martedì 13 ottobre 2015

Book Blast & Giveaway: The Key of Alanar by Rory B. Mackay


The Key of Alanar
by Rory B. Mackay

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GENRE: Fantasy / Science Fiction

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BLURB:

Lasandria. An ancient, advanced civilization, consigned to oblivion by the greed and power lust of its own people. The coming apocalypse heralds a new evil that will ravage the world of Alanar for an entire age. Yet on the eve of Lasandria’s destruction, the ethereal overseers of the mortal realm grant a dispensation—a promise of hope for the future.

That hope lies with an orphaned teenager named David, born some ten millennia later; a boy whose isolated and uncertain existence leads him on a journey upon which hinges the fate of not just his world, but countless others.

On the run from a brutal military force, David’s quest is one born of shattered dreams and tainted by the thirst for revenge. As an inter-dimensional war that has been waged since the beginning of time threatens to consume his world, the dark force that destroyed Lasandria lurks in the shadows, ready to take possession of the one thing that will either save Alanar or destroy it — David.


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EXCERPT:

Prologue: The End

Year of Atania, 4999

It took only seconds for an entire civilization to perish.
Ardonis watched as the shockwave tore through the city in every direction. The golden metropolis was laid to waste with devastating ease: the buildings collapsing into smoldering ash, scattered by the wind; the crowd of thousands incinerated in the blink of an eye.

Fire and cinders spiraled from the rubble as a rising cloud of smoke devoured every last trace of daylight. The only illumination came from the object of the city's destruction—the gateway. Towering above the ruins, its metal pillars stood miraculously unscathed, at the centre of which the pulsating whirlpool of blue-violet light continued raining down sparks of electrical charge.

His city was gone, but Ardonis knew that the worst was yet to come. He watched with a sense of dread as an object emerged through the portal: an airship puncturing the thin membrane between universes, shooting into the sky above the rubble. Closely followed by another, and then another, the black metallic craft soared over the ruins like carrion birds in search of prey.

A stream of ground troops followed; wraithlike reptilian creatures with gnarled, distorted faces, armed with rifles and blades. The metal-clad soldiers marched through the gateway, spilling into the dead city like an infestation.

Ardonis knew it was no coincidence these demonic creatures had arrived in the aftermath of such carnage. He watched them feed off the destruction around them; ingesting it as though death itself was a vital nourishment. He could sense their hunger. Finally freed after eons of captivity, they were ravenous and would not stop until their hunger was satisfied.

It wasn’t just Ardonis’s beloved city that had fallen. His entire world had now been thrust into an unending age of terror.

Alanar was dead.



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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A natural born writer, thinker and dreamer, Rory Mackay was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1979. Since then he has lived most of his life in the North East of Scotland, a place he finds scenic and inspiring, if a tad cold. With a lifelong passion for creative writing and art, Rory knew from a young age that he had stories to tell and adventures to share. As he grew up and became interested in philosophy and metaphysics, he came to realize the potential of literature and art as a means of sharing ideas, posing questions and exploring the nature of reality in a way that is accessible yet compelling and challenging.

Rory is also an animal and nature lover, music junkie, social and environmental activist, cake enthusiast and generally rather chilled out guy. He sells his art online and writes blogs on creativity, writing, philosophy, spirituality and whatever else inspires him. He has written his own commentary on the classic Chinese text, the Tao Te Ching and is planning a self-help book as well as a new series of fantasy books called The Dreamlight Fugitives. ¬



Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150732.Rory_B_Mackay

Interview – Rory B Mackay

Where are you from? 

I'm from Scotland! I was born in Glasgow but my parents moved to England when I was quite young, and then after a few years back up north to Scotland. My dad worked for a bank and we tended to move around quite a lot. I've lived in the North East of Scotland, along the Moray Firth coast for most of my life now. It's a beautiful, scenic, and a nicely secluded place for a writer.

What is the first book you remember reading?

One of the first books I can really remember reading was 'The Phantom Tollbooth' by Norton Juster. We did it at school and it left quite an impression on me. It was mind-bogglingly weird, which appealed to me greatly, and highly entertaining. I haven't read it since, but now that I'm thinking about it again I would really like to do so. I also remember reading C.S. Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' quite vividly and Roald Dahl's 'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory' which enthralled and unnerved me in equal measure.

Who are your favorite authors?

I love a lot of the classic writers and prior to embarking on a new project I like to read books by the likes of Herman Hesse and Aldous Huxley. I am greatly inspired by the way they created works that captivated not only the imagination and senses, but also the intellect and heart. I believe books should be about ideas; and that they should challenge the reader in some way. There's a great quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson I frequently contemplate: "the mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions." I believe the same is true of good books! I love any author whose work stretches my mind in some way, making me think or see things in a slightly different way. To share ideas and to enhance one's appreciation of life in some way is really the greatest gift an author can give. I don't believe writers are simply here to entertain the world. I think they are here to change the world in some way, and to change lives.

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

'The Key of Alanar' is a story that's been with me most of my life. I began actively working on it when I was 15 or 16 years old. I don't know where the idea came from or why it felt so important to me, but it simply captured my mind and soul and wouldn't let me go. I spent years developing the ideas, the characters and world of Alanar, creating enough material to create dozens of stories. Initially I wanted it to be a series of films or perhaps a serialized TV series. Not knowing how on earth I would begin such an undertaking, I instead opted to create a book instead. The initial idea for this book was quite simple. I envisaged a group of people who had lost their home following an invasion or disaster of some kind. The book chronicled their adventures as they travelled their world in search of a new home; a mythical paradise spoken of in ancient legends. Along the way, the story changed and became more complex and multi-layered. It became a story of redemption and transcendence; of overcoming immense hardship and learning to heal the past and push the limits of what it means to be human and self-realized. I always wanted it to be a story about life; about how human beings go through life, how we learn, grow and become all that we are capable of being.


Where's your favorite place to write at home?

I write on my laptop, so basically I can write anywhere. I really need peace and quiet, however. There's nothing worse than being distracted when the words are flowing and I'm completely in the zone. I tend to shut myself in my room and hope for the best. It seems to work for me. If the weather is nice outside and the sun is shining, I have been known to write outside. Working on my book and working on my tan at the same time is surely a win/win!


What are you working on next?


As we speak I am working on 'Shattered Time', the second book in the Alanar Ascendant series. It's a direct sequel to 'The Key of Alanar'. The moment I finish this book I will tackle 'War of the Gods', the third and final book in the series. It's really fun and exciting to be writing again. I also have ideas for two other fantasy/sci-fi series that I hope to work on when the Alanar Ascendant is complete.




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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Rory B. Mackay will be awarding signed copies of both his novels, Eladria and The Key of Alanar, (International Giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 commento:

  1. Great to be featured on LibriAmoriMiei, had a lot of fun doing this interview, recollecting the first books I ever read and pondering my inspiration! :)

    RispondiElimina

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