It’s another solo episode today, with the weekly book giveaway, announcements, and a little bit of 3D prints show-and-tell.
After recording an interview for a future episode relevant to tabletop games, the new giveaway contest Question of the Week is also in that realm!
Here are some of the answers from last week’s question, “What’s your favorite twist on a classic fantasy trope?”:
–Michelle Sagara did a fun take on the ‘chosen one’/reluctant hero trope in the Chronicles of Elantra by having the MC be from the poorest part of the city. She makes mistake after mistake while still trying to avoid pretty much everything. And all the while, the MC is pretty much the only one who can save the city/world because she was chosen as a child to basically be a sacrifice. Kaylin ends up having a long, varied list of allies because of her naive, almost-innocent behavior/mentality, and yet she’s also extremely capible. She’s someone most of us can relate to and yet she’s still the hero. And she never ends up rich or wealthy (also something you don’t see a lot of in fantasy…).
–I don’t know if it even counts, but the biggest twist I’ve enjoyed in recent years was Wen Spencer’s Brother’s Keeper I think that was the name anyway. Very few authors do a good job of switching traditional gender roles. In that book, the women were the warriors, the business people, the bosses, and the men (who were rare) were the keepers of the home and raisers of the children. It was done surprisingly well. But it did get a little romancy and ew toward the end. My motto is: I don’t care who is doing what with or to whom, JUST DON’T TELL ME ABOUT IT!
–Libraries filled with books, the more expansive the better. My personal favorite is The Library at The Citadel in Game of Thrones. It is said to house knowledge from across Westeros and Essos, the two main continents featured in the book and television series.
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➤Weekly Book Giveaway:
- Last week’s winner: JFPosthumus. (See my Discord server.) Congratulations, and I’m glad your book already arrived!
- The new Question of the Week: What’s the most epic or unexpected moment you’ve experienced in a tabletop game?
- Enter the contest by guessing a number (1–1,000). Add a letter for a chance to win two books!
- The best place to participate is in my Discord server, but I’m now accepting email, tweet, etc.–but make sure you @ me and I react, so you know I got your entry!
➤Stay Connected:
- Discord Server: Join the conversation, answer the question of the week, and enter the giveaway.
- Support the Podcast: Ko-fi Supporters gain exclusive perks like early announcements and behind-the-scenes updates.
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Announcements:
➤ Win Free Books: Head to my Discord server ( https://discord.gg/HvQZeG2AWu ), answer the “Question of the Week,” and guess a number between 1 and 1,000. For a bonus prize, guess a letter of the alphabet for a chance to win two signed books instead of one! See the full “menu” here, but check back again later—it’s growing: https://www.grendhill.media/prizes/
➤ Authors, join the giveaway: If you’re an author and you’d like to reach more readers, I’m willing to buy your book when a contest winner chooses it. Please fill out my Google Form ( https://forms.gle/XKTy7Sg8H9pENm8p7 ) to have your book considered for the “menu.”
➤ Upcoming Conventions:
- StoryCon in Salt Lake City (February 21–22).
- ConFinement in Lebanon, TN (Feb 28-Mar 1).
➤ Book Promo: I’m participating in a clean fantasy eBook giveaway on BookFunnel, until February 17th. See the giveaway here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/epicspeculativefiction/3elgh3hok5 .
➤The Grendhill Chronicles Podcast is brought to you by my YA Epic Fantasy series “Nightshade Unicorn,” written under the pen name T.S. Pedramon. You can purchase it on Amazon or elsewhere, or directly from me at https://www.grendhill.media/ (and get it signed, too). And you can really help out by leaving a comment on Amazon or on Goodreads. It helps other people find my books and join the journey!
➤My Nightshade Unicorn books (1 & 2) are available on Amazon, or you can grab signed copies directly from me at www.grendhill.media.
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Book 1, Forerunner:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVW6CBV9/
Direct: https://www.grendhill.media/
Purchase links everywhere else: https://books2read.com/NightshadeUnicorn-1
Book 2, Guardian:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFFZFZDZ
Direct: https://www.grendhill.media/
Purchase links everywhere else: https://books2read.com/NU2
Find me online:
Author Page: https://www.pedramon.com/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/GrendhillChron/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grendhillchronicles/
Discord: https://discord.gg/HvQZeG2AWu
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