The Genes of Isis Blog Tour: Spotlight + Giveaway

The Genes of Isis
Author: Justin Newland
Publisher: Matador
Publication Date: May 21, 2018

Description:

Akasha is a precocious young girl with dreams of motherhood. She lives in a fantastical world where most of the oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.

Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead they spawned a race of hybrids and infected humanity with a hybrid seed.

Horque manifests on Earth with another tribe of angels, the Solarii, to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge.

Akasha embarks on a journey from maiden to mother and from apprentice to priestess then has a premonition that a great flood is imminent. All three races – humans, hybrids and Solarii – face extinction.

With their world in crisis, Akasha and Horque meet, and a sublime love flashes between them. Is this a cause of hope for humanity and the Solarii? Or will the hybrids destroy them both? Will anyone survive the killing waters of the coming apocalypse?

 

Praise for THE GENES OF ISIS:

“The book is exquisitely written, with good characterization and a compelling plot… Thoroughly recommended.” —Jennifer’s Reviews

“The novel is creative, sophisticated, brilliant! I couldn’t ask for a more Egyptian-esque book!” —Lauren, Books Beyond the Story

 

 

You can purchase The Genes of Isis at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Justin Newland

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe. 

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies. 

The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall. 

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution. 

The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith. 

His work in progress is a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. The Mark of the Salamander (to be published September 2023) takes us across the open seas of discovery with Sir Francis Drake while The Midnight of Eights culminates the series with the repulse of the Spanish Armada. 

Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts. 

Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.

      

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WEEK ONE

JULY 10th MONDAY JeanBookNerd EXCERPT

JULY 11th TUESDAY Cover2CoverBlog EXCERPT

JULY 12th WEDNESDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW

JULY 13th THURSDAY FUONLYKNEW REVIEW

JULY 14th FRIDAY A Bronx Latina Reads REVIEW

WEEK TWO

JULY 17th MONDAY Rajiv's Reviews REVIEW

JULY 18th TUESDAY fundinmental REVIEW

JULY 19th WEDNESDAY TTC Books and More REVIEW

JULY 20th THURSDAY Insane About Books REVIEW

JULY 21st FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

WEEK THREE

JULY 24th MONDAY Laura's Bookish Life REVIEW

JULY 25th TUESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW

JULY 26th WEDNESDAY #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee REVIEW

JULY 27th THURSDAY Living in a Bookworld EXCERPT

 

The Old Dragon's Head Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

 

The Old Dragon's Head
Author: Justin Newland
Publisher: Matador
Publication Date: October 8, 2018

Description:

Constructed of stone and packed earth, the Great Wall of 10,000 li protects China’s northern borders from the threat of Mongol incursion. The wall is also home to a supernatural beast: the Old Dragon. The Old Dragon’s Head is the most easterly point of the wall, where it finally meets the sea.

In every era, a Dragon Master is born. Endowed with the powers of Heaven, only he can summon the Old Dragon so long as he possess the dragon pearl.

It’s the year 1400, and neither the Old Dragon, the dragon pearl, nor the Dragon Master, has been seen for twenty years. Bolin, a young man working on the Old Dragon’s Head, suffers visions of ghosts. Folk believe he has yin-yang eyes and other paranormal gifts.When Bolin’s fief lord, the Prince of Yan, rebels against his nephew, the Jianwen Emperor, a bitter war of succession ensues in which the Mongols hold the balance of power. While the victor might win the battle on earth, China’s Dragon Throne can only be earned with a Mandate from Heaven – and the support of the Old Dragon.

Bolin embarks on a journey of self-discovery, mirroring Old China’s endeavour to come of age. When Bolin accepts his destiny as the Dragon Master, Heaven sends a third coming of age – for humanity itself. But are any of them ready for what is rising in the east?  

Praise for THE OLD DRAGON'S HEAD:

“A stand out novel that ticks all the boxes – murder, mystery, treason, glorious villains, reluctant heroes and more than a touch of the supernatural.” —Discovering Diamonds

“The author is an excellent storyteller.” British Fantasy Society. “History meets magic, culture meets supernatural… I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a twist.” —Books Beyond the Story

“This is an exceptionally well-written book which takes one back to the China of 1400.” —That’s Books and Entertainment

“I absolutely loved the mix of fantasy elements well-rooted in Chinese history.” —Jessica Belmont

“I enjoyed the different perspectives and the magical realism.” —Rosie Cawkwell

“This book was part murder mystery and part fantasy with some fabulous villains and heroes.” —Over the Rainbow

“This isn’t your typical coming of age story – it’s filled with tough choices, unexpected surprises, and a destiny that’s bigger than anyone can imagine.” —The Faerie Review

“This epic story has it all – adventure, mystery, villains, the supernatural, and at its heart a true coming of age journey.” —Books and Emma

“This is a book of historical fantasy, but in terms of the fantasy, it is subtle, and firmly rooted in cultural beliefs and superstitions within the time period covered in the book.” —Book Mad Jo

“This is not just a fantasy book, this is a fantasy with history, murder, mystery, legend, myth and of course the supernatural. There are villains and heroes and action and adventure.” —Bookmarks and Stages

 

  You can purchase The Old Dragon’s Head at the following Retailers:

 

          

 

Ten facts about THE OLD DRAGON’S HEAD

1. The Old Dragon’s Head is a story about a wall, as it is set on the far eastern end of the Great Wall of China. The germ for the novel was a short story I wrote called, ‘Vallum Hadriani’,

set on another famous wall, namely Hadrian’s Wall. At the time, I also re-read Franz Kafka’s The Great Wall of China. I remembered that I loved reading in my youth.

2. Some of the non-fiction I read to research the novel included The Art of War by Sun Tzu, The Book of Chung Tzu by Lao Tzu, The Book of Mencius and the T’ao Te Ching.

3. Some of the fiction I read for the research included The Chinese Maze Murders, a Judge Dee Mystery by Robert van Gulik, The Story of the Stone aka The Dream of the Red Chamber, a Chinese Classic, vol. 1., The Golden Days by Cao Xueqin, and Stories Old and New, a Ming Dynasty Collection, Compiled by Feng Menglong.

4. The Old Dragon’s Head was my second novel and took me about a year and a half to write, edit, polish and finish. It was my first historical novel and has four point of view characters.

5. As part of the research into China in the 14th Century, I visited the China sections of the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as they hold some fascinating artifacts of the period. I also corresponded with the curators of the museums about their artifacts.

6. To promote the novel, I wrote and developed an illustrated talk entitled “The Great Ming Code; How the Law Book of the Ming Dynasty attempted to harmonize human society with the will of heaven.”

7. The cover artwork for the book The Old Dragon’s Head was done by Jim Burns, who lives not far from me in Trowbridge, Wiltshire. He has done the covers for all four of my novels now, and a wonderful job he has made of them too.

8. The Old Dragon’s Head is a real place at the far eastern end of the Great Wall of China. In Chinese, Laolongtou is the Chinese word for Old Dragon’s Head. The name of the town there is Shanhaiguan. I would have liked to have visited the area but wasn’t able to do so.

9. To keep out the Mongols, the founder of the Ming Dynasty, the Hongwu Emperor, had a fortress built across a ten-kilometer pass between the Yellow Sea and the Yanshan Mountains in 1381.

10. The biggest gate in the fortress was the Zhendong Gate, above which hangs the famous inscription, “The First Pass Under Heaven,” a sentiment which tells you everything you need to know about the Chinese mind set. One of the ironies of history is that in 1644 a Chinese soldier, disillusioned with the emperor of the time, opened the gates of the fortress and let in the Mongols.

Photo Content from Justin Newland

  

Justin Newland is an author of historical fantasy and secret history thrillers - that’s history with a supernatural twist. His stories feature known events and real people from history which are re-told and examined through the lens of the supernatural. He gives author talks and is a regular contributor to BBC Radio Bristol’s Thought for the Day. He lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
 

Author Links: 

Website: https://www.justinnewland.com/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13741278.Justin_Newland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justin.newland.author/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjustinnewland/

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WEEK ONE

JANUARY 16th MONDAY JeanBookNerd PODCAST

JANUARY 17th TUESDAY TTC Books and More INTERVIEW

JANUARY 18th WEDNESDAY Mythical Books GUEST POST

JANUARY 19th THURSDAY The Candid Cover EXCERPT

JANUARY 20th FRIDAY #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee EXCERPT

WEEK TWO

JANUARY 23rd MONDAY A Court of Coffee and Books EXCERPT

JANUARY 24th TUESDAY Lady Hawkeye GUEST POST

JANUARY 25th WEDNESDAY A Bronx Latina Reads REVIEW

JANUARY 26th THURSDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

JANUARY 27th FRIDAY J.R.'s Book Reviews REVIEW

WEEK THREE

JANUARY 30th MONDAY The Momma Spot REVIEW

JANUARY 31st TUESDAY Laura's Bookish Corner REVIEW

FEBRUARY 1st WEDNESDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW

FEBRUARY 2nd THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW