I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, New Years, and holiday season! I’m excited to begin this new year This is a first scene from a short series of extras I’m working on set in the world of Erdemen Honor. It’s not a complete story or anything, just a little snippet. I’m also making good progress on Book3 and the new urban fantasy novel, tentatively titled Invisible. You can check out the Kickstarter project for Book3 here. School Days Chavo ran his hands over his face and through his hair. He’d arrived only the night before, barely in […]
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A new novel idea struck me a couple days ago and I’ve been working on it nearly non-stop. It’s in a different world than my other books. Comments are welcome. *** She glanced around at before trying the door tentatively. If he was here, it was dangerous. Even if he wasn’t… well, it was still dangerous. There was no sound from inside, and she took a deep breath before pulling her tools from her pocket. She inserted the thin metal lockpick and manipulated it carefully. She’d practiced on her own door at home, but she wasn’t very good at it […]
Every writer needs beta readers. But sometimes, finding the right beta readers can be a challenge. The best critiquers and beta readers catch the vision of the story you want to tell and help you tell it better, rather than fundamentally changing the idea. There are a few critical steps to identifying the right beta readers for your work and using them well. 1 – Know what you need from the beta readers. When you show a piece of writing to someone, it’s best to know what kind of response you’re looking for. If you need encouragement, show it to […]
UPDATED July 10, 2015 – Since this was written back in November 2012, a few features on Amazon and Goodreads have changed or disappeared. I’ve updated the list below to be more current. First, let’s be clear: you shouldn’t support indie authors because they’re indie. You don’t owe authors anything, whether they’re indie or traditionally published (or both!). Forgoing the traditional publishing route is a business decision for authors that is complicated for a number of reasons – royalties, marketing support, time-to-publication, local vs. international distribution, and creative control, among many other considerations. But none of that should influence whether […]
This is a really interesting article on the tension between traditionally published authors and indie authors. Link here. I chose to self-publish for a variety of reasons. My first book, The King’s Sword, was rejected by a number of agents before I decided to self-publish. While I’m sure it’s not perfect (what book is? We all have things we can improve in our writing, and I hope I continue to grow as a writer throughout my life.), I believed it was worth sharing. The comments I got from beta readers ranged from fangirl squeals (literally) to “Wow, I’ve never seen […]
This is a foray into a Christian/paranormal historical fantasy world. I’m thinking about a novel or two in this world. What do you think? This is a free short story. If you like it, please consider checking out my other work as well! Basileus and the Cat C. J. Brightley Basileus hunched deeper into his cloak as he hurried through the rain. It dripped into his eyes and soaked through his hood into his hair. He shivered as the wind gusted again and when he reached the door he sighed with relief. The sack of potatoes under his arm […]
A boy learns heroes still exist. This is a short story set in the world of the series Erdemen Honor. It is a prequel/introduction to an upcoming novel and takes place several generations after The King’s Sword. It is 6166 words. You can find Street Fox on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. Street Fox Excerpt When I was a child, I believed the stories of the great heroes. Kardu, whose exploits live on in the great Kardu’s Song. Tarmo Hiraku, who united the Tuyet tribes against the Tarvil. From the Third Age, which is dying now, Kemen Sendoa, who saved the […]
Heroes is a novella that accompanies an upcoming novel. It is just over 16,000 words. The events occur several generations after The King’s Sword and some years after Street Fox. The events in it are concurrent with those in an upcoming novel. However, if you’re new to Erdemen Tales or Erdemen Honor, you can start with Heroes… you won’t be confused. Find Heroes (Erdemen Tales) on Amazon or on Smashwords. Heroes Excerpt Third Age, 761 Liamo I woke beside a fire. There was raucous laughter, and I smiled. I wondered who the men were. My head felt fuzzy, and […]