GUNWITCH: A TALE OF THE KING'S COVEN (Alternate History Fantasy)

DavidRM · 10-10-2011, 02:44 PM

Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven

In 1718, in an England that might have been, the law found Rosalind Bainbridge guilty of witchcraft. In lieu of execution, she became Private Bainbridge of the 101st Pistoleers.

A Gunwitch of the King's Coven.

Twenty-four years later, dishonorably discharged and working as a scout on the Amerigon frontier, Rose's past comes looking for her. A summons and a request from the officer who saved her from the hangman's noose. A reunion with another veteran of the 101st, someone she never wanted to see again. And a meeting with the Misses Janett and Margaret Laxton, the daughters of the man who pressed her into service as a gunwitch.

Reluctantly, Rose agrees to take Janett and Margaret to their father at Fort Russell. No one knows the swamps around New Venezia better than Rose and her bloodsister, the enigmatic Chal. The trip should take only a few days.

But there's more waiting in the swamps than mud and mosquitoes. War and betrayal threaten Rose and the girls, while an ancient, unspeakable evil pursues them all the way to the walls of Fort Russell.

Price: $4.99

Genre: Alternate History Fantasy Novel

Available for:

Click here for FREE Preview of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven!

The World of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven.

About the Author: Most days, David Michael is a software developer and a writer. Some days, he’s a writer and a software developer. Still other days, he’s an amateur photographer. Because, really, who is the same person every day?

Cover painting and layout by Don Michael, Jr.

xg4bx · 10-11-2011, 12:55 AM

that sounds very cool. unfortunately i'm broke right this second but i'll definitely pick this up soon.

neat cover too.

DavidRM · 10-11-2011, 04:30 PM

Thank you for the kind words, xg4bx. =)

DavidRM · 10-17-2011, 12:18 PM

FREE Preview of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven:

Chapter 1
Rose
Lake Patrizio
1742 A.D.

As the moss-hung canopy of the bayuk gave way to the open sky of Lake Patrizio, Rose Bainbridge picked up her paddle and began paddling. Stroke left, stroke right. Stroke left, stroke right. She kept her rhythm steady, matching the speed of the pirogue as the small boat moved across the surface of the water toward the rusted and smokestained skyline of New Venezia. Force of habit driving pointless precision, she thought. Because she rowed only to preserve the illusion that rowing was necessary, to hide the truth that the boat moved across the water at the will of the pirogue's other passenger.

Continuing the pantomime of rowing, Rose looked over her shoulder at Chal. The native girl sat in the stern, her paddle in the bottom of the boat, untouched, her long black hair loose and streaming behind her in the wind of their passage. Chal saw Rose look at her, and used a finger to push stray wisps of hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear.

"Maybe we're going too fast?" Rose said.

That made Chal laugh, a sound like water over rocks. The speed of the pirogue increased.

Forcing her lips into a line to prevent a smile, Rose faced forward again. She resisted the temptation to row faster, because that would only encourage Chal further. Sometimes the girl could be such a ... a ... little girl. Not for the first time, Rose wondered if this was what it was like to be a parent. And not for the first time, she regretted the thought. Because she would never know.

You ever seen a pregnant gunwitch? The question rose from the past to mock her again.

Rose gritted her teeth and stopped that line of thought. Now was not the time. What was done was done.

The pirogue went faster. The rushing water nearly pulled the oar out of Rose's hand.

She gave up on rowing, braced the oar on the bow in front of her and looked back at Chal again. The wind whipped loose strands of Rose's hair across her face and pulled against the metal clasp that held back the rest.

Chal met her gaze and laughed.

In spite of herself, in spite of bad memories, in spite of the unexpected and unwelcome summons from General Tendring, Rose laughed as well. She could not say precisely why she laughed. Whatever the reason, the laughter was a welcome release. Even if it lasted only seconds.

As her laughter subsided, the pirogue settled into the water again, its speed diminishing.

Rose faced forward again and resumed her needless rowing. "I'm just trying to protect you," she said with a quick look back over her shoulder.

Chal's teeth flashed in a smile. "And I you," the girl said. "The waters move the boat, so you row to hide what they do. The storm clouds follow you. So I help you outrun them."

"Some storms you can't outrun," Rose said...

Read the rest of the free preview on my blog, Guns & Magic.

DavidRM · 10-25-2011, 01:08 PM

Enter before 6 November 2011 to win a FREE signed copy of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven.

1 FREE signed copy of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven in trade paperback will be given away on GoodReads.

Click here to enter.

In 1718, in an England that might have been, the law found Rosalind Bainbridge guilty of witchcraft. In lieu of execution, she became Private Bainbridge of the 101st Pistoleers.

A Gunwitch of the King's Coven.

Twenty-four years later, dishonorably discharged and working as a scout on the Amerigon frontier, Rose's past comes looking for her. A summons and a request from the officer who saved her from the hangman's noose. A reunion with another veteran of the 101st, someone she never wanted to see again. And a meeting with the Misses Janett and Margaret Laxton, the daughters of the man who pressed her into service as a gunwitch.

Reluctantly, Rose agrees to take Janett and Margaret to their father at Fort Russell. No one knows the swamps around New Venezia better than Rose and her bloodsister, the enigmatic Chal. The trip should take only a few days.

But there's more waiting in the swamps than mud and mosquitoes. War and betrayal threaten Rose and the girls, while an ancient, unspeakable evil pursues them all the way to the walls of Fort Russell.

Click here to enter.

xg4bx · 10-25-2011, 07:16 PM

fantastic book, there were enough cool ideas in there to fill a dozen novels and i hope that there will be a sequel.

edit-i posted a review on amazon. i don't post reviews under my own name, i'm definitely not a woman lol.

DavidRM · 10-26-2011, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

fantastic book, there were enough cool ideas in there to fill a dozen novels and i hope that there will be a sequel.

I glad you liked the book. And thank you for the review!

And I, for one, always appreciate a "not a plot recap" reviewer. =)

-David

DavidRM · 11-01-2011, 06:17 PM

It's 1742 AD, and the world of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven resembles the middle period of colonization of the New World.

England, the Netherlands, and the other powers of Europe have crossed the mighty Atlantic Ocean in wooden sailing ships to stake their claims on North Amerigo, and to fight wars over those claims.
Once great Native Amerigon tribes, decimated by disease and the firepower of the Europeans, live like ghosts in the land they once ruled.
And African slaves have been imported to build and harvest and do the other work that translates into riches for their masters.

After that, though, you might start noticing the differences...

Steam-powered paddle boats navigate the interior waterways and lakes of the New World.
Steam-powered, semi-autonomous mechanical men called "grunzers" are used for heavy lifting of cargo on docks and of large-bore weapons on battlefields.
And, by an Act of Parliament in 1668, England stopped burning witches. Instead, both men and women who are convicted of witchcraft are conscripted into the newly formed 101st Pistoleers. In the 101st Pistoleers, also known as the King's Coven or "the witches crew", the gunwitches--and gunlocks--are trained to use their magic for war.

It's a whole New World.

OneandonlyDoc · 11-02-2011, 10:26 AM

It sounds pretty neat -- I might have to check it out sometime soon.

xg4bx · 11-04-2011, 08:05 PM

my wife read it and loved it too. we're both itching for a sequel lol.

rdjack21 · 11-06-2011, 02:19 PM

Sounds interesting I've put it on my wish list and will get it after I've worked my TBR list down some

DavidRM · 11-08-2011, 11:26 AM

Congrats to Beth C. of Texas!

Beth, you were the winner of the Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven giveaway on GoodReads. Your trade paperback edition of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven should arrive by Thursday of this week.

Happy reading!

-David

DavidRM · 11-08-2011, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xg4bx

my wife read it and loved it too. we're both itching for a sequel lol.

Always cool to hear. =)

Thanks again!

-David

10-10-2011, 02:44 PM	#1
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	GUNWITCH: A TALE OF THE KING'S COVEN (Alternate History Fantasy) Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven In 1718, in an England that might have been, the law found Rosalind Bainbridge guilty of witchcraft. In lieu of execution, she became Private Bainbridge of the 101st Pistoleers. A Gunwitch of the King's Coven. Twenty-four years later, dishonorably discharged and working as a scout on the Amerigon frontier, Rose's past comes looking for her. A summons and a request from the officer who saved her from the hangman's noose. A reunion with another veteran of the 101st, someone she never wanted to see again. And a meeting with the Misses Janett and Margaret Laxton, the daughters of the man who pressed her into service as a gunwitch. Reluctantly, Rose agrees to take Janett and Margaret to their father at Fort Russell. No one knows the swamps around New Venezia better than Rose and her bloodsister, the enigmatic Chal. The trip should take only a few days. But there's more waiting in the swamps than mud and mosquitoes. War and betrayal threaten Rose and the girls, while an ancient, unspeakable evil pursues them all the way to the walls of Fort Russell. Price: $4.99 Genre: Alternate History Fantasy Novel Available for: Amazon Kindle Barnes & Noble Nook Ebook (Smashwords) *Click here for FREE Preview of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven!* *The World of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven.* About the Author: Most days, David Michael is a software developer and a writer. Some days, he’s a writer and a software developer. Still other days, he’s an amateur photographer. Because, really, who is the same person every day? Cover painting and layout by Don Michael, Jr. Last edited by DavidRM; 11-01-2011 at 06:18 PM.

10-25-2011, 01:08 PM	#5
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	Win a FREE Signed Copy of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven *Enter before 6 November 2011 to win a FREE signed copy of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven.* 1 FREE signed copy of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven in trade paperback will be given away on GoodReads. Click here to enter. In 1718, in an England that might have been, the law found Rosalind Bainbridge guilty of witchcraft. In lieu of execution, she became Private Bainbridge of the 101st Pistoleers. A Gunwitch of the King's Coven. Twenty-four years later, dishonorably discharged and working as a scout on the Amerigon frontier, Rose's past comes looking for her. A summons and a request from the officer who saved her from the hangman's noose. A reunion with another veteran of the 101st, someone she never wanted to see again. And a meeting with the Misses Janett and Margaret Laxton, the daughters of the man who pressed her into service as a gunwitch. Reluctantly, Rose agrees to take Janett and Margaret to their father at Fort Russell. No one knows the swamps around New Venezia better than Rose and her bloodsister, the enigmatic Chal. The trip should take only a few days. But there's more waiting in the swamps than mud and mosquitoes. War and betrayal threaten Rose and the girls, while an ancient, unspeakable evil pursues them all the way to the walls of Fort Russell. Click here to enter. Last edited by Dr. Drib; 10-25-2011 at 01:32 PM.

10-25-2011, 07:16 PM	#6
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	fantastic book, there were enough cool ideas in there to fill a dozen novels and i hope that there will be a sequel. edit-i posted a review on amazon. i don't post reviews under my own name, i'm definitely not a woman lol. Last edited by xg4bx; 10-25-2011 at 07:42 PM.

11-01-2011, 06:17 PM	#8
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	The World of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven It's 1742 AD, and the world of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven resembles the middle period of colonization of the New World. England, the Netherlands, and the other powers of Europe have crossed the mighty Atlantic Ocean in wooden sailing ships to stake their claims on North Amerigo, and to fight wars over those claims. Once great Native Amerigon tribes, decimated by disease and the firepower of the Europeans, live like ghosts in the land they once ruled. And African slaves have been imported to build and harvest and do the other work that translates into riches for their masters. After that, though, you might start noticing the differences... Steam-powered paddle boats navigate the interior waterways and lakes of the New World. Steam-powered, semi-autonomous mechanical men called "grunzers" are used for heavy lifting of cargo on docks and of large-bore weapons on battlefields. And, by an Act of Parliament in 1668, England stopped burning witches. Instead, both men and women who are convicted of witchcraft are conscripted into the newly formed 101st Pistoleers. In the 101st Pistoleers, also known as the King's Coven or "the witches crew", the gunwitches--and gunlocks--are trained to use their magic for war. It's a whole New World.

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10-11-2011, 12:55 AM	#2
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	that sounds very cool. unfortunately i'm broke right this second but i'll definitely pick this up soon. neat cover too.

10-11-2011, 04:30 PM	#3
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	Thank you for the kind words, xg4bx. =)

10-17-2011, 12:18 PM	#4
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	FREE Preview of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven: Chapter 1 Rose Lake Patrizio 1742 A.D. As the moss-hung canopy of the bayuk gave way to the open sky of Lake Patrizio, Rose Bainbridge picked up her paddle and began paddling. Stroke left, stroke right. Stroke left, stroke right. She kept her rhythm steady, matching the speed of the pirogue as the small boat moved across the surface of the water toward the rusted and smokestained skyline of New Venezia. Force of habit driving pointless precision, she thought. Because she rowed only to preserve the illusion that rowing was necessary, to hide the truth that the boat moved across the water at the will of the pirogue's other passenger. Continuing the pantomime of rowing, Rose looked over her shoulder at Chal. The native girl sat in the stern, her paddle in the bottom of the boat, untouched, her long black hair loose and streaming behind her in the wind of their passage. Chal saw Rose look at her, and used a finger to push stray wisps of hair out of her face and tuck it behind her ear. "Maybe we're going too fast?" Rose said. That made Chal laugh, a sound like water over rocks. The speed of the pirogue increased. Forcing her lips into a line to prevent a smile, Rose faced forward again. She resisted the temptation to row faster, because that would only encourage Chal further. Sometimes the girl could be such a ... a ... little girl. Not for the first time, Rose wondered if this was what it was like to be a parent. And not for the first time, she regretted the thought. Because she would never know. You ever seen a pregnant gunwitch? The question rose from the past to mock her again. Rose gritted her teeth and stopped that line of thought. Now was not the time. What was done was done. The pirogue went faster. The rushing water nearly pulled the oar out of Rose's hand. She gave up on rowing, braced the oar on the bow in front of her and looked back at Chal again. The wind whipped loose strands of Rose's hair across her face and pulled against the metal clasp that held back the rest. Chal met her gaze and laughed. In spite of herself, in spite of bad memories, in spite of the unexpected and unwelcome summons from General Tendring, Rose laughed as well. She could not say precisely why she laughed. Whatever the reason, the laughter was a welcome release. Even if it lasted only seconds. As her laughter subsided, the pirogue settled into the water again, its speed diminishing. Rose faced forward again and resumed her needless rowing. "I'm just trying to protect you," she said with a quick look back over her shoulder. Chal's teeth flashed in a smile. "And I you," the girl said. "The waters move the boat, so you row to hide what they do. The storm clouds follow you. So I help you outrun them." "Some storms you can't outrun," Rose said... Read the rest of the free preview on my blog, Guns & Magic.

11-02-2011, 10:26 AM	#9
OneandonlyDoc Fearless Writer Posts: 210 Karma: 375317 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: In a mitten! Device: Kobo Wifi	It sounds pretty neat -- I might have to check it out sometime soon.

11-04-2011, 08:05 PM	#10
xg4bx Are you gonna eat that? Posts: 1,633 Karma: 23215128 Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Phillipsburg, NJ Device: Kindle 3, Nook STG	my wife read it and loved it too. we're both itching for a sequel lol.

11-06-2011, 02:19 PM	#11
rdjack21 Groupie Posts: 153 Karma: 3241792 Join Date: May 2011 Device: Elocity A7, Nook STR, Galaxy Nexus	Sounds interesting I've put it on my wish list and will get it after I've worked my TBR list down some

11-08-2011, 11:26 AM	#12
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	Congrats to Beth C. of Texas! Beth, you were the winner of the Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven giveaway on GoodReads. Your trade paperback edition of Gunwitch: A Tale of the King's Coven should arrive by Thursday of this week. Happy reading! -David