I'd apologize for the delay in posting, but let's call a spade a spade: I'm awful at consistently blogging, and I've been buckling down in some other areas. One of my life mantras: This or that. We're just not built to be great multi-taskers! First, exciting announcement #1: The Girl and the Golden Mirror is … Continue reading The Girl & The Golden Mirror, Ascent of the Fallen update, and more!
The Girl and the Golden Mirror Cover Design: Feedback Requested
For anyone who see's it here first, I'm requesting feedback on my latest cover design over at my Facebook Page. If you haven't already, you can Follow me there and see more frequent (though possibly less focused!) activity. Many thanks to Joanna Penn and The Book Designer for tips & tricks! Image credit: Travis Chapman!
Shooting The Devil: Strategy, Tactics, and Tips For Crafting Compelling Combat in Your Novel
I've had this post in the wings for a while, trying to "strategerize" how best to communicate the message. Guest post? Breaking it up into smaller bits? New website? I figured it was worth getting something out there for now, and I may revisit the content in different forms later. This is primarily written for … Continue reading Shooting The Devil: Strategy, Tactics, and Tips For Crafting Compelling Combat in Your Novel
Identity
One of my favorite questions to wrestle with is identity. For men, this often takes form as: Am I enough? Can I come through? Beneath each of those questions is the foundation in our thinking of who we are. Are we self-made? Forged in fire? Or genuinely accepted in spite of anything we could do? … Continue reading Identity
Donald Trump is the Best Thing to Happen to Authors
But before we get into that, an uplifting moment. We've had unusually good weather the past week here in Maryland, and I've tried to take advantage of morning/evening walks when I could. This is a delightfully comfortable evening stroll in our neck of the woods. Great opportunity to decompress from the day and try to … Continue reading Donald Trump is the Best Thing to Happen to Authors
Exiles of Heaven: Sneak Peek
This week I've got a sneak peek at Exiles of Heaven, Book 2 in the Chronicles of Outremer series. I'm in the editing process so some of this may change in final form, but I thought it was a good segment to include. If you're a newsletter subscriber you saw this in my 1st quarter … Continue reading Exiles of Heaven: Sneak Peek
Serial Goodness: Comparing Hit TV Now and Then
My wife and I watch TV. We're American, right? We've come to know the excitement of a new series, the heart-pangs of a long-running series ending, and the all-to-frequent sigh of "Well, that was a good season and we'll never see it again. Thanks for axing that one." We were fans of The Office. We … Continue reading Serial Goodness: Comparing Hit TV Now and Then
A Boy and His Dragon: Inspiration in Florida and the Author Mindset by Steven Pressfield
I've been a bad kid. Kind of. We ended up executing a slight change of plans last week that turned a family visit into more of a holiday, taking advantage of several opportunities that fell into our laps. As such, I did what every diligent writer does: take a break! During our stay in Orlando, … Continue reading A Boy and His Dragon: Inspiration in Florida and the Author Mindset by Steven Pressfield
Author at Play: Unplugging from the Machine & a 2nd Draft Update
While I have a general plan that keeps me tracking on my writing projects, sometimes the story just pulls you along. Steven Pressfield would probably call that The Muse. Many call it 'flow'. For me it was just joy. I have three major tasks set before me this season with Thorium Publishing: mature and grow … Continue reading Author at Play: Unplugging from the Machine & a 2nd Draft Update
A Bloody Good Map: Cartography Related to the Chronicles of Outremer
I read a good deal of high fantasy, typically works containing elements similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and such. One of the fun parts of any fantasy novel is the map. Usually found just after the title pages, the map gives the reader context. It provides a framework to orient the story … Continue reading A Bloody Good Map: Cartography Related to the Chronicles of Outremer
