The Gift of Fury by Richard Jackson

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Author's websites:
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Enter the world of Count Albritton. It is a world where magic and the supernatural are very real. Creatures of legend, sorcerers and other powers walk among us. As a paranormal investigator, Count helps people with supernatural problems the authorities are either unwilling or unable to deal with. It's dangerous work. Luckily he has Kara, a beautiful guardian angel to help him.

Over the years, magic has grown weaker as mankind has made more and more technological advances. Many things that were possible in the past are no longer possible or easier to accomplish using technology. One man seeks to change all of that. He plans to bring back the golden age of magic. To do so, means sacrificing the technology that mankind depends upon and unleashing horrors best left forgotten.

Count isn't about to let that happen. Even with the help of his friends, it’s a fight he isn’t sure he can win.

This edition was re-edited on June 26, 2011 to fix a number of errors found within the book. It is is approximately 180 pages (68,000 words) long and includes a bonus short story called The Path Taken.

Excerpt:

I open my eyes to see an orderly standing close to my bed. I didn't hear him enter the room or approach my bedside. Kara, my guardian angel, is urging me to move when I notice two things that tell me exactly how much trouble I'm in: the pillow in his left hand and the knife in his right. Not standard issue hospital equipment even for “difficult” patients.

I let him take a take a step closer before I am all over him like a pit bull on a pork chop. I can't be nice or sporting about this. He’s got a lot of things going for him, too many for me to take any chances or to hold back. He's armed and I'm not. I’m hurt and he isn’t. I plan on changing that in the near future. I guess now would be a good time to mention I’m no stranger to violence. We aren’t close personal friends and to be honest, I try to avoid it. When it drops by for an unexpected visit, I try to get it over with as quickly as possible.

I ignore the searing pain in my right knee and the damage I am probably doing to it. I focus on the matter at hand. I think and act. A technique I learned over four years ago is used to immobilize his arm and gives me control of the knife. A blow I have thrown countless times in the air and in sparring class drives the wind out of my attacker. The driving elbow strike I’ve used to break boards now breaks bones. Just like that, the fight is over.

With my blood pumping, I feel the rush, the thrill of victory. Maybe it's the way the adrenaline affects me or maybe I’m just a little nuts but every breath is that much sweeter. It feels good to be alive. I become aware of Kara again. Her comforting presence fills me with warmth. The only thing better would be sex.

"You're bleeding,” she says via the magic of our link. Even after all this time together, I don’t know how or why it works. All that matters to me is that it does.

I shrug, looking down at my arm and the rip in my hospital gown. That’s the problem with knife fights. Someone always gets cut. Still, it doesn’t look bad if you can ignore all the blood. “I’m alright.”

"You're a bad liar," she says.

She’s worried but I can’t help but smile. Nothing can touch me. I’m alive despite someone’s best efforts. "Don't worry. I'm in a hospital."

Kara doesn’t laugh. Instead, she whispers "This isn’t over. Others will come for you."

That brings me crashing down to earth. Someone wants me dead in a big way, big enough to send someone to kill me. Big enough to try it in a hospital filled with potential witnesses and guards. The pain, no longer content to be ignored, returns with a vengeance and my knee buckles.

About Richard Jackson 

Richard Jackson was born in New York City and raised in the Bronx. He has been writing off and on since high school. Over the years, he has held a variety of jobs and worked in a wide range of fields. It's given him a very diverse skill set which has come in handy on numerous occasions. His interests include the martial arts, costuming, travel, gaming and just having fun. He enjoys meeting people and talking to people with similar interests.

Interview with Richard Jackson

I am curious how a guy from the Bronx gets into fantasy and scifi. Most people I know started out playing computer games, role playing with pencil and dice (D&D), reading David Eddings. I know I am showing my age here but I am always curious about what other peoples gateway was. For me it was an older cousin teaching me to play Dungeons and Dragons and giving me Dune to read.

I was first exposed to sci-fi and fantasy in high school. Prior to that, I had seen a few movies like Conan and read comic books. Freshman year, I was assigned several books to read over the summer. I got lucky. I was asked to read the Hobbit and Alas Babylon. That was the start of it. My homeroom teacher noticed I liked reading  sci-fi and fantasy books. He introduced me to books by Roger Zelazny, Stephen R. Donaldson and Michael Moorcock. That same year, I got into ad&d and other role-playing games.

Do you think that the Internet has allowed a love of Fantasy and Science Fiction to spread, so that it is more mainstream, less niche these days? Or is it my imagination and maybe I only have geek friends these days.

I think the internet has played a large role in making fantasy and science fiction more mainstream. There is a huge amount of quality programming out there in a variety of formats. You can find short stories and full length novels on author and publisher web sites. There are podcasts and audio books available on the web. You can watch tv shows and movies at a number of sites. All of these things have introduced sci-fi and fantasy to more people than ever.

How long does it take you to write a first draft and then how much more work/time is required to get that book out to find an audience?

I consider myself a fast writer. I can write a first draft in three or four months but I'm usually a slower. I tend to work on multiple projects at the same time. It helps me avoid writer's block. The downside is that I can get sidetracked. I figure it takes me at least another month before the manuscript is ready for the public. That includes my initial attempt to fix any story related issues, revisions based on feedback from my beta readers, editing, proofreading and cover art.

I'm still working on the finding an audience part :)

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