Beta Readers Wanted!

Edit-- the spots have been filled. 

Firebird 2 has reached the stage where it would benefit from having eyes other than my own on it. For those interested in beta reading, this is your chance.

Below is a link to where you can sign up. Be aware, not everyone will be chosen as a beta reader so if you sign up and aren't picked, please try again next time. I only take a few, otherwise there would be too much feedback to shift through.

For those unfamiliar with what a beta reader does, keep reading.

The definition varies by author, but for me a beta reader is someone who takes the temperature of a book. They let me know if the concepts and worlds I've created resonate with a reader. Mostly, they give me honest feedback regarding the characters and plot. They don't focus on grammar or anything like that.

Their job is quite important as they catch things that I won't because of how close I am to the material. I've rewritten prologues and endings based on their feedback.

For example - if character B spoke at the end of a scene they hadn't been in until then. Or, if Aileen used a magic weapon but you had no idea how she got the weapon.

Beta reading is not for everyone. I don't beta read for people because it can be work. I like getting caught up in a story and not paying attention to the things that irk me. Be assured, there will be advanced copies coming so if you want to read the book without the work, please sign up for that instead.

Beta Reader Sign Up

Progress Marches On

This morning calls for making home made hot chocolate and mixing it with coffee in the hopes it will kick start my brain. I woke up tired. The last few nights I've had vivid dreams that keep waking me up. In one of them, a large group of us were trapped in a locked facility while the world outside ended. There were interesting conflicts of what survival would look like with limited resources.

When myself and others finally escaped, we were hunted by a vampire-like creature. We ended up taking bikes on some type of trail to make it back to Ohio. All interesting ideas, but at one point I scared myself enough that I couldn't get back to sleep.

My issues with sleeping are nothing new. Usually, I'm careful to structure my time so my sleep is undisturbed. It's one of the reasons I don't use an alarm in the morning. Most days I wake up on time, but the few occasions I sleep in, I've decided to let myself. Writing when exhausted is doable--I've done it many, many times--but I find my emotional balance much harder to maintain and I feel less creative.

The scene I'm rewriting today is a difficult one so I need my A game. The overall tone of the scene is shifting. Characters are being added and fleshed out. I've been imagining the words and what happens for several days now, but right now my mind is a blank. Hopefully my sugary, caffeinated beverage will help.

The last two writing days have been amazing. Both ended with me feeling like I could conquer the world--at least if conquering involved a keyboard and words. This is my favorite part of the writing process--when excitement makes the words and ideas spill out of you faster than you can capture them. It buoys you up for the difficult hours ahead.

There are many things left to fix with this book, but the realization that this story is coming together exactly the way I envisioned is giving me motivation to press on. The hard part is knowing there is a limit to what I can accomplish each day. No one ever mentions how writing can be an endurance event. Every day in this stage of the process, I end with an aching back along with wrists and arms that hurt. Despite this, I wouldn't trade my focus right now for anything.

There are still several more scenes to be added and even more to alter to fit the new path. The ending must be rewritten to take into account the new material. Still, that burning sense I get when a book is on the right track has ignited. I know what needs to be done, the concept is good and the characters are starting to shine. All I need to do  now is execute my vision. Well, that and take care of myself.

Hot Chocolate Disaster

We had our first snowfall of the season last night and today it is cold outside. It's left me craving hot chocolate as I work through the first round of edits on Firebird 2.

In the afternoon, I decided to take a brief break to make hot chocolate on the stove. Midway through I get an idea to fix a broken piece I've been struggling with. 

I leave the chocolate to type up the words. Shortly after, I smell burning milk. Run back to the kitchen to find the hot chocolate boiling over and the source of the smell. 

The chocolate was burned and ruined. I had to start again. Second time, the hot chocolate made it through successfully, but the stove is a giant mess.

You would think I'd learn, having done this a time or two. Every time I promise myself it's just one sentence, but then I get caught up and forget that you shouldn't leave things on an active stove. 

Learn from my mistakes. Don't write and cook.

Home Again

I love traveling, but there's something about coming home. My cats, my bed, not living out of a suitcase. It is all glorious.

We got home late Thursday evening, and I am finally getting over jet lag. Of course, that's mostly because I've been sleeping ten hours every night since I got home. Turns out missing a lot of sleep and a time change comes due eventually. I feel the older I get, the longer it takes to recover. At least it wasn't a week this time.

We battled some serious bad weather, which meant we didn't get to do many of the things we wanted, including hiking and an island hopping tour. Still, we have some awesome stories about my mom nearly getting blown off a mountain in Isle of Skye and the hail and sleet that made visibility difficult. It seemed every time we got out of the car for a hike or to see the sights, it started raining and the wind picked up.

Despite that, we had a blast. I discovered I actually do like gin and tonics, especially with the tonic water they use in Scotland. I think I had one every night we were there. While we didn't get to hike as much as we'd like, what we did do was gorgeous. Photos are below for those interested.

I'm finally starting to get back into the swing of things with the writing. I actually did 4000 words in Firebird 2 yesterday, and I have a relatively clear picture of the ending I want. (It's shifted several times now, so I'm only cautiously excited in case it changes again.) Now, it's just a matter of implementing that vision. Easier said than done.

This book has been difficult to write. One of the drawbacks of knowing a story line that arches over several books is you don't always know what goes in what book. In my head, scenes are a jumble and not always in the order they need to be. That means a good part of this book was finding out how everything fit together. I'm on the right track now, but it took way longer than I wanted it to.

Bonus, a small chunk of the third or fourth book is written, but that means I have to create new content for this one. As a result, it's looking like Firebird 2 won't be released until beginning of next year. That's not set in stone. There is still a chance I might bring this in under deadline, but I have no plans to rush through the writing and editing process. This book needs to be right, and I think I'm finally on that path. It helps when you trust yourself and stop worrying about all the minutia.

Wayfarer's Keep Audio

I'm excited to announce the audio book for Wayfarer's Keep will be available on Oct. 15. For now, you can preorder on Audible.

Audible

The Wind's Call Is Live

The Wind's Call is out! 

Find it at your favorite retailer.

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

Itunes

Scarred by her past; defined by her future.

Eva is a herd mistress without a herd. A tagalong by her own definition. Not thrown away by her people, but rather someone who created a new life for herself when the old one died.

When she rescues one of the mysterious winged horses, a creature straight out of myth, from those who would enslave him, Eva opens the door to something her chosen people want more than anything else. An alliance.

Now, sent deep into the Highlands and guarded by one of the Warlord's most trusted warriors, Eva will have to brave the terrors that wait there. Someone is sowing the seeds of dissent upon which war turns. Failure will lead to death, but success may bring revelations she's not ready to face.

The balance of power is shifting in the Broken Lands. Those who survive will need to adapt quickly to the ever-changing landscape. Choosing her friends wisely has never been so important.

Rules of Redemption Audio Book

Time has slipped right by me. I can't believe it's already Sept. 18, which means the audio book for Rules of Redemption is out! Head over to your favorite retailer to check it out.

Audible

Google Play

Kobo

The war everyone thought was over is just beginning.

Kira Forrest is a survivor. She's risen above the pain of her beginnings to become a war hero only to leave it all behind in the pursuit of a simple life. Now a salvager, she makes a living sifting through the wreckage of dead alien ships from a war that nearly brought humanity to its knees.

After her ship takes damage, she's forced to re-route to a space station where her past and present collide with dangerous consequences.

Kira's existence holds the key to a faltering peace treaty with the Tuann - a technologically advanced alien race who dislikes and distrusts all humans. Winning her freedom should be easy, but a powerful and relentless Tuann warrior stands in her way. Deceiving him seems impossible, especially when he strays dangerously close to secrets she struggles to hide.

Can Kira reconcile the pain of her past with the possibilities of her future? The fate of two races depends on her success.