Shadow of Wrath
by L.W. Patricks
Series: Sins of the 7, #1
Publication: March 13, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Synopsis:
In the Arena, you're either a killer or a victim.
If survival meant murdering an innocent person in cold blood every week, could you do it? Are you able to stick the knife into your opponent's heart while they look at you with fear in their eyes? Life in the Arena turns everyone into sinners.
A homeless boy is kidnapped from the streets and finds himself imprisoned in a far more horrifying place: The Arena, a place where teenage boys fight to the death for the pleasure of various lowlifes.
The Arena is the brainchild of Ryker, an ex-convict addicted to alcohol, gladiatorial-esque combats, and money. When not devising new ways for boys to kill each other, he’s ruling his small empire with a ruthless fist, rewarding his guards with sex slaves and punishing those who oppose him with barbaric executions.
Renamed Dog, the boy from the street proves to be an excellent fighter and finds himself surviving week after week, but as he leaves a trail of bodies in his wake, the ghosts of slain boys haunt him and the violence threatens to wake a beast inside him.
Allegra, a slave girl in the Arena and a victim of Ryker's constant abuse, is his only key to salvation. She has lost everything already -- her family, her innocence, and her dignity -- while her will to live hangs on by a thin thread. Can she save Dog's humanity before she too succumbs to the horrors of the Arena?
Seeking to defy Ryker as Dog rises to power as his champion, the stage is set for something to give in this murderous world of young combatants.
A tale about survival, tragedy, and human perseverance, the Complete SHADOW OF WRATH is the first book in the Sins of the 7 series.
L.W. Patricks is the author of SHADOW OF WRATH and the literary architect behind the upcoming Sins of the 7 series with his second book: AWAKE THE GHOSTS to be published late 2013.
His short fiction works has been published by Crow Toes Quarterly Magazine, Fiction and Verse literary magazine, and upcoming Denizens of the Dark. He enjoys writing contemporary fantasy with an emphasis on creating urban mythology for his stories.
Though he calls Toronto his home, L.W. Patricks has a passion for exploration and has travelled all over the world including Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, United Kingdom, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia just to name a few. His diverse experience amongst other cultures provides inspiration for his stories.
He currently lives in Toronto with his wife where he enjoys the scorching summer days and the icy winter nights while masquerading as a Word Samurai. He claims to be the offspring of a typewriting chimp and a literary ninja.
His short fiction works has been published by Crow Toes Quarterly Magazine, Fiction and Verse literary magazine, and upcoming Denizens of the Dark. He enjoys writing contemporary fantasy with an emphasis on creating urban mythology for his stories.
Though he calls Toronto his home, L.W. Patricks has a passion for exploration and has travelled all over the world including Germany, Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, Czech Republic, Austria, United Kingdom, Thailand, Hong Kong, Cambodia just to name a few. His diverse experience amongst other cultures provides inspiration for his stories.
He currently lives in Toronto with his wife where he enjoys the scorching summer days and the icy winter nights while masquerading as a Word Samurai. He claims to be the offspring of a typewriting chimp and a literary ninja.
You can visit him at:
Anybody who says writing a novel is easy is either lying through their teeth, or doesn't put much thought into their books. Writing is tough, tough work. First you need an idea, and then develop it into a story, and then populate it with characters, and make sure that these characters are believable with emotional depth, and finally orchestrate a finale that's both satisfying and has some resonance with the reader, all the while making sure that your sentences flow well and you've dotted all your 'i's and crossed all your 't's.
So when I was asked to talk about the hardest part of writing Shadow of Wrath, I was convinced I could write my own novel on that subject matter alone, but that would take away time from my follow up to Shadow of Wrath (Awake the Ghosts, available end of 2013) as well as an erotic Scifi thriller novella I'm currently working on (picture a sexy version of Lost).
Instead, I'll discuss the single most difficult thing about writing Shadow of Wrath: avoiding clichés. I wanted to write a young adult book (though honestly I consider it more new adult, minus the sexy stuff) that avoided all the typical clichés of bad boys rescuing a helpless damsel in distresses while fighting the system that threatens to oppress them. But wait, after reading my synopsis, how could I possibly avoid that entire cliché? That answer is this: I changed the original ending I had intended and wrote something that the readers would never see coming. I'm not going to lie, I was practically crapping my pants while writing the final act because I was doing something unconventional, something controversial, something shocking. And much to my relief, it worked out well. I've had a readers tweet at me after one of the twists, absolutely stunned by what I've done. But they ended up loving it after concluding that there was no other way the story could have ended. I've also had a few people write to me saying that they were an emotional wreck after reading my book, but they absolutely loved it.
So in the end, the big risk paid off, and I successfully managed to avoid writing a typically clichéd book, which really, is what every author should strive to do. Write something daring and controversial, but most of all write something different because as readers, we want to be surprised, shocked and wowed by a story that's unique and resonates with us emotionally.
In closing, find out why Shadow of Wrath made people tweet at me with a “WTF!”
Purchase Shadow of Wrath
As well I’m giving away a FREE ebook of Scifi & Fantasy short stories, one including an emotionally damaged fairy tale involving Snow White. Add yourself to my email list to get a copy!
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Don’t hesitate to drop me a line on Facebook, Twitter, or Email. I love writing and I love talking to readers, and nothing makes me more happy than connecting with you.
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Email: lwpatricks@gmail.com
Reading like a ninja and writing like a samurai,
L.W. Patricks
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