Hey guys! I have been super pumped for this post because it is the first author post on this blog! So enjoy reading about the amazing Rival Gates, and maybe even try his books! If you want more about this author, try his first book, Quest for the Red Sapphire.
The Tale of My Tales
Writing has always been a passion of mine. As an American growing up in Canada I was often picked on growing up. Being the son of an editor and English teacher I learned to escape reality by writing. As an early teen I began the book “Quest for the Red Sapphire” for just that reason. It started as a short story but two years later I had a manuscript in my hand. When I showed it to my father he immediately began striking lines through it and placing x’s over sections saying it wasn’t good enough. That hurt a lot to watch but he was right. I had a good deal of improving to do. In school I studied creative writing and also read in the science fiction and fantasy genres. The book became the first of nine I had planned. I rewrote “Quest” at least six times, never seriously planning to publish it. The idea of sharing my ideas with the world was too scary. The one person who was always in my corner was my mother. She loved my book ideas and would sneak chapters to her friends to read without my knowing. My mother came down with cancer and visited me one last time before she went into hospice. She made me promise to have my book published. I agreed and spent three years finding an agent and a publisher. These are my offerings so far. “Quest for the Red Sapphire” really establishes the characters that will be around for a while. You get to see their strengths and weaknesses. They have their victories and defeats but they learn to work together. There is plenty of action to keep you entertained. In the next book, “The Sapphire Crucible” the main character Linvin and his party find out just who their nameless enemy is and why they have been at odds. Lord Mandrean is their adversary and after escaping his clutches, Linvin tries to get home with his people. One person’s move is checked by another. It builds to a climax in a fantastic battle scene in which Mandrean appears to be killed by Linvin. In the newest book, “Mandrean Revenge” we find that Mandrean survived and seeks retribution against Linvin. His method for achieving his goal is twisted and evil. Linvin must return to the killing lands of the Mandrean Empire in due course. This time, however, he must come alone. He is in for surprises he cannot foresee and problems he cannot overcome. How will Linvin figure his way out of this one by the allotted deadline? It will keep you guessing. What’s nice about the series is that each book has a prologue to bring you up to speed. As a result, you can pick up any of the books and be able to start reading from there. They are fast paced books you will find hard to put down. There is even some romance for those who are interested.