Today I am so pleased to welcome Alexis Hall to Joyfully Jay. Alexis has come to talk to us about hisย latest release, Sand and Ruin and Gold. He has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Alexisย a big welcome!
Hello, and welcome to my fourth ever blog tour (I really do have to stop counting), celebrating Riptide Publishingโs release of Sand and Ruin and Gold.Yay! Thank you so much to Jay for joyfully hosting me. And, to you, dear reader, for stopping by. If youโd like to come with me and keep me company on my virtual wanderings, you can find a full listing of when and where I am here on Riptideโs tour page.
Iโm trying something a little different with this blog tour. Since Sand and Ruin and Gold is a short story, and I tend to feel that explaining short stories takes the fun out of them, instead Iโm going to be posting, well, a completely different story. Itโs set in the same world so I guess you could call it a kind of spiritual sibling. If you like it, youโll probably like Ruin. If you donโt โฆ then โฆ um โฆ you probably wonโt. Sorry.
This is Part 2. Part 1 was posted by Smart Girls Love SciFi on the 22nd youโll be able to find Part 3 over at the Prism Book Alliance on the 25th. If you get story lost (not that all those who wander are lost) you can catch up on the RP tour page which, once again, is here, or you can swing by my blog where Iโll be attempting to keep track of everything.
Oh, and thereโs a giveaway. Nothing very dramatic Iโm afraid, as I donโt have any mermaids in my possession right now, but if you want to enter the Rafflecopter below, Iโd be delighted to offer a book from my backlist, in either hard or soft copy.
Draconitas Part 2
โIf youโre not careful,โ snapped the yellow-eyed man, โIโm going to start taking this lack of enthusiasm personally.โ
โYouโve just told me thereโs no meaning to anything, and that youโre planning to rape and murder me. How much enthusiasm are you expecting?โ
โWell, my gosh.โ His brightly burning, inhuman eyes widened. โI said Iโd fuck you. I didnโt say it would be without your consent. Havenโt you looked at me? Iโm glorious. I have to beat them off with sticks.โ He sighed. โItโs just weโre currently at low ebb of sticks, and people to beat them off with.โ
โSo, if I donโt want you, you wonโt . . . take me?โ
โIf,โ retorted the yellow-eyed man. โIf.โ
โAnd the, ah, eating thing?โ
โWhat a spoilsport you are. But all right. Ifโand, once again I do mean ifโyou can avoid boring me into conniptions, and youโre terribly, terribly nice about my treasure, I wonโt shred your flesh and drink your blood and crunch upon your bones. Howโs that?โ
The dragon was watching him expectantly, so the prince felt obliged to say that it seemed a reasonable compromise.
โAm I not magnanimous?โ Now the yellow-eyed man was all smiles. โAm I not generous and kind and wondrous?โ He paused, scowling suddenly. โYou know, while my resources are inexhaustible, itโs still more fun when you do it.โ
โDo what?โ
A jet of steam seared the still air. โIncipient conniption warning. Praise me, you clueless lummox.โ
โOh! Um . . . yes. You are, indeed, generous and . . . kind, andโโ
โYes, yes, I know I am. I just said I was. Try a different word. Or better still, several of them, in a pleasing order.โ
The prince very much did not wish the suffer the consequences of a conniption, but he was neither accustomed to articulating his thoughts, nor having someone to articulate them to.
โIโm waiting,โ said yellow-eyed man.
โI . . . I have not skill enough your worth to sing,โ he blurted out. โFor we which now behold these present days, have eyes to wonder, but lack tongues to praise.โ
โBravo.โ The dragon clapped his hands, nails clicking together. โIโm deducting a point for lack of originality, but I respect your taste. Not entirely untalented, that one โ though he had some significant flaws as an artist.โ
โFlaws?โ
โWell, he barely wrote about dragons for one thing. It was all boys and kings with him. Shall we go?โ
โYes.โ If endearing himself to a monster was his only hope of survival, then that was what the prince would do. It seemed no more ludicrous, just then, than allowing himself to be chained up in a templeโno, a follyโto prove his suitability as a ruler. โBut one more question?โ
โIs it about me?โ
It hadnโt been. โOf course, oh magnificent one.โ
โGo on then.โ
โDo you,โ asked the prince, thinking quickly, โhave a name?โ
โI have as many as there are stars. And how I am known among my people, you could not vocalise.โ
โIs there a translation?โ
โNot exactly. Our language is not limited by linearity the way yours is. We are named, in a sense, from the entirety of ourselves. And, as I have told you I am wildly admired. I supposeโโ the yellow-eyed man blushed prettily, and entirely falsely โโI suppose some close approximation of the simplest idea of what I am among my kind might be . . . Surpassing Fair. Yes. That will do nicely. If you wish, you may call me Surpassing Fair.โ
โIt suits you.โ The prince felt himself getting warm and awkward. He was not used to this kind of talk. โYou are very beautiful.โ
โYes. Yes, I am.โ The dragon let out an odd sound, rich and languorous, full of pleasure. He arched his spine, running his fingers through his hair, his body all serpentine lines and subtle definition, undeniably sensuous. โHow I adore flattery. It is the basest of manipulations, but it still feels so good. But, come, my lair is some way to the north, and it will be dark before long. That will not trouble me, but you may be eaten by grue.โ
He set off down the hill, and after a bewildered moment, the prince hurried after him. โWeโre walking? I thought you would . . . I donโt know . . . sweep me up in your talons and fly.โ
Surpassing Fair gave him an unreadable look. โThe truth is, love, Iโm . . . well . . . Iโm old. That kind of drama is for dragons who have known fewer moments. And the last time I did it, I accidentally ate someone while scratching my nose. Do you want to risk it?โ
โIโm happy to walk.โ The prince fell into step beside the dragon. โJust how old are you, anyway?โ
โThatโs a very rude question, you know.โ
โBut itโs about you.โ
Surpassing Fair smiled, but it faded swiftly enough that the prince feared conniptions. However, the dragon only shrugged, cast him a swift glance from pale eyes, and said softly, โAs old as all things.โ
Blurb
Once upon a time . . . thatโs how the old stories always begin.
Once upon a time there was a king of a fallen kingdom. He was just and he was beloved. Or so the numbers said. One day, he gathered together the greatest, wisest minds in all the landโnot sorcerers, but scientistsโand he bade them fashion him a son. A prince. A perfect prince to embody his fatherโs legacy.
The scientists each brought the prince a gift: beauty, strength, ambition, intellect, pride. But they must have forgottenย somethingย because when he saw the mermaids dance at the Cirque de la Mer, he ran away to join them.
For a year, he trained them, performed with them, thought he was happy. For a year he thought he was free. But then Nerites came: A merman who refused to be tamed. A captive from another kingdom. A beast in a glass cage.
The old stories always end with happy ever after. But this isnโt one of the old stories. This is a story of princes and monsters.
You can read an excerpt and, yโknow, cough, buy the book if you want at Riptide Publishing.
About AJH
Alexis Hall was born in the early 1980s and still thinks the twenty-first century is the future. To this day, he feels cheated that he lived through a fin de siรจcle but inexplicably failed to drink a single glass of absinthe, dance with a single courtesan, or stay in a single garret. He can neither cook nor sing, but he can handle a seventeenth century smallsword, punts from the proper end, and knows how to hotwire a car. He lives in southeast England, with no cats and no children, and fully intends to keep it that way.
You can also find him all over the internet, on his website, Facebook, Twitter, BookLikes, and Goodreads.
Giveaway
Alexis has a tour wideย giveaway going on for one of his backlist books. ย Enter throughย the Rafflecopter link below. ย
Rafflecopter giveaway
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- Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
- Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
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- Void where prohibited by law.
This one made me laugh! Surpassing Fair is such over the top overbearing pop-star, ain’t he? ๐ And yet that last one made me kinda sad for him. Amazing to see 3D characters in such a short free story ๐
Yep, that’s about right. My boyfriend did say he thought I’d confused “dragon” and “drag queen” … so “drag(on) queen” it is ๐ I just feel it were a dragon – or thought you were a dragon – and lived at the end of the world you would probably feel liberated to be as outrageous as you darn well wanted.
So happy to hear you’re enjoying the story – I had lots of fun writing it.
Lol! That does sound quite spot-on. ๐ And I love it. Absolutely love it!
I am loving this so much:-) ย “Surpassing Fair” is killing me *snorts*, what ย a character. ย I’m cackling out loud, but then, suddenly, that hint of vulnerability: Aww!
I’m so glad he’s on the right side of unbearable. I confess I had a ridiculous amount of fun writing him – all that arrogance and shamelessness and weariness … and, yes, that touch of vulnerability. My perfect man really ๐
Awww !!! And yes, I agree ๐
Aw, no spare mermaids lying around? Durn. I suppose I’ll just have to enjoy the story! The poor prince… LOL
If I had a ย mermaid, I would ย – of course – let her go ๐
I’m glad you’re having fun with the story ๐
Thank you, Jay, as ever, for the hospitality of your blog ๐
*brings flowers and dragons*
Lovely to have you Alexis! *graciously accepts all treats!*
Sounds great! Can’t wait to read it!
Oh thank you, I hope you like it ๐
Loving this story!
Eee, thank you – I had a wonderful time writing it, so I’m glad it’s fun to read ๐
LOL, love it. The cover is really gorgeous I can’t stop looking at it. I’m really looking forward to giving this a read. Thank you for the giveaway chance =)
Oh, the cover is stunning isn’t it? I feel so lucky. The artist is called Simonรฉ, and her website is here: http://www.dreamarian.com/
She’s stunningly talented.
It sounds great. ย I would love to read more.
Thank you – glad you’re enjoying.
Part 3 will be released over at the Prism Book Alliance on the 25th, and Part 4 on the 26th with Book Reviews & More by Kathy ๐