Author Genre: Fantasy
Blog: Gloggles
Twitter: @BathrexG
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Author Description:
Jonathan M Turley (1983-current) was born In Kokomo, Indiana, and grew up in Sharpsville Indiana. Currently studying at Indiana Kokomo University in Graphic design and some Typography. His first Book Chronicles of Bathrex was written and published as an assignment in an editorial and publication class.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
Congratulations on your book: Chronicles of Bathrex. What do you have on the drawing board next? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
Thank you. It was a lot of fun to write but coming up with the story was the hard part. Right now, I am currently working on Slippery Thief another story to Chronicles of Bathrex, as for a tease yes.
Chapter 1
The ocean breeze hit her face. Amethyst closed her eyes enjoying every minute of it. She was hovering off the wooden deck of the ship in front of Bathrex as he stood there, his cape waving in the wind, his arms crossed over his chest. Amethyst flew all over the deck of the ship spouting off about how excited she was, which slightly annoyed Bathrex but he had come to tolerate her by now.
“Oh my goddess I’ve wanted to see the capital ever since I was a tiny sprout. So rich, vast, and full of exotic people, places, shops—and the fruit stands! Bathrex, the fruit stands! I need to try them all! I’m so excited for all of this!”
“Amethyst, calm yourself. It’s just the capital.”
“Seriously?” Amethyst hovered there looking at him, shaking her head.
“No.” Bathrex scoffed at her.
“For you, yes, it’s just the capital but for me it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event. I have no idea where our travels are going to take us, or if we will ever be back here so I want to enjoy it.”
Amethyst flew over to him and then landed on the top of his head. As they were coming into the harbor Amethyst hung down over his hood looking at him. “It’s a dream come true. Meeting you has been the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Bathrex,” Amethyst said with a wide grin.
Bathrex brushed Amethyst off as she fell halfway to his chest before she opened her wings to catch herself. “I’m overjoyed . . .”
“That’s not very nice.”
“I told you, I’m not a nice person. I get where you’re coming from, but to me it’s nothing special. Look, we have a job to do, should be easy, after that we can pick something hard or something just as easy to do. Your call, I don’t really care.”
“Yes, that’s all fine, but you forgot we have shore leave after this. I would like to use some of it here if you don’t mind. Come on Bathrex, show me around the city. I’d appreciate it.”
“All right, fine. I promise I’ll show you around the capital. Can’t believe you’re this ecstatic about a stupid city,” Bathrex said as he shook his head frustrated.
“It’s more than just wanting to see the city, it’s the art, culture, the rich history, and the Royal forest. I don’t get why you’re so agitated about showing me around. I recall you yourself were a fan of history. I would think you would at least be a little excited to show someone around who had a similar hobby.”
Just the first part of chapter one, it’s only the third drafted so a work in progress.
How did your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach?
The cover was done in Florida at Fort Myers at a state park. I wanted to find an environment that match the story so I went down to see a friend of my Orin Buis. He took the photo for me and I loaded it into Photoshop and tweak it. It was a lot of fun dressing up and yes that is me in the cover. I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to these things. I’ll say this a jerkin, cloak, and tunic in hot weather is not a good idea. Orin quite a few photos and it was difficult to choose.
You have written several short stories. Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
No, I do have a book that is in the works. I’ve spent several years on the plot, characters, and it’s been a colossus for me. I will drop the title of it but as for a release date there is none. It’s called Legend of Airies and it is an epic. I do want to write books like some of my favorite Authors do, Tolken, George R. R. Martin, Terry Goodkind. As for writing novellas that is what I can afford now. I would love to see my stories become books with an average page count of three hundred or more as I don’t feel so restricted. So, they’re not samples but part of a much larger world I want to create.
You are one of the authors who contributed to M.R. Mathias’ The C.A.M. Charity Anthologies published recently. (100% of the profits from these anthologies go to charity) (Mergin’s Curse) What a group of outstanding people. What is the main thing that you get out of this association? Why was the collection so successful, besides having outstanding authors? CAM Fantasy Book 1
When I was a child I wanted to help people. Over the years as I grew up I learned that there are more than just one way to help people. I’ve lived my life to be as kind as possible. Seeing that this was something more than just getting a story published. For me it wasn’t about that it was about knowing that each word read on kindle, each book purchased help a child smiled again, gave someone a chance at living, and helping an animal in need. When it comes to charity’s I would gladly give a story away to help another person. What I got out of it was knowing that I help a great deal of people and for me that’s worth it.
I think the collection was successful because each author gave it their best to help out the wonderful organizations involved. People like that idea, knowing their money made a difference when buying something associated with charities. I know each Author did their best to promote the Anthologies and the charities associated with it. So, that why I think it was so successful.
Between your story writing, school, marketing and all the other things that can get in your way, how do you manage your time? Do you have a set schedule or do you sort of play it by ear?
During the summer, it’s a bit easier to manage but when school starts up. Things become a bit difficult to manage and let’s face it collage is hard. I play it by ear and write whenever I can. Most of the time I write in the night and play some music in the back ground to help me think.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
As for a giveaway, no sadly I have not. I do however have a plan for such a thing. I will only say that I will make exclusive cover art for it, but that is something for a later time. As for any obstacles, I’m sure there will be some. I’m very optimistic about things.
What is your primary genre? What has been your best marketing approach to this group?
I’ve always love fantasy ever since I was a child.
As for the best marketing approach.
I’ve been researching and reading. I am currently reading the Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell. I don’t have an effect approach yet but I hope to have one soon. I’m new when it comes to this and the road has been one of many lessons. I’m sure there are more to come. Story boards, I cannot stress how important story boarding is. I do story boards a bit different than most. I put the chapter down and then use bullet points for each point of the chapter and things that need to happen. Sometimes a point will have a sentence to a phrase of a paragraph. As for characters, I found making a list of them with detail information from personality to traits and habits is a good starting point.
How do you manage your plots, characters and timelines to keep your stories going? Do you use any software to keep track of your books?
I like Ywriter5 because it has a very nice and clean interface to do this. You can make the character and it brings up a section where you can fill in all the details about the character. As for a time line that has so far been easy to maintain. I don’t have anything majorly complicated yet.
As for keeping track of my books I have a list of the title followed by a number. That helps me with keeping track of the order. Another program I like to use in my writing is Dragon NaturallySpeaking, its made things a bit easier for me when editing and adding stuff. I use it as a first form of editing and then go back over it manually and that makes my second draft. I then have an editor go over the third draft usually a friend before sending it to a professional.
It sounds like you’re developing a background to do something like the Game of Thrones model; Story writer, graphic design, gamer, fantasy lover and publisher. What is your goal?
I would say my goal in life is this. If I could just write all day I would be happy. I don’t want fame, I don’t want riches, that’s not why I do this. I write because its fun I love it. My goal in life is be simple. I want to create a world with characters that people can read and say I know how that feels, or I’ve been there. Most of all I want to be different from other authors. I want to write things and characters in a light that has never been done before. Something fresh, something different. My goal for my books is to create a story that will last. A world that people will come back and smile.
Author's Book List
CAM Fantasy Book 1
- The C.A.M. Charity AnthologyAll of the CAM Charity Anthologies are made up of donated short fiction stories. Some of these tales are written by well-known authors, others by ordinary people who just want to try and make a difference. 100% of the profits from these collections will go to charity as explained below.
Michael Robb Mathias Jr. aka M. R. Mathias, owner of Mathias Publishing, is producing the C.A.M anthologies in honor of his mother, Carol Ann Mathias, who passed away in 2017 after a grueling five year battle with cancer. The profits from these collections will be divided equally, each year, between three of her favorite charities.
https://www.smiletrain.org/
https://www.stjude.org/
https://www.petsmartcharities.org/
(Each of these three organizations has an A or A+ rating with www.charitywatch.org/charities a "watch dog" group that rates these non-profits based on several criteria, the most important being percentage of donations that reach the intended ones in need.)
A collection of Horror and Science Fiction stories is also available and we hope there are more volumes to come.
This Kindle download is: Fantasy, Vol. 1
Featuring (In Order of Appearance)
Lucas Pederson
Brian Barr
M. R. Mathias
R. F. Cisneros
Ani Fox
Matt Broadway
Jonathan Turley
With Poetry and Interior Artwork by Gideon Deschain
Cover art by Larry Elmore. To see more of his incomparable artwork visit his website http://larryelmore.com or pick up a copy of The Complete Elmore.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Chronicles of Bathrex
Chronicles of Bathrex is a series of short stories following the travels of two unlikely companions and their unique partnership. In the world of Elz'ium their journey will take them to places they never thought existed and into the dark past of the world itself. A tale filled with friendly faces uncovering myths and legends thought to be fairy tales. In the wake of their travels Amethyst will uncover her destiny.
Abstract
Bathrex Ellisyon and Amethyst, a Lunar Sprite, are forced into becoming a team. Bathrex, a bitter elf who does not care for anyone but himself, and Amethyst, an innocent soul, who knows nothing of the cruelty of the world, must set out on a mission. Together they must take a bounty that will most certainly lead to their deaths. If they fail, they will face being exiled from their homeland altogether. Along the way, they must learn how to not only deal with each other, but with their own inner issues as well. Can they succeed or will they become homeless? Only the gods know for sure.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
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