Today marks the official kickoff of the Frozen Rage Book Tour presented by Storytellers On Tour, and throughout the week we’ve got a great lineup helping us spotlight this incredible Urban Fantasy tale! Frozen Rage is a standalone novella that takes place in Steve McHugh’s Hellequin Chronicles series, and a perfect read for you murder mystery with a twist fans out there. I’ve had my eye on Steve’s work for a while, and hope to finally dive into his worlds very soon! I’m very much looking forward to seeing what our hosts have to say in the coming days, so be sure to keep an eye out for some incredible content.
Steve was kind enough to stop by to chat about what led to the creation of this book, what he believes makes for a good story, and what lies ahead for him, so keep scrolling for the tour schedule, more info about the book, the interview, and a giveaway!
The Tour
We’ve enlisted a group of wonderful and talented bloggers and Bookstagrammers to help us feature Frozen Rage. This is what we have going on, so make sure to check out each and every one throughout the week for some brilliant content, including reviews and more.
SEPTEMBER 27TH – THE WELCOMING
Whispers & Wonder
––
SEPTEMBER 28TH
Kats Reading Room
@the.b00kreader
Phil Parker
––
SEPTEMBER 29TH
The Writer’s Alley
Territorial_fae Reviews
@bibliomum
––
SEPTEMBER 30TH
natrosette
Through Novel Time & Distance
Out of This World SFF Reviews
––
OCTOBER 1ST
Kerri McBookNerd
jea reads
The Book in Hand
––
OCTOBER 2ND
FanFiAddict
@myrelationshipwith
The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy
––
OCTOBER 3RD – THE ENCORE
RockStarlit BookAsylum
For more about this tour visit Storytellers On Tour.
The Book
SERIES: Hellequin Chronicles (#6.5)
PUBLISHED: September 15, 2020 (Self-Published)
GENRE: Urban Fantasy
PAGES: 117
CHECK IT OUT ON
AVAILABLE AT
The Realm of Dreich is a getaway for the rich and powerful, a medieval-inspired town in the middle of a vast frozen wilderness. Now it’s the site of a wedding, intended to join two feuding families who have spent centuries in an uneasy truce with each other.
When Tommy Carpenter asks his best friend, Nate Garrett, to help him with the security of the wedding, Nate reluctantly agrees, knowing that it will be a long weekend of work and, in all probability, treachery.
It is only a matter of time before members of each family are found murdered and it is up to Nate and Tommy to find the killer before more bodies fall, potentially reigniting a war.
Meet The Author
WEBSITE: https://stevejmchugh.wordpress.com/
Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.
It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel, the results of which is now available to purchase.
He was born in a small village called Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.
Thanks so much for stopping by for a chat, Steve. Since we already have your official bio, care to tell us about yourself in ten words or less?
I’m a husband, a dad, and a bestselling author.
What’s a day of writing like in the shoes of Steve? Do you have any quirks, routines, or rituals?
I don’t think I have any. Once the kids are off to school, I go sit in my office and usually procrastinate for an hour or so before I start work. I usually stop at about 4 or 5, and I don’t work weekends. It’s kind of boring, I guess.
Give us an idea of how Frozen Rage came to fruition.
I wanted to write an Agatha Christie style murder mystery, so I did my own Murder on the Orient Express, but without the train and with magic.
Can you share with us something about Frozen Rage that isn’t in the blurb?
One of the characters is called Remy. Remy is a 3 ½ foot fox man with a love of weapons, who likes to swear at everyone.
Was there any specific research you’ve done or inspiration you’ve pulled from for Frozen Rage?
Not really, I watched a few murder mystery films to get the flow of the big reveal just right. But that’s about it, really.
What comes first, the plot or the characters?
Well, with Frozen Rage the characters are already full formed, so they came first, but usually I get an idea for a story and an idea for a character at about the same time.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? If so, who? What about them sets them apart from all the others?
Remy is always a favourite. He’s essentially my inner me let loose and he’s a lot of fun to write. I like writing all of my characters through, they all do something different and give me a chance to write different people with different personalities.
What do you think makes a good story?
Good characters first and foremost. Without them, everything falls apart. After that, I want to be entertained. I want something to grab my interest and keep it for the 400 or so pages it lasts. Hence the need for interesting characters.
Is there one particular book you hold dearest to your heart?
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. I read it every year, and while it’s not my favourite of his books, it’s one that means a lot to me.
Writing can be a stressful pursuit. Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?
It’s not a sprint. Find out what works for you, and stick to it, but you should at least try different things. Also, if you’re not enjoying what you’re writing, no one is going to enjoy reading it.
I think those two are really important for any author.
Ok, let’s see what kind of person you truly are.
Coffee or Tea?
Coffee first thing, then tea.
–
Winter or Summer?
I’m from South Yorkshire, so heat doesn’t agree with me. Winter, easily.
–
Physical books or Ebooks?
Both. I have more ebooks now as I don’t have space for the physical kind, but I still look a physical book.
–
Mountains or Oceans?
Mountains. Not a fan of deep water.
–
Beer or Wine?
Neither, whiskey.
–
Books or Movies?
I have to say books here as it’s my job. But I love movies.
–
Cowboys or Aliens?
Aliens, or mix the two and get something cool.
–
Pie or Cake?
Rhubarb Crumble
–
Rural or Urban?
Rural. I don’t like big crowds.
–
Work hard or Play hard?
One needs to be done for the other.
Thank you again for taking the time have a chat, Steve. Tell us what lies ahead for you!
Thanks for having me. I have another book, Horsemen’s War, out in Dec. It’s the last book in the storyline that started with Crimes Against Magic. After that I have two more novellas to write for next year, and I’m currently working on new worlds, with new characters. It’s busy, but I like busy.
The Giveaway
Enter to win a paperback copies of Frozen Rage, courtesy of Steve McHugh!
International. Ends 10/4 at 11:59pm EDT.
That’s all I got for ya! Be sure to keep an eye on the official Frizen Rage tour page over at Storytellers On Tour (https://www.storytellersontour.online/2020/08/26/tour-schedule-frozen-rage-by-steve-mchugh/) to see what the other bloggers and Bookstagrammers have to say!
Find out more about Storytellers On Tour or join our team:
Become a Roadie | Book a Tour | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram
Happy Reading!
🖤