Monthly Archives: July 2013

12 posts

Paperbacks and Posters!

Paperbacks are now available! The King’s Sword: Amazon | Barnes and Noble A Cold Wind: Amazon | Barnes and Noble AND posters are now available! You can order them directly from my Zazzle shop. Kickstarter backers received signed copies, but these are not signed – they’re sent directly to you. If you’d like a signed copy, please contact me directly and we’ll figure out how to make that happen. Follow the links to find the posters for The King’s Sword and A Cold Wind. My personal favorite is the glossy canvas… the colors are gorgeous and intense, and the texture […]

Guest Post: Do What Works for You

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by Kyra Dune. Her most recent publication is Firebrand. . Do What Works for You I’ve read a lot of articles about writing fantasy. I’ve heard it said over and over that every writer in this genre must spend copious amounts of time creating their fantasy world, its rules and laws and histories, its races and religions and magic, before ever sitting down to actually write out a story. I’m here to tell you it isn’t true. Okay, maybe in some instances it is true, if for […]

Guest Post: Magical Forensics

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by Sophie Duncan. Her most recent publication is Sacrifice of An Angel.   Magical Forensics Thanks very much to C.J. for hosting me today as part of the Blogger Book Fair. C. J. asked me to write about the magical forensics my sister and I developed for our book, Sacrifice of An Angel. It is the first book in a new-adult contemporary fantasy series called The Haward Mysteries that mixes the modern British crime drama with magic, demons and all manner of dark arts. I write this series with my twin […]

Guest Post: My Five Favorite Dragons in Fantasy

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by Wendy S. Russo, the author of January Black. My Five Favorite Dragons in Fantasy 5. Falkor – The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, 1979 Like every kid from the ‘80s who read the English translation of the Neverending Story, I saw the movie first. Falkor was a friendly and fluffy creature with far more in common with puppy dog than a dragon. He was ever so nice, plucking Atreyu out of the Swamps of Sadness and flying almost ten thousand miles to boy’s next challenge while […]

Guest Post: How to Rewrite History: A Guide for Novelists and Dictators

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by Sharon Bayliss. Her most recent publication is The Charge. How to Rewrite History: A Guide for Novelists and Dictators Manipulating historical events, either for an alternate history novel or to deceive the masses, takes a lot of research. Personally, my experience in re-writing history comes from writing my alternate history fantasy, The Charge (not from being a ruthless overlord). In The Charge, the state of Texas never joins the United States and instead becomes an independent nation. I’ve complied a set a tips for how to […]

Blogger Book Fair! My Schedule and Guest Posts

I’m participating in the 2013 Blogger Book Fair! I’m excited about the great group of authors and bloggers participating, and I hope everyone will have a great time.  I wrote the following guest posts for other authors and bloggers as part of the fair (links will be added as the posts go live): Beyond the Magic – for Sophie Duncan Interview with Daniel Sherrier Writing as a Man for Wendy Russo, with an extra spotlight here Writing Fight Scenes for D. H. Aire Managing Reader Expectations Through Cover Art for Sharon Bayliss Excerpt from The King’s Sword and Interview for Yolanda Renee […]

Guest Post: Making Paranormal Rules is Fun!

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by Daniel Sherrier, the author of RIP: Touch, a paranormal novella series, and Earths in Space vol. 1: Where Are the Little Green Men?. Making paranormal rules is fun! I’m writing a series about ghosts, but before I started, I had to figure something out: What on Earth can ghosts do? If I was writing a series about police officers, I’d need to research and learn about the laws governing their behavior on the job. If I was writing about tigers, I’d need to learn everything I […]

Guest Post: Blending Science Fiction and Fantasy

This guest post is part of the 2013 Blogger Book Fair and was written by D. H. Aire. He is the author of Highmage’s Plight. CJB: Tell us a little about your book. DHA: First, thank you, C.J., for the opportunity to appear on your blog. I know you’re a fantasy writer, so you likely understand why I love to write across genre, sci fi and fantasy. These are among my favorite genres and combining them in unusual ways offers me the opportunity to dream up unique stories, combining adventure, satire, humor, and, of course, elves. My debut novel Highmage’s Plight, published last […]

Writing Lessons from Martial Arts

Some of you know that I’m a martial artist. I’ve been training in martial arts for over 19 years as of this writing. I started in taekwondo when I was 12 and earned my first black belt in the now-defunct International Taekwondo Council (ITC). I trained for about two years in a Japanese Karate Association (JKA) Shotokan karate school before heading to college at 17, where I trained for a year in judo. When I transferred colleges, I ended up in a Chidokwan karate (basically Shotokan + escrima sticks + street-style self-defense) university club, where I trained for two years […]

Tips and Tricks to Overcome Writer’s Block

First, read this post on Writer’s Block and How to Defeat It. It outlines how writer’s block is generally a result of either fear or confusion, and how to address those issues. This post does NOT address those deeper issues. These tips and tricks work best for me when I’m only “sorta stuck”… I have some ideas, but the words aren’t flowing. These are ways to jog your creativity and exercise your mind. If you’re dealing with writer’s block, please look at the root causes first before relying on the tips and tricks below. Exercise and Think About Your Story […]