FAQ
Why can I no longer buy The Grey Bastards on Kindle (or anywhere else)?
The Grey Bastards was sold to Penguin/Random House in April of 2017. Their imprint, Crown Publishing, will be releasing a new edition in 2018 as well as a sequel. My self-published edition was removed from all sales channels on June 1st, 2017.
You may still be able to find used copies of the paperback from third party sellers on Amazon.
Will the cover of The Grey Bastards change for the Crown edition?
Yes. Not sure yet what direction it will take, but Crown must change the cover in order to avoid "edition confusion" and, hey, their graphic designers gotta eat, too.
Will the story of The Grey Bastards change for the Crown edition?
No.
Can I still get signed copies of the old edition of The Grey Bastards change from you?
Sorry, no. My stock is depleted.
So there will be a sequel to The Grey Bastards?
For sure! It is part of the deal with Crown.
Who does your wonderful artwork?
The cover for the self-published edition of The Grey Bastards was done by the great Raymond Swanland!
The Autumn's Fall character paintings are all done by the very talented Christopher West. Yes, he takes commissions! You can contact him hither: christopherwestportfolio.com
The covers for the Autumn's Fall Saga were designed by Ivan Zanchetta. He can be found in Italy, but if you can't make the trip try his website: ivanzanchetta.com
How many books will be in the Autumn's Fall Saga?
Currently, the series is plotted for eight books. And yes, I do plan to finish the series once I get the time. Right now, The Grey Bastards is playing sugar daddy.
Where can I purchase your books?
Simple answer: anywhere you buy books.
Complicated answer: Amazon is the cheapest, easiest, fastest way to get my novels, either in paperback or Kindle. However, you can walk into a brick & mortar bookstore and order them. The paperbacks are available through Ingram and other major distributors, I am just not a big enough name (yet) to merit shelf space in, say, Barnes & Noble. Sadly, the decline of book stores means they keep less and less stock in order to reduce their inventory overhead. Many mid-list authors from the Big 5 that were once staples on the shelves are no longer present, so a fledgling indie like me has very little chance of becoming consistently stocked nationwide. There are several awesome "Ma & Pa" bookstores who have begun keeping me in their inventory, which is wonderful.
You can also order signed print copies of the books directly from me! Click the Store tab on this website.
Do you write full-time?
Yes, I am fortunate to do so.
But...how? Aren't you self-published?
Indeed, I am. At least, that's how I started. These days I'm learning the ropes of traditional publishing following The Grey Bastards being picked up by Crown Publishing (Penguin/Random House). The Autumn's Fall books are still self-published.
When readers find out you're self-published, don't they assume you are a sub-par writer?
Some do. Most of them are Baby Boomers. But I went into this independent game knowing there were stigmas, and knowing some of them were deserved. There is a lot of crap writing in the indie world, but there is a lot of crap writing put out by the Big 5. In my opinion, however, the quality of an author's prose is not the biggest sticking point when it comes to an indie writer's success. The first step is to not look self-published (and yes, I am admitting that most self-pubbed books have terrible covers and poor interior formatting).
If an indie wants to compete they must produce the quality expected from readers. Shoe-string art budgets and slip-shod formatting help your bottom line, but they send prospective readers fleeing into the hills. In the long run, it is imperative to give your books the best chance they have at being bought. You can be the greatest writer in the world and a bad cover will sink you every time. Yes, I know the old adage about "don't judge a book...". It has rarely held up.
Indie writers typically don't succeed because no one wants to buy their books, not because the writing is bad. Step one is to convince people to give the book a shot. Only then will they judge the writing. If that proves to be sub-par, then they won't buy future titles. Your job as a writer is to write well, but your job as a publisher is to have a keen eye for quality and market trends. If you can't do both, form a team of people to shore up your weaknesses. If you can't do that, then perhaps self-publishing is not the right path for you. I have seen indie authors publish trilogies that used different title fonts and spine designs for all three books, as if they had never seen how series are published. This lack of common sense and inability to follow the design aesthetics used by the books they grew up reading is just mind-boggling to me. That being said, I have many shortcomings that others (with different strengths) find bewildering.
Short version: It is a TON of work to be an indie author, with no guarantees it will pay off, but even the biggest literary agent can't guarantee a book will succeed. Remember, there is luck involved no matter which direction you take, but constant improvement of your craft (and every other skill under the sun) is imperative.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Not professionally, though creative writing has always been a passion. I have been a starving artist since college, originally focusing on acting and stunt work. Most of the writing I did was for roleplaying games that I ran for my friends, which led to a great deal of world-building. The setting for The Autumn’s Fall Saga began as a backdrop for the fantasy adventures my gaming group was experiencing every other weekend. After an impromptu move to Chicago in 2008, I started using the world of Airlann in prose form as a cheap and therapeutic way to fight loneliness in a new city. The loneliness was soon alleviated by new friends, but the writing bug had bitten hard, so I kept at it until (18 months later) I finished The Exiled Heir.
Why did you choose to write your genre?
Epic fantasy was what I predominantly read. It was “what I knew”. I have always enjoyed pseudo-historical worlds populated by wondrous creatures and magic, whether they appeared in books, films, comic books, video games, etc. I have always been very aware of the trends in fantasy and felt I had enough fresh ideas to engage people (i.e. rooster knights). I really enjoy blending folklore, anthropology, mythology, and history into something adventurous.
What is the strangest subject or topic you’ve ever written?
Well, to non-fantasy readers I am sure most everything I write is fairly strange. Devotees of the genre, however, tend to take everything in stride. If you can make a fantasy reader do a double-take, you’ve accomplished something as a writer! But my process doesn’t lend itself to strangeness simply for the sake of shock-value. I try to be very organic, even with the most fantastical elements of my stories.
If I had to pick, I’d say creating the birthing process of the coburn was the strangest. The coburn are anthropomorphic roosters, essentially. In The Exiled Heir I only dealt with the males of the species. In the sequel, The Errantry of Bantam Flyn, I introduced female coburn, and faced the challenge of describing the pregnancy of such a creature. Having them simply lay large eggs would have compromised the serious tone of the book and ran the risk of making the entire species farcical, so I had to research the gestation processes of various real world animals and create a viable alternative.
What is your newest work about?
The Grey Bastards is separate from The Autumn’s Fall Saga and set in an entirely different world. Originally, it was just a palette-cleanser; a writing project to keep the rust off while The Errantry of Bantam Flyn was in final editing, but it ended up taking on a life of its own. The Grey Bastards is a stand-alone epic for mature readers. The title refers to a gang of half-orcs that patrol the unforgiving badlands known as The Lots. The book follows the exploits of Jackal, a cunning rider who tires of the tyrannical leadership of the Bastards’ chief and embarks on a dangerous plot to supplant him. It’s a raw and fast-paced story that blends the tropes of fantasy literature with the grit of television shows like Sons of Anarchy and Black Sails.
What motivated the plot of GB?
The Grey Bastards was conceived as an attempt to get young men reading again. Almost across the board, literature is being kept afloat by women. I have no problem with that, but shame on us guys! After 2 years of attending conventions and book-signings, I began to become infuriated by my gender’s lack of interest in books, especially amongst teens and twenty-somethings. Women of all ages were buying The Autumn’s Fall Saga, even though I had not written it with a specific audience or demographic in mind, but the boys weren’t biting. It was quickly apparent that this was a trend not just with my books, but with books as a whole. The disparity was obvious and disheartening. Video games, television, and film seemed to hold most of the male attention, so I set out to write a story that resonated with the trends found in those mediums while retaining the voice and artistry of a novelist. None of this is to say that the book attempts to exclude women readers. On the contrary, the female response has been highly positive and encouraging.
What was the hardest story for you to write?
Tricky question. My first book (The Exiled Heir) was a joy to write. My second (The Errantry of Bantam Flyn) was a war of attrition. I was definitely plagued by the troubles of the “sophomore effort”. The Grey Bastards has been a complete mix. The first half was a blast to write, while the second half was a bare-knuckle brawl with a grizzly bear, though it is my shortest book to date. Ultimately, I think Flyn has been the most challenging. It was a sequel, a LONG sequel (210,000 words), and the titular character was a rooster-man, so there was a great deal of uncharted ground to cover.
Who has been your favorite character to write? Why?
It’s cliché for me to say this, but that really is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child…BUT since I’m being asked to choose, I will say Ulfrun the Breaker from The Errantry of Bantam Flyn. She’s a giantess, a bouncer in a brothel, speaks in kennings (Old Norse figurative language) and completely at ease with life’s hardships. Crafting a larger-than-life character that manages to awe the other protagonists (even in a fantasy world) is no small feat, but Ulfrun made it easy. She created herself and just swaggered off the page. At times, she flirted with breaking the fourth wall, but I let her get away with it, because she would have hurt me otherwise!
Do any of your characters reflect facets of your personality?
Certainly, though often I find they reflect facets that I wished I possessed. Either way, it’s a victory as a writer. Writing about emotions and demeanors you understand helps convey truth (the whole “write what you know” thang!), while writing about more foreign concepts is a challenge that forces greater craftsmanship.
If you were to choose another genre to write in, what would it be? Why?
I wish I had the skills to be a biographer. Researching fascinating people (especially those long-dead) would be a great career, but I fear I don’t possess the requisite scholarly patience. Plus, a great biographer has to be almost completely neutral in their presentation, yet still have passion about the subject. I would find that difficult to do, I think, but I can imagine it is very rewarding.
Which authors inspire you?
Well, there are a slew, but the short list is:
Robert E. Howard.
Guy Gavriel Kay.
Caleb Carr.
Terry Pratchett.
Lloyd Alexander.
What novel would you read multiple times?
The Alienist by Caleb Carr. That book never fails to pull me in! A masterfully written historical fiction about a serial killer in 1890s New York with well-crafted characters. You can smell the Bowery when you read that book!
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or deceased, who would it be and why? (Can be a fictional character)
Probably Pierre Terrail, a French knight often referred to as Bayard. In 1503, he fought at the Battle of Garigliano and single-handedly defended a bridge against 200 Spaniards, one of many exploits throughout his life that brought him great renown. In an age of mercenary armies, Bayard remained an icon of piety and romantic heroism. His gallantry was so well known that when he was once captured by Henry VIII, the king released him without ransom so long as Bayard swore not to fight against him for 6 weeks. Bayard was killed in 1524 during the Battle of Sesia after he was mortally wounded by an arquebus (early musket). His passing was regarded by many of his contemporaries as the end of all chivalry. He is still regarded by many historians as the last true knight.
What is your favorite quote?
At the risk of sounding obtuse, I really don’t have one. My memory doesn’t hold quotes very well, and the Internet Age has misattributed so many “famous” phrases that it would be a disingenuous folly to try and look one up to answer this question. Odds are my favorite is a line from The Lord of the Rings or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Tolkien and Twain will always catch my breath.
What process do you use to plan your novels?
Invariably, it starts with character concepts. For me, plot comes after the ensemble has been established. Perhaps that is a holdover from running so many roleplaying games; the characters are the driving force and the situation is simply there to test them. After my cast is formed, I begin to think about plot and start a very bare bones outline process. I do this with a white dry-marker board and post-it notes, very hands on and physical. I NEVER plot character death. If the world kills them, it kills them, but I do not predetermine who will die. This helps to avoid subconscious and tepid foreshadowing. Drama comes from pain, not necessarily death, and too many authors fall back on killing a character as their only method of eliciting emotion from their reader. I focus on world-building a great deal and most of my writing is allowing the characters to run amok in their environment. They really do make their own choices. It’s creepy, in a way, but very fun. What’s true for many writers is true for me; after a while, I am just taking dictation.
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?
I have. Tactics I have used to overcome being blocked have been varied and have included: going for a walk, listening to music, doing pull-ups, screaming, taking a day off, roadtrip, playing with my son, and the list goes on. Writer’s block is really like a hangover: all the remedies are just ways to alleviate the discomfort, but the real cure is time.
Is writing a full-time or part-time career?
I have been fortunate to be a full-time writer the last several years. That said, I am by no means wealthy. As stated previously, I committed to an artist’s life years ago. I have friends with corporate jobs who tell me how lucky I am. The fact is, they could do what I do, so long as they are willing to give up decent salaries and benefit packages. I have never had these things, so I don’t miss them. I still need every reader I can get, but it’s a rewarding struggle.
What is your favorite animal (real or imaginary)?
Mountain gorilla, hands down!
What is your favorite color?
Octarine, the colour of magic (We have Terry Pratchett to thank for its existence)
The Grey Bastards was sold to Penguin/Random House in April of 2017. Their imprint, Crown Publishing, will be releasing a new edition in 2018 as well as a sequel. My self-published edition was removed from all sales channels on June 1st, 2017.
You may still be able to find used copies of the paperback from third party sellers on Amazon.
Will the cover of The Grey Bastards change for the Crown edition?
Yes. Not sure yet what direction it will take, but Crown must change the cover in order to avoid "edition confusion" and, hey, their graphic designers gotta eat, too.
Will the story of The Grey Bastards change for the Crown edition?
No.
Can I still get signed copies of the old edition of The Grey Bastards change from you?
Sorry, no. My stock is depleted.
So there will be a sequel to The Grey Bastards?
For sure! It is part of the deal with Crown.
Who does your wonderful artwork?
The cover for the self-published edition of The Grey Bastards was done by the great Raymond Swanland!
The Autumn's Fall character paintings are all done by the very talented Christopher West. Yes, he takes commissions! You can contact him hither: christopherwestportfolio.com
The covers for the Autumn's Fall Saga were designed by Ivan Zanchetta. He can be found in Italy, but if you can't make the trip try his website: ivanzanchetta.com
How many books will be in the Autumn's Fall Saga?
Currently, the series is plotted for eight books. And yes, I do plan to finish the series once I get the time. Right now, The Grey Bastards is playing sugar daddy.
Where can I purchase your books?
Simple answer: anywhere you buy books.
Complicated answer: Amazon is the cheapest, easiest, fastest way to get my novels, either in paperback or Kindle. However, you can walk into a brick & mortar bookstore and order them. The paperbacks are available through Ingram and other major distributors, I am just not a big enough name (yet) to merit shelf space in, say, Barnes & Noble. Sadly, the decline of book stores means they keep less and less stock in order to reduce their inventory overhead. Many mid-list authors from the Big 5 that were once staples on the shelves are no longer present, so a fledgling indie like me has very little chance of becoming consistently stocked nationwide. There are several awesome "Ma & Pa" bookstores who have begun keeping me in their inventory, which is wonderful.
You can also order signed print copies of the books directly from me! Click the Store tab on this website.
Do you write full-time?
Yes, I am fortunate to do so.
But...how? Aren't you self-published?
Indeed, I am. At least, that's how I started. These days I'm learning the ropes of traditional publishing following The Grey Bastards being picked up by Crown Publishing (Penguin/Random House). The Autumn's Fall books are still self-published.
When readers find out you're self-published, don't they assume you are a sub-par writer?
Some do. Most of them are Baby Boomers. But I went into this independent game knowing there were stigmas, and knowing some of them were deserved. There is a lot of crap writing in the indie world, but there is a lot of crap writing put out by the Big 5. In my opinion, however, the quality of an author's prose is not the biggest sticking point when it comes to an indie writer's success. The first step is to not look self-published (and yes, I am admitting that most self-pubbed books have terrible covers and poor interior formatting).
If an indie wants to compete they must produce the quality expected from readers. Shoe-string art budgets and slip-shod formatting help your bottom line, but they send prospective readers fleeing into the hills. In the long run, it is imperative to give your books the best chance they have at being bought. You can be the greatest writer in the world and a bad cover will sink you every time. Yes, I know the old adage about "don't judge a book...". It has rarely held up.
Indie writers typically don't succeed because no one wants to buy their books, not because the writing is bad. Step one is to convince people to give the book a shot. Only then will they judge the writing. If that proves to be sub-par, then they won't buy future titles. Your job as a writer is to write well, but your job as a publisher is to have a keen eye for quality and market trends. If you can't do both, form a team of people to shore up your weaknesses. If you can't do that, then perhaps self-publishing is not the right path for you. I have seen indie authors publish trilogies that used different title fonts and spine designs for all three books, as if they had never seen how series are published. This lack of common sense and inability to follow the design aesthetics used by the books they grew up reading is just mind-boggling to me. That being said, I have many shortcomings that others (with different strengths) find bewildering.
Short version: It is a TON of work to be an indie author, with no guarantees it will pay off, but even the biggest literary agent can't guarantee a book will succeed. Remember, there is luck involved no matter which direction you take, but constant improvement of your craft (and every other skill under the sun) is imperative.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
Not professionally, though creative writing has always been a passion. I have been a starving artist since college, originally focusing on acting and stunt work. Most of the writing I did was for roleplaying games that I ran for my friends, which led to a great deal of world-building. The setting for The Autumn’s Fall Saga began as a backdrop for the fantasy adventures my gaming group was experiencing every other weekend. After an impromptu move to Chicago in 2008, I started using the world of Airlann in prose form as a cheap and therapeutic way to fight loneliness in a new city. The loneliness was soon alleviated by new friends, but the writing bug had bitten hard, so I kept at it until (18 months later) I finished The Exiled Heir.
Why did you choose to write your genre?
Epic fantasy was what I predominantly read. It was “what I knew”. I have always enjoyed pseudo-historical worlds populated by wondrous creatures and magic, whether they appeared in books, films, comic books, video games, etc. I have always been very aware of the trends in fantasy and felt I had enough fresh ideas to engage people (i.e. rooster knights). I really enjoy blending folklore, anthropology, mythology, and history into something adventurous.
What is the strangest subject or topic you’ve ever written?
Well, to non-fantasy readers I am sure most everything I write is fairly strange. Devotees of the genre, however, tend to take everything in stride. If you can make a fantasy reader do a double-take, you’ve accomplished something as a writer! But my process doesn’t lend itself to strangeness simply for the sake of shock-value. I try to be very organic, even with the most fantastical elements of my stories.
If I had to pick, I’d say creating the birthing process of the coburn was the strangest. The coburn are anthropomorphic roosters, essentially. In The Exiled Heir I only dealt with the males of the species. In the sequel, The Errantry of Bantam Flyn, I introduced female coburn, and faced the challenge of describing the pregnancy of such a creature. Having them simply lay large eggs would have compromised the serious tone of the book and ran the risk of making the entire species farcical, so I had to research the gestation processes of various real world animals and create a viable alternative.
What is your newest work about?
The Grey Bastards is separate from The Autumn’s Fall Saga and set in an entirely different world. Originally, it was just a palette-cleanser; a writing project to keep the rust off while The Errantry of Bantam Flyn was in final editing, but it ended up taking on a life of its own. The Grey Bastards is a stand-alone epic for mature readers. The title refers to a gang of half-orcs that patrol the unforgiving badlands known as The Lots. The book follows the exploits of Jackal, a cunning rider who tires of the tyrannical leadership of the Bastards’ chief and embarks on a dangerous plot to supplant him. It’s a raw and fast-paced story that blends the tropes of fantasy literature with the grit of television shows like Sons of Anarchy and Black Sails.
What motivated the plot of GB?
The Grey Bastards was conceived as an attempt to get young men reading again. Almost across the board, literature is being kept afloat by women. I have no problem with that, but shame on us guys! After 2 years of attending conventions and book-signings, I began to become infuriated by my gender’s lack of interest in books, especially amongst teens and twenty-somethings. Women of all ages were buying The Autumn’s Fall Saga, even though I had not written it with a specific audience or demographic in mind, but the boys weren’t biting. It was quickly apparent that this was a trend not just with my books, but with books as a whole. The disparity was obvious and disheartening. Video games, television, and film seemed to hold most of the male attention, so I set out to write a story that resonated with the trends found in those mediums while retaining the voice and artistry of a novelist. None of this is to say that the book attempts to exclude women readers. On the contrary, the female response has been highly positive and encouraging.
What was the hardest story for you to write?
Tricky question. My first book (The Exiled Heir) was a joy to write. My second (The Errantry of Bantam Flyn) was a war of attrition. I was definitely plagued by the troubles of the “sophomore effort”. The Grey Bastards has been a complete mix. The first half was a blast to write, while the second half was a bare-knuckle brawl with a grizzly bear, though it is my shortest book to date. Ultimately, I think Flyn has been the most challenging. It was a sequel, a LONG sequel (210,000 words), and the titular character was a rooster-man, so there was a great deal of uncharted ground to cover.
Who has been your favorite character to write? Why?
It’s cliché for me to say this, but that really is like asking a parent to pick their favorite child…BUT since I’m being asked to choose, I will say Ulfrun the Breaker from The Errantry of Bantam Flyn. She’s a giantess, a bouncer in a brothel, speaks in kennings (Old Norse figurative language) and completely at ease with life’s hardships. Crafting a larger-than-life character that manages to awe the other protagonists (even in a fantasy world) is no small feat, but Ulfrun made it easy. She created herself and just swaggered off the page. At times, she flirted with breaking the fourth wall, but I let her get away with it, because she would have hurt me otherwise!
Do any of your characters reflect facets of your personality?
Certainly, though often I find they reflect facets that I wished I possessed. Either way, it’s a victory as a writer. Writing about emotions and demeanors you understand helps convey truth (the whole “write what you know” thang!), while writing about more foreign concepts is a challenge that forces greater craftsmanship.
If you were to choose another genre to write in, what would it be? Why?
I wish I had the skills to be a biographer. Researching fascinating people (especially those long-dead) would be a great career, but I fear I don’t possess the requisite scholarly patience. Plus, a great biographer has to be almost completely neutral in their presentation, yet still have passion about the subject. I would find that difficult to do, I think, but I can imagine it is very rewarding.
Which authors inspire you?
Well, there are a slew, but the short list is:
Robert E. Howard.
Guy Gavriel Kay.
Caleb Carr.
Terry Pratchett.
Lloyd Alexander.
What novel would you read multiple times?
The Alienist by Caleb Carr. That book never fails to pull me in! A masterfully written historical fiction about a serial killer in 1890s New York with well-crafted characters. You can smell the Bowery when you read that book!
If you could meet anyone in the world, alive or deceased, who would it be and why? (Can be a fictional character)
Probably Pierre Terrail, a French knight often referred to as Bayard. In 1503, he fought at the Battle of Garigliano and single-handedly defended a bridge against 200 Spaniards, one of many exploits throughout his life that brought him great renown. In an age of mercenary armies, Bayard remained an icon of piety and romantic heroism. His gallantry was so well known that when he was once captured by Henry VIII, the king released him without ransom so long as Bayard swore not to fight against him for 6 weeks. Bayard was killed in 1524 during the Battle of Sesia after he was mortally wounded by an arquebus (early musket). His passing was regarded by many of his contemporaries as the end of all chivalry. He is still regarded by many historians as the last true knight.
What is your favorite quote?
At the risk of sounding obtuse, I really don’t have one. My memory doesn’t hold quotes very well, and the Internet Age has misattributed so many “famous” phrases that it would be a disingenuous folly to try and look one up to answer this question. Odds are my favorite is a line from The Lord of the Rings or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn; Tolkien and Twain will always catch my breath.
What process do you use to plan your novels?
Invariably, it starts with character concepts. For me, plot comes after the ensemble has been established. Perhaps that is a holdover from running so many roleplaying games; the characters are the driving force and the situation is simply there to test them. After my cast is formed, I begin to think about plot and start a very bare bones outline process. I do this with a white dry-marker board and post-it notes, very hands on and physical. I NEVER plot character death. If the world kills them, it kills them, but I do not predetermine who will die. This helps to avoid subconscious and tepid foreshadowing. Drama comes from pain, not necessarily death, and too many authors fall back on killing a character as their only method of eliciting emotion from their reader. I focus on world-building a great deal and most of my writing is allowing the characters to run amok in their environment. They really do make their own choices. It’s creepy, in a way, but very fun. What’s true for many writers is true for me; after a while, I am just taking dictation.
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it?
I have. Tactics I have used to overcome being blocked have been varied and have included: going for a walk, listening to music, doing pull-ups, screaming, taking a day off, roadtrip, playing with my son, and the list goes on. Writer’s block is really like a hangover: all the remedies are just ways to alleviate the discomfort, but the real cure is time.
Is writing a full-time or part-time career?
I have been fortunate to be a full-time writer the last several years. That said, I am by no means wealthy. As stated previously, I committed to an artist’s life years ago. I have friends with corporate jobs who tell me how lucky I am. The fact is, they could do what I do, so long as they are willing to give up decent salaries and benefit packages. I have never had these things, so I don’t miss them. I still need every reader I can get, but it’s a rewarding struggle.
What is your favorite animal (real or imaginary)?
Mountain gorilla, hands down!
What is your favorite color?
Octarine, the colour of magic (We have Terry Pratchett to thank for its existence)
