I recently had the chance to sell some books at an incredible Mondo Lucha wrestling show. Check out the fun photos they took with me (all photos by Ian Storck).

Hey Readers!
The Headlock of Destiny is now up in audiobook format on Audible for those of you who prefer others to do the heavy lifting reading-wise or if you just can’t get enough of this kick-ass tale and want to try a new format – complete with titan groans and grunts, an amazing announcer voice that will blow you away, and generally spectacular reading from the peerless Sean Slater. Click on any of these links to get to a sample and let the dulcet tones of Richard the Living Portrait wash over you. 

Hey Readers!
We’re going on tour! A blog tour to be precise. Let me explain via a quick Q & A format.

Wait, what?
Good question. What this means is that a bunch of book bloggers are going to discuss The Headlock of Destiny from June 9th thru June 15th. It’s like a real tour except no one will make bad decisions on a tour bus. And instead of concerts there are blog posts. There will still be a ton of rocking though. And probably bad decisions. 

So, why do I care?
Another great question! You might not, and that’s cool, but if you are interested in hearing people’s reactions to this wild and weird book and want to find and meet some cool bloggers (who review lots of great books and media), you should swing by their blogs on the dates below. Send them a nice note, subscribe to their feeds/newsletters, or just leave a comment. Or don’t, that’s fine too, just don’t steal anything while you’re there.  

In other news, the audiobook version of Headlock is coming together. Can’t wait to share it with you!

Cheers,  Sam

The Piledriver of Fate released today in paperback and ebook versions! This story concludes the adventures of the titan Van which began in The Headlock of Destiny. Let me hit you with a few early reviews: 

“Samuel Gately is back in full form with fantasy wrestling antics. This time the stakes are even higher, the action even more over-the-top, the characters even more larger-than-life. Gately’s Titan War series is like a slingshot clothesline to the throat – in a good way!” – C.D. Gallant-King, author of Hell Comes to Hogtown

“An excellent wrestling fantasy with a good storyline and entertaining characters. A very enjoyable fast-paced story with plenty of action and suspense.” – Goodreads Reviewer

“If you enjoyed the first installment in this series, you won’t be disappointed in the follow-up!” – Amazon Reviewer

Hope you check it out! 
– Sam

The Piledriver of Fate is now available for preorder. Feel free to lose your mind.

…

In the aftermath of the Headlock of Destiny Tournament, battlelines are being drawn. The return of the Titan Wars is inevitable and Van the Beer Man must carry forward alone against his greatest enemy. With the dreaded OverLord drawing ever closer, can Van find safe harbor in this world of violent giants? And will he ever get that cold beer he’s been pining for?

I just revealed the cover of The Headlock of Destiny (now available for ebook preorder over on Amazon) over at Fantasy Book Critic. I won’t make you go there to see it – but it is a fantastic site for keeping up on great fantasy reads and I highly recommend spending some time over there.

The cover is below, and I’m really excited about it.

Description: Some say titans are descended from giants. Others say they are risen from men. But there’s never any debate about where to find them. They will be in the center of a roaring crowd, beating the hell out of each other. From contenders like the Savage and Scott Flawless to pretenders like Richard the Living Portrait and Troll-Blooded Thom, a titan’s lot in life is the same: To wrestle for dominion and glory in the squared circle.

Van, a quiet titan from the brewery town of Headwaters, wants no part in this. He’d prefer to be left alone with a beer. But destiny has him in a headlock, and it is prepared to drag him into battles that will shake the land and change his world forever.

Step into the ring with this one-of-a-kind novel, brewed special for fans of epic fantasy, fans of professional wrestling from the Golden Era and beyond, or simply fans of a good tale.

I think one of the things that keeps me coming back to fantasy as my favorite genre again and again is the visual art that accompanies the medium. And one of my favorite parts of being a indie author is the opportunity to work with killer artists myself. To paint them a picture of what I want, realize I have no idea what I’m talking about, and then watch them deliver something totally unexpected yet still exactly what I wanted.

The Headlock of Destiny has a theme of being alone in the midst of a crowd, lost in the lights, runs throughout the book. I had no idea how to capture that sentiment while taking care of the core business of the illustration – showing that this is about giant monsters/men beating the hell out of each other. I’ve worked with Dominik Mayer before, though, and I knew if any artist could nail it he could. I’m thrilled with what he’s done in his illustration. Note the flags hanging over the titan’s shoulder, a nod to the weight of nations watching the struggle. The way the yellow streaks crossing the titans hint at spotlights and elevate the sense of danger.

And I need to give a final thanks to Humble Nations for the custom typology. This book is an epic fantasy/pro wrestling mash-up (I know, yet another one of those) and I really liked the idea of locking that down with a championship belt theme for the title. Very happy with the results.

Hope you are intrigued enough to sign up for a preorder. Or if you’re waiting for a paperback those will drop March 5, 2020.

I’ve been hard at work on a new series of books, and I couldn’t be more excited to get your reaction. It’s a fantasy / pro wrestling mash-up which takes all the fun, adventure, and imagination of epic fantasy and stuffs it into the wrestling ring, drawing on some of the great and inspiring characters from the Golden Era of wrestling. A cross between the Royal Rumble and Game of Thrones if you will. One squared circle to rule them all. I had a blast writing this book, which is scheduled for release in early March 2020. I hope you’re excited to read it.

So what does the title mean? The Headlock of Destiny is a wrestling tournament, really the wrestling tournament, that pits all the Open Nations against each other in single elimination combat with only the barest effort towards things like rules. The book takes you through the experiences of characters trapped within the cruel confines of the tournament bracket, especially one who truly feels that his own destiny has placed him in a headlock and is dragging him forward into battles which will shake the world and change his life forever.

Hope you’re excited! Any comments or questions, just hit me up. Thanks!

Just for fun…

Hi Readers, so much to tell you, starting with the release of The Fire Eye Chosen! The sequel to Kay’s adventures is loose in the world. In it, a new enemy threatens the peace Kay has worked tirelessly for, and Kay must hope her magic will finally awaken, her only chance to light the way through the approaching wave of blood and smoke.

To celebrate, I’m having a massive sale of all my books. The Fire Eye Refugee is free for a limited time and all three of The Spies of Dragon and Chalk books are just $0.99. Best time ever to stock up for summer reading.

And as you’re stocking up, I can’t recommend The Dragon Songs Saga enough. It’s a quartet of great books bundled for just $0.99 for a limited time which feature epic battles, deep-rooted conspiracies, and the magic of music.