The Pelagius Game:
Compelling New Fiction Series Fuses Secret Religion & Biblical Events with
Bold New Fantasy World.
Written by R. J.
Jerome, ‘The Pelagius Game’ marks a powerful new chapter in the world of fantasy
fiction. The series’ first volume, ‘Valstain’, introduces readers to a magical
realm between Heaven and Earth. Offering such a vivid literary adventure, the
series is poised to resonate with readers around the world.
For Immediate Release
Levittown, PA –
For generations, fantasy has been a staple of the literary landscape. With fans
crying out for new worlds to explore, Pennsylvania’s Russ Jerome is delighted
to announce his new book with gusto.
‘The
Pelagius Game’ uniquely fuses biblical mystery with all that is great about
fantasy. ‘Valstain’ serves as the perfect introduction to the series as readers
young and old are offered an opportunity to whisk off to a world unlike any
they have ever read about before.
Synopsis:
Through The Pelagius Game series,
R.J. Jerome introduces the reader to Valstain, the magical realm between Heaven
and Earth.
Valstain follows
the life of Timothy Anderson as he reveals his haunted past to Father Michael
Olshefski, the new headmaster of The Pelagius Order. The Order’s seminary is
the training ground of a secret religious society whose job is to find and
prepare gifted warriors to fight evil.
But someone on
the inside has a different idea.
Now, Tim must
expose the true wicked desires of the Order’s leaders to the kidnapped priest.
He needs this man’s trust and permission to enter the Holy ground so he may
once more venture into Valstain and claim his revenge on those who betrayed
him. However, Tim knows mere words will not convince the priest—only tasting
the memories locked inside his magical blood will.
It is said once a man has entered
Valstain, and experienced the horror within, he is never the same again—that is
exactly what the forces of evil are depending on.
The Pelagius Game has begun, and the journey into Valstain is only the beginning. Valstain is a must read for anyone interested in fantasy adventures with plenty of sword fights, vibrant characters, and intricate plot twists.
As the author explains, his book’s setting plays host to a diverse range of happenings and experiences.
“Valstain is unique because it blends Earthly mysteries like secret religious societies and biblical events with a fantasy world where one can be seen battling giant spiders or the undead with magical weapons and super natural abilities, like strength, speed, ability to manipulate the weather or fire,” says Jerome.
Continuing, “I spend most of my free time researching religion. I once attended a class in Catholicism where I saw two priests whispering. This spawned the idea for ‘The Pelagius Game’ and I spent the next four years constructing narratives for four books.”
With much of writing based on diligently-researched fact, it comes as no surprise that the series’ title carries much significance to the real world.
“I remembered stumbling across Pelagianism, a theological theory named after the British monk, Pelagius. Pelagius practiced first to demonstrate the power and quality of human nature and to show what it is capable of achieving. With this in mind, I constructed the idea of a competition between God and Satan. Want to know more? Buy the book!” Jerome adds.
With such a powerful initial offering and many more volumes to come, interested readers are urged to purchase their copies of the series’ first book as soon as possible.
‘The
Pelagius Game: Book 1 Valstain’, published by eTreasures Publishing, is
available now
Author
Interview - (R.J. Jerome) ( The Pelagius Game)
R.J, how many
books have you written?
Two books so far
in the Pelagius Game series, Valstain and Born Villain.
Tell us a little
about The Pelagius Game series.
I compare the series to a chess match between God and
Satan where the outcome determines the end of days. Valstain, which is the
magical realm between Heaven and Earth, is the game board and the heroes and
villains are the game pieces. So our hero, Timothy Anderson, believes he is the
only game piece left alive on God’s team. To survive, he must find the sword of
the spirit in order to kill his remaining enemies. But the weapon is on
Holy ground and he is a vampire. How is he going to succeed?
Is fantasy your
preferred genre?
Fantasy /
Paranormal. I like going down the rabbit hole and seeing where it takes me.
Do you have plans
for a new book?
Yes. I am
currently working on book 3 & 4. Thank God I don’t sleep much.
Is your book in
Print, ebook or both?
Valstain is in
both print and kindle version. Born Villain is in kindle format, but will be heading
to print soon. Isn’t that right, Martha?
You are speaking
of course about Martha Eskuchen, the founder of Etreasures Publishing?
Of course. By the
way, it’s etreasurespublishing.com
(Small “e” folks.)
Do you enjoy
working with a publishing house or would you rather go self-published?
I prefer the
publishing house. They steer me in the right direction. I have Kylee Howells as my marketing
specialist. She cracks the whip and keeps me busy. Kim Wollenburg points out my terrible
spelling and brutal use of the English Language. Last but not least, Suzannah
Safi of Suzie Design is my cover artist.
Is there an
Author that you would really like to meet?
I couldn’t be
bothered about all that. If I want to know what an author is all about, I just
look at their body of work. That answers any question I’d have.
Was there an Author that inspired your writing?
Was there an Author that inspired your writing?
Yeah. I’d go with
R.A. Salvatore. His books, The Dark Elf Trilogy probably inspired me. I am a
terrible dyslexic so I don’t read much. Add the fact that I’m left handed and
Gemini, it’s amazing I even get out of bed.
What books would
you like to read again?
I listen at least
once a year to the Dark Elf Trilogy on audio. However, to read again, Many
Years From Now, by Barry Miles.
Do you plot or
write by the seat of your pants?
I’d like to tell
you I write pant less for the sake of comedy, but that’s not true. I have the
basic ideas in my head for seven books, but I write on the fly. I can’t be
trapped in a plot box. It doesn’t allow for freedom.
How many hours
per day do you try to devote to research and writing?
I think all
writers, whether they realize it or not, are constantly writing. When I see
something funny or interesting in my personal life, it immediately gets placed
in the rolodex for later use. As for research, that is another story. I spend a
couple of hours a week looking up ideas from Church documents and secret
societies. I love dropping subtle hints to those in the know.
I know you have
been asked this in other interviews, but can you finally clear the record on
your involvement in secret societies?
The only answer I
can give is... Follow the light.
What are your
thoughts on receiving book reviews - the good and the bad .
If you’ve enjoyed
what I’ve written and I’ve entertained you, then great. If you didn’t enjoy the
books and want to waste your time writing negative reviews about me, that’s
great too. At the end of the day, I’m still blessed, because they keep me
relevant by talking about me. However, no one even knows their name.
So the few bad
reviews didn’t bother you at all?
Not at all. I had
someone review my book on social media before it even came out. They gave it a
negative review. How can review something that isn’t out yet? People love misery. You can’t get caught up
in that stuff.
Do you give free
ebooks away in exchange for honest reviews?
I’m not even sure
if I’m allowed to do that. Kylee?
How many hours
per day do you try to devote to research and writing?
Two a day during
the week. Four to six on the weekends.
Do you have any
advice for other writers starting out?
Listen to all the
constructive criticism you receive. Learn from it, but don’t let it stifle you.
What are your pet
peeves?
Marouane Fellaini of Manchester United. His eyebrow. You’re supposed to have two. Socks and sandal
wearers. Empty bottles of Absinthe and AleSmith. (That’s the proper spelling)
You are trapped
on a tropical island - who would you like to be stranded with?
That’s a tough
one. It couldn’t be a musician or author. Stranded? Really? Not sure on this
but maybe a young Andie Macdowell, She was a bit fit wasn’t she?
What are 3 things
you never leave home without (apart from keys, money and phone)?
A writing pad,
sense of humor and my sobriety. (Just kidding about the first two)
Laptop or desktop
for writing?
Desktop everyday
of the week. I run three monitors and use them all when I’m writing.
Do you have a
bucket list?
Yes. First, to
reach a New York Time best seller list. I’ve reached best seller in other
places, but I want the golden crown. Second, shave Marouane Fellaini’s
eyebrow. I can die after that.
Where can your
readers stalk you?
First I must say,
some of my readers are the greatest people. They send me posters, secret
society flyers, weird and crazy reviews and emails. I love them. They can
usually find me at Vault Brewing in Yardley, PA. Isaac Newton’s in Newtown, PA.
Roaming the streets of Boston or Salem, Massachusetts.
Thank you so much
for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your
writing world. I hope you share this interview with your friends so we
can all get to know you a little better.
Thank you for
putting up with me, Patti. It was a pleasure.
BOOK LINKS:
Amazon
The Pelagius Game: Valstain
Born Villain: The Pelagius Game, Book 2
About the Author:
R.J. Jerome grew up in historic Bristol, Pennsylvania,
where his love of art, music, and fantasy novels was born.
After
graduation, Russ left America for 6 months, and traveled to England. It was
there that he saw the Gloucester Cathedral. The massive, gothic architecture
fueled his interest in spirituality.
Usually
religious art or stories inspire Russell's work, but on occasion, you will find
him fumbling through a page of one of R.A. Salvatore's epic fantasy novels.
When not busy researching religions, you
can find Russell drinking, rating, or talking about well-crafted beers and
Absinthes.
ISBN: 9781937809508
Contact: Russ
Jerome / russjerome@comcast.net, or follow on
Twitter @R_J_Jerome
or http://rjjerome.com/
