Hardcover
978-0-9970156-0-7
$30.00
Paperback
978-0-9970156-1-4
$14.00
Ebook
ASIN: B019BQT00E
$2.99
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, SciFi Adventure
Crosswinds Publishing
January 15, 2016
Pages: 348
As the epic Weir Chronicles continue in this third installment of the series, rebels poison Ian and it’s up to Rayne and Patrick to find a cure before their friend succumbs and Earth’s fate is left in the hands of adversaries intent on taking control of the planet. To obtain answers, Rayne must travel to an alternate world where few survive as Patrick unearths the secrets of the rebels and discovers a truth that shatters his beliefs about the Weir and the future of Earth.
Catch up on the series by reading Fade to Black and Masks and Mirrors !
Praise for the Series
“A stunning debut with a thrilling mix of sci-fi and fantasy. Duff has a real hit on her hands.” - Roxanne Kade, blogger at Therian
“I recommend this to anyone who loves a good Sci-fi esque, fantasy, dystopian, secret-war-going-on-behind-the-human’s-backs-and-right-under-their-noses sort of book.” -- Jaay V, blogger at Reckless Indulgence
“This is one series that I recommend to readers of fantasy and paranormal romances. You will not be disappointed.” - Jessica Bronder, blogger at J Bronder Book Reviews
From Readers on Amazon
“You may lose sleep. The action is fast paced and it’s refreshing to see a book in this genre with a male protagonist! I truly enjoyed his journey to self-discovery.”
“I love that Sue Duff does not dumb down her writing to make everything repetitious each time - she let’s you figure out the rules yourself while you read. Her style of writing really suits the smart world-building, and I also fell so in love with the characters.”
“A magical tale filled with likeable characters.”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Samantha Lien at Roger Charlie
720-425-3933 sam@rogercharlie.com
Twitter: @samijolien
AWARD-WINNING FANTASY AUTHOR RELEASES LATEST INSTALLMENT IN HER WEIR CHRONICLES SERIES
Sleight of Hand thrills readers with science fiction, adventure and mind-blowing reveals
DENVER, CO -- January 2016 -- A magical race of beings, the Weir have served as caretakers of Earth for thousands of years. But when they are pitted against each other by outside forces sucking life from the planet, it’s once again up to a young illusionist to come to mother nature’s rescue in the third installment of the Weir Chronicles, Sleight of Hand .
As the epic story continues, main protagonist Ian Black is poisoned by rebels and it’s up to friends Rayne and Patrick to find a cure before he succumbs and Earth’s fate is left in the hands of adversaries intent on taking control of the planet. To save Ian, Rayne must travel to an alternate world few have survived while Patrick unearths the secrets of the rebels to discover a truth that shatters his beliefs about the Weir and the future of their planet.
“We’re midway into the five-book series, so it’s a pivotal turning point in everyone’s lives,” said Duff. “Everything shifts for Ian and the gang.” This game-changing chapter combines fantasy, magic and Duff’s great love of Earth and Space to weave the magical wonders of the universe into the new novel. “Natural sciences play a major role in the Weir - who they are, and what they cherish the most’ and Sleight of Hand finally helps to answer some questions about the Weir from the first two books in the series.
Duff has already begun work on books four and five and even had the opportunity to fact-check her story with NASA scientists when she participated in 2015 Denver ComicCon programming.
“It was intimidating to sit on a panel with them, but they were a kick to hang out with, and even verified that my research was sound for the upcoming novels,” said Duff. “What a relief!”
Out of hundreds of submissions, Duff’s novel Fade to Black placed as a finalist in the Colorado Gold Writing Contest in 2011 and in 2015, her writing earned her the PEN Award from Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers . Additionally, Duff has completed a short story entitled Duo’vr for the anthology TICKTOCK: Seven Tales of Time , which hits store shelves on March 1, 2016.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sue Duff has dreamed of dragons and spaceships before she could even read, so it’s only natural that she now combines both fantasy and science fiction as her favorite genre. Having written since high school, Duff never took it seriously until a skiing accident laid her up for an entire summer and she turned on the word processor to combat the boredom. A couple years later, her first urban fantasy novel, F ade to Black , was one of five finalists in the
RMFW Colorado Gold Writing Contest and in 2015, Duff’s writing earned her the PEN Award.
She is the second oldest of six girls with an avid reader mom and her dad, the family’s single drop of testosterone in a sea of estrogen.
By day, Duff is a dedicated speech-language therapist at an inner city school district, a career she pursued much in part to her aunt who got her hooked on stories of the profession when Duff was younger. She is passionate about the work she does and regularly works to help those students that need it the most.
Sue is a member of the R ocky Mountain Fiction Writers and T he Pikes Peak Writers.
She calls Colorado home and when not saving the world one page at a time, she can be found walking her great dane, getting her hands dirty in her garden, or creating something delicious in her kitchen.
Check out her blog, A Cook’s Guide to Writing and other musings on her website.
Q&A with Sue Duff
We’re now on the third book in the Weir Chronicles.
Can you tell us where you got your inspiration for the series?
I
was in search of a new kind of superhero and I drew upon my love of science in
a deliberate avoidance of all things alien, vampire, werewolf, or typical
wizardry. From that basic premise, Ian’s character and the world of the Weir
gradually took shape.
Since there may be some readers that haven’t yet seen
Fade to Black and Masks and Mirrors, can you catch readers up who are just now
joining in on the adventure?
The
main protagonist and “superhero” is Ian Black. Born the last of the Weir, all
hope rests on him to save the planet, but he doesn’t inherit the powers as
predicted. Tortured in a last ditch effort to bring his supposed powers to the
surface, he escapes and hides among the humans as an illusionist - until a nosy
college reporter uncovers his secret. Together, they discover a malevolent Weir
who is sucking Earth’s energy and depleting its resources at an alarming rate.
The
Weir are a race of magical beings who have served as caretakers of Earth for
thousands of
years and it is their connection to the planet that keeps what roams above in
harmony with
the energies that churn below.
Unfortunately,
they are becoming extinct and as a result, there is an intense rise of natural disasters
across the globe.. Desperate to save the earth and prevent the end of their
race, the
Weir turn to modern science to perpetuate themselves. But this philosophy
separates their
kind into two warring factions - the Pur and the Duach. To keep them from
killing each other,
and all but guaranteeing their extinction, a Curse is created by the Ancient
counsel as a
means of keeping them apart. Of course, as you could predict, the Weir soon
discover it’s not
wise to mess with Mother Nature!
A
band of rebels, committed to stopping their mutual enemy, come on the scene in
Masks and
Mirrors , and give Ian reason to be suspicious as he struggles to uncover what
ulterior motive
they have for saving Earth.
What do you think will surprise readers most about
Sleight of Hand?
Talk
about mind-blowing reveals! This book is chock full of them. EVERYTHING changes
for Ian and the gang. This is midway in the five book series and it’s the
pivotal turning point for everyone’s lives.
What kind of research did you have to do for your
book / series?
As
an Earth and Space science fanatic, I follow National Geographic and NASA
pretty closely. The
news clips that come are amazing and sad at the same time. The probes in deep
space are
bringing back incredible pictures of frontiers we’ve only speculated about
until now, and I
love checking those out on a regular basis.
I
also did a lot of research with magicians and illusionists for the first two
books. If there was
a TV show on about magic, I was probably watching it! It was so fun to come up
with twists
on the tricks I saw, or to find ways to connect a trick to something in nature,
as Ian might.
What are your initial thoughts when thinking about
your book(s)?
I
write the way I like to read - short chapters that end with a cliffhanger so
you can’t help but turn
the page and read just ‘one more chapter.’ I’ve received feedback from
individuals, who don’t
typically read my genre, but end up loving my books. Others that aren’t big
readers have
finished my novels in one, two or three sittings!
What is the most exciting part of
creating a story/writing a book, for you?
Living in a
world of my choosing and control. I feel the most alive when I’m creating
worlds, characters and living inside their heads! I have a vivid imagination
and can actually hear the characters speaking the dialogue I’m typing, or watch
them walk down that path or run through the forest. As a writer, I’m challenged
to take all of that out of my head and bring it to life for the readers,
hopefully so they enjoy living in my worlds as much as I do.
Do any pieces of the book come from personal
experience?
When
I was a teenager, we took a road trip up the California Coast and spent time in
the redwood
forests. I thought it was the most breathtaking place on Earth, which is why I
have Ian
living there in my stories.
Have you based any of your characters on
anyone you know?
LOL I can’t help
but put a piece of me in each of my characters. Milo is a stickler about
housekeeping and feels the most comfortable in the kitchen. Anyone who has come
to my home knows that’s me. Rayne is bold, yet vulnerable. Ian is a caregiver
and struggles with seeing the dark side in others. Patrick has my sense of
humor and I give him the best lines, by far. Tara is fighting for a place in
the world and a way to help in the face of helplessness. Jaered carries baggage
around and in spite of his grumbling and resistance, can’t help but do the
right thing. Even the antagonists have pieces of my twisted, evil imaginings. Aren’t
we thankful that stays on paper!
What do you hope readers most get out of your book
(or the series as a whole)?
Regardless
of the naysayers, believe in yourself and follow your own strengths and path in the
world. Ian didn’t develop his powers as the prophecy predicted, and Rayne
wasn’t the firstborn
male Sar that her father desired. The fact that Ian turned to illusions in
order to do what
he couldn’t naturally (lack of powers in a magical world) is key to his
character.
Tortured
for what he had no control over, he discovered and nurtured something that he could
control.
I
also hope that my readers can accept that science can’t explain everything and
embrace the
wonders and mysteries in the universe. My favorite line from the first book is,
“There will always be magic in the world, as long as we believe in what we
don’t understand.”
Can you tell me a bit about your writing process, and
how it was piecing a series together! I know it takes a lot of attention to
detail to make sure you’re catching small parts in each story so they all make
sense!
I’m
not a plotter like so many of my colleagues. I tried to use color-coded sticky
notes, or create
a storyboard and timeline to keep every critical scene and other details
straight, but it drove
me nuts and felt overwhelming. I write best when I can sit down and just start
typing.
I
usually crank out a novel within 6-8 weeks that way, but the pain comes
afterward when there’s
so much editing to do! My editor and copyeditor help a lot with the small
details that I
miss, but admit they’re amazed at how I keep it all together in my head. I just
know the story
that well and I’m that intimate with my characters.
What has been one of your favorite experiences as
an author?
I’m
not sure I can pinpoint a single accomplishment, but I have to admit that having
a young fan come up to me at the 2015 Denver ComicCon and tell me that she
wrote a book report on Fade to Black for school will stick with me forever!
What is the most invaluable piece of
advice you can offer aspiring authors?
There’s two
things I often stress with aspiring writers. First, write for yourself. If you
try to mold yourself off of others, it won’t be genuine and your own writer’s
voice won’t shine through. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t aspire to be
better. Join writer’s critique groups, attend workshops and conferences. Their
insight and feedback can help you discover your unique voice. Second, have a
thick skin. Most people start writing because they feel passionate about
something. They spill their heart and soul onto paper/word processors, sit back
to read it and feel the words. But that doesn’t mean that they’ve done it
justice. I can’t tell you how many times writer’s drop in on our critique
group, read their work and then crunch their face or actually argue when
feedback is given. They don’t return, probably because they believe the group
“didn’t understand” their work. If it’s done well, a writer can make the readers/listeners
understand. Learn, be open to improving yourself. Editing is the cornerstone of
writing for a reason!
What is your next project?
Writing
the fourth and fifth book in The Weir Chronicles series will keep me busy for
the next
several months! I’m also involved in an author group releasing an anthology
this year(
TICKTOCK: Seven Tales of Time) , and hope we keep putting out at least one
anthology a year.
I have two other series in mind, too and following the completion of The Weir Chronicles
, I hope to work on those, as well. The hard part will be choosing which one to focus
on first!
