Win a $25 GC: Raven, Romda, and Mavai: Malketh and the Undead by Dave Maruszewski

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

What group did you hang out with in high school?

I went to high school in two different states. I had two terribly different experiences. I really loved the first high school (Southwestern in Lakewood, NY). I wouldn’t say I was one of the cool kids, but I was fairly popular. People were pretty big individuals there, so a different personality like mine did well. I tried to hang out with as many people as I could. I didn’t want to get stuck in one group.

I moved to Maryland and went to a school (Saint Mary’s, Annapolis) where it felt a little closed off and clique-ish. It became the opposite of my first experience. I became part of the outsider group. Oddly enough, that group was made of mostly musicians, lol. Time hanging out with performers was pretty fun. The rest was kind of a nightmare.

What are you passionate about these days?

I love programming animations. I wish I had a “save the world” mission. However, I love building out digital designs and making them work in a new, weird or neat way. I’ve had such a varied past of experiences that I usually don’t get set into one interest. That’s good. Maybe my next passion can be world peace.

If you had to do your journey to getting published all over again, what would you do differently?

I spent money on marketing, etc. Some of that ended up going nowhere. I still am learning what is effective and what is not. The bad news is that most articles on the matter aren’t as knowledgeable as they come off. I suppose every writer’s journey is different, but there should be a good way for people to at least get some good eyes on their book. Going forward, I probably spend less on certain advertising that didn’t work and focus more on ways to get people to review and rate my book.

Ebook or print? And why?

Both! And throw in audio book in there as well. I’m not to the point where I need to optimize my time to get the most sales. I’m still growing my brand, so-to-speak. I will use all of the above to generate sales and leading people to my work.

As far as reading goes, I still love print. For me, it is easier to read and get lost in imagination.

What is your favorite scene in this book?

I’m not sure that it is my favorite, but I put a scene where my three protagonists compete against each other. It was a late addition, but I liked it so much that I kept it in the story. The scene allowed me to add more humor into the story and explore the three’s personalities without bluntly telling it to the reader. It also broke up the story, providing an “up” where it seemed to stay too long in a heavier mood.

Raven, Romda and Ravai are settling into their new knightly duties well. With the Dark Beast defeated, their normal tasks almost seem mundane.

Amidst the boredom, Ravai asks, “Why does no one talk about villains from the past?”

Romda reasons, “What would be the point?”

There is a point. Even though villains may have been defeated in the past, they may still be around, waiting in the background ready to resurface once again.

Malketh has returned to the kingdom, but something is different about him this time. He is back with an entire army … an entire army of undead soldiers!

“Whether you want to read this aloud to your little one or let them explore this magical world on their own, parents can rest assured that this second installment in the Raven, Romda, and Ravai series will be a playful, whimsical addition to their bookshelves.” –The Book Review Directory

“… the squires are appealing characters, as is their comical banter.” - Blue Ink Review

A great story for the fantasy loving youth, this adventure will appeal to those who like action and humor in an easy reading environment.

Enjoy an Excerpt

They keep going until they hear a large rumble. A small mass of rocks fall to the ground. The three look up and see a gigantic figurine of a man holding a giant emerald. Romda puts her lantern up to the emerald, and the light refracts and bounces off the many faces such that the whole room is lit. This brings relief to the three.

Unfortunately, they notice something else. When the room comes up from the dark, Raven, Romda and Ravai notice all these eyes staring at them. The undead are here. The three are surrounded.

Perplexed, Raven, Romda and Ravai freeze. They are scared. However, the entire horde of undead does not approach them. What is wrong with them? What do they want?

At last, the undead begin to slowly stir. They begin to walk slowly. At first they seem to move in random directions. Then, a pattern to their motion becomes apparent. They move about, revealing an opening in their numbers in the shape of a small circle. That opening reveals a hooded figure. The hooded figure says…

About the Author:

Dave Maruszewski is blessed with a great family. He was originally inspired to write stories by his wife and son.

He strives to develop stories with sound moral values that will be enlightening as well as entertaining to youths and adults. The Raven, Romda and Ravai books are targeted especially for children who shy away from reading. His stories are created from an accumulation of experience from careers/backgrounds as a physicist, engineer, teacher, artist, video game designer and software developer.

In between writing stories and running his own company, Digital Tumult (DigitalTumult.com), Dave enjoys video games, watching internet videos and hanging out with his family.

Website ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ NetGalley ~ Amazon Author Page

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