A Cast of Stones
by Patrick Carr
Paperback, 400 pages
Expected Publication: February 1st 2013 by Bethany House Publishers
Premise:
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.
Available 2/1/13:
Only on this Tour... the author shares the Creation, his Goals, some Visuals and Excerpts on each of these mini-themes:
The Herbwomen of secret lore
The World of The Staff & the Sword
The Readers of the cast lots
The Watchmen, elite warriors
The Clergy of power
LAUNCH-DAY BLAST!
1/23 - Backing Books - Herbwomen
the herbwomen were the seeds of a reformation
1/24 – Christian Novels – Review – World
"I elected to use a setting I knew very well: Rock Island State Park in Tennessee. It’s a beautiful place with waterfalls and lush hills and rugged terrain".
1/25 – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer – Readers
If I didn’t come up with some kind of limitation, I was going to have a book filled with the equivalent of a bunch of super-wizards
1/27 – Reads to Reels – Watchmen
Why do the men of the watch wear black? How come none of them have last names?
1/28 – LDS & Lovin’ It - Clergy
I decided to name the collection of benefices the judica. In Latin, judica means judge. So the catch phrase of the benefices became “Judica me Deas” which would be the equivalent of “Judge me, O Lord.”
1/29 – Proud Book Nerd - World
I am very much interested to see where this series is going, and will be eagerly waiting for Book 2, The Hero’s Lot.
1/30 – Open the Page - Herbwomen
we find that the herbwomen had perhaps the biggest secret of all
2/1 – RELEASE-DAY BLAST!
2/4 – Bookworm Lisa – Review – Clergy
This book is very well written and appealing.
2/5 – Passion & Life – Readers
This is probably one of my favorite excerpts from the entire series. It was so much fun to write.
2/6 – Kari’s Crowded Bookshelf – Review Herbwomen
I like how the whole book had a very medieval feel to it... I couldn't put it down.
Errol is perhaps the most realistic hero I have ever read about.
2/10 – Letters to the Cosmos - Watchmen
The next guy, Merodach was easy. As soon as I described him as having hair so blond it was almost silver and blue eyes, I knew Rutger Hauer was the perfect model. I loved him in the movie “Ladyhawke.”
2/11 – Colorimetry – Clergy
Only a fool could fail to see you have a story to tell and I would not
have it said that I kept an injured man on his feet
2/12 – ADD Librarian Herbwomen
SoExcited!SoExcited!SoExcited!SoExcited!
2/21 – FINALE BLAST, Winner announced
Review - Jill Williamson
Excerpt... Meet the Clergymen:
Martin
sat beneath the giant oak that sheltered his cottage, his bulk sprawled across
a crude ladder-backed chair. Errol looked away and coughed as he entered the
shade of the tree from the priest’s left. Martin sat nearly naked, his cassock nowhere
in sight. He wore a plain, linen under-tunic hitched up in the moist air until
it barely covered his thighs. At Errol’s cough, the priest looked up from the
book that he held in one huge hand and gave a raucous laugh. Errol blushed and
kept his eyes on his feet.
Martin loomed
larger than life. Errol had never known him before his hair silvered, but his
eyebrows, dark as ebony, showed the color those loose curls would have been in
his youth. A strong nose thrust forward aggressively from wide, high cheekbones
over a mouth that was thin and full by turns depending on the state of its
owner’s thoughts. The deep dimple in his chin, rather than lending the face any
expected charm, solidified the impression of dogged determination that Errol
always felt whenever he came to visit Martin’s secluded cottage. Yet for all
the power that emanated from Martin’s eyes, face, or bulk, he always greeted
Errol with warmth.
“Come now,
Errol.” Martin called to him across the grassy space. “My under tunic satisfies
the demands of modesty and we are created in the image of Deas after all.” He
slapped his paunch and looked him up and down in mock jealousy. “However, I
seem to have been gifted with substantially more image than you.” He pointed to
the bulky pack slung from Errol’s shoulder with a hand that would have looked
more at home dangling from a blacksmith’s wrist. “You have the sacraments?”
Errol stepped
from the shade to stand before Martin. “Yes, Pater, and letters as well, but
I’m afraid it’s all ruined.” Errol’s voice sounded strange to his ears, as if
he had forgotten its timbre during his struggle in the gorge.
Martin’s smile
transformed to a scowl as he took in Errol’s appearance. The old priest’s gaze
trickled from the crown of Errol’s, paused at his scraped hands, and finished
at his bleeding feet.
“Come, boy. Let’s go inside. Only
a fool could fail to see you have a story to tell and I would not have it said
that I kept an injured man on his feet.”
About the Author:
Patrick Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
Awards: ACFW Genesis Competition 2010 Finalist for “A Cast of Stones” in Speculative Fiction.
Find & Follow:
Tour-Wide Giveaway:
Grand Prize (USA): Print copy of entire series of three books (#2 & #3 as they are published) + A Cast of Stones Mug + Lend your name to a character in book #3!!
2nd Prize (USA): Print copy of
A Cast of Stones
International Entries: eCopy of
A Cast of Stones
Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and sponsored by Bethany House & the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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The Hero's Lot 
In the backwater village of Callowford, Errol Stone's search for a drink is interrupted by a church messenger who arrives with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Desperate for coin, Errol volunteers to deliver them but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.
Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty is near an end and a new king must be selected. As tension and danger mount, Errol must leave behind his drunkenness and grief, learn to fight, and come to know his God in order to survive a journey to discover his destiny.
Author Patrick W. Carr was born on an Air Force base in West Germany at the height of the cold war. He has been told this was not his fault. As an Air Force brat, he experienced a change in locale every three years until his father retired to Tennessee. Patrick saw more of the world on his own through a varied and somewhat eclectic education and work history. He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1984 and has worked as a draftsman at a nuclear plant, did design work for the Air Force, worked for a printing company, and consulted as an engineer. Patrick’s day gig for the last five years has been teaching high school math in Nashville, TN. He currently makes his home in Nashville with his wonderfully patient wife, Mary, and four sons he thinks are amazing: Patrick, Connor, Daniel, and Ethan. Sometime in the future he would like to be a jazz pianist. Patrick thinks writing about himself in the third person is kind of weird.
