by J. S. Bangs
Mostly we wrote poetry and short stories, but occasionally we had free writing days where we could write anything that inspired us. On one such day I sat down, opened up a blue-covered book of note paper, and wrote the following:
Norrendal sat forlornly at an isolated booth in the pub. He stared relentlessly at the ale before him, until he could see his reflection no more. That was when he demanded another ale from the bartender.
“Norrendal,” dear reader, was the character you know now as Navran.
Throughout that year I continued writing this novel, my first, composing a total of 44 handwritten pages. Those handwritten pages take us about one third of the way through the story that would eventually become Heir of Iron, to be followed up with a typewritten version that continued for several more chapters. Mr. Hartman encouraged me all the while, reading every chapter I showed him. My other major interlocutor was my friend Brett, whose shared passion for writing, worldbuilding, language creation, and linguistics has kept our friendship alive to the present day.
That first version was never completed. I grew up, changed schools, stopped writing for a while, then started again, then stopped again. I corresponded with Brett and Mr. Hartman for years. I never forgot about the story. I eventually rewrote the whole thing from scratch, changing the name of “Norrendal” to “Noran,” and attempting to strip out the most embarrassing and derivative elements my thirteen-year-old self had included. My second attempt was actually finished, but frankly it wasn’t very good and was never published.
Years passed. I published several short stories in professional venues, and I managed to get two novels out through small presses. This story never left me, though, and in the meantime it grew in my imagination as I asked and answered the question, “What happened after that?”
So about two years ago, I returned to this setting for the final time to write Heir of Iron. This third rewrite involved the most dramatic changes. I removed a major character and turned a secondary character “Mande” into the protagonist Mandhi, while completely changing the setting from Generic Fantasy Europe into something inspired by ancient South Asia. And then I wrote five more books, following up on all of the ideas I had developed over the past two decades.
So now it’s done, but I’m not. There are plenty of stories left to tell in this world, which was always conceived of as extending beyond Amur, and with enough time I’ll eventually tell all of them. Six books is a lot, and there were plenty of times along the way when only habit and inertia kept me writing. It was absolutely worth it, though.
Now, having reached the end of this marathon, I have to extend special thanks to the two who were there at the very beginning, Mr. Hartman and Brett. I have appreciated their friendship beyond words for the past twenty years, and without their help and encouragement I would never have gotten here.
Be back soon—
J.S.
Storm Bride
War. Peace. One woman with the power to choose…
“[A] stand-alone secondary-world fantasy epic of the first order.” (Publisher’s Weekly)
Saotse thought she was special. Once carried across the ocean by the Power of the Sea, the spiritual world abandoned her in a strange land with no way to return. When an army of vicious nomads threatens Saotse’s adopted city, a different Power begins to speak to her.
Keshlik has tired of war. As his men pillage yet another city, the general seeks an excuse to make peace without taking himself out of leadership.
Uya mourns her dead husband killed in the barbarian invasion. Forced into Keshlik’s service, she’s taken as a slave to the barbarian general’s pregnant wife. As she recovers from her grief, Uya must consider whether she should resign herself to fate… or let the bloodlust of revenge take hold.
When Saotse gains an incredible ability that could level the playing field against Keshlik and protect her adopted sister Uya, she’ll have to decide between war and peace. Between life and death. Between the gods and herself.
If you like unconventional fantasy settings, deep characterization, and edge-of-your-seat action, then you’ll love this gripping, beautifully-written epic fantasy novel.
Buy it here at Amazon
Free book!
It was an uneventful trade voyage until they ran into the woman walking across the surface of the waves. Then came the pirates, the sharks, and the imperial guard. Will Patara risk his cargo and his livelihood to save the last member of a magical lineage?
The Wave Speaker is a novella that takes place in the world of The Powers of Amur, two hundred years before the events of this novel.
Sign up here to get this free epic fantasy novella.
About Me
Hi, I’m J.S. Bangs. I live in Romania with my family of four, where I work as a freelance software developer, make cheese, play video games, and write books. If you’re interested in getting announcements about future releases, contests, and giveaways, sign up for my mailing list or visit the following link in your web browser:
https://goo.gl/T7NFhx
You can also get in touch with me at any of the following places:
Website: jsbangs.com
Twitter: @jsbpax
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jsbangswrites
If you liked this book, you can leave a review at any of the following places:
Amazon
Goodreads