Guest Blog by Anton Strout - Home, Creep, Home, or Returning to a Fan Favorite World

Please welcome Anton Strout to The Qwillery. Anton is the author of the Simon Canderous series, the Spellmason Chronicles, and many short stories. Speaking of short stories, Claw & Order, a collection of stories from the Department of Extraordinary Affairs (DEA), is on Kickstarter now! 

I love the DEA! I may even have a DEA baseball cap and more. My recommendation - check out this wonderful collection on Kickstarter!

Home, Creep, Home, or Returning to a Fan Favorite World 

-Anton Strout

The first ever book that featured Manhattan’s underfunded and (mostly) secret paranormal protection agency, The Department of Extraordinary Affairs, hit shelves way back in February of 2008. That would have been my first published novel Dead To Me, which means I had probably conceived of the DEA around 2005. That original original series covered about four books and nearly a dozen anthologies, but it was the years 2008 to 2012 that really defined who the Dept was, what it stood for, and most importantly, did the good guys have the budget for a wide range of monster repelling holy symbols.

The Kickstarter for my latest collection, Claw & Order, brings together all the stories related to those paranormal events in the Manhattan of my Simon Canderous and Spellmason Chronicles series. And hopefully with enough funding, we’ll be seeing brand new stories set in their shared world, too.

People ask what it’s like returning to the world of the DEA, but in my mind, I never left. It’s how I built the Department within the world of the books in the first place. Deep below the Lower East Side Lovecraft Café front, the secret agency has a sprawling haunted archive called The Gauntlet which collects and records paranormal events in the greater metropolitan area, so even if I wasn’t writing something in the main series, there were always stories popping up that built upon that deep paranormal history. Even now, my mind imagines Simon & his detective partner Connor working the Graveyard shift, filing another case file they somehow managed to live through without succumbing to a new silver allergy or aversion to garlic knots at their favorite Little Italy eatery. 

Evil never rests, and the forces of good at the Dept don’t either. They couldn’t possibly, what with barely being able to keep up with the backload of paperwork. 

Claw & Order allowed me the opportunity to descend the ancient staircase to those archives once more, and Kickstarter gives me the chance to see who wants to come along and revisit that creeptacular world with me. It will dictate the future of the Simon Canderous series, specifically, and ultimately the fate of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs itself. Can you see them, dear reader, getting ready to hit the streets of haunted Manhattan? Gathering potions, and arming themselves with spells, retractable steel bats, and snacks! The wicked never rest, so neither has the Department. Won’t you come along? 

Come explore USA Today bestselling author, me, and my world of magic and mayhem with tales featuring: 

- A young NYU student trapped in a modern-day fairy tale with only a red hoodie to help save the day 

- The secret history of Ben Franklin, Necromancer

- The Department’s underground archival library known as The Gauntlet, and the bookwyrm that resides within 

- The origin of the Belarus family gargoyle who is the basis of The Spellmason Chronicles 

- A celebration of Lupercalia in NYC, complete with demonic cherub drowning! 

- A fae enchantress bent on revenge against an ancient foe—in a way only she can 

- The impromptu paranormal pet detective adventures of alchemist Caleb Kennedy 

- A glimpse into Simon Canderous’s previous life as a psychometric art thief and his first encounter with psychotic redheaded menace Mina Saria 

- A romantic birthday date night with Spellmason sidekicks Rory Torres and Marshall Blackmoore, including polearms, liches, and real housewives 

- Simon Canderous takes on an early case with the Department as he desperately tries to impress his ghosthunting partner high atop a skyscraper with a haunted castle penthouse 

- A Lovecraftian tale of horror that begs the question: who chooses the chosen ones?

Come. We’re dying to have you!

Link: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/clawandorder/claw-and-order-an-urban-fantasy-anthology-set-in-nyc

About Anton

Fantasy and science fiction author Anton Strout has given readers equal shares of chills and laughter since the first book of his Simon Canderous paranormal detective series, Dead To Me, came out from Penguin/Ace Books in 2008. He continues his tales of mayhem in Manhattan with his second series, the Spellmason Chronicles, as he treats readers to the story of a girl and her gargoyle, and explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and love with his trademark snarky twist. He's also the host of The Once and Future Podcast, where he talks about writing, games, and other nerdy stuff with some of today's most popular speculative fiction authors. His latest project is CLAW AND ORDER, a collection of his short fiction and more, now on Kickstarter!

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @antonstrout  ~ The Once & Future Podcast

Guest Blog by Anton Strout - Writers, Embrace your Suckitude!

Please welcome Anton Strout to The Qwillery!

Writers, Embrace your Suckitude!
By Anton Strout

As Frank Herbert wrote in the Litany Against Fear in DUNE, “Fear is the mind killer,” which was clearly meant to be the inner monologue of writers everywhere.

At each stage of a writer’s career, our destructive troglodyte brains love to try and stump us, to keep us from writing. It’s a process that never goes away, really, at whatever level of your career you might be at from first timer to New York Times bestseller.

The details might differ for you as you read this, but this is sort of a fear ladder that authors go through, starting with the smallest:

I want to write.
I wonder if I can write a whole short story?
Okay, great did that. Now can I write something longer, can I do a whole novel?
Whoa, did that… hmm… wonder if can I do it again?
Yep. Okay. Keen. Can I get one of my novels published?
OMG, a publisher wants it… and now they want more of the same, multiple books in a series. Am I even capable of writing a sequel, keeping a series going?

Right about…. HERE is where I am right now as America’s Favorite Lower Midlist Urban Fantasy Author™, climbing the fear ladder rung by rung. I proved I could get down four books in my first series, the Simon Canderous paranormal detective novels. Then I proved to myself I could launch a second series successfully with the three book Spellmason Chronicles.

But that still leaves me hanging somewhere in the middle of that fear ladder as a writer.

Those higher up than me look down with whimsical nostalgia at how easy those fears were to manage when they were on my rung of the ladder, and those below me look up as they shake their fists, shouting, “Shut up, Strout! You don’t know how good you’ve got it!”

Always remember that fear is a relative thing for a writer, again dependent on which run of the ladder they are desperately clinging to. And of course there are the future fears and woes I worry about, should I ever move up the ladder to, say, making the bestseller lists:

Once I’m on, can I make the list again?
What if readers don’t like the next book?
What if I run out of ideas for the series that is working?

But the super fear lurking behind every stage—word by word, book by book—is: How do I get the words down time and time again, especially in the face of all those fears? And worse, what if I write a book that is terrible? Many wannabe writers I know get stuck at the perfectionist fear stage and barely get a paragraph down, let alone a whole book. So how do I sit down and not give in to the fear of producing a crappy book? I have a simple calming mantra: It’s okay to suck.

In fact, I heartily encourage it. Why?

Because when you first finish your book it is absolutely going to suck. It should. It is, literally, the first draft. That name alone implies there will be many more to follow. The trick to writing isn’t to vomit forth pure gold. It’s to get it down so you have something there to fix.

I can see the holes in a plot or what’s missing in a character once I have that initial draft down and a better feel for where the tale is going. Those are things I can add in later, things I can refine as I stitch the Frankenstein’s Monster of my book together until the reader can no longer see the stitches.

Fear does not keep me from attempting to get my book down. I embrace the suck. I encourage the suck. And then? It’s my job as a writer to beat the suck out of it. Through writing, rewriting, beta readers, editors, copyeditors… once I realized I do not have to get perfection down on the page the first time out—that only many passes will make it whole—I realized there was nothing to fear.

But circling back to DUNE for a moment, sit down at your computer, take a deep breath and incant with me the Litany Against Fear used by the Bene Gesserit to clear your mind and calm yourselves before launching yourself at the page:

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

Happy writing!

Are you a writer or do you know a writer who would enjoy the gift of…well, Anton Strout, for the holidays? Anton is auctioning off a read and critique session where authors can have him read a piece of their work and hear what this “Simon Cowell of Writing Critique” has to say! There is only a day left to the auction, however, so don’t miss it! https://www.ebay.com/itm/232557450209

Alchemystic
The Spellmason Chronicles 1
Ace, September 25, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Stonecast
The Spellmason Chronicles 2
Ace, September 24, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

NO STONE UNTURNED…

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Incarnate
The Spellmason Chronicles 3
Ace, September 30, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

About Anton

Fantasy and science fiction author Anton Strout has given readers equal shares of chills and laughter since the first book of his Simon Canderous paranormal detective series, Dead To Me, came out from Penguin/Ace Books in 2008. He continues his tales of mayhem in Manhattan with his second series, the Spellmason Chronicles, as he treats readers to the story of a girl and her gargoyle, and explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and love with his trademark snarky twist.

The Once & Future Podcast (theonceandfuturepodcast.com) is his latest project, where he endeavors as Curator of Content to bring authors to listener's ear holes one damned episode at a time..
In his scant spare time, his is a writer, a sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the worlds most casual and controller smashing video gamer. He currently works in the exciting world of publishing and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @antonstrout  ~ The Once & Future Podcast

Interview with Anton Strout

Please welcome Anton Strout to The Qwillery. Anton has a new Simon Canderous story out in the anthology Shadowed Souls, which was published on November 1st by Roc. I adore Simon Canderous so I'm always very happy to see a new story featuring him!

TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery. Your most recent Simon Canderous story, "Solus" is found in Shadowed Souls, an anthology that was published on November 1st. What is it like for you to write Simon again?

Anton:  I miss Simon. It's why he keeps coming up in my short stories. Frankly, its one of the few ways I can visit with him. Once Ace pulled the plug after book four, it's hard to find time to write the fifth book, even though I'd like to. Ace immediately took my next series The Spellmason Chronicles, so all my novel length focus and attention had to go into that. Simon may ride again in novel form, but right now too many other ideas are taking up my brainmeat.



TQ:  Where does "Solus" fit in the Simon Canderous series? Are there additional Simon short stories?

Anton:  Solus is a prequel to the first Canderous book Dead To Me. You're seeing Simon at a very uncertain time in his life... ex-thief, trying to impress his mentor in his new job at the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, and desperately trying to control his powers of psychometry.

There are several other Simon-verse shorts out there in a variety of anthologies, some out of print. I think there are a handful of them. I'm hoping to either Kickstart or find a smaller press to put them all together. The last came out in Blackguards by Ragnarok Publications last year and features the incident that got Simon out of his life of crime and how he came by his now famous retractable bat.



TQ:  Were you nervous, elated, worried (all/none of the above) writing for an anthology being edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes?

Anton:  I've know Kerrie for years, thanks to Gen Con and some of my earliest short story sales were to her. I know what she likes and doesn't like at this point, so while I have a healthy fear of her editorial self, she knows I can deliver what she's looking for.

When I found out Jim was going to be my editor... well, is fearpooping a word? I knew him from his appearances on my Once & Future Podcast, and I had moderated panels with him on them, but to be under his editorial knife... I mean, the guy is the KING of my genre. I knew I had to really push the envelope on this story. And Jim's a great editor. His feedback really helped pull together what the story was missing, and it thrilled me when he told me how much he ended up enjoying the story and the fact that it's not resolved simply by hitting things.



TQ:  You've written 2 series - Simon Canderous and the Spellmason Chronicles. How has your writing process changed from when Dead to Me (Simon Canderous 1) was published in 2008?

Anton:  When I sold Dead to Me, book one of Simon and his friends, I knew nothing about writing a series. And no one really teaches you that. It was very trial by fine and seat of my pants at times. Going into the Spellmason Chronicles I knew the things I wanted to happen over the long arc of a series and also how I wanted to avoid writing things that hamstrung me in the first series. I'm a better planner now, both in the within each book phase, and the larger picture of where I want a series to grow to. I could teach a class!



TQ:  In addition to writing, you are the Curator of Content (host) of your Once & Future Podcast. Please tell us about the Podcast and what is upcoming.

Anton:  I started the show in 2011 because I loved the bar conversations and panels I did with my fellow authors at cons, and I was/am sick of the grousing grumpiness I kept seeing in genre consumption. I wanted a show that celebrated all the cool things that are being created by today's writers while also delving into the craft of writing. We continue to strive to celebrate all things geek. We're ad supported right now with sponsors I think work well with our listenership, but I'd love us to become more and more listener supported. We're working on that over at Patreon under Anton Strout. I'd also like to work on more holiday generated content of authors reading their work.



TQ:  Are you working on any writing projects that you can tell us about?

Anton:   I am in final beta on a YA project that doesn't have a home yet. I'm terribly excited by it. It's got science, battle suits, Dickensian urchins, aeroships... my take on a steampunk world. One final pass, then it's off to my agent to find it a home!

I'm also working on something that's part coloring/activity book that's the sort of hasty training manual a Department of Extraordinary Affairs operative might be forced to learn from.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery! Also please write another Simon novel.

Anton:  To paraphrase (read: mangle) Field of Dreams: If you fund it, I will write. (Kickstarter to come)

Shadowed Souls
Roc, November 1, 2016
Trade Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

In this dark and gritty collection—featuring short stories from Jim Butcher, Seanan McGuire, Kevin J. Anderson, and Rob Thurman—nothing is as simple as black and white, light and dark, good and evil..

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what makes it so easy to cross the line.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher’s Cold Case, Molly Carpenter—Harry Dresden’s apprentice-turned-Winter Lady—must collect a tribute from a remote Fae colony and discovers that even if you’re a good girl, sometimes you have to be bad…

New York Times bestselling author Seanan McGuire’s Sleepover finds half-succubus Elsie Harrington kidnapped by a group of desperate teenage boys. Not for anything “weird.” They just need her to rescue a little girl from the boogeyman. No biggie.

In New York Times bestselling Kevin J. Anderson’s Eye of Newt, Zombie P.I. Dan Shamble’s latest client is a panicky lizard missing an eye who thinks someone wants him dead. But the truth is that someone only wants him for a very special dinner…

And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman’s infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals wih some overdue—and nightmarish—vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters.

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY
Tanya Huff * Kat Richardson * Jim C. Hines * Anton Strout * Lucy A. Snyder * Kristine Kathryn Rusch * Erik Scott de Bie *

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

About Anton

Fantasy and science fiction author Anton Strout has given readers equal shares of chills and laughter since the first book of his Simon Canderous paranormal detective series, Dead To Me, came out from Penguin/Ace Books in 2008. He continues his tales of mayhem in Manhattan with his second series, the Spellmason Chronicles, as he treats readers to the story of a girl and her gargoyle, and explores themes of friendship, loyalty, and love with his trademark snarky twist.

The Once & Future Podcast (theonceandfuturepodcast.com) is his latest project, where he endeavors as Curator of Content to bring authors to listener's ear holes one damned episode at a time..

You can find him at his website antonstrout.com or at his Patreon, patreon.com/antonstrout

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @antonstrout  ~ The Once & Future Podcast

The Simon Canderous Novels

Dead to Me
Simon Canderous 1
Ace, February, 26, 2008
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 368 pages

A new urban fantasy featuring a man working on the right side of law-with talents that come from left field.

Psychometry-the power to touch an object and divine information about its history-has meant a life of petty crime for Simon Canderous, but now he’s gone over to the good side. At New York’s underfunded and (mostly) secret Department of Extraordinary Affairs, he’s learning about red tape, office politics, and the basics of paranormal investigation. But it’s not the paperwork that has him breathless.

After Simon spills his coffee on (okay, through) the ghost of a beautiful woman- who doesn’t know she’s dead-he and his mentor plan to find her killers. But Simon’s not prepared for the nefarious plot that unfolds before him, involving politically correct cultists, a large wooden fish, a homicidal bookcase, and the forces of Darkness, which kind of have a crush on him.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Deader Still
Simon Canderous 2
Ace, February 24, 2009
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

It’s hard to defeat evil on a budget. Just ask Simon Canderous.

FROM THE AUTHOR OF DEAD TO ME.

It’s been 737 days since the Department of Extraordinary Affairs’ last vampire incursion, but that streak appears to have ended when a boat full of dead lawyers is found in the Hudson River. Using the power of psychometry—the ability to divine the history of an object by touching it—agent Simon Canderous discovers that the booze cruise was crashed by something that sucked all the blood out of the litigators. Now, his workday may never end—until his life does.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Dead Matter
Simon Canderous 3
Ace, February 23, 2010
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 336 pages

Shaking up the spirits of Manhattan

The spirit populace of Manhattan doesn't appreciate its well-deserved RIP being disturbed, and Department of Extraordinary Affairs Agent Simon Canderous is sent in to do damage control. Meanwhile, his vacationing partner, Connor Christos, is in a sorry state, and he tells Simon that each night he's being haunted by visions of his long-lost brother at his window. Simon is worried that his partner may be going crazy-or worse, maybe he's not...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Dead Waters
Simon Canderous 4
Ace, February 22, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Simon Canderous, of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs, is used to fighting vampires and zombies. But the strange murder of a professor has everyone stumped. And it’s making some people crazy. Literally.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Interview with Anton Strout, author of The Simon Canderous Novels and The Spellmason Chronicles - May 15, 2015

Please welcome Anton Strout back to The Qwillery. If you are a fan of Anton's Simon Canderous novels (covers and links below the giveaway) you'll be happy to find a Simon story in the Blackguards: Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues anthology from Ragnarok Publications. The anthology was successfully funded via Kickstarter and is now available for purchase. Full disclosure: I backed the anthology on Kickstarter.

TQ:  Welcome back to The Qwillery. I've just received my copy of Blackguards and am thrilled to see that there is a Simon Canderous story in the anthology. Tell us about "Scream" without being spoilery!

Anton:  Scream is a tale of psychometrist Simon Canderous’ early days as a thief of some renowned, a bit before he joined NYC’s Department of Extraordinary Affairs. We meet a familiar batshit crazy face or two from his past that readers familiar with the series may recognize from Deader Still.



TQ:  What was it like for you to return to writing Simon? Can we look forward to additional stories featuring Simon in the future?

Anton:  I love writing Simon. He is, after all, novel-ally speaking my first born. Short stories allow me to tell one off tales of his adventures or paint the larger picture of his life fighting evil (always coming in under budget—mostly)… stuff that wouldn’t fit into the existing novels or which distracted from the main plot.

I’d love to write another Simon book, what with Dead Waters really twisting the tale in a new direction, but it comes down to time and money. If a publisher wants to throw down for it, I’m game, but unless I Kickstart it, it’s hard to get a new book going in that series with all my other commitments these days.



TQ:  How has your writing process changed from Dead to Me (2008) to now? Are you a plotter, panster or hybrid ploster? What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Anton:  I knew how to write a book, one cohesive story, but no one really teaches you how to write an ongoing series. I started out as a pantser… but when you’re working longevity over a series and storylines that take multiple books to pay off on certain plotlines, you need to become more of plotter for sanity’s sake. That said, I am a minimalist plotter. I write down a very basic one line per scene of “in which ____ happens” because I need room to surprise myself during the writing process. Otherwise, I feel like I’ve written a short story of the novel and don’t need to write the damned novel itself. It’s amazing to me how our minds mess with us.



TQ:  You are the host of the Once & Future Podcast. Please tell us about the podcast. Does it affect your writing in any way?

Anton:  I draw a lot of inspiration from talking with my fellow authors on the podcast. Hearing how they overcome their personal writing obstacles helps me with mine. And it soothes my writerly soul to hear New York Times bestsellers say that 20+ books in they still have some of the same doubts, fears, issues that I have now. Knowing they don’t go away but that you still can succeed despite those problems is very encouraging to me and my writing process.



TQ:  What's next?

Anton:  Well, Blackguards is out now, as you mentioned. Later in the year I believe Mech will be out from Ragnarok. That’s a follow up to their very successful Kickstarter for Kaiju Rising. Then next year I’ll be in Shadowed Souls, an anthology edited by Kerrie Hughes and urban fantasy icon Jim Butcher. That will be an early days of Simon in the Department of Extraordinary Affairs tale… I’m also working on a YA Dickensian Steampunk Voltrony novel and a science fantasy one, but they’re not sold or scheduled anywhere yet.



TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery!

Anton:  Thanks for letting me through the door once again!

Blackguards
Ragnarok Publications, April 27, 2015
eBook, 746 pages
Cover art by Arman Akopian
Interior artwork by Oksana Dmitrienko and Orion Zangara

A FANTASY ANTHOLOGY featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. BLACKGUARDS consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times bestsellers.

Featuring tales set in the worlds of Michael J. Sullivan's Riyria, David Dalglish's Dezrel, Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire, Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori, Mark Smylie's Sword and Barrow, Anthony Ryan's Raven's Shadow, Shawn Speakman's Chronicles of Annwn, Carol Berg's Sanctuary, James A. Moore's Seven Forges, Django Wexler's Shadow Campaigns, Laura Resnick's Silerian Trilogy, Peter Orullian's Vault of Heaven, Kenny Soward's GnomeSaga, Paul S. Kemp's Egil and Nix, and more!

If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells, many of them set in established worlds, BLACKGUARDS is for you!

Amazon : Barnes and Noble :  Inktera : iTunes : Kobo : Ragnarok

About Anton

Fantasy author Anton Strout is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy detective series and The Spellmason Chronicles for Ace Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Anton is also the scribbler of short, mad tales published in a variety of anthologies.

The Once & Future Podcast is his latest project, where he endeavors as Curator of Content to bring authors to listener's ear holes one damned episode at a time.

Website ~ The Once & Future Podcast 

Author Giveaway

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Reviews: Alchemystic, Stonecast and Incarnate (The Spellmason Chronicles 1 -3 ) by Anton Strout

Alchemystic
Series:  The Spellmason Chronicles 1
Publisher:  Ace, September 25, 2012
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
List Price:  $7.99 (print)
ISBN:  9781937007799 (print)

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Stacey's Thoughts

This is a great book! It is original, funny, and full of action. Lexi Belarus has lived in New York City her whole life. Her family has lived there for many generations and has a successful real estate business there. Lexi’s great-great-grandfather, Alexander Belarus, left quite a legacy for his family, but not in real estate…in art. Alexander was a great stone sculptor but he also knew magic. He was a spellmason. He could bring the stones to life. Before his death, he left a protector for the family behind him: Stanis…who happens to be a gargoyle. (Don’t worry…he’s a handsome gargoyle!)

Lexi’s older brother has just been killed in an accident and now it’s up to her to take up the family business of real estate. Sadly, it rips her away from her true passion: art. Up in the study that belonged to Alexander she learns about the true family legacy and how to work spellmasonry. When Lexi is attacked, questions arise. Was her brother’s death really an accident? Who could have wanted to hurt the Belarus family? With Lexi’s friends Rory and Marshall (who delightfully remind me of Clary and Simon from The Mortal Instruments Series) Lexi finds out things she did not want to know about her brother and her great-great-grandfather’s past before he came to America.

Stanis, the stone flying man (who prefers to be called a grotesque…like that somehow is better than gargoyle!), is a pretty awesome character and quickly learns about the fragile humans in his care, emotions, and Lexi. He feels a strong bond with “his maker’s kin” and always knows when she is going to be in trouble. Don’t worry, this book was not about a helpless damsel in distress with a strong man to save her. Lexi and Rory kick some ass themselves but gladly use Stanis as backup. Even though it is dangerous, Lexi makes it her mission to restore four pieces of his soul that were removed, placed in stones, and hidden around New York City.

The ending of this book was totally unexpected…I’m going to start the second one tonight. I’m already chomping at the bit for the third installment. I love it!

Stonecast
Series:  The Spellmason Chronicles 2
Publisher:  Ace, September 24, 2013
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
List Price:  $7.99 (print)
ISBN:   9780425256404 (print)

NO STONE UNTURNED…

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Stacey's Thoughts

The story opens up about six months after Alchemystic wraps up. During this time, Lexi has been studying the spellmason ways, but sadly, without Stanis. We still get Stanis’s point of view in this story, which I think is a really great feature. It really shows off the author’s skills to switch characters like that, especially because they are so different! In Stonecast, a new character is introduced. Is he a friend or foe? Whose side is he on? Can he be trusted? 

Rory and Marshall are still best buds with Lexi, along with the cool little creation, Bricksley. Awww. I love that little guy. With Lexi experimenting in animating stone, especially more life-sized creations, life gets a little dangerous for the fragile humans…including Lexi. A creepy secret society presents itself and demands Lexi help them, which understandably leaves everyone on edge. To make matters worse, the Servants of Ruthenia are still causing trouble and Devon with them! But the biggest problem: the magical binding agent to bring stone to life, called Kimiya is running out. Without that, there can be no more spellmasonry…ever! Despite all of her great-great-grandfather’s works, books, and puzzle boxes, there doesn’t seem to be a recipe for it anywhere. Is this going to be the end of the Lexi’s spellmasonry, even though it just started?

This series makes me smile. I love the witty comebacks, the nerdy references, and the mystery of the grotesques. I’ll have you know that Mr. Strout writes one hell of a woman! I was about halfway through with the first book (Alchemystic) when I flipped to the back of the book and discovered the author was a he! His writing only gets better in Stonecast.

Incarnate
Series:  The Spellmason Chronicles 3
Publisher:  Ace, September 30, 2014
Format:  Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages
List Price:  $7.99 (print)
ISBN:  9780425273555 (print)

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Stacey's Thoughts

And the bad guys just keep on coming! Alexandra, Rory, Marshall, and Stanis have been trying to gather the new grotesques that have been flying around NYC, and it’s no easy task. The gang is glad to do it since the spell that made the grotesques did save their butts six months ago. Spirits who did not pass on are now inhabiting Alexandra’s great-great-grandfather’s work and not all of them are friendly! A murderer’s spirit is now in a heavenly and nearly indestructible form and he’s picked up right where he left off when he was alive.

Can’t everything just be like it was? Oh, how I long for the good old days! Everyone has messy, busy, crazy lives right now: Alexandra is with Caleb now but once Alexandra finds out about an interesting conversation Caleb and Stanis had, is he even worth it? Marshall is now a budding alchemist with his own tricks but has he been hanging out with the right crowd? Stanis and Emily. Are they meant to be?

I’m very sad that this will be the last we hear from the gang. I will miss them a lot! The bickering, gaming and nerd references, and yes, even the fighting. I sincerely hope Strout will consider continuing this world, even if is just with ebook shorts. Until then, I’m making up my own sequels. Thank you Anton Strout for a wonderful series!

Feature: Incarnate by Anton Strout

Incarnate, the third novel in The Spellmason Chrnocles by Anton Stout, is out on September 30th! Check out the covers of the 3 novels in the series and enter to win a gargoyle among other goodies. Don't forget to check out The Once and Future Podcast too.

Incarnate
The Spellmason Chronicles 3
Ace, September 30, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 320 pages

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Stonecast
The Spellmason Chronicles 2
Ace, September 24, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

NO STONE UNTURNED…

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Alchemystic
The Spellmason Chronicles 1
Ace, September 25, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Anton

Anton Strout was born in the Berkshire Hills mere miles from writing heavyweights Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. He currently lives in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you).

He is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series and the Spellmason Chronicles for Ace Books, a division of Penguin Random House. Anton is also the author of many short tales published in anthologies by DAW Books. His latest book, Incarnate,the third Spellmason Chronicles book, is coming out September 30, 2014.

In his scant spare time, his is a writer, a sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the worlds most casual and controller smashing video gamer. He currently works in the exciting world of publishing and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.

He is currently hard at work on his next book and be found lurking the darkened hallways of antonstrout.com or talking with your favorite SF&F authors on The Once and Future Podcast (www.theonceandfuturepodcast.com), where he is host and content curator.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @antonstrout  ~  LiveJournal  ~  The Once & Future Podcast

Author Giveaway

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Big news about The Once and Future Podcast:

Geeks, Grab Your Towels! A Legendary Podcast Returns!

The Once and Future Podcast Announces Blockbuster Fall Guests

Wednesday, September 24, 2014—New York, NY—Host and curator of content Anton Strout is pleased to announce that The Once and Future Podcast, his science fiction and fantasy show, is back for its third season and promises to be more powerful than ever before.

Cover Spotlight - Incarnate by Anton Strout

The Qwillery is thrilled to share with you the cover for Incarnate, the 3rd novel in Anton Strout's Spellmason Chronicles.

Urban Fantasy author Anton Strout is pleased to announce the third and final installment of his Spellmason Chronicles, INCARNATE, coming to readers' bookshelves and e-readers on September 30th from Penguin/Ace Books. Like the two previous books in the series, ALCHEMYSTIC and STONECAST, the book will focus on spellmason Alexandra Belarus, who has the ability to give stone life-like qualities, and Stanis, the centuries-old gargoyle who has sworn to protect her. At the end of STONECAST, readers were left at a point of high tension with lots of questions still unanswered. INCARNATE promises to deliver answers by way of a fast-paced adventure with all the action and snarky humor Strout's fans have grown to love.

Incarnate
The Spellmason Chronicles 3
Ace, September 30, 2014
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

When Alexandra Belarus discovered her family’s secret ability to breathe life into stone, she uncovered an entire world of magic hidden within New York City—a world she has accidentally thrown into chaos. A spell gone awry has set thousands of gargoyles loose upon Manhattan, and it’s up to Lexi and her faithful protector, Stanis, to put things right.

But the stress of saving the city is casting a pall over Lexi and Stanis’s relationship, driving them to work separately to solve the problem. As Stanis struggles to unite the gargoyle population, Lexi forges unlikely alliances with witches, alchemists and New York’s Finest to quell an unsettling uprising led by an ancient and deadly foe long thought vanquished.

To save her city, Lexi must wield more power than ever before with the added hope of recovering a mysterious artifact that could change her world—and bring her closer to Stanis than she ever thought possible…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Stonecast
The Spellmason Chronicles 2
Ace, September 24, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

NO STONE UNTURNED…

Alexandra Belarus was an artist stuck working in her New York family’s business…until she discovered her true legacy—a deep and ancient magic. Lexi became the last practicing Spellmason, with the power to breathe life into stone. And as her powers awoke, so did her family’s most faithful protector: a gargoyle named Stanis. But when a centuries-old evil threatened her family and her city, Stanis sacrificed himself to save everything Lexi held dear.

With Stanis gone, Lexi’s efforts to master Spellmasonry—even with the help of her dedicated friends—are faltering. Hidden forces both watch her and threaten her, and she finds herself suddenly under the mysterious wing of a secret religious society determined to keep magic hidden from the world.

But the question of Stanis’s fate haunts her—and as the storm around her grows, so does the fear that she won’t be able to save him in her turn.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

Alchemystic
The Spellmason Chronicles 1
Ace, September 25, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages

AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…

Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Anton

Born in the Berkshire Hills, Strout currently lives in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). He's the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series and the Spellmason Chronicles, both for Ace Books, as well as many short tales published in anthologies by DAW Books.

In his scant spare time, Strout is a sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world's most casual and controller smashing video gamer. He currently works in the exciting world of publishing, which he assures is as glamorous as it sounds.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @antonstrout  ~  LiveJournal  ~  The Once & Future Podcast

The Giveaway

What:  One entrant will each win a Mass Market Paperback copy of Alchemystic (The Spellmason Chronicles 1) by Anton Strout. US ONLY

How:   Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.

Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59PM US Eastern Time on April 28, 2014. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change without any notice.*

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