Author Saturday Spotlight: T.C. Orton #Review #Interview #Giveaway

It's so awesome to have T.C. Orton here as this week's Author Saturday Spotlight. If you follow him in social media you know he's funny, talented, and genuinely cares about people and this genre. Through his books, you see how vast his imagination is and I'm excited to show you both sides of this guy today. Grab your mayo and chicken and join us as we look at his newest book, Iudicium, do an interview, check out other books by him, and end it with a giveaway.

Book: Iudicium
Publication date: May 30, 2017
Self Published
Cover Artist: TC Orton
Length: 228 pages (total)


Synopsis

After being incarcerated at a prison that leans over the edge of the world, Fayt must do whatever it takes to escape (or simply survive) the horrors that await him. You will take control of Fayt and guide him on his path, but be careful, for not everyone posing as an ally will lead you down the road to freedom.

Note: This is an interactive story, and it is important that you keep a record of your choices close by.

Fayt is in your hands…

Purchase exclusively on Amazon

Review

Saying I was looking forward to reading this adult interactive choose your own adventure story is putting it mildly.

T.C. definitely lived up to my hopes.

The author writes stories in this in-between place. His style is between beautiful and sweeping and grounded and raw. It’s one of the main things that draw me into his stories. He builds this world with words and descriptions that flow with ease but yet aren’t flowery and built up. I felt as though I was there in twisted halls of the caves trying to make the right decisions, hopefully, the one that would keep Fayt alive. In a place with not much good and evil lurking in every corner I truly was never sure if the path I chose was the right one. But in a world filled with choices is there really any right one?

My fear in such a complicated journey was the characterization of Fayt. Would he get lost in all the different plot choices? Would I feel like I knew who Fayt was? Or would he fall flat because so much had been given to the building of this harsh world with all its choices and intensity? The author was able to avoid all of these issues when all was said and done. Although, I wish I could’ve seen more of Zeke (from the path I chose) I wasn’t disappointed in who he was. When Fayt felt leery of trusting him, I did too, but I had a good hold on who the character was even through the other characters hesitation.

The story is not overly romantic but the sit-on-the-edge-of-your-seat kind of tense with a raw and harsh story to fit the environment it was born in. The beauty of it all is I can go back and chose a different path to get a different story maybe even a different ending.

Interview

Okay, Nutter. It’s no secret we are friends. And that we totally hate each other. So, knowing that understand why these questions are how they are. No, I’m kidding I’ll try and be nice.

Let’s talk about Iudicium (SPELLED WITH AN I NOT AN L) why a make your own adventure book? What made you decide on this path?

Maybe someone chose that route for me at the end of my last chapter?

Because of this interactive story, you’re writing others like it. Can you tell us which ones so we can look forward to it?

I have a college themed CYOA planned. This will be a little different as it’s stat based (as in, +1 charisma, +1 outgoing) and your choices will boost certain stats, which open more paths along the way. Will you end up the college dropout? Doing it with the football team? A party animal? The loner kid with perfect grades? It’ll be lighthearted regardless of outcome – I wanted to make this as fun and filthy as possible for the standard contemp MM romance reader to enjoy.

Another I have planned is Skell & Bones. This is a pretty ambitious project (if I do say so myself) as I’ve created an entire world map in which I want the readers to be able to traverse. It’s set in the same world as Iudicium, albeit 400+ years later. In this land, the age of elves and magic is little more than a myth, and the age of pirates is upon them. It’ll be extremely similar to Iudicium in the way it works – and the reader will be making choices for Skell, seeing if they can take him from Cabin boy to ruler of the seas, or perhaps he quits to become a merchant with a lover? There’s around 9 romance options I’m working on too, which means at least 9 endings, probably more.

And the final one I have planned is a Sci-Fi called Libertas. But I’m not quite ready to divulge the plot or themes yet.

You make your own covers and you’re really good at it. Have you considered making a business out of that?

I really wouldn’t feel comfortable because I have quite limited skills. I just make them for myself because it’s easier for me to achieve what I want that way.

You love gaming. That’s a fact not a question. What video game that you’re playing right now would you love to see made into a movie?

I’m currently playing Persona 5 and an anime was just announced for it, which will be released next year.

Why have you never written Drake into one of your books and when do you plan on rectifying that?

Never. I don’t like putting people into books because they might die.

If someone asked you to describe yourself in three words, what words would you use?

Fried chicken lover

Where can your readers follow your work: Facebook, Twitter, sites?

I has the Facebook and the twits.
https://www.facebook.com/tcortonauthor
https://twitter.com/TcOrtonBooks

Tell us what you’re hoping to have out the rest of this year?

I’m working on like 10 different projects and they’re all fighting for dominance. However, I am embarking on a new venture with a new author name (my real name, C.T. Barker) which is focusing on a more mainstream, urban fantasy tale that I’ve wanted to write for a long time. But as T.C, I have Seeing Red: Interlude, Omega Moon 2, Warlock Academy 3, Skell & Bones, the campus CYOA, Libertas.

FAST FIRE QUESTION:

Chicken OR Mayo? Chicken

Favorite Buffy star? Either Sarah or Alyson.

Best comfort food? Fried chicken sandwich (with bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo, cheese, onions, etc), chili-topped fries with cheese, big pot of coleslaw and mayo. Maybe some Mozzarella sticks. Onion rings.

Favorite color? Red

Who’s your favorite Meredith? Meredith King

Biggest book pet peeve? When there’s nothing at stake and when the protagonist never makes a mistake.

Early bird or night owl? Can I be both and sleep in the afternoon?

Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars

Okay, nutter! Thanks for being here

Bye Felicia

Other Books By This Author

Down the twists and turns of the London alleyways, where Chinatown meets the high-streets, lies a small venue where unknown rock bands often play to crowds of less than one-hundred.

Isaac is nineteen, living on the sofa of his best friend’s brother – Eric – after his bible-loving parents tossed him aside because of his sexuality. After two years of struggling to make sense of his life, Eric and Charlotte convince Isaac to attend Red’s gig; an up and coming rock band with a small cult following.

All hell breaks loose and Isaac is left injured, with the whereabouts of his friends unknown and his body crippled on the ground. It’s then that the four members – Troy, Nicolai, Kyle and Moss – aid Isaac by infecting him with a ‘magical’ virus that grants immortality in exchange for consuming blood.

The ‘Paranorm’ world is exposed to Isaac. Vampires, werewolves and warlocks lurk in the depths of the city he has lived in his entire life, but he won’t become one with the night until he completes his nine-month transition, leaving him in the hands of the band and at the mercy of vampire politics.

It was only a week ago that William packed his bags for Oxford when a letter appeared in front of him in a blaze of purple fire before slowly descending like a feather riding the wind. He had plans to work in politics, to make the world a better place, to put all those top grades from high school to good use but none of that mattered to him anymore. William told everyone that he was off to Harvard instead, knowing that his British parents wouldn't make the journey to visit him, and he headed for the portal disclosed to him in the letter.

Magic was real and William had a chance to spend the next three years studying it. He couldn't let that opportunity pass him by, even if it meant giving up on what was surely a carved out future for the overachieving eighteen-year-old.

His fingers clutched the crumpled letter in his pocket as he began to tug, fighting the tightness of his jacket to free himself so that he could see which hall he belonged to. He yanked so hard that his hand flew back, ricocheting outwards until it met the person next to him.

"Sorry!" He called out in a panic, turning to apologize so fast that his glasses flung from his face and vanished into the crowd. "Dammit!" He added in a hiss of frustration, quickly tucking his wavy brown hair back behind his ears before it sprung free.

He was hardly the most graceful eighteen-year-old to have ever existed, nor did he do well in large groups that rushed around him. William preferred the quiet life, often opting for a cup of tea as he tucked himself into a blanket with his favorite book spread across his palm. He thought that Warlock Academy would be full of intellects like himself who would rather ingest wisdom than booze.

He was wrong.

Giveaway

TC will gift one person an ebook copy of Iudicium

Enter the rafflecopter below.

Contest will end August 11th

Thanks

a Rafflecopter giveaway