A Wizard, a Knight, and an Assassin Walk Into a Bar—Stop Me if You’ve Heard This One …

by Mina MacLeod

First, many thanks to The Blogger Girls for inviting me! I’m Mina MacLeod, and I’m here to ramble about my latest release from LT3 Press.

Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry—or “SSS,” as I tend to call it—was first written for National Novel Writing Month 2007. I wrote the first 55,000 words one year and the remaining 52,000 for 2008’s NaNo. It was a collection of tales that had been stewing in my head for a while, born of my love for best friends, female-identifying warriors, and male-identifying wizards. Also, anime.

I enjoy male/male romance a great deal—but even more than that, I love stories about BFFs. Unsurprisingly, I am a huge fan of anime and manga, particularly of the shounen genre. While I didn’t explicitly set out to blend Eastern and Western tropes into a gay fantasy novel, more than one person has accurately identified the book’s animanga shout-outs.

Friendship is the central theme of the book, although wizard Sylvain and assassin Niklas do have a romance subplot. This subplot continues to expand in the sequel, but warrior Ashe is never intended to be left behind. I wanted Ashe to stand out on her own, not as a satellite orbiting Sylvain/Niklas but as an independent character with her own story arc and goals. She is not a love interest and—some joking aside—this is not a threesome.

The emphasis on friendship stems partly from my own relationships. I’ve had the same best friends for over twenty years, and the thought of life without them makes me picture a dark and lonely place. I wanted to write a story wherein whatever else befell them these three could always count on each other. The Japanese term “nakama” best encapsulates the dynamic I wanted to create between the characters, fitting given the animanga cues. Meaning “comrade/friend,” being nakama transcends any animosity or differences between teammates/crew/etc. Whatever their differences, a comrade is a comrade and they will always have each other’s backs.

SSS’s final adventure was cut from the book and moved to the sequel, where it will serve as a kickoff for the next stage of the plot. Where the first book focused predominantly on various shorter adventures, the sequel will concentrate on a larger, overarching plot in which our heroes find themselves entangled. Without really meaning to, I seem to be following the pattern of an anime’s episodic first half and more serious second half. I don’t want to give out too many details, as I’m still working on the final outline, but they are definitely going to Muscari Aucheri. Once back in his old city, Sylvain may find he doesn’t fit in as well as he used to—and the wizard higher-ups may have to re-evaluate his situation in light of recent events.

I have plans for Ashe and Niklas, too. Niklas in particular is going to have to decide how he wants to live his life: as a moving target, or face things head-on with the risk of ending up on the wrong side of a blade’s pointy end. There may also be an asexual paladin or two in the mix …

The sequel is coming slowly, however. My husband and I are expecting our first child in the fall, and are busy dealing with all the rigmarole that comes with such a life-changing event. Nonetheless, I hope to complete it during maternity leave!

At the end of all things, fantasy is my first love. I’ve enjoyed revisiting my roots, and hope to bring more gay fantasy to the table in the future. If you decide to give SSS a chance, you have my incredibly humbled thanks.

About Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry

Wizard Sylvain just wants to sit down and have a drink, after days of walking when a shortage of funds forced him to sell his horse. Soldier Ashe would like to enjoy her evening, and not have it ruined by trouble. Assassin Niklas wishes they had both minded their own business and not made his bad night worse.

The bar they accidentally burn down is only the beginning, and they quickly learn that if they are to survive their penchant for trouble, teamwork will get them farther than standing alone.

Available at: Less Than Three Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks & Barnes and Noble

About Mina MacLeod

Mina MacLeod is a bilingual, bisexual Canadian living with her husband in Montreal. A geek at heart, she drives fast and plays with knives, balancing a career with a love for queer media. She has a thing for men who have a thing for men.

You can reach Mina on her Website, Twitter or Tumblr.

Mina has graciously offered up a paperback copy of Swords, Sorcery and Sundry as the prize for this giveaway to one lucky winner! To enter, just click the link below! Giveaway ends Friday, June 27, 2014 at 11:59 pm.

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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out Nikyta’s review of Swords, Sorcery and Sundry to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!