Risingshadow has an opportunity to feature a guest post by the fantasy author J. S. Gholson.
J. S. Gholson is a world class seasoned traveler and writer. He graduated from George Mason University with a major in Russian & Eurasian Studies and a minor in Criminology. He’s experienced most things on this planet already, even though he’s only 24. Josh has written three fantasy novels so far with a fourth coming out later this month. He’s now with his wife Yulia, and their dog Benny, in Russia teaching English and working on novels. Mr. Gholson is blessed to write and raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis as he has that himself. His interests include history, reading, and video games.
Blood, Honor, War.
The humans have been enslaved, dwarves now rule the Kingdom of Remardan. They conquered in a brutal massive wave from the underground. Yet there is one dwarf family cursed to be serfs along with the rest. Ineptius is a simple man, plant potatoes and pick them. That is until voices compete in his head for attention and he is sent flying from his home! Monsters pursue his every move as the armies of the land face off against unseen rebel foes. Find Rumblings in Remardan now!
Our hero Ineptius returns to face an unrelenting enemy. It haunts his every move, but first, he needs a drink. Deviations of Defiance finds Ineptius in the belly of a very strange tavern where nothing is real. He meets another dwarven companion from a strange land who tells him the tale of his life. This is none other than the traveler Doreth Alleto who has sailed along the largest ship in all the lands and faced tragedy there. Now the two find comfort in a shared bottle until danger strikes again!
The Kingdom Swell is a series of short stories that show what life is like for both the rulers, common folk, and even slaves of the lands of Ruptan. An angry Hetman wants revenge, but an Empire is eyeing his mountainous holdings from the north. The Iktar Cities to the southwest of this empire seek to regain lost land if there is an opening. A new weapon is to be built to outshine all of the current ones in this medieval world, and a tiny kingdom in between two of the great nations has the opportunity to build it and become powerful beyond all measures. A slave must fight for his life in the arena of the Glorious Gladiatorial Company. A blacksmith hears of knowledge unknown to those who came before him.
A half-orc gladiator with no arms and no legs, surely is no threat to the kingdoms who once called him a slave! The prime producer of gunpowder for one of the world’s largest empires disappears. The ruler of a powerful border kingdom slowly goes crazy and plans his own death will surely have no repercussions. The elite Mailor sent to deliver his final letter is taken hostage along with his manservant. And an imperiously wealthy family comes together for a long awaited announcement. J. S. Gholson strikes back with his fourth novel and the second set of short stories in a vividly surreal world. Welcome to Ruptan, welcome to A Dance of Kingdoms!