MG Mania~MAGEFABLE & Giveaway!

MMGM aka Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday!! It was created by Shannon Messenger to give middle grade reads the attention they deserve. If you'd like to see more MG books, click HERE to follow other participants. 

For my MMGM spotlight today, I only have one word to say: MAGEFABLE! Just the title oozes of MG creativity! And here to tell us about this middle grade story is its creator, Travis Strout aka Heimdall Thunderhammer. Travis and I became CPs a few years ago.

Amazon | Smashwords | Goodreads

Hey H.T. It's great to have you here. Give us a peek of the world you created through your eyes.
Magefable takes place in a world of sentient animals, where most live in an archaic dark age of wood and steel. The smaller animals live in constant fear of the larger carnivores, while the harsh elements of nature threaten them all. Magic is known, but is scarce.
The kingdom of Feralis is ruled by a vicious lion named Sinvicious who practices the dark powers of necromancy. His power is growing and threatens to upset the rest of the world.

What inspired you to write this story?
My biggest influence would probably have to be the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. My oldest memories of reading go back to the stories of Mossflower Woods and Redwall Abbey and the animals that lived there. The Final Fantasy video game series has also been a great influence to me, having sparked my interest in magic and mythology at a really young age. I really see Magefable as a combination of those two loves, along with my obsession of the pre-civilized, Conan-esque world that the story takes place in.

My inspiration for my pen-name comes from Norse mythology. Heimdall is one of the lesser gods, and Thunderhammer just sounds bad-ass. I imagine him as a viking explorer who is writing the story while lost at sea. When I sit down to write it helps to channel that energy and mentality.

I do have to say I thoroughly enjoy your pen-name. Choose three characters. What are they like?

• Durbin was orphaned at birth after his mother passed away and his father, the famous swashbuckler Marcus the Brigand, returned to his life of high-seas adventure. Elder Burkus of Sapsward Village raised him in the village square, Great Hollow, teaching him about the world. Durbin has long craved adventure and spent his childhood causing trouble along with his best friend Morro. He finally gets his wish to become a hero when Clove and Herod stumble into Verdancia, chased by a horde of rats.

• Clove grew up on an archipelago near the kingdom of Feralis. When she was just a baby, she discovered the temple of an Elemental and gained the spell The Persuasion of the Lea, which allows her to control weeds. While still a child, her tiny island village was destroyed and Herod found her floating along the top of weeds. He took her with him and swore to protect her from Sinvicious. Together they are on a quest to visit the temples of the Elementals and gain the power to defeat Sinvicious.

• Herod is a spear hog warrior from the plains near Thunderhaven. In his youth, he swore his allegiance to the mouse geomancer Joran and became his primary guide on their journey around the world seeking the temples of the Elementals. When Joran failed to defeat Sinvicious, Herod fled the kingdom of Feralis and found Clove after her island village had been destroyed. Knowing that she holds the same power as Joran, Herod has sworn to take Clove on the same journey around the world.

I am seriously enamored by your artwork! Just love it!!! Do you have a method for developing your ideas? 

There's rarely a moment when I'm not dreaming about what adventures Durbin and Clove are going to go on. I have everything planned out well in advance, then when I'm ready to write I make an outline of the story before jumping right in. I also do a lot of development while sketching out the characters and scenes for the illustrations. I doodle quite a bit and that helps spark the adventure. 

Here's MAGEFABLE'S official blurb: Durbin is a young mouse scamp, dreaming of becoming a swashbuckling adventurer like his legendary father. Clove is a young mouse maid on a mission to become a geomancer, a mage with the ability to control the earth, wind, fire, water, and life. Together they set out on an epic world-wide adventure, filled with friends, magic, and treasure, with the hope of defeating the terrible lion Sinvicious. 

Heimdall Thunderhammer (born Travis Strout) is a writer and illustrator of fantasy adventures. He has lived in Maine all of his life and graduated from Emerson College in Boston. He has worked on feature films, performed stand up comedy, and was even on a national game show. He's obsessed with the ancient world, old maps, and cartography. 

For more on MAGEFABLE, visit the Facebook Page or Website, where you'll find a world of creativity through maps, charts, & artwork! You'll also find Travis' plans to continue the series for 63 books total, every 3 is a small story arc and every 9 a larger story arc (for a total of 7). Now that's amazing!! Email: travisstrout(at)hotmail(dot)com.

The GIVEAWAY will run from today until June 13th. There will be one winner! Enter at will. Good luck!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway What do you think about this world HT is creating?