The Fantastic Jon Sprunk

Please welcome Jon Sprunk, author of Shadow's Son, to speak on a wide range of subjects today.  If you love fantasy his book is one you shouldn't miss.  Don't start it if you have work the next day because you'll be up all night.  Read on to learn a little about this gifted author and his fantasy series.

I've heard lots of parents talking about the interactive books for children available on some eReaders. As a father do you see this newest technology as a useful tool in teaching your child to love books?

Yes, completely. The next generation (my little guy is two-years-old) is going to be so much more tech-savvy than we are. I think eReaders, as they evolve, will become great tools for learning. Of course, as an Old Guy, I still hope that my son appreciates paper books as well.

What is the best fantasy movie you've seen in 2010 and what book besides your own would you like to see made into a movie?
I haven’t seen many fantasy movies this year, unless you count Inception, which I thought was very cool. I enjoyed the latest Harry Potter installment. The only other major fantasy movie I can remember was the Clash of the Titans remake – and the less I say about that one, the better.
Well, I’d love to see The Keepers of Sulbreth on the big screen. (I’d make you sign my popcorn bag.) And I think a new Conan movie, with Arnold playing an older King Conan, would be interesting (but please, not another Destroyer fiasco).

When you write do you like it quiet? Music? TV? Or can you work regardless of any distractions?
When I’m creating fresh material, I like to listen to music. Typically heavy metal. But that’s about it. Having the TV on, or someone talking nearby, are distractions I cannot abide. Fortunately for me, I have a very understanding family who give me lots of free time in my writing cave. They even toss down snacks once in a while.
Are you making any appearances in 2011 where your fans can meet you in person?
I’m in the process of seeing where I want to go, versus the availability of funds and time. I’d like to attend more local conventions this year, like the Pittsburgh Comic Con, Balticon, and PhilCon. I won’t be going to Dragon*Con this year, although I loved it.
Those interested can keep an eye on my website where I post my upcoming appearances.
Shadow's Son is the start of a series (and I can't wait for the next one), can you tell us the title of the forthcoming second installment, the release date and how many more books we can expect in this particular series?
Well, thank you very much. The sequel is titled Shadow’s Lure, and it will be out sometime in early summer 2011. The third and final book in the series should be out the summer of 2012.
Shadow’s Lure takes the main character, Caim, back to the land of his birth in search of clues about his mother’s disappearance eighteen years earlier. But what he finds in the cold North is a new threat with world-shaking implications.
How about a blurb for Shadow's Son?
Sure. Here if the official blurb:
In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples.
Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last victim, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. But in this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son....
And I was just telling people at my last signing, as they wandered past me in the bookstore, that – at heart—this novel is about Caim’s self-discovery. He begins the story believing he knows it all, that he’s happy in his little world where he controls everything. But as the book progresses he starts to understand there is more to life than just appeasing your own appetites, that other people matter, too. In that way, it mirrors the growth from adolescence to maturity.
Can you tell us where to buy your book in print or where to buy it for our terrific new eReaders?
Well, you can find it in major bookstores across the country (or order it from them if they don’t have copies in stock). The publisher’s page (http://www.pyrsf.com/ShadowsSon.html) has purchasing links on the left side. It’s also on Amazon, both in trade paperback and Kindle.
Thank you, Susan, for this chance to talk about my books. Best of luck to you and your readers!

This book is already on the eReader I received for Christmas.  Follow the buy links and add it to yours.  One of the best things about fantasy is the world-building.  You can read a book over and over again and discover something new each time.  Shadow's Son is one of those books you'll want to read many times.