A Grand Reveal

Yes, I know I promised an ARC would be released. It is still coming. But first, a cover reveal and preorder link.

A little background:

Tate's story is very near and dear to my heart. Her journey began while I was deployed to Afghanistan. Most people who have never been deployed can't imagine the amount of boredom that sets in after a few months. Things become very routine, very quickly. Day in, day out, you go to work, do your job, work out, eat dinner, then go to bed. Yes, there were missions and danger and even moments of sheer terror, but there is also a monotony that can pray on the mind.

I knew I needed something to keep my mind occupied and away from everything going on around me. Thus, Tate and her world was born.

I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning. I gave her a dragon tattoo, but I had no idea that sucker moved or talked until Ilith started speaking to me. Nor did I realize that Dewdrop would become as integral to her story as he did. He is the little brother she never had, the sarcastic backup that makes me laugh. This story is as much about them and their relationship as it is about the overarching situation they find themselves in.

I hope you enjoy this trip into their world.

When the past rises, the world burns.

Newly conscripted into the Emperor’s dragon corps, Tate Fisher is still trying to figure out all that her new position entails. Along with an elevation in status comes dangerous enemies. Enemies who would rather see the dragons fall into ruin than remain in their current place of power.   

When a dragon goes missing, followed by a child close to her, Tate is forced to confront the hidden agendas of those in the highest seats of authority. Her search for the truth takes her deeper into the maze of tunnels that lie beneath the city. It’s a place where secrets lurk and dangers abound.

There, she’ll uncover a plot whose origins stretch all the way back to the beginning of this world—one that can only end in the destruction of everything she knows and loves. The key to saving her city lies in her uncertain past. If only she could remember what that was. 

The preorder is live so get your copy now.

It's Finally Here

I'm excited to announce Of Bone and Ruin - Book Two in the Dragon Ridden Chronicles is now up on Amazon. This book has been a long time coming so I'm excited that it's finally here. It was never my intention to wait so long between publishing Dragon Ridden and its sequel. Somehow time got away from me and before I knew it several years had passed. I promise not to wait so long to release the next book in the series. I hope you have as much fun with Tate and the crew as I did.

An ancient discovery has been made close to the city of Aurelia—one that promises wealth and power equal only to the dangerous secrets lying at its heart.

With three powerful groups vying for control of the discovery’s unlimited potential, it will take a delicate touch not to tip the scales toward war. Something Tate Fisher, a newly accepted dragon-ridden with a bit of a memory problem, has never been known for possessing.

Tate must learn to navigate the undercurrents of this society if she wants her friends and empire to come out the other side in one piece. Because these secrets involve Tate, and they don’t intend to let her go so easily.

Click here for a sample and to learn more.

The Nature of Sequels

Writing a sequel, I've come to discover, is different than writing the first book in a world. I felt that way when I wrote the sequel to Shadow's Messenger, and I'm feeling it even more with the sequel to Dragon-Ridden.

With a first book, everything is new. Every detail you make up, every character you name, every cool idea you insert into the story. With a sequel, you have an established history. Names and character descriptions have to stay the same from book to book. No changing a blonde to a brunette. No giving a character a back story that completely contradicts what happened in the last book. It can be maddening trying to remember everything.

To get around this problem, I've made extensive note cards filled with character descriptions, place descriptions and major themes or plot points from the first book. It helps, but there's always something missing from my notes. Often I find myself forgetting a character's name and having to insert xxx as a place holder so I don't slow the rate of writing. This works, but occasionally I have so many xxx in a chapter that the characters run together and I have to untangle the threads during edits. 

The more difficult problem, aside from keeping characters and places consistent across books, is giving the world context in the sequel. How do you get across all of the major details of the world without providing your reader with an info dump or a complete rehash of what happened in the last book? Additionally, the writer needs to layer on those details to create an even more complex and rich world with every book they write in the series.

Dragon-Ridden's sequel feels infinitely more difficult to do this with than Shadow's Messenger's sequel. Maybe because I had to create everything in that world whereas Aileen's world takes place in modern day Columbus. Or maybe it's because it's been so long since I worked in Tate's world that its taking me a moment to get back into the rhythm of it. Either way, I've managed to get several pages of words down this weekend. I'm happy to say I officially have a beginning. Though I have no idea how much of that beginning will make it to final edits.

First Stage Complete

Whew. I did it. I've managed to finish outlining the plot for the next book. It only took running out of ink for my sharpy, using up the last of my note cards and covering my entire magnetic wall with those cards to do it.

I've got a map now. All that's left is to start writing. I'm starting to get excited for the new story. The ideas are buzzing around my head like busy little bees, and the characters are starting to come to life again. I love this part of the process. There are so many possibilities.

I'll let the plot simmer for a few days  to see if I want to change anything, but I've got a good feeling about the direction it's heading. This next book will feature Tate and her friends and will be released after the sequel to Shadow's Messenger. I'm hoping also to create a short story in her world featuring Jost to reintroduce readers to the gang as it's been awhile since I released the first book in the series. That's only if I have time though. So many books to write; so little time.

House Keeping Items

I’ve recently started receiving questions about the status of various sequels, which is something I love getting asked about. It means that someone out there is enjoying the worlds I created enough to want to spend more of their precious time reading about these characters. That's an awesome feeling. I could do that all day, but to make things a little easier I thought I’d answer the question in a place everyone can read it.

The good news is I plan sequels for both Dragon-Ridden and Pathfinder’s Way. The bad news is this may take time as I have two books in a separate series scheduled next. The first, Shadow’s Messenger, is already written and will be released in fall of this year. Its sequel will be released early 2017. From there, I plan to write the sequel to Pathfinder’s Way and after that the sequel to Dragon-Ridden. The sequels may change places based on reader responses, but for now this is the plan I'm going with.

It may seem strange that I’ve decided to go with another series before revisiting my two previous ones, but I feel that Shadow’s Messenger is a very strong book. Quite frankly, the characters in that book shouted loudly enough that they drowned out both Tate and Shea’s voices, making it almost impossible to move forward with their stories.

I’ve found I can only push my creativity so far, and while I probably could write one of the sequels first, I do not think the books would be as strong as if I had waited for the characters to start speaking to me again. Because I write in part based on that inspiration, that means this schedule may change depending on if another book shouts loudest. I am going to try to stick to this schedule though.

Once the cover from Shadow’s Messenger comes back, I will post the synopsis and an excerpt here on the blog so make sure you check back.

 I hope this sheds some light on any questions you may have. As always, feel free to contact me through one of the various platforms I’m on or email me. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Happy reading.

Contest Giveaway

Contest closed. Thanks for all those who entered.

I am giving away 10 ebooks of Pathfinder's Way. Leave a comment in the comment section to enter the giveaway for Pathfinder's Way.

The Trateri are about to learn a vital lesson of the Broken Lands. Deep in the remote expanse where anything can happen, it pays to be on a pathfinder’s good side.

Nobody ventures beyond their village. Nobody sane that is. Monstrous creatures and deadly mysteries wait out here. Lucky for the people she serves, Shea’s not exactly sane. As a pathfinder, it’s her job to face what others fear and find the safest route through the wilderness. It’s not an easy job, but she’s the best at what she does.

When the people she serves betray her into servitude to the Trateri, a barbarian horde sweeping through the Lowlands intent on conquest, Shea relies on her wits and skill to escape, disguising herself as a boy to hide from the Warlord, a man as dangerous as he is compelling.

After being mistaken as a Trateri scout during her escape, Shea finds herself forced to choose between the life she led and the possibilities of a new one. Her decision might mean the difference between life or death. For danger looms on the horizon and a partnership with the Warlord may be the only thing preventing the destruction of everything she holds dear.

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Pathfinder's Way Available for Preorder on Amazon

Here's a quick post for Sunday morning.

You can now order Pathfinder's Way on Amazon.

The Trateri are about to learn a vital lesson of the Broken Lands. Deep in the remote expanse where anything can happen, it pays to be on a pathfinder’s good side.

Nobody ventures beyond their village. Nobody sane that is. Monstrous creatures and deadly mysteries wait out here. Lucky for the people she serves, Shea’s not exactly sane. As a pathfinder, it’s her job to face what others fear and find the safest route through the wilderness. It’s not an easy job, but she’s the best at what she does.

When the people she serves betray her into servitude to the Trateri, a barbarian horde sweeping through the Lowlands intent on conquest, Shea relies on her wits and skill to escape, disguising herself as a boy to hide from the Warlord, a man as dangerous as he is compelling.

After being mistaken as a Trateri scout during her escape, Shea finds herself forced to choose between the life she led and the possibilities of a new one. Her decision might mean the difference between life or death. For danger looms on the horizon and a partnership with the Warlord may be the only thing preventing the destruction of everything she holds dear.