Monday 31 October 2016

Happy Release Day for The Angel of the Abyss by Hank Schwaeble.

It's Halloween! You know what that means. Costumes... candy... blood sacrifices upon the altar of the Prin... err... maybe not that last one. 

It also means The Angel of the Abyss is here! 

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

You have no idea how long I've waited for this book to be released. I work for Cohesion Press (full disclosure), and have seen this book creeping up on my radar for months now in our pending releases. To see it finally fly out into the big wide world brings a bloody tear to my eye. 

You guys are going to love it so much. Honest truth. 

Not convinced? Check out this plot summary and see if it tickles your fancy: 

Never one to leave well enough alone, ex-special forces interrogator and demon-magnet Jake Hatcher went looking for trouble, and found it.

Finally able to be with the woman he truly loves, his bank account swollen beyond proportion, life for anyone else would seem charmed. But Hatcher’s good fortune came at a steep price. Two years after witnessing former lover Vivian Fall disappear into perdition, he may finally have been offered a way to free her. But the forces determined to stop him are hidden, and a deal with the Devil cannot easily be trusted. 

Hatcher must discover for himself if he has what it takes to survive a battle of wit and wills with both an unknown contender for the Throne of Damnation and the being that has been its occupant since the dawn of Creation – The Lord of the Underworld, the Father of All Lies, the Great Deceiver…

The Angel of the Abyss.

Still not convinced... look at that cover! 

Still not convinced? What is wrong with you!? I'll sweeten the deal and give you a chance to win a digital copy of The Angel of the Abyss (see below for entry details). Hank also kindly dropped by on a whirlwind visit to answer a few questions about his new release:

Mr. Schwaeble, welcome back to Smash Dragons!

The Angel of the Abyss is finally here! What can readers expect in this latest Jake Hatcher adventure? 

Glad you asked! After the events of the first two books, Hatcher finds himself unable to really enjoy being with the woman he loves, despite having inherited the luxury of a small fortune, thanks to the guilt he feels over the fate of Vivian Fall. His tenacity in pursuing any avenue that might provide a chance to save places him in the middle of a power struggle for the throne of Hell--due to an instability for which he is largely responsible--and in navigating those treacherous waters he must face the prospect that very little of what he presumed to be true actually is. All while battling demons and other nefarious forces, I might add.

2) Jake is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting characters in dark fiction right now. I’m curious, how did you come up with his character? How much of Hank Schwaeble is there in Jake Hatcher?

Many years ago, I read about how one research study concluded that what separates societies that are hopelessly corrupt and societies where bargains and agreements tend to be honored is a prevailing belief in some sort of "hell," the idea being that a belief in consequences in the form of judgment in an afterlife has the effect of making people refrain from cheating or swindling or purloining from others. Whether that's true or not, it got me thinking about whether someone inclined to "do the right thing" would still do so if they were assured they would be punished with an eternity in Hell, regardless. So I began musing about a character, a warrior, who was "damned" and had no real hope of salvation, but who through events beyond his control becomes the only hope to save the rest of mankind from sharing his fate. I thought it presented both a powerful character premise and a fabulous backdrop for a supernatural thriller.

3) What can you tell us about this unknown contender for the Throne of Damnation? Any hints? 

Only that Hatcher, out of his depth and desperate, effectively makes a deal with the devil to find the would-be usurper in exchange for a promise regarding Vivian's fate--and, of course, everything goes according to plan without any surprises. And if you believe that, I have a quick way for you to make millions buying undeveloped Florida real estate on the cheap.

4) The cover art for this release is outstanding! Did you have much input in its design and configuration? 

For this one, I think I vaguely mentioned to my publisher that I'd like a representation of Hatcher, with a looming demonic shadow behind him. While I wasn't thinking specifically of the cover it has, once again Dean Samed nailed it, in my opinion. He always seems to exceed expectations. As does Cohesion Press.

5) Finally, what can fans expect in the future from Hank Schwaeble?

I've already signed a contract for my next novel, THE EMPEROR OF SHADOWS, coming from Cohesion Press next year. So, I'll be busy with that for a while. In the near future,  I have a Jake Hatcher novella appearing in the SNAFU: Black Ops anthology, due out in December from Cohesion. Sharing the billing with some great authors for that one, so it should be a treat. And I'll be teaching a Horror University seminar at StokerCon 17 this spring, so I'd love to get the word out for anyone planning to attend to make sure they sign up.  

Hank Schwaeble, thanks for stopping by!

In order to be eligible to win a digital copy of The Angel of the Abyss all you have to do is share or retweet this post online! Get in! The winner will be announced in three days. Also, if you haven't read any of Hank's work I highly recommend that you do. His short story collection American Nocturne (also published by Cohesion) is magnificent, as are his novels Damnable and Diabolical (book 1 and 2 respectively in the series that The Angel of the Abyss is a part of). All of Hank's work is available from all good book retailers.  

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