Author: Josh de Lioncourt
Narrator: Reay Kaplan
Length: 16 hours 44 minutes
Series: The Dragon's Brood Cycle, Volume 2
Released: Feb. 19, 2019
Publisher: Draconis Entertainment
Genre: Fantasy
Emily Haven and her friends have been given the seemingly impossible task of uniting the worlds - a mission they failed once before, in another lifetime. But Emily made a promise, and she intends to keep it. A small boy risked his life to save hers, and while Michael sets out to rejoin the Dragon’s Brood, she heads east with Celine and Corbbmacc to rescue Daniel from a band of desert slavers.
Time does not stand still, however, and the dark legends are true. They deal in blue fire; they deal in death; and they travel through the long nights on autumn winds. Samhain has come, and this year, the harvest will be in blood, gold, and souls.
Josh de Lioncourt, a proud Ravenclaw, enjoys creative projects in a variety of fields, including fiction, music, software development, blogging, and more. He has written on Apple accessibility for Macworld and Maccessibility, hosts or participates regularly on several podcasts, and writes and records music with Molly, his wife. Josh enjoys the works of Stephen King, the music of George Michael, Masters of the Universe, and Los Angeles Kings hockey. He also happens to be blind.
Website⎮Twitter
Haven Lost (Book One) is available for review through the ADOPT-AN-AUDIOBOOK program. Request your copy today!
https://open.spotify.com/user/g6bst819u4dew8mwhdz4aehve/playlist/5ysTcrUPx9091ab1TNdfeQ?si=lUTBRlFRR3eHq70AX1w0yw
- Hurricane — Lisa Loeb
This song has a spooky, creepy vibe to it that has always made me think of Marianne, the primary antagonist of Haven Lost. Oh yes, she's a hurricane.
- Harmony — Elton John
"Harmony and me
"We're pretty good company
"Looking for an island
"In our boat upon the sea"
This song played incessantly in my brain while writing Harmony's Song, the prequel novella to The Dragon's Brood Cycle (also available from Audible.) Apart from always being one of my favorite Elton John tunes, it inspired the title character's name in a round about way.
When I first sat down to write Harmony's Song, the character who would become Harmony was named Shanna in early drafts. One day, I took a break from writing to listen to NPR's Ask Me Another (a geeky puzzle and trivia gameshow.) One of the contestants that day was named Harmony, after the Elton John song, and inspiration struck like lightning out of a clear blue sky. Harmony was the perfect name for the character, and I immediately set out making the changes throughout the story. Sometimes, life just hands you a gift.
- Seasons — Heart
This is actually another Elton John song, but as performed by Heart. In many ways, the song captures the relationship between Daniel and Harmony in Harmony's Song. It was also used in one of my favorite TV series of all time, The Wonder Years, in much the same way as it feels appropriate to the novella. I can't hear the song, performed either by Elton John or Heart, without thinking of Kevin and Winnie, or now—Daniel and Harmony.
- Hunter — Dido
This is just a great song which puts me in mind of the start of the next leg of Emily's journey in Haven Divided, the second volume of the series.
- Heal the Pain — George Michael
George Michael has been my favorite music artist for over thirty years, and his music is always the backdrop to everything I do and every significant moment of my life. Heal the Pain feels somewhat appropriate to Casey and Jeff's relationship in volume 2.
- Shape of My Heart — Sting
This song was very much in my head while writing a pivotal scene between the sinister Jack and Casey in Haven Divided. "Spades are the swords of a soldier…"
- Be Still — Celtic Woman
The Dragon's Brood Cycle draws heavily from many themes in British, Irish, and Scottish mythologies, among others, and what better way to represent that than some love for the Celts!
Josh de Lioncourt's Top Ten Fantasy Series
Choosing my top ten fantasy novels is challenging. First, I've probably read thousands of them throughout my life. Second, many of my favorites are series, which means you could rapidly fill up a top ten list with a series or two. Third, what exactly constitutes "fantasy"? Everyone seems to have a different definition. Some people include only Sword and Sorcery novels, ignoring all of fantasy's many sub-genres.
For the purposes of this list, therefore, I have followed these rules:
- Series are lumped together as a single entry.
- My definition of "fantasy" encompasses all its many permutations.
- This list comprises my top ten as of the day I'm writing it and can change at any time based on my mood, memory, or whim.
So, without further delay, here are my personal top ten favorite fantasy novels (mostly series).
10 -- Earthsea series by Ursula K. Le Guin
9 -- Halfmoon Hollow (series) by Molly Harper
8 -- Shades of Gray by Jasper Fforde
7 -- The Legend of Eli Monpress (series) by Rachel Aaron
6 -- Heartstrikers (series) by Rachel Aaron
5 -- Lives of the Mayfair Witches (series) by Anne Rice
4 -- Super Powereds (series) by Drew Hayes
3 -- Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling
2 -- The Vampire Chronicles (series) by Anne Rice
1 -- The Dark Tower (series) by Stephen King
P.S. Yes, I cheated a bit with my number one. The Dark Tower series effectively encompasses virtually everything Stephen King has ever written. I'm okay with that!
Literary Inspirations: Midnight Royalty
I read a lot, and while inspiration in my fiction comes from far more sources than just literature, it is worth examining who has shaped my writing the most. There are two authors who have influenced my style of writing more than any others.
First and foremost is Stephen King, the master storyteller himself. King is best known for his horror, at least in the public consciousness, but horror constitutes only a small portion of his catalog. As a fantasy fan, his The Dark Tower saga has been a massive influence on my writing. Stylistically, I've taken much of his advice in his memoir On Writing to heart, and that book has served as a kind of literary handbook for me.
More than any other author, there is a realism to King's work that transcends the (generally) supernatural situations, environments, and characters he dreams up, and I consider that realism to be crucial in my own work. I've been reading his books since I was around twelve-years-old, and it is safe to say that without his body of work, I would not be writing today.
Second only to Stephen King is Anne Rice, whose magical worlds of witches and vampires are so richly described that you feel like you're standing on the streets of nineteenth century New Orleans, eighteenth century France, or seventeenth century Scotland. She can place you at the heart of the Roman empire or Edwardian England, and by the time you come up for air, you feel like you've lived through that era.
When I write, I want to envelope the reader in the world I'm creating. I don't want them to just see it as I do; I want them to feel the wind blow through their hair, hear the crunch of autumn leaves beneath their boots, smell the smoke of a raging blaze, or taste the fragment of sweet cake scavenged by a street urchin. It was Rice who taught me how to do these things, and much more.
There are so many other authors who have contributed odds and ends to my writing arsenal—J.K. Rowling, Rachel Aaron, Harry Harrison, Terry Brooks, and a thousand others. But none have had a greater impact than the king and queen of darkness.
HAVEN LOST
June 20th:
June 21st:
June 22nd:
June 23rd:
June 24th:
June 25th:
June 26th:
HAVEN DIVIDED
June 27th:
June 28th:
June 29th:
June 30th:
July 1st:
July 2nd:
July 3rd:
➜Sign up as a host here
They are sworn enemies…
