Before the blog post, a bit of business: The Deer King: Novella One is available HERE. The Sundering: Novella Two is available HERE.

Okay. I thought I’d use this blog post to share a little bit about my writing life, and to go into a little depth as to what I’m hoping to accomplish with The Deer King series.

It took me a long time to discover that I was a fantasy writer. My reading habits have long had a fantastical bent, but it wasn’t until five years ago that I made the leap from my early literary ambitions into the world of fantasy literature. Now, safely on the other side of a half-decade struggle to claim my writing identity for myself, I have a strong grasp of who I am as a writer, and what I want to write.

The Deer King is my attempt at creating an epic fantasy universe that feels as complex and realized as many of my favorite fantasy series, while also maintaining an independent streak that makes it feel different from what you might find at your local bookstore (or run-of-the-mill internet browsing session). By writing the series in novella form, I’m hoping to propel the series forward in interesting and unexpected ways; although every book will advance the series’ central conceit, I intend to take risks that might fall outside the normal scope of what traditional fantasy offers. If you’re looking for a straight-forward narrative with goal-obsessed protagonists, this might not be the series for you. But if you’re looking for character-centered writing that’s unafraid to branch out and take a few detours, you should give The Deer King a look.

Although not technically historical fiction, The Deer King also draws heavily from my fascination with American History and the Enlightenment. History buffs with a keen eye should be able to spot a number of interesting parallels.

One last note: My goal with The Deer King series has been to get the first three novellas out into the world, and then to start promoting it more aggressively using advertising sites like Bookbub, etc. As I’m just now starting novella three, my goal at the current moment is to garner as many reviews as I can on Amazon and Goodreads. The more reviews the series has, the more successful my promotions will be when the time comes, or so the reasoning goes. As such, if you’re interested in receiving a copy of The Deer King and/or The Sundering in exchange for a fair and unbiased review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, click HERE to access my Contact Page. Reach out, and we’ll have you reading in no time.

You can find reviews of The Deer King on Goodreads and other sites HERE. I’ll add to this list as the reviews come in.

I had the privilege of being interviewed in Literary Orphans about my new novella, The Deer King. During the interview I talk about my plans for the series, Benjamin Percy’s influence on my writing, and more. Click HERE to read the interview.

The Deer King: Novella One is now available as a paperback and as a Kindle e-book! Click HERE to buy the paperback and HERE to buy the Kindle e-book. I’m hard at work on Novella Two, tentatively titled The Sundering, and hope to have it out in the world by September or October. If you do buy The Deer King: Novella One and enjoy it, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take a few moments to write a review and post it up over on Amazon and at Goodreads.

Also, if you’re so inclined, join my email list by following the blog on the right hand side of the screen. This will send you an email anytime I update the website.

My short story, “This Horrible Hunger,” is up over at Corner Bar Magazine in the Disablot Issue. The story imagines Thomas Jefferson as a vampire, conversing with James Madison on the eve of his inauguration. Check it out if you’re so inclined.

Alright gang, thanks for stopping by and visiting my new website, benspencerwrites.com. If you’d like to receive updates when I post news on the site, follow my blog over at the sidebar on the right, and you’ll receive an email notification anytime I post an update.

Now, to the main event. Over the last six months I’ve been working on an Epic Fantasy series of novellas entitled THE DEER KING. The map on my website (imagined by yours truly but brought to life by the talented graphic designer, Doyle Hinkle), details Dreyland/Tsadanali, the world in which THE DEER KING series takes place. The concept centers around a colonial world where various indigenous people have thus far withstood the arrival of a foreign power from overseas. One of the native groups, the Massaporans, holds fast to its culture and way of life by relying on the strength of a reincarnated warlike god, The Deer King.

Drawing on my fascination with colonial America and my love of genre-bending literature, I hope to create a compelling world stocked with fascinating characters and engrossing storylines. My goal is to write each novella in a way that permits it to both stand on its own and strengthen the overall series. I’ve created a world rich with history, and I believe that readers who invest their time will come away satisfied.

The first three novellas will be released in the summer of 2018. My initial goal is ten novellas, with a new novella being released every four months after the rollout next summer.

That’s it for now. I know this is quite a radical departure from my earlier works, but I’m excited for the change. I also have a short story forthcoming over at Corner Bar Magazine, entitled “This Horrible Hunger.” It should be out in the next month or two. If you want to know more, scroll down. Details are in an earlier blog post.

Here’s a look at the map of Dreyland/Tsadanali.