Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Virtual Book Tour & Giveaway for Prophecy Revealed by Ron Hartman


Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour, presented by Goddess Fish Promotions, for Prophecy Revealed by Ron Hartman.  Please leave a comment or question for Ron to let him know you stopped by.  You can enter his tour wide giveaway, for a $25 Amazon Gift Card, by commenting and filling out the Raffleopter form below.  You can also follow Ron’s tour here, the more stops you visit, the better your odds of winning.


Why Fantasy Appeals to All Generations
By Ron Hartman

            Fantasy novels have some of the best fans in the world.  They will follow their heroes through all manner of dark dungeon and towering volcano.  Some will even spend untold hours replicating character costumes for Cosplay.  And we’re not just talking about teens or tweens or moms or grandpas here, everyone does this.  So why is there so much appeal?

            I think part of the appeal with fantasy is the promise of some element of the fantastic happening.  Fans of fantasy know there will be something to really wow them every time.  People of all ages are also looking for a form of escape.  When you need to leave your worries for a couple of hours, what would work better than a good fantasy?  Just look at superhero movies.  They are wildly popular right now, and I think a big part of that is the escapism that they offer, along with (usually) a good story line and some kick ass costumes…

            Of course there are some sub-genres of fantasy where this may not be the case, but by and large another aspect of fantasy that draws people to it is the promise of an improvement.  Life will get better.  We don’t have to live like this forever.  There will be a day when a hero will rise above the odds and save us all…  How can you not get excited about something like that?   Again, I know this doesn’t apply to all fantasy, but most have some form of happy endings.  When you pick up a good fantasy, be it a novel, movie, television show, you name it, you know the characters will go through some pretty rough patches, but in the end they will save the day.

            Another possible reason for the broad appeal is a sense of nostalgia.  I know, this sounds funny on the surface, but let’s look a little deeper.  Most people are inclined to look at the world they’re living in and say “things were better back then”, regardless of when “back then” was.  People say it now about the fifties, and in the fifties they said it about the twenties, and they said it about the eighteen hundreds.  It’s just natural tendency to look back with some sense of varnished fondness of what we’d gone through before.  Now look at most fantasy.  I realize urban fantasy and dark fantasy may not fit this bill, but most fantasy takes place in a forgotten time of yore...  Sounds like a perfect recipe for nostalgia to me!

            When you get right down to it, I guess the real question here should be, “Is there anyone who doesn’t like some form of fantasy?”  And if there is…what’s wrong with them?!?

Prophecy Revealed
By Ron Hartman
The Prophecy Chronicles, Book 2

Publisher:  Rogue Phoenix Press
Release Date: June 12, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy
Length: 295 Pages
ASIN:  B00KYHKC9S







About the book:

Daniel Marten crossed the Burning Sea and convinced himself that he is the Prophesied One.  But what does that mean?  In this second installment of the Prophecy Chronicles trilogy, Daniel forges new alliances in his bid to save Naphthali from the Emperor.  He meets the Tene’breon, a magical race that has evolved to use the Weave as effortlessly as he breathes air.  The leaders of this race recognize him for what he is…but they also see something more.

            Naphthali has been dramatically altered by the rule of a new governor, a man whose power is tied to Daniel in a horrifying way.    How far will Daniel go to save Naphthali?  And what is the secret that binds his destiny with his new allies?  Only time will tell in The Prophecy Chronicles: Prophecy Revealed.

EXCERPT

"Hello Wes." Daniel just managed to choke out past his grief.

Those burning blue eyes studied Daniel for a moment before Westragen, the healer, spoke in a dry whisper. "Daniel, you've returned." Daniel's chin dropped to his chest as tears spilled between his eyelids. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the old man when next he spoke. "My boy?" Was there a note of reproach in that whisper? Yes, Daniel thought there was. "Greggor?" The tears continued to roll as he managed to shake his head once. "Ah!" Daniel wouldn't have thought so much pain could be emoted in one whispered word.

He looked up at the man through vision made blurry by tears. It looked as though Westragen shrank somehow. It was as if his last reason to keep fighting for breath was gone. Tears swam in the healer's eyes as he laid his head back, his jaw slack, staring off into nothing. "I'm so sorry, Wes," Daniel blubbered, barely understandable.

When he spoke Westragen's eyes darted to his own. He blinked back tears and glared hot hate at Daniel. "Sorry? You're sorry? You killed my boy. I'll not listen to your apologies." Westragen's frail body shook, spittle and blood flecking his lips in his effort to roar, though only a dry whisper came out. Daniel's chin sank to his chest once more and his shoulders slumped. In his mind he saw the bloody wreckage that was Greggor, pulled from the Swordgrass. Another sacrifice to the Prophecy, one of many in an unending line. The weight of those sacrifices bowed Daniel's back, crushed his spirit.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Author Bio:  Ron Hartman has had a life-long passion for the written word and is an avid reader.  The Prophecy Chronicles are his first written works.  The first in the series, Prophecy Foretold, was released in October of 2012.  Prophecy Revealed is the second in the trilogy.  Ron graduated from the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy in 2000 and lives in Ottumwa, Iowa with his wife and three children.







10 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you, Mary. I do enjoy a good fantasy, how about you?

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  2. Thanks so much for having me today, Milady! I'd love to hear what anyone has to say...any thoughts, questions, comments? I'm all ears!

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  3. I like the guest blog post and the final question - is there really anyone out there that doesn't enjoy some form of fantasy? I have some friends who snub nose 'fantasy literature' but then read plenty of contemporary romance. I have to say that I find plenty of fantasy in that genre.

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    Replies
    1. I totally agree! You'll have to tell your friends they actually love fantasy, after all!

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  4. The guest post was very interesting. And yes, I think everyone likes some sort of fantasy.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Rita. Clearly you are a very wise person... :)

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  5. Thanks, Elena! There's more where that came from! If you get a chance to read The Prophecy Chronicles, I hope you enjoy it!

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