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Friday 7 December 2018

Building a Reader Universe



When I started to write, it was a mess. I wrote a series with so many genres it was freaky lol. 
Tales of the Neverwar(TOTN) encompasses elements of fantasy, science fiction, romance, and time travel/alternate reality fiction.
Imagine my surprise when everything I've written ever since has tied into the same Neverwar universe I love.
Companion of Darkness(CoD) is my latest novel, but it is the earliest story in the Neverwar universe. This epic fantasy series tells how it all begins. Dragons, magic, elves, and faeries combat the force of darkness. 
Then you have Origins of the Never, the prequel novella to the main series(TOTN), which some people say should be read AFTER book one in the main series. 
It's set thousands of years BEFORE the main(TOTN) series, but MILLIONS of years after CoD.
Lost in Time is a separate series, focusing on various characters introduced to us in the main series, more time travel and scifi than fantasy. 
Apparently this is called,'Building a universe.'

Saturday 17 November 2018

Pre-Christmas Tales

Yes, it's a play on words. For the next few days, you can get all the Tales (see what I did there?) of the Neverwar books for just 99 cents or less.



But that's not the best of it. Origins of the Never, and Lost in Times will be FREE for the duration of the promo. 


Come get them!

Tuesday 13 November 2018

The reason I write.

Sometimes writing can be a hard slog. You sit for hours, weeks, and months, hoping the words that are flashing from your brain to your fingers will awaken a reader's imagination.
Is it worth it? Well, when you get reviews and comments like this, hell yeah!



All right now, kids!
I just finished and five starred 'Companion of Darkness' by CJ Rutherford, and reading this book was like a trip back in time - about twenty years - when I was immersed in the pages of some of the greatest Fantasy books ever written.
I plowed through Jordan's 'Wheel of Time', Fiest's 'Rift War Saga', William's 'The Dragonbone Chair', and the worlds of Salvatore, Goodkind, and Moorcock.
These were the Authors who carried Fantasy forward; beyond Tolkien, White and Lewis - the progenitors of today's new age of Fantasy Writers, and CJ Rutherford, I am certain, shall be riding that wave.
In my humble opinion, Rutherford has created an epic saga quite worthy of worldwide appeal. He has done this with a skillful command of the English Language, (flawless editing), and what I can only describe as good old fashioned storytelling that pushes me to the edge of my seat as I flip the pages.
All of the elements are in place:
His lead, Jesaela, faces insurmountable odds, yet the reader is compelled, driven to her side. Here, we do not see the standard, information dump, trope-filled 'world building', rather a masterful presentation of a planet rich in history, as seen and felt by the characters. For any aspiring Fantasy Author, Rutherford gives us a flawless 'Show don't Tell' worthy of study.
This is Epic Fantasy the way it should be done.

Wednesday 22 August 2018

More 5-star reviews for Companion of Darkness :)

For authors, especially indie authors, reviews are like fine food and wine. We don't need them to live and survive on, but they are a welcome treat when they come along.
So, when two 5-star reviews for the same book arrive within a day or two of each other...well, I'm metaphorically stuffed to the gills.



Here's what people are saying...

"A wonderfully written book of fantasy! Full of twists and turns, magic and mystical creatures. Love, hatred, jealousy and pain. It all flows through the pages as you read. The author did an amazing job of world building and character development. I was pulled in from the first page to the last page. And I did not want it to end! I can't wait to read the next book! I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers."

"You ever finish a book and want to pull a Misery, kidnap the author and force them to write the next book in the series? Asking for a friend. :) Seriously, I can't wait for the next installment in this series. What a beautiful and at the same time terrible world Mr. Rutherford has created. This novel is filled with emotion: love, hate, pity, angst, wonder. Name it, it's likely in there somewhere. A gift for any fantasy fan. I highly recommend!"

Free now on Kindle Unlimited and paperback, and coming soon on audio.


Saturday 2 June 2018

What is the Neverwar?

The Neverwar is, and always has been, the battle between Light and Darkness. 

Legend says that the Great Maker created the world of Sanctuary at the end of the first age, when all reality was consumed by the gods themselves during the Chaos Wars.

The legend goes on to tell how that at the end of the war, only two beings remained. The Great Maker, and the Great Destroyer. The Light and the Darkness. The final battle took place on the single surviving world of Teralia, the source of the magic that had been the cause of the war between the gods in the first place.

Light prevailed, but at great cost. While Darkness was defeated it was not destroyed, so Light used the last of its consciousness to create Sanctuary, and set into motion the creation of the Never. Over the ages, the realities were reborn, while the Darkness remained imprisoned on Teralia.

But come on, let's face it, the Darkness was never going to give up, was it?

To answer this question, I need to ask another. What is the Never?
Well, the Never is...complex.


No, no. Much more complex than this. This is like comparing a child's drawing to a 3D sculpture. No, the Never is everything. All of the reality we are in right now, plus all the other infinite realities possible.

I based it loosely on the 'multiverse' theory being bandied about, that each decision we make results in a fracture of the timeline to create another universe...and that's sort of what it is.

For instance, one day you choose to wear red instead of blue, and someone who loves the color red notices you as you cross the road. You talk, end up getting married, perhaps, but end up breaking up because 'something' isn't right. The path created by the red/blue choice then blends back into another reality in later life. 

You might divorce the guy wearing the red matching tie, and meet the guy you'd passed on a crossing wearing the blue. The Never draws love to love.

But it's not that simple. Ha! Told you it was tricky ;)

In the Never, time can flow differently in one thread of reality from another, so time travel 'is' possible, though frowned upon. 

There is one constant. The world of Sanctuary, a planet that sits at the center of the Never. All paths begin and end here, and its inhabitants, known as The Walkers, are the only beings capable of navigating the myriad threads of the Never. Sanctuary is a hub of trade and commerce, but by its very nature a terrible danger. What if you ran into a past or future version of yourself while visiting? Might be fun, right? What if you told your past self not to take a certain job offer in your own past. You hated that job. Telling him not to take it might be a good idea, right?

Then you get back to your own reality and find the wife and children you loved have never existed. Well, the woman probably does, somewhere, but your kids were never born because you'd met her at the place of work you'd told your past self to avoid.

Thankfully, this is the sort of thing the Walkers are good at. Sanctuary is so vast, and the artificial intelligence of the computer network so efficient, that this will never happen.

It's like one huge, mammoth, vast, bigly...struggling to come up with more lol...well-oiled machine. 
Unfortunately the same can't be said for events that happen outside.

This is where the Neverwar is fought. 

Beside the Walkers, who might be described at the administrators of the Never, are the Liberi, the police, or warriors, who battle anyone who tries to disrupt the balance.

They seek out and destroy the followers of the Darkness, whose relentless attempts to return their god threaten reality, while at the same time seek the one being prophesied to defeat the Darkness once and for all.



Also my Chaos Wars series, which tells the story of the aftermath of the original Chaos War.




Sunday 20 May 2018

Your next Epic Fantasy read



Within beauty, lies darkness.

With the mighty race of dragons bound to the Eldar, the magical world of Teralia struggles under the boot of Eldar tyranny.

Jesaela, a young faerie, is chosen to enter the shining Citadel to serve as prized companion to a girl she's never seen: Lyssa, the Eldar princess.

She doesn’t want to leave her forest home, but defiance will bring the king’s dragons to turn her home to cinders.

Given no choice, Jes goes to the magical Citadel; a glittering jewel from a distance, a den of darkness up close.

Can she find the spell to free the dragons from the Eldar? Or will the darkness spread to consume the world?

Companion of Darkness is book one of a new series set in the Neverwar universe. Suitable for young adults of all ages.


Get it HERE for less than half price on pre-order now, while you still can!