The Sapphire Crucible is now available on Amazon.com!

Quest for the Red Sapphire is currently on sale for .99 on Kindle!

Today I'm happy (but also somewhat terrified) to have Hugon stop by.

Character:  Hugon
Book: The Sapphire Crucible by Rival Gates


Tell me a little about yourself.

I am the head jailor at the Imperial Palace of the Mandrean Empire in Marinhalk.  I oversee the prisoners and have the pleasure of torturing them as well.


Where do you live?  

My barrack is near the roundhouse prison.


Who is the most important person in your life?  

I care only for myself and my goblin brothers.


What was your childhood like?  

I was the largest of my tribe in the Goblin Nations.  Starvation and cold were constant companions.  Then I was sold to the Mandreans as a soldier.  The Emperor saw my gift for extracting information and gave me this post.


Of all the people you've met, who would you LEAST like to be stuck in an elevator with?  

This new prisoner named Linvin Grithinshield.  He is a high priority prisoner and I am not permitted to kill him.  He taunts me and the day will come when I have my chance.  Until then I must try to control the burning in my goblin blood telling me to dismember his body.


What is the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?  

I love my work.  There is no greater satisfaction than breaking the will of a prisoner and hearing them confess all their deepest secrets.  Then I am permitted to finish off the interrogation with any sort of murder I enjoy.


What is your biggest fear?  

Lord Necromancer.  He is not one to be disobeyed.  I do not think that my prisoners deserve to live but he believes that no one deserves to live except him.


What is the most important thing that ever happened to you? Why?  

The most important thing was being selected to my position.  Life in the Mandrean Army is rough and you are always taking orders from some foolish human.  Here I make the rules and decide who lives or dies.  That is true except for the new elf prisoners and that girl in the tower.  My orders are very specific about them.


Do you have any special talents or abilities?  

I am the strongest and biggest goblin there has ever been.  I can crush a man’s skull between my hands.


How do you see your future?  

Like all prisoners, I see the day coming when these “important prisoners” will not be so important anymore.  Then I will have my fun with them.


If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?  

I would pick the Goblin Warlord trained by the Mandreans and sent to the Southern Marshes to fight Valia.  He is the greatest goblin general to ever live and is giving the Valians all they can handle.  There’s a goblin who could teach me a thing or two.


If you had a free day with no responsibilities, how would you spend it?

I would form a raiding party and attack a Human settlement.  Then I would burn the people alive.  I love the sound of their screams and the smell of their flesh as it cooks.


Wow. Where can we find out more about you?

Read The Sapphire Crucible. I have a prominent role in the story.

Biography

Rival Gates is also the author of Quest for the Red Sapphire.  He grew up as the son of an editor and a high school teacher.  He wrote his series as a hobby and published it as a promise fulfilled to his dying mother.  Rival lives in Nebraska and loves spending time with his wife and children.  When not working, he dreams of more adventures with bone crushing fights and epic battles.

The Sapphire Crucible

Captured! In The Sapphire Crucible (Book 2 of the Sapphire Chronicles) Linvin Grithinshield and his party find themselves prisoners on the maniacal Lord Mandrean and his Necromancer. The Emperor has a surprise for Linvin. He knows where the Red Sapphire is! In order to attain it he needs Linvin's help. With his family as hostages he has no choice but to help.  Now they must find a way to escape, find the Red Sapphire and make it home alive. Along the way they must fight ever-growing odds of survival.

Quest for the Red Sapphire

Former General Linvin Grithinshield returns home to find his parents murdered and a price on his head. Through his wise Uncle Anvar he discovers his destiny is to find and master the legendary Red Sapphire. In his flight from danger and ensuing quest he must fight man-eating wolves, goblins, bandits, a dragon and worse of all, his cousins. Will he find the gem before the murderers do? Will he prove worthy of the gem at all? Can one half-elf truly make a difference for many?

The Sapphire Crucible will be released on 04/10/14 on Amazon.com

Quest for the Red Sapphire is currently on sale for .99 on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Quest-Red-Sapphire-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DZ100MO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388726338&sr=8-1&keywords=quest+for+the+red+sapphire


The Sapphire Crucible

Captured! In Sapphire Crucible (Book 2 of the Sapphire Chronicles) Linvin Grithinshield and his party find themselves prisoners on the maniacal Lord Mandrean and his Necromancer. The Emperor has a surprise for Linvin. He knows where the Red Sapphire is! In order to attain it he needs Linvin's help. With his family as hostages he has no choice but to help.  Now they must find a way to escape, find the Red Sapphire and make it home alive. Along the way they must fight ever-growing odds of survival.

Today I'm happy to have Rival Gates stop by.


1. Greetings, can you tell us a little bit about your history and how your work has evolved up to this point?

I was raised as the son of a teacher and an editor.  Being a writer was something I aspired to since childhood.  At the age of 13 I started work on The Sapphire Chronicles as a way to do something positive during a difficult time in my life.  The first draft of Quest for the Red Sapphire, Book 1 was hand written on binder paper.  As I advanced through school and life I read many great authors and learned a good deal about writing.  It took over thirty years of working on and off, but I finally published my work.


2. What genre, or genres, do you write?

I write Fantasy.  More specifically, I write Epic Fantasy.


3.  What is your latest book called and what is it about?

My new book is called The Sapphire Crucible.  It is the second installment of The Sapphire Chronicles.  It is the continuing tale of former general Linvin Grithinshield leading his uncle and cousins on a quest to find the mythical Red Sapphire before their evil enemies find the stone.  He must overcome unprecedented odds and fight for his life in a world of death and destruction.  Linvin has to find the gem first and escape with his family alive.


4. What was the inspiration for your book?

I drew inspiration from the work of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.  I was also an avid Dungeons and Dragons player as a teen.  It helped me expand my thoughts and think in medieval terms.  Creating dungeons of my own helped hone my skills as a writer.


5. Where can we buy your books?

You can find them at Amazon.com.


6. What can we expect from you in the future?

With The Sapphire Crucible just coming out I will be busy for some time with the promotion of the book.  The third installment in the series will be called Mandrean Revenge.


7. Among your own books, have you a favorite book?  Favorite hero or heroine?

The Sapphire Crucible is my favorite of my books.  It is intense and yet thought provoking.  As much as I love the main character, Linvin Grithinshield, I have a soft spot for Bander Greenlith.  He is a simple elf who cares more about food than wealth.  Bander will never blow you away with his intelligence, but he is able to see through all the complications people create in order to see the simple truth in a situation.  He is fearless and loyal to a fault.  My favorite heroine is easily Miri.  Here is a beautiful princess who acts nothing like one.  She is strong willed, smart and a good fighter when called upon.  She is really going to surprise some people who think they have the book figured out early.


8. Do you plot ahead of time, or do you let the plot emerge as you write?

I definitely plot ahead of time.  I want my story to flow together in a logical sequence.  That takes planning.  When I just sit down and write without much of a plan I find there are important elements left out of the story.  Then I have to go back and find a way to squeeze it into the story.  In the end I am never satisfied.  Preparation is the key to a good story for me. 


9. Who are some of your favorite authors to read? Favorite books?

Aside from the authors mentioned previously, I have enjoyed the work of David Eddings, Arthur C. Clarke and Isaac Asimov.


10. What would be your ultimate goal as a writer?

As a writer I want to touch as many lives as possible.  Just as I was inspired to use my own voice, I hope to influence others to tell their own stories.  That would be a great accomplishment.

Biography

I was born in Port Huron, MI and was the youngest of four surviving children.  At the age of five my Father took a position as a magazine editor in Toronto, Ontario Canada.  We moved to a large city just outside Toronto called Mississauga.  The different cultures and demographics to which I was exposed formed many of the ideas for my story.
 
When I was thirteen, my Father’s declining health forced him out of work and our family struggled.  It was at that time that I decided to channel my negative energy into a constructive purpose.  I set out to write a short story about a magical gem called the Red Sapphire.  My brothers teased me that such a stone was simply a ruby.  That irony was part of the attraction for me.  After all, who would be writing about a Red Sapphire?  Years went by and we moved down to my Father’s home town of Harrow, Ontario on the shores of Lake Erie.  It was a drastic change from city life and I found myself retreating more and more into my ever growing story.  By age fifteen I had a two-hundred page hand written manuscript.
 
Advancing from high school to college at Michigan State University there was little time for writing and the project sat in a drawer in my parent’s home.  In spite of my lack of attention to writing, every night I would fall asleep working out details of the book and the series to follow.

I met a wonderful woman at Michigan State who agreed after graduation to become my wife.  As we started our family I began a career in retail management and sales.  For over twenty years I excelled in the field and even incorporated some of my knowledge into the book.  I hold my position in the greatest esteem.

While I rewrote the story several times on my computer, I did not attempt to publish it until the longest supporter of my writing, my Mother, became terminally ill.  She told me the last time I saw her how proud she was of the story I had created and made me promise to publish it and share it with the world.  With the loving support of my wife, our three children and the help of the good people at Solstice Publishing, I am fulfilling that promise.

Excerpt from The Sapphire Crucible


    “Sergeant Hugon...these are the Elves taken prisoner at the river crossing,” the Human Captain stated as he dropped a rolled scroll on the table. “They are not to be mistreated.”
    Hugon angrily opened the document and struggled to read its contents. Then he began to laugh. Moving the parchment over to a lantern on the desk, he set the orders ablaze. “That’s what I think of your orders. I do as I please with my prisoners.”
    The Captain drew his sword. Hugon stood quickly and took hold of his club. The other goblins in the tower drew their weapons and rallied behind the Sergeant. In spite of the insurmountable odds against him, the Captain held his position.
    “I want you to acknowledge that you have taken custody of the prisoners,” the Captain said with his blade pointed directly at Hugon’s heart. “You will be accountable for any deviation of the orders from this point forth.”
    The Goblin Master snorted and answered, “I have them now, Human. Now be about your business. I wouldn’t want you to get your pretty uniform dirty.”
    The Captain looked at the jailor with disdain and sheathed his weapon. “Goblin scum,” he branded as he turned and left.
    After the Captain exited, the gates were closed and Hugon turned his attention to Linvin and his family. Using one hand for each, he picked up the twins by the chest and examined them. “So these are the Dangerous Elves that everyone is in fear of? Ha.” Hugon threw them aside and looked at the others. “I presume you are Anvar Greenlith. The paper said you were not to be unchained under any conditions. Seems you’re some sort of Magician or somethin’. You look mighty old for anyone to be scared of you.” He shoved Anvar to the ground and stepped on him with his foot. “I could just squash you like a worm. You’re nothin’ but a feeble old elf.” He began to slowly press down on Anvar with his foot.
    Linvin could not stand the sight. “Leave him alone, Gutter-Rat,” Linvin cried angrily.
    Hugon removed his foot from Anvar and turned his attention to Linvin. With two fists full of Linvin’s shirt, Hugon lifted him into the air and drew his face close. The great elf was weak and sick but still stubborn. He stared straight back at the monstrous creature.
    “So you’re the little half-breed that has everyone so upset. You look pretty harmless to me. Kind of like a bug. I guess maybe them Humans is afraid of bugs?” The other goblins started laughing.
    Linvin replied: “You must be the pathetic Goblin Pet your Human Masters chose to guard the mean, nasty little Elves. What a sad commentary on you. So scared of us are you that you need to keep us shackled. I do not blame you though. Slaughtering all those goblins in the Territory was quite easy and actually a good deal of fun for us. I would be scared of us too.”
    Hugon threw Linvin against the wall and turned to the goblins who traveled with the prison wagon. “They killed goblins?”
    “At least an entire patrol,” the shivering voice of one of them said.
    Hugon was furious and quickly showed his displeasure by uncoiling his whip. Without a thought he began to lash Linvin with vigor. “You want to play games with me Boy?” Hugon shouted as the thick leather tore through Linvin’s clothes. The victim curled into a ball to protect his face. Unrestrained, the leather sliced through his skin with ease and did not stop until it struck bone.
    “How do you like that?” Hugon screamed as the other goblins cheered his torture of Linvin. “I think I’ll give you one lash for every goblin you’ve killed. If there’s anything left of you after that, I’ll show you the lower levels where we can really have some fun.”
    Linvin watched his tormentor closely. When the whip headed his way again Linvin held up his shackles and let it wrap itself around the chain. Then he grabbed the weapon and pulled it from the goblin’s hand. “I am Linvin Grithinshield,” he said from his knees. “No one puts leather to me and lives.”

The Sapphire Crucible

Captured! In ”Sapphire Crucible” (Book 2 of the Sapphire Chronicles) Linvin Grithinshield and his party find themselves prisoners on the maniacal Lord Mandrean and his Necromancer. The Emperor has a surprise for Linvin. He knows where the Red Sapphire is! In order to attain it he needs Linvin's help. With his family as hostages he has no choice but to help.  Now they must find a way to escape, find the Red Sapphire and make it home alive. Along the way they must fight ever-growing odds of survival.

Links

Don't miss Quest for the Red Sapphire, Book 1 in the Sapphire Chronicles: on sale on Kindle for .99