BOOK SPOTLIGHT: The Death Wizard Chronicles by Jim Melvin

THE DEATH WIZARD CHRONICLES, BOOK ONE, THE PIT
by Jim Melvin

The Death Wizard Chronicles is a six-book epic fantasy series from Rain Publishing Inc. Book One (The Pit) debuted September 2007; Book Two (Moon Goddess) will be published in October; Book Three (Eve of War) in November; Book Four (World on Fire) in December; Book Five (Sun God) in January 2008; Book Six (Death-Know) in February 2008. All six books will be available for purchase at rainbooks.com, amazon.com, and select bookstores in the U.S. and Canada.

The DW Chronicles is not for children and teenagers — or the faint of heart. But fans of authors such as Stephen King, George R.R. Martin, and Steven Erikson will find much to enjoy in this series.

In a groundbreaking paradox, the Death Wizard, a champion of good, derives his power from a source traditionally seen as negative — death. His nemesis, an evil sorcerer, derives his power from the sun, the benevolent source of all life. Their struggle to control the fate of the planet Triken will take your breath away.

In an original twist never before seen in this genre, the Death Wizard is able to enter the realm of death during a ‘‘temporary suicide.’’ Through intense concentration, he stops his heartbeat and feeds on death energy, which provides him with an array of magical powers.

The series also is a love triangle involving two desperate characters attempting to come together despite the machinations of an all-powerful psychopath.

Graphic and action-packed, spanning a millenium of turmoil, The DW Chronicles carries readers on a journey they will never forget.

Do you fear death? The Death Wizard does not. Find out why.

The Writer's Life: Jim, welcome to The Writer's Life. I've been following your virtual book tour and learning so much about you and our readers have as well. For your book spotlight question today, I'd like to ask you more about your main character, The Death Wizard, so here you go...

In your epic fantasy series, The Death Wizard Chronicles, you have a character called the Death Wizard. Describe him and answer me this one question: If the Death Wizard was present-day reality, how would that change the world in its present state, or more specifically, how could the Death Wizard himself change the world?

Jim: Torg is indeed called a Death Wizard, hence the title of my series. But he is more accurately called a Death-Knower. He is a member of a race of warriors called Tugars who live in a mythical desert called Tçjo on the planet Triken. Among their many talents, Tugars are practitioners of the art of meditation, which they use to grow spiritually and to calm their minds. On rare occasions, individual Tugars achieve such a high level of concentrative meditation, their heart literally stops beating and they die. But they have a special ability to feed on Death Energy and return from death, whereupon they are enriched with magical powers. These special Tugars are called Death-Knowers, and among them Torg is the greatest to have ever lived.

Physically, all Tugars -- and especially Torg -- are magnificent specimens. Torg is 7 feet tall and weighs 300 pounds. He has shoulder-length, jet-black hair, deep blue eyes, and is extremely muscular. In other words, a happily married woman with five kids would dump her entire family for him without a second's hesitation. Ha!

Torg is a long-lived being. At the time that Book One begins, he is 1,000 years old, though he would appear to you or I as an extremely fit 40-year-old. He also commands great magical powers, including blue flames that can be used to destroy or to heal. And he is tremendously strong -- far, far stronger than any man or woman who has ever lived on Earth. If he went into a Gold's Gym, he'd win the bench-press contest with ease. In fact, there's no barbell stout enough to hold the amount of weight he could bench-press. But I'm guessing he probably could do around two tons.

Torg is a supremely competent warrior, adept with all manner of medieval and magical weapons. Yet he also is a deep thinker, who is concerned not just for himself but for all living beings who walk the path of goodness. He is a beloved king and widely admired hero, and his people adore him like no other. In fact, they would consider it an honor to die for him.

If Torg were to suddenly appear in our present-day world, he would stand out in many ways. For one, he would be an astounding physical specimen, sort of a Shaq O'Neil with a much better body. But it's not like he's 10 feet tall, so at least he could blend in to ordinary society.

As a leader, he would be without peer. For one thing, he is a sincerely moral person -- almost god-like in his proximity to perfection -- and he would demand no less from his followers. For another, he is long-lived, so if he were to assume a position of power, he could command for centuries instead of decades or a few short years. This would create an remarkable consistency, one that the planet Earth has never before experienced. Plus, his magical powers, in our world, would be astounding to behold. For instance, he is capable of healing cancer, but only on an individual basis. And he would be formidable in battle, though again on a limited basis. Certainly nuclear weapons and other high-powered bombs would be capable of destroying him, as they destroy so many things.

People often talk about Tiger Woods and his potential to be a world leader once he leaves behind the game of golf. Tiger is known and beloved throughout the world. Torg could achieve similar status, and if he did, the sky would be the limit -- and planet Earth would be far better for it.

However, I'm not so sure that Torg would even attempt such a thing. I think that he quickly would become exasperated and perhaps even disgusted by the living conditions on Earth, and he might choose to journey to one of the large deserts and simply disappear. Perhaps an Earth-like version of Tugars would eventually form around him, but even they would remain hidden from the outside world. If that were to occur, it would be a shame. But could you really blame him?

If you'd like a chance to win a free copy of Jim's book, go to this link and leave a comment!

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