Thralls of the Fairie – Lost Lands

A new anthology from Craig Comer available for pre-order. Eleven tales of Sword & Sorcery, low fantasy, and high adventure.

I had fun time working on these tales, dusting off the old and polishing up the new, never before released. Herein lies a span of almost twenty years of writing, and whereas I hadn’t remembered every twist and turn of each of them, I had a clearly etched memory of when I’d written them. Each is dear to me, and I hope will be an enjoyable read for you!

Broken into three sections, I thought I’d share more about each in turn:

TALES OF LOST LANDS – To reclaim the heart of her god, Mior bargains with mages and delves deep into the temple of a cult. Caita Halftallow finds strength amongst the herd, the better to crush her enemies, while Jaelyn’s song lends her the strength to slay fiends.

The winner of the Artist’s Challenge Anthology contest, “The Song of Jaelyn” first saw print in 2008. The contest rules were simple: submit a story inspired by the anthology’s cover. With a ship besieged by a storm, and a begowned woman staring longingly at the sea, the story formed quickly and almost wrote itself. Its theme of a wronged, and seemingly desperate, victim turning the tables on their assailants continued in other tales. In “Tazirum’s Dagger,” my second published story, it’s a group of young would-be adventurers who get in over their heads. “The Tomb of Jorem’bel” and “The Lure of Caita Halftallow” feature heroes fighting against the odds to save their family’s legacies.

These are tales inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s BLACK ARROW and Sir Walter Scott’s IVANHOE, not to mention the adventures of more brawny rogues like Conan and David Eddings’ Sparhawk. They are gritty and set in lands both familiar and strange, where magic exists but is clouded in mystery and not readily visible. And if the gods play a hand in the fate of our heroes, it is only for their own ends.

Pre-order the eBook now on Amazon!

Kindle Deals & Red Herrings

Amazon has selected THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN to be a featured Kindle Deal for the month of November. All month, the book will be $1.99. It’s not too early to buy some virtual stocking stuffers!

The rough draft of the first Harvest Falls mystery is almost complete! Only a few chapters to go–you know, the ones where our intrepid detective, Charlie Henry, unravels the last clue and the killer is, at last, revealed. Next, I’ll be using some elbow grease to polish up the draft, rip out some bits that didn’t quite work, and salt in some flavor in a few sections that need it!

I’m also working on the Jack Canonbie novella, spinning some things around in the plot, and putting some pretty big obstacles in Jack’s path–not that he isn’t good at creating those on his own! This version of young Jack finds him trying to bully his way through life only to find that might doesn’t always make right.

Thank you! Now, what’s Next?

Thank you to everyone who helped welcome BARROW WITCH into the world! I hope you enjoyed the book. Please let me know your thoughts by posting a comment or by leaving a review on Amazon.

So, what’s next you ask? Some exciting stuff!

I’m working on a novella featuring a young Jack Canonbie. Jack was such a favorite of mine to write, I’d love to give him more room to knock some heads!

And that’s not all. I’m also working on a new mystery series that will be a departure from the gaslamp world of A Fey Matter. The series is dubbed Harvest Falls for now, and will have murder and secrets and tangled webs aplenty, all set in the Pacific Northwest. I’m about halfway through an initial draft of the first book. The killer is lurking, but salty and sweet Charlie Henry is hot on their tail!

More to come on both!

BARROW WITCH Now Available!

It’s out! Book 3 of A Fey Matter released today; you can find it on Amazon and everywhere you get your reads!

#fey #gaslamp #fantasy – Buy on Amazon!

“In BARROW WITCH, the stakes are steeper, the danger more dreadful, and Effie is more exciting than ever. Comer concludes his trilogy with flourishing aplomb… It’s quite the accomplishment for each book in a series to improve, but with BARROW WITCH we reach the ultimate high of fey steampunk fantasy that the series has always delivered.”
Ahimsa Kerp, author of Empire of the Undead

Praise for THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN:

“Effie is an amazing character. I loved following her journey and seeing her change and grow.”
I Heart Reading

“The book was a one sit read for me. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone. The characters were well developed and deep with an original story.”
Read Day and Night Blog

“Well-developed characters and plot make this historical fantasy a true pleasure to read and become lost in… A very unique and fascinating story.”
Cecily Wolfe, author of Throne of Grace

Find the series on Amazon; Download it from Kindle Unlimited!

BARROW WITCH Inspiration #4 – Scottish Highlands

BARROW WITCH, book 3 of my Gaslamp Fantasy series, A Fey Matter, is available for pre-order! As part of the release, I’m sharing some of the inspiration for the book’s events and places.

Hear anyone say, “Scotland,” and almost instantly images of the Highlands come to mind. And for good reason. They are spectacular in ways that my photography skills cannot nearly do justice.

Here are a few images of the places that inspired my imagination, including some of Effie’s Glen Coe!

BARROW WITCH Inspiration #3 – Scottish Writers

BARROW WITCH, book 3 of my Gaslamp Fantasy series, A Fey Matter, is available for pre-order! As part of the release, I’m sharing some of the inspiration for the book’s events and places.

A trip to Edinburgh can’t be had without recognizing the amazing amount of influential writers who have lived within the city over the past 500 years. There is even a Writers’ Museum dedicated to some of its most famous inhabitants… not to mention the monuments and statues!

Sir Walter Scott’s influence on Scottish culture is hard to deny, and his home of Abbotsford is filled with the rich history of the man’s life. His books are everywhere in Edinburgh. The Scott Monument dominates Princes Street.

Robert Louis Stevenson’s childhood house on Heriot Row features quite a bit in A Fey Matter. After all, it is the home of Thomas Stevenson. But did you know that you can not only walk to it, but lodge in it as well? It’s a hotel and hosts private events!

Kenneth Grahame’s house is also now a hotel. I’ve enjoyed staying here a couple of times, and can recommend it. Its views of Edinburgh Castle and location can’t be beat!

For J.K. Rowling fans, check out The Elephant House cafe, where reportedly a large part of the first Harry Potter book was written. It has a long history of writers finding inspiration at its tables, and the views of the castle are spectacular!

BARROW WITCH Inspiration #2 – Borders History

BARROW WITCH, book 3 of my Gaslamp Fantasy series, A Fey Matter, is available for pre-order! As part of the release, I’m sharing some of the inspiration for the book’s events and places.

The Scottish Borders region is rife with history, and several of the places I’ve visited made it into BARROW WITCH, although not always in their original form. Without spoilers, here are:

  • The Hawick Mote, a hillfort within a town famous for its Tweed knitwear & an annual Common Riding meant to commemorate the defense of the town against Border Reivers
  • The medieval ruins of Roxburgh Castle, an auld stronghold at the junction of the rivers Tweed and Teviot
  • The Jedburgh Castle Jail, a Victorian jail built atop a medieval castle
  • The mysterious Rosslyn Chapel, where the Holy Grail is kept…?

Hope you enjoy reading about these tidbits as much as I did weaving them into Effie’s adventures!