Author K.V. Johansen has a brand-new book available today entitled, The Last Road, and we here at NTG were lucky to sit down with K.V. to discuss her new book and the craft of creative writing.
 
Nerds That Geek: What can you tell us about your new book?
 
K.V. Johansen: The Last Road is the fifth and final book in Gods of the Caravan Road. Although there were three separate stories told over the previous four books, there has also been another story weaving through, that of Moth and her long wandering carrying the black sword Lakkariss. Moth was one of the seven devils “in the days of the first kings in the north” -- they were seven wizards, who bound themselves to seven devils to gain greater knowledge and power, as well as immortality. The nature of the devils and their relationship with the Old Great Gods, who exist outside the world, not part of it the way the gods of the high places and the goddess of the waters are, becomes an important aspect of this book. Moth, since she first appeared in the short story “The Storyteller,” has been wandering with her partner, the half-demon wer-bear Mikki, hunting her fellow devils on behalf of the Old Great Gods -- a bargain she made to gain the sword to avenge her brother and Mikki’s mother on the devil Ogada, but she was less than whole-hearted about having to be the executioner of the remaining five.
 
In The Last Road, although some of the not-entirely-human main characters from the other books, like Holla-Sayan, Yeh-Lin, and Ahjvar and Ghu, have vital and central stories, Moth is much more at the heart of it all than she appeared to be in the earlier books. A new god, the All-Holy, has risen to rule as tyrant over the lands of the west and is sweeping east towards Marakand, conquering and forcibly converting as he comes. Holla-Sayan seems to be lost; Ahjvar recognizes the new god as an old enemy with a particular hatred of Ghu and intends to stop him at Marakand to save his god, his lover, and the land he has given himself to serve, even if it means sacrificing himself; the devil Yeh-Lin, sworn to Ghu’s service, seems to feel likewise, if she can be trusted; and Moth, on whom they were all pinning their hopes, has given up the sword that might have been the only weapon capable of destroying the All-Holy.
 
Reading the proofs, I was struck by how much darker and grimmer it felt than the books that came before. Characters, mortal and immortal alike, are losing hope, seeing the end of their world approaching. But the despair is never total; there is both anger and a grim determination to stand and fight until the end, and love of friends and homes and their gods and life itself keeps the embers of hope alive.

NTG: What are you most excited for your readers to experience?
 
KVJ: There are some things with old characters that I’m quite excited about. Ahjvar, in the previous books, has been a badly damaged person, finding his way towards what’s going to be a long, slow healing. The Last Road is almost a couple of hundred years after the end of Gods of Nabban. He and Ghu have grown into one another, become more intertwined, and Ahjvar has really found some peace within himself. We see that in the long flashback that I jokingly described to someone as “In which Ahjvar goes on safari,” where he joins a pilgrim-party travelling in the Nalzawan Commonwealth in order to carry a message for Ghu, and in the present action of the story, where he acquires a follower and is a bit baffled as to how to cope with this young man who goes from having a crush on him to looking for a father-figure.
 
Even more than that, though, I’m really excited for people to see Moth finally showing how very dangerous she was all along. Throughout the series, she has had an inclination to withdraw from engagement with the world, even when doing so meant wrongs she could have prevented were done, but now the one thing that matters to her has been harmed and she’s calmly, coldly, deeply angry. She’s finally woken up and taken fire.
 
NTG: What is it you love the most about creative writing?
 
KVJ: I love making words sing, and I love exploring my people and their landscapes, both the ones they move through and the ones within them. There’s a power in that that’s intoxicating.

NTG: What is a unique story that you haven't tackled yet that you'd love to write?
 
KVJ: I have this half-formed thing that’s been trying to shape for a few years now, just a shadow of an idea, that would capture some aspects of things found in folksongs and a certain type of children’s books and ancient myths and medieval legends, that moved me when I was young -- ideas of wanderers, and countryside and wilderness, forgotten heroes and old ancient dark things lurking. It’s not ready yet -- it’s all fog and shadows and scents and echoes. Someday I’ll do it, I hope.

NTG: What's next for you after this release?
 
KVJ: There are a couple of things. After I finished The Last Road I wrote a book that had been very alive in my mind for a while, a non-fantasy with a contemporary setting about a gardener and musician, a story about chronic depressive disorder and hope and chasing happiness. I’m shopping that around now; we’ll see what comes of it. The current fantasy project is something I’m just calling “the forest thing” at present: a musician and a shapeshifter enmeshed in a complicated conspiracy of treason, and some very convoluted family entanglements -- and a forest, of course.

Author C.R. Richards, a longtime friend of Nerds That Geek has a new novel coming out today! Which gave us the opportunity to sit down with C.R. to discuss Creed of the Guardian and writing as a whole.
 
Nerds That Geek: What can you tell us about your new book?
 
C.R. Richards: Creed of the Guardian is Book Three in my dark epic fantasy series, the Heart of the Warrior. The main character, Seth, has been forced into the military and deployed to an outpost in the middle of a land flooded with dangerous bogs. He has a vision in which he’s commanded to seek an ancient relic capable of helping him defeat the enemy who’ve invaded his homeland.
 
As if his impossible quest isn’t enough of a challenge, Seth also struggles with the powerful beings sharing his body. The Spirit of the Lion Ring holds the power giving Seth his abilities. This creature is every bit the hungry animal its name suggests. Seth is out matched and fears for the safety of his friends who are also trapped in the isolated outpost with him.

NTG: What are you most excited for your readers to experience?
 
CRR: In books one and two of the series, I’ve alluded to the bouts of strange behavior the main character, Seth, exhibits. I’m finally able to show my readers what is happening in his mind. Seth may have started life in control of his body, but now he shares it with other beings. I’m so excited for my readers to experience the other entities living inside his body. It was really fun writing the scenes in which they take control and cause all sorts of mischief.

NTG: What is it you love the most about creative writing?
 
CRR: I love creating new worlds and exploring their possibilities. Writers can live out their fantasy lives within the stories they create. I’ve always wanted to be a Doctor, but I knew it wasn’t for me after working in the emergency room at a hospital on the graveyard shift. Heart of the Warrior allows me to live out my desires of being a healer through the hands of Riley Logan, one of the main characters.

NTG: What is a unique story that you haven't tackled yet that you'd love to write?
 
CRR: The ne’er do well rebel is a favorite character type of mine. I would love to write a story about one of these loveable losers.

NTG: What's next for you after this release?
 
CRR: I’m working on a Dark Fantasy novel set in post-Civil War Colorado Territory. The research has been fascinating. I still have a long way to go, but the book is progressing.
 
Don’t worry Heart of the Warrior fans! I’m working on Book Four as well.

​The keystone to survival is surviving. It seems like that is the easiest thing to remember, but sometimes people are just willing to stay and take the torment. Running away from the situations that you cannot win could be the best way to survive, but sometimes you choose to stay and fight for what you believe is right, even though there is no chance of making it out alive. That is how heroes are born and written about in the history books. 

Private investigators Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison are just that, heroes. The two fell in love when living in New Orleans and while working on a case together, and have just given birth to their first child, Scout. Having survived their encounter against and killing Victor Frankenstein along with most of his minions, the two are looking to settle down and live a pain free existence. As they take up a very easy assignment, they are met with more possible trouble. For when an old friend, Deucalion, shows up at their doorstep, the couple is going to be faced with the rebirth of Frankenstein and his newest creations.

In Rainbow Falls, Montana, a band of replicates are slowly taking over the town. First replacing the key members of the community, their group is now focusing on everyone else. With a new mind reading technology, the replicates are very difficult to detect since they are able to download the existing memories from their victims. When staying at the local hospital for chest pains, old western writer Bryce Walker notices a difference in the demeanor of the medical staff. Young Travis, who is also staying in the same wing as Bryce, notices that the staff will come into his room and just watch him while he sleeps. Thinking that the staff hates him and wants to bring him harm, Travis joins forces with the old writer as they plan their escape from the hospital of doom.

Nunny has been battling with the loss of his grandmother and now finds himself staying at the local jail under false pretenses. Being paired up with an old killer, Mr. Lyss ,in the same cell, the two discover what is really happening in Rainbow Falls before the rest of the town. Seeing a replicate bring in his own doppelganger and then seeing him harvested, the two know they must escape to save their lives. Nunny is not happy with leaving all of the helpless people behind but does not have enough smarts to keep Mr. Lyss from pursuing his own goal of survival. The two end up holding up in Nunny’s neighborhood and wait for the infestation of replicates to blow over, but when the search parties get closer and closer the two find themselves running once again. 

In Frankenstein: Lost Souls you follow a small town in Montana that is trying to survive the second coming of Doctor Victor Frankenstein. Although the doctor was killed a few years before, he has created a replicate of himself to be fired up upon his premature demise to continue his work in creating the ultimate race. Having to face off against his old creator, Deucalion meets up with his friends from New Orleans, along with Frankenstein’s latest wife, Erika Five and adopted son Jocko. Everyone has a part to play when battling the old scientist, but nobody could expect that his creations have come so in just a year. Not knowing the exact way to kill off the replicates to save the town, the group goes back to their old tricks of slaying and tries to defeat the threat before it grows even worse. But not knowing where Frankenstein’s replicate is held up, they will need to do their research and keep their heads above water until he is located once again.

Just and overall fun read from author Dean Koontz. Frankenstein: Lost Souls is the fourth novel in the series and is setting up for the ultimate showdown between the living and the doctor’s creations. Having plenty of laughs along with enough gore to keep it interesting, this book is a page turner and will keep you in the mood for a good old-time monster showdown. How the characters interact with each other is a delight and watching them grow a little bit more will make you want to pick up the next entry in the series. Having a couple of the old school creations come together with the living to find a way to defeat their master makes for a good story line and although this is a set up book, you will not be disappointed with the results. Happy Reading and Stay Scared.