Look! Shiny Object!

It's time for a book title and cover reveal! I'm so excited to bring you the newest installment of Shea and Fallon's adventure. I don't quite have the preorder in place, but I'm aiming for a release date of September 5. I will let you know when that goes live. In the mean time, enjoy!

Branded a traitor by her people for betraying their secrets and joining the Trateri, Shea and her warlord—the fiercely dangerous Fallon—travel to the Pathfinders’ seat of power at her father’s request, hoping to form an alliance despite the distrust between them.  However, Shea and Fallon quickly realize something is wrong in the Highlands.  Ancient, deadly beasts that haven’t walked the lands in hundreds of years have been awakened, and it seems the Pathfinders are keeping a secret…one that could destroy them all.

On the brink of battle with each other, the Pathfinders and Trateri must join forces if they hope to defeat the evil at the heart of the Badlands.  As the tension rises between the two peoples, and Shea and her family, Shea and Fallon must convince them to overcome their differences if they are to triumph over impossible odds.  But the beasts may be the least of their worries, because sometimes betrayal comes from within, and the most dangerous monsters may be those closest to them.

Chapter One

Beta Readers Assemble!

Edit: I have enough beta readers for the moment. Thank you to everyone who volunteered.

I've labored long and hard to prepare the best book I can write. Now, the time has come to let others see my creation for themselves. For those who want to offer their services as a beta reader for Broken Lands 3, keep reading the post below.

Remember, this is still early stages so there will be odd grammatical and factual errors riddling the manuscript. Below is an explanation of what a beta reader does and what I expect out of them. It's a first come, first serve type of opportunity and priority will be given to those who've beta read for me in the past. 

Beta Reader Guidelines and Caveat

Here's how you can volunteer: Private message me through my Facebook page or email me at info@tawhiteauthor.com asking to be a beta reader and committing to the guidelines posted below. I can't guarantee I'll choose you as there has been a lot of interest in this in the past, and I can only wade through so many comments at a time.

Beta Guidelines:

This part of the process for me takes place before I send the manuscript to the editor. That means the copy is a little rough still. I'm not looking for intense grammar editing. I'm more focused on comments on the story- pace, structure, characters, things that don't make sense. That kind of stuff. I will outline these questions in more detail for those who participate.

The other thing I ask is for people to send it back to me in the time allotted. I'm asking for it back by June 15th this time. My wedding is at the end of the month and I need this to be in my editors hands so I don't have it hanging over me :-)

I also ask that you agree not to share the story with anyone or upload it to any sites. I know for most of you that would never cross your mind, but I need to say it anyway.

Also, be aware that I may not use your suggestions as my opinion trumps everyone else's. Sometimes you ask questions that I want asked or a suggestion goes against what I'm trying to accomplish.

One note: Beta reading is not for everyone. For instance, I don't beta read for people because I like getting caught up in the story and not paying attention to the things that irk me. For that reason, I will be doing advance reader copies that will take place at the end of the process and will require less critical thinking on the reader's part--hopefully.

If you're interested, let me know. If you're not, I hope you enjoy the book when it comes out.

The End Has Spoken

Omg, it's done. My hands and wrists hurt from the flurry of words, my brain feels like a cooked noodle, and I plan to curl up into a ball on the couch for the next few days while not moving an inch, but it's done. Broken Lands 3 Draft 1 has a The End on it. Still a long ways to go, but the hard part is done.

For all those who've emailed me in the last week and a half while I've been consumed with the end of this book, I have finally responded to your emails. I apologize for taking so long, but I'm apparently incapable of concentrating on anything besides my book when I'm close to the end.

Whew, I still can't believe I'm done. Time to go give myself a break.

Something I Probably Shouldn't Share

I know I'm supposed to be concentrating on marketing for Dragon 3, but I couldn't resist sharing a small snippet of the current WIP. I think it's the first time I've been mostly happy with an opening sentence.

Small disclaimer: As always this is not a guarantee of the final product and there is every possibility that the below might not make it into the final draft.

P3

Pain blossomed along Shea’s side. She sucked in a sharp breath and gritted her teeth. She could already tell from the throbbing that a bruise was forming.

Chugging Along

Things are moving along on all fronts. Right now, I'm just trying to tread water to stay on top of it all. Between wedding planning, finishing up Dragon 3 and starting Pathfinder 3, I'm having to implement some of the organizational abilities I've gleaned from years in the military, followed by a stint in corporate America to stay focused and continue to get things done.

The comments from my beta readers for Dragon 3 have started pouring in, and I am beginning to sift through to see what needs to be addressed. Technically, the deadline for these aren't due until Friday, but I've found it helps get my brain warmed up if I start thinking of ways to fix some of the problem areas as they come in rather than waiting for the avalanche at the end. Otherwise, I tend to get overwhelmed, which can lead to me freezing up and/or finding the nearest hole to crawl into. Thankfully, most of the comments so far have pointed at minor issues, which is always reassuring.

I've also planned out the first third of Pathfinder 3. It's been a bit of an easier go of it this time, since a lot of my ideas were part of the outline for Mist's Edge. I'm actually kind of excited to get started on this book since all the cool stuff I wanted to write was in the latter half of that outline. It's kind of hard not to just dive into writing, but I've learned from previous experience that jaunting off without a plan usually leads to me wandering lost and confused in one of my worlds. Since you guys probably don't want to wait three years for me to figure out an ending, it's best to take my time and come up with a well thought out story before I run head first into dangerous territory.

On the personal front, I decided on my cake baker, flower person, and photographer for the wedding. All major wins in my book, since these were the last major items I was stressing over. Since I love food and am an amateur photographer, it was very important to me to find people that I liked for this. I think I've done that. There are a few things left, but nothing as stressful as those. This means that I can buckle down and focus on Pathfinder 3. My goal is to have it written and in someone else's hands at least a week before my wedding. Otherwise, I might turn into a writerzilla crossed with a bridezilla because of all the stress.