I was tagged by the talented and creative Jennifer Brozek to participate in a Character Blog Tour. And let's face it, what kind of knight would I be if I passed up a challenge like that? Since I am in the middle of writing the third and final book for my Sheynan Trilogy, it seemed appropriate to follow along with an introduction to the main character for those who haven't read the books.

1. What is the name of your character?

Darien Yost

2. Is he/she fictional or a historical person?

He is a completely fictional character drawn up from my own imagination. Of course, he carries some of my traits as well of those from people I know well.

3. When and where is the story set?

The story is set in modern-times, the early 21st century. As for where, the first book is set in my home city of Seattle, the second book moves the action to Dallas and the third book moves back up to the Pacific Northwest. It is more or less the world we know, with a slight important twist.

4. What should we know about him/her?

You remember that slight important twist I mentioned? Well, there are people that have the ability to change their shape between their human and animal shape. They exist unknown to normal humans. Darien is extra rare in that he has the ability to shift into any animal, and that is what makes him so valuable. It is important to know that he isn't even aware about this world beneath the surface until it is thrust full-force into his life.

5. What is the main conflict? What messes up his/her life?

Darien's world is completely turned upside down when all of a sudden people start showing up in his life trying to manipulate him and control him without telling him what is going on. What makes it all worse is that he doesn't even comprehend what is going on. So he needs to try and piece it all together while avoiding the traps of people who've been doing this for years.

6. What is the personal goal of the character?

It actually changes over the course of the trilogy. At first he just wants to survive, and then he wants to make a difference. He wants to bring the fight to those that he considers evil. Later on, he decides that he just wants to live a normal life, or at least as normal as he can in the time that remains.

7. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The first novel is out already and the second is hopefully going to be released at the end of this month. The first novel is The Shadow Chaser, the second is The Bringer of War, and the third is The Torn Soul. You can read more about them on my website, at the publisher's site, or at the usual online sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

8. When can we expect the book to be published or when was it published?

Apparently I got ahead of myself with this in the previous question. :) Just to recap, The Shadow Chaser is out, The Bringer of War will be available, and the final novel and entire trilogy should be available by GenCon 2015 at the latest.

I wanted to write a quick post this morning about a new Kickstarter project that is up and running which I have a vested interest in. It is a short story anthology that takes the unusual tact of having a fantasy-themed recipe released with every story. The anthology is about bards, and the trouble they can sometimes get into. My story is about a legendary bard who creates epic ballads, and one young man who is convinced he should be her next character. I had a lot of fun creating the story and I hope that you'll get a chance to read it in this collection.

If you're interested, check out the Kickstarter here.