I read The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas during my college days. Although I do not remember all of the details of the plot, I do remember the camaraderie of the three central characters. I also remember their famous motto: “All for one, one for all.” I thought about The Three Musketeers and their motto when I heard that three Charlotte fantasy authors—John G. Hartness, Patrick Dugan, and Darin Kennedy—have decided to band together in order to promote their new books. I contacted them and asked for more information about their project. Here is what they sent to me:
John G. Hartness, Patrick Dugan, and Darin Kennedy are three Charlotte-based fantasy authors who have embarked upon a new venture for 2024. All have a new book/series that they are eager to get into the hands of readers, and they have joined forces to launch a Kickstarter to introduce their latest stories to the world.
John is a fixture in the southeastern science-fiction/fantasy convention circuit and was previously the president of Charlotte Writers Club, the oldest writer organization in the Charlotte area. His works include various series such as Bubba the Monster Hunter, The Black Knight Chronicles, and Quincy Harker – Demon Hunter, the latter two of which are actually set here in Charlotte. His latest book is The Seven: Unforgiven, a high-fantasy take on the Akira Kurosawa film The Seven Samurai of which John is a huge fan.
Patrick is a local programmer in the Charlotte area who writes everything from steampunk to high fantasy to cyberpunk fairies and is a frequent guest at multiple events along the southeast as well. He works with fellow author Jim Nettles/James McDonald on a project called Books & Beer where Charlotte-area and regional authors come together monthly to do readings and sell books to the public at venues where alcohol and literature are paired liberally. His latest book is Stone Cold Witch, a tale of an inexperienced elemental witch in Asheville, NC, who must learn her trade quickly as a member of her coven has been murdered, a demon is loose, and the fate of the world is at stake.
Darin is a family physician with Atrium Health where he both sees patients and teaches new physicians right here in Charlotte and writes fantasy stories in his free time. Doctor by day, novelist by night, Darin has published numerous books, including two trilogies, Fugue & Fable (set in Charlotte) and The Pawn Stratagem as well as a modern-day, young adult take on A Christmas Carol. His new series is Songs of the Ascendant, an ‘80s pop music fueled, contemporary fantasy that takes elements of multiple shows, movies, and books from Darin’s formative years and blends them together. He has nearly finished writing the third of the first three books in this series – Shadows of the Night, All Fired Up, and You Better Run – and he can’t wait to get these books out there to the public.
The new Kickstarter for these three Charlotte-based authors runs 2 Jan – 1 Feb 2024. Feel free to check out their latest offerings. The link to check out the Kickstarter and back their project is:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/falstaffbooks/new-year-new-books
I wish John, Patrick, and Darin all the best on their three-pronged promotional project. Like the three original musketeers, these three fantasy authors have embraced the motto of “One for all, all for one.” Also like the original musketeers, our three comrades have connections to a real place. The original musketeers were based in the storied city of Paris, but our modern-day trio can be found right here in Storied Charlotte.
