Undawnted Interviews Chris Barili, Day Three of the WordCrafter Shadow Blade Book Blog Tour

Interview with Author Chris Barili
 

What makes this book (Shadow Blade) a story that impelled you to write it?

I developed Shadow Blade based on an exercise in a class on researching for fiction during my MFA studies at Western State Colorado University. The professor gave us an in-class assignment to take a word commonly used in our chosen genre and do ten minutes of research on it. I chose “Assassin,” and the history of that word was so interesting that when I left class that day, I knew I would be writing it as a possible thesis. It has everything a fantasy story needs. There’s adventure, romance, deception, heroics, and of course, at the center of it all, magic.

The original “assassins” were a small sect of muslim fundamentalists controlling portions of northern Persia during the crusades. They were said to have been addicted to hashish, which their leader used to make them invulnerable, and to keep them absolutely loyal. My immediate thought was, “what if they (the Denari Lai) weren’t addicted to a drug, but to magic? What if that power came from their god, Nishi,but was doled out by their leader, the Chargh Lai, and used to not only make them successful, but to spy on them, control them, and ultimately, if they disobeyed too much, to end them? The very next question that came to me was, “What if one such assassin is sent to kill a princess, but falls in love with her and has to battle with his faith to determine his future?

So you have this dynamic where magic is like a drug that is used to control Denari Lai, and suddenly one of those assassins finds something so powerful that it threatens his devotion to his God. What’s stronger for him, the love of his God, or his love for the princess. 

 

Which, if any, of the characters do you identify with the most?

That’s a tough one. I think I’d have to say perhaps Captain Marwan Bauti—the man vowed to protect Princess Makari. He knows something is wrong, that Ashai is a threat, but no one will listen to him.

 

What is it about the magic genre that attracts you to write it?

The fantasy genre has always attracted me for a couple of reasons. First, it tends to draw a pretty straight line between good and evil, which I think we’ve lost the ability to do in our world today. And secondly, just about anything is possible in the fantasy genre, meaning all kinds of exciting things can happen.

Is Book 2 of the series on the way? How many books of the series do
you plan on publishing?

Shadow Blade is currently plotted out to be a trilogy. I am about halfway done the rough draft of book two (untitled), but I am working on the next Hell’s Marshal book at this time, so it’ll be a bit before book two is out.

 

What themes resonate with this story, yourself, and your readers?

If I start sounding off what themes are in this story, it’s likely to act as a spoiler for how it ends. So on this one, I’ll plead the Fifth.

 

Chris "Stealth" Barili

Website: Authorchrisbarili.ink

Buy Shadow Blade here:

https://books2read.com/Shadow-Blade

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Support Great Artists 

Read Shadow Blade by Chris Barili: 

books2read.com/ShadowBladeDenariLai

 

 Buy your copy today! 

 

 

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About the Book

Ashai Larish is an assassin from the brutal Denari Lai order. Religious zealots, Denari Lai are kept loyal through an addiction to the same magic that makes them unstoppable. They have become the primary weapon for the nation of Nishi'iti, and in a hundred years, they have never failed.

Until now. Ashai must kill Pushtani King Abadas Damar and his daughter/heir, Makari. He infiltrates the king's inner circle, putting him in the perfect place to strike, with only Captain Bauti of the Royal Guard at all suspicious of Ashai's intent.

Except Ashai has fallen for Makari and cannot complete the hit. When a second Denari Lai kills the King, Ashai finds himself fighting for Makari's life instead of taking it. To make matters worse, the order cuts him off from his magic, leaving him weakened and in withdrawal. Meanwhile, far north in the Pushtani mines that border Nishi'iti, a slave named Pachat learns that his love, a hand slave to Makari, died at the hands of a Denari Lai assassin. His grief ignites a slave rebellion, and Pachat becomes the unwilling leader of the revolt. Urged on by Nishi'iti guerrillas, the rebellion sweeps across the borderlands, threatening to erupt into all-out war. Yet all Pachat wants is to avenge his beloved's death by killing the assassin, so he walks away from the rebellion to seek when it needs him most.

As Pachat makes off for the capital of Dar Tallus, Ashai is forced to rely on that city's organized crime gang to hide from the second assassin, and from Bauti's guards. Despite his best efforts to hide it, Makari discovers Ashai's true identity, and suddenly, he finds himself without her love, without his faith, and without the Denari Lai. At rock bottom, he doubts he can do anything but cause more damage.

Can Ashai kill the second assassin and win back Makari's love? Will Pachat gain the revenge he so lustily seeks?

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*Give Away*

If you follow the tour and leave a comment at each stop to let us know you were there or share your thoughts about the book, you can win a free copy of Shadow Blade. We’re giving away three digital copies of the book, and one lucky winner will receive a print copy of the book signed by author Chris Barili. Each stop you comment on earns you an entry into the random drawing, and the winners will be announced on Writing to be Read in the “WordCrafter News” post on July 27.

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Tour Schedule

Monday, July 21: Writing to be Read- Book Trailer
Tuesday, July 22: Robbie's Inspiration - Guest post
Wednesday July 23: Undawnted - Interview with Chris Barili
Thursday, July 24: Roberta Writes - Reading Excerpt from Baiting the Hook, narrated by Jeff Bowles
Friday, July 25: Writing to be Read - Live appearance by Chris Barili

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Summer Time of a Writer's Life

After a health scare that landed me in the emergency room, I have been convalescing by catching up on some creative endeavors: digital art and short story writing. That nasty stomach flu that put Oprah Winfrey in the hospital did me in as well. IV fluids, two rounds of antibiotics, and almost eight weeks later... I feel like my old disabled-by-illness self again. 

There is nothing like being ill, then catching a virus that sets off dehydration and a painful infection to make a sickie feel right at home with their disability! All joking aside, the last month and a half has been unfun to say the least, but I am back now... 60% of me anyway. Until my mold illness is cured, I will always be 60% or less of an able-bodied person. 

Thems the breaks. 

As I gathered my strength, I have focused on my creative to-do list. I have written and submitted two short stories that I hope you will enjoy. First is: Kurst. The second is: 12 Angry Dead. Each are under 6550 words. If accepted, then these two will be given the extended version treatment and will become Novelettes or Novelas.

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Kurst: Karen Kurst inherits her grandmother's cabin in Salt Pines, Arizona. She learns that all is not what it seems in the quaint mountain village. A creature lurks in the woods. This cross between a cryptid, Sasquatch, and a Skinwalker can only be caged by a magical spell written by her ancestor, Ralph Wallen. With the help of the local indigenous sheriff, Karen sets her sights on ending the family curse. 

But will she have to give up her own life in order to save her newfound community? 

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12 Angry Dead is a story that I have wanted to write for years. With the original story combined with the guidelines of The Hanging Tree anthology, this narrative blossomed into a true tale of vengeance versus justice. It is also a paranormal, supernatural re-imaging of the film: 12 Angry Men.

I hope you enjoy these short fiction selections available this year through WordCrafter Press's anthologies: Dark Fiction and The Hanging Tree. 

Have a great rest of your day. 

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You're invited to Undawnted's newsletter, Undawntable, for our Release Party for The Story of Excalibur. Join our substack. It's free. We have parties, contests, and prizes. This month DL Mullan presented to her creative community an exclusive Undawntable Members Only version of Legendary: Summer Time, the public version will drop in August 2024. This Special Edition gave her readers free access to prose and poetry. 

Parties and freebies? Merch! What isn't there to love about Undawntable? 

Become a member today! 

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Undawntech: Weaponized Technology for the Growing Mind is Available on Writing to be Read

Another delicious segment of Undawnted that fuses real world knowledge with the courage to tell truth to power is available.

Do you believe? Or, do you know? 

Undawnted's DL Mullan explores how technology can free and enslave depending on how it is used, as well as how creative thinkers, like writers, can weaponize their quantum, organic brain to outwit the dystopian power grabbers and make your imagination yours again.

Find out the epic citations and conclusion in June's installment of Undawntech: Weaponized Technology for the Growing Mind!