Storytellers On Tour: Frozen Rage By Steve McHugh - Encore

Storytellers On Tour is a Blog/Instagram Tour organising service. It was born out of Justine’s (Whispers & Wonder) and my love and dedication toward SFF indie books and authors. Our goal is to give as much exposure to our clients as we can, while we also build a community among our Roadies. Find out more about us on www.storytellersontour.online!

This past week we gave the spotlight to Fozen Rage, a novella from the Hallequin Chronicles‘ world by Steve McHugh in celebration of its release! Our Roadies brought a wide selection of content to this show with reviews and other posts. Now it’s time to bring the show to an end and it’s my pleasure to present you with the encore, including some extra content. Come and learn a bit more about the world of Frozen Rage through a Q&A with Steve!

Shall we?

Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.

It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full length novel, the results of which is now available to purchase.

He was born in a small village called Mexborough, South Yorkshire, but now lives with his wife and three young daughters in Southampton.

Realm of Dreich is a getaway for the rich and powerful, a medieval-inspired town in the middle of a vast frozen wilderness. Now it’s the site of a wedding, intended to join two feuding families who have spent centuries in an uneasy truce with each other.

When Tommy Carpenter asks his best friend, Nate Garrett, to help him with the security of the wedding, Nate reluctantly agrees, knowing that it will be a long weekend of work and, in all probability, treachery.

It is only a matter of time before members of each family are found murdered and it is up to Nate and Tommy to find the killer before more bodies fall, potentially reigniting a war.

Click on the blog name to read their full review or other content!

SEPTEMBER 27TH–THE WELCOMING

Whispers & Wonder – interview + IG spotlight

SEPTEMBER 28TH

Kats Reading Room – review

“However, I can say that I really enjoyed the writing style, I felt for the characters and I will definitely be picking up the other books in the series!”

@the.b00kreader – IG spotlight

Phil Parker – review

“All in all, a wonderful story that I couldn’t put down. I actually read this story in two days. It’s writing style is economical yet efficient, you can move through it easily but that doesn’t mean it lacks any vital ingredients. It’s just clever, fun writing. Action packed, there’s always something happening to encourage you to keep reading. I will definitely be reading more books by Steve McHugh.”

SEPTEMBER 29TH

Territorial_fae Reviews – review

“Frozen Rage is written well, and I highly recommend checking it out. It offered me a nice little break from reality amidst my trip planning, chaotic mess.”

@bibliomum – IG spotlight

The Writer’s Alley – review

“The sense of suspense/thriller vibes in the story I enjoyed. People were murdered? What happened? Who did it? How did they? I’ve been wanting more of a mixture of fantasy with suspense. Great job, Steve!”

SEPTEMBER 30TH

natrosette – review

“If a chaotic, murdery wedding attended by werewolves, werelions, and a number of other supernatural creatures sounds like a fun time to you, I worry for your sanity. But if it sounds fun to read about, I definitely recommend you give Frozen Rage a try.”

Through Novel Time & Distance – review

“I enjoyed this different world of the novella. With a European backdrop, it made some historical references to the reach of powers of certain characters that took you far into Eastern Europe and back. I always enjoy that.”

Out of This World SFF Reviews – review

“Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is that everything happens so quickly and there’s no time to ponder too long over something before another revelation smacks you upside the head. The benefit of novellas, and this one especially, is that there’s no real room for tortuous dialogue and slow spots. I’m happy to say that FROZEN RAGE does not dilly dally in the least and the murder mystery unfolds at a breakneck pace.”

OCTOBER 1ST

Kerri McBookNerd – review

“This was a fast-paced, fun, and exciting novella that blends mystery with urban fantasy. As someone who has not read the rest of the series, I still had quite a bit of fun with this book. It made me want to read the rest of the series! Definitely recommend for people who are already fans of the Hellequin Chronicles but I think any urban fantasy lover would enjoy the ride.”

jea reads – IG spotlight

The Book in Hand – review

“Steve does great in this novella to show you the little realm of Dreich, it honestly sounds like somewhere i’d be happy to go, less the murder though! You can imagine the whole realm from the people that fill it to the landscapes that surround it.”

OCTOBER 2ND

FanFiAddict – review

“Short, sweet, and the point, the story starts out fairly romantic and quickly goes 0-100 and doesn’t let off the gas. Garrett knows he is in for a long couple of days, but obviously had no clue he would be solving a murder mystery. Alongside his best friend Tommy, you can expect wit, intrigue, and a satisfying dose of fire with a side of claws.”

@myrelationshipwith – IG spotlight

The Bookwyrm’s Guide to the Galaxy – review / creative post

“One thing about Frozen Rage is that as you grow closer to the crux of this murder mystery, the mayhem, action, and magic merely intensifies.”

Welcome to the Asylum, Steve! Take a seat by the fire, have a glass of beverage of your choice and tell me something about yourself!

Thanks for having me. I’ll take a whiskey neat, thanks.

Apart from liking whiskey (which might actually be a cliché for an author at this point), I was born in South Yorkshire in North England, although I now live on the South coast of England with my wife and three daughters.

What inspires your writing? Do you listen to music, stare into the fire, listen to the whispering of the wind, make deals with the Devil?

Lots of things inspire my writing. Apart from the deals with the devil (which is standard these days), I’m inspired by music, film, comics, videogames, books, and probably a host of other things. My ideas will come at me all the time from any direction, which is both a wonderful thing, and when I’m in the middle of writing a book, a giant pain in the backside.

Your MC(s) is/are locked in an asylum. What did he/she/they do to end up there?

They probably wilfully got put there for one reason or another. I doubt very much that Nate is going to be put in an asylum against his will for any longer than it takes for him to destroy it.

Describe an asylum set in the world of your book, Frozen Rage!

Old, gothic, with runes inscribed on it to stop the use of magic and other abilities. Almost certainly infested with ghosts, or similar creatures. It would a hundred percent be a bad place to go.

Which fictional character (it can be one of yours) and/or author would you like to live with in an asylum and why?

Batman. Because there’s no way he’s not breaking out, and I’d be right there some distance behind him after he’s done all of the hard work.

While you are locked in here for eternity, we will allow you one book – what would you choose?

Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather. I read it every year at Christmas and have done for a long time. It’s not even my favourite of his books, it’s just the one I can read over and over and never get bored.

Well then, we hope you’ll enjoy your stay in the Asylum! Any last words? *locks door*

I’m looking forward to it. Honestly, I get some time off the kids, I can have a lie in and relax… wait, what’s the drugs for? No, I don’t need any….th….i….ng.