is in this book. He was a definite anti-hero in ‘Redemption
of the Sorcerer’ and while at times he’s still a curmudgeon, for the most part
he’s someone most people wouldn’t mind being.
What amazes me most about writing him is that people still either
underestimate him, or continue to treat him as the bad guy.
But you’ll have to read it to find out what I mean, when it
finally gets published. I’ll read through the entire novel and proof read it
myself this week at least once, then it’ll go into the very competent hands of my
editor.
Before she’s done with it I’ll commission my artist to start
the cover.
But while that is going on, I’ll begin writing the second
book in ‘The Cagliostro Chronicles’ which is just a big hit for me. I can’t
wait to get back to that one.
This is one big hurdle completed for me. Book two’s always
have a lot to live up to, but in this case at least I think ‘My Enemy, Myself’
has more than lived up to expectations. In fact it may have surpassed them!
Another excellent five star review for the 'Cagliostro Chronicles' Have you read it yet?
5.0 out of 5 stars The Cagliostro Chronicles ( Ralph L. Angelo Jr.), October 5, 2013 By Sheri A. Wilkinson (Princeton, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This review is from: The Cagliostro Chronicles (Kindle Edition) The Cagliostro Chronicles ( Ralph L. Angelo Jr.)
Mark Johnson is a scientist and engineer. He and four crew members of the Starship Cagliostro venture into the galaxy. Their mission turns out to be perilous as they are under attack, they face obstacles with their air craft, aliens, and unravel a conspiracy that can endanger all of mankind.
A fast paced action filled story that takes readers on a journey of suspense, air attacks, aliens and mysteries beyond the galaxy. Trues sci-fi lovers will enjoy this action packed adventure.
Click on the image below to order your paperback copy at amazon today! Also available in kindle, Nook (At barnesandnoble.com) and all other e-versions at smashwords.com
Today I was inspired. I sat down and wrote 3400 words in 'My Enemy, Myself' the sequel to 'Redemption of the Sorcerer'. That's 1400 over what I usually endeavor to put down per day. The reason I think is that I'm getting closer to the end. I'm up to about 77,000 words now, and I figure on about another 13,000 to go to end this blockbuster. Then will come the passes for editing. That is the hard part. Not the writing itself. I don't talk about this much, but I have a limitless imagination. I'm, one of those guys who can see a gum wrapper on the ground and a torn shoelace and I can make an adventure out of it. I dream big, and my best dreams are in the waking hours. I've always had a vivid imagination. I was told I daydreamed as a child. Yeah well, that was a good thing, I hate to tell ya. I was talking to my buddy Tommy Hancock a dew days ago, and he asked me what I had planned in the near future after I finished 'Enemy'. I rattled off two immediate projects I want to get to after I finish this one, but you'll hear more about that on the pod cast I did with him in the coming weeks. Sometimes I feel I would work on two projects simultaneously, but I can't really do that. A lot of writers can (That's cool I just referred to myself as a 'Writer'. I'm still not used to that.) but I'm not one of them. I have to stay focused on one project or I'll never finish it. Even this one is taking me a lot longer than I originally expected it to take. I think I originally expected to be done with this by the end of July or mid August, but right now I still think I'm at least two weeks out. Oh well, hopefully I'll get it done for a pre-Christmas release. But there's a lot to do yet. I have to get it edited and a new cover drawn up, then I'll need to assemble it all into one neat package. You see, some of these books I publish using my own publishing company I started. Right now it's just for stuff I want complete control of, and it's only for my stuff alone. I'm not publishing for anyone else. But in the future that may change. So when you see "Cosmic Comet Publishing" inside the book you know that's me.
Cosmic Comet publishing as so far published 'The Cagliostro Chronicles'
And 'Redemption of the Sorcerer'
As well as the nonfiction 'Help! They're All Out to Get Me!'
and of course 'Torahg the Warrior, Sword of Vengeance' was published by the inimitable Pro Se publications
It's been a busy week or so here at Ralph Central. I've done two really great podcasts (in fact my buddy Lucas Garrett keeps telling me I should do my own. If I ever figure out what I need to do so I may just do that, but that's not in the foreseeable future at the moment) Otherwise I've been trying to write, to get 'My Enemy- Myself!' finished. I have under 20K words to go at this point I think. I've settled on getting somewhere between a 90-100K word count total. Probably be about two weeks till its finished, then a week of my own editing, then off to my editor . Once she's done I'll contact my artist I used on two books so far and try to get him hooked up for a third cover. While that's going on I'll start writing the next part of the 'Cagliostro Chronicles' .
What's different about the Cag books is that I write them as more pulp style then the Crystalon novels. The Cag books I keep to the 65-70K word range so they're a fast paced easy read. After that is done I have two more projects in mind. One is a late 30's avenger that I'm going to be looking for a publisher for instead of self publishing that, the other is something I've always wanted to write, and that's an ongoing prose superhero saga.
In the meantime, you can check out what I've got out there already. Click on any of the pictures below to go to the amazon page for each book.
The Cagliostro Chronicles
In the depths of space, beyond our galaxy's furthest star awaits
danger!
In the not too distant future, mankind
has finally discovered the secret to faster than light space
travel.
But it is a most
dangerous discovery indeed!
Now Mark Johnson,
a brilliant scientist and engineer, will lead a handpicked crew of adventurers
into the unknown. Where they will discover the truth about the secrets of the
much larger universe and the myriad dangers it holds.
Now, in a
race against time, if the crew of the Cagliostro cannot unravel the depths of
the mystery, conspiracy and danger that surround the earth like a closing claw
of evil, mankind itself will not survive!
Join with us for the
inaugural voyage of the star cruiser Cagliostro as its crew begins to unravel a
conspiracy that will take it beyond the furthest star and into the very heart of
adventure!
Check it out on Amazon at the link below!
Next up is Torahg the Warrior, Sword of Vengeance!
From Pro Se Productions comes the first chapter in a Sword
and Sorcery Epic saga of Betrayal and Battle, of Blood and Death, of Redemption
and Revenge. From Author Ralph L. Angelo Jr. comes TORAHG THE WARRIOR: SWORD OF
VENGEANCE!
A Prince Predestined- An honored prince stands first in line
for the throne of his father, the most powerful King in the world. Young and
unaware that the world around him, his very birthright, is about to be snatched
from him by murder!
A Brother Betrayed- In one fateful day, his own
brother, in league with a malevolent sorcerer, kills the king. And the Prince,
the heir to the kingdom, became a wanted fugitive. Forced to abandon his
kingdom, to leave his home, to exile himself seemingly forever.
A
Warrior Born- Twenty years have passed and he returns, no longer the kind
hearted youth who watched his father's murder before his very eyes. He walks
with the confidence and scars of a hardened warrior, a veteran of many campaigns
and trained fighter in many forms of combat. With a heart hardened by twenty
years as an outlaw across the world, Destiny calls again, driving him to return
to the land of his birth! No longer the Heir to the Throne usurped by his evil
brother, he is instead a man with only one mission- Vengeance!
A Young
fugitive prince fled the land. Now he returns and he will be forever remembered
as TORAHG THE WARRIOR: SWORD OF VENGEANCE!
From Pulp Fantasy Author
Ralph L. Angelo, Jr. comes the first novel of a New Pulp character with classic
roots! Fight alongside this battle scarred, blood hungry Warrior as he tackles
evil in all its forms across the kingdom he once called home! A man without a
land and with only one purpose- To Avenge the Wrongs done against Him and the
world!
In the tradition of Robert E. Howard, Angelo breathes a savage,
raw life into SWORD OF VENGEANCE, bringing Pulp Fantasy back to life with a
barbaric results!
Pro Se Productions and Author Ralph L. Angelo, Jr.
Present- TORAHG THE WARRIOR: SWORD OF VENGEANCE!
Redemption of the Sorcerer, The Crystalon Saga, Book One.
Crystalon is a sorcerer of unprecedented power.
He is the ruler of his world and universe. But Crystalon is still a man, and not
a God. What happens when that man, after centuries of immortal life and power
loses his way, giving in to human temptations until he is finally seduced by the
power he wields?
What follows is an
epic adventure that spans two universes, while the man caught in the midst of it
all seeks redemption from his past sins. But will he see the error of his ways
in time to save both universes from an evil, unknowable enemy, and utter
annihilation? Or will an incalculable amount of innocent souls be damned to an
eternity of enslavement and doom?
'Redemption of the Sorcerer'
is an epic fantasy novel that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very
last page! Click on the image to go to the amazon page for http://tinyurl.com/Crystalon
Help! They're All Out to Get me, The Motorcyclists Guide to Surviving the Everyday World!
"Help They're all out to get me!" Is a book created to make the new, and even the not so new motorcyclist a better motorcyclist. Between these covers you will find tips and tricks that make surviving the everyday world for the everyday rider a much easier proposition. Inside you'll find everything you need to get yourself out on the road safely as well a confidently, with recommendations for just about every conceivable occurrence that can plague you, both on the open road, as well as right outside your door. This book will teach you, or refresh your memory on the little things one needs to know about motorcycling, as well as the large. Everything is covered here from putting down your kickstand to accident management in a group ride situation. "Help! They're all out to get me! The motorcyclists guide to surviving the everyday world." Is truly one specialized tool that should be in every rider's toolkit!
Crystalon is a sorcerer of unprecedented power.
He is the ruler of his world and universe. But Crystalon is still a man, and not
a God. What happens when that man, after centuries of immortal life and power
loses his way, giving in to human temptations until he is finally seduced by the
power he wields?
What follows is an
epic adventure that spans two universes, while the man caught in the midst of it
all seeks redemption from his past sins. But will he see the error of his ways
in time to save both universes from an evil, unknowable enemy, and utter
annihilation? Or will an incalculable amount of innocent souls be damned to an
eternity of enslavement and doom?
'Redemption of the Sorcerer'
is an epic fantasy novel that will have you on the edge of your seat to the very
last page!
