TRIBE OF SHADOWS - David Fergusson - Free Book

Welcome, Davd. Tell us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

Within the story, several characters emerge – some which we could classify as on the side of the light, and several definitely on the side of darkness. I have always classified myself as someone who has taken risks and put oneself on the edge a few too many times (in my younger days – I’ll put that down to youthfulness – now being married and having children, I think I have calmed down considerably) – so I can identify with several of the characters (on the side of the light) who push things to the limit within the book– but definitely not the more sinister characters.

What is the quirkiest thing you have ever done?

I don’t know if quirky is the right word to use for this story, but I recall working in Botswana with a friend of mine who dragged me out to explore one of the salt pans with him. Unbeknown to me, this is one of the most dangerous places to get lost in Botswana, and in those days, there was no GPS or anything like that – all we had was his little watch compass, a tourist guide book with vague descriptions on how to navigate through the pan, no spare water or fuel (to those of you who know Botswana , it was the Makgadikadi Pan.) Anyway, we amazingly managed to find our way to the central point of the Pan called Kubu Island which is this enormous granite outcrop with several gigantic Baobab trees – so after climbing those (not recommended) and finding out the hard way that the salt pan is not as it seems – (the mud flying off the tires as we attempted not to sink the vehicle was scary enough), God smiled on us and we somehow headed north… and I reiterate… north, as we found the sun at one stage definitely on the wrong side of the vehicle. We eventually came out of the bush just before the sun set and managed to drag a petrol attendant out of a bar to fill up the truck. If any of you ever consider going there – extra water, fuel and a decent GPS system is a must – and don’t drive too far off the roads – you may start sinking.

When did you first discover that you were a writer?

The first company I ever worked for (an auditing company actually) – one of the members of staff started a weekly magazine which I started contributing to for fun. The editor of this mentioned once or twice that I should write a book – so this stuck with me. Several years later I found myself in a position where I had the stories accumulating in my head, so I started writing for fun, and it took off from there.

Tell us the range of the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

I grew up reading fiction from authors like Frank Peretti in my teens – books like This Present Darkness, and The Oath, which I must say is the only book I have ever bought twice ( a friend of mine borrowed it and somehow it got lost – hence the double purchase.) Of late, I have found authors like Steven Lawhead – he has recently done a trilogy on Robin Hood which I really enjoyed. I must say, I have tried a few other books from the secular section and found myself burning at least three of the books I purchased – so I’m sticking these days to the Christian Fiction side of the internet when it comes to fiction.

On the non fiction side – more on the bible study and books which give the reader some sort of spiritual direction – I have really enjoyed Beth Moore – now I know you are going to say that she mainly writes for women – and I would agree that some of her books are – but a lot of her Bible studies especially the one on Isaiah I believe is for both men and women and she has a great way of helping you see the steps you need to take to walk closer to Jesus.

That is so true. How do you keep your sanity in our run, run, run world?

Funny enough – running is one of them. I’ve run the comrades marathon once – this is a fifty four mile run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in South Africa with a cut off of eleven hours. My time wasn’t great but this type of race one tries to finish, never mind the timing – except the cut off time that is. And no I didn’t get into one of the ambulances along the way – I did look for them but couldn’t find any – so I had to keep running – getting in with ten minutes to spare.

Secondly – now being married and having two little girls, I’ve found that I would rather spend my time at home with them, rather than over committing myself to other things. So cutting back on other commitments has helped.

And thirdly - Tennis - this is my other sanity break.

In the far distant past, I played tennis, but not well. How do you choose your characters’ names?

The names of my characters I use usually have some sort of emotional pull on me. If I don’t form some sort of tie or connection with a name then I find it quite hard to get motivated to write about the individual character. In this book, each character had a piece of a friends name - not the full names – just a piece – so it ended up as a reminder of my friends all over the world and stirred me with my writing.

What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

Probably getting published. If you were to ask me, who I am the most proud of – that would have to be my wife and all her hard work she puts into raising our two little ones – very active ones I must add.

If you were an animal, which one would you be, and why?

It would have to be a wolf. Reason being is their persistence in hunting and chasing their prey. I find with myself, I am usually a fairly persistent person, who … how should we say… doesn’t go away if something needs to be done, or someone has to do it for you … i.e. chasing passports… things like that.

Secondly – one usually associates a wolf with a full moon – and I love full moons – and no I don’t howl at it, but it’s just great when the earth is flooded with a white light at night.

What is your favorite food?

Caramel squares (short cake covered in caramel) – my wife makes them – I can eat them all day.

They sound yummy. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and how did you overcome it?

I think trying to find a comfortable place to write was a fairly big challenge. I find myself sitting all day and this does absolutely nothing to motivate me to continue writing at a desk when the evening comes.

I just wanted to end up in bed – so I now prop myself up with a pillow and place the laptop on my wife’s wooden tray from the kitchen. Works wonderfully and the fan on the laptop doesn’t end up trying to suck air through the blanket.

Tell us about the featured book.

Tribe of Shadows – The Hunted unveils the plight of Ross and William Hunt, two brothers whose destiny and that of an entire community, lies in their ability to outsmart … The priest of the dead. He is a man who is both a national and a spiritual leader of a nation deep rooted in ancestral worship. With entire communities slaughtered, and a nation in chaos… the arrival of the land’s most feared leader at Ross and Angie’s photographic camp sends all but a few into hiding to escape with their lives and whatever they can carry. Having been protected for the last two years by the General himself, due to one act of kindness, Ross can only remain calm, as his life is turned upside down with this unexpected arrival and the preparation of a national ceremony looming. Things change though, with the unveiling of a secret, and a desperate attempt to get the evidence to his brother, William Hunt, a renowned journalist based in London. Torn between love, passion and fear, as friends and family members are hunted across two continents, with mercenaries stopping at nothing short of genocide to protect their interest, and the knowledge of their atrocities, the ultimate question both brothers must face is… what do they believe and will it withstand the onslaught they will face? Tribe of Shadows delves deeply into the darkness of the lost soul, and the compassion and patience needed to draw it out of the shadows.

Please give us the first page of the book.

London – Wednesday the 7th of October

Delusional. That was the only word that came to my mind as I looked at the woman sitting across from me on the subway. I had spent the last three–quarters of an hour fighting my way through a sea of people and had finally managed to secure a seat, when I saw her. At first glance I noticed her white leather boots and red jacket.

Her mane of brown hair was definitely eye catching, but I froze as she turned around and smiled at me. Those dark green eyes caught me in an instant, and I knew we had met before.

She continued to smile at me and mouthed the words, “Next train stop.” I shook my head and looked away. Don’t be a fool! I told myself. No one in this city would knowingly acknowledge a complete stranger. But she had. In a city where you may, day in and day out, sit next to someone and never know their name, this woman had ventured beyond the boundaries of common courtesy to engage my attention. I moved my head quickly as if to look to the end of the carriage, letting my head continue to move but allowing my eyes to linger upon her. She had not moved and sat there watching me with a knowing smile on her face.

A very good hook. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I have a fairly new blog which can be found at http://www.davidfergusson.blogspot.com/

I am also on facebook under the name David Fergusson at
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=86985495484

and there is a thirty second video clip of the book trailer on youtube at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iO2j_Fsheuk

I am quite excited that the book is available both in paperback and ebook or kindle downloads on Amazon and several other web sites.

Thank you for this chance to share a bit about myself and this exciting project.

My pleasure, David.
 
Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.


Leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of the book. Please tell us where you live, at least the state or territory. (Comments containing links may be subject to removal by blog owner.)

Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.

The only notification you’ll receive is the winner post on this blog. So be sure to check back a week from Saturday to see if you won. You will have 6 weeks from the posting of the winners to claim your book.

If you’re reading this on Feedblitz, Facebook, or Amazon, please come to the blog to leave your comment. Here’s a link.

http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com/