Tim Rayborn has a new queer fantasy book out, Qwyrk tales book 4: Faytte. And there’s a giveaway.
As Halloween draws near, Qwyrk and company are abruptly reminded of just how screwed-up everything can get. Qwyrk and Holly are literally being driven apart by magical forces they don’t understand, and their friends are in disarray.
Then Holly goes missing and Qwyrk loses something else that’s almost as important, while the behind-the-scenes scheming and shenanigans come to the fore at last. And who is the mysterious, ancient figure in red that seems to know all and see all, but annoyingly, won’t talk about it?
Traitors abound, old friends return, sides will be picked, and the final battle between good and evil will rage. To stop the actual end of the world from happening, Qwyrk might have to make a decision that will change her life forever.
Faytte is the final book in a series of four novels about the comic misadventures of a group of misfits at the edge of normal reality in modern northern England, a world of shadows, Nighttime Nasties in a bakery, a mysterious key, every monster you can imagine, an abundance of sarcasm, and the answers to all the questions. Oh, and Qwyrk is going to definitively prove that she’s not a bloody elf; they’re just silly!
About the Series
Join the adventures of a group of misfits at the edge of reality in modern northern England, a world of shadows, Nighttime Nasties, sorcery, witchy magic, philosophical speculation, every monster under the moon, an abundance of sarcasm, and even elves… though they are a bit silly.
Giveaway
Tim is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:
a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47300/
Excerpt
Jilly was skeptical. And grumpy. Skrumpy? In any case, having watched her friends abscond to various places without giving her any details was more than just annoying; it felt rather like a betrayal.
“It’s like they don’t even trust me. Now that I’m learning all about witchery and can finally hold my own, they don’t even want me around anymore. Yeah, really nice, thanks everyone.” She brooded. “Oh, calm down, Jilly, it’s not like they haven’t done rubbish like this before, and there’s always been a good reason for it. And they’ve let you know when the time was right. It’s probably just that again.”
But something about Blip’s behavior in particular bothered her, nagged at her. It had been going on for too long, and he was not one to be secretive. As she sat stewing over it, a thought came to her.
“What if I could spy on him? Check out where he’s going without him realizing? I wonder.” She peered out the living room window across the street. Granny wasn’t home as usual, but Jilly had complete run of her house while she was away. She checked the time: 8:00 pm.
“Mum and dad aren’t going to be home until at least ten, so that only gives me a couple of hours to go on over and poke around. Unless, what if…”
She went back upstairs to her room and found a small book she’d been reading recently: Fludd’s Phenomenal Grimoire of Useful and Slightly Annoying Enchanted Distractions. Leafing through it, she found the page she’d recalled, in a section about how to divert attention from oneself.
“Here it is, brilliant!”
She noted a simple little apotropaism to buy her some more time away at Granny’s. Speaking the two-line spell, she waited just a short while, and sure enough, the sound of mild snoring began to drift through the bedroom. She smiled, satisfied.
“With the light off, they’ll never even think to check in on me! Still, better pile up a few pillows under the duvet, just to be sure.”
Once she’d created a convincing snoring dummy of cushions, she turned out the light and shut the door. Going back downstairs, she grabbed her coat, and hopped off to Granny’s for a good evening’s snooping.
Author Bio
Tim Rayborn has written a rather ridiculous number of books over the past several years (about fifty!). He lived in England for quite some time and has a PhD from the University of Leeds, which he likes to pretend means that he knows what he’s talking about. His generous output of written material covers such diverse topics as music, the arts, history, the strange and bizarre, fantasy and sci-fi, and general knowledge. He’s already planning on writing more books, whether anyone wants him to or not.
He’s also an internationally acclaimed musician. He plays dozens of unusual instruments that quite a few people of have never heard of and often can’t pronounce, including medieval instrument reconstructions and folk instruments from Northern Europe, the Balkans, and the Middle East.
He has appeared on over forty recordings, and his musical wan- derings and tours have taken him across the US, all over Europe, to Canada and Australia, and to such romantic locations as Marrakech, Istanbul, Renaissance chateaux, medieval Italian hill towns, and high school gymnasiums.
He currently lives in Washington State, surrounded by many books and instruments, as well as with a sometimes-demanding cat. He is rather enthusiastic about good wines and cooking excellent food.
Author Website: https://www.timrayborn.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/timrayborn
Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/TimRaybornMusicandWriting
Author Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@timrayborn
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayborn.esoterica/
Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/tim-rayborn/
Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Tim-Rayborn/author/B00DWY5J8E
Interview
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
As the final book in a bigger story (four books), it was important to tie the story together, wrap it all up and present a satisfying conclusion, which I’m happy to have done. It’s always fun to continue to expand on what you’ve already created and flesh out the world a bit more. I hope that readers will be happy with the revelations in this book, and the twists and turns to get there.
What inspired you to write this particular story? What were the challenges in bringing it to life?
Each book takes place in a different season, at the solstices and other ancient markers of time. Book one unfolded around the summer solstice, book two during the winter solstice, book three at Beltane, and the final book at Samhain/Halloween. The biggest challenge was, of course, not simply telling the same story again in each book. Introducing new characters and throwing curve balls to existing characters helped keep that from happening, I think!
What character gave you fits and fought against you?
The main villain (no spoilers!), was a bit of a challenge for me, just because he’s so strange and unknowable. On the other hand, I’ve never been a 2,000-year-old Shadow like Qwyrk, either, so that’s not much of an excuse! Somehow, I “get” her just fine.
What secondary character would you like to explore more? Tell me about him or her.
Fayette. I can say nothing more, but she’s intriguing and even creepy. As you read her scenes, I think you’ll understand.
What was the weirdest thing you had to Google for your story?
Not weird, but geography and topography for some Yorkshire landscapes. Not the most exciting topic in the world, perhaps, but necessary at one point.
What’s your core motivation in this book?
Basically, I wanted to conclude the story in a satisfying way, because there has been so much more to explore throughout the series. When I first wrote Qwyrk, I always thought it would be fun to expand the world and introduce new, weird, and wonderful characters. There were way more people and locations waiting to be explored. At the same time, new crises had to befall the existing characters in order for them to grow and become new (and hopefully better) people. They face more challenges, but this time around, the stakes are the highest, because it’s the end. I felt like the story had come to a logical conclusion, rather than juts have one-off adventures continue for many more books.
Book characters: Are you happy with where your writer left you at the end of this book?
Qwyrk: Are you kidding? I don’t even know what to think about it all, even now!
Jilly: It’s a lot, but I think I’ll get there, maybe?
Blip: It good have been worse, I suppose. But on the whole, I am quite suffonsified.
What are you working on now, and when can we expect it?
Various work-for-hire books (as always), and a new fantasy series! I’m not saying anything else about it at the moment, but I’m quite proud of it. Also, I have two new non-fiction books coming out in November, The Scary Book of Christmas Lore, a collection of horrifying holiday tales and legends, and Northern Mythology, a fresh look at not only Norse mythology, but also Finnish myths and the beliefs of the Sámi. Both will be out on November 14, and make great holiday reading!
