Today is the start of Worldcon 2024 in Glasgow! Depending on when you’re reading this, I’m either making my way north to Scotland or I’m already there, mingling with the crowds and having a great time. I wanted to write this little blog for the lovely people I’ve met and or will be meeting at Worldcon! Perhaps I handed you my business card? Or otherwise engaged you in pleasant yet possibly awkward small talk? Either way, allow me to introduce myself!
Who is Tru?
Hello there! I’m Trudie Skies, but you can call me Tru. I’m an indie author from North East England best known for my gaslamp fantasy series, The Cruel Gods! If you’ve made it to this website, you can learn more about my books, but I’ll give you a little overview below. I’m non-binary and go by they/them pronouns. I enjoy video games, especially indie games, and also love to read fantasy – especially indie fantasy! Supporting my fellow indie and self-published authors is important to me, and I started Read Indie Fantasy.com for that purpose.
Outside of books and games, I love to daydream, stare at clouds, and nap. I have two beautiful boys – a Border Jack named Butchy, and Bayley, a troublesome ragdoll kitty. No, Bayley does not let me write.
About My Books
I began my writing career by publishing two YA fantasy books through a small press that sadly didn’t survive the pandemic. I then pivoted to writing adult fantasy, starting with The Cruel Gods – a gaslamp fantasy featuring magical portals, gothic cosmic deities, quaint Britishisms, and steampunk vibes. The series began with The Thirteenth Hour, which was a 2nd place runner up in the 8th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (out of 300 entries!), a finalist in the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award 2022, and won an Indie Ink Award for Best Setting and Wittiest Character. The Thirteenth Hour is a unique steampunk/clockpunk blend featuring godless heathens and sinners against almighty gods. It’s full of emotion, dark moments, and humour. It’s also FULL of swearing, sexual references, and a rather large content warning.
Oh, and my books are VERY queer!
The series continues in The Children of Chaos, where our protagonists travel through a magical portal into the realms of the gods. And then concludes with The End of Time, a war between mortal and the divine. There is also a short story collection set in The Cruel Gods world that acts as a teaser for newer readers while providing a bit more.
Sound interesting? Well you’re in luck, as I’ve put the first two ebooks in the series on sale internationally for 0.99 and 1.99 to celebrate Worldcon! Now is your chance to delve into a whole new world… or thirteen!
With the series concluded, I am now working on my next project – another adult gaslamp story, this time a bit more serious as it explores industrial magic and its cost during a magical contest between celebrity mages.
Want to learn more? Here’s the elevator pitch:
In a city built on industrial magic, two working class young men con their way into a competition of celebrity mages to find the city’s next leader. One wishes to use magic to escape their life of servitude, while the other wants to destroy magic after it poisoned him and his village. They will fight for their place among the city’s elite, unaware they’ll change the shape of magic forever.
About My Video Game Obsession
Why am I talking about video games? Because on Sunday 11 August @ 13:00 I will be taking part in my first ever in-person panel: Let’s Kill and Dethrone God: the History of JRPGs!
As well as growing up with fantasy books (Thank you Tamora Pierce) I also spent much of my youth obsessed with video games. I started with 16-bit gaming on the SEGA side of the console war, playing classics like Sonic the Hedgehog and Streets of Rage. From an early age, I loved RPG’s, namely JRPG’s, and that’s one reason why I wanted to be on this panel – SEGA JRPG’s are often forgotten about, yet they are among some of my favourites, and are certainly some of the most unique JRPG’s I’ve ever played. Games like Panzer Dragoon Saga, Phantasy Star, Shining Force, Skies of Arcadia, Valkyria Chronicles, etc!
I loved gaming so much, I have a degree in game design and have worked on gaming websites, radio shows, and also professionally developed mobile games as a tester and designer. However, I soon came to realize that I much preferred working on characters and stories rather than game mechanics, which is why I stopped pursuing a career in the games industry and chose to spend my time learning how to write novels. That, and working 14 hour days wasn’t really compatible with trying to write a book.
Despite choosing books over games, I’m still an avid gamer in my spare time. Maybe one day I’ll look at writing narratively for games, who knows!
So that’s a bit about me. If you DO see me walking around Worldcon, don’t be afraid to say hi! I’ve brought some goodies with me that need a home, including bookmarks, bookplates, fun domain postcards, and copies of Tales From Across the Domains! Cat not included.
I hope to see you at Worldcon!
