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
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
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
Goodbye 2016; hello 2017. I want to take a few moments to let everyone know how the year went, and where it's going from here. The biggest event for Thorium Publishing and my authorship was simple: I started the marathon and hit "publish." 2016 was a year full of events: personal, professional, and in authorship. … Continue reading Thorium: Goodbye 2016; Hello 2017
December 24th opened with a silent roar. I woke from my bed, grabbed my phone from the nightstand, opened my inbox and saw what I had waited for: In my own way, I am now a published author. Someday there will be a box series, and more series and stories, and maybe a contract with … Continue reading Thank you
I'm very excited that Ascent of the Fallen is not only in pre-order, but the final cover is uploaded, the last proofreading complete, and the final file submitted to Amazon. Wipes hands, high fives himself, gets on with business.... For anyone interested, the sales page on Kindle Direct Publishing is here. Many thanks, again, to Monica … Continue reading Ascent of the Fallen in Pre-Order
Sakichi Toyoda formalized the 5 Whys technique as a part of improving the manufacturing processes at Toyoda Motor Company. While I don't intend to iteratively delve into the why's behind the why's of my writing, I do want to share a few of the reasons I feel compelled to put fingers to keyboard and produce … Continue reading Why
(This photo isn't too far from the truth: I had mock-ups of who is where in Exiles of Heaven) Ascent of the Fallen has a handful of fight scenes, and most of those were reasonably easy to visualize and write. When I got to Exiles of Heaven though, my skills were challenged. It's hard work to craft … Continue reading Zorro, King Arthur, John McClain, and Crafting Combat
Outremer. The Holy Lands. Jerusalem. Over my life, there's been a quiet call to the East. Stories derived from the age of the Crusades have always been appealing to me, for any number of reasons. I grew up with an affinity for knights and knighthood, for the ideals of chivalry and adventure, for epic battles … Continue reading Outremer: Sources and Inspiration
The wire approaches... and all the gears are turning behind the scenes at Thorium Publishing to get Ascent of the Fallen out on time. Many thanks to my cover artist, Monica Chambers, and my editor, Nicole Gingrich, for burning some midnight oil to help! I'm anxious. The internal dilemma, part of what Steven Pressfield would say … Continue reading The Wager
