The Sackcloth Heroes of Juniper

One of my favorite aspects of being a writer is the breadth of the craft. There is a sort of commonality, a mutual understanding, that is found between both the writer of fiction and non-fiction alike. However, that sense of camaraderie deepens when I meet other fiction writers, more-so when I meet writers of fantasy. Today, I get to share one of these interactions that has survived critique, editing, and all that is the grueling process of writing and landing in the world of self-publication.

Blake has been working on The Sackcloth Heroes of Juniper for some-time, and, as a beta reader, I was privileged to be apart of the creative process. On the outset, I think his story is brilliant: the characters are lovable, the story, engaging, and best of all: its hilarious.

The #1 reason I think Sackcloth Heroes is a winner is because of how much fun I had writing it. Usually I find that how enjoyable something is to read for my audience is directly related to how much fun I had while I wrote. Sackcloth Heroes was an absolute hoot to write! My sincere hope is that everyone who picks it up will have just as much fun reading it as I had writing it.

One of the major themes I employed in Sackcloth Heroes was the reversal of many common fantasy archetypes. Our wizard is bumbling, our king is zany and as for elves and dwarfs, why not have them cohabitate and live at the beach!?

It’s in this setting that I found I was able to create a very fun, lighthearted and engaging plot with dynamic characters that bring a new spin on epic adventure.
                                                                     – Blake Verboom

Book one is already out, but Blake is wanting to do four more to complete the series. Check out his Kickstarter campaign here to see how you can help!