The House of Bloodstein by Ren Garcia - Book Tour + Giveaway
We are excited to welcome Author Ren Garcia back for a
wonderful 2 week tour featuring his newest book!
Lady Chrysania of Bloodstein calls from the ruins of her castle. She dwells in
the dark, hiding her face, ravaged by an ancient curse. The only way to break
the curse is to win a game called Perlamum. If she loses, she dies. She looks
to her Vith kin in the west, begging for help acquiring the all-important
pieces she needs to play the game.
Lord Kabyl of Blanchefort, his Ne-Countess
Sammidoran, and his cousins answer her call. However, collecting the Perlamum
pieces for Lady Bloodstein is a deadly game. They must face a host of perils:
-The terrible Black Hat in the city of Waam who
knows their every move.
-A hated rival on the planet Xandarr and the
bewildering labyrinth of Gods Temple.
-The man from Shook who cannot be killed.
-A family of vile bravos from the south.
-The diabolical Dead Men of Mare, nigh
invincible creatures straight from an insane nightmare.
To even the odds, Kay and Sam turn to a
forgotten graveyard deep in the Telmus Grove, and the great eminence resting
there.
Can Lady Chrysania of Bloodstein be helped, or,
for that matter . . .
. . . can she be trusted?

Ren Garcia is a Science Fiction/Fantasy author and Texas native who grew up in western Ohio. He has been writing since before he could write, often scribbling alien lingo on any available wall or floor with assorted crayons. He attended The Ohio State University and majored in English Literature. Ren has been an avid lover of anything surreal since childhood, he also has a passion for caving, urban archeology and architecture. His highly imaginative "League of Elder" book series is published by Loconeal Publishing
Connect with the Author here:
Character Casting
LORD KABYL OF BLANCHEFORT:
‘Kay’ is the eldest son of Lord Davage and Countess Sygillis of Blanchefort. Green-eyed, purple-haired, he is considered handsome like his father and beautiful like his mother. He is the next in line as lord of the House, and the de facto leader of ‘The Gang’ with his cousins Sarah and Phillip. Like his father, Kay has the Gift of Sight. His status as a ‘Shadow tech Male’ has altered his Sight, changing it to the ‘Dark Sight’, allowing him to see and interact with objects great distances away and into the past and future.
Not overly strong, Kay was never able to lift his father’s seventy-seven pound King CARG. He therefore forged a smaller CARG infused with Silver tech power that he named SAMMIDORAN, after his love. After a horrendous set of tribulations in the Temple of the Exploding Head, Kay recently married ‘Sam’ in a grand Vith ceremony. They are eager to bear children. Once Sam finishes her traditional Monama Jar, they will begin.
LADY SAMMIDORAN OF BLANCHEFORT:
An Anuian Monama of the Astralon tribe, Lady Sammidoran is the Ne-Countess of Blanchefort, wife of Lord Kabyl.
A Monama princess with prophetic powers, ‘Sam’ dreamed of her love, Kay, from the time she was a little girl, even before he was born. He came to her every night in her dreams, and she fell in love. Sam stared out her window into the fog and dreamed of the day she and Kay would be wed. She also knew that she would be turned into a Berserkacide one day by the horrid Horned God and would die by Kay’s hand. Planning for years, she devised a successful scheme to thwart death involving an ancient Machine of great power. Using the Machine, Sam was returned from the dead.
Sam is an Anuian Monama, very rare in the League these days. She is much bigger than a standard ‘Conox’ Monama; buxom, solid, standing about six feet tall. She is bone white with a massive head of black Monama hair that goes down to her ankles. Her eyes, like all Monamas, are completely black, including the eye whites. She is incredibly strong, much stronger than a standard Elder and fast as a deer. Her fingernails, hard as iron, can be deadly weapons, should she choose to make use of them. In an unusual role-reversal, Sam is the muscle of ‘The Gang’, while Kay is the swordsman/trickster. She is also extremely susceptible to the cold of the north. She must wear an arcane Silver tech medallion called ‘Snugs’ to protect her from the cold. Without the medallion she would quickly die.
Sam loves life at Castle Blanchefort and maintains a comically combative relationship with Kay’s cousin, Sarah, though Sam loves her as a sister. Sam tends to consider herself a Vith lady, casting aside her Monama roots. Using a power sander, she files her nails down every day to a Vith-like length, she also wonders if she should cut her gloriously long hair. Sam is working to finish her Jar, otherwise any male children she might have would die. As Monamas are extremely fecund, Sam wears a protective bolabung to prevent her from becoming pregnant until the jar is finished.
LADY SARAH OF BLANCHEFORT:
Lady Sarah is the eldest daughter of Lady Poe of Blanchefort and Lord Peter of Ruthven. She is the twin sister of Phillip of Blanchefort—she loves to tell people she’s ten minutes older than Phillip. A typical Blanchefort, Sarah is tall and slender with a head of Vith blue hair she doesn’t fuss with much; just pulled back into a simple ponytail with bangs is her typical style. Hating gowns, Sarah always wears ‘boy’s clothes’: boots, pants, a sturdy shirt and her trusty black duster, similar to the coat her father, Lord Peter, once wore during his pirating days. Her best friends are her brother, Phillip, and their cousin, Kay. They have been inseparable their whole lives. Their favorite hang-out is the Mystery Library, a well-organized space Sarah built on the 50th floor of Xyotle Tower, full of books of ghost-stories, monsters, urban legends and various unsolved mysteries. She’s very organized and anal about things—would make a great librarian. Sarah has always hoped the three of them would remain together forever, best friends always. Maybe that’s why she disliked and mistrusted Kay’s love, Lady Sammidoran, so much in the beginning; she was afraid ‘Sam’ would break up the gang.
Unlike her cousin, Lady Kilos, Sarah’s never bothered with the Kanan social scene many ladies partake in. Sarah’s an adventurer at heart, bold and tenacious, always ready for a new mystery to tackle. Brash and opinionated, Sarah’s rough-and-ready personality can rub people the wrong way. Though it took her a long time to accept Lady Sammidoran, Sarah always admired Sam’s strength and now adores her as Kay’s wife and member of ‘The Gang’ though they tend to fight constantly.
LORD PHILLIP OF BLANCHEFORT:
The twin brother of Lady Sarah, Phillip is a study in contrast with her. While Sarah is loud and forceful and a bit impulsive, Phillip is quiet and cerebral, always taking things in and assessing the situation. Everything Phillip puts his mind to he does well. A brilliant pilot, Phillip learned to fly his father’s Goshawk ship at a very young age. His uncle, Captain Davage, has always hoped Phillip would join the Stellar Fleet as a helmsman.
Like his sister, though, Phillip loves to investigate mysteries and savor the thrill of an adventure, he’s just not as noisy about it, letting Sarah do all the talking. Like Sarah, he considers his cousin, Kay, his best friend.
A ruggedly handsome fellow, Phillip has always had many ladies hoping to court with him at a social level; however Phillip has always found the socialites of Kana too tame for his liking. He has a weakness for strong-willed, verbose, powerful women (those much like his sister in spirit.) On an adventure in the Xaphan city of Waam, Phillip met just such a woman: Thomasina, 19th of Waam, a strong matriarch of the old House of Woolover, and fell in love, though he refused to admit it. Thomasina fell for him as well and, quite literally, chased him through the streets of Waam in an epic battle of wills, Phillip savoring the chase. Eventually, Phillip proclaimed his love for her. They agreed not to marry until Phillip finishes his schooling, Thomasina reluctantly remaining far away in Waam.
MAGISTRATE KILOS OF TUSCK
Growing up on wild Onaris near the city of Tusck, Kilos was the 11th daughter of a very impoverished family. Growing into a tall, strong young woman, she married a childhood friend with a genius IQ.
Struggling to support themselves, “Ki” joined the Stellar Marines. She had a rough time of it; her temper getting the better of her again and again. She was selected from a work detail to infiltrate the Fleet Warbird Seeker and gather information on its captain, Lord Davage of Blanchefort. Upon meeting Captain Davage, Ki was enchanted and the two became fast friends. Ki sailed at Davage’s side for thirty years, becoming his first officer and eventually joining the Stellar Fleet.
When Captain Davage and his new countess, Sygillis, had children, Ki was a perfect mentor for them, watching them grow into young adulthood. One day, Ki would follow Davage’s son, Kay, into the darkness of the Temple of the Exploding Head.
Eventually, Ki would have a son of her own, Sebastian. She retired from the Fleet and was offered a job as the Magistrate of Blanchefort Village. She was given the key to Pendar Tower in the west end of Castle Blanchefort and moved in with her husband.
Her husband is a professor with a reputation for finding answers to difficult questions. She also has an ever-lasting Tweeter bird given to her by Lady Poe of Blanchefort twenty-years prior. With these resources available to her, Ki is known as a ‘Manhunter’, able to solve difficult cases.
KING
An adaptation of the tried-and-true Tweeter design, King is a Silver tech familiar created by Lady Poe of Blanchefort, the mother of Sarah/Phillip of Blanchefort. King has all of the directional and tracking abilities Tweeter has, with the added ability to attack and kill if need be. King can fly at rail-gun speeds, can carry impossibly heavy loads and can destroy Shadow tech with silvery light from his eyes. Ashamed of the potent killing-power of her creation, Lady Poe keeps all her Kings out in the Servants Graveyard, surrounded by protections. She also built into King a self-destruct mechanism—when his tasks are complete, King will be compelled to return to the graveyard and be reincorporated, thus ending his life.
Excerpt
Story Excerpt, From Chapter 3: the Wunderlucks:
As they headed for the exit, somebody sitting in a passing booth stuck their foot out, nearly tripping Sam. She stumbled a bit and caught herself on Kay’s shoulder. A hint of quiet snickers came from those seated at the booth.
Kay stopped. “Good sir,” he said. “I do believe you did that on purpose.”
A man in the booth stirred. “And what of it?” he asked in a deep, rumbling voice.
“What of it? You attempted to trip my wife, who just happens to be the Ne-Countess of Blanchefort.”
The man stood. He was a veritable mountain of flesh, brawny, broad in the shoulders with a smallish head with cropped black hair, square chin, and a thick neck. He wore a gaudy insulated spacing suit composed of shiny red material trimmed in bright yellow. His boots were heavy Macco boots meant for space or high altitude work. His three companions in the booth all wore similarly colored attire. An assortment of half-finished drinks sat on their table. Kay recognized them as the people who had taken the painting from Castle Bloodstein.
They snickered and cat-called at Sam.
“So, they’re making Monama dishwashers countesses now?” the female in their group said as she smoked a menthol. “We knew the Vith had no taste and little class, but this?”
“Serve me another drink, Monama . . .”
Kay was momentarily taken aback. He’d never faced such brazen rudeness, especially in the middle of his own village. He was enraged. “You four bravos had best mind your civility.”
“Or what?” said the sour female.
“Or, I could have the lot of you arrested. I could have you executed too. The old laws are still in place.”
The female looked Kay over. She took a luxurious pull from her cigarette and then flicked it at him. “Oh,” she said in a slow growl. “I doubt you’ve the balls for something like that.”
Phillip stepped forward. “If I were you, I’d reserve yourselves and offer an immediate apology to the Ne-Countess.”
“The day we apologize to Monama trash will be a bad one indeed,” the female said, flashing her teeth. She had brownish-silvery hair pulled tight into a net. Her bangs were waxed into curls across her forehead.
“I wonder,” another man at the booth said. “Is the Monama for sale? I’d like to buy her for an hour or two.”
Kay’s hand went to his CARG, ready to unsaddle it and lop their heads off. Sam restrained him. “It’s alright, Kay, we needn’t waste our time with these foolish people. Let’s go,” she said in Anuie.
Hearing Sam’s native language encouraged more poor behavior from the group. “Will you listen to her?”
“Sounds like two pigs having sex, doesn’t it?”
“Hahahahahahaha . . .”
Sarah was fuming. “How about we take you outside and beat the living tar out of the lot of you right here and now, how about that? Nobody talks to the Ne-Countess of Blanchefort like that while I’m around! Got it?”
The rest of the people in the booth stood up. They were all of exceptional size. The lady in their group engaged in a fierce staring contest with the shorter Sarah. The first man spoke again to Kay.
“We heard you were some sort of Vith hero. You look like a little Nancy-Boy to me. I am Ernst Wunderluck, and these with me are my kin: Aiken, Rusty, and Clara. We are the famed Wunderlucks, adventurers and
treasure-hunters supreme! We are the pride of Remnath!”
Wunderlucks? Kay recalled their name was carved on the table in Lady Chrysania’s gallery.
Phillip stood firm. “I notice the thick necks, low brow, small cranial size, and limited apparent intelligence. The lot of you look to be members of the House of Jocanda. Am I correct?”
Sarah laughed. “Jocandas? You mean that stupid House that declared war on the Sisters way back when? You’re a pack of Jo-Boys then, for real! Ha, ha, ha!!” She slapped her leg and howled. “Why don’t you go
find a Sister to vomit on, Jo-Boys.”
The Wunderlucks all turned a shade of red to match their suits.
“We’ve Hospitaler’ed people for less,” Clara said, sizing Sarah up. Clara might have been very pretty had her face not been puckered into an ugly scowl.
“Shaddap, Jo-Boy!” Sarah said.
Ernst fumed. “Nobody calls us that, understand? Nobody!” He reached out to seize Sarah by the hair. Sam shot out and took him by the wrist. She wrenched him off his feet to the floor. Chatter in the bar
immediately ceased. The rest of the Wunderlucks drew weapons from their suits.
“Not so fast!” Ki said coming up from behind, her SK pistol drawn. “What’s going on here?”
“This is a private conversation, Magistrate,” Ernst said, engaging in a test of strength with Sam from his knees and not having much success. “It . . . doesn’t concern you.”
Pop! His hand broke in Sam’s grip and he sweated in pain.
“Drawing weapons in my village in a serious offense, boyo. Your welcome’s officially worn out. Take your things, pay your tab, and blow. I catch you lurking around here again, you’ll all spend time in my jail,
got it?”
“Is this Vith justice?” Rusty Wunderluck asked. “The Monama just broke my brother’s hand.”
“Seems to me your brother had that and more coming to him. Maybe he’ll find his manners next time,” Ki responded, her finger on the trigger.
The Wunderlucks looked amongst themselves and then returned their weapons to their holsters.
“Fine. We’re going. This is a crap Flop-Town full of Frag-Wagons and Whimple-Poles anyway,” Ernst said. Sam released him and he stood, his hand an ugly shade of purple. The Wunderlucks tossed back the remains of their drinks and headed to the door.
Ernst turned back. “Oh, one last thing, Blanchefort. We heard you got a letter from Bloodstein. Stay out! We’ll do the collecting, right? Us, not you, she contacted us first. That’s our adventure and our spoils. I see you and your trash wife meddling in our business again and I’m not going to be so nice about it.”
Rubbing his wrist, Ernst and the rest of the Wunderlucks went through the door and were gone.
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