First, I should say that I’m a huge Lord of the Rings fan. I love all the characters. But I’m writing about Sam first because… well, he’s special. Why? Sam isn’t the smartest. He doesn’t think he’s brave. He’s not the “hero type.” Yet he rises to the challenges he faces in a way that puts any hero to shame. He’s humble. He’s generous. He doesn’t think of himself. Even when he’s lost hope, he keeps on going, because he’s not the giving-up type. He’s tougher, stronger, braver, and more important than he thinks he is. He’s a friend when […]
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So I attended (and was a vendor) at my very first convention this weekend. It was fun! Although I didn’t sell as much as I’d hoped, I think sales were pretty decent considering that I only had two books available (in one series) and that I’m a mostly-unknown author. Aside from sales though, I had a great time! Some highlights: My table was next to Rebecca of lossingfeathers.deviantart.com and papertulipstudio.tumbler.com. She had mostly cat and kitten art displayed, but she showed me her portfolio, with some fantastic pen and ink drawings. I may have to commission her for some future […]
This is a guest post by Sabine A. Reed, the author of the The Demon Mages (Book 1 in The Power of Three series). Thanks, Sabine! Sabine also interviewed me on her blog. Hi, My name is Sabine A. Reed. I am a fantasy author, and I have been in love with mythological creatures and fantasy writing since I began to read. Today, I want to talk about one of my favorite, most mysterious and often used creatures in writing – elves. To Elf or not to elf; their role in fantasy The origin of elves is not known. They […]
I decided to attempt a poetry post series. I’ve tried to write poetry in the past, but I’ve never considered it my strength. However, I’ve been told that my prose is sometimes poetic. I’m not sure I agree, but I’ll take the compliment! Poetry will be a good exercise in being concise and looking at things in a new way… I’m good at concise, but I tend more toward direct and business-like rather than creative and poetic. I won’t pretend these are wonderful, so if you’re not enthralled, please just ignore the series and come back for my other posts. […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]