Photo 365 #168: Revision time

January 22, 2015January 23, 2015Leave a comment

If you haven’t been following me on Twitter the last couple of days, I’m really ramping up my revision of The Price of Mercy.

revision

This was taken a while ago, but I forgot to snap a newer pic of my revisions this noon, so I went trawling through my archives. Some time after I took this, I gave up on marking up my hard copy and decided to go straight into rewrite mode. What that means is that I am literally recopying my hard draft, adding new things and fixing old things as the need arises.

When I started this revision, I’d chopped my book in half. That left me with a starting page count of ~154. The latest page count is 295, which means that I’ve done a heck of a lot of rewriting since I started this project! I still have a heck of a lot more to do, though, and I’m beginning to wonder if a fourth book won’t end up being necessary. Of course, if that’s the case, then I’ll start worrying that I won’t have enough material to fill a fourth book…

Being a writer is…

Photo 365 #155

January 9, 2015January 9, 20154 Comments

Looky what I found in my mail the other night!

This picture doesn’t do justice to the vibrant colors of what will soon be in a frame gracing my office wall. It’s a signed print I won from Aädenian Ink, and it’s signed by the artist, Myka Jelina! I was pretty dang excited to finally get my hands on it, and now I can’t wait for my office to be done so that I can hang this beauty up.

After all, every fantasy author should have a little bit of fantasy in their writing space, right? Right. 😀

Photo 365 #154

January 8, 20158 Comments

Some people complain about working lunch breaks, but really, I don’t mind them. In fact, I think they’re a heck of a lot of fun.

lunchbreak

Maybe that’s only because my idea of a working lunch break involves taking off to parts unknown and spending time with all sorts of crazy characters. 😀

Queryland revisited

January 4, 201511 Comments

Zandoor
Artwork by Hazel Butler

Hoo boy, am I ever tired! I finally finished reading the Query Shark archives last week and boy, did all that education wear me out. Two hundred and sixty-six queries, plus revisions, plus comments. Talk about a learning experience! That and the comments I received as part of Michelle Hauck’s query critique blog hop have really helped me shine up my query. And further brainstorming led to a name change for my MC.

Behold, my new and improved query:

Dear Super Agent:

Nineteen-year-old Prince Zandoor is expected to follow in his father’s corrupt footsteps. His first task: Marry a wealthy noblewoman and fill the royal coffers to the brim. But the prince has other ideas.

When he falls in love with a peasant…

Strange Portals now available!

December 8, 20144 Comments

Just in time for a much needed holiday break, twenty-two stories about fairies, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and everything in between. Visit a witch’s body swap victims (Samantha’s Day), find what happens when a girl is buried alive (Buried Alive), learn the origin story of Harper (from Night Touched Chronicles) and Verchiel (from the Amaranthine series), and much, much more. So kick up your feet, relax, and indulge in a short story by a new favorite author.

Includes stories by AK Stein, Adan Ramie, B.G. Hope, Barbara G. Tarn, Bonnie Mutchler, CG Copolla, DM Yates, JK Rosaline, Joleene Naylor, Kay Kauffman, Maegan Provan, Rami Ungar, Roger Lawrence, Roxanna Mathews, Russ Towne, Terry Compton and Tricia Drammeh.

What better way to celebrate the holidays than by picking up a free book? The Ink Slingers League is proud to present Strange Portals, a collection of twenty-two short stories to help you fend off the holiday crazies. Take a load off and escape into one of these holiday havens, or kick back for a couple of hours and visit them all. They’re our gift to you this holiday season, so enjoy!

Strange Portals is available for free on Smashwords and Amazon (where it will hopefully be free soon), so pick up your copy today!

Holiday query blog hop!

December 6, 2014January 4, 201522 Comments

Vegin
Artwork by Hazel Butler

Once again, Michelle Hauck is hosting a blog hop to help authors get their stuff together. This time, though, instead of first page critiques, it’s a query critique! Like my first page, I’m sure that my query needs as much help as it can get, so here it is:

Dear Super Agent:

As the Crown Prince of Lokana, nineteen-year-old Vegin is expected to follow in his father’s corrupt footsteps by marrying a wealthy noblewoman and filling the royal coffers to the brim. But the prince has other ideas, and when he falls in love with a peasant named Lipei, his father threatens to deny him the crown and live forever. Though Vegin knows his father is serious, he insists that he will marry for love or not at all.

But there are bigger problems facing the kingdom than succession.

Photo 365 #121

December 6, 20146 Comments

Today was a beautiful day to get started on the next chapter in my rewrite of The Price of Mercy.

It was kind of a long day, but at least I got something done while the boys napped.

What did you do today?

Spend your Thanksgiving with a great book!

November 27, 2014November 26, 20142 Comments

ctdk Happy Thanksgiving, everybody! Yes, even today, I’ve got a book recommendation for you. This one is currently free on Amazon, but only for one more day. Luckily, I’ve got the scoop on Cedric the Demonic Knight by Valerie Willis right here:

Known for hunting the supernatural, no mortal man realizes Lord Cedric is one of Sorceress Morrighan’s abominations. After competing in a tournament, he is wed to a Lady of the Court, Angeline. Cedric’s senses begin to overwhelm him and he struggles to decipher his feelings; Are they a creation of his incubine bloodline or truly heartfelt emotions for the girl who has lost it all to him? He finds himself forced to choose between falling in love or continuing his suicidal quest to kill his creator. Epic battles against all manners of beasts and demons fill this story with memorable antagonists such as Morrighan and her two sisters; Romasanta the Father of Werewolves; Succubus Queen Lillith and many more. Find yourself engulfed in lores and history long forgotten from the 12th Century and beyond.

And here’s a handy dandy excerpt, because…Well…Because why not?

Vampires and glitter don’t mix

November 25, 2014November 24, 20145 Comments

Today’s featured book is Shades of Gray, the first book in Joleene Naylor’s Amaranthine series. Nothing is black and white, not even vampires, and when Patrick is found dead in his apartment, Katelina is left in a vacuum of uncertainty with no leads. Then the enigmatic Jorick appears. In a single sweep he turns over the rocks of reality to reveal what hides underneath in the shadows; monsters that she thought only existed in horror movies.

Trapped in a nightmare, Katelina is forced to accept the truth of vampires; vampires who want her dead for her association with Patrick. Jorick saves the day, but what should she do when her hero turns out to be one of the monsters? Can she really trust – and even love – someone who isn’t human?

Caught between light and dark, Katelina and Jorick must travel down a path of mystery and terror as their pasts are slowly revealed and their passions ignite, in a world that smells like blood and tastes like fear.

Look for the action-packed sequel, Legacy of Ghosts!

So, what are people saying about Shades of Gray? Well, Sharon Stogner, a reviewer for I Smell Sheep, says, “It is a different look at what it would be like to be in love with a vampire. More realistic.” But if you’d like to see for yourself, then you’re in luck because once again, I’ve got an excerpt to share…behind the cut!

Need something new to read?

November 24, 20142 Comments

Then step right up, because all this week I’m going to be showcasing some fantastic books. First up is Donna Yates’s book, The Lone Hero. Escape to another world for the holidays where dragons rule and meet:

War has begun on Aberforth, the home-world of the dragons. The eternal being Einarr accepts his first mortal mission – to put an end to the warring but it will take most of his lifetime to try. In order for Einarr to have more strength than any other human, the dragon leader Zavat infuses him with some of his own strength and qualities.

Intrigued? I know I am! But in case that didn’t whet your appetite…