Author: Stephen Zimmer
Featured Book Release:
Depths of Night
May 21 to May 27, 2018
About the author: Stephen Zimmer is an award-winning author and filmmaker based out of Lexington Kentucky. His works include the Rayden Valkyrie novels (Sword and Sorcery), the Rising Dawn Saga (Cross Genre), the Fires in Eden Series (Epic Fantasy), the Hellscapes short story collections (Horror), the Chronicles of Ave short story collections (Fantasy), the Harvey and Solomon Tales (Steampunk), and the forthcoming Faraway Saga (YA Dystopian/Cross-Genre).
Stephen’s visual work includes the feature film Shadows Light, shorts films such as The Sirens and Swordbearer, and the forthcoming Rayden Valkyrie: Saga of a Lionheart TV Pilot.
Stephen is a proud Kentucky Colonel who also enjoys the realms of music, martial arts, good bourbons, and spending time with family.
Book Synopsis for Depths of Night: After a harrowing end to a long sea journey, the famed northern warrior Ragnar Stormbringer and a force of warriors step ashore in the lands of the Petranni, a tribal people known for their workings in silver and gold. The search for plunder takes a sharp turn when homesteads, villages, and temple sites show signs of being recently abandoned.
When it is discovered that the Petranni have all taken refuge within a massive stronghold, Ragnar and the others soon fall under the shadow of an ancient, deadly adversary. Wielding his legendary war axe Raven Caller, Ragnar finds his strength tested like never before.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.stephenzimmer.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stephenzimmer7
Twitter: @sgzimmer
Instagram: @stephenzimmer7
Amazon.com Links for Depths of Night:
Kindle Version
Barnes and Noble Link for Depths of Night:
Top Ten Favorite
Authors
By Stephen Zimmer
I have loved the
work of a great number of authors over the years. Many have been influences in one way or
another, so it is not easy for me to declare my top 10. The list does change a little at times, but
there are a few names that I think will always be there.
The names on this list have taught me, inspired me,
entertained me, and encouraged me. As
such, I have a heartfelt gratitude toward all of them.
In this list, I also wanted to give some insights to each of
them as to why they made the cut!
So, without further delay, let’s begin! 😊
J.R.R Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien I did put on top of the list for a
reason. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were the
authors who lit the fire in me when it comes to fantasy fiction. My mother read The Hobbit and the Lord of the
Rings Trilogy to me when I was just seven and it had a profound effect that
lasts to this day. I continue to re-read
The Hobbit and the Trilogy, and I perceive new things within them every time.
C.S. Lewis
After my mother read me Tolkien’s works, she bought me a
paperback set of the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. If Tolkien kindled the first flames, the
Chronicles of Narnia fanned them into an inferno! A beautiful body of work that
inspired, entertained, and resonated. I
have also continued to reread these to this day, and as I have gained more life
experience I have uncovered even more depth to these books. Truly exceptional. I also love Lewis’ other works, from the Space
Trilogy to the Screwtape Letters to his non-fiction pieces.
Robert E. Howard
Robert E. Howard is a true master of heroic fantasy and
sword and sorcery. His stories of Conan
the Barbarian are a must-read for any reader of action-driven fantasy
fiction. A true icon of the pulp era,
Howard’s influence is profound on many of the great fantasy writers of today.
R.A. Salvatore
Very few authors can choreograph a fight scene like R.A.
Salvatore. My favorite works of his
involve the dark elf Drizzt Do’Urden.
Reflective. Intellectual. A
tremendous warrior. Honorable. Truly, it baffles me as to why Drizzt
Do’Urden movies have not been made.
Clive Barker
Clive Barker had a big impact on me. His prose is cinematic. His work is evocative, visceral, and macabre,
in a way that keeps a reader spellbound.
Barker has an innate ability to gain sympathy for what appears to be a
monster, at first look, and show the beauty inside things that have a
frightening appearance. This iconoclasm
underscores a free and open intellect in Barker and was a big part of what drew
me to his writing (along with his fantastic ability to paint a picture with
words).
George R.R Martin
While I get turned off a bit by the pervading nihilism in
Martin’s work, I love his prose and his ability to weave stories with ensemble
casts. It is not an easy thing to tell a
story through 8, 9, or more character threads, but Martin does it brilliantly.
Robert A. Heinlein
Heinlein is, without a doubt, one of the greatest science
fiction authors of all time. He is a
masterful storyteller who has great intellectual depth to his work. A champion of individual freedom, Heinlein’s
themes resonate very strongly with me, and he demonstrates that you can portray
such themes within the context of a very engaging, entertaining story.
David Gemmell
David Gemmell is one of the most under-appreciated
speculative fiction authors out there, in my opinion. Like Howard, he is a master of writing heroic
characters. He is also exceptional at
weaving spiritual undercurrents into his work, in ways that make for powerful
emotional scenes that you often do not see coming. He was anything but a nihilist, and the hope
that infused his works really drew me to his tales.
Ayn Rand
Hardened from seeing and escaping the horrific atmosphere of
early Soviet Russia, with all of its purges, executions, imprisonments, and
suffering, Ayn hard a harder, defiant edge to her characters. To me, she demonstrated the depth of
philosophy that could be presented within a fictional work. Whether or not one agrees with Ayn Rand’s
world view, it cannot be denied that her work is powerful and demonstrates how
fiction can explore intellectual themes and philosophy.
Paulo Coelho
A magnificent writer, Paulo Coelho’s work has a tremendous
depth to it. The subtle spiritual
undercurrents in his stories, the wisdom, and the growth of his characters on
very personal journeys are both enlightening and inspirational. You come away from a Coelho book like The
Alchemist or The Valkyries: An Encounter With Angels feeling refreshed in an
interior sense.
That wraps upp the list!
I hope that you have enjoyed my top 10 favorite writers! Thank you for reading!
Tour Schedule and Activities
5/21 Beauty in Ruins https://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
5/21 Literary Underworld literaryunderworld.com Guest Post
5/22 Sapphyria's Books https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/ Review
5/22 The Horror Club thehorrorclubblog.wordpress.com Review
5/23 Oak Hill RPG Club wordpress.com/oakhillrpgclub Review
5/23 Breakeven Books https://breakevenbooks.com Interview
5/23 Bookwraiths http://www.bookwraiths.com Guest Post
5/24 MyLifeMyBooksMyEscape http://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com Author Interview
5/24 Ally Books and Reviews https://allybooksandreviews.blogspot.com/ Guest Post
5/25 Sheila's Guests and Reviews http://sheiladeeth.blogspot.com Author Interview and guest post
5/25 The Book Lover's Boudoir https://thebookloversboudoir.wordpress.com/ Review
5/26 I Smell Sheep http://www.ismellsheep.com/ VLOG
5/27 MightyThorJRS Fantasy Book News and Reviews https://mightythorjrs.com/ Guest Post
5/27 Jazzy Book Reviews http://bookreviewsbyjasmine.blogspot.com Top 10 List
2 Comments
thank you for having me as a guest today! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're quite welcome! :)
DeletePlease try not to spam posts with the same comments over and over again. Authors like seeing thoughtful comments about their books, not the same old, "I like the cover" or "sounds good" comments. While that is nice, putting some real thought and effort in is appreciated. Thank you.