pretty extensively and actually spent time sailing on some old wooden ships so I could get the details of the Riptide perfect. I went to pirate museums from here to Nassau. I even learned how to play (horribly) the hurdy gurdy. I research in batches...I find that I discover new research topics as I write. It makes writing adventurous, and it's part of the reason I write historical fantasy. I just bought a bunch of books on old Southern folk legends in the South for my next project!

What did you edit out of this book?
Honestly, mostly the romance. There is importance in Tom and Merrin's relationship--it parallels her parents' romance and Evangeline and Winters'--but it wasn't the focus of the story. I was much more interested in seeing Merrin evolve from a hesitant orphan to a literal captain in her own right more than I was seeing her fall in love, and I think that was the priority for her, too. I also edited out some of Winters' scenes, as he's such a magnetic character that I was worried he might get too much spotlight in Merrin's story. But don't worry, I have a lot more to say about Winters and Tom and the rest of the crew, so they'll all get their turn.
​
What was your hardest scene to write?
The historic scenes were the easiest, because they were so research-based that I couldn't wait to get my notes onto paper. The most challenging scenes, ironically, were those between Merrin and her mother, Melusine, and also Evangeline. These are three incredibly strong, resilient, and enduring women--and all so distinctly different. There's a hint of a Triple Goddess structure here, and all of these women approach their feminism very differently, so it was a challenge to keep them all true to themselves, but I think I did it.

Take your martini glass and saucers – in one saucer pour a dot of dark chocolate syrup, and in the other 1 tsp cocoa powder. Coat the rim of the glass first in the syrup, then the powder. Tap to dislodge any loose powder, and set the glass to one side.

Add 6-8 ice cubes to your cocktail shaker, then add brandy and dark chocolate syrup. Set aside.

Pour 2 oz Port into a measuring cup, and sprinkle the gelatin powder over the top. Leave to stand for 2 minutes, then put in the microwave for 40 seconds and stir until thoroughly mixed. Pour into the cocktail shaker and shake for 10-15 seconds.

By now your drink will have taken on a pudding-like consistency. Take your cocktail strainer and pour into the martini glass. Add a sprig of mint for garnish.

Be aware that if you take longer than a few minutes to start drinking, you’re going to need a spoon.
​
Enjoy, and raise your glass to the Domnitor (long may he reign)!

It’s 2036. Henri is a wealthy physician, husband, father, and serial philanderer. He is also one of the relatively few people to still have a job. Automation and other technological advances have led to unemployment so severe that many people are no longer expected to work and now known as “The Absolved.”
​
Meanwhile, it’s election season, and a candidate from a radical fringe party called The Luddites is calling for an end to the “Divine Rights of Machines.” After Henri is displaced from his job, two Luddite sympathizers—whom Henri has befriended at his local bar—frame him for an anti-technology terrorist act. The prospect of Henri’s salvation comes at the cost of foregoing his guiding principles in life. This new vision for the world, after all, just might prove better than the technological advancements that, paradoxically, have “left humanity out in the cold.”

The Absolved [Black Spot Books, December 4, 2018] examines society and the unanticipated consequences of rapid technological advancement – and our reliance on it – as its protagonist faces off against a future teetering between a utopian leisure culture and a world of boredom and vice.

THE ABSOLVED will be available in paperback and e-book formats through all major retailers and distributors on December 4, 2018. 

ISBN (print): 978-1-7324007-2-6
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-7324007-3-3

Pre-order it today from Black Spot Books.
 
ADVANCE REVIEW COPIES OF THE ABSOLVED AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY
 
###

Once upon a time, the North Pole was a very noisy place. A kingdom cowered under the maniacal rule of the White Queen, the Vikings raided and pillaged as they were wont to do, and the Winter Witch avoided talking to any of them.

When her peace and quiet are obliterated by threats of war and Ragnarok, she’ll try anything to get them back. When casting spells to become nearly invisible and dealing with otherworldly powers fail, the Winter Witch must forge an alliance with Santa—a retired warrior who’s anything but jolly—to save the North Pole from calamity.

In this updated version of Sam Hooker’s humorous dark fantasy novel that’s a perfect holiday read, The Winter Riddle [Black Spot Books, November 1 2018], destiny calls on an unlikely hero to save the North Pole. The Winter Witch would have been more than happy to be left alone entirely, and that’s exactly the sort of person who sticks out like a sore thumb when destiny goes shopping for heroes. Destiny has a nose for a bargain. Why pay full retail for a willing hero who’s all biceps and tally-ho?

Of course, she could have avoided the whole thing by refusing to involve herself in a scheme devised by the most deceitful deity ever to disgrace the world with his presence, but that would have angered the horrible White Queen, ensuring that she’d never have another moment’s peace again. The aforementioned scheme felt like the lesser evil at the time, but nothing could have been farther from the truth. 

The Winter Witch’s desire to be left alone sends the North Pole careening toward disaster. Flying machines falling from the sky! Cannons going off indoors! Espionage, intrigue, gender-bending fashion, and even a hint of global warming imperil the fate of the world as we know it, and it all falls to one reclusive mumbler to make things right.

Will the Vikings take up arms against the frost giants? Will an evil necromancer keep the kingdom in the grip of fear? And for the love of Christmas, will everyone who isn’t the Winter Witch please stop meddling with dark forces beyond mortal comprehension for a bit?
​
The Winter Riddle is a farcical tale of a yuletide fantasy, wherein a reticent heroine must surmount countless challenges to save the world. From battles with giants to unlocking ancient magics to navigating the nuances of polite conversation, each obstacle is more monstrous than the last. Deck the halls and bar the doors! We’re in for a long winter’s night.

The Winter Riddle will be available in paperback and e-book formats through all major retailers and distributors on November 1, 2018. 

ISBN (print): 978-1-7324007-0-2
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-7324007-1-9

Pre-order it today from Black Spot Books.
 
ADVANCE REVIEW COPIES OF THE WINTER RIDDLE AVAILABLE ON NETGALLEY
 
###