The Adventures of Jack Wartnose - Book Tour and Giveaway

​What started as a simple quest for a lost, arcane artifact has left Jack Wartnose confronting the family sins and trauma of his past. But which will he find first: redemption or the apocalypse?

The Condemned Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 4
By A.S. Norris
Genre: Noblebright Fantasy Adventure 
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"...another captivating read that left me eager for the next installment in Jack Wartnose's saga, and I’d certainly recommend it and the series so far to fantasy fans everywhere." - Readers' Favorite, 5 Stars

The enemy of my enemy is my ally. But can Jack Wartnose really trust his former paramour-turned-unlikely-ally to not attempt to kill him again?

On the run from a certified death sentence, Jack Wartnose and his family attempt to quietly flee southward, hoping to avoid the Murder of Crows’ assassins. Unfortunately, their hopes are soon dashed when Polyxena, the now-disgraced Crow, and her twin boys inadvertently cross their path. He cannot trust to take her along as a hostage, but nor can he trust to turn his back on her, as he did before, and not end up knifed for his troubles. Or worse.

Elsewhere in the kingdom, the first skirmishes in a greater war between magedom and the elusive dark lord have taken place. Foul creatures and equally foul deeds shatter the peace and leave a bloody wake that only threatens to grow worse the longer Jack Wartnose remains free to roam. And, unbeknownst to Jack Wartnose, a new threat looms to the east, waiting to ambush him and his family.

As those hunting for his head increases, Jack Wartnose will need to choose which is more important: his unbreakable word to complete his quest and find the Tome of Time, or his unbreakable bonds in protecting his ever-growing family.

THE CONDEMNED MAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book four of an award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor and romance.
 

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​With a whistle, Jack ordered the wolves to charge. The intimidating bandit himself lost composure as the two snarling beasts rocketed toward him. He tried swinging downward, only to strike the top beam of the door instead. With furious aplomb, the two Ironside wolves jumped and tackled the man, sinking their fangs into his throat and collarbone, respectively. Now panicking, he let go of his swords and futilely pulled at their napes, while gurgling and falling backward. 
Wartnose finally swept the blankets off him. Seeing the brigand kick and squirm with two wolves slowly squeezing the life out of him, he stood and took stock of his group. After seeing no one injured, he began giving orders. “Jack, Margaret, come with me! Muriel, stay here with the twins and protect everyone in here! Tarachus and … your brother, help keep everyone safe! Thad, get a weapon and aid my wife!” 
Without another word, Wartnose bounded out the door and into the rain without his wide-brimmed hat to protect his eyes. He strained against the falling drops to ascertain the full situation. What he saw and heard caused him to tremble. 
There were dozens of brigands around, some trying to make off with the horses and other beasts at the stables. A few were at the caravan, being handled by a half-dressed Gunther and his war hammer. The other one-room hovels to the left and right of him were all being raided, with shrieks and foul laughter emanating within. 
From his right, a gut-twisting battle cry alerted Wartnose to a fast-approaching bandit with an axe raised high. While the man thought he had the upper hand on the mage, he soon found himself sailing high into the air as Wartnose hastily cast his Concentrated Force spell into the center of the man’s chest. Soon, another brigand came wailing terribly toward Wartnose from his blindside. That man’s face turned to terror as a javelin flew by and pierced his chest, immediately stopping his sprint. Wartnose looked back to see Margaret with her mother’s spear running up to him. 
“Ya injured, Father?” 
“No, thanks to you. Where’s Jack?” 
After stabbing the dying brigand with her spear and pulling her javelin out, she replied, “ʼE cut right after gatherin’ ʼis wolves. Said ʼe’s gone to ʼelp the other travelers.” 
With an angry sigh, Wartnose muttered, “Fool boy!” Then he called to Margaret, “Stay with me! We’ll assist Gunther first and prevent them from stealing our horse.” 
“Aye, Father!” she exclaimed as they both beelined for their brutish companion. 
Gunther had nearly beheaded one of the three by the crushing impact of his swing alone. But the others had scored strikes as well. The brute had a fresh slice across his left bicep and another vertical slash bleeding on his bare back. Still, he refused to back down and swung mightily at the nearest brigand. He hopped backward, safely out of the way, and taunted the brute. His taunting ceased as Margaret’s javelin found its second victim of the night. Although the man was dead, Gunther caved his skull for good measure. Now, seeing the odds turned against him, the third outlaw turned to try to escape within the shadows. Wartnose called forth a Freezing Force, turning the raindrops before him into tiny daggers before sending them hurtling in the direction of the escaping man. A couple of seconds later, the icy pellets ripped through him, dropping him dead and bloodied. 
Upon reaching their associate, Wartnose called for Gunther to stand still. He used the water on Gunther’s body to freeze over the wounds and stem the bleeding. In a rare instance of graceful magnanimity, the brute thanked the mage without so much as a forced grunt. 
Focusing on the danger at hand, Wartnose ordered, “Can you assist in preventing the theft of our horse?” 
Gunther growled in the affirmative. After retrieving Margaret, all three crashed through the front doors of the stable. Their sudden appearance caught the four would-be horse thieves inside by surprise, and their hands were full from holding the leads to seven horses. Before they could drop the ropes, though, death’s grip grabbed hold of them as they met their end at the hands of an enraged brute, a wild lancer, and a furious mage. 
 

The Hunted Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 3 

"...a superbly engaging tale of suspense, family dynamics, and vengeance, all with the classic witty touches and vibrant characters that I have come to expect from this excellent series." - Readers' Favorite

They say a group of Crows is a “Murder.” For Jack Wartnose, if he’s not careful, murder is exactly what will befall him and his family.

Finally free of the clutches of the Mage Inquisition and undead cutthroats once again, Jack Wartnose’s troubles soon catch back up as a group of mage assassins, the Murder of Crows, has been dispatched to eliminate him and his troupe. One cunning beauty among them has “intimate” knowledge of Jack Wartnose, and looks forward to repaying him for setting her on the path to ruin years ago.

Meanwhile, he and his family get stuck in the backwater town of Downriver Ferry. More family secrets come to light, while the Murder stalk him from the shadows. Old faces reemerge with intentions unknown. New faces threaten to reignite a three millennia old blood feud. And his estranged daughter is still plotting her deadly vengeance behind Wartnose’s back.

The quiet, backwater town of Downriver Ferry is about to erupt! Can Jack Wartnose keep his wits about him as he confronts threats on multiple fronts? Will his family and fellow adventurers be strong enough to protect him? Or will he receive help in time from an unlikeliest of sources?

Continue the adventures of Jack Wartnose and his crew in THE HUNTED MAGE, Book 3 of the award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy The Adventures of Jack Wartnose series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor, romance, and heart.
 
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The Forbearing Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 2 

"The Forbearing Mage is a fun, fast-paced fantasy adventure that is equal parts clever, entertaining and rich." - Maincrest Media

They say blood is thicker than water. Unfortunately, if Jack Wartnose is not careful, it will be his blood proving that axiom!

Still on the trail of the Tome of Time, novice Mage Jack Wartnose is confronted by another spectre of his past – Margaret Stormgale, his estranged and vengeful daughter. When she’s not hounding him with her razor-tongue wit, she’s hunting him with her mother’s razor-sharp spear!

But if grappling with the sins of his past wasn’t perilous enough, the disdainful eye of the Inquisition draws down upon him and his quest. And who should be at the tip of the Inquisition’s spear but yet another of Wartnose’s former “acquaintances.”

With all eyes bearing down upon him, can Jack Wartnose continue his quest for not only the Tome of Time, but for atonement? Or will he fall victim to one of the many foes set against him: his estranged daughter, a jilted Inquisition lover, his suspicious superiors at the Mage Council, a sinister figure now shadowing his quest for the tome… or his none-to-pleased wife?

Continue the adventures of Jack Wartnose and his crew in THE FORBEARING MAGE, Book 2 of THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE a low fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with clean humor and romance.
 

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The Wayward Mage
The Adventures of Jack Wartnose Book 1 

...[T]his, fellow readers is how you make gold in a literary hero's journey, and The Wayward Mage by A.S. Norris is gold." - Readers' Favorite Review

For many, marriage is the end of adventuring. For Jack Wartnose, it was just another occupational hazard he didn’t plan for…much like his son!


As a novice Mage, Jack Wartnose’s life was already difficult enough: low pay, long hours, and an arcane duty to always keep his word. But when a chance encounter with his long-lost childhood sweetheart – and the consequences of his youthful wayward actions – leaves him duty-bound to fulfill a promise long since forgotten, he’s left with no choice but to take his fledgling family with him on his dangerous quest for the Tome of Time: a legendary artifact rumored to have started the last world-ending cataclysm.

As if his luck wasn’t bad enough, there are also revenant assassins from his past hunting him down. If his family hopes to stay together this time, they’ll need more than just quick wits and spells to survive bloodthirsty monsters, vengeful revenants, mutinous party members, the needs of his wife versus his empty coin purse, and a son unfortunately following in his wayward footsteps.

What started as a simple quest for a lost, arcane artifact has left Jack Wartnose with this simple question: which will he find first, redemption or the apocalypse?
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THE WAYWARD MAGE: THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is book one of an award-winning epic, noblebright fantasy novel series that promises thrilling sword-and-sorcery adventure with plenty of humor and romance
 
 
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​Award-winning author A.S. Norris is a bit of an adventurer himself, having sailed three oceans and traveled four continents, with some highlights including scuba diving at the Great Barrier Reef, drinking cobra venom, and kissing the Blarney Stone. Now his life consists of adventures as a family man with his lovely wife and spirited baby daughter. THE ADVENTURES OF JACK WARTNOSE is his first novel series with more coming in the near future!
 
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​What inspired you to write this book?
 The series began as a dream (don’t laugh). I dreamt of a man walking into a tavern and being accosted by his long-lost lover for loving then leaving her. In the end, though, they kiss and make up. Woke up and wrote it down. This was during the lockdowns so I needed something fun and uplifting to do. Wrote a little more where they got married and “lived happily ever after.” But then I had a thought: why is marriage always the end of the adventure? In reality, marriage is only the beginning!
 
And that’s how I ended up writing and publishing my 4th book in my series, “The Adventures of Jack Wartnose.”
 
What can we expect from you in the future?  
 To finish this series unlike some other fantasy authors out there with theirs (you all know who). I’m also working on a graphic novel script or two that I hope gets picked up someday soon.
 
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
 Sure do! There’s the prequel “The Wayward Apprentice” that I offer free for my newsletter subscribers (https://dl.bookfunnel.com/eunqlsdtqz). I have several more rolling around in my head, but they’re not ready to be revealed until after Book 6 comes out. Otherwise, they’ll spoil the ending of the book.
 
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Condemned Mage?
 This is the 4th book in my series “The Adventures of Jack Wartnose.” This marks the beginning of the next trilogy arc in the story. So, the characters, at this point in the story, have now survived monsters, undead revenants, the Mage Inquisition arresting them, and a brutal attack from a group of clandestine mage assassins that nearly killed them all at the end of Book 3. They’ve come together more, forging stronger bonds of friendship, and Wartnose has reconciled more with his children after nearly sacrificing his life for them. They’re also more wary about the world and people around them, as the mage assassins can magically manipulate their appearance and become any face in the crowd. This is playing heavy on the main character Wartnose’s mind, as he begins to doubt whether he can keep his growing family safe in the coming days. 
 
And then Polyxena Boccha, Wartnose’s former lover and one of the mage assassins who nearly killed them, only further complicates this dynamic. While on the run with her twin boys from her former associates, she unexpectedly crosses Wartnose’s path, forcing his hand to capture them before they can kill him. Does Wartnose take them along as “hostages” to keep them from ratting out their location to the others? Does she even deserve redemption for what she did to them? 
 
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book? -  
Besides just continuing where Book 3 left off? As I stated above, Book 4 begins the next trilogy arc. In the first arc (Books 1-3), the world and the characters were established. A lot happens, between imprisonment, trials, monster hunts, financial woes, unexpected family reunions, Wartnose nearly dying several times, Wartnose facing several of his previous lovers in front of his none-too-pleased wife, and a battle for survival upon a floating water ferry that nearly killed the party.
 
With all that said, the concept for this arc is getting to the Tome of Time no matter what. While that was always the thread that drove Wartnose and his family forward, now it’s become a desperate race to find it and use it as a bargaining chip for their lives before the assassins find them once again.
 
Where did you come up with the names in the story? 
I admit that this is one area that I struggle greatly with, coming up with convincing fantasy names that don’t sound like I sneezed the alphabet upon the page. So, I “cheated” a little. Drawing from my Catholic faith, I looked into names of saints and martyrs from the early centuries AD, found most are not in use these days, and used them for most of my side characters and locale names. There are a few made up ones, like the kingdom of “Pha Ve” in my story, which is a mixture of different countries I’ve sailed to in the Southeast Asian region.
 
As for the main characters, “Jack Wartnose” got his name from me trying to imagine what quirky attribute do magic users have and coming up with an image of a witch with a warted nose; and “Jack” was just a placeholder name until I could come up with something better, but I never did. His wife Muriel I drew originally from a flighty waitress in the Cowboy Bebop episode “Heavy Metal Queen.”
 
Brien the Ranger was named after my wife’s grandmother, who passed around the time I started writing (it was her married name). Skully the Thief because I liked the character Sully from the “Uncharted” games, but wanted something slightly different; ended up giving him the surname of “Skullsworth” in the books to justify the nickname.
 
Margaret Stormgale because, being a Wildlander, I envisioned her hailing from a Scots-Irish-Norse type people, and Margaret fit the bill; “Stormgale” because of her stormy personality. Chiyu I came up with to sound Asian because of her Pha Ve heritage, but still be generic enough to not be associated with any particular Asian nation. It was only later that I discovered Chi-yu was a Korean warlord in ancient times. Kind of funny imagining that my Chiyu is the complete opposite. Jade Tiger…well, one aspect is the jade-colored clothing he wears into combat. I don’t want to spoil where the “tiger” portion comes from.
 
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
How the characters play off each other.
 
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
 At the heart of Jack Wartnose’s story is a man seeking redemption for his past misdeeds. He grew up a “whore’s bastard” before being thrown out of the brothel his mother worked when she died. He suffered as an orphan “scrapper” living on the streets before finding his second family in an adventurer’s troupe, including his then childhood sweetheart, Muriel. When he lost them all in the failed mission at Xanten Forest, especially Muriel, it hit him hard and he spent many years as a wandering vagabond adventurer, drinking and whoring the pain away. It wasn’t until he happened upon High Grand Master Etheldreda Febronia of the Mage Council that he was given a third chance in life, though he still indulged in drinking and whoring for a long time after.
 
Thus, when the 1st book begins, he’s on the story’s main quest for the Tome of Time at the behest of Etheldreda, when he finds Muriel after nearly 20 years of separation. He also finds that he fathered a son with her. Now he has to make a choice: does he repeat the same trauma and sins done to him as a child by abandoning his family? Or does he man up, take responsibility for his past actions, and begin to heal the riffs between them all?
 
Along the journey, the reader finds out that in Wartnose’s wayward past, he fathered other children with other women. And they all now seem to be gathering toward him, guided by an otherworldly force. With each new child comes new challenges at how Wartnose can atone to them, and how they can feel accepted into the family. So Wartnose is often conflicted between completing his duty to Etheldreda, whom he swore to find the Tome of Time no matter what, and trying to protect his growing family from the threats along the journey as he ultimately fears losing his family again.
 
How did you come up with the title of your first novel?
 Wartnose is a mage. He had a wayward past that is the focal point of his character’s redemption arc. Just seemed to make sense to call it “The Wayward Mage.” The series name, “The Adventures of Jack Wartnose,” came about to make it easier to search online and because he’s on two adventures at the same time: retrieving the Tome of Time, and trying to be a family man after shirking his duties for so many years.
 
Who designed your book covers?
 Jesse Hansen of Cornerstone Creative Studios. He’s also done character art for my story. My wife handled the back cover text and informational placement.
 
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
 Maybe some spelling or grammar errors which I know I’ve overlooked after my fifth read through of the book.
 
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
 Just the reiteration that self-publishing is a marathon, not a sprint. The difficulty in trying to produce this work further cemented that thought in my mind.
 
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
 Henry Cavill
 
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
 Come for the fantasy adventure, filled with wit, charm, peril, and hope; stay for the amazing characters and family saga that will make you laugh, cry, and keep you wanting more. Also, I say my books are “Written for adults, but teen safe.” I touch on heavier subjects and themes, but I keep my stories mostly clean, meaning no spicy sex scenes, foul language is held to a PG level at most, and violence is accurate to the weapons used but never described in an overly gory way. 
 
How did you come up with name of this book?
 Comes from the speech toward the end of the book.
 
What is your favorite part of this book and why
– Sorry, no spoilers… Ok, a minor one. The undead revenant raid on the capital of magedom, Marcialos. It was a lot of fun writing it and coming up with “magic vs tech” fights that showed the advantages and limitations of each in my world. And, it also sets up A LOT of new threads for future books, which I’m eagerly waiting to write down.
 
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
 Gunther. Part of his inspiration as a character is based off me when I was active duty Navy (short tempered, surly, doesn’t say much, and heavily drinks). Would love to sit down, get a few pints, and swap “sea stories” from our worlds with him.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Partially based off real people. A combination of myself, people I knew in the military, and some people I’ve met in my travels across the USA and overseas. Some are based very loosely off historical figures.
 
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
 Oh, they certainly keep trying to hijack the story. Wartnose especially is trying to get out of what I have in store for him in the next book. Understandable, since he’s trying to be a good father and protect his family. But he needs to finish the quest he’s on because he gave his word. So, the journey continues for him and his family no matter the costs!  
 
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
Behind the veneer of a fun, uplifting yet challenging fantasy adventure quest is a deep, touching story of a family overcoming their past hurt, finding forgiveness, and learning to live with each other. It’s messy, it’s very complicated thanks to Wartnose’s amorous past with numerous women, but I believe readers will appreciate the heart and hope shining through the darker moments of this story. If you ever felt like the weight of your past trauma and/or sins was too much, then this is the redemption story for you.
 
Have you written any other books that are not published?
  Book 5 of the series (lol)? Yeah, there’s a few other books I’m currently writing. Nothing ready for primetime though.
 
What did you edit out of this book?
 The material that became Book 5.
 
Is there an writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
 Tolkien, because he’s the granddaddy of epic fantasy. Though I have no illusions that he would appreciate my work. I mean, he trashed his best friend C.S. Lewis’s Narnia series, so what chance do I have? Second choice would be Terry Pratchett.
 
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
 This book was originally over 200,000 words long. But there was so much happening in that version I feared it would have overwhelmed the audience. And I still had gaps in the narrative that I needed to fill. So, I cut the original in half, now books 4 and 5, respectively. This book focuses more on Wartnose’s growing existential fear that he’s not able to truly protect his loved ones based upon what happened at the end of Book 3, The Hunted Mage. Used some of my own fears from when my wife was pregnant about how I was going to be able to protect our daughter in this increasingly troubled world to guide Wartnose’s thoughts and actions.
 
Other fun facts: from my military background, I was exposed to a lot of acronyms. Military can make an acronym out of anything. So, I have several hidden and not-so-hidden acronyms throughout my story. The most blatant one is Book 1’s “NOOB,” which is explained as an adventurer with “no observable/obtained billet,” ie, they don’t have an assigned job class. The best compliment I received for that one was from my brother who said “I am both impressed and hate you for how you incorporated gamer slang into a fantasy.” So after that backlash, I hid my acronyms better. For example, the main villain, Selenus, has a creation named Namadia that is based off an elf (LOTR, not Harry Potter). But I never use the word “elf” in my story. Instead, Selenus refers to her as an “extraordinary life form.” There are others hidden, but I leave that to my readers to figure those out.
 
One more: all of my spells are gibberish. Because of the backlash Harry Potter faced from using “real spells” in the books (they weren’t, but that didn’t stop people from being stupid), I went out of my way to make sure mine could not be confused for anything real world. I would take a word, phrase, or song lyrics that fit what the spell is, add a “Do, Rey, Me, Fa, So, La, Te” to each word, and then scramble the letters around until I found a gibberish sounding word that could still be pronounced for the eventual audiobooks (which, are going to be a while down the road. Sorry. The cost alone is prohibited for me to do right now and still afford to produce one book).
 

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