I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the THE HERD by Russell
Bell Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to
enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Russell
Bell
Pub. Date: August 27, 2024
Publisher: Morning
View Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 269
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/THE-HERD
Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!
Sixteen-year-old Susan kneels before the Temple steps whispering the
sacred prayer…
We are the Herd, human servants to the immortal Akharu, Lords of the
Night. The Akharu are our Kings. The Akharu are our Gods. We honor them
with our hands. We worship them with our hearts. We nourish them with our
blood.
She is preparing for the Branding, the sacred ceremony where the Akharu choose
which humans will be allowed to stay in the Closure, and which will be taken
away forever. As she enters the Temple , Susan is confident that she’ll receive
her brand. She’s devoted her life to the Akharu.
But so did her older brother, Trevor. And he was taken.
Ryan, Susan’s fifteen-year-old brother, kneels behind her. He only mouths the
prayers. The Akharu have already taken his older brother and now they may take
his sister as well. He doesn't want his brand.
He wants revenge.
Will Susan receive her brand or will she find out what happens to the Unworthy?
As he seeks his revenge, Ryan discovers powers he doesn't understand. Will they
help him against the Akharu? Or is he becoming one of them?
The Herd, is an fascinating new take on the vampire genre. It is an
action-packed adventure that takes place in the feudal Kingdom of Larkspur,
where horses and swords rule the day and the bloodthirsty Akharu reign at night.
READ THE REVIEWS!
"A SPELLBINDING STORYTELLER WITH
FULLY DEVELOPED CHARACTERS!"
"THE HERD DREW ME IN IMMEDIATELY
WITH ITS WORLD-BUILDING AND CHARACTERS I WANTED TO ROOT FOR!"
"I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!"
"ADDICTIVE!"
Interview
For the readers:
can you tell us a little bit about your book and the characters?
The Herd
is a young adult dark fantasy that takes place in the Kingdom of Larkspur where
the immortal, blood-thirsty Akharu rule as God-Kings from their palace high on
the hill. The humans are kept in the Closure and exist only to serve and
nourish the Akharu. They are the Herd…
The story
centers around two of the Herd, 16-year-old Susan and her 15-year-old brother
Ryan. Susan is preparing for the Branding Ceremony where the young Herd are
either selected by the Akharu to receive their brand and remain permanent
members of the Herd, or are deemed Unworthy and removed forever.
Susan and
Ryan’s older brother Trevor was deemed Unworthy and has never been seen again.
The family doesn’t talk about him, but both Susan and Ryan think about him
every day.
Susan desperately
wants her brand. She has devoted her life to the Akharu, but fears she will be
meet the same fate as her brother.
Ryan, on
the other hand, wants nothing to do with the Akharu. They took his brother and
may take his sister as well. Ryan has decided he doesn’t want his brand. He only
wants revenge.
Susan is deemed Unworthy of the Herd and finds herself in
the Akharu palace as a playmate to the sadistic Princess Sifa. Can she summon
the strength and courage to escape from Sifa or will she suffer the fate of the
playmates before her?
In his quest for vengeance, Ryan delves into the underworld
of the rebels and discovers powers he never knew he had. What do these powers
mean? Can he use them to save the Herd or is he becoming one of the Gods he
hates?
What are you working on now?
Right now
I am busy working on Book 2 of the Herd. I am envisioning a 3 or 4 part series.
Were any of the
characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?
No,
although I’ve used some names. One of the characters is named Jule after my
niece and another is named Hilary after my editor. J
Who was your
favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
I have 2
favorite characters!
I love
the character of SUSAN. As the story begins, she wants nothing more than to
continue her life of devotion to the almighty Akharu. Her world is shattered,
however, when she is deemed Unworthy and is taken from the Herd. She realizes
her entire life has been a lie. And now she has to do whatever she can to
survive.
What I
find so remarkable, though, is that even in the face of tremendous danger,
Susan consistently fights to save others. She helps another young Herd named
Lily, as well Michael, a boy who she eventually falls in love with.
My other favorite
character is a side-character named CHRISTOPH. He is a former Herd who is now
working as one of theShephards, or the guardians of the Herd. The Shephards can
be pretty brutal in their work keeping the Herd under control. Christoph has
risen to the rank of Captain and appears devoted to his work.
Christoph,
however, is secretly devoted to the Herd. For years he has been looking for the
marked child who was prophesied to be the savior of the Herd. Ryan is that
marked child and once Christoph finds him, he will do anything to keep him
safe.
I enjoy
this character because of his singleness of purpose. He is willing to be hated
by the Herd in order to save them. He is a warrior devoted to the ultimate
battle between good and evil.
What is your
favorite passage/scene in your book?
There are
so many!
I love
the scene where Susan is tested by the Akharu for her Branding. She is
challenged and shows her strength, but that turns out to be the reason she
isn’t chosen. The Akharu want to keep only the weak in the Herd.
When
Susan realizes that she hasn’t been chosen, she is devastated. It’s a complete darkness
like she has never experienced before. I, however, see it as a kind of
cleansing from which she emerges stronger and more determined. I find her to be
such a strong, admirable character.
What kind of
research did you have to do for the story?
Writing
The Herd required hours of world-building. I mostly used journaling to help me
discover the history of the Kingdom, where the Akharu came from and how the
humans were enslaved. I had to work out two realities.
The story
begins with the reality for the Herd. The readerS sees the world through the
eyes of our main characters and learn the history of the Kingdom. How the
Akharu first appeared and were actually saviors for the humans from a dark and
evil time.
And then
as the story progresses, the readers learn the truth. The Kingdom of Larkspur
is actually our world, but hundreds of years in the future. There was a
devastating plague that killed billions of people. After which, vampires who
had been living in the shadows for centuries emerged and took over, eventually
becoming the Akharu.
Our main
characters learn that Humans once ruled and they can do so again…
Lightning Round Questions
What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
In the month of October I am reading the scariest books I
can find. I am currently reading Dan Simmons’ Carrion Comfort. Next up will be
Peter Straub’s Ghost Story. And then maybe a Stephen King. J
Favorite social media site?
I am slowly getting myself into Instagram. I haven’t been
very into social media, but I know as a writer I have to make my presence
known. So I’m taking baby steps. J
Favorite Superhero or Villain?
I am actually so over all of the Superhero films and TV
shows. The only one I really enjoyed was The Boys, which was completely
twisted. That opening sequence was too much!
Favorite TV show?
I have watched all 8 seasons of Dexter twice. I find the
first 2 seasons to be perfect! Season 3, not so much. But then 4, 5 and 6 are
great. Season 7 and 8 go a little too far with Deborah’s character. Could have
ended earlier…
Sweet or Salty?
Always salty!
Any Phobias?
Spiders and heights. Put them together and I would die!
Song you can’t get enough of right now?
Radios not playing right now, listening to the rain.
2024Movie you’re most looking forward to?
More into TV shows. Can’t wait for season 2 of Fallout!
Do you play video games? If so what are some of your favorites?
Nope, not
a gamer…
About Russell Bell:
Russell was
an international drama teacher for many years, teaching in Mumbai India and in
Dubai, UAE. Living in these different countries sparked in jim a passion for
religion and culture, eventually inspiring this dystopian world of the Akharu.
And, of course, many years of teaching theater to young adults has taught him
that nothing beats an exciting story. He now lives in San Jose, Costa Rica with
his wife, two children, and two dogs.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a finished copy of THE HERD, US Only.
Ends November 12th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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10/28/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/29/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/30/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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10/31/2024 |
Interview/IG Post |
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11/1/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
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11/4/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/5/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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11/6/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/7/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/8/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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