We would like to welcome T.J. Akers to the L2L2 Publishing family!

Akers’ novel, called The Final Paladin, is the first volume in the Key of Apollyon series. This riveting tale follows fifteen-year-old Peg Bowman on a mystical adventure fraught with faerie tale creatures more of the Grimm brothers’ persuasion than Disney’s.

Here is a little more about The Final Paladin: Book One of the Key of Apollyon Series:

Life for Peg Bowman is rough in the infamous slum of Five Points New York. When she finds her older brother murdered in an alley, her life takes an unexpected turn as she finds herself in incredible worlds filled with unbelievable creatures, beyond any story she’s ever heard.

Enter Sir Godfrey, eleven-hundred-year-old knight from the court of Charlemagne, trainer of Paladins. He reveals to Peg her family’s ancient obligation as curators and protectors of the relics of Charlemagne, most notably the Key of Apollyon. She is now the last descendant of the Paladin clans and his only hope for keeping the key safe from those who would use it for evil.

When Godfrey confides in Peg her brother’s murder was triggered because of the Key, she rejects her calling and demands revenge, a luxury she cannot afford. Soon otherworldly creatures seek her death to claim the key for themselves. Her only hope lies in Godfrey’s protection, his promise to train her, and his faithful retinue: Chim the Hobgoblin, Rebecca the Jewish Maven and healer, and Jack the sometimes-human-sometimes-seven-foot Gallows Dog.

Now a little about the author himself:

T.J. Akers was nearly born in England, but alas, it was not to be. He had to settle for Nebraska a week after his family had just returned from his father’s Air Force duty assignment in Northern England. That’s what happens when one grows up a military brat.

When his father retired to the Pacific Northwest, his family ended up on a small ranch in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. There he spent his high school years riding horses, bow hunting, and getting turned down for dates by members of the opposite sex. He finally figured out if he invited girls to ride horses and provided said horses, he stopped getting turned down.

Eventually he married his college sweetheart. It took a few years of being single in seven different states before he came to his senses and walked her down the aisle. They’ve been together ever since.

Akers has degrees in theology, computer networking, and creative writing, making him a triple threat, as well as a Masters of English from Minnesota State University. This author can sing, preach, and play multiple musical instruments, fix or hack computers, and write fantasy and science fiction. Akers can often be found roaming his alma mater’s library, especially the children’s and young adult sections. Librarians have always been his heroes.

He has a grown son and lives with his wife, two cats, and a dog in Minnesota. The dog is an excellent walking and writing companion, but the cats have proven to be rather critical of either exercise.

His favorite living authors are Jonathan Stroud, Jim Butcher, and Michael J. Sullivan. There are too many favorite dead authors to mention, and not all of them are dead white guys either.

His short story, “Necessary Evil,” was included in the science fiction anthology No Revolution Is Too Big, (Helping Hands Press, April 2014). His story, “Elfanticide,” appeared in the anthology Tides of Impossibility (Skipjack Press, April 2015).

When T.J. grows up, he hopes to have millions of dollars to give away to his favorite charitable organizations: schools, churches, and animal shelters. Since the millions have been slow in coming, he’s settled for working for a state university as a computer technician and volunteering at church and a local animal shelter. Whenever possible, he indulges his love of writing stories to entertain people, especially younger readers.

You can learn more about T.J. Akers on his website, www.tjakers.com, his blog with his fellow Scriblerians, or his Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ pages.

We are so pleased to include T.J. Akers’ novel, The Final Paladin, in our 2017 lineup. This author has enchanted us with his incredible gift of storytelling, and we cannot wait to share his story with you.

Our full 2017 publishing schedule will be coming soon.

Happy reading!

~The L2L2 Publishing Team

P.S. Only three more days to submit your spec-fic manuscript to us. If this interests you, visit our submissions page.

Also, Hodgepodge releases tomorrow, and the Facebook release party is this Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. EST. We hope to see you there!