Monday, July 28, 2025

Book Tour - Futility of Defense - Book 2 of A Paladin's Journey by Bryan Cole

 

 Futility of Defense

Book 2 of A Paladin’s Journey

By

Bryan Cole

 

About the Book:

Genres: Fantasy, Heroic Fantasy, Hero’s Journey

Publisher: Tellwell Talent

Publication Date: June 30, 2023

 

Paladins are nothing but trouble. When Krell, an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide as the sea, hears the call from ReckNor, the capricious god of the seas and skies, the attention of the rich and powerful turn their gaze toward him. Paladins are notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don't worship their deity.

When Krell stands against the might of the sea devils and emerges victorious, concern and interest turn to fear—fear of their secrets and plans being revealed and exposed, of the ruin that often follows in a paladin's wake. Now he stands in defense of a pitiful town at the edge of nowhere, even as the sea devil menace grows more dire for each day that passes.

For as deadly as the sea devils are to Krell, his past choices and the consequences of his actions may be deadlier still . . .

 

Purchase Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Books-A-Million

Smashwords

Goodreads


Excerpt:

The commander’s face relaxed into an expression of superiority. He looked down his nose at Krell. “I have little reason to worry, Krell. My men are expertly trained soldiers of His Grace Mavram Hudderly, long may he reign, and servants of His Majesty King Fideon the Second, long may he reign. Whatever peril you have faced is now over.”

“I see,” said Krell.

“Me too,” said Dorn. He turned to Krell, pointing at the commander. “He’s an idiot.”

Krell nodded in agreement, while the commander’s face flushed in anger.

“Commander, the sea devils are predators, swift and violent. Their claws and teeth are like daggers, and they use them freely. When they smell blood, they fly into a berserk frenzy. If you run, you die as they catch you from behind. Your horses are of little use against them, since they would simply cut them down. Then eat them.” Krell shook his head. “Have you or your men ever faced sea devils before?”   

 

What Readers Are Saying:

A fantasy saga filled with interesting, complex characters, and dynamic relationships alongside captivating battles and systems of magic, Bryan Cole's FUTILITY OF DEFENSE is a worthy and ambitious sequel that takes Krell's story in an intriguing direction. ~Jessica Thomas for IndieReader

"Packed with engaging action and a fellowship of entertaining characters, this is a classic yet original hero's journey laced with fresh magical rules and immersive storytelling, which is ideal for long-time fans of high fantasy, offering a familiar fantasy landscape while carving its own path due to Cole's detailed attention to character-building." Self-Publishing Review,


About the Author:

Bryan Cole is the author of the Paladin’s Journey series. New to the writing world, he spent years working in the enterprise software space, focused on quality assurance and delivery of software applications. Which is weird, because that has nothing to do with writing fiction.

For that, we need to go back – way back – to his first experience with Dungeons & Dragons. His friend Chris brought over the box set for Myth Drannor, eager to play. Together, they realized they had no idea what they were doing, because neither of them owned a copy of the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s Guide, or the Monster Manual.

From those incredibly awkward beginnings, a lifelong passion for epic science fiction and high fantasy adventure was born. Everything from his grade 4 teacher letting him stay after school to play a video game where you were the wizard on a quest, defeating monsters by answering math problems, to some truly memorable movies like Willow that showed him a world bigger and more exciting than the real one.

Of course, Star Wars and Star Trek have had a major influence on him. Want to get in good with Bryan? Lead with a Star Wars meme.

From one of the good movies. Otherwise your plan will backfire.

Bryan is also an avid gamer, and enjoys video games, board games, and tabletop roleplaying games.

These days, he lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter, and his adorable cat.

 

Contact Links:

Email - fat.paladin.contact@gmail.com

Website - https://www.fatpaladin.ca/

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BFV7T7PR

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FatPaladin

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fatpaladinbooks/

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22517522

 

Giveaway:



 

Monday, July 14, 2025

Book Tour - Death's Honesty - The Lyle Dahms Mysteries by Brian Anderson

 

Book Tour

Death’s Honesty

The Lyle Dahms Mysteries

By

Brian Anderson

 

About the Book:

Publication Date: July 14, 2025

Genre: Mystery. A hardboiled PI novel with family dynamics.

 

On his deathbed, Minneapolis private investigator Lyle Dahms’s father, a retired suburban police patrolman, asks his son to reach out to a dark figure from their shared past. Despite his reservations, Dahms feels he cannot refuse. But the visit sets off a chain reaction that will expose long-buried family secrets and provoke dangerous enemies. As threats mount, Dahms must protect not only his family, but also that of his dad’s former partner—a man he is not sure he can trust.

 



Purchase Links:

Amazon Kindle

Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble

Apple Books

Wild Rose Press

  

Excerpt:

The drive home took a lot less time than the drive up to the motel. Driving home always seems to take less time. I fiddled with the radio, but I couldn’t seem to focus on the music. Instead, I thought about Donnie and Mindy. I didn’t believe in their future. There was too much of the past in their way. I didn’t even think I owed them anything. But now I knew their secrets. Now, they were my secrets, too.

I thought about my dad. Donnie’s secret had been his as well. He’d hid it away. He’d let it eat at him. He died trying to be rid of it. He died passing it on to me.

I arrived home more tired than I remember being before.

 

Naomi was tall and round, yet oh so shapely, with full, womanly breasts and an unmistakable aura of strength that seemed even more potent the times she yielded to me. Her small mouth, now primly fixed, seemed to hold secrets. But there was light dancing in her blue eyes as if to say that those secrets were merry things eager to spill out. Her freckle-splashed cheeks were framed by marvelously long tangles of hair—the color of embers—that shone lustrously as though spun from the afterglow of a radiant sunset.

Despite our recent troubles, I was deeply aware of the hold that she had on my heart—a hold that I feared, once released, would leave me profoundly diminished. There was no question that I’d be a fool not to fight to hold on to her. And no question that fighting wouldn’t be enough.

 

What Readers Are Saying:

Death’s Honesty. A Lyle Dahms Mystery. Readers have called the series “funny and well-crafted” and say that “author Brian Anderson does a terrific job of channeling a combo of Hammett and Chandler with a sassy sense of humor of his own.”

 

About the Author:

Brian Anderson is a graduate of the University of Minnesota whose Dinkytown neighborhood provides the setting for his mystery series featuring private investigator Lyle Dahms. The Dahms novels spring from his lifelong love of mystery fiction, especially the works of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, as well as more contemporary masters like Robert B. Parker and G.M. Ford. He is a three-time finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association mystery and suspense contest.

Brian spent much of his professional career working to alleviate domestic hunger serving as the operations director of the Emergency Feeding Program of Seattle & King County as well as the manager of the Pike Market Food Bank in downtown Seattle. Married with three beautiful daughters, he now lives and writes in Ocean Shores, a small city on the Washington coast.

 

Contact Links:

Website: www.brianandersonmysteries.com

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/brianandersonmysteries

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22749823.Brian_Anderson

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brianandersonmysteries

Instagram: www.instagram.com/brianandersonmysteries

X: www.x.com/RedmondBrian

 

Giveaway: